I should have outsourced this edition. Oh well. In honor of today's release of the highly anticipated "greatest hits" collection Let it Roll: Songs by George Harrison, I thought we'd spend a little time on George. Not a lot of time, because admittedly, although I do love some George, I've always been more of a Paul girl and my knowledge of George's stuff isn't as vast (and Lord knows I'm not going to do the research to do him justice). This isn't a bad thing. I will link to an article that is worth reading on Harrison, because to know the man is to know his music.
Oddly, one of my favorite Beatles songs, "Here Comes the Sun," is a George song (a live version is on the new album) and I think his guitar playing is one of the main things that made the band so consistent. The Beatles were a lot of things: fantastic songwriters, talented vocalists, and suburb musicians. What really stands out to a longtime fan is how innovative they were and they owe much of that to Harrison's unwavering desire to grow as a musician. Sure, he's known as a guitarist, but without his sitar work on Rubber Soul (my fave Beatles album), it's pretty doubtful the sitar would have found its way into Western music. It's clear to see Harrison's influence on bands such as R.E.M., Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Oasis, and Coldplay. Pure awesome.
Go download Let it Roll from iTunes (you get 2 bonus tracks on iTunes) or buy the cd, you won't be disappointed. As a casual fan, the only thing I'd like to see that's missing from the album is Harrison's work with the supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, but I know this is a compilation of his solo work. The Beatles songs on the album are from live performances post-Beatles, so I really can't complain. With the addition of this album, I'll have a pretty decent John, Paul, George, & Ringo playlist (yes, that's what I've titled it) and y'all know how much I love a good playlist. The album art is nice as well.
Here's the track listing:
* Got My Mind Set On You (from Cloud Nine, 1987) * Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (from Living In The Material World, 1972) * The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * My Sweet Lord (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * While My Guitar Gently Weeps (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971) * All Things Must Pass (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * Any Road (from Brainwashed, 2002) * This Is Love (from Cloud Nine, 1987) * All Those Years Ago (from Somewhere In England, 1981) * Marwa Blues (from Brainwashed, 2002) * What Is Life (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) * Rising Sun (from Brainwashed, 2002) * When We Was Fab (from Cloud Nine, 1987) * Something (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971) * Blow Away (from George Harrison, 1979) * Cheer Down (from Lethal Weapon 2) * Here Comes The Sun (from Concert For Bangladesh Soundtrack, 1971) * I Don't Want To Do It (from Porkys Revenge soundtrack, 1984) * Isn't It A Pity (from All Things Must Pass, 1970)
And here is a great Rolling Stone article from 2001 about the stories behind the songs, something I love to read about. If you're a music fan, this is a nice read.
I'll leave you with one of my favorites. This clip is from The Prince's Trust All-Star Rock Concert, held in 1987, which I remember watching on HBO at the time. It's fab.
First of all, let me tell you what a special kind of moron your favorite redheaded blogger is — I've been working on this post for two days and have saved it as a draft many, many times — I was writing a couple of hours ago, made sure the links work, proofread the post and thought I published it. Nope, I saved as draft again! For crying out loud, I cannot have a Tunes You Need Tuesday published on a freakin' Tuesday to save my life. I wouldn't blame you if you started reading The Bloggess instead. At least you'd get to laugh about Clown Porn. And nothing has made me laugh harder than the thought of that the past couple of days. No, I haven't been watching porn, it's just a column I read that's laugh out loud funny and when I told Megs I'd send it to her she said no, because she's afraid she'd get a virus. She probably thinks she'll get an iSTD from the computer. I'm afraid most of you are reading this going "what the hell? Clown Porn? Call the prayer chain, call the psych ward, somebody, she's finally lost it." I assure you I'm alright and probably better than I've been in a few weeks, so it's about time for some serious fun. And serious fun for me is good music, what else? Did you think I was going to say Clown Porn?
