The Language of Dreams.
As far back as I can remember, I've loved music. It seems to be
hardwired into most of our minds, perhaps from generations of singing
our legends, stories, and myths around a campfire before we learned to
write. Musicians seem more at home in the realm of Morpheus, of Dreams
than most of the rest of us. Something about the fluidity of this
language they speak so eloquently necessitates a mind capable of
traversing the "real" world and that of our innermost hopes,
aspirations, and fears.
As a kid I liked to sing. I can recall my mother singing songs from her young adulthood as she cooked the evening meals when I was a preschooler. By third grade, I would pray for lulls in the solar storms, so that the AM radio waves originating in Boston and NYC would skip more easily off the ionosphere, as I lay under the covers in my Pennsylvania home with my transistor radio glued to my ear, listening to the latest and the greatest the pop world had to offer. By junior high I fronted a garage band doing covers of the 'easy' soul classics of the day, (mostly of the Atlantic- Stax/Volt persuasion). Lately I just listen and sing in the car. I went on strike as a prepubescent, when my parents insisted I take time from my Saturday morning football to learn to play piano. Later in high school, I remember my friends Greg and Hans jamming in my parents living room on that same piano and guitars, and I entertained second thoughts about those lessons. It's great to have friends who are musicians and I keep telling myself that it isn't too late for me to learn something more sophisticated than the kazoo.
Musical compositions that interest me the most are those with a twist. Sometimes just a simple, but unexpected chord change can make me fall in love with a song. In H.S. some of my favorite musicians were The Band, not a flashy R & R group, but one given to interesting melodies and arrangements, incorporating a wide assortment of musical instruments. This kind of music, rather than going from A to B to C and Back to A, takes a more circuitous aural route from A to A. It's the kind of music that is the antithesis of Top 40, (although two of the Band's singles did reach #25 and 34 on their chart positions). Making it to the Top 40 playlist, a song has to have an instantly recognizable beat, and a melody that just about anyone can learn in one or two sittings. The downside of such a formula is that the music can just as quickly lose its' appeal. Conversely, I often come to appreciate tunes with the musical 'surprises' built in, as I hear them more often. As I familiarize myself with the often counter-intuitive progressions in such songs, I can appreciate the intelligence and imagination of the composer/composition more fully. The effect of such compositions can be far reaching. Who was it who said: "The Velvet Underground only sold 2000 records on their first release, but all 2000 of the purchasers of that first album formed bands".
By my own predlictions, I'm mostly a rock 'n' roller / acid rock cum blues kinda guy, with forays into jazz, 'folk' and 'country rock', even some classical,. Sometimes my favorites defy categorization altogether. The rhythm and blues and rock and roll groups that pursue less obviously commercial styles, all too often remain unsung. Commercially there ain't no substitute for that 3 or 4 chord melody, (not that there's anything wrong with that), but there are always bands of musicians following their own muses wither they will lead them. It's been a lot easier, since the advent of the internet, to keep track of some of those that disappeared all too easily in the 'studio formula for stardom'. I recently came across a website belonging to one of my favorite unsung singer/songwriters, (Jen Trynin). After releasing two excellent cds in the 90s I never heard from her again. Interestingly her website is promoting her new book which tells the story of how she went from being poised to be the 'next big thing' to well... not. The reviews promise it will be an interesting read. I had wondered for years what became of such a promising musician, so I Emailed her, telling her how much I enjoy her music. Perhaps because she didn't fit the Top 40 idiom of music, Jen ultimately replied to my missive personally. Nothing against Robert Plant, (I love that album he did with Alison Krauss), but I doubt he answers his fan mail himself.
What makes music important to us? What is the elusive feeling, the tingling in the gut, the expansion of our breathing, (inspiration?), the clearing of the senses, that comes when we hear something we've never heard before... Aural pleasure. It's beyond pleasant. It exults. Takes us out of ourselves if only for an instant, and reminds us of how we are bigger than the sum of our parts. It's a boundary and wall destroyer in that sense. That concept of the mobius strip wall is perhaps an apt metaphor for music and humanity, (for me, anyway). Each culture on this planet has its' own particular idiom of music, but put all those cultures together, and we'll all be swaying to the 'other guy's' beat by the time we reach the 5th bar, (and I'm not talking tavernas, Heh...). Music... it's a guaranteed cultural ice breaker. There is a ton of good music out there that many of us have never had the pleasure of hearing.
So bear in mind, if we ever meet, at a party let's say, and I seem distant, half-focused on the conversation at hand, a far-away look in my eyes... don't take it personally if I didn't completely register that last crystalline, brilliant, sentence you just spoke. My mind may just be focused on that bridge between verses of that excellent song our host is playing.
