I really hate to talk about age, but I'm taking a break next week to go to my _________ reunion. I decided to list some of the tunes that were popular then. Unfortunately, if you do a little research, you'll be able to determine the answer as to when they were recorded. Identify the year correctly, and I'll let you submit a guest column. Second prize is a trip to the annual Buzzard Festival in Hinckley, Ohio or the cash equivalent. Thanks to Billboard for the following list:
Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group
Still some SERIOUS rock and roll. Isn't that Stevie Winwood laying down those punishing organ riffs? Did you know that Muff Winwood was also in the band (What's next - Buffy Winwood? Why is it I get the feeling Muff's career was somewhat abortive?) Is it true that every time this song plays on the dancefloor with a group of over 50 types who've had too much to drink that they feel compelled to shout off key and clap haphazardly? Stay tuned.
Soul Man - Sam and Dave
The Muscle Shoals gospel sound bursts onto the charts, with the duo's seamless shouted vocals ably backed by those staccato horns. It doesn't really bother me that the tune was covered by the Blues Brothers, but I drew the line when they played it at Dole campaign rallies (I'm an OLD man - duh duh dut da dada da)- etc.
Groovin -Young Rascals
The ultimate bar, beach party, summer weekend and all around get high anthem from Felix and the gang. Blue collar pop that cuts across all socio-economic lines.
Happy Together - The Turtles
This song is a lot like cotton candy - fluffy and sweet but it doesn't last long. It seems so naive - but then so were we.
The Letter - The Box Tops
This tune is all about the importance of snail mail - I mean, why write your baby a letter when there's instant messaging? - and the tired, Mick Jaggerish quality of the vocal. Still,you get to hear a plane engine.
Incense and Peppermints - The Strawberry Alarm Clock
I know, I know - this is supposed to be the precursor of psychedelic rock, etc. etc., but it just takes itself too seriously. It's so PROFOUND.
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Who knew this song would turn out to be the theme of the latter half of the Twentieth Century? Aretha is the original feminist.
Windy - The Association
This song has a special place for me. I really hate the Association, but this tune is forever linked to someone who meant a lot to me that I'll never see again.
Did you figure out the year yet? Keep me posted.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bullseye in the Bargain Bin
Sometimes the best quality music can be found in the most unlikely places, provided you know the songs and the artists, so combing the discount racks in your local music emporium can be rewarding. I stumbled on the "Blues" series of Jukebox Hits one day, amazed as I scanned the artists and cuts to have uncovered so much great music for so little - 4 CDS for under 10 bucks.
The trade-off is that the collection was mastered in Holland on some obscure label, so all you get is the names of the artists and the tunes but no info as to when and where or with whom.
Looking randomly at Volume 3 reveals two cuts by Ray Charles that aren't very good. You'd think that all the music made by a genius like Charles would be superior. It's obvious here that he had the feel of the blues but was still refining that distinctive sound that would earn his place in American music.
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillun" was supposedly made in 1947, apparently getting some airplay in Detroit. Although his deep growl of a voice is unmistakable, the music is simply one protracted, driving guitar riff, a signature sound that was picked up by both Canned Heat and Norman Greenbaum. Always imitated, never equalled, Hooker's presence is dark and ominous but authentic.
Bo Diddley may very well be one of America's most underrated guitar stylists, always willing to take chances with his box guitar, to drift from blues to jazz to psychedelic rock back to "gut bucket" R & B. "Doctor Jeckyll" is another good excuse for Bo to demonstrate to a newer audience that he holds the original Phd in rock.
"Everyday I Have The Blues" evokes the early Twentieth Century lone bluesman tickling the ivories. Lowell Fulsom delivers on this cut, hitting just the right mix of world-weariness and bouncy keyboards. The song has been covered by B.B. King and a few others.