Okay, I know we covered Natalie Merchant two weeks ago, but the Maniacs deserve their own post, dammit. I can't write a Natalie post and just hope that you'll go out on your own and listen to the Maniacs or watch a couple of YouTube videos, I have to deliver. This is how dedicated to your Tuesday tunes edumacation I am. What? That's a word. Look it up in your dictionkerry.
The brief history of 10,000 Maniacs I gave you in the Natalie Merchant post won't suffice for today, so welcome to Maniacs 101. There will not be a quiz, so relax.
If I were to sum up 10,000 Maniacs, a couple words would come to mind,
but one of the most prevalent would be artsy. The band's sound and feel
is defined by Rob Buck's distinctive lead guitar, folksy
melodies, historical/political poetic lyricism, and just an all around unique and lovely sound. Many of their songs are about unsavory things and some are just reflections on various little aspects of everyday life, but the Maniacs never try to hide what they're doing. The songs speak for themselves. There isn't a song you'd hear and say, "wow, wonder what that could be about." It's all there.
There are basically three distinct periods in the band's timeline.
The first lasted from their formation in 1981 until 1986. At this point
the lineup was Steve Gustafson (bass), Robert Buck (lead guitar),
Dennis Drew (keyboards), Natalie Merchant
(vocals) and John Lombardo (guitar/vocals). They would find a permanent
drummer in 1983 in Jerome Augustyniak. The band started
out as being very eclectic, incorporating a multitude styles that
varied from reggae to punk to folk, but by the time of their major
label debut The Wishing Chair, they had become more of a concise artsy folk unit. This was powerful and original stuff. Natalie's
voice was youthful but soared with a vitality and energy that was unlike anything I've heard since those early albums. Rob's chiming guitar leads were just as up
front as Natalie's
vocals, and the combination still holds up as beautiful and invigorating. This
was John Lomabrdo's musical vision really coming together for the first
time, and The Wishing Chair is often referred to as "his baby."
In 1986, due to financial concerns and Elektra's pressuring the
band to go in a more commercial direction, Lombardo left 10,000 Maniacs.
He would later carry on The Wishing Chair sound in his duo with Mary Ramsey,
but 10,000 Maniacs continued on as a five-piece and their sound
shifted to an extent. This is what I would consider phase two. They acquired a more
pop-oriented feel, with Natalie's lyrics focusing on distinctive, often political topics. The albums In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo(1989), Our Time In Eden(1992), and Unplugged (1994) were released during this stage while Natalie was lead singer.
Phase three began when Natalie Merchantleft in 1993, and John Lombardo returned in 1994 bringing along Mary Ramsey to replace Natalie.
With John again the prime creative force in the Maniacs he of course
took up where he left off back in 1985. The band's sound became more
folkish again. There have been other personnel changes since with the death of Buck, Lombardo leaving once again, and Ramsey in and "on again, off again" state as of now. Oskar Saville sang with the Maniacs from 2002-07, but it looks like Ramsey is back — at least that what seems to be the case. Their website hasn't been updated in some time and I could find no news of their status lately.
So far two albums have been created with Ramsey, Love Among The Ruins and the independently released The Earth Pressed Flat. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I am a Maniacs purist and a song without Natalie singing is just not a 10,000 Maniacs song. I remember driving my Corolla in Alpharetta, GA in 1997 when I first heard "More Than This," the first Natalieless Maniacs song on the radio and I yelled "that's not 10,000 Maniacs!" With all due respect to Ms. Ramsey, no one could replace Natalie's voice. And dear my mother the war — Oskar Saville singing the old songs — it's like nails on a chalkboard. I say that with love. And criticism and intollerance, mainly love.
Onto the songs. Let's have a little loveliness from each album, that seems the thing to do.
From The Wishing Chair, this is "My Mother the War," which is what I've always considered a very raw Maniacs song. It doesn't sound like what you're used to from the band and Natalie's voice is a young instrument.
