I offer my unique take on music from all eras, whether it be a song, an album, artist, etc.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thanks to American Idol, I've been listening to Rat Pack era music nonstop for the last two days. I really wish I could have partied with those cats back in the day. Frank, Dean, Sammy, The fedoras, slick suits, smooth cigarette, glass of scotch... What I wouldn't give to be in Vegas in '61 seeing a show at the Sands then heading to the night club to hang with the crew. All the while having ladies around willing to do anything you wanted, and mobsters paying you in cash and drinks always on the house. Man, those were the days.
Today's Song of the Day...
"Mr. Bojangles" Sammy Davis, Jr. written by: Jerry Jeff Walker
Sammy Davis, Jr was born to two Vaudeville performers who toured around the country. When he was 3 his parents divorced, and his dad took custody, talking him on the road where he learned to sing and dance. He served time in WWII as part of a special entertainment division. He performed on Broadway in the 50s, and was invited to join the Rat Pack in 1959. In 1954, he was involved in a bad car accident that took out his left eye. He was fitted with a glass eye six months later. During his recovery, his friend and fellow Vaudevillian Eddie Cantor told him how awesome being Jewish is which led to Sammy's much publicized conversion.
He always had to battle racism througout his career. He had stints in several hotels in Vegas, as most Rat Packers did, and because of his race, he was not allowed to stay in the Hotel; he had to stay in an apartment outside the main part of the city.
The ultimate entertainer, he could dance, sing, play instrument, was a comedian and appeared as a guest on many TV shows, including the famous appearances as himself on "All in the Family."
The swagger these guys will never be acheived, that's for sure.
So I have been wearing my glasses officially now for like 3 days. I think I've gotten used to them. But I noticed an interesting phenomenon on Sunday. You see, the only glasses I've ever worn were sunglasses. And with sunglasses, your eyes can go many different places and no one would notice. Like, if youre walking down the street and a nice looking lady walks by, you can check out the goods without moving your head. Or if you dont feel like listening to your friend babble on about nonesense, you can look the other way, and still seem interested. So as I was walking down the street, i'm doing the normal sunglass moves, but I realized, people, and ladies in particular, can see my eyes! I kept wondering how many people saw me gaze in their direction.
It's beautiful out and I miss the lazy days of summer. This song brings me back... SOTD
"Garden Grove" Sublime Sublime 1996
Sublime started out in California, natch, and brought that party scene to the forefront of the music scene in the mid nineties. They combined many genres, reggae, punk, ska, and hip hop to name a few. But they were hard core partiers and often had troubles on tours with drug arrests and being fucked up all the time..
Interesting Tidbit: Most people know Bradley Nowell, the lead singer died 2 months after completion of the the album. It was originally titled Killin' It. But considering the dude died, the band and label felt it was in poor taste.
Interesting Tidbit 2: The album went five-time platinum in 1999, on the strenght of "What I Got", "Santeria", "Wrong Way," and the fact that every wanna be stoner-surfer from every corner of the country adopted them as their voice.
Interesting Tidbit 3: The were the premier party band in Cali during the late 80s, early 90s and became popular like that. As a huge fan of music, I love when bands get big because of that. They were dudes playin parties and built their fanbase from the grassroots. Nothing against bands who get signed early and tour a lot, but something seems more genuine this way.
Yes this song just reminds of summers at the beach, working, causing trouble. Oh getting old sucks!
The NFL draft was this past weekend, and it is the ultimate tease. I need football now. I love baseball, don't get me wrong, but the build up to Sundays at the sports bar is far better. I don't get bent out of shape if I miss a Mets game, or just catch the score on ESPN later. But if I miss a Dolphins game on Sunday, I can't live with myself.
This past weekend was GORGEOUS! I spent all afternoon bar hopping in the neighborhood and it was great seeing people out strolling the sidewalks. In one particular bar, we had a MICHELADA, a Mexican beer coctail. Below is a pic of my first sip ever.
Here's a simple recipe:
1. Salt the rim of a Beer Glass 2. Add the juice of one lime and a half lemon 3. A generous dash of Hot Sauce (Valentina is good) 4. Add Salt and ground pepper to taste 5. Dash of Worcestershire Sauce 6. Fill glass half way with ice cubes 7. Fill the rest of the glass with Mexican beer (Sol, Corona, Negro Modelo, Dos Equis) 8. Garnish with a Lime Wedge 9. Mix and enjoy!
I must admit, it is an acquired taste, but delicious!
Also on Saturday night, I saw an amazing jazz band, The New Cookers, who play that post-bop jazz I love in the style of Freddie Hubbard. They were very tight, had great solos and played old and new songs.