Pianists Roosevelt Sykes and Memphis Slim are represented here with "Out on a Limb" and "Harlem Bound". Sykes' supposedly had big hands that allowed his fingers to stretch across and encompass more of the keyboard, while Slim's playing was smooth and melodious, "Harlem Bound" dealing with that favorite blues motif - the train- as well as a tongue-in-cheek imitation of the conductor calling off the stations as the train approached "One Hundred Twenty Fifth Street".
Jimmy Witherspoon contributes a jazzy version of "Kansas City", and the disc closes out with "Trouble Blues" , a lament over broken love from Charles Brown. I'll get back to more of these tunes eventually, but don't forget - just because its on sale doesn't mean its Iron Butterfly's second album or one of those so-called "Greatest Hits" collections where maybe two out of a dozen songs were actually hits. Keep your eyes open for greatness.
The trade-off is that the collection was mastered in Holland on some obscure label, so all you get is the names of the artists and the tunes but no info as to when and where or with whom.
Looking randomly at Volume 3 reveals two cuts by Ray Charles that aren't very good. You'd think that all the music made by a genius like Charles would be superior. It's obvious here that he had the feel of the blues but was still refining that distinctive sound that would earn his place in American music.
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillun" was supposedly made in 1947, apparently getting some airplay in Detroit. Although his deep growl of a voice is unmistakable, the music is simply one protracted, driving guitar riff, a signature sound that was picked up by both Canned Heat and Norman Greenbaum. Always imitated, never equalled, Hooker's presence is dark and ominous but authentic.
Bo Diddley may very well be one of America's most underrated guitar stylists, always willing to take chances with his box guitar, to drift from blues to jazz to psychedelic rock back to "gut bucket" R & B. "Doctor Jeckyll" is another good excuse for Bo to demonstrate to a newer audience that he holds the original Phd in rock.
"Everyday I Have The Blues" evokes the early Twentieth Century lone bluesman tickling the ivories. Lowell Fulsom delivers on this cut, hitting just the right mix of world-weariness and bouncy keyboards. The song has been covered by B.B. King and a few others.
Pianists Roosevelt Sykes and Memphis Slim are represented here with "Out on a Limb" and "Harlem Bound". Sykes' supposedly had big hands that allowed his fingers to stretch across and encompass more of the keyboard, while Slim's playing was smooth and melodious, "Harlem Bound" dealing with that favorite blues motif - the train- as well as a tongue-in-cheek imitation of the conductor calling off the stations as the train approached "One Hundred Twenty Fifth Street".
Jimmy Witherspoon contributes a jazzy version of "Kansas City", and the disc closes out with "Trouble Blues" , a lament over broken love from Charles Brown. I'll get back to more of these tunes eventually, but don't forget - just because its on sale doesn't mean its Iron Butterfly's second album or one of those so-called "Greatest Hits" collections where maybe two out of a dozen songs were actually hits. Keep your eyes open for greatness.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Big D's Hit Parade, Part Two
Continuing with my own personal Top 40....
Morning Dew - The Grateful Dead
The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion was probably the second album I bought with my own money, prompted by the fact that I had seen the Dead live at the Village Gate. Ironically, they were OPENING for another band that dropped out of sight. Morning Dew is highlighted by Jerry Garcia's tentative vocals meshing with plaintive guitar chords. The song has such a loving quality to it, painting a picture and creating a mood. In my mind, it marks the beginning of the reign of the Dead.
Panama Limited - Tom Rush
Rush's deft use of a kitchen knife sliding up and down the guitar strings coupled with his authoritative vocals and meticulously clean finger picking makes this song a folkie classic, complete with the various "train" sound effects. He does his musical homework well, able to adapt and refine various guitar styles until he makes them his own. "Panama Limited" was best experienced from the vantage point of a crowded cafe table in the old Mooncusser on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight and The Pips
This song simply drives itself - a blend of the funkiest piano hooks on record combined with Gladys' intense vocals and the staccato punctuation of the Pips, a solid R & B riff that never lets you down. I always wonder why Marvin Gaye's version got all the attention.