From what is most of America's first 10,000 Maniacs experience, In My Tribe, I thought you might like "City of Angels," for its folksy sound, but as well as a song that's a good example of Natalie finding her voice. I love the song. In my Natalie Merchant post, you saw the video of the big single from this album, "Like the Weather," but there are other great songs on this album. Notably, the Cat Stephens cover of "Peace Train" and "What's the Matter Here" about child abuse. In My Tribe is full of socially aware songs, nearly each track has a message. And did I mention how much I heart the cover art? It's always been one of my faves. http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/10-city-of-angels.m4a
Blind Man's Zoo is the middle-ground of 10,000 Maniacs albums. It falls somewhere outside the folk band they started out as and the more pop sound of their last studio album. It's the only album I would consider "alternative" whatever that means, but nevertheless is what genre the band is called. I knew the video to "Happy Puppet" was one of the only videos that showed the whole band and thought it would be fun to see the rest of them, since they weren't Natalie's backing band, as you would think from all the other videos from that era. Plus, it's a damn good song.
Another song I love from that album is "Headstrong," which could SO be one of my theme songs. If you've know me for very long, you would probably agree. I hate that when they made the compilation album, Campf
ire Songs they left this gem off. It would really fit to shake it up a little. And I like a little angry song for a mood once in a while, don't you?
The last 10,000 Maniacs studio album with Natalie Merchant as lead singer and writing partner to Rob Buck was Our Time in Eden, and it is simply a gorgeous work. The instrumentation on it is just fabulous, with Buck using banjo, steel guitar, and sitar (which he hadn't used since In My Tribe), as well as the James Brown Horns, and Mary Ramsey on backing vocals. This album is fantastic. Everyone remembers "These Are Days" which ended up as a graduation theme song all over the country, but I loved "Candy Everybody Wants," a pop song about the crap in our media and how we eat it up! Man, it's genius. And the video features a stunning Natalie, so no wonder no one ever got it. I was sucked in, too. After seeing Natalie in her green off-the-shoulder dress, I had to have a green off-the-shoulder dress for prom. Here's the video.
I mentioned the MTV Unplugged album, but it's worth a listen. Really, you should get it. It shows what a talented band 10,000 Maniacs were back in '93. Rob Buck was a great musician, probably never getting the accolades he deserved and he delivers on this album. Also, we're treated to some great songs on Unplugged. I really like this version of "Noah's Dove" and the duet with David Byrne, "Let the Mystery Be" is just great. This album is full of little surprises and is a nice send off, being that it was the last album with Natalie. Enjoy.
EDIT: I'm not sure what was going on with the audio clips, but I've fixed them. Sorry for the weird permission pop-ups some of you received, looks like the blog went crazy for a bit.
It's been a rough couple or three weeks for your favorite redheaded blogger. In times like these I turn to the woman I consider to be my sort-of fairy godmother of music, Aretha Franklin. Aretha has been with me through some tough times and she always has good advice through song (and no, it's not just because of "Dr. Feelgood"). Her voice is like a soothing salve to the heartbroken and hurt, and there is no emotion that she hasn't lent that amazing voice to. The Queen's discography reads like a best-of "That's What I Call Gospel/Rock/R&B!" album — which only exists on my iPod.
Unless you've just come from Amish country and my blog was your first stop on the Interwebs, you've at least heard Aretha on the radio. If you weren't fortunate enough to grow up with Aretha as your musical fairy godmother, here's an excerpt of her accomplishments from her Wikipedia entry:
And my personal favorite, in what had to be the highlight of George W. Bush's presidency, he awarded Aretha the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Yeah, that's awesome. Her voice was also declared a "natural resource" of her home state of Michigan. Not bad for a preacher's daughter from Detroit. And no, she wasn't on the Motown label. Her first single with Atlantic Records was 1967's "I Never Loved a Man (The Way That I Love You)" and I thought you might enjoy that performance from her "Lady Soul" television special from 1968. I remember watching the rebroadcast of the special several times starting at the age of 11 and memorizing the hand motions of Aretha's backup singers.
When I thought about what I would write about Aretha Franklin, her greatest hits ran through my head, but I thought it would be an injustice to simply give you clips of "Respect," "Chain of Fools," and "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman." Although those are all some of the best songs in the history of ever, I suspect that some of my readers have never heard some of her other superfantastic songs. The B-side to "I Never Loved a Man" was "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," and it is one of my favorites. Have a listen.