Freddie Hubbard was a trumpet player who had great tone. Here's a song that displays his trumpet quite well.
SOTD
"Maiden Voyage" Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage 1965
Interesting Tidbit: This album is centered around ocean themes, and the band creates that sense of being on the water with song titles like, "Eye of the Hurricane" and "Dolphin Dance."
Interesting Tidbit 2: This album propelled Herbie into the forefront of Jazz composition. Basically, this was beginning of his experimentation that would lead to his VSOP sessions, Head Hunters and the Rock-It era.
Interesting Tidbit 3: Herbie was a sideman for Miles Davis at the time, and he takes a lot of his ideas regarding Modal Jazz
I know some of you out there probably don't listen to jazz. Fair enough. But this album is a great introduction. It is very lyrical, very melodic, easy on the ears. Plus you get great sounds from amazing sidemen; Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter on Bass (one of the best bassists of all time), Tony Williams on Drums (one of the best drummers of all time) and George Coleman on Tenor Sax.
Sorry for the Video Quality! It was the only video of the song!
This is a great song for a relaxing summer day. And it is one of my favorite songs of all time.
Oh man, what a beautiful weekend ahead! NYC will finally be in the 80s! And you know what that means? Bridge and Tunnelers coming into the city and clogging the streets! Euro Trash hogging the space near the bar! Hipster douchebags eating their quiche and drinking latte's on the sidewalks! But, my favorite part, FAVORITE part, is... No bulky clothes... on women. Jackets are coming off! Oh it's beautiful!
And what also comes with the warmer weather are great days for Baseball! The MLB season is underway, and although the Mets and Yanks are off to slow starst, I'm sure they'll be ok.
So go out to this beautiful weekend to see a game. If anything, it's time to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!
SOTD
"Centerfield" John Fogerty Centerfield 1985
This is the ultimate baseball song. When I hear the clapping at the beginning, I get excited and makes me want to get my glove and go play catch.
Interesting Tidbit: Centerfield was John Fogerty's best selling solo album. This song and "Old Man Down the Road" were the two singles.
Interesting Tidbit: John played this at the official opening of the New Yankee Stadium
Today is one of the more depressing days in recent history. Yes, the sun is shining, it's thirsty Thursday, the weather is turning warmer. All positive things I know, but today... I learned that I need to wear glasses! I get choked up even saying it. What happened to my perfect vision! They would only be needed for reading. But still, I would always pride myself of my awesome eyesight, and would openly mock people who had awful vision. Karma is a bitch. So hopefully I'll get a nice pair, probably something nerd-chic, thick frames, makes me look deep and intellectual. Or something like that.
I just cant stop thinking about it... ARGH!
SOTD
"Doctor My Eyes" Jackson Browne Jackson Browne 1972
The song isn't about someone losing their eyesight, I must admit. But the title fits my sadness of having to resort to wearing glasses. And I like Jackson Browne.
Jackson Browne comes from the California Sound of singer/songwriter music in the 70s. He was best friends with The Eagles and Linda Rondstadt.
Interesting Tidbit: This song was Jackson's first top 10 hit in 1972 and didnt reach the top ten again until 1982 with "Somebody's Baby."
Interesting Tidbit #2: Jackson wrote one of the The Eagles' most successful songs, "Take it Easy."
So last night, I was offered to go see The Roots at Highline Ballroom in NYC. I have seen them a couple of times, so I didn't think I'd be missing anything. Oh, but I did. And it's quite ironic too. I started yesterday's SOTD on the Hammond Organ. Well lo and behold, the special guest last night with the Roots was, Booker T. Jones, of Booker T and the MGs fame. One of my favorite bands. He plays a Hammond M-100 and is quite famous for it. Just my luck.
So here is the dedication to the Hammond Organ.
If you've ever listened to any soul or prog rock from the 60s and 70s, you've definitely heard it before. It was originally designed in the 30s as an altertative to the big bulky pipe organs used in churches, but made it's way into jazz in the 50s.
It's not completely electronic, but electro-mechanical. The keys activate Tone Wheels that rotate over an electro-magnetic pickup to create the sound. Above the keyboard, Draw Bars are used to change the quality of sound by picking up or dropping the tonearms, much like a EQ on a stereo. There are two sets of alternate colored keys on the left side of the keyboard. These are uses as presets to adjust the tone of the sound being played.
The keys are not weighted and the earlier versions have keys designed in a "waterfall" fashion. Meaning, they have rounded edges, instead of a lip that piano keys have. This makes it easier for the organist to run up and down the keys and they developed Hammond specific techniques.