So tell me what great or poor taste I have in music, but please give us all some links to some of what you think is interesting music. If you can't find a link, an artist and composition/album title will suffice. Come on Mr. & Ms. Tough... lay it on me. Tell us what music means to you and why it's important, (or not, god forbid... Which reminds me of a cautionary tale: Should you meet someone you're attracted to who doesn't have a music collection, or who doesn't like animals... Walk away...). Peace...
Oh... and go back, and click those links, you passed up in this post. And if you are disappointed, click them again, and again. Listen. Sometimes we need to train our neural/aural circuits so we can really hear what's goin' on.
Fun fact: There are over two hours of music that is linked to in this blog. Take your time checking it out.
As a kid I liked to sing. I can recall my mother singing songs from her young adulthood as she cooked the evening meals when I was a preschooler. By third grade, I would pray for lulls in the solar storms, so that the AM radio waves originating in Boston and NYC would skip more easily off the ionosphere, as I lay under the covers in my Pennsylvania home with my transistor radio glued to my ear, listening to the latest and the greatest the pop world had to offer. By junior high I fronted a garage band doing covers of the 'easy' soul classics of the day, (mostly of the Atlantic- Stax/Volt persuasion). Lately I just listen and sing in the car. I went on strike as a prepubescent, when my parents insisted I take time from my Saturday morning football to learn to play piano. Later in high school, I remember my friends Greg and Hans jamming in my parents living room on that same piano and guitars, and I entertained second thoughts about those lessons. It's great to have friends who are musicians and I keep telling myself that it isn't too late for me to learn something more sophisticated than the kazoo.
Musical compositions that interest me the most are those with a twist. Sometimes just a simple, but unexpected chord change can make me fall in love with a song. In H.S. some of my favorite musicians were The Band, not a flashy R & R group, but one given to interesting melodies and arrangements, incorporating a wide assortment of musical instruments. This kind of music, rather than going from A to B to C and Back to A, takes a more circuitous aural route from A to A. It's the kind of music that is the antithesis of Top 40, (although two of the Band's singles did reach #25 and 34 on their chart positions). Making it to the Top 40 playlist, a song has to have an instantly recognizable beat, and a melody that just about anyone can learn in one or two sittings. The downside of such a formula is that the music can just as quickly lose its' appeal. Conversely, I often come to appreciate tunes with the musical 'surprises' built in, as I hear them more often. As I familiarize myself with the often counter-intuitive progressions in such songs, I can appreciate the intelligence and imagination of the composer/composition more fully. The effect of such compositions can be far reaching. Who was it who said: "The Velvet Underground only sold 2000 records on their first release, but all 2000 of the purchasers of that first album formed bands".
By my own predlictions, I'm mostly a rock 'n' roller / acid rock cum blues kinda guy, with forays into jazz, 'folk' and 'country rock', even some classical,. Sometimes my favorites defy categorization altogether. The rhythm and blues and rock and roll groups that pursue less obviously commercial styles, all too often remain unsung. Commercially there ain't no substitute for that 3 or 4 chord melody, (not that there's anything wrong with that), but there are always bands of musicians following their own muses wither they will lead them. It's been a lot easier, since the advent of the internet, to keep track of some of those that disappeared all too easily in the 'studio formula for stardom'. I recently came across a website belonging to one of my favorite unsung singer/songwriters, (Jen Trynin). After releasing two excellent cds in the 90s I never heard from her again. Interestingly her website is promoting her new book which tells the story of how she went from being poised to be the 'next big thing' to well... not. The reviews promise it will be an interesting read. I had wondered for years what became of such a promising musician, so I Emailed her, telling her how much I enjoy her music. Perhaps because she didn't fit the Top 40 idiom of music, Jen ultimately replied to my missive personally. Nothing against Robert Plant, (I love that album he did with Alison Krauss), but I doubt he answers his fan mail himself.
What makes music important to us? What is the elusive feeling, the tingling in the gut, the expansion of our breathing, (inspiration?), the clearing of the senses, that comes when we hear something we've never heard before... Aural pleasure. It's beyond pleasant. It exults. Takes us out of ourselves if only for an instant, and reminds us of how we are bigger than the sum of our parts. It's a boundary and wall destroyer in that sense. That concept of the mobius strip wall is perhaps an apt metaphor for music and humanity, (for me, anyway). Each culture on this planet has its' own particular idiom of music, but put all those cultures together, and we'll all be swaying to the 'other guy's' beat by the time we reach the 5th bar, (and I'm not talking tavernas, Heh...). Music... it's a guaranteed cultural ice breaker. There is a ton of good music out there that many of us have never had the pleasure of hearing.
