Wednesday, June 30, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 56: Ashokan Farewell

Ashokan Farewell - Jay Ungar (1982)

A documentary t.v. mini-series brings us to this next selection. Ken Burns first heard this song in 1984. While compiling his epic Civil War, he decided to place the song under a reading of a soldier's letter to his young wife at home. Here's what it sounded like:



Pretty powerful, isn't it? Written by Jay Ungar, this instrumental ballad sweeps through your ears, with longing, regret and steadfast determination. I don't know if I would ever have heard this song were it not for Ken Burns, but it stands on its own just as strong as when paired with the letter. See the film, buy the soundtrack, and seek out other works by Mr. Ungar. It is a journey well worth taking, all thanks to the boob tube! Thank God for PBS.

JDIZZY's 365 # 55: Fight The Power

Fight The Power - Public Enemy (1989)

Once again, the power of film:



Do The Right Thing
introduced this song to the world, and music has never been the same since. Hip Hop was just as important as Rock and Roll, and it would never take a back seat again. Taking its cue from The Isley Brothers classic of the same name, Chuck D and Flavor Flav strike out at inequality and sacred cows, destroying them all. No matter what silliness, controversy or lame albums followed, P.E. will always be the greatest in the game because of this one single, which didn't even chart in the Billboard Hot 100



Not taking anything away from it, but this cover is pretty amazing!

JDIZZY's 365 # 54: Wichita Lineman

Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell (1968)

Every song Jimmy Webb wrote for Glen Campbell is a stone classic of melody, lyric and production. I am giving the edge here to Wichita because of the unique sounds of the wire, the loneliness that permeates even stronger than in "Galveston" or "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and the everyman scope that made this song a deserving smash. Listen to it again, and see how much, like a fine wine, it has aged.



And then Johnny touches it.....wow! That man could cover the phone book and make it his!

JDIZZY's 365 # 53: Fairytale of New York

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues featuring Kristy MacColl (1987)

All that you need to know about this song is available here in this amazing documentary made by the BBC. Watch it, then view the classic video in full and realize what a treasure Shane and the boys truly were.

JDIZZY's 365 # 52: The Squirming Coil

The Squirming Coil - Phish (1990)

There are many who would say that Phish is a band you have to see live to truly get. Some would even say that their albums are mere familiarity tools, used by the band to let there audience know what songs will be played on tour. To these people, I say," Well, obviously you've never spent much time with Billy Breathes, Story Of A Ghost or Lawn Boy, three of the best albums I've ever heard!". It seems most Phish detractors can't even come up with a song title, let alone an album that drives their hate. So, for all out there reading this who have never completely given this band a chance, and instead been turned off by the term "Jam Band" or the smell of Patchouli, I say listen to this opening cut from the aforementioned Lawn Boy, and honestly say you're not intrigued....go on, I dare ya. Listen to that Page McConnell piano solo in the middle break, and feel the wave of joy that erupts in your spine every time the chorus starts up again. Hell, admire the lyrics, which are some of Tom Marshall's finest. And Trey, oh sweet, talented Trey. Mindless noodling, this is not. Modern Prog at its finest, it most certainly is!

JDIZZY's 365 # 51: Echoes

Echoes - Pink Floyd (1971)

Pink Floyd is known for its concept albums. From the struggles of everyday life and madness in Dark Side of the Moon; on to the Orwellian drama of Animals; the earth-shattering magnum opus of Fruedian isolation that is The Wall; through to the minor classic on post-World War II life that bowed out Roger Water on The Final Cut. However, the seeds for all of these album- length masterpieces were sewn on the Meddle Album with this side-long track. Think of it as a prequel to Dark Side, as it carries many of the same themes, and focuses on melodicism much more than any previous Floyd work. This is theatre of sound in the grandest sense, which must be why Andrew Lloyd Webber copped a section of it right down to the 12/8 time signature for the opening of "Phantom of the Opera".

