Note: The 1960's concept album which most people like to think The Beatles started is not true. They started doing concept albums in response to "Pet Sounds" and then the Kinks started doing the same after the Beatles but probably took it too far in the early 70s. For my money "The Kinks are The Village Green Preservation Society" is the best concept album of the 1960's. Sorry Beatles. Other noted concept albums of the 1960's are "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" by The Byrds, (I've been listening to that for about a month straight now, I need help) and I'm going to go ahead and throw in "Odessey and Oracle" by The Zombies. Those last three albums were released in 1968, another big year for music.
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is probably the most recognizable Beatles song and probably it's most orchestral aside from "A Day In The Life."
"Magical Mystery Tour" drew upon the nostalgia of Liverpool, much like "Pet Sounds" drew upon the nostalgia of childhood, in a very William Blake like way. "Sgt. Pepper's" was supposed to kill The Beatles, hence the album cover. They wanted to be a new band and develop a new identity. We are going to listen to "Sgt. Pepper's" now. I will not write about it because I just feel like listening and more importantly I don't want to dictate how you should listen to this album because everyone hears it in a different way, so moment of silence...
George Martin says to this day he is haunted by the voice of John Lennon on "A Day In The Life." On the anthology dvds he is in the mixing room and he takes down all the music and just leaves John's voice on the track and it's pretty evident why. It sounds beautiful but it also sounds like you are listening to a ghost. However, despite the ghost-like sound I have listened to that song 33 times in a row on a flight from Orlando to NYC. It still does not beat my record of listening to "Do You Remember Walter?" by The Kinks 40+ times in a row on a trip from here to Tallahassee.
"Hey Jude" is the longest single to be played on the radio since "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan at over 7 minutes. Note: never sing "Hey Jude" at karaoke night at Common Grounds, the mc WILL make you sing all 4 minutes of na na nas.
"The White Album" was minimalistic from an artwork standpoint, but as an album it was chaotic, heavy, light-hearted, and spanned probably 50 years of musical territory. It wasn't a tribute to American roots music like "Exile On Main St." but I feel like it definitely covers a lot of influence and also breaks some musical rules at the same time. You weren't supposed to mix heavy psychedelic rock with tacky piano tunes and 1930s pop ballads, but they did. "The White Album" is hard for casual listeners to get into because it is so disjointed, and that can take away from the overall listening experience, but there certainly some gems on there. I suggest if you aren't capable of listening to an entire double album with so many different moods, to treat it as a singles collection.
John became obsessed with Yoko Ono shortly after that period. Some people credit this with the end of the Beatles. It's hard to tell. You can definitely tell in the song writing that they were all going different places, so maybe it was inevitable. You can definitely see a similarity in songs like "Something" and Here Comes the Sun" with George Harrison's solo efforts, so maybe he wanted to have more of a creative role in the band and felt like the only way to do it was to go solo. He always the most underrated Beatle. John's song writing near the end seemed a bit disinterested, and Paul being the world class musician he is, seemed like the only one who remained consistently focused on the total effort. These are just some of my speculations but the last two albums despite being made by a band knowing the end was near, were fantastic and mostly representative of a band who had been together for 8 years. It was new, fresh, and deeply emotional pop music. The messages of love were still lined in the music, they had just matured a bit.
So, it's been swell talking about The Beatles, mostly because I think it's one band we can ALL agree on. You may not like the blues, or the soul, or the weird pop or country, but you have to like The Beatles. You just have to. As always, I'd have you anytime.-DXL.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Beatles Running Blog....
I'll start with the Hamburg tour, or I guess it was really a stay. Early Beatles in Hamburg were playing 8-hour shows, living behind a porn theater and drinking heavily and doing uppers. During their stay they met artists that helped them find their style, which would later become a trademark, the mop-top hair and the nice clean-cut suits, and took them away from the james Dean-looking leather jackets and slicked back hair. That look was getting tired anyway, and I don't think the Beatles were ever going to fool anyone trying to look like rebels. Their rebelliousness would come in the late 60's with their music.
The covers..."I Got A Woman" by Ray Charles, "Too Much Monkey Business" by Chuck Berry, "Long Tally Sally" by Little Richard, as you'll notice most of these covers are by American artists and they pull from the same pool of artists that we always talk about as the major influences of rock. I think all those recordings we just listened to were pulled from the Live BBC Sessions, not the Hamburg performances. The Live BBC Sessions is a great album to get if you like early Beatles and are interested in hearing most of their covers. There are some originals but for the most part, they really get heavy into the influences and the sound quality is pretty good. I recommend it to you Beatles geeks out there.
Brian Epstein was the Beatles new manager and he got them a record deal and also fired drummer Pete Best. Shortly after they hired Ringo Starr and the Beatles would be "The Beatles" for the rest of time. At this time they also met George Martin, who would be their longtime producer and collaborator, and at times a father figure to the band. They respected George and knew how much he meant to their careers. They even took the time to not do drugs in the studio when George was around, like so many other artists did. Instead, they went on the roof to smoke. That may not seem like a big deal but if you read about other artists they typically treated their producers like shit and acted like junkie-prima donnas.