Chest Fever - The Band
A true virtuoso run for keyboardist Garth Hudson as he jumps from organ to piano to synthesizer and back, the song's refrain echoing like thunder across some vast imaginary plain. I used to always visualize the song being performed live, with Garth as the centerpiece, rising up from the stage on some kind of hydraulic platform during his solo, hunched over his array of instruments.
Leavin' Trunk - Taj Mahal
Or any of the other cuts off his first eye-opening album - who was this dude who ground out such tight, hard-driving, electrifying blues? Taj's voice on this cut is a controlled, melodic shout, while the harmonica provides a dynamic, amplified wail. If you ever get a copy of this record, sit back and relax to "The Celebrated Walking Blues", kind of like Taj Mahal's musical thesis on the nature and history of the blues.
By the way - how about YOUR Top 40? Send me some titles and brief descriptions and I'll add it to the list.
Morning Dew - The Grateful Dead
The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion was probably the second album I bought with my own money, prompted by the fact that I had seen the Dead live at the Village Gate. Ironically, they were OPENING for another band that dropped out of sight. Morning Dew is highlighted by Jerry Garcia's tentative vocals meshing with plaintive guitar chords. The song has such a loving quality to it, painting a picture and creating a mood. In my mind, it marks the beginning of the reign of the Dead.
Panama Limited - Tom Rush
Rush's deft use of a kitchen knife sliding up and down the guitar strings coupled with his authoritative vocals and meticulously clean finger picking makes this song a folkie classic, complete with the various "train" sound effects. He does his musical homework well, able to adapt and refine various guitar styles until he makes them his own. "Panama Limited" was best experienced from the vantage point of a crowded cafe table in the old Mooncusser on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight and The Pips
This song simply drives itself - a blend of the funkiest piano hooks on record combined with Gladys' intense vocals and the staccato punctuation of the Pips, a solid R & B riff that never lets you down. I always wonder why Marvin Gaye's version got all the attention.
Chest Fever - The Band
A true virtuoso run for keyboardist Garth Hudson as he jumps from organ to piano to synthesizer and back, the song's refrain echoing like thunder across some vast imaginary plain. I used to always visualize the song being performed live, with Garth as the centerpiece, rising up from the stage on some kind of hydraulic platform during his solo, hunched over his array of instruments.
Leavin' Trunk - Taj Mahal
Or any of the other cuts off his first eye-opening album - who was this dude who ground out such tight, hard-driving, electrifying blues? Taj's voice on this cut is a controlled, melodic shout, while the harmonica provides a dynamic, amplified wail. If you ever get a copy of this record, sit back and relax to "The Celebrated Walking Blues", kind of like Taj Mahal's musical thesis on the nature and history of the blues.
By the way - how about YOUR Top 40? Send me some titles and brief descriptions and I'll add it to the list.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
My Top 40
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the May 07 issue of Rolling Stone has a list of the 40 songs which - in their opinion - changed the world. In a manner of speaking , since music like most art is ultimately subjective, we all have our own Top 40 tunes, the music that stands out in the stages of your life.
The first song that caught my attention was "Twist Twist Senora" by Gary US Bonds, the bouncy, vibrant rthymn standing out in the WABC (New York) AM mix that I was addicted to with my tinny transistor and plastic earphone. Bonds' voice was closer to a hoarse shout than a melodic voice, but the beat and the vocal made me move, in contrast to Chubby Checker and Joey Dee, so much so that I went out and bought the record. Bonds' music has some Caribbean flavor, the song lyrics vaguely reminiscent of gonzo calypso.
Then there was the Contours "Do You Love Me?", the driving, early Motown beat combined with the classic "spoken" intro before the song simply breaks out into the "call and respond" format. The interaction between the shouted lead and the melodic chorus gave it a rough but high energy edge, sort of like doo wop on meth.
The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" was one of my very few 45s, which I played over and over on my two tone monaural until the words were embedded in my brain. The music was so straightforward and simplistic that even I could carry the tune. I never realized how much potential the song had until Van Halen ripped it open 20 years later.
