Wow - can't wait

I'm not at all the first to discover Beth Rowley and her music - not even the first among those I know, I think Maggi was justly trumpeting her before I said boo.

But, wow, wow - this is great stuff.

I downloaded her free single from iTunes sometime last autumn. I usually download the free singles because, well, they're free. They most often turn out to be rubbish things I would not listen to and would never buy. But this one: one listen sold me. Here was a moving, rich singer attending to a traditional song. It was a cover of the old blues style standard Nobody's Fault But Mine, also done (originally?) by Nina Simone. Nary a day has gone by since downloading Ms. Rowley's version that I haven't listened to it at least once, often more. She also sang it on BBC Radio4's Loose Ends, another memorable performance - I would link to one of her live performances on YouTube, but they don't do her justice. (But you must - must! - listen to this brief excerpt from her website, it will give you an idea of the whole. Just amazing...wait a minute while I go listen to the whole thing again...)

...so where was I? Oh, right. First, apologies to American friends, because apparently she is being released here in the UK first (she's big in the Bristol and London scenes, I guess); I don't know if there are plans for the US, Canada, or elsewhere yet, but let's hope. But then just today I heard her new single (not yet released, but the video is out) and it's also great. I went to download it from iTunes, along with other choice selections only to find it is all due out officially later this month: hence the title of the post, wow - can't wait (for the album). But in the meantime, you can enjoy the official video and the tune via YouTube: So Sublime.



The moral of the story, if there has to be one, is this: listen to Loose Ends with Clive Anderson on BBC Radio 4 early Saturday evenings, because they have amazing musical acts along with fascinating interviews and (usually) a comedian; Clive has also introduced me to another favourite band of mine, the Canadian group Great Lake Swimmers.

Distractionfest 2008: day 2 - keeping it smooth

Obviously, yesterday being Ash Wednesday, there was a one day hiatus in Distractionfest.