So bear in mind, if we ever meet, at a party let's say, and I seem distant, half-focused on the conversation at hand, a far-away look in my eyes... don't take it personally if I didn't completely register that last crystalline, brilliant, sentence you just spoke. My mind may just be focused on that bridge between verses of that excellent song our host is playing.
So tell me what great or poor taste I have in music, but please give us all some links to some of what you think is interesting music. If you can't find a link, an artist and composition/album title will suffice. Come on Mr. & Ms. Tough... lay it on me. Tell us what music means to you and why it's important, (or not, god forbid... Which reminds me of a cautionary tale: Should you meet someone you're attracted to who doesn't have a music collection, or who doesn't like animals... Walk away...). Peace...
Oh... and go back, and click those links, you passed up in this post. And if you are disappointed, click them again, and again. Listen. Sometimes we need to train our neural/aural circuits so we can really hear what's goin' on.
Fun fact: There are over two hours of music that is linked to in this blog. Take your time checking it out.
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Listening....so far, I am happy. BBS
May 8, 2010 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ack! fix the mobius strip link. I figgered it out, but...OMG remember (s)pric?
=D
May 8, 2010 5:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Done. Good chicken. And yes, I do remember she/he/it, (sheeit for short).
May 9, 2010 1:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Miguel -- thank you for this revelation of your relationship -- and it is a real and serious one -- with music.
I am a visual person, first. A tactile person, second. And an otic person, third, which pains me. Because I love music, but I don't understand what I love; I don;t understand what connects my visceral connection to Baroque harpsichord, which is so controlled to southern blues, which is so visceral, to Santana, which seems to be so direct, yet so complex.
I am in awe of those, like you, who don't have to think about it, but choose to, anyway. Getting it on the visceral level, but also able to abstract it and analyze it.
Thank you for this blog and all its links.
May 8, 2010 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for listening WW. It's interesting to think about music. Well, practically anything for that matter. But it's even better to share it. :)
May 9, 2010 1:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Spencer Davis (love Bo Diddley beat to pieces)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGBWBFQtx3Q
Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Fabulous Thunderbirds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atQ84qkQgg4
May 8, 2010 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kept forgetting the multiple link rule; couldn't figure out why (duh) my posts wouldn't show up. And go ahead and laugh: took me three freaking times to get it into my head...
You'll allow me one *chick group* wontcha, Miguel?
:-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUgwM1Ky228
And jayzus; one friend has me sortta likin' Nick Cave! Different day, different faves...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSeh1fiH5JA&feature=related
May 8, 2010 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
First link doesn't work. Love nick and the bad seeds. One of my favorite's of Nick's.
May 9, 2010 1:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
What can I say Wendy? Spencer davis, (Stevie Winwood as a 16 year old composer/performer!), and Stevie Ray? Doesn't get much better than that, IMO. I went with a girlfriend in the 80s to see Huey Lewis and the news and the warm up band was Stevie Ray Vaughn before many knew who he was. Kinda a death wish on Huey's part to choose Stevie Ray as his intro, eh? Everybody who left that concert without a tin ear, was a Stevie Ray fan, and pretty much forgot Huey's gig. One of my favorite's of Stevie's was an interpretation of one of my other favorite musicians, Jimi Hendrix.
May 9, 2010 1:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Damn! wrote you a long reply, not realizing multiple links are not allowed and now no one will see all the eclectic music that I, a music hobo, put together! Ratfinks!
May 8, 2010 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
hit the back button, copy out the post, and break it into smalled chunks
May 8, 2010 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
(Slaps head!) The back button! I kept grabbing my links again...and again...oy.
May 8, 2010 6:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
That won't work because of how I put in the links. Here are some highlights: Carmina Burana--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9eEwsGPf3s
The Beach Boys-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeD_6Y3GQc
How many do we get? On to the next
May 8, 2010 8:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, those links didn't light up so I am out of here. Donovan - I Love My Shirt, the Beatles, Chamber Music, etc.
Nothing too loud.
I am bummed out that I couldn't post the things I like.
Good night, friends!
May 8, 2010 8:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9eEwsGPf3s
O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurat
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeD_6Y3GQc
I, I love the colorful clothes she wears
And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair
I hear the sound of a gentle word
On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air
=D
You get two, to my knowledge, and they need space around them. Interesting grouping.
May 8, 2010 8:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
And for you, dear Bwak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk
This song always gives me hope...
May 8, 2010 8:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
And on a lighter note: BOAT DRINKS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw4xI4xkeyo
PS -- Thanks for reviving my enthusiasm!