Was I right? How good is that? If you liked that song, go download "Dr. Feelgood" as well. The last line of the song is worth the 99 cents, trust me — I've been singing it in the car like a fool for years.
Before you think Aretha had all of her success in the 60's, must I remind you of her cameo in The Blues Brothers? Maybe this will refresh your memory.
I don't have to tell you that's my favorite scene in the movie. The 80's were good to Aretha and she gave us some good times. There were duets with Annie Lennox from the Eurythmics and the song that would top my duet list for karaoke — "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" with George Michael. http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf
Now, if that isn't the fabulous 80's I don't know what is. Not only have I had my hair cut like Aretha's in that video, I believe I also had the doorknocker earrings and I covet her gold lame skirt. Seriously. And is George just delicious in that? Shut up, he was. The hair, the jacket, the jeans, the voice — love 80's George.
Back to Aretha. By now you know I love this woman and what she has contributed to music, but you should know that she is still influencing today's artists. Last year Fantasia recorded with Aretha and John Legend, but I chose her song "A Rose is Still a Rose" from 1998 with Lauryn Hill on back-up for you to listen to. This song went gold and echoes back to her earlier songs about heartache and relationships, something Aretha is clearly at home singing about. She's had this to say about her music, "If a song's about something I've experienced or that
could've happened to me it's good. But if it's alien to me, I couldn't
lend anything to it. Because that's what soul is all about." How true.
So, that's what I love about Aretha Franklin. She is the best. And she also gave the world the best big girl quote ever, "I'm a big woman. I need big hair." I love that woman. Remember earlier in this post when I told you to get "Dr. Feelgood"? I can't think of a better way to end this post than with that song, 'cause good God-a-mighty the man sure makes me feel real good.
EDIT: yes, I know this is Wednesday, but I started this post on Tuesday, so Tunes You Need Tuesday it is. And it was only an hour into Wednesday when I finished it, so there. Thank you, Captains Obvious for emailing me and making me think I lost a day somewhere. xxxooo, Kerry
Have I been slacking on Tunes You Need Tuesday or what? No Tunes Tuesday since March 10th? And not one of my faithful readers called me on it either. You think you know people. Oh well. Maybe that has something to do with the comments on this blog not working (Kerry shakes angry fist at the Typepad gods), although Typepad has assured me the blog is fine and the comments should work. Alas, they do not, as many of you have emailed to tell me to tell me that very thing. I hear you, dear readers, I hear you. On with the post!
Last night, after talking to a friend about music and Natalie Merchant, it occurred to me that I had not written about my favorite woman in music (next to Aretha, that is). I honestly thought I had written a Tunes Tuesday post about Natalie, but after reviewing the blog, there was none — not even a 10,000 Maniacs edition. Either this is an unfortunate oversight or subconsciously I feared I wouldn't do her justice, I'm not sure. So, I've been listening to 10,000 Maniacs and Natalie's solo stuff all day while working at the computer (great music to work to, by the way) and I think it's high time we explored the fantabulous Natalie Merchant. Don't you agree? Oh good.
We can't discuss Natalie without first having a little background on her 12 years with 10,000 Maniacs. The Maniacs were formed in New York back in 1981 and didn't hit the mainstream Billboard charts until 1987's In My Tribe debuted and went to #37 in '88. They were an alternative folk-rock group in a sea of hair bands, Madonna, George Michael, and Michael Jackson, so this was unusual to say the least.
The song that made me a fan was "Like The Weather." Natalie Merchant unlike anyone on MTV at that time and her band was a breath of fresh air to me. I had discovered REM and a few other alternative bands a year or two before , but 10,000 Maniacs was different with their girl singer and her funky dresses, mary jane shoes, and quirky beauty. She was the main songwriter of the group and her voice was interesting and her lyrics were purposeful (again, unlike much of the music going on in 1987). Let's go back to '87 for a look, here's "Like The Weather."
So, that was my introduction to Natalie Merchant. I'm sure many of my old friends will recognize the influence her style had on my fashion sense back in the day and why I've never met a mary jane I didn't like. 10,000 Maniacs went onto moderate success with Blind Man's Zoo and Our Time in Eden, then Natalie left to start her solo career in 1993. In 2004 the Maniacs released Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings, a wonderful compilation album every fan should own. You'll fall in love with the band all over again with the covers and alternate lyric demos of some of their songs on disc 2. Here's "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" from the second disc, it's simply lovely.
1995's Tigerlily was Natalie's solo debut that gave her 3 hits, "Jealousy," "Wonder," and "Carnival." "Jealousy" is one of my favorite songs, but I thought I'd share a song you may not be familiar with, "Cowboy Romance." It has a little country flavor, hence the Cowboy part , I suppose. I think you just might love it. http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/2-02-cowboy-romance.m4a
Natalie's next album, Ophelia, was release in 1998 to somewhat mixed reviews. The album is somewhat melancholy and elegantly dark with piano and strings, bust as a longtime fan, on a whole, it harkened back to less ambitious 10,000 Maniacs songs like "Verdi Cries" and "My How You've Grown." One can't deny Ophelia is decidely un-pop. "Kind and Generous" is the only song pop song on the album and if you're the type who doesn't listen to albums in their entirety, Ophelia may not be your cup of tea, but it's definitely worth a listen. I think it's pretty brilliant, but I'm a fan. Who else but Natalie would put a hymn from the 1880's on their album and make it beautiful? "When They Ring Them Golden Bells" is the hymn, and I hate that it wouldn't upload, so you'll have to get it on iTunes and have a listen for yourself.
Motherland was Natalie's third solo album and was more folky and eclectic musically than Ophelia. Some of the material is a bit heavy, lyrically. Natalie tends to write with a focus on political and social issues, always has — songs from the Maniacs days "Eat For Two" and "What's the Matter Here" come to mind from her earlier writing. This album was no different; what made it different was that the recording was finished two days before Sepetember 11tth, and that changed people's perceptions of her lyrics in post-9/11 America. Still, the album reached #30 on Billboard and the mother of folk rock, Joan Baez, covered the title track, which is a pretty neat thing. My favorite track on Motherland is "Not in This Life," a song Natalie has said she only put on the album because the rest of the songs were a little heavy, but I thought the song was rather introspective. Anyway, the best songs off Motherland (including my pick) can be found on Retrospective.
If you're a Natalie Merchant fan, do yourself a favor and get the Deluxe Edition of Retrospective: 1995-2000 and you'll love it. It includes "Cowboy Romance" as well as duets with Billy Bragg and Michael Stipe among other covers like The Smiths "Sally Ann." It's fantastic. Finally, what's Natalie Merchant up to now? She's recording, and that can only be good news for fans like me. I'm looking forward to an album due out this year. It's been eight years since her last album and I can't wait to hear what she's come up with for 2009. I'll let you know what I think of the yet un-named album when it comes out (there is no "drop" date yet, but I'm hopeful). 'til then, here's "Stockton Gala Days" which you can find on 10,000 Maniacs, Campfire Songs. It's one of my favorites to sing along to. The last lyrics get me every time I hear it.
When I think of bands I could listen to no matter my mood, Gin Blossoms is right up there with Natalie Merchant, Lemonheads, and REM. Gin Blossoms were one of the first bands to master the power pop genre and they still do it well. I love this band for their sound and lyrics. And how can you not love a band who takes its name from a phrase about W.C. Fields' nose? I love a rock band with a sense of humor.
My first experience with Gin Blossoms was their 2nd album and first major label release, New Miserable Experience in 1992. This album is a classic in alternative power pop that debuted when Nirvana and Pearl Jam and the rest of the grunge bands were enjoying a heyday. New Miserable Experience was a breath of fresh air to me, as I hated the grunge bands and was waiting for a band like Gin Blossoms to come along. The album yielded some great tunes, including "Found Out About You" and "Hey Jealousy," which both went to #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Many of the songs on the album deal with drinking, unrequited love, and complicated relationships. "Mrs. Rita" is about seeing a tarot card reader for advice on love — not something you hear everyday. I found some great footage of Gin Blossoms in Chicago from their DVD, so here's a treat: "29" and "Cheatin." "Cheatin" has a country flair and has a great line, "you can't call it cheatin', she reminds me of you."
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In 1996 they released Congratulations…I'm Sorry and the song "Follow You Down" went to #9, but the album didn't fare to well and Gin Blossoms broke up the next year. Singer Robin Wilson and drummer Phillip Rhodes started the Gas Giants and the other members went in different directions until the end of 2001 when Gin Blossoms reformed. Yea! This is what Wilson had to say about reuniting, "We always said our breakup wasn't forever and right now we're all
feeling like we want to be Gin Blossoms again. We make a noise together
that we can't make otherwise. We respect and appreciate that we need
each other to create that sound. This time we hope to avoid being
swallowed by the chaos."
Turns out the still had it. Gin Blossoms released Major Lodge Victory in 2006 and it's a good album. The word on the street is Gin Blossoms is working on a new album for this year and I can't wait. If you haven't given the band a listen until now I hope you'll find them as fun as I do. I'll leave you with "Learning the Hard Way" from Major Lodge Victory, it's a great song for a Tuesday.
Today's Tunes You Need Tuesday is a sentimental favorite and since it's my blog, and I'm in a sentimental mood, I'm going to share some Paul McCartney with you. And I'm leaving out the whole Beatles aspect because far better writers than I have discussed his contributions there. From my earliest exposure to The Beatles, McCartney was always my favorite, and I liked his solo material as well. I loved McCartney's voice; it was sweet and warm and felt like an old friend, not pretentious, never trying to be the coolest guy in the room. My other reason for always being a McCartney fan was for his lyrics. He writes honestly and sometimes painfully, and his voice matches the song.
The song that most exemplifies what I love about McCartney's lyrics and voice is "Here Today," the song he wrote as a tribute to his friendship with John Lennon. "Here Today" is a beautiful somber song, one I identified with a great deal once upon a time and quoted in the beginning of my yet-unpublished novel. Anyway, here is "Here Today."
My uncle Ron was the first to really introduce me to the early McCartney stuff and after the introduction I was smitten. After babysitting my cousins once when I was 12, Uncle Ron sent me home with a stack of solo McCartney records and it was years before he got them back. McCartney's first solo album, McCartney, was released in 1970 and he played all the instruments on the album. If you were to listen to the album now you'd hear the almost raw McCartney sound you're not used to hearing. It's quite different from what you've grown accustomed to and there are diamonds in the rough on the album, like "Maybe I'm Amazed" that was written in the midst of The Beatles break-up and the birth of Paul and Linda's first daughter. It's a pretty perfect rock love song (not a silly love song).
1971 brought Ram, the second solo album by McCartney, then he formed the bang Wings with wife Linda, Danny Seiwell, and Denny Laine (McCartney would later add and subtract members of Wings) and they released Wild Life. In '74 Wings hit their stride with Band on the Run. Band on the Run is still a great rock and roll album (and the only album cover I know of to feature Count Dooku from Star Wars) that holds up great with songs like "Jet" and "Band on the Run."
Wings went on to put out a few more albums that were decent at best, then McCartney was back to a solo act. In '82 Tug of War brought a few great new songs like "Take it Away," "Here Today," and "Ebony and Ivory" with Stevie Wonder and "Get It" with the great Carl Perkins.
The 80's were a mixed bag for McCartney, with duets with Wonder, Perkins, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Costello. There were hits and misses on each album and McCartney explored different avenues creatively, painting, conducting, classical music, and so on. I really think he's back, musically. McCartney's latest album, Memory Almost Full is good stuff, so is his Fireman effort, Electric Arguments.
And for fun, here's Paul and company performing "That Would Be Something" on MTV Unplugged, back when MTV played music, in 1991. Love that Paul.
Everyone knows I love some British post-punk. Today we'll take a listen to Robert Smith's favorite vegetarian enemy, Morrissey and The Smiths. Here's a little of the Wikipedia entry on the The Smiths:
The Smiths were an Englishrock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey (vocals) and Johnny Marr (guitar), the band also included Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums). Critics have called them one of the most important alternative rock bands to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s,[1][2]
and the group has had major influence on subsequent artists.
Morrissey's lovelorn tales of alienation found an audience amongst
youth culture bored by the ubiquitous synthesizer-pop bands of the early 1980s, while Marr's complex melodies helped return guitar-based music to popularity.
If you haven't dusted off and old Smiths cd lately or have never gotten into them, let me tell you why you should. The Smiths point of view is like no other band in any era. You're not going to turn on any satellite radio station and hear another band with songs like "Vicar in a Tutu," "William, it Was Really Nothing," "Shoplifters of the World Unite," and "Girlfriend in a Coma." That's a fact. Morrissey's voice has an ethereal quality that complements his lyrics like no other singer's. I've heard cover after cover of Smiths songs by everyone from Blur, Radiohead, Love Spit love, Jeff Buckley, Everclear, Oasis, and Mojo Nixon. The only voice I can tolerate covering Morrissey is Natalie Merchant's, as her voice has a lovely melodic quality that is a divine match for some of Morrissey's best songs. Here's "William, it Was Really Nothing" for you in all its ambiguous glory.
Yes, he did really say "how can you stay with a fat girl who'll say 'would you like to marry me…'" Morrissey has some thing with the chubby girls — I don't know — he sings "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" and "You're the One For Me, Fatty." Morrissey has been called many things, but "sweet" isn't one of them.
Besides "Everyday is Like Sunday," my favorite Smiths/Morrissey song is "Girlfriend in a Coma." It was the first Moz song I'd head and it stuck with me. It's a perfect example of what The Smiths style is — interesting lyrics, lovely melody, and attitude. What a lovely introduction to The Smiths:
Girlfriend in a coma, I know I know – its really serious
There were times when I could Have murdered her (but you know, I would hate Anything to happen to her)
Could you imagine a band writing that now? In the 80's you could sing about your girlfriend being in a coma and that you'd contemplated killing her and it made for a catchy tune. Same with "Shoplifters of the World Unite." Love that song, especially Marr's guitar work on that one.
Unfortunately there hasn't been a great "greatest hits" compilation made since The Smiths broke up in 1987, and none have been given Morrissey's or Marr's blessing, so the best way to get your Smiths fix is through iTunes. And "greatest hits" is sort of a misnomer, because in their native UK, The Smiths didn't have a single chart higher than #10 while they were still together. Wild. Reissues charted higher, so who knows what a greatest hit is anymore? I'll always love The Smiths. There will always be room for a witty band that doesn't care about being slick and just plays the heck out of a song. That's good stuff. That's why I love The Smiths.
Do y'all know my boy Ben Folds? I thought everyone knew Ben, but apparently not as I've heard a few of my friends say "who?" when I've brought him up or one of his tunes has come on the iPod. Ben Fold is my homeboy who plays a mean piano and rocks everything from his own tunes like "Brick," the song everyone my age remembers, to Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" to Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Sh*t." Really. He's a white boy from North Carolina who can SANG. Yes, sang.
I first became a fan of Ben Folds in 1997( like everyone else) when Ben Folds Five released their second album Whatever and Ever Amen,with the songs "Brick" and "Battle of Who Could Care Less" playing on the radio every hour. It was the year Scott and I were married and I remember singing both songs driving to work near Atlanta every day, Ben Folds Five was everywhere. I hadn't heard a band who rocked as hard as nearly any other rock band without the use of guitars. It was refreshing and interesting and odd all at the same time. Along with Ben's lovely piano playing and quirky lyrics (who else references the Rockford Files show in a song?) he used expletives without fear or apology and it was certainly off the beaten path for this girl. For instance, off Whatever, "Song For the Dumped" is something everyone's been through and maybe not verbalized, but Ben says what we've all thought in a way only he can. Warning, I've already mentioned the expletives, so if you're at work or you have sensitive ears or children around, you may skip the listening party.
If you remember, this song came on as our principal opened the door to the minivan for my daughters when I dropped them off for school after they missed the bus earlier this year. Yes, I'm That Mom (for the record, I play the iPod in the car because my precious son put coins in my cd player and failed to put on the kids playlist that morning, which contains no cursing).
Anycursing,the band went on to release The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner in 1999. Here's what the Wikipedia article on the album says about the title:
The title of the album refers to a name that the band's drummer Darren Jessee used on fake IDs as a teenager. The band was unaware of the existence of the real Reinhold Messner, the first man to climb Mount Everest without the aid of an oxygen tank, until work on the album had already progressed — the band was informed of the mountainclimber's existence on February 9, 1999 during an interview with DJ Bruce Warren on WXPN radio.[2]
He is thanked in the record's liner notes for his understanding and
cooperation. Messner later contacted Ben Folds Five to let them know
that he was highly pleased with the album.
As all good things come to an end, Ben Fold Five folded and Ben went solo with Rockin' the Suburbs in 2001 and lo and behold, he played almost all instruments on the album including guitar of all things! Its a great album, go get it right now if you don't have it and you'll have a new instant favorite. Here's the title track, "Rockin' the Suburbs," and it has Ben screaming the F-word at one point, so don't say I didn't warn you.
And because it's my favorite and this song gets me every time, here's "Annie Waits," which I think is a pretty perfect song. On second thought, I can't get the infernal thing to work, so go watch it on YouTube, it's worth it. Really.
Next Ben put out Songs for Silverman, and this past fall, Way to Normal. The latter is on my everyday listening, it's pretty doggone good. Way to Normal is full of the quirky and ecclectic Ben that I know and love, it's good stuff. I've been listening for a while and I'm discovering something new with it all the time. Ben Folds is a musician who likes to tuck unexpected lyrics and delightful melodies into his albums and there is usually something special in every track, with his latest being every bit of that. Right now my favorite of the album is "You Don't Know Me" with Regina Spektor, so I'll end with that. Y'all have a great rest of this Tunes Tuesday. http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/04-you-dont-know-me-feat.-regina-s.m4a
While I'm on the British soul bandwagon, I thought I'd tell you about another chick who's rocking the more traditional sound. Adele would make Dusty Springfield proud and she's only 20. What is it in a 20 year-old who can belt it out and sound like they have the experience of a much older woman? Her album "19" is Grammy nominated and she appeared on SNL in the fall, so you may have heard her lovely voice before. Here is her cover of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" for your Wednesday.
Okay, I know I'm barely getting in Tunes You Need Tuesday on an actual Tuesday — but it's been a crazy day with lots of drama — too much drama for this mama. Anydrams, I thought I'd give you a little something different today.
Since around forever, I've loved British chick soul singers. Love that sound. I suppose my introduction to the genre was with Dusty Springfield, over 20 years ago when she was on the Pet Shop Boys song "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" and then discovered her older recordings. In the past couple of years I've listened to Amy Winehouse, who I'm afraid will never produce another record, so picking up the mantle is a new fave of mine, Estelle.
Estelle is straight up British soul meets modern R&B. She's been nominated this year for a couple of Grammy awards for "Shine," which features Kanye West and John Legend. You've probably heard "American Boy" on the radio with Kanye, it's fresh and so different from what the majority of female artists are doing today. "Shine" has the traditional soul sounds with some hip hop thrown in, as well as a little regae and it's just pure fun. "No Substitute Love" is one of my faves off the album, it sounds like something that could have been recorded by one of the greats — Aretha or Diana Ross in the 60's or 70's, very well done.
So, if you're looking for something new, get "Shine" and give Estelle a listen. Here's "No Substitute Love" and "American Boy" (minus Kanye) for you to listen to. Enjoy.
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