I cannot recommend the Live at Pompeii DVD enough. Here is "Echoes" presented in its greatest live performance, at an empty Roman Colosseum...... stunning! So good The Beastie Boys paid tribute to it in their Gratitude video.





Also, visit the Internet Archive for an incredible set of the Decemberists' one date "Long And Short Of It Tour" in which they encore with an impeccable version of this epic composition.

Monday, June 28, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 50: Mother

Mother - John Lennon (1970)

Once in a lifetime, a piece of art comes along this raw, this piercing, this honest. While in the process of sorting out his life, demons and myth on the Plastic Ono Band album, Lennon made a genuine breakthrough to open up the proceedings. Using Primal Scream Therapy as rock and roll, Lennon attacks his past, building on the piano, bass and drums until he is crying in the fetal position at the end of the track. This is as punk rock as you can get, six years before The Ramones.Never again would he hit this hard or this heartfelt. No one would.

JDIZZY's 365 # 49: Do You Realize?

Do You Realize? - The Flaming Lips (2002)

As anthems go, this a hard one to beat. It captures sad "facts of life" sentiments in such an uplifting manner, that it is almost impossible to come away from this piece without warmth in your heart (Rare not only for these psychedelic pranksters, but for any song that features the line "That everyone you know some day will die"!). I can't wait to see what it will look and sound like on Broadway!


Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??

Ryan | MySpace Video

Friday, June 25, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 48: No Surprises

No Surprises - Radiohead (1997)

It had to have been because we were distracted. While we were reveling in Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and a covers album from G'n'R in 1993, Radiohead was simply overlooked. Sure, "Creep" was a great single, but you could just tell that they were going to be another flash in the pan that the record companies were constantly shipping out during those heady days when Kurt was still alive and alternative reigned supreme. Then, about two years later, you hear "Fake Plastic Trees", and you wonder how it's possible you didn't hear it coming. How could a band show such growth after one album? Now, flash forward to 1997, and watch your mind melt as you listen to the best concept album since The Wall. In an album stocked to the brim with classics, OK Computer's third single has always been the toppermost of the poppermost for me. The vulnerability in Thom Yorke's vocals, the simple guitar motif, and the groundbreaking music video captured a moment of greatness that Radiohead has refused to let go of for the last 13 years. The fact that they are so far removed from the styles formed on OK Computer yet still maintain the same level of artistic integrity always keeps me guessing at what treasures these gents will unearth next.



If Yanni had played this Live At The Acropolis, I would have been the biggest new age fan you ever did see :)

JDIZZY's 365 # 47: Hyperballad

Hyperballad - Bjork (1995)

Before this song, Bjork was just that weird little pixie on the video with the big stuffed bear that eats her. In the age of Alternative Nation, 120 Minutes and Beavis & Butt-Head, this video was always on at some point during the day. I started to become oddly fascinated by this elf-like Icelander. When Rolling Stone announced (Oh, the days of hearing about new releases in a print magazine!) she had a second album coming out, my interest peaked. At Camelot Music a few weeks after the album was released, I scanned Post under the bar-code reader, and selected "Hyperballad" as a test song for the disc......... and I was floored. I had never heard such powerful lyrics over top of dance music. I spent my allowance on the disc, and found that the rest of the platter held up as well. It still is one of the best albums of the 90's, and "Hyperballad" is one of the greatest creations from our gelfling channeling, swan dress wearing, academy award deserving princess of (In the truest sense of the word) Alternative.