Some Hammonds have an internal speaker, but 99 percent of music recorded on a Hammond used the Leslie Speaker (picture and diagram below):
Looking at the diagram, the horns at the top produce the treble sounds and the speaker at the bottom is the woofer. The horn at the top spins as the sound is pumped from the treble speaker a nd the woofer pumps its sound into the wooden roater as it spins. The spinning creates an "chorus" effect if the setting is low, or a "vibrato" effect if set high. All of this adds to the distinctive sound of the organ.
Check out the videos below for the some good Hammond Songs. They are all the SOTD!!!
Booker T and the MGs - "Green Onion" Booker T Jones (Hammond), Donald "Duck" Dunn (Bass), Steve Cropper (Guitar), and Al Jackson (Drums) were originally the house band for the Stax record label, an originator of Memphis Soul. They were integrated racially, which definitely caused some head turning in the early 60s. Their sound is so tight and smooth. "Green Onions" is one of those songs that you've heard before but never knew who performed it.
Procul Harem - "Whiter Shade of Pale"
Yes - "Roundabout" - Rick Wakeman on the Hammond B3 The Organ solo is at 5:28
Santana - "Hope Your Feeling Better" - Greg Rollie on the Hammond B3
So here are some good Hammond Organ songs. Hopefully you learned something!
Mondays. Suck. Big Time. Today in NYC it's in the 40s this morning and raining, after such a beautiful weekend. So depressing!
But Spring is here in the city as the trees start to show their leaves again. What I love about my neighborhood in Brooklyn is that during the Winter, the streets are exposed, but once Spring and Summer hit, the trees create such a great contrast to the dull buildings.
Well for you recreational drug users out there, have fun today. I know it's a special one. Be careful.
Here at SOTD, we make no judgements on life style choices, but the best way I can sum up my feeling on recreational drug use is this;
And with today being what it is, the SOTD is...
"White Rabbit" Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow written by: Grace Slick 1967
Jefferson Airplane was to pyschedelic rock in the 60s as was NSYNC was to boy bands in the late 90s; the epitome of the era. Look at the album name! Surrealistic Pillow? Get the F outta here.
To their credit, they were the first band from that flower-loving, acid dropping den of free love, San Fransisco, to become successful. Mainly off of today's SOTD and their other hit, "Somebody to Love." But they never trandsended the era, unfortunately, because once that psychedelic rock faded into the mainstream, the schtick didn't play out so well anymore. '
The song is a reference to Lewis Carroll's Alice books. Red Queen, Hookah-Smoking Catapillar on top of a mushroom, Doormouse. I never realized Lewis Carroll was such a stoner. Good job Grace Slick (lead singer) on pointing that out for the rest of us.
But some members did try to stay relevant, but failed, in the form of Jefferson Starship. They charted with singles like "Miracles," "Jane," "We Built this City" (for real) and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (from that wonderful movie, Mannequin). But all of those don't quite measure up to their edigier past.
As always you can email me. Or if you are on Twitter. and get the song on
It's Pay Day. Time to go get crazy! Or, just hoard your money for the oncoming depression. I think in 20 yrs it's gonna look like this.
(pic is from Mad Max, btw)
And I think that more and more everyday with this Tea party recession talk. Seriously? I want to believe that people are this dumb, but they are just pandering to uneducated nonvoters who like guns and have the "South will rise again" mentality. This country is going to hell in a handbasket if you ask me. Im about to book my trip to a secluded island in the middle of nowhere before it gets like the picture...
On that depressive note, let's lighten up the mood for the impending doom!!
The SOTD is a light and livey Jazz tune..
"Blue Rondo a-la Turk" Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out Released: 1959
Keeping on the same theme as crazy time-signatures (I promise I'll expand my breadth of discussion next week), Dave Brubeck expands jazz to include crazy Time Signatures, hence the name "Time Out." If you remember from yesterdays SOTD, most modern music is written in 4/4 time (Some country songs use 3/4). Mr. Brubeck uses 9/8, 5/4, 6/4, 2/2 and more in this album. He probably didn't know it when recording, but this is one of the best selling Jazz albums ever, thanks to the strength of one of the best known American songs of all time, "Take Five" linked below.
In this song, he uses the 9/8 time signature for the theme and switches to 4/4 for the solos, then back and forth. (I've said it before and I'll say it again, Jazz musicians are the best out there - that is HARD!)He uses Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" as his inspriation, and that is based off of the Turkish Zeybek (folk dance). Paul Desmond's sax on the album is great too.
Interesting Tidbit: It was the epitome of the West Coast Jazz of the late '50s [West Coast Jazz meaning mostly white guys and acceptable to parents who were still a lil weary of the association with real Jazz (see: Racism)]. But beyond that, West Coast Jazz in the 50's was "cooler" than the Be-Bop and Post Bop played in NYC at the time. But that changed when Miles Davis went wacko with Scales and Modal Jazz (another Long discussion, for another day, hopefully far away).