The Beatles were accused of writing too many silly love songs early in their career, but let's always keep in mind that singles were written in that style at the time. The precedent for lofty topics and heavy writing had not been set in pop music at the time, that was still left for the folk arena. The breakthrough of "Pet Sounds" and Dylan going electric probably opened the door and allowed the Beatles to explore that space, and only once that door was open did they record their most memorable and artistically ambitious music.
"Please Please Me" was the Beatles first hit record, according to Dr. McKeen it's about oral sex, I've never heard that story but you can be the judge. Listening to it now the lyrics seem to speak for themselves.
The Early hits-"She Loves You"- Ringo's furious hi-hat drumming would be a staple of the early Beatles records and though most people don't give Ringo much credit as a drummer, I think that is one of his most recognizable traits. "I Want To Hold Your Hand."-is memorable for the almost out of key harmonies at the end of each verse. "All My Loving"-was the first song they ever played on American soil. I have a framed picture of that exact performance on my wall.
After they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show they did a small tour in different cities in the US like Miami and Washington D.C. and then they went back to London and recorded "A Hard Day's Night" and "Beatles For Sale."
1965-"the highwater mark" in rock n' roll, the British Invasion had started in 1964, James Brown one of my top-five favorite artists of all time broke through to the pop charts. Some of the artists on the charts were, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Same Cooke, James Brown, The Temps, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Stevie Wonder. The Beach Boys, so you can imagine what kind of year it was for music. These are the giants, doing their thing.
I like it when Dr. McKeen does his Bob Dylan voice, although he doesn't draw out the syllables long enough. So pretty much Bobby D calls them out for not taking their music serious enough. So Bob instills this sense of opportunity in these fun-loving guys, and then the world changed, Rubber Soul came out.
Norwegian Wood featured the sitar for the first time in the Beatles career, and gave the record an interesting and exotic sound especially for pop music. This song helped to cement the idea that the Beatles could be experimental as well as practical. "You Won't See Me" is an example on how they expanded their pop sensibilities, using familiar harmonies and sung melody lines but adding 3 seperate structures to the song. "Nowhere Man" features their best harmonies ever and when you listen to it it just seems effortless. Those harmonies are pretty mind-blowing. The entire album can be set apart from their earlier material because every song was distinct lyrically and musically. Although "Girl" and "My Michelle" have similar sounds. "I'm Looking Through You" was one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar, and that organ part is very "Booker T. & The MG's-esque."
Anyone ever heard the Ozzy Osbourne cover of "In My Life"? It's pretty miserable. In part I think no one should cover Beatles songs. I've covered a few in the past and I vowed never to do it again. Elliott Smith might be able to get away with it, or maybe Jeff Buckely. But there are certain artists you just don't touch, and mine are primarily the Bealtes and Otis Redding.
"I'm Only Sleeping" is the best song from the 1965-1966 Beatles era. Period. Stop your inner dialogue. It just is.
Hey! While I am thinking about it, if you are a huge Beatles geek like me, you should go to amazon.com and check out Beatles lullabies. They have CDs you can buy for your babies and they are lullaby instrumentals of classic albums and songs. Even if you aren't a baby or don't have a baby they still sound cool. The album is "Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles." Also, don't ask me how I found this.
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is probably the Beatles' only one-chord song. From what I recall John Lennon said he just plays a C chord throughout the entire song.
Break...time for a cigarette.
The covers..."I Got A Woman" by Ray Charles, "Too Much Monkey Business" by Chuck Berry, "Long Tally Sally" by Little Richard, as you'll notice most of these covers are by American artists and they pull from the same pool of artists that we always talk about as the major influences of rock. I think all those recordings we just listened to were pulled from the Live BBC Sessions, not the Hamburg performances. The Live BBC Sessions is a great album to get if you like early Beatles and are interested in hearing most of their covers. There are some originals but for the most part, they really get heavy into the influences and the sound quality is pretty good. I recommend it to you Beatles geeks out there.
Brian Epstein was the Beatles new manager and he got them a record deal and also fired drummer Pete Best. Shortly after they hired Ringo Starr and the Beatles would be "The Beatles" for the rest of time. At this time they also met George Martin, who would be their longtime producer and collaborator, and at times a father figure to the band. They respected George and knew how much he meant to their careers. They even took the time to not do drugs in the studio when George was around, like so many other artists did. Instead, they went on the roof to smoke. That may not seem like a big deal but if you read about other artists they typically treated their producers like shit and acted like junkie-prima donnas.
The Beatles were accused of writing too many silly love songs early in their career, but let's always keep in mind that singles were written in that style at the time. The precedent for lofty topics and heavy writing had not been set in pop music at the time, that was still left for the folk arena. The breakthrough of "Pet Sounds" and Dylan going electric probably opened the door and allowed the Beatles to explore that space, and only once that door was open did they record their most memorable and artistically ambitious music.