This string version from Telegram is pretty impressive as well, even if you can't dance to it.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 46: Say It Ain't So

Say It Ain't So - Murray Head (1975)

Musical Theatre is back today on the 365, but to a lesser extent. Appearing as Judas on the original Concept Album of Jesus Christ Superstar, Murray Head announced himself as a vocal powerhouse. Signed to a record deal before the album, Murray was given even more backing by Island Records after JCS rocketed to fame.It took a while, but he hit big in the UK with this side, a stoic ballad that builds in power through each subsequent chorus, leading up to my favorite key change in pop music history. He is known today in the states for being a one-hit wonder with "One Night in Bangkok"(Oddly enough from another musical concept album, Chess). However, searching out his three albums from the 70's are well worth the crate-digging. The man was a hell of a singer/songwriter!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 45: And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going - The Cast of Dreamgirls (1982)

Upon seeing the Dreamgirls film and hearing the original score for the first time, I declared that no one could sing this song except Jennifer Hudson. Then a patient friend showed me the clip below from the Original Broadway Cast, and I discovered Jennifer Holliday. Now I know better. Holliday owns this song like Sinatra owns "My Way" and Marilyn Manson owns "The Dope Show"..... 'nuff said. Let's listen!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 44: Tam Lin

Tam Lin - Fairport Convention (1969)

Folk Rock has often used traditional source material to create an electric spin on an ancient song. The Byrds did it with "John Riley". Steeleye Span brought the 13th century murder ballad "Little Sir Hugh" into the modern age. In recent years, Ween updated "The Unquiet Grave" into "Cold Blows The Wind", a gothic masterpiece. However, none have capitalized on the word "rock" in the term better than Fairport Convention on this retelling of a 14th century epic poem from Scotland. Sandy Denny sings as if her life depended on it. Richard Thompson's power chords rip through the sword and sorcery motif while David Swarbrick's fiddle accents the fills of this seven minute power house. Colin Meloy of the Decemberists has said that the song was a huge influence on his own Hazards of Love album. Amazingly, all the moods encapsulated in that 39 minute rock opera pour through this one song. I was floored the first time I heard it, listening to Leige & Lief on a dark night while driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even without the location, I know you will be too (But take your laptop out into the woods at midnight for full effect!).



Also, hit up You Ain't No Picasso for a faithful live cover by the Decemberists, featuring Petra Haden on lead vocals!

Monday, June 21, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 43: If I Can Dream

If I Can Dream - Elvis Presley (1968)

I'll never argue that this is the greatest song Elvis Presley ever recorded. That list is too long and features too many cornerstones of modern music for this piece to be in the average critic's top twenty. But it is my favorite. And it never loses its power. And just look how in touch with the music he was for the '68 Comeback Special. This is a man that has shaken off the shackles of bad movies and come back hungry and determined to regain his crown. And he does, every time I hear this tale of peace, love and understanding.



And even though it's cheesy, there is something magical about this clip!

JDIZZY's 365 # 42 : Havana Moon

Havana Moon - Chuck Berry (1956)

Chuck Berry, the true father of Rock and Roll, only has one number one hit on the Billboard Charts....... and it's "My Ding-A-Ling"...........wow. I wish it had been this storytelling masterpiece of star-crossed love from 1956. Berry plays a simple guitar lick behind the tale, helping to illuminate his twist ending even better. I cannot rave enough about this song. It should have been a hit, and I hope it is placed in a commercial, a movie, anything so that a new generation can discover how Chuck Berry is so much more than Johnny B Goode.



In 1983, Carlos released a great re-working, but it still pales in comparison to the original.

JDIZZY's 365 # 41: Don't Stop Me Now

Don't Stop Me Now - Queen (1978)

I got into a discussion with a friend the other day about the best Queen song. His choice was "The Show Must Go On", the soaring power ballad from Freddie Mercury's final opus, Innuendo. While it is hard to deny that track's majesty, Queen has always found its footing of immortality in their campy anthems. From "Killer Queen" to "I'm Going Slightly Mad", their road is littered with smart and witty snippets of fun. The topper comes from their Jazz album, which is decidedly forgotten when ranking their best albums. Now, to be honest, I'm not sure if this would be my favorite without Shaun of the Dead. That film makes this song stand out to you. Before it, I had always looked over this number on my Queen's Greatest Hits cd. Now I own Jazz, as well as most of the other Queen discography. So let's end by saying that this is quite an introduction into the slightly less popular songs of this fabled band and earns its spot as my favorite. Anyway, you can't beat a song that mentions Lady Godiva while bringing back the piano driven rock of Jerry Lee Lewis!