The real mystery is "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five. This was my first big driving song although it hinted of psychedelia, a harbinger of the extended guitar solos to come, but it's like the song never existed. I haven't heard it since I was 17, but I associate it with great moments like cranking my mother's station wagon up to 100 + and singing at the top of my lungs: "Well I feel this way - can't get satisfaction - feels just like a PSYCHOTIC REACTION."
Stay tuned for more of my own personal "charts".
The first song that caught my attention was "Twist Twist Senora" by Gary US Bonds, the bouncy, vibrant rthymn standing out in the WABC (New York) AM mix that I was addicted to with my tinny transistor and plastic earphone. Bonds' voice was closer to a hoarse shout than a melodic voice, but the beat and the vocal made me move, in contrast to Chubby Checker and Joey Dee, so much so that I went out and bought the record. Bonds' music has some Caribbean flavor, the song lyrics vaguely reminiscent of gonzo calypso.
Then there was the Contours "Do You Love Me?", the driving, early Motown beat combined with the classic "spoken" intro before the song simply breaks out into the "call and respond" format. The interaction between the shouted lead and the melodic chorus gave it a rough but high energy edge, sort of like doo wop on meth.
The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" was one of my very few 45s, which I played over and over on my two tone monaural until the words were embedded in my brain. The music was so straightforward and simplistic that even I could carry the tune. I never realized how much potential the song had until Van Halen ripped it open 20 years later.
The real mystery is "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five. This was my first big driving song although it hinted of psychedelia, a harbinger of the extended guitar solos to come, but it's like the song never existed. I haven't heard it since I was 17, but I associate it with great moments like cranking my mother's station wagon up to 100 + and singing at the top of my lungs: "Well I feel this way - can't get satisfaction - feels just like a PSYCHOTIC REACTION."
Stay tuned for more of my own personal "charts".
Friday, April 20, 2007
Junior Walker
For years I thought that the only way to play a saxophone was to sound like Junior Walker, mainly because I had a copy of the Shotgun album that I played over and over, listening to the way Walker made the instrument shriek, wail and squeeze out spine-straightening riffs. True, Shotgun is the tune commonly associated with Junior Walker and the All Stars, but I liked "Roadrunner" and "Cleo' s Mood" and "Shake and Fingerpop" just as well.
As far as facts are concerned, Junior was born Autry DeWalt Jr in Blytheville, Arkansas, then grew up in South Bend, Indiana. He originally recorded for Harvey Fuqua, but went to Motown when Berry Gordy, Jr. bought out all Fuqua's labels. Besides Junior himself, the All Stars featured Vic Thomas on keyboards, Willie Woods on guitar and drummer James Graves. Most of the group's hits were sandwiched in between 1965 and the early 70s, but none of them ever reached the same stature as "Shotgun".
Soul Session was the All Stars' second album on Motown's Soul label. The funkiest tune has to be the way Junior and the band rip up "Moonlight in Vermont", title tune from a 1943 "b" musical, starting with the original comforting melodic line, then upping the tempo and injecting the funk before settling back into a comfortable, romantic groove. Soul Session definitely stands out because it is totally instrumental , and shows the true depth of the All Stars' talent. Best cuts include "Satan's Blues", the sound of gritty urban blues at its best, including organ riffs reminiscent of jazz great Jimmy Smith; "Shake Everything"; "Good Rockin'" and "Brainwasher." Junior's playing on this album has always been for me the true definition of (for lack of a better term) "urban" saxophone, ranking with Miles Davis in my lexicon of horn players.
Walker decided to branch out on his own in 1979 with little success except for the fact that he played the sax solo for "Urgent", the rock group Foreigner's hit in 1981, and was back at Motown in 1983. He succumbed to cancer in 1995.
In general, I prefer music with energy, power and humor. Junior Walker and the All Stars exceeded all three categories, and created a monument to funk that was ahead of its time.