May 8, 2010 8:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I almost shot six holes in my freezer!
May 8, 2010 8:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
This all made me think about a time that was terrible - my high-school friends were being drafted to go to Vietnam: What could be worse?
Now the earth is at risk, but no one is being drafted. Oh. I feel sad.
May 8, 2010 8:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Quick, here comes the sun..here comes the sun!!!
May 8, 2010 9:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I do love Jimmy Buffet. Mr. Mellow. I love these guys. Not sure if they are mellow, but definitely cool, plus you get a little piece of the Trailer Park Boys as a bonus, but give a listen. The Tragically Hip, "the Darkest One.
May 9, 2010 1:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me, too. Thanks you.
May 8, 2010 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Me three. Good Day Sunshine, too.
May 8, 2010 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beach Boys. One of my favorite bands as a lad. Reminds me of one of the masters of surf Guitar. Mr. Dick Dale, who I actually saw once. Awesome.
May 9, 2010 1:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can't sing worth a lick and everybody tells me so. Doesn't stop me from trying though because I love music endlessly.
My grandpa could sing. As a boy growing up in Bay City, Michigan, he and a couple of his brothers would sing harmony on street corners with a hat on the ground in front of them. They'd sing until they raised enough pennies to buy a loaf of bread from the baker and take it home to their mum. I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair and Swanee River. 5 years old and werkin'. Yep. That was my grandpa.
Here's one he used to sing to me when he and grandma tucked me in for the night.
There's an outside chance you may regret bring up music as a topic, Mr. h2o. It's cold and rainy here at my house and I haven't got anything to do tonight.
Oh, noes.
May 8, 2010 8:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ledbelly and Stephen Foster. How cool is that? Apropos of nothing here's a little slow burning blues for you.
May 9, 2010 1:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I can't go a day without music, or I feel I'm going insane. Seriously.
May 8, 2010 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ya.
May 9, 2010 1:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
BTW, really like this one from your blog the other day, nd downloaded it, One Eskimo , "Kandi".
May 9, 2010 1:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Saw these guys live at Sherwood Forest near Davison, MI. Cub Koda wore a loin cloth! (pant, pant, pant...er, no pant, no pant, no pant)
Saw these guys live at a GMI Fraternity event. (From their accents, you'd never guess this band is from Michigan.) Free concert put on by nerd boys trying to get into the pants of local girls. hahahahaha. Didn't work.
May 8, 2010 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cool! Glam rock or whatever, and Commander Cody! LOL! You do interesting mixes FC. The commander brings back memories. Little Feat, 'Fatman in the Bathtub'.
May 9, 2010 1:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Growing up, I lived near some of these guys. There was a local urban myth that Mark Farner's cousin lived in the house next to the Burger King on Davison Rd. My girlfriends and I spent hours in that parking lot, waiting for Mark to show up to visit his cousin. My god. I'm laughing my ass off right now, sitting here in front of the pc, thinking about all the stupid shit we did back when. hahahahahaha
May 8, 2010 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, a treat for everyone: I love my shirt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mcMApFCQkk
I saw Donovan in concert in Scotland!
May 8, 2010 9:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very cute, I never heard that or the 6 shots in the freezer one.
May 8, 2010 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Donovan! Flash from the past Cville! This guy was around back then with his band Fairport Convention. One of my favorite musicians, and one of Rolling Stone magazine's top 20 guitarists of all time. Richard Thompson, 'Beeswing'.
May 9, 2010 1:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, Miguel, this is really fun! I can't stop, but I will. Thanks for starting this off. It makes me realize that I am pretty much living in the past, but so what? The music was way better IMHO, because it didn't have to blast your ears!
Oh! I left out Michael Jackson and Little Stevie Wonder -- and the Righteous Brothers! Oh! It is too much!
May 8, 2010 9:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Living in the past?
See you there, CVille. :o)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsCyC1dZiN8
May 8, 2010 10:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow! Lovely. Thanks FC!
May 8, 2010 10:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I remember when Jethro Tull's first album, (which your selection is from), came out. Brilliant guys. Reminds me of the godfathers of heavy metal.
May 9, 2010 2:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Blues guy from my hometown. Plays all over the world.
And there is a connection between McCray and Haynes,who wrote the above song and who played with these guys.
I'm gonna go work on the beginning of a love story, mine, which has a connection to music that some might find odd. Or not.
May 8, 2010 9:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice. Now we're getting in the groove.
May 9, 2010 2:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
And there's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ngjIS1h1eI
May 8, 2010 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was a seventeen year old hippie when Mr. flowerchild and I met. He was a 26 year old veteran of the Vietnam war. Instant attraction. Nobody thought it was a good idea for us to be together and did not hold back their opinion.