Friday, June 18, 2010

JDIZZY's # 40: Hey Big Spender

Hey Big Spender - The Cast Of Sweet Charity (1966)

You know a Broadway song has crashed headlong into popular culture when one of the finest rock bands the world has ever known covers it with swagger and a winking eye. Not only did Freddie Mercury and Queen do it with aplomb at Wembley Stadium in '86, but back in the 70's, Muriel Cigars used it as their ad jingle, replacing "Spend a little time with me" with "Spend a little dime with me", indicating the cost of their cigars! This could only happen with a song as brassy and ballsy as "Big Spender". Never has a call girl's motives been so blunt and nonchalant at the same time as in Cy Coleman and Dorothy Field's score for Sweet Charity. And once you've seen the immortal Bob Fosse's choreography, you might find it hard to pick a more fitting representation of the 1960's on the musical stage. Well, except for Hair!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 38: Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush (1978)

Few debut singles have been this powerful. Even though it only made it to #108 in America, This song was a worldwide smash. It topped the charts in 7 countries and made Bush a star at the tender age of 19. Written the year before, this passionate plea from a dead lover revels in its literary allusion to Emily Bronte's classic, name-checking Heathcliff and Catherine, as well as certain dialogue of Cathy's from the novel. Kate is one of those artists that I always come back to. Her work, from "Man With The Child In His Eyes" through "This Woman's Work" is stunning. Her most recent release, the double album Aerial, is one of the finest examples in the 21st century of perfectly crafted art-pop. Without Kate, there is no Tori Amos, no Joanna Newsom, and no Decemberists, which I simply couldn't bare!

This song is so good, Kate made two videos for it and then re-recorded it in 1986!





Tuesday, June 15, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 37: 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)

4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) - Bruce Springsteen (1973)

My favorite Bruce Springsteen song has changed quite a few times in my life. When I was a child, it was "Darlington County", a rollicking good time of a number (even if it ends with an arrest!). Then, as I entered my teens, it became "The River", whose presence on Live 75-85 introduced me to the storytelling skills of the Boss with the spoken word intro before it. As I reached College, nothing could touch the Nebraska album, with my favorite being the story of pride in the lower middle class that is "Used Car".In the Aftermath of 9/11 few anthems offered solace like "The Rising". In-between then and now "Mary, Queen Of Arkansas", "Racing In The Streets" and "Jungleland" have all occupied my top spot. Here though, in the last few years, I have become entranced with The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle album. "Rosalita" was always a draw to this overlooked gem, but once you sit with it on the stereo for a few days, you realize that it might just be Bruce's best. One reason for this is resting gently after the easy funk of "The E Street Shuffle" and before the back-to-back classics that are "Kitty's Back" and "Wild Billy's Circus Story" (The latter of which could easily be my number one Springsteen gem tomorrow). "Sandy" captures that time in every one's life where the constraints of your hometown seems to be folding you in two. The Boardwalk will always be a place of Summer dreams, but every year the Summer melts into Fall, and the pier is colder and less inviting. To the sound of the best accordion solo ever recorded in rock and roll, Springsteen paves the way for the anthems that are "Born To Run" and "Thunder Road", but with a subtlety and softness lacking in those tracks. Since Danny Federici's death, it has also become a tribute to the first fallen comrade on E Street, and Bruce plays it now with a wisdom that adds to this monument, instead of taking away from it.
On second thought, this will probably be my favorite Springsteen song for a very long time.