As far as facts are concerned, Junior was born Autry DeWalt Jr in Blytheville, Arkansas, then grew up in South Bend, Indiana. He originally recorded for Harvey Fuqua, but went to Motown when Berry Gordy, Jr. bought out all Fuqua's labels. Besides Junior himself, the All Stars featured Vic Thomas on keyboards, Willie Woods on guitar and drummer James Graves. Most of the group's hits were sandwiched in between 1965 and the early 70s, but none of them ever reached the same stature as "Shotgun".
Soul Session was the All Stars' second album on Motown's Soul label. The funkiest tune has to be the way Junior and the band rip up "Moonlight in Vermont", title tune from a 1943 "b" musical, starting with the original comforting melodic line, then upping the tempo and injecting the funk before settling back into a comfortable, romantic groove. Soul Session definitely stands out because it is totally instrumental , and shows the true depth of the All Stars' talent. Best cuts include "Satan's Blues", the sound of gritty urban blues at its best, including organ riffs reminiscent of jazz great Jimmy Smith; "Shake Everything"; "Good Rockin'" and "Brainwasher." Junior's playing on this album has always been for me the true definition of (for lack of a better term) "urban" saxophone, ranking with Miles Davis in my lexicon of horn players.
Walker decided to branch out on his own in 1979 with little success except for the fact that he played the sax solo for "Urgent", the rock group Foreigner's hit in 1981, and was back at Motown in 1983. He succumbed to cancer in 1995.
In general, I prefer music with energy, power and humor. Junior Walker and the All Stars exceeded all three categories, and created a monument to funk that was ahead of its time.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Beantown Legacy
The Boston area has always had a reputation for good music, and the passing of two individuals from opposite ends of the spectrum amply illustrates the point.
Former Boston lead singer Bradley Delp apparently committed suicide several weeks ago. Although I really haven't paid any attention to his career since the 1970s, his voice is a staple on classic rock stations across the country. The first Boston album is a rock and roll masterpiece, so well done that the band could never improve on it, and Delp's strong melodic vocals are a prominent part of the mix. "More Than A Feeling" is the best known cut, showcasing both the voice and the precise, electrifying guitar solos that were Tom Scholz' trademark, but as you run down the list of tunes on the album, nearly every one has become a classic. Unfortunately, the band drowned in its own hype by creating a standard that was just too good to be true. Almost like the so-called "One-ders" - the bands that materialize long enough to cut a record before disappearing into the mist - Boston's legacy is just one magnificent album, which would not have been possible without Bradley Delp's voice.
Long before Tom Scholz started crafting leads in his Wayland basement, John B. "Fritz" Richmond was a vital part of the 1960s "folk" scene in Cambridge, the undisputed master of the washtub bass as well as the jug. Besides backing such legendary Boston area "folkies" as Eric Von Schmidt, Tom Rush and others, Fritz Richmond helped found the The Jim Kweskin Jug Band in 1961. Although it may seem hard to believe that an empty Clorox or juice container can, in fact, be a musical instrument, Richmond was able to coax incredible melodies out of the plastic, including several amazing solos on Prairie Home Companion in the recent past. After the Jug Band broke up in 1968, Richmond moved to California where he worked as a sound engineer for Elektra and recorded with musicians like the Doors, Ry Cooder, and Jackson Browne among others.
Two dramatically different talents from two separate eras, yet they were both part of Boston's legacy.
Former Boston lead singer Bradley Delp apparently committed suicide several weeks ago. Although I really haven't paid any attention to his career since the 1970s, his voice is a staple on classic rock stations across the country. The first Boston album is a rock and roll masterpiece, so well done that the band could never improve on it, and Delp's strong melodic vocals are a prominent part of the mix. "More Than A Feeling" is the best known cut, showcasing both the voice and the precise, electrifying guitar solos that were Tom Scholz' trademark, but as you run down the list of tunes on the album, nearly every one has become a classic. Unfortunately, the band drowned in its own hype by creating a standard that was just too good to be true. Almost like the so-called "One-ders" - the bands that materialize long enough to cut a record before disappearing into the mist - Boston's legacy is just one magnificent album, which would not have been possible without Bradley Delp's voice.