"Please Please Me" was the Beatles first hit record, according to Dr. McKeen it's about oral sex, I've never heard that story but you can be the judge. Listening to it now the lyrics seem to speak for themselves.
The Early hits-"She Loves You"- Ringo's furious hi-hat drumming would be a staple of the early Beatles records and though most people don't give Ringo much credit as a drummer, I think that is one of his most recognizable traits. "I Want To Hold Your Hand."-is memorable for the almost out of key harmonies at the end of each verse. "All My Loving"-was the first song they ever played on American soil. I have a framed picture of that exact performance on my wall.
After they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show they did a small tour in different cities in the US like Miami and Washington D.C. and then they went back to London and recorded "A Hard Day's Night" and "Beatles For Sale."
1965-"the highwater mark" in rock n' roll, the British Invasion had started in 1964, James Brown one of my top-five favorite artists of all time broke through to the pop charts. Some of the artists on the charts were, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Same Cooke, James Brown, The Temps, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Stevie Wonder. The Beach Boys, so you can imagine what kind of year it was for music. These are the giants, doing their thing.
I like it when Dr. McKeen does his Bob Dylan voice, although he doesn't draw out the syllables long enough. So pretty much Bobby D calls them out for not taking their music serious enough. So Bob instills this sense of opportunity in these fun-loving guys, and then the world changed, Rubber Soul came out.
Norwegian Wood featured the sitar for the first time in the Beatles career, and gave the record an interesting and exotic sound especially for pop music. This song helped to cement the idea that the Beatles could be experimental as well as practical. "You Won't See Me" is an example on how they expanded their pop sensibilities, using familiar harmonies and sung melody lines but adding 3 seperate structures to the song. "Nowhere Man" features their best harmonies ever and when you listen to it it just seems effortless. Those harmonies are pretty mind-blowing. The entire album can be set apart from their earlier material because every song was distinct lyrically and musically. Although "Girl" and "My Michelle" have similar sounds. "I'm Looking Through You" was one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar, and that organ part is very "Booker T. & The MG's-esque."
Anyone ever heard the Ozzy Osbourne cover of "In My Life"? It's pretty miserable. In part I think no one should cover Beatles songs. I've covered a few in the past and I vowed never to do it again. Elliott Smith might be able to get away with it, or maybe Jeff Buckely. But there are certain artists you just don't touch, and mine are primarily the Bealtes and Otis Redding.
"I'm Only Sleeping" is the best song from the 1965-1966 Beatles era. Period. Stop your inner dialogue. It just is.
Hey! While I am thinking about it, if you are a huge Beatles geek like me, you should go to amazon.com and check out Beatles lullabies. They have CDs you can buy for your babies and they are lullaby instrumentals of classic albums and songs. Even if you aren't a baby or don't have a baby they still sound cool. The album is "Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles." Also, don't ask me how I found this.
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is probably the Beatles' only one-chord song. From what I recall John Lennon said he just plays a C chord throughout the entire song.
Break...time for a cigarette.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Back to Mono
Phil Spector is one of the most unique figures in rock n' roll history and in popular culture as well. More than anything Phil Spector changed the way the producer was viewed in pop music. He stole the show, almost literally because of his domineering and larger than life presence in the studio. Artists, to Phil, were as replaceable as instruments and they could be manipulated equally as such. Though Phil's trademark Wall of Sound was revolutionary, it also came with a price. Phil was difficult to work with and as a result became a polarizing figure in the music industry. Some musicians, like Brian Wilson, loved and adored Spector, others, like Johnny Ramone, clashed with him. Phil was a total weirdo, and we might be able to go as far to say that he was a douchebag. But despite what you may think about Phil, we have to agree that he was a genius and changed the way we listened to music.
He is famous for using the best session musicians in the industry, "The Wrecking Crew" who I talked about in the Sounds of the City post, but I'll talk more about them now. The Crew included rock hall of fame drummer Hal Blaine, hall of famer Carol Kaye on bass, Glen Campbell on guitar who was a famous country singer and a one time Beach Boy, sometimes I cover his song "Gentle on My Mind." Leon Russell played piano. Leon worked with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and other lesser known artists like the International Submarine Band (one of Gram Parsons' first bands) and The Flying Burrito Brothers, the best, but least ambitious country-rock band ever. Others in the wrecking crew were bass player Larry Knechtel and guitarist Billy Strange. What made Spectors sound so unique? It was the force, it was the aural assault that he created by taking all of these players and not only maximizing their utility, but multiplying them and creating thunderous drums, humming guitars, and taking an orchestral like approach to rock n' roll. If you want a good example other than Spector of what this might sound like, listen to "Wouldn' It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. I would say it's a fantastic example of the Spector sound, even though it's Brian Wilson.