Monday, June 14, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 36: 1985

1985 - Bowling For Soup (2004)

Sometimes in popular music, an original work is just creamed by a more inventive cover. Many people would say Dylan was a prime example of such a fact. To them, I give a loud Bronx Cheer. Then, after wiping my mouth dry, I proclaim, " Obviously you've never heard this!" :



SR-71's original can't compare with Bowling For Soup's version. I remember hearing it for the first time in '04, and being so surprised that pop punk was intelligent again. Too long had it been mired in Emo stylings with little attention paid to story or.... let's be honest, lyrics. Bowling For Soup would never pen their own classic to rival this song, but they continue to put out quality covers and never hesitate to play this song with the intensity of a group who actually wrote it............and they should have!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 35 : Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce (2008)

Sorry Taylor, Kanye was right. No matter how much it is overplayed, copied, or parodied, this is the greatest single of the '00s. Our Grandchildren will listen to it on oldies stations implanted in their brains while driving around in flying hybrids. All hail Sasha Fierce!



Oh my,Liza!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 34 : Extraordinary Machine

Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple (2005)

I've already waxed on how much I love the original version of Ms. Apple's third album much better than the re-recorded version. Fortunately when the official release came the title track, along with "Waltz", were left in their Jon Brion-produced glory. Sounding as if Fiona had taken a wormhole back to the 30's, we are given the best torch ballad of the Aughties. The vocal interplay with the jazz band gives this piece the feel of vintage Cole Porter, whisking the listener back to a time when music was clever through the sheer fact that these things had never been done before. I strongly urge any of you who have never heard the rest of the original tapes to do so immediately. I mean, what else are you going to do today, except maybe stream the Flaming Lips "Dark Side" performance at Bonnaroo!!!??!!



And I love how the bells are replaced by guitar twangs on this live version. This is a quality re-creation!

Friday, June 11, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 33: May You Never

May You Never - John Martyn (1973)

Sometimes songs just speak for themselves. So at this time I would like to turn it over to Mr. Martyn, Who's joyous acoustic guitar romp on love never ceases to put a smile on my face!



Slowhand must have felt the same way!



Finally, here's Martyn singing with my favorite female country vocalist of all time.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 32: You Know What I Mean

You Know What I Mean - Phil Collins (1981)

Face Value is one of the best albums ever made. There, I said it. The recent reappraisal of Collins' work in Genesis has not touched on his solo career. It is still mired in a sludge of critical hatred and AOR dismissals. The time is ripe for that to change. No Jacket Required won album of the year at the Grammys, for God's sake! The man has an Oscar! And Face Value, his first and best solo album, rewards with gem upon gem that has never been saturated by overplay or over-familiarity(Although I love you with all my heart, I'm looking at you "In The Air Tonight".....sorry!). "You Know What I Mean" is the shortest ballad Phil ever wrote. Its 2 minutes and 33 seconds floats along on a gentle piano part by Phil, with tasteful strings arranged by the late great Arif Mardin. And the lyrics! Whoever has felt the sting of recent separation can crawl into its gentle arms and know that someone else feels the same. Phil came back to this motif with the hit single Separate Lives, but he didn't write it, oddly enough. "You Know What I Mean" is Phil's heart laid bare. You won't find more honest work in the most heart-on-sleeve Emo kid's oeuvre. It's time to give Mr. Collins a second chance!



And Frida from Abba covers it!!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 31: The Gates of Delirium

The Gates of Delirium - Yes (1974)

The reason I love Yes lies in the last five minutes of this 22-minute monster. Having given us patriotism, battle and its effects in the previous 16, the world goes still. That is, except for a lonely slide guitar solo by Steve Howe. Then, as if a shade on the battlefield, Jon Anderson's plaintive plea for peace enters our ears. If we can remember that Progressive rock is a merger of styles, moods and time signatures, than Yes has already summed up the genre perfectly by this point in the song. With the "Soon" section, they give us one of the most haunting pieces in popular music. I have loved Yes's tales of Chess, Utopia and Topographic Oceans. I cherish this symphony of destruction and love. Inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace, it opens their Relayer album with a fever that never loses it's heat on subsequent listens. My dream band would open a show with this, and close with Supper's Ready. Hey, the blog doesn't have PROG in the title just because it's a fun word!