Well, as these things happen, we found a way, shall we say, and it wasn't long before I was at his place visiting. ;o) I was assigned the task of picking out something to play on the stereo and as I flipped through his collection of vinyl, a dark cloud loomed over my sunny life.
Oh, it was not looking good. Could my friends have been right when they said he was too old for me? Leslie Gore. Leslie Gore? WTF! Ah. The Rolling Stones. Well, that was better, but not much, because I liked the Beatles so much more.
I liked John Denver. He liked Barbra Streisand.
I liked The Who. He liked Chicago.
Oh, holy crap, this thing between the two of us was not gonna work, I was thinking this as I continued through the stack. Flip, flip, flip. My friends were right. Nothing in common. Flip, flip, flip. My parents were right, he was too old. Flip, flip, flip. Ohhhhh, crap! What am I doing here?
And then...there it was. Machinehead. Deep Purple. Smoke On The Water, baby! We both owned the same album! Truly, this was a sign from above that we were meant to be together!
Wasn't it?
Well, whatever.
Anyway, on June 14th, Mr. flowerchild and I will mark our 30th anniversary. Or, as we have come to refer to it, 30 years of relentless hell.
:o)
And, now, goodnight, sir.
May 8, 2010 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Happy anniversary in advance FC. And as a special anniversary treat please enjoy this, again, apropos of nothing to do with your anniversary.
May 9, 2010 2:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
GEEZ- I forgot all about John Denver! Goodnight all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkGS263lGsQ
Oh, I might just cry.
May 8, 2010 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I might cry too CVille. ;) Go to sleep.
May 9, 2010 2:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Somewhat Off Topic:
I have to call people frequently to give them lab results, etc. I cringe when I get the message: "Please enjoy the music while your party is found."
Music is personal! What is sublime to one is like a fingernail down a blackboard to the next person. We all need to realize and respect that, no?
That said, I just LOVE this blog, Miguel!
May 8, 2010 11:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you Cville, and I feel the same way about being subjected to music while on hold.
May 9, 2010 2:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, I am up way too late, but I happen to notice that you have not joined in with the comments -- not like you. Are you on the road?
May 8, 2010 11:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dinner with friends, amiga. Sorry that I'm late to the party.
May 9, 2010 2:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did you say Dreams?
May 8, 2010 11:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can you not love those brothers? Tzhe little town I lived in back east had whichever album of theirs had "Mountain Jam" on it. We all invariably played that song. LOL! 18 minutes of kickass music for 25¢.
May 9, 2010 2:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Where do I start?
Perhaps with a reminiscence.
In the late 60's, I was visiting my older sister who was a student in Madison. I worshipped her, and sought her approval in my tastes in music etc., as only an adolescent boy might do from his older sister. I soon discovered that it was my taste in music that she admired; that she in fact looked to me to come up with the greatest new music that would expand her music appreciation.
Madison had some of the coolest record stores at that time, and so I would spend considerable time at these whenever I visited her. After one such sojourn, I returned to her apartment with a couple new albums I purchased. The first one I played for her was "Chicago Transit Authority". I remember how dejected I was when she told me she really didn't think this music was going anywhere. She didn't LIKE it!
Well! On to the next album, then. It blew her away. Since then, I've learned to appreciate almost anything Zappa has done more and more with each listen. In fact, some of my favorite pieces by him are those which I really didn't care for when I first heard them.
As you indicate, this is a characteristic of great music - that it requires developing an appreciation for things that aren't initailly apparent at first listen. Virtually all of Blind Faith comes to mind in this regard as only one such example. I love their album more every time Iisten to it.
Anyway, of late I find myself looking forward to the next thing introduced by miguelito. I really admire your taste in music and your connection to the "underworld" where great music gets played but no one is listening. You have a marvelous connection, somehow, and I thank you for sharing your discoveries.
May 9, 2010 12:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I got to thinking about soundtracks from my youth that I used to go to sleep by. Charles Lloyd at Montrose was one such piece that I nearly wore out. I couldn't find the proper version of Forest Flower on YouTube that was my favorite, but this one by Lloyd and Jarrett pretty well captures its essence.
I also liked to listen to this little ditty at bedtime. Not exactly a lullabye, but it sure worked for me - and I am 12 years old again tucked away in my bed anytime I hear it now.
May 9, 2010 12:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I loved a lot of Keith Jarrett's music. Went through a Jazz phase while the world was into disco. My University's library had some great tapes. I discovered early John Coltrane then made the mistake of telling one of my dear friends about it, and we had to race each other to the music desk to see who could check it out.