Interesting Tidbit 2:Dave Brubeck is known for his "block" style of playing piano. Basically meaning in soloing, he'd play chords over a more lyrical style, than let's say, a Bill Evans.
Interesting Tidbit 3: For you "Wedding Crashers" fans out there, this song is featured when Vince Vaugan is getting the shit kicked out of him in the football scene.
So sit back, relax on your very beautiful Friday. Grab a beverage. Grab a smoke. And enjoy this very swanky tune that'll set you right for the weekend.
People are now either a) relieved that they got their taxes in, after holding on to the W2 for 2 months or b) filing for an extension. I myself did taxes the night I got my W2. And got the return 3 weeks later, and the money was gone a week after that.
So, in honor of people runnin' around hoping to get a refund, or for the few that have to pay the government, and lord help ya if you get audited, I bring you today's SOTD..
"Money" Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon Written By: Roger Waters 1973
Dark Side of the Moon is a masterpiece. Hands down. It's one of those albums everyone needs to own. In the 70s, it was handed out in the mail with Tide samples.
Interesting Tidbit: Most of the song is in 7/4 time (7 quarter notes per bar for the musically untrained), even the cash register and jingling change sounds at the beginning of the song are kept in time. But Floyd guitarist David Gimour did not want to play the solo in that funky time, so right before his solo, they switch to 4/4 time for 12 bars. But to be a dick, they left the 7/4 time for the Sax solo. God bless that sax player.
Interesting Tidbit 2: First single off of Dark Side of the Moon.
Interesting Tidbit 3: Only song from this album to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Chart, althougth practically the whole album is played on Classic Rock Radio today. But the concept of AOR and DJ's in the 70s are topics for another day.
Interesting Tidbit 4: Dark Side of the Moon spend 741 weeks on the Billboard Chart. More than any other album ever, by 300 weeks.
So take a listen, go out and stack that paper to the ceiling! As much as you can anyways. I laugh when the hobos in the street ask me for change. Man, I need that money! This is a RECESSION! Shit, three quarters gets me a can of soda, or a bag Utz potato chips at the deli, or three bags of Ramen Noodles, that's three dinners right there!
Welcome to the Song of the Day blog! This will not be your typical "SOTD" because I'm not your typical music fan. Here I will pick a song, from any genre, give you a background on the artist, on the song, on the album, etc etc, complete with links, videos, pictures and interesting tidbits maybe you didn't know.
So enough about me, on to the choice.
For the first SOTD.....
"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" The Beatles Written By: Lennon/McCartney Rubber Soul Released: December 3, 1965
If you don't know any thing about the Beatles (in which case you should just stop calling yourself a music fan altogether) this is a great song and album to listen to. For the history of the Beatles, this album is their turning point creatively.
Prior to Rubber Soul, the Beatles were the happy-go-lucky-aw-shucks-I-wanna-hold-your-hand pop band. And from 1962-1964, that was OK. But as many people know, times they where-a-changing in 1963 (See: JFK assassination and Civil Rights). You have to think that Bob Dylan was coming up and leading the folk movement, Ethnic music was becoming mainstream (Motown, Stax, Atlantic records). That happy-go-lucky nonsense was getting outdated and the Beatles never liked to be outdated.
That brings me to the song of the day, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). The song itself is nothing out of the ordinary, when looking back at the Beatles' catalogue, but it marks a time of important creativity for them. First off, can you say goodbye to bubble gum pop?
Just look at the lyrics!
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me She showed me her room, isn't it good, Norwegian wood? She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair. I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine, We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed" She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh. I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown So I lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood.
At this point in their career, this was dark. (Hell, this isn't even the darkest song on the album. Check out "Run For Your Life.") This was 1965! The guy goes back to a girl's house, she doesn't put out, and he burns the place down! How many times has that happened, right fellas? But we don't burn her house down, we might just steal some cash...
Interesting Tidbit: This song also features George Harrison on the Sitar, which gives the solos that swanky feeling. This was their first in many songs influenced by their fascination with Hare Krishna and Indian culture.
Interesting Tidbit #2: Paul and John said this song was a bout a lesbian. But George Martin, their Producer, later confirmed by John, said the inspiration for the lyrics came from John having extra-marital affairs with his then wife, Cynthia. John you sly fox, you.
So after three years of intense touring, recording, movie making, and signing pictures for crazy teenage fans, John, Paul, George and Ringo were exhausted. They spent the next six months after recording Rubber Soul to reflect and explore. Their next effort, Revolver was another totally different album, and their direction became way more apparent.
Well for you recreational drug users out there, have fun today. I know it's a special one. Be careful.