Tuesday, June 8, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 30: Going To California

Going To California - Led Zeppelin (1971)

Led Zeppelin hit upon something they had always feigned knowledge of before in 1971 : Folk Music. It had been there in Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You, and to an even stronger degree on Gallows Pole. However, with Led Zeppelin IV, they attacked it head-on with not just album tracks, but the biggest song of their career. Along with Stairway, there was the Tolkien-inspired, mandolin heavy Battle of Evermore, with guest vocals by the queen of British Folk, Sandy Denny. Then nestled right before When the Levee Breaks, was Zep's brilliant take on the Laurel Canyon folk idiom. Written as a tribute to Joni Mitchell, whom Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were both huge fans of, this song cascades down a gentle mountain stream, with soft understated instrumentation, and a gentle melody unheard of in their canon at this point. They would never hit on this simplistic beauty again, but it left a strong impression on many a music fan because it showed just how much depth these titans of rock possessed.



And listen to the king of the Ukulele just nail it!

Monday, June 7, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 29: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths (1986)

Morrissey is a depressed literati. Johnny Marr bows at the altar of the Byrds and the Paisley Underground's jangly pop. Put them together and you have the best band of the 1980's. While they broke up in 1987, their influence still looms large. It seems every successive teenage generation finds power in Moz's lyrics of love lost and, um...lost. Their finest effort is The Queen Is Dead and this single comes near the end of that platter. You know a love is strong that even dying beside the one you love sounds like a romantic peak. The synthesized strings bring the proceedings extra brevity, and the band sounds just as airy and tight as they ever did. But Morrissey's words are what take us to a higher place, and has enabled this song to become a stadium anthem on his recent solo tours. Death is not the end, indeed.



And this version, using clips from (500) Days of Summer, is just as good!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 28: Rhythm Nation

Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson (1989)

Some songs from your childhood stand out more than others. For example, I will never forget watching the Batdance video by Prince and thinking that music could never get any cooler( Maybe I was right?!?). In 1989 I was in fourth grade, and once a week we had music class. Once every month in said classroom, our teacher would hand out copies of a music education magazine called Music Alive. It was the highlight of middle school for me. Inside you found articles about pop stars, classical music and jazz. The best attribute though was that every issue had sheet music of a popular song of the day. The teacher was provided with an audio cassette that had cover versions of the hit recording. In this way the student could sight read the music, hear the tune and sing along. During those pre-music blog days, it was one of the best ways to hear these hits right as they were coming out, even though the covers were usually awful, akin to those on 80's budget albums. This was how I first heard "Rhythm Nation". Even with an in-studio singer, I could tell that Miss Janet was changing the game with this one. The production, by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis was unlike anything else on the radio in 1989, almost experimental in its melding of synthesized and sampled live instrumentation. Janet's words recalled John Lennon's message in Come Together , that all the world needed to be one was to dance like your life depended on it. The video made this song a classic, but listening to it today sans visual aid, it still holds up as a tour de force performance and one of the best singles the 80's ever produced.



Few people remember that the original video for the song was 30 minutes long. Amazingly, the internet does not disappoint!

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation [Complete Movie] - kewego
CaptainFunkOnTheRADIO!*

SATURDAY NIGHT. www.radiobeton.com

http://www.myspace.com/captainffonk
Keywords: soul funk

Saturday, June 5, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 27 : Something I Can Never Have

Something I Can Never Have - Nine Inch Nails (1989)

Trent Reznor feels pain louder than anyone else. Over the last 20 years, he has given the world some of the hardest, spite-filled and fragile music it has ever known. All three of these traits are on display in this achingly bitter ballad from his first LP, Pretty Hate Machine. It is "In The Air Tonight" for the industrial age. Beauty lurks in this cold steel, but the journey will take its toll on you. On a dark night, preferably with headphones, Trent will make you hurt.