May 9, 2010 2:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's one for you then, Sleepin Jeezus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0Y7PccYsOs&NR=1
May 9, 2010 1:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
This one too, which I think answers to the "language of dreams" theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBQPkLuwy80
May 9, 2010 1:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Coupla beauties there Dan. Watch out or AA's gonna stop calling ya 'grumpy Gus'. Frank was so effin' brilliant, and most people will never hear this stuff. Thanks again.
May 9, 2010 3:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for this, Dan K. I could never reconcile the juvenile lyrics with the masterful composition and playing, but it was most certainly original, no?
I had the great pleasure seeing him perform live on a few occasions. Stuck in my mind are those times he would place his lit cigarette into the peghead somehow and simply wail on his guitar. Precision. Perfection. He never gave anything less than that, even as he pretended that it was all a simple little game.
What is most telling about Zappa and the Mothers is the way their parodies sometimes far exceeded the originals in the quality of the music played and the talent brought to bear. Joe's Garage and Cruisin' with Ruben & the Jets are two such albums that are full of mock songs performed in certain styles that outdo anything done legitimately by others. And has there ever been anything written and performed as tightly as "Father Vivian O'Blivion?" ;O) That piece absolutely rocks!
I could go on and on about Zappa. (For example: His direction of the London Symphony and the album that resulted simply blows the mind!) Needless to say, I am a fan!
May 9, 2010 1:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, I think a lot of fans appreciated the title of his Album Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar?.
Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c-NMnYhM3Q&feature=related
May 9, 2010 2:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks SJ. I remember going to see CTA at a local university circa 1970. We were kids in high school. We knew we wouldn't stay high through the concert if we smoked before, so we all ate a gram of hash shortly before concert time. What a great concert that was. I think my stomach may have been upset for a day or so afterward. And since we haven't mentioned one of yours and my favorites so far, here's a little aural treat for those who don't know him. And Zappa was so far ahead of his time. I wish I had more of him in my collection. But here's another of Frank's cronies, whom I do have a fairly extensive collection of.
May 9, 2010 2:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
From the whole catalog, I would expect you to pick the quintessential Waits. Some people "own" a song. I thought there could be no one to ever cover "Somewhere" once Streisand had done it. And then along comes Waits, who has chosen only a few songs to cover - and he nailed it! This version moves me each and every time I hear it, unlike anything else I have ever heard.
The only covers I can remember hearing Waits do are "Somewhere" and "Big Joe & Phantom 309." That these two are the ones he would select to cover says a great deal about the depth and range of his interests and his art.
Is there anyone who can paint a picture with music like Waits? "...took out her barrettes, and her hair spilled out like root beer"; "Licorice tattoo, turned a gun metal blue; Drawn across the shoulders of a dying town..." Absolute poetry!
And then the way he grows into his talent and takes it to another level and into a different direction altogether. Everybody row!
Admittedly, an appreciation of his more recent stuff is an acquired taste. But, again, what appears to be something close to "throwaway music" on first listen becomes an integral part of the music library that simply never grows old. Somehow, that's the beauty of music, as you point out.
May 9, 2010 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can't help it:
Another remarkably sweet song, a la "Somewhere."
And, miguel, please allow me to close this out with a personal offering. I think of you travelling on your motorcycle to whatever lays beyond the horizon. As you tire and stop to sleep, it is my hope you would have benefit of a lullabye to carry you to your dreams. Well, here you are.
May 9, 2010 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for both of those SJ. I might have known Waits would have written a lullaby for the homeless. I've been reading Wiki's page on Waits and found this quote of his interesting:
One of my favorites from his catalogue, Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen).
Another of my favorite songwriters and balladeers is John Hiatt, "Have a Little Faith in Me".
May 9, 2010 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fortunately, there was a recent thread on this topic and I already posted links to ten songs there:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/b/a/barefoot/2010/01/whats-your-favorite-song.php#comment-3729584
May 9, 2010 1:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oops, forgot this one again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1orreicjE8
May 9, 2010 1:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do love world music Dan. Here's Brooklyn going Afro-beat. Antibalas Afro-beat Orchestra.
May 9, 2010 3:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
You might also enjoy this, Forest, from the excellent collaboration album, "Big Blue Ball".
May 9, 2010 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice list Dan. I'll go back to visit the few I don't know. You showed a glaring hole in my own list. Dylan's tangled Up In Blue. One of my own personal 'Desert Island Discs'. I love how each verse tells a different story which could be expanded upon. Hence my choice for the island. I can listen to each verse and create a story, even a novel around each and every one of them to keep me occupied for years.