Long before Tom Scholz started crafting leads in his Wayland basement, John B. "Fritz" Richmond was a vital part of the 1960s "folk" scene in Cambridge, the undisputed master of the washtub bass as well as the jug. Besides backing such legendary Boston area "folkies" as Eric Von Schmidt, Tom Rush and others, Fritz Richmond helped found the The Jim Kweskin Jug Band in 1961. Although it may seem hard to believe that an empty Clorox or juice container can, in fact, be a musical instrument, Richmond was able to coax incredible melodies out of the plastic, including several amazing solos on Prairie Home Companion in the recent past. After the Jug Band broke up in 1968, Richmond moved to California where he worked as a sound engineer for Elektra and recorded with musicians like the Doors, Ry Cooder, and Jackson Browne among others.
Two dramatically different talents from two separate eras, yet they were both part of Boston's legacy.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Heartbeat City: Cruising With The Cars
Personally, when I listen to the sound the Boston-based band The Cars were putting out in the late 70s - early 80s, I am convinced they've never really been equalled. Their music still sounds fresh, the eclectic mix of synthesizers, keyboards, guitars and whimsical lyrics evoking the avant garde on the artistic edge image that they fostered, with obvious parallels to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. "Heartbeat City" is no exception with its abstract cover art and Warholian photos of the band.
Plaintive keyboards and rhythmic tape loops are the key elements of "Hello Again", perfectly matched with Ric Ocasek's jaded vocals, punctuated by inventive synthesizer riffs as well.
" Magic" is an anthem to the electricity of attraction, showcasing Elliottt Easton's penetrating guitar riffs enveloped in techno effects. Ben Orr's mournful vocal is the focal point of "Drive", a paean to a troubled lover, the low key musical background mirroring his sense of loss and grief.
The most haunting cut on the album is "It's Not The Night". The fragile blend of cascading keyboards and strident guitar give an almost ethereal tone to the song. The tenuous nature of the melody seems to collapse and re-form as the song progresses, leaving an almost mystical riff to trail off at the very end, the kind of signature that sticks in your mind. "Why Can't I Have You?" is in a similar vein. "You Might Think" is a bouncy, cheerful assertion of affection, echoing the Cars' earlier crowd pleasers "Let The Good Times Roll", "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" and the ultimate bar tune "You're All I've Got Tonight."
I know that half the reason I like the band so much is misplaced nostalgia for the 70s. Nevertheless, the Cars blend of decisive hipness and multi-layered mixes makes them stand alone.
Plaintive keyboards and rhythmic tape loops are the key elements of "Hello Again", perfectly matched with Ric Ocasek's jaded vocals, punctuated by inventive synthesizer riffs as well.
" Magic" is an anthem to the electricity of attraction, showcasing Elliottt Easton's penetrating guitar riffs enveloped in techno effects. Ben Orr's mournful vocal is the focal point of "Drive", a paean to a troubled lover, the low key musical background mirroring his sense of loss and grief.
The most haunting cut on the album is "It's Not The Night". The fragile blend of cascading keyboards and strident guitar give an almost ethereal tone to the song. The tenuous nature of the melody seems to collapse and re-form as the song progresses, leaving an almost mystical riff to trail off at the very end, the kind of signature that sticks in your mind. "Why Can't I Have You?" is in a similar vein. "You Might Think" is a bouncy, cheerful assertion of affection, echoing the Cars' earlier crowd pleasers "Let The Good Times Roll", "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" and the ultimate bar tune "You're All I've Got Tonight."
I know that half the reason I like the band so much is misplaced nostalgia for the 70s. Nevertheless, the Cars blend of decisive hipness and multi-layered mixes makes them stand alone.
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