JDIZZY's 365 # 26: Furr

Furr - Blitzen Trapper (2008)

Transmogrification goes indie! On this, the best song Neil Young never wrote, our narrator becomes a wolf, and is quite happy with his circumstances. That is, until a beautiful girl comes along and steals his heart and makes him embrace his humanity. Harvest-era instrumentation blend with fantastical lyrics, making this one of the best ballads to come out of the 21st century. The boys of Blitzen are releasing a new album this year. If it can keep up with this gem, I believe their audience will continue to grow.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 25: Jolene

Jolene - Dolly Parton (1974)

Long before the theme parks, plastic surgeries and Hannah Montana appearances, Dolly Parton was simply the best female songwriter of her generation. Her streak of country chart hits in the 1970's were not just impressive because of their number (8 number 1's by 1976), but also because of their quality. She could be funny, heartbreaking and reflective, writing from her heart without her wallet on her mind. Of course that would come in time as she crossed over to pop and became an icon. Still, here on her first Country #1, we get a young woman begging another to leave her man alone. It is not an angry confrontation. It is one facilitated out of a simple need: She loves her man too much to lose him. She talks to Jolene as a friend, hoping to be treated the same way. A "woman scorned" ballad has never been this tender or honest. No wonder NPR did a piece on the origin of the real Jolene.



And The White Stripes just KILL with their version!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 24: Mr. Blue Sky

Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra (1978)

Long before his days as a member of the Traveling Wilburys, Jeff Lynne made exquisite pop music with The Idle Race, The Move, and, in a cosmic fusion of rock and classical, ELO. While initially derided as lightweight prog, ELO has moved into the realm of Wings as two of the most perfect pop groups to ever come out of the 70's. Out Of The Blue was their 2LP Magnum Opus, and "Mr. Blue Sky" is the greatest single the band ever released. Riding a martial drum beat, anvil clangs, and those ELO strings, you can practically imagine what was going on in Panic At The Disco's head when they aped it almost verbatim for Nine In The Afternoon ("There's no way our emo kid fans have heard this fossil", they seem to say. But at least one had...ha ha!). It is the perfect end piece for the "Concerto For A Rainy Day", a side-long epic that, though having fallen out of vogue in 1978, was one of the best of its kind. It's so good in fact, that I believe I will go cue it up right now. Classical Pop Perfection!!!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

JDIZZY's 365 # 23: Trouble

Trouble - Cat Stevens (1970)

Cat Stevens was never supposed to be a Singer/Songwriter. Cat was a British pop star who, in the wake of the Beatles, rode the waves of masterfully orchestrated sketches about dogs, offices, and first cuts to the upper reaches of the British singles chart. Then, he contracted tuberculosis, took a much needed sabbatical, and announced his return with Mona Bone Jakon. No one could have guessed what would hit their ears when the needle touched vinyl. This was mature, personal songwriting that would spark an entire generation of singers to "keep it real", for lack of a better phrase. While littered with stellar tracks, this album also paved the way for Tea For The Tillerman and Teaser And The Firecat, which would both be released in quick succession. Ryan Adams fans take note: The fact that three albums worth of good material was released in just over a year is impressive, but Cat put out three stone classics, not only of his career, but of an entire genre.

And sitting there ever so quiet at the end of side 1 of MBJ is this sad but powerful song of lost love. What strikes me about it though is the narrator's acceptance of the end. He knows his lover's feelings have changed permanently so he resigns to make a quick end of it, stating "You have made me a wreck, now won't you leave me in my misery?". If all of us look back on a particular "bad ending" that a significant other has brought about, these words ring true not just as something similar we've experienced, but the exact thoughts we have had. Thus, Stevens taps into our collective psyches, and this song continues to hold its power after countless listens.

Harold and Maude, one of the best films ever made, has a soundtrack entirely made up of Cat Stevens songs.It uses all of "Trouble" during a very important part of the film. Here is that wonderful clip!



Sing it Eddie!!