May 9, 2010 3:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're taste in music overlaps mine in a lot of respects. Which means, of course, that your taste is excellent.
My first real concert was ZZ Top in 1976, when I was a freshman in high school. Since then, I have seen hundreds of concerts, including Pink Floyd performing The Wall at Nassau County Coliseum in 1980, thirty-five or forty Grateful Dead concerts, and shows by nearly every classic rock band several times over. As I got older, I started frequenting club shows by lesser known artists. I, too, played guitar and sang in rock and blues bands from my late teens into my early thirties.
So, music has been a integral part of my life and one of my chief sources of solace and pleasure as long as I can remember. When I try to pin down what I love most and why, it of course is hard.
But, thinking about it, I always was a lyrics guy. Even the most solid musicianship needed truly powerful lyrics to put a song in that special class of the truly great. Songs like Desolation Row or Idiot Wind by Dylan, Angel From Montgomery or Souvenirs by John Prine, The Pretender by Jackson Browne, or Time or Jitterbug Boy by Tom Waits.
Although this is Prine doing a rare cover, this kind of song is a good example of truly fine lyricism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju9hiiHCf6s
Not that I'm opposed to "mere" virtuosity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3y61-WSuwQ
Saw him at the Park West in Chicago, a club that seat s about 900 people, last April. Unbelievable.
May 9, 2010 2:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
A friend of mine in the music business once described guys checking out each other's music collections as akin to dogs sniffing each other's asses, brew. :) Speaking of guitar virtuosos, Joe Satriani comes to mind. But one of my favorite guitar maestros will always be Richard Thompson. I've seen him live three times now. I remember my wife, (at the time), sitting next to me during an acoustic set, and leaning over to wonder how he could possibly make that sound from just one guitar.
May 9, 2010 3:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Richard Thompson is brilliant.
Do you know this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGKkhUkxvc4
"Well she can get the lame to walking/
She can get the blind to see/
She can make wine/
Out of Thames River Water/
She can make a believer out of me"
May 9, 2010 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not only do I know it, I think I linked to it somewhere in these comments. One of my favorites.
May 10, 2010 2:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
I clicked on your link after I posted Cooksferry Queen. I chose it because I love that song, and it's also relatively obscure for a Thompson choice. But RT is on my short list of the very best guitar players I have ever seen.
May 10, 2010 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thompson is the best guitarist I've personally seen. I've seen him three times now, all in relatively small venues, and he blew me away each time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xwjiS9Kpjc
May 10, 2010 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know what I could add to a list that starts with Otis Redding and brings us up to Plant and Alison Krause, with someone I never heard of (Dilbert McClinton) who blew me away in between. Thanks for that. It's a keeper.
Although music's like breathing to me, I can't say what or who I am musically. I know classical best, but everything I like's classical to me.
Well anyhow, it's late and this piece comes to my mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vguZmqHJ6OA
May 9, 2010 2:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
What a beautiful way to end the evening Anna. Thank you for that. The violin couldn't help but remind me of this. Counterpoint or not. " I ask about your turtle, and you ask about the weather". :)
May 9, 2010 3:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, It's taken me almost 3 hours to listen and comment on all your excellent comments here tonight. To all who commented, and left links here to music that moves you, I thank you. I loved listening to your music and hearing your own thoughts on this art that is so dear to us all. And to all you lurkers, come on in, and tell us what moves you. I imagine we have well over 5 hours of music here now and I will be visiting this blog again, to listen to the excellent compilation we've amassed to this point.
May 9, 2010 3:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I like it when a musician swings for the fences. Cause every now and then, even if you don't know them or they don't have a big name, you get to listen as they hit one way way WAAAAY up in the 3rd deck. What a rush.
Coupla years ago, it was Chew Fu Phat from Brooklyn. Kid took a swing from the heels - mixing up the Stones with Aretha - and absolutely hammered it. Half my friends got this thing in their car, just to cruise around to. Can't NOT dance to it. Pride/Deeper Love.
Another one is this kid from the East End of London - Plan B. Ok, so this white kid was already a hit as a rapper, an English Eminem. No need to change. But what does he do for his 2nd album? Completely crosses everyone up with a soul/R&B album. Now, he'd never really even SUNG before, but out comes this falsetto, a voice that reminds you of Smokey Robinson or the Fine Young Cannibals. And the songs? Let's just say the kid can write. How many others take risks like that? Plus, a GREAT video. Ben Drew, as Plan B.
May 9, 2010 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Two great additions. Another smooth blues band we need to hear more from, Nees & Voss. Rumor has it they've got a new album in the pipeline.
