Thursday, April 28, 2011

Morning Drive - April 28, 2011



George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970)

My favorite Beatle.  My favorite of any of the Beatles' solo albums.  Yeah, Ram is great.  Plastic Ono Band is a classic as well.  Neither of them touch this one for me though, imagine that. 

Driven by several tracks commendable enough to take a spin on any Beatles album, All Things Must Pass steers the listener through a series of exquisitely constructed melodies that truly stand the test of time.  Harrison later proclaimed that the songs themselves and Phil Spector's typical reverb-soaked production techniques didn't merge well on this particular record.  With all due respect to one of my enduring heroes, I politely disagree.

"Behind That Locked Door" is better than some of McCartney's entries on White.  "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life" still feel fresh and relevant 30 years later.  "If Not For You" is one of my mix-tape staples and makes a great ringtone for when loved ones are calling.  The songs hold their own here, studio switch tinkering aside.

I will say that the jam sessions at the end probably won't escape my speakers but for a handful of times over the course of a lifetime.  The rest, however, is extraordinary.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

12 Song Mix - Classic Album Openers

If you were to put together a mix consisting of nothing but first tracks on classic albums, what would that look like?  To narrow things down, let's limit the song pool to albums released pre-1990 for this one.  As with most of my lists, I'll stick to one entry per artist.  In an effort to make a cohesive and enjoyable listening experience, mine would look something like this:

  1. The Who - Baba O'Riley

  2. The Beatles - Two Of Us

  3. The Clash - London Calling

  4. The Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain

  5. Pixies - Debaser

  6. Nick Drake - Pink Moon

  7. David Bowie - Changes

  8. Led Zeppelin - Good Times, Bad Times

  9. Neil Young - Tell Me Why

  10. The Zombies - Care Of Cell 44

  11. Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot

  12. Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends Theme

Monday, April 25, 2011

Morning Drive - April 25, 2011

I love my rock music as much as the next guy, but this morning was all about this 1970 classic and one of the best ballads ever written...not even ashamed!

Nick Drake - "Northern Sky" (from the 1970 album, Bryter Layter)


I never felt magic crazy as this. I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea.
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand

or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree.
But now you're here, brighten my northern sky.

Been a long time that I'm waiting, been a long that I'm blown.
Been a long time that I've wandered through the people I have known.
Oh, if you would and you could straighten my new mind's eye.

Would you love me for my money? Would you love me for my head?
Would you love me through the winter? Would you love me till I'm dead?
Oh, if you would and you could come blow your horn on high.

I never felt magic crazy as this, I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea.
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand

or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree.
But now you're here, brighten my northern sky.


*****

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Musical Moments In TV/Film: Garden State - The Only Living Boy In New York



How is that music can have such a profound impact on movie and television scenes?  As a member of the audience, a song can often communicate with me more effectively than the actual dialog or imagery taking place on the screen.  My first example of this takes place in my favorite scene from 2004's Garden State.  Call me a hipster for liking the movie, that's fine.  But it's the inclusion of Simon & Garfunkel's classic "The Only Living Boy In New York" that makes this particular section ring.  "Good luck exploring the infinite abyss!"



Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Review: Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

January 25, 2011
Warner Bros/4AD

 Rating:  7.1/10

Let me just start by saying that I am a bit of an Iron & Wine homer and often refer to the Floridian folk act as my favorite artist currently making music.  Agree or disagree with my tastes, that is in the least an impressive mathematical feat for a band mixed into a library with over 10,000 songs.  In fact, the title of this very blog is a nod to a lyric from "Lovesong of the Buzzard" from 2007's masterpiece, The Shepherd's Dog ("...Lucy in the shade of the dogwood blooms).

For me, it's about more than just the music that Sam Beam so brilliantly creates.  It's about a certain edges-blurred aesthetic that reminds me of simple times and simple places.  Vivid images of wind-blown quilts, swaying willow trees, softly trickling waterways and warm light cast through open windows are common in Beam's work.  If what I'm describing sounds overly Americana or rootsy, I guess it could be deceived as such.  But I urge you to take a look at the literary sincerity with which these passages are delivered.

From the brilliant closer to 2004's Our Endless Numbered Days simply titled "Passing Afternoon:"

There are things that drift away like our endless, numbered days
Autumn blew the quilt right off the perfect bed she made
And she's chosen to believe in the hymns her mother sings
Sunday pulls its children from their piles of fallen leaves


It's not exactly "she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes," now is it?

But, as my dozen or so readers are used to, I digress.  Shifting to I&W's most recent output, let's feast our ears on Kiss Each Other Clean.  I suppose one of this gem's most obvious qualities is just how very shimmery it appears on first listen.  The production is much crisper with less room for air and more room for video arcade noises.  Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of quality musical moments to behold here.  But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little taken back when I heard the record scratches in "Me & Lazarus" and the Galaga dive bombs in "Monkeys Uptown."

Another production item of note is that Beam's voice is so full and clean sounding compared to the older bedroom folk and tape hiss albums.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but it takes some getting used to for sure.  Why whisper all the time when you have a voice like that anyway?

At no point are the vocal stylings more beautiful than on the album's incredible stand-out track, "Godless Brother In Love."  This is one of the most hauntingly memorable melodies that Sam has ever created.  To be honest, the uptempo horn-laden jam sessions won't stick as long with this die-hard fan.  So, having a ballad of this caliber kind of saves the album from its own leanings towards unbridled mediocrity (at least by I&W standards). 

Other flashes of sparkling grace fly by on "Walking Far From Home" and "Glad Man Singing."  Thus, the score for this review creeps up into the seven range.  The generic phrase that suits this record the best for me is "solid and enjoyable from front to back."  Does that help?  Don't expect Shepherd or Endless (or even parts of Around the Well, for that matter), but the songcraft here is respectable and will merit many return visits from me over the years.  Hopefully it will be just another petal in the flower garden of Beam's long and fruitful career.

ironandwine.com
Iron & Wine on Facebook
Buy on Amazon

Monday, April 18, 2011

Biggest Disappointment of 2011 (So Far...)



Bright Eyes - The People's Key

I have been a fan of almost everything Conor Oberst has put out over the years.  I enjoyed the self-titled, I really liked Cassadaga, and the crazy drugged out earlier albums like Fevers & Mirrors and Lifted even grew on me eventually.  I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is one of my favorite albums of the last decade.  So, yes, I consider myself a Bright Eyes fan.

However, if I'm going to continue to give myself that distinction, I'm going to have to ignore the final album to be released under the Bright Eyes moniker.  This album is utter crap, and that's unfortunate.  I've gotten past some of the spoken word stuff that has littered past works, but I just can't tolerate it on this one.  I might be able to ignore it if the music weren't so uninspired and bland.  "Ladder Song" is the only spot on this recording that I somewhat enjoy, and even that might just be relatively pleasant compared to the junk before it.

I usually rant and rave about great music on the Dogwood Bark, so this is new territory for me.  I'll just close by saying if you haven't heard this thing yet, don't bother.  Just spin Morning or Lifted and remember the days when Oberst was relevant.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

First Impression: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues



Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

The self-titled from this Pacific Northwest outfit was one of my favorite albums of 2008.  It showcased some of the best songwriting I heard that year and introduced many to some seriously beautiful vocal harmonies.  Reminiscent of the Beach Boys or Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, it made for great sunny day headphone listening.

On their most recent offering, Fleet Foxes stay fairly close to the formula that endeared them to so many a couple of years ago.  This time, it's a little bit more polished and a little bit less rustic.  The lead vocal is featured higher in the mix, but the harmonies still soar.  Again, it is those very harmonies that carry these songs through most of the album.

There are a couple of moments of experimentation that had me questioning if I was still listening to Fleet Foxes, but they were still interesting and will probably reveal plenty of treasures after subsequent listens.  I can already tell I'll be giving this plenty of time over the summer months.