Spector used this sound most proficiently with girl groups. In fact, Spector is famous for coining the "girl group sound" with the quintet The Crystals and the Trio The Ronettes. If you listen to "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals you'll notice that the sound is much more full than let's say Motown acts like The Shirelles or The Vandellas. The vocals are a bit more piercing too. But Spector liked that. He always seemed to choose girl groups that could at times sound dissonant or nasal, but they were always powerful and operatic. The Ronettes exemplified this perfectly. Spector was obsessed with Veronica Bennett, the lead singer and later married her. Other than the fact that she sounds fantastic on "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You" you'll also notice that her voice and line from "Be My Baby" is the refrain from my favorite drunk song of a all time, Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight." "Just like Ronnie sang, just like Ronnie sang....BE MY LITTLE BABY!" It's unclear whether he truly loved her as a person or wanted to control her musically and emotionally, I wouldn't doubt either. The Crystals and The Ronettes earned Spector wide acclaim and praise and this only boosted his already king-sized ego. Spector was probably the first producer to receive credits on the front of an LP. Spector was the show, his acts were only the conduits for his vision of what rock n' roll should sound like. It should be insanely melodic, deceptively powerful, loud, and should straddle the line between high art and popular art. If you'll remember, we discussed that rock n' roll was the art of the masses. Any motherfucker with a guitar and some friends could make rock n' roll. Spector wanted to destroy that image. To him rock was high art. His records pretty much said, ONLY "I" CAN MAKE THIS, YOU MIGHT AS WELL QUIT NOW.
The particulars of Phil: He worked with the Righteous Brothers and produced their smash hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Worked with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue after he became obsessed yet again with a female voice, that of Tina Turner. First it was Darlene Love, then Ronnie, then Tina. He produced "Let It Be" for the Beatles and would later work on the solo projects of John Lennon and George Harrison. The best examples of the Spector sound from these artists I think are "Oh, Yoko" or "Instant Karma" by John Lennon or "My Sweet Lord." In "My Sweet Lord" listen especially to the part, I think around the 1:30 mark where the chorus and piano come in. It's vintage Spector. Also worked with the Ramones in the late 70's.
My recommended listenings are..."All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison, "Imagine" and "Plastic Ono Band" by John Lennon, "The Best of the Crystals" by The Crystals (their albums aren't worth much, you're better off with the singles). It's kind of funny but this is a pretty good juxtaposition of early and late Spector and pre and post British Invasion rock n' roll.
As a side note...I have thought about getting Back To Mono tattooed on my inner right bicep. Any thoughts? I don't have any money right now but if anyone would like to donate or contribute an idea that would be great. It's been swell, and I'd have you anytime...DXL
He is famous for using the best session musicians in the industry, "The Wrecking Crew" who I talked about in the Sounds of the City post, but I'll talk more about them now. The Crew included rock hall of fame drummer Hal Blaine, hall of famer Carol Kaye on bass, Glen Campbell on guitar who was a famous country singer and a one time Beach Boy, sometimes I cover his song "Gentle on My Mind." Leon Russell played piano. Leon worked with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and other lesser known artists like the International Submarine Band (one of Gram Parsons' first bands) and The Flying Burrito Brothers, the best, but least ambitious country-rock band ever. Others in the wrecking crew were bass player Larry Knechtel and guitarist Billy Strange. What made Spectors sound so unique? It was the force, it was the aural assault that he created by taking all of these players and not only maximizing their utility, but multiplying them and creating thunderous drums, humming guitars, and taking an orchestral like approach to rock n' roll. If you want a good example other than Spector of what this might sound like, listen to "Wouldn' It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. I would say it's a fantastic example of the Spector sound, even though it's Brian Wilson.
Spector used this sound most proficiently with girl groups. In fact, Spector is famous for coining the "girl group sound" with the quintet The Crystals and the Trio The Ronettes. If you listen to "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals you'll notice that the sound is much more full than let's say Motown acts like The Shirelles or The Vandellas. The vocals are a bit more piercing too. But Spector liked that. He always seemed to choose girl groups that could at times sound dissonant or nasal, but they were always powerful and operatic. The Ronettes exemplified this perfectly. Spector was obsessed with Veronica Bennett, the lead singer and later married her. Other than the fact that she sounds fantastic on "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You" you'll also notice that her voice and line from "Be My Baby" is the refrain from my favorite drunk song of a all time, Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight." "Just like Ronnie sang, just like Ronnie sang....BE MY LITTLE BABY!" It's unclear whether he truly loved her as a person or wanted to control her musically and emotionally, I wouldn't doubt either. The Crystals and The Ronettes earned Spector wide acclaim and praise and this only boosted his already king-sized ego. Spector was probably the first producer to receive credits on the front of an LP. Spector was the show, his acts were only the conduits for his vision of what rock n' roll should sound like. It should be insanely melodic, deceptively powerful, loud, and should straddle the line between high art and popular art. If you'll remember, we discussed that rock n' roll was the art of the masses. Any motherfucker with a guitar and some friends could make rock n' roll. Spector wanted to destroy that image. To him rock was high art. His records pretty much said, ONLY "I" CAN MAKE THIS, YOU MIGHT AS WELL QUIT NOW.
The particulars of Phil: He worked with the Righteous Brothers and produced their smash hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Worked with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue after he became obsessed yet again with a female voice, that of Tina Turner. First it was Darlene Love, then Ronnie, then Tina. He produced "Let It Be" for the Beatles and would later work on the solo projects of John Lennon and George Harrison. The best examples of the Spector sound from these artists I think are "Oh, Yoko" or "Instant Karma" by John Lennon or "My Sweet Lord." In "My Sweet Lord" listen especially to the part, I think around the 1:30 mark where the chorus and piano come in. It's vintage Spector. Also worked with the Ramones in the late 70's.
My recommended listenings are..."All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison, "Imagine" and "Plastic Ono Band" by John Lennon, "The Best of the Crystals" by The Crystals (their albums aren't worth much, you're better off with the singles). It's kind of funny but this is a pretty good juxtaposition of early and late Spector and pre and post British Invasion rock n' roll.
As a side note...I have thought about getting Back To Mono tattooed on my inner right bicep. Any thoughts? I don't have any money right now but if anyone would like to donate or contribute an idea that would be great. It's been swell, and I'd have you anytime...DXL
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Brief Announcement
Hello students, I am sorry to inform you that I will be late in posting the rest of the notes for this week. They probably won't be up until the weekend. Unfortunately I have some family issues that I have to deal with so please bear with me. Just wanted to post this up here to prevent lots of e-mails from coming in asking when they will be posted. I assure you they will be up though! Alright everyone have a fantastic week and please keep reading and listening to rock n' roll.--DXL
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Talkin' Bob Dylan
"Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman...I wrote a song for you...About a strange young man called Dylan...With a voice like sand and glue...His words of truthful vengeance...They could pin us to the floor...Brought a few more people on....And put the fear in a whole lot more."-David Bowie, "Song for Bob Dylan" from the album "Hunky Dory"
So, before I get into the particulars of Bobby D, I want to talk about how I fell in love with Bob because I feel like it may be similar for some of you. In high school I had a friend named Alby who I used to hang out with and play guitar and he would always be playing Bob Dylan records at his house. I used to always make fun of him because nobody in high school is listening to that type of shit. I thought his voice sounded awful, his guitar playing was frantic and wild and that fucking harmonica might as well have been an air horn it was so unpleasant. I thought that Bob Dylan would never interest me because I was too busy dying my hair jet black and listening to Smiths and Cure albums and being pseudo depressed. Note: I have nothing against The Smiths or The Cure, I love them but this was just one of those times. It wasn't until I began my first semester at NYU that I really began to "get" Dylan. My next door neighbor in my dorm freshman year had a poster of "The Times They Are A-Changin" LP cover on his wall and I would always hear him playing Dylan songs on guitar. I went over there to play with him and he was always trying to get me to play Dylan songs, but like a 5th grade boy picking on a girl I continued to make fun of Bob until Tom burned me a copy of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." I took it home and put it on my ipod and began listening to it from front to back. First listen...still nothing. Second listen...I became infatuated with "Don't Think Twice It's All-Right." Third listen..."Girl From the North Country" creeps in. Two weeks later I find myself only listening to that album and wondering, "What the fuck was I missing all this time?" "Why did I make fun of Bob? I feel blasphemous."
I went to Bleecker Bob's Records and bought all the Bob Dylan albums I could find. I couldn't wait to hear what Bob had to say next. I currently have over 200 Dylan songs on my Itunes. I began going to the village to listen to the folkie-types play songs and shout to the crowds like Bob would have done in his hay-day in New York with the Dave Van Ronks of the world. I started playing that way too. I played fast, rigid folk songs with whailing choruses and spit-fire verses. I started writing to tell. I bought a harmonica and taught myself how to play.
For a good 3 months, no other music mattered. Why should it have? No one I was listening to at that point had written like Bob. No one had a sense of melody like Bob. No one had a voice like Bob. And no one at that point in my life, except for maybe James Brown, was as cool as Bob. Bob is an acquired taste. He may seem pretentious, I always thought he was and maybe he still is. He may seem tone deaf. He may seem just a bit too old for your taste. But I encourage you to listen to what he has to say, because there is a lot there to soak in, whether it be his protest songs, his rock n' roll songs, his long ballads, or his country ditties. It's all worth at least one listen, and maybe after this class Bob will gain more disciples. He is difficult to understand because he has always leaned towards the side of mystery. But that is the best part. You can listen to Dylan for years, even obsessively as I have and do, and never really quite figure out his purpose. Really, I think Bob just wants to be Bob. He never wanted to be the poster child for change, or for rock n' roll, or for artistry. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do, and everyone else should just listen, not question. So I ask you to listen, because you'll find very few answers from me or his music.
Ok well I have class and the Dylan post will be long so I must finish this later tonight...Phil Spector post to come tomorrow. Until then listen to anything by Bob Dylan. But if you are going to get picky, "Freewheelin'" is a good intro to folk-Dylan, "Bringing It All Back Home" is a good intro to rock n' roll Dylan. It is also my favorite album of all time.
So, before I get into the particulars of Bobby D, I want to talk about how I fell in love with Bob because I feel like it may be similar for some of you. In high school I had a friend named Alby who I used to hang out with and play guitar and he would always be playing Bob Dylan records at his house. I used to always make fun of him because nobody in high school is listening to that type of shit. I thought his voice sounded awful, his guitar playing was frantic and wild and that fucking harmonica might as well have been an air horn it was so unpleasant. I thought that Bob Dylan would never interest me because I was too busy dying my hair jet black and listening to Smiths and Cure albums and being pseudo depressed. Note: I have nothing against The Smiths or The Cure, I love them but this was just one of those times. It wasn't until I began my first semester at NYU that I really began to "get" Dylan. My next door neighbor in my dorm freshman year had a poster of "The Times They Are A-Changin" LP cover on his wall and I would always hear him playing Dylan songs on guitar. I went over there to play with him and he was always trying to get me to play Dylan songs, but like a 5th grade boy picking on a girl I continued to make fun of Bob until Tom burned me a copy of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." I took it home and put it on my ipod and began listening to it from front to back. First listen...still nothing. Second listen...I became infatuated with "Don't Think Twice It's All-Right." Third listen..."Girl From the North Country" creeps in. Two weeks later I find myself only listening to that album and wondering, "What the fuck was I missing all this time?" "Why did I make fun of Bob? I feel blasphemous."
I went to Bleecker Bob's Records and bought all the Bob Dylan albums I could find. I couldn't wait to hear what Bob had to say next. I currently have over 200 Dylan songs on my Itunes. I began going to the village to listen to the folkie-types play songs and shout to the crowds like Bob would have done in his hay-day in New York with the Dave Van Ronks of the world. I started playing that way too. I played fast, rigid folk songs with whailing choruses and spit-fire verses. I started writing to tell. I bought a harmonica and taught myself how to play.
For a good 3 months, no other music mattered. Why should it have? No one I was listening to at that point had written like Bob. No one had a sense of melody like Bob. No one had a voice like Bob. And no one at that point in my life, except for maybe James Brown, was as cool as Bob. Bob is an acquired taste. He may seem pretentious, I always thought he was and maybe he still is. He may seem tone deaf. He may seem just a bit too old for your taste. But I encourage you to listen to what he has to say, because there is a lot there to soak in, whether it be his protest songs, his rock n' roll songs, his long ballads, or his country ditties. It's all worth at least one listen, and maybe after this class Bob will gain more disciples. He is difficult to understand because he has always leaned towards the side of mystery. But that is the best part. You can listen to Dylan for years, even obsessively as I have and do, and never really quite figure out his purpose. Really, I think Bob just wants to be Bob. He never wanted to be the poster child for change, or for rock n' roll, or for artistry. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do, and everyone else should just listen, not question. So I ask you to listen, because you'll find very few answers from me or his music.
Ok well I have class and the Dylan post will be long so I must finish this later tonight...Phil Spector post to come tomorrow. Until then listen to anything by Bob Dylan. But if you are going to get picky, "Freewheelin'" is a good intro to folk-Dylan, "Bringing It All Back Home" is a good intro to rock n' roll Dylan. It is also my favorite album of all time.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Ritchie Valens and J.P Richardson ID
For purposes of the test I will give you guys a quick ID of these two artists who were in the plane crash with Buddy Holly. I wasn't going to do it because I didn't feel it was necessary but I have gotten a couple of e-mails about them.
Ritchie Valens -HIs real name was Richard Valenzuela and he was born in California in 1941 and died near Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959. He recorded for the small Del-Fi label which was known primarily for surf rock. He was know for his hits "Donna" "Come On Let's Go" and "La Bamba." La Bamba was probably the first big foreign language hit in the US. It was recorded in Spanish even though Valens did not speak Spanish. His life is documented in the movie La Bamba starring Lou Diamond Phillips. No joke La Bamba was my favorite movie when I was 12, I must have seen it like 45 times that year. It's a winner. Valens was an up and coming star and had a soft, gentle voice that was unique in rock at the time.
J.P. Richardson aka The Big Bopper-Although he was an older star than the other two, 27, he was still immensely successful with the hit "Chantilly Lace." He had a fun voice and demeanor and this probably came from his time as a rock n' roll radio host. That is where he got his nickname from, it was his DJ name.
Good Luck on the test!