Another band with some smooth Latin rhythms, Calexico - Guero Canelo .
May 9, 2010 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Brian Eno & David Byrne
America is waiting
Qu'ran
May 9, 2010 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Brian Eno rawks, thanks.
Here's one for you, Jeezbejeebus...
16 military wives
I think you'll get a kick outta video.
May 9, 2010 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love the choice, Bwak! Great song!
And then, of course, I cannot forget the other perfect little gem you introduced me to, all the way from the Passenger Seat. It's now in my favorites on YouTube.
May 9, 2010 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I love that one. For some reason it evokes a timeless sense of well being.
DCFC rawks. Totally. Although, Barry Manilow disapproves of their name.
=D
Happy moms day to JoanieLiz
May 9, 2010 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Which in turn leads us to and Robert Fripp. And another good picker, thrown in for good measure, The John Butler Trio, 'Daniella'.
May 9, 2010 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
John Butler rocks. Here's another one just to make sure everyone's paying attention.
May 9, 2010 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is my favorite John Butler, er, trio
May 9, 2010 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a beaut Bwak. This is one of my favorites of his. Something else you may like: Common Loon, "Mexico".
May 9, 2010 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
oooooohhhh. Thanks!
May 9, 2010 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Being on dial-up, it would take several months to make it through all the amazing music on this thread. So I've followed the links off and on at least long enough to see the artist and song .. to receive a taste of the sublime, the ecclectic and the properly cemented in time.
I practically swallowed every one of Queen's albums. John Denver, Neil Diamond, Barbra, Blood Sweat and Tears, Rush, and who could forget Bad Company? Then there were these guys.
May 9, 2010 2:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
And the soulful sounds of Neil Sedaka.
Even as we age, we carry each other in our hearts. Forever.
Thank you, Miguel.
May 9, 2010 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
.Thank you BF. Just remember as we age, "We ain't broke down, we're just out of gas, and hard times will not do us in". The Bottle Rockets.
May 9, 2010 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Morning in America, and it really is morning to me cause I was up till 5 selling stuff on ebay. Didn't do half bad.
So here's one I think I actually might stop breathing wthout. New York Sunday music? Sort of but not really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkOMiA_uGso
And here's one more. It's gray outside my window, and this fits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVUZuVZWHkk
May 9, 2010 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Pogues are great, but we have to deduct two points from your score, as Tom Traubert's Blues, was all ready linked to here. ;) The further we go, the more I realize we haven't even scratched the surface of that which we're exploring here. The Replacements for example haven't shown up yet. Then there's Two Hours Traffic, "Better Sorry than Safe" for another one.
May 9, 2010 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stand convicted. And I had even read your comments last night. That's what comes of staying up till five am, and maybe that's why I woke up with Tom Waits in my head.
So well, substitute this one. Sleepin' Jeezus is asking or women down below so here's one. And maybe that's the next post Favorite women who make music. I could get with that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2rE2YRi0Es
May 9, 2010 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
How the hell did we miss Joni in all these comments? One of my favorites of hers, "Hejira".
Not to mention Carey.
May 10, 2010 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
How about a couple women? Like Sinead and Grace?
May 9, 2010 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
or Janis and Chrissie
May 9, 2010 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
And Another Grace, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Plus Dusty Springfield, "Spooky".
May 9, 2010 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another from Grace. Stop the Bus.
May 9, 2010 5:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
or Bonnie and Ella (with "A" class accompaniment!)
May 9, 2010 5:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not Bonnie or Ella but...this is one helluva woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XqiAvMtJ_8
May 9, 2010 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Test
May 9, 2010 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Trying once more. Two comments before my test disappeared. I just realized it is the multiple link problem. So, minus the previous liner notes:
One of the most hauntingly sad songs ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwPYhQVtIxU
And a great story song co-written by Sam Shepard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsGnON6C-NQ
May 9, 2010 9:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I love that Jefferson Airplane song lulu, and haven't heard it in a very long time, so thanks for that. The Same S. link is dysfunctional however, though and I like his writing/acting/directing. Shepard reminds me of this one by Lou Reed in which he references Sam, and Martin Scorcese, and Jessica Lange.
May 10, 2010 2:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
You might have known, or guessed, the song I referenced. It is Brownsville Girl by Dylan.
http://popup.lala.com/popup/504684685017155832
Thanks to you and all the others for a bunch of great songs.
May 10, 2010 8:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, miguel! How 'bout a couple toe-tappers? (Or what I call "driving music," 'cuz they sure will get you down the road!)
Just try and sit still when these guys get their mojo workin'
Or how 'bout Luther and the boys giving you the full package!
May 10, 2010 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink