Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Song of the Day-Within You, Without You

When I was a kid, riding my bike up and down the streets of my west side Detroit neighborhood,  I had a cassette player and a cassette of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band.. I listened to it incessantly. I would fast forward past the first song on Side Two which was George Harrisons's "Within You, Without You" to get to the more "accessible" material on that album. 44 years on, Harrison's Indian epic, written after George Martin told him that his first submission was of insufficient strength to be included on what was shaping up to be a landmark album("Only A Northern Song"), has become one of my favorite tracks on the album.

The version here is the Beatle's Rock Band Remix which is not readily available, but easy to find if you google it and link the title and Rock Band Remix. These tracks were "remixed" to allow the individual elements of the Beatle's songs to be accessed in the Beatle's Rock Band game. Diligent and imaginative listeners, using the game discs as raw material, have produced versions of these tracks isolating individual Beatle vocals and instruments. I have included a sample of these isolated tracks. The full tracks included unreleased elements such as studio chatter and song "count-ins." This is a version of the Sgt. Pepper's title track with the drums isolated and brought way up to the front of the mix.


This is for George, wherever his spirit vibrates, on the day after the 10 year anniversary of his passing.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

10 Years Ago Today

We lost the "Quiet" Beatle!

Song of the Day-Sun Is Shining

Wow what a terrible morning to be out! I had to get up early and drive my son to "Jazz Band' at the Royal Oak Middle School. He has to be there at 7am. Please please please turn to freezing rain so I can really be annoyed. Anyway, I am, from this moment on, going to think positive thoughts. Here is a song that was originally recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers on their 1971 "Soul Revolution" album. These early albums are the unadulterated Reggae stuff, not heard much outside of Jamaica and certain discerning Reggae fans in the British Isles. Then there is the re-recorded track from his 1993 album "Kaya" released later on the "Natural Mystic" collection which was a follow-up to the massive selling "Legend." Got that? This will be on the test. "Sun Is Shining" for you on Song of the Day. Let's change the weather with some positive thinking! Here are the "Soul Revolution" and "Kaya" versions plus the bonus remix by Funkstar Deluxe which reached number 3 on the UK charts in 1999! "Chant" along with your fellow "Bredren" mon!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Song of the Day-Tribal Gathering

We go back to 1968 for today's song of the day as we sample a track from The Byrds "Notorious Byrd Brothers." Recorded in 67, the album came out amidst a revolving door of personnel that would set the tone for the remainder of the Byrds career. Roger McGuinn, clearly in charge, fired David Crosby. Michael Clarke quit. Former charismatic front-man Gene Clark came back for 3 weeks, then quit again. The album was basically the work of McGuinn and Chris Hillman with the help of top LA session guys. Surprisingly, the Byrds ended up with the most cohesive album of their career. Enigmatic and mysterious with moments of great beauty, NBB was the apex of the Byrds psychedelic phase. Experimenting with texture to a degree not before seen on a Byrd's album, the tracks liberally used the newly developed Moog Synthesizer. Parked in the middle of side 2, the track is "Tribal Gathering."

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Jimi Hendrix birthday

I find the practice of going on the internet or Facebook to wish a deceased person "Happy Birthday" a little off-key to my ear. I wish we remembered John Lennon and JFK on the day they were born, not the dates of their untimely death. But we don't. Jimi would have been 68 today!

Song of the Day-Stand By Me

I've been thinking a lot about connections this morning. Like the concept of "connectivity" which has been an issue in Casa De Chadwick for awhile as it is about time to replace my "steam-powered" wireless router. I have always been  fascinated by how the mind works. How it connects from one topic to the next. This leads me, in a roundabout way into today's Song of the Day.

I've mostly done two things this weekend. Worked on indoor and outdoor Christmas lights. And I'm halfway through the new Stephen King novel "11/22/63" which is about a guy who travels back in time to stop the Kennedy assassination. Hefty book. Started on Thanksgiving. Can't put it down. Now, I'm a guy whose tastes are not necessarily high-brow. I am more likely to read a Stephen King novel then David Foster Wallace. Love Stephen King. Loved The Stand. Loved the Dark Tower series. Plus, I love time travel stores. Throw in the JFK assassination angle, which has always fascinated me, then you have hit my pleasure spot pretty much dead on. This book is a perfect storm of stuff that Mark Chadwick likes, circa 2011. 

But I started thinking of other Stephen King books and stories I've loved. And I thought of the story "The Body" which was from the "Different Seasons" collection and was made into the movie "Stand By Me. "Different Seasons" is a wonderful collection. 3 of it's stories have been made into movies. "The Shawshank Redemption" which is a great film. "Apt Pupil" which I haven't seen. And, of course, "The Body" whose title was changed for Rob Reiner's cinematic creation. If you haven't seen it, go out and rent it, download it, it's a great flick. A coming of age story about the summer which changed the lives of four boys, packed full of details that rang true to me when I saw it the first time. I think it stands up to repeated viewings too. 

Rob Reiner packed the soundtrack full of period oldies, and used the great Ben E. Kings's "Stand By Me" as title song. Written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, King intended it for his old group, The Drifters. Allegedly, it was recorded by King only after the Drifters had recorded "Spanish Harlem" and had some leftover studio time. Upon release it hit #4 on the Billboard charts (#1 RnB) and amazingly hit #9 on the pop charts when re-released 25 years later to coincide with the movie. 

I've included 3 versions. The original classic (number 121 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 song list), a shambolic Beatle's version from the Let It Be sessions and John Lennon's 1974 version which hit #20 on the singles chart. I'll stop here though I could go off in all kinds of tangents based on any of the above. 

Connections, you see. 




Saturday, November 26, 2011

Song of the Day-World Before Columbus

Suzanne Vegas is a modern folk artist, probably best known for her top ten hits "Luka" and "Tom's Diner" back in the late 80's. If you remember "Tom's Diner" you will recall that it was an accapella track that was remixed by the group DNA with an instrumental dance track. The result was an international smash. This track, from Vega's 1996 album "Nine Objects Of Desire" was not a hit or even a single release. It is, however, a worthy "deep track" as they say over on the Siriux/XM. And it is our song of the day. Suzanne Vega with "World Before Columbus."

Friday, November 25, 2011

UHF Music in Royal Oak

Going out to do some shopping for Black Friday. Malls and big box stores not for me on this insane day. I am heading to Royal  Oak to pick up some vinyl or cds at UHF. Below find me Yelp review of UHF!
UHF Music in Royal Oak

Song of the Day-Waterloo Sunset

One of the most beautiful songs of the 60's, in fact, of the entire RocknRoll era, was this 1967 release from the Kinks on their "Something Else by the Kinks" album. Though not a hit here, it reached number 2 in Great Britain becoming one of Ray Davies best loved compositions. It is ranked number 42 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 songs of all time. This version is Ray live in the studio from a couple years back.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving from the Listening Room

Here's a couple of Thanksgiving perennials that get dusted off by the FM stations every year. Arlo Guthrie and Ray Davies in a Thanksgiving double shot!

Song of the Day-Stay Awhile With Me

The Strawberry Hill Boys were an English aggregation led by Dave Cousins featuring Sandy Denny on vocals. You probably know Sandy from Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore" where she duets with Robert Plant. Sandy had one of the purest voices in English Folk-Rock and when on to front Fairport Convention. Sadly substance abuse issues lead to an early death from injuries suffered in a fall down the staircase. But we still have her lovely voice on the records that survive her. After she left the SHB, they became Strawbs practicing a brand of progressive rock that never quite caught on stateside. Rick Wakeman was a Strawb before he became a "Yesman." This is the final track from SHB's "All Our Own Work." Beautiful record! Give it a spin/click!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Song of the Day-Mary Lee


Today's Song of the Day sets the wayback machine to 1955 for a taste of Doo Wop, the music of street corners and school stairways. The Rainbows came from Washington D.C., a hotbed of Doo Wop activity. They recorded a handful of singles with the original lineup, all with girl's names in the title. The first and best, was "Mary Lee" which was a sloppy but energetic "love letter" wishing that that Mary Lee would "come back to me." The vocals aren't always in tune, but they are enthusiastic. The backing is simple. Drum, bass, a little guitar and a very predominant piano. The piano intro, which seems to be airlifted in from another tune,  puts me in mind of the famous episode of the Honeymooners where Ralph Kramden competes on "Name That Tune" practicing for the show with Ed Norton who starts every song with the piano intro from "Swanee River." Later lineups of the Rainbows featured the great soul singer Don Covay and Motown's Marvin Gaye!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

JFK 11/22/63-Some Musical Takes and One Song Inspired by JFK's Death


4 Musical takes on one of the pivotal moments of the 20th Century. 48 years ago today. 
The Byrds, Was (Not Was), Peter Gabriel and Dion

In response to the Kennedy Assassination, Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote the following song of love and loss, the day of the JFK assassination. As recorded by the Beach Boys:

Beach Boys by Request

I often can't remember the things I am supposed to remember. Things that would, you know, really help me. Sentencing guidelines for instance. Which would be a big help in my criminal defense practice. Or the names of my children's teachers. For some reason, however, I remember that when my cousin Kenneth Weiland got his first car, with an 8 track player, the 8 tracks he got were Queen's "Sheer Heart Attack" and the Guess Who's "Road Food." Don't remember any details about the car though. Kenneth has made a request for some Beach Boys on this cold rainy day. I will give him the old 2-for-Tuesday with 1964's "Little Saint Nick" from the Beach Boys Christmas Album and the classic "Darlin" from 1967's Wild Honey album. Close your eyes and take me to California Los Beach Boys!

Song of the Day-Brain Damage/Eclipse

Major reissue program on Pink Floyd this year as their entire catalog was remastered and reissued. EMI, or what is left of EMI, even put out multi-disc box sets of the extremely popular "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" titles featuring demos, live tracks, 5.1 mixes etc. If you are looking for a Christmas gift for the Floyd fan, you might want to look into the "Oh By The Way" collection which is a 16 disc box set featuring all the original albums in mini-album covers. Covering the Barrett, Waters and Gilmour years, it is a pretty big bite for the casual fan but perfect for the die hard. Warning-this box set also contains some of the dodgy albums that show Pink Floyd casting about trying to find a sound. Also, for a set purporting to be complete, it leaves out some of the singles and one-offs that could have been wrapped into an extra disc of rarities. I have the earlier "Shine On" box that went up through the "Final Cut" album that was the swan song for the Waters, Gilmour, Wright, Mason lineup. In fact Richard Wright got fired by Roger Waters during the recording of "Final Cut". I haven't decided whether the new box is worth investing in. Also, be warned that prices for this collection range on the internet from$224.00 to $69.00 bucks. You might be able to find a good Black Friday deal at Best Buy or FYE. Here is some classic "Dark Side" Pink Floyd. Happy Shopping!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour

Working away on a Monday morning at the beginning of the shortened week leading into my favorite Holiday, Thanksgiving. Besides personally having a lot to be thankful for this year, Family, Friends, good health, the (so far) continuing ability to provide food and shelter for kith and kin, I am also thankful for little things. One thing that I am thankful for is Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour. Bob produced these shows over a 3 year period from 2007 to 2009. They are rebroadcast on a regular schedule on Sirius XM's Deep Tracks channel. However if you are an internet listener, Sirius XM 801 is a channel devoted solely to rebroadcast of all 100 or so hours of the show. An what a show it was! Bob "travels the four corners of the globe to bring back music for your edification." Just about any song or artist can pop up on BDTTRH.  Bob right now is giving out tips on travel to foreign countries, advising to remember "not to leave your luggage unattended. I've gotten so many pieces of great luggage that way!" If your tastes run to the eclectic then just tune in.

Here are a handful of great tunes Bob played this morning. The theme today was "Travel!"

Song of the Day-The One Rose (That's Left In My Heart)

Johnny Cash, member of the Country, RocknRoll and Gospel Halls of Fame, late in life signed a contract with Rick Rubin's American Recordings. He recorded a series of albums, covering a wide range of material, from songwriters as diverse as Trent Reznor to Sting. The recordings released over the next dozen or so years rejuvenated Johnny's career. Here he sings "The One Rose" from American by Del Lyon and Lani Mcintyre from "Unchained." Great tune!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Do We Still Need Record Stores?

Thought I would toss out this link to an article on Salon.com about indie record stores. In an Itunes Age, Do We Need the Record Store?

Song of the Day-Snowfall

I might be pushing the season on this one, though we did get some flurries in the last week or so. Up north in the UP, they actually got blasted with a winter storm last night. I guess this is a "seasonal song" though not very "Christmassy." The Singers Unlimited were a group that my Dad loved. My good buddy, and former VP at Harmony House Lloyd Welch turned me on their Christmas album, where this track originates. Singers Unlimited was a four part jazz vocal group that formed in 1971 out of what was left of the 50's vocal group The Hi-Lo's.They recorded for about 25  years before hanging it up.  They were kind of marketed toward older folks but their vocals were really innovative and influenced later vocal groups such as the Manhattan Transfer and Take 6. To the extent they ever recorded with instrumental backup, it was usually with a small jazz combo though a significant part of their catalog was a cappella. Their bass singer, Len Dresslar was the voice of the "Jolly Green Giant."

I have a real love for any kind of harmony singing whether it is the Beatles, Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, old Doo Wop to the jazz greats like the Four Freshman and Singers Unlimited. Kick back and enjoy. Their Christmas album is about the only thing you can easily find but they had a limited edition Box Set about 15 years ago which you can probably track down fairly cheap on the internet. Spotify has their Christmas album and it is, of course, a free listen.
As a bonus I threw in their take on another "seasonal" standard, Autumn In New York.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Spotify-Free Free Free!

If you haven't been on Spotify yet, you should check it out. First of all, it is free. Download it on your computer and you will have access to over 12 million songs in good quality. The free version requires you to listen to a fairly unobtrusive commercial that lasts about 20 seconds every half dozen songs or so. Now, I pay for my Spotify so I have a commercial-free listen, but the listening experience with commercials is about the same. We had a little Spotify party last night at the home of an unnamed music lover (currently in Federal Witness protection). We played songs all night long. Well, until about 10pm. I have to get my rest and attend the wonderful Royal Oak Holiday Parade later this morning! But here is a tune we played on Spotify. If you like it, get thee over to that website, tell 'em Mark Chadwick sent you (disclosure-it is a website download, there really isn't anybody to tell that "Mark Chadwick sent you!"), and you can stream it on your computer. Elvis Costello and "Indoor Fireworks."

The Blog Next Door

There is a cool little button on my blogger.com app/software/program/website thingy, called simply "Next Blog." Every time I am on my blog, trying to wrack my poorly organized brain for items of musical interest, I like to take time out by hitting the "next blog" button and having a "Calgon take me away moment!" Through this magic portal, I have been been introduced to Rugby fans in New Zealand, the very excellent Emily Elizabeth who just took her dream trip to Disney World, and yes, some sort of Argentinian blog consisting mainly of instructions for roasting large amounts of goat. Today's "Blog Next Door" is the slightly creepy "Gepetto's Workshop Ventriloquist Blog!" Stevebarry.blogspot.com/

And, of course, accompanying music! Courtesy of James and Bobby Purify!

Song of the Day-The Christmas Song

Otis Williams is the last remaining original Temptation still alive. The acknowledged leader of the group, his voice is rarely heard taking a solo. He was not lead singer on any of the Temptations hits. However, he did step forward from the group in 1970 to take the lead on this Mel Torme-Bob Wells holiday classic. Written in the early 40s on a "blistering hot" day in Los Angeles, before AC was common, it was Well's and Torme's thought to "stay cool by thinking cool!"

This was from the version of the group with Dennis Edwards (who had replaced the erratic David Ruffin a year or two before), Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks and Otis, of course.

It's Time to Do the Abidik Gubidik Twist (Twist! Twist!)

Getting fired up for this "pre-Holiday" weekend. Gonna see some old friends. Have some good beer and wine. Slap some Ozturk Serengil on the box and do the "Abudik Gubidik Twist!" Interestingly, the Turkish word for Twist is pronounced "Twist." Rumors that this is a bootleg copy of my wedding video are false, although this band did play at my wedding!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Adele tops Last FM Top Tracks chart

Last night, I spent some time listening to Last Fm on the family XBOX360. It is hooked up to the home theater so we are getting the best audio available. Last FM uses a process it calls "scrobbling" to build up a detailed profile of your listening preferences. Everything you listen to on the computer, on Facebook, on your Ipod, through music websites like Rhapsody and Spotify can be tracked. It builds up a detailed chart of your listening as well as all the listeners in the Last Fm community. Using those preferences it gives you access to radio stations based on what you like. Like Pandora, you can like or dislike a track and it remembers and treats that track appropriately when it shows up in the future. Unlike Pandora, you can select a lot of music directly. Mostly things that Last FM determines that you already own. The cons to Last FM are the tradeoffs that you make in sound quality that you have to some degree with all streaming sites. The sound quality is not as good as cd or vinyl. But it should improve as technology moves forward. And every artist is not available on demand. Generally the classic rock biggies, Beatles, Zep, et. al.

What do the Last FM charts tell us? Top played artist for the last week is Coldplay who have a new album out. Top track (and quite possibly my song of the year) is Adele's "Rolling In The Deep!"
I grew up loving the Billboard Charts. Having Last FM is like having a Billboard chart of what you like and listen to. My top artist for the year is The Beatles (no surprise). Top track for the year is Love's "Alone Again Or" from their classic "Forever Changes" album.

Song of the Day-Santa Claus is Coming to Town

John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote this evergreen back in the early 30s and it has been recorded countless times. In 1970 it became a memorable Rankin-Bass special with Fred Astaire providing the voice of Santa Claus. The version posted here is by a Danish cover band called the Rubber band.  A few years back they recorded a disc of Christmas classics under the name The Beatmas. Basically, Christmas songs done Beatles style. Every Christmas song sounds like a specific Beatles song. It is one of the more entertaining Christmas discs I own. The disc is hard to find now though if you go to google you might be able to track one down. You could also try:
ISBA Music Entertainment
2860 Boule de la Concorde Est
Suite 201
Laval
Quebec, Canada
H7E 2B4
Without further ado, Ed Sullivan Style Hear Are.....The Beatmas!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Song of the Day-Still

You don't really here songs like this on the radio anymore, especially what constitutes top 40 radio. 32 years ago this week, the Commodores hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard RnB chart. "Still" was written by Lionel Ritchie and, as on most Commodore's songs from that era, he is the lead and only vocalist. Solo stardom was just a few short years away. I don't know that any other Commodores are actually  on this record. It really is a Lionel Ritchie solo record.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Cinematic Titanic back in Royal Oak

I loved the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 and I love the current work of their progeny, Rifftrax and Cinematic Titanic. Cinematic Titanic, led by Joel Hodgson and featuring the talents of "TV's Frank" Conniff, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl and J. Elvis Weinstein will be lighting up the stage of the Royal Oak Music Theater for two shows on February 25, 2012. Get your tickets today, that is of course, unless you hate to laugh. Here is a little taste of their immortal theme song!

Song Request-People Get Ready

My good friend and suitemate, Patrick Cleary, Esq often engages me in "point/counter-point" discussions with Pat taking the extreme right-wing view point. I, of course, respond with my well-reasoned, progressive/liberal/point of view. We do agree on one thing, and that is a shared love for the music of the 60's. People know Pat as a very fine lawyer, who can be found anytime of the day having a smoke outside of our building. What Pat is not is a computer expert. He asked me if I could play his request on the "you tubes." I told him to watch this blog space and I would hook him up. The song Pat is requesting is Rod Stewart's very fine cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic "People Get Ready." In this song, and video, Rod reunites with the great guitarist Jeff Beck. Rod was the lead singer for the "Jeff Beck Groups" first two albums, which might be the best things Jeff Beck ever recorded. This fine effort hit #48 on the charts back in 1985.

Song of the Day-Nausea

Today's track on the World's Slowest Radio Station is "Nausea" by Beck. This was a single off Beck's 2006 album "The Information" reaching number 14 on Billboard's Modern Rock Chart. Beck said that Nausea was his "take" on the sound of Iggy & The Stooges. Judge for yourself!
This is a live take from the Letterman show. My secretary, Cindy, says that her two all-time favorite artists are The Beatles and Beck.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tower of Song

Leonard Cohen tune currently stuck in my head!

Nick Lowe-The Old Magic

Nick Lowe, known mostly in the US for his top 40 mid 70s "Cruel To Be Kind" has just released the latest in a series of mid-to-late in life albums that represented a shift in tone from the upbeat sound that had it's roots in pub rock. Starting with the "Dig My Mood" album, Nick abandoned the style that earned him the nickname "Basher" and recorded tunes with a more sophisticated, subtler feel. These albums remind me a little of the series of albums Frank Sinatra recorded in the 60s, starting with "September of My Years." Much like Sinatra, Nick's songs look back, bemusedly, at a life that has left him washed up on the shores of loneliness, wondering how he got there. I have included two key tunes from the album here, "Stoplight Roses" the single,  and "I Read A Lot" which is possibly my favorite song on the album. If anything is missing from this release, it is probably the lack of the old Nick sense of humor, which pops up even in a tune with subject matter as grim as "I Trained Her To Love Me" from his previous release, "At My Age." (included below). I highly recommend this release. Nick is opening for Wilco at the Fillmore in December and that should be a great double bill!
A couple of Nicktunes from the old "Basher!"

Two Against One-Danger Mouse with Jack White

As we get closer to the end of 2011, it is natural to look back on the hits and misses of the previous year. On the subject of Jack White, he provided the vocal for this cool tune from the most recent Danger Mouse album. This was the "single" released in advance of the album. The "b-side" was another fine Danger Mouse tune with Norah Jones providing the vocal. Give it a listen. I think it's a great tune. Probably one of my top five tunes of the year.

Song of the Day-One More Cup of Coffee

The White Stripes left us in 2011. While obviously not as big a deal as the end of REM, due mainly to the Stripes being 99% the vision of Jack White, there was something about the energy and "feel" that this particular duo gave to this body of work. If Jack does these tunes on his own or with one of his bands in another configuration, it just won't be the same. So farewell White Stripes. Best to both of you in future projects. This tune is a Bob Dylan from first White Stripes album. The version here was recorded live in 1998 way before they were famous, in Detroit at the 4th Street Fair.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Christmas Music Station Rant/"Christmas Wish"

One of our local stations, which I won't name, starts playing Christmas music around November 1. Okay, a little early, for me at least, but that's why radios have dials. Used to be two stations, but, due to format changes, only one station plays Christmas music that early. My problem is not so much with the early start of the music, but do they have to stop playing Christmas music at midnight on Christmas Day. Doesn't Christmas season last until New Years Day? Wouldn't it be nice to have a little Christmas music when you are heading out to some of the family and friend Christmas parties you have to attend between Christmas and New Years?

My tastes in Christmas music are very eclectic as you might guess, so I don't turn to this station for my Christmas fix. I would rather listen to the The Loft or the Holiday channels on my computer. There are also Holiday channels on Sirius/XM that don't fit this rigid schedule and keep the Christmas music going. Most people these days have cable or satellite and they can find a Holiday music channel from the same source that brings them Espn and HBO.

If I were a benevolent dictator, Christmas music would start on the day before Thanksgiving and end on New Years Day. Here is a track from the new "She & Him" Christmas album with their version of the NRBQ track "Christmas Wish."

Song of the Day-Soy Callejero

Los Mocosos is a band from the Bay Area. Their music has been described as a mix of "searing Latin ska, rockero swing, R&B funk and Spanglish Hip-Hop." This track is fiery and upbeat, a perfect tonic for a sleepy Monday morning. They remind me of a "Northern California Los Lobos!" 

I discovered this track on a Putamayo Records compilation. Putamayo is a record label that, since 1993, has put out dozens of releases featuring just about every type of world music in existence. The discs are categorized by type of World Music, usually by region. Arabic, African, Latin and so on. It is a good way to broaden your musical horizons while usually guaranteeing that you will get the best tracks. 

Sunday, November 13, 2011

I Will Follow You Into The Dark

I missed this one when it came out in 2006. Didn't chart very high. Number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100. A song like this wouldn't get much mainstream radio airplay, not being a hip hop tune or a "Young Country" song with novelty lyrics. Mid 20s on the Billboard Modern Rock tracks chart. I know it made it into a couple of tv episodes, Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy, which I did not see either.

I have Sirius/XM in my home and in my car. I listen a lot to a station called the Loft. The Loft is programmed by a guy named Mike Marrone and you should all run to the Facebook, friend him and say you heard about his show from me. It is a throwback to the free form radio that arose in the 60s on outlets such as Detroit's WABX. Or more recently, the kind of music that Martin Bandyke used to play on WDET everyday before their management shot themselves in both feet with format changes. They can play anything on the Loft. Mike himself has a show on the Loft in the mornings. I heard, (or maybe "re-heard") this song for the first time on Mike's show. Mike and the other fine Loft dj's have become one of my prime sources for great new albums and great new music. Sometimes, like with this fine track, it is new to me. After I heard it on Mike's show, I played it obsessively for days.

Until further notice, subject to change without advance notice, this is the song I would like played at my wake. It is a rumination on the subject of death, especially when you are in a relationship with someone special, a "soulmate" to use a cliched term. Give it a listen! From the album "Plans" this is Death Cab For Cutie.

Song of the Day-Every Beat of My Heart

The thing about Song of the Day is, it's not about coolness, hipness, or posting a song because it would be the kind of song that a guy blogging about music would post on a website about music. I am sure you can find those blogs and those songs all over the internet. Song of the Day is just a song that I am enjoying at the moment. Nothing pretentious about it.

I'm not a big Bon Jovi fan but I like this song, which was unreleased until it came out on their box set "50,000,000 Fans Can't Be Wrong." I daresay it is better than stuff I have heard from them that they released. And, it is our Song of the Day!

Play Me Back Home

We had a memorial service for my uncle yesterday. He was a great guy and was my first male role model, seeing as how my parents had split up before I was born. Ed Kania was a family man who left behind 3 kids, 7 grandkids and 4 great grandchildren. After he left the service where he served in the Korean "conflict" he worked as a Foreman at Cadillac. He retired in 1988 and spent most of the rest of his life enjoying himself, going to the casinos. Pretty much doing what he damn pleased!

I loved my uncle.

I am always interested in the music chosen by family members to be played at wakes and services. Usually the funeral home plays generic, sad, churchy music. In my uncles service, two songs were played. I don't think he selected them. He was fairly non-communicative at the end. I don't remember him really expressing much interest in music in his lifetime. I figure the family chose for him as all of his kids loved music. The songs chosen were Michael Buble's "Home" and Frank Sinatra's "My Way."

Everyone knows "My Way!" Some people know that Paul Anka rewrote the lyrics of French tune and recorded it also. But he rewrote it with Sinatra in mind and it was Sinatra who recorded the new lyric first.  It has, of course, become associated with Sinatra and to a lesser degree, Elvis Presley. It reached number 27 on Billboard Hot 100, number 2 on the "Easy Listening" chart in 1969.

"Home" similarly was a big hit on the "Easy Listening" chart, now retitled "Adult Contemporary" or A/C topping that chart while hitting only 77 on the Hot 100. That was back in March 2005.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Song of the Day-Slip Slidin' Away

Paul Simon turned 70 about a month ago and released a fine album called "So Beautiful of So What?" In belated honor of one of  our finest songwriters turning 70 we go back to the 70's for his "Slip Slidin' Away" which reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Happy Birthday Marshall Crenshaw

Marshall Crenshaw-Pride of Berkely, Michigan got his big break playing John Lennon in Beatlemania! Happy 58th! Turn it up on "Someday, Someway!"

To Spotify or Not to Spotify

We lost Car City Classics and Record Time this year. Detroit-Area institutions where one could lose themselves for hours at a time browsing through stacks of vinyl and cds. Border's Books and Music, whose music section was quite comprehensive for a Big Box store, also gave up the battle to stay afloat.Where do you go if you want to purchase music beyond the selections carried at your local Walmarts, Target or Best Buy?  Ten years ago, folks living in Northern Oakland County could choose between a couple of Harmony House stores or Borders, or even a couple of cool indie stores in the Pontiac area. They are all gone now!

Many folks turn to online "on-demand" music services such as Spotify, Mog, Rdio or Napster. The basic model is that the subscriber pays a monthly fee, about 12 dollars or so, which allows you to listen on demand to millions of songs for about the price of a cd. Each of these services allows you to download tunes to a mobile device for "on-the-go" listening for a little bit of a premium on top of the monthly fee. It is estimated that, in 2012, these services will grow by about 300%.

What is the downside to these services? I subscribe to more than one because they all have unique features that the other services don't have. They all support some form of social networking where you can trade playlists of music with your friends. The capacity to go to one of these services and satisfy your desire to hear a song that you crave played instantly is the number one reason to subscribe. If you had arrived in a time machine to tell my teenage self that in the future, millions of songs would be a keyboard click away, I would have called you insane (after first asking you if you could give me the names of upcoming World Series winners so I could get rich "Biff Tanner style").

The online service that has the most songs is Spotify with about 12 million. You can easily Google (or Bing if you are a contrarian) the rankings of what service has the most songs.

One drawback is that a lot of artists don't allow their music to be accessed in this manner. The artists missing from these services include The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Bob Seger, Metallica and a few more, mostly Classic Rock era warhorses. But these numbers dwindle as the management of these artists see the wisdom of taking their acts online.

The other big drawback is sound quality. Spotify is about the best streaming their music at the highest bitrates for better sound. Rhapsody appears to have the lowest bitrate of all the major streaming services. Generally, higher bitrate=better sound. None of these services can match the sound of a good cd or a nice piece of vinyl on a good system. Like an MP3 player or IPOD, sound quality is compromised for convenience.

But if you are going to consider an online service, do a little research. If you are willing to pay a little for music, you will get a lot in return. As we head into 2012, a shakedown is coming and some of these services may not survive. Napster was recently purchased by Rhapsody, which was the first on-demand service, but has since been eclipsed by it's newer rivals. The new Rhapsody/Napster will be unveiled in December in hopes of getting back some of Rhapsody's lost market share.

I have added below a link to an article from PC World which is about 2 weeks old but is a good starting point if you are looking to subscribe. If you are looking for that hard to find gift for the music lover, and they don't have an online music service, gift subscriptions are available from all the services.

Happy Listening!

Spotify Shakes Up Online Music Landscape, Consumers Win

Song of the Day-One Too Many Mornings

I have never formally sat down and listed my top ten favorite songwriters/songwriting teams. I know who I place at the top (Lennon/McCartney). Number 2 usually shifts back and forth between about a half dozen of the usual suspects. I have loved the music of Bob Dylan for almost as long as I have loved the Beatles. Here is a lesser known Dylan tune from his third album "The Time's They Are A-Changin'" which actually resembles, in melody, the title song from that album. The take chosen for Song of the Day is live from Dylan's 1976 Rolling Thunder Review Show.

Some Mother's Son

The Kinks produced this gem on their Arthur album in 1969 reflecting on those who gave all. Ray Davies, one of the greatest (and most underrated) songwriters wrote this quiet, anti-war song which very few heard, at least in the US where Arthur (full title-"Arthur(The Decline and Fall of the British Empire) didn't sell all that well. Never fails to give me chills.

Veteran's Day

I hope you all take a moment today to reflect on the meaning of Veteran's Day. I saw a shameful statistic yesterday. Though our unemployment rate is about 9.1%, the unemployment rate for Veterans is about 3% higher. That is shameful.

On this day, I will be thinking about my Father-In-Law, William Ollila who passed away two years ago and served in Korea. And about my Uncle, Edward Kania who passed away this week, who also served in Korea.

Here is a great song by Johnny Cash called "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" based on the true story of one of the men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima and what he faced on his return.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

36 Years Ago Today

Glen Campbell: An Appreciation Part 3

Glen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease early this year. As he tragically fades away, he has chosen to go out with a Farewell tour and album. Glen released the very fine "Ghost On The Canvas" album which is one of my top ten releases of the year. Here is the title track from that album. Best of luck to you Glen!

Glen Campbell: An Appreciation Part 2

Truly one of the great singles of alltime, #192 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 list, "Wichita Lineman" was a huge record. Glen and great Pop Songwriter Jimmy Webb went on to a string of chart successes. This was the greatest in my opinion. Performed by a "supergroup" of today's country stars in a medley with 2 other Jimmy Webb tunes at last night's CMAs.

Glen Campbell:An Appreciation

The CMA's also featured a tribute to the great Glen Campbell. Now if you remember Glen mostly for his shticky  
"Hi I'm Glen Campbell" and for a lotta of undistinguished music squarely in the MOR vein in the 70's, well, it's hard to blame you. Glen was a huge star in the 60s and 70's. And did record a lot of music seemingly while on Autopilot. What is hard to remember is that this guy was a huge talent. Maybe the top session guitar guy of the 60s, Glen himself said he might have played on 500 different records in 1966 alone. Originally tapped to replace Brian Wilson in the Beach Boys when Brian first struggled with touring, Glen's talent was too big to fill the slot Bruce Johnston would later fill so ably. Brian cut a record on Glen very much in the Beach Boys/Pet Sounds vein. It was a flop but is one of the great lost singles of the 60's. Here's Glen with "Guess I'm Dumb."


What Country Means To Me

Watched the CMA's last night (Country Music Awards). I don't listen to a lot of what is termed "Young Country" which has become a producer-driven music where the instrumentation doesn't vary much from song to song. It can make listening to local country stations a fatiguing process. The vocals change from record to record with some more distinctive then others. Every second song seems to feature some sort or novelty lyric. As I drove my young son, Lucas to school for jazz band this morning, before the sun was up, I listened to a little bit of WSM from Nashville. Probably the number one radio station in country music history and the home of the Grand Ole Opry. I heard this classic Dolly Parton track, which was memorably covered a few years back by our own Jack White. No novelty lyrics. Just a straightforward gut puncher of a tune. Here are both versions. Dolly and the White Stripes (now THAT would be a pairing!).

Song of the Day aka World's Slowest Radio Station

World's Slowest Radio Station or WSRS (KSRS east of the Mississippi) is a feature wherein I try to hip you to a cool track that I'm currently listening to, or heard recently on the radio, or which seems particularly timely. Kinda like a free form radio station like WABX back in the heyday of FM Radio. Today's Song of the Day is by Englands Specials, sometimes known as Specials AKA. A band formed in 1977 led by Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Their music is known as "ska" which was basically to Jamaican Reggae what the early American Rock N Roll was to authentic down home Blues Music. It was an ethnically based music played by English kid's barely out of their teens. They had a lot of hits in the UK. Probably the best known on these shores was "Message To You Rudy." This is one of their later tracks, "Dawning of a New Era." They still tour today under the leadership of Terry Hall. A little blast of energy and attitude on a sleepy Thursday morning!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Chadwick's Listening Room now on Oakland Press Online edition blogs


Thanks to Stephen Frye for finding my "insights" worthy of inclusion among the Oakland Press lineup of blogging heavyweights. To paraphrase Yogi Berra thanks to all who made this blog necessary! Usually when my picture appears in the Oakland Press, it is a photo taken by courtroom photographer, standing next to a guy in an orange jumpsuit, most likely having the worst day of his life. Thanks to the wonders of the World Wide Web, and websites such as YouTube, the internet is an "on demand" jukebox. As an example, I have pulled up a tune from the great REM, a band who called it a day in 2011, with the extremely catchy "It's The End Of The World (And I Feel Fine) for your amusement. It may sum up the reaction of many who have heard that I started this blog.

Song of the Day-National Anthem edition

Don't know if Star Spangled Banner will be played before tonight's debate at Oakland U. GOPers tend to be big on that sort of thing. But if they DO play it, this is the version that should be played. Was there ever anybody as cool as Marvin Gaye?

Big Doings at Oakland University


My alma mater, Oakland University, is hosting the Republican debate tonight. Big fun, especially with all the controversy swirling around Herman "Like A Hurricane" Cain! Though it is an open question why anybody would even want that job, especially if you hand any sort of skeleton in your closet, one of our great rock bands, The Byrds covered this topic in their classic "I Want To Grow Up (To Be A Politician)." Byrd's Leader Roger McGuinn thought it a worthwhile pursuit. This is his solo take on the tune from a series of worthwhile solo shows Roger has done over the last few years!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Discovery


The brief time between the dawn of the first wave or Rock N Rollers, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and many others and the coming of the Beatles is often depicted as a musical wasteland. Nothing could be further from the truth. Great records by artists such as Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson and Del Shannon carried the Rock N Roll torch. The first record I ever owned was by an African American singer by the name of Larry Williams who wrote three songs recorded by the Beatles (Slow Down, Bad Boy and Dizzy Miss Lizzie). All were sung by John Lennon who loved his records. The Rolling Stones recorded "She Said Yeah." Probably the his biggest hit was a tune called Bony Maronie. The one I owned as one of my first records, which showed up mysteriously as a 45 was Larry's first million seller "Short Fat Fannie which charted number 5 pop on Billboard but number 1 on the RnB charts. The combination of the novelty lyrics (4 year olds love the word "fanny"-it's like the first obscenity you learn) and cool musical qualities, great vocals, reminiscent of a slightly more subdued Little Richard, and a cool band sealed the deal. The record even name-checked the song titles of other classic Rock N Roll songs. How cool was that?

You'd think somebody who had songs on 3 Beatles albums, and 1 Stones album would be living the Life of Bill O'Reilly! Not so. Like a lot of early rockers, Larry was ripped off by publishers and record companies, and ended up frequently penniless. He went to jail for dealing narcotics and once pulled a gun on Little Richard who was his best friend because Little Richard owed him money, allegedly for cocaine. He was found shot to death on January 7, 1980 and it was unclear whether his death was murder or suicide. 

Mysteriously some guy by the name of Martin Allbritton assumed Larry's identity after he was found dead and toured under the Williams name. Even recorded some music as Larry Williams. The family had to slap him with a cease and desist order! 


Mission Statement

Consisting mainly of my music related musings, thoughts, blathering and "knee jerk reactions" Chadwick's Listening Room is my "stream of consciousness" (or "puddle of consciousness" as Martin Mull once opined) observations on music and how we relate to it. Chadwick's Listening Room will include opinions about music I love and music I loathe (though the emphasis is on music I love!!!). I'm an aging baby boomer attorney who surrounds himself with music at every possible moment. A father whose kids yell at him to "turn it down." A home owner who bought a house with a workout room, and turned it into a music room.  A family man who thinks that it is as important for his kids to know about Lennon & McCartney as it is to know about Lincoln & Washington.

How we purchase, listen to and enjoy music is changing. What does it mean to be a music fan in a world where every song, performance and video is literally at your fingertips? I hope to be a guide to this new world of musical experience.