Ritchie Valens -HIs real name was Richard Valenzuela and he was born in California in 1941 and died near Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959. He recorded for the small Del-Fi label which was known primarily for surf rock. He was know for his hits "Donna" "Come On Let's Go" and "La Bamba." La Bamba was probably the first big foreign language hit in the US. It was recorded in Spanish even though Valens did not speak Spanish. His life is documented in the movie La Bamba starring Lou Diamond Phillips. No joke La Bamba was my favorite movie when I was 12, I must have seen it like 45 times that year. It's a winner. Valens was an up and coming star and had a soft, gentle voice that was unique in rock at the time.
J.P. Richardson aka The Big Bopper-Although he was an older star than the other two, 27, he was still immensely successful with the hit "Chantilly Lace." He had a fun voice and demeanor and this probably came from his time as a rock n' roll radio host. That is where he got his nickname from, it was his DJ name.
Good Luck on the test!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Exam Tips and The Day The Music Died
Hey guys, so I have been getting a lot of e-mails from you about what might be on the test or how to study for the test, etc. I am not going to give a study guide because I think that would just hand you guys an A, but I will give you some pointers on what to look over and what Dr. McKeen and I are going to be looking for on this test. Before I get into that I want to thank everyone who participated in the blog survey, your feedback was really helpful and for the remainder of the semester I am going to try and accommodate your suggestions.
Ok, so the test as we discussed in class will be 2/3 lecture questions and 1/3 reading questions. Dr. McKeen's email today gave the readings to study so I suggest you all read the articles twice. Most of his questions on the readings will be specific and just skimming them will do you no good. Answering the reading questions correctly will give you a good chance at a solid grade.
As for the lecture questions, if you have been to class and have been reading this blog then you should be fine, but if I were taking the test I would study the major figures from each lecture. Don't spend so much time on the artists on the periphery because it is unlikely we will test you on them. It is important to know what each figure contributed to music, and if necessary society. Also, know where they recorded and for what label. McKeen is big on associating artists with labels, producers, cities, and so forth. Linking all these things together will give you a good understanding of the artist and his/her environment. Know Sam Phillips! Know Sun Records!
You should also study factors that make rock n' roll. What constitutes rock? What factors have caused rock to evolve? How did rock differ from era to era?
When studying specific songs, look for the ones that either had great commercial impact or great societal impact.
That is really all I can tell you and I have probably already said too much. If you guys have any other questions contact me via e-mail, or and I shouldn't do this but I may get some panicky students, by phone at 407-222-2379. Try to make it before midnight if you call.
So, on Monday we talked about a very monumental moment in rock n' roll history, the day the music died. On Feb. 3rd 1959 after leaving their Winter Dance Party tour site in Iowa, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson aka "The Big Bopper" all died when their plane crashed. All you guys know what happened as we talked about in class, so instead we are going to talk about the importance of the artists on future generations, especially Buddy Holly.
YES, HE IS THE SUBJECT OF THE FAMED WEEZER SONG!
Buddy Holly's real name is Charles Hardin Holley, and like Chuck Berry he is probably one of the first real creative forces in rock n' roll music. He was a pretty complete musician learning guitar, banjo and mandolin proficiently by the age of 15. Paul McCartney and John Lennon said they were persuaded to begin writing and playing their own music when they found out that Buddy Holly was writing his own songs. It may sound a bit trite today, but in the 50's this was a big deal. As you'll remember many artists at the time were interpretive and had people at their respective labels writing songs for them. Even giants like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters reaped the success of songwriters like Willie Dixon. What set Holly apart from a songwriter like Chuck Berry is that he centered most of his songwriting around love. He was deeply emotional and sentimental without sacrificing sincerity. He also took the B.B. King blues approach of making the woman the object of the song, rather than himself, or he would personify like in "Heartbeat." He neglected the narrative style of Berry, but he was much more dynamic as a singer and as a songwriter. Buddy Holly records all sound different, he wasn't afraid to mix rock n' roll with 50's pop, so in that way, he wasn't as pure a rock n' roll figure as some might suggest. Songs like "Everyday" and "True Love Ways" are evidence of this mixing.
I have personally ripped a couple of Buddy Holly lines for some of my songs. In my song "Something to Say" I use a phrase from Buddy's "Words of Love"..."Give me something to say/To tell you that hearts can change/My words of love are all gone/So I'll pack my bags and move along/If you'll give me something to say." I also used his concept from "Midnight Shift" to highlight a cheating lover in my song "Songbook."
Buddy also formed the model rock n' roll band The Crickets. They were a four piece, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums set up. Many other bands would copy this model because it gets maximum productivity on stage with minimal members. Although it does require that one guitar player become proficient at singing and playing at the same time. Guitars can be layered and harmonized without sacrificing vocals.
If you want to see The Crickets in action check out these videos....http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0qw3nHwdU and http://youtube.com/watch?v=4PYXZEkAC4E&feature=related
Holly is remembered as one a true, unique figure in music. His look is unmistakable, his hiccupy, short-breathed singing style has been copied, his songwriting was simple, poetic, sincere, and also fun, and of course he had great success and influence in about 18 months or so. For a short, detailed biography of Holly I am going to give you guys a helpful website that I use to learn more about artists, it's called allmusic.com. Here is a link to Holly's site...http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifpxqe5ldae. I find this site much more reliable and comprehensive than wikipedia. As for listening recommendations for Holly I suggest "The Definitive Collection" or you can buy "The Chirping Crickets" or "Buddy Holly." Those albums serve well but like Chuck Berry, he anthologizes nicely.
Unfortunately I have to go to work, so I will post the rest of this later. In the meantime, listen to "Oh Boy", "Rave On" and "Midnight Shift."
Ok, so the test as we discussed in class will be 2/3 lecture questions and 1/3 reading questions. Dr. McKeen's email today gave the readings to study so I suggest you all read the articles twice. Most of his questions on the readings will be specific and just skimming them will do you no good. Answering the reading questions correctly will give you a good chance at a solid grade.
As for the lecture questions, if you have been to class and have been reading this blog then you should be fine, but if I were taking the test I would study the major figures from each lecture. Don't spend so much time on the artists on the periphery because it is unlikely we will test you on them. It is important to know what each figure contributed to music, and if necessary society. Also, know where they recorded and for what label. McKeen is big on associating artists with labels, producers, cities, and so forth. Linking all these things together will give you a good understanding of the artist and his/her environment. Know Sam Phillips! Know Sun Records!
You should also study factors that make rock n' roll. What constitutes rock? What factors have caused rock to evolve? How did rock differ from era to era?
When studying specific songs, look for the ones that either had great commercial impact or great societal impact.
That is really all I can tell you and I have probably already said too much. If you guys have any other questions contact me via e-mail, or and I shouldn't do this but I may get some panicky students, by phone at 407-222-2379. Try to make it before midnight if you call.
So, on Monday we talked about a very monumental moment in rock n' roll history, the day the music died. On Feb. 3rd 1959 after leaving their Winter Dance Party tour site in Iowa, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson aka "The Big Bopper" all died when their plane crashed. All you guys know what happened as we talked about in class, so instead we are going to talk about the importance of the artists on future generations, especially Buddy Holly.
YES, HE IS THE SUBJECT OF THE FAMED WEEZER SONG!
Buddy Holly's real name is Charles Hardin Holley, and like Chuck Berry he is probably one of the first real creative forces in rock n' roll music. He was a pretty complete musician learning guitar, banjo and mandolin proficiently by the age of 15. Paul McCartney and John Lennon said they were persuaded to begin writing and playing their own music when they found out that Buddy Holly was writing his own songs. It may sound a bit trite today, but in the 50's this was a big deal. As you'll remember many artists at the time were interpretive and had people at their respective labels writing songs for them. Even giants like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters reaped the success of songwriters like Willie Dixon. What set Holly apart from a songwriter like Chuck Berry is that he centered most of his songwriting around love. He was deeply emotional and sentimental without sacrificing sincerity. He also took the B.B. King blues approach of making the woman the object of the song, rather than himself, or he would personify like in "Heartbeat." He neglected the narrative style of Berry, but he was much more dynamic as a singer and as a songwriter. Buddy Holly records all sound different, he wasn't afraid to mix rock n' roll with 50's pop, so in that way, he wasn't as pure a rock n' roll figure as some might suggest. Songs like "Everyday" and "True Love Ways" are evidence of this mixing.
I have personally ripped a couple of Buddy Holly lines for some of my songs. In my song "Something to Say" I use a phrase from Buddy's "Words of Love"..."Give me something to say/To tell you that hearts can change/My words of love are all gone/So I'll pack my bags and move along/If you'll give me something to say." I also used his concept from "Midnight Shift" to highlight a cheating lover in my song "Songbook."
Buddy also formed the model rock n' roll band The Crickets. They were a four piece, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums set up. Many other bands would copy this model because it gets maximum productivity on stage with minimal members. Although it does require that one guitar player become proficient at singing and playing at the same time. Guitars can be layered and harmonized without sacrificing vocals.
If you want to see The Crickets in action check out these videos....http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ko0qw3nHwdU and http://youtube.com/watch?v=4PYXZEkAC4E&feature=related
Holly is remembered as one a true, unique figure in music. His look is unmistakable, his hiccupy, short-breathed singing style has been copied, his songwriting was simple, poetic, sincere, and also fun, and of course he had great success and influence in about 18 months or so. For a short, detailed biography of Holly I am going to give you guys a helpful website that I use to learn more about artists, it's called allmusic.com. Here is a link to Holly's site...http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifpxqe5ldae. I find this site much more reliable and comprehensive than wikipedia. As for listening recommendations for Holly I suggest "The Definitive Collection" or you can buy "The Chirping Crickets" or "Buddy Holly." Those albums serve well but like Chuck Berry, he anthologizes nicely.
Unfortunately I have to go to work, so I will post the rest of this later. In the meantime, listen to "Oh Boy", "Rave On" and "Midnight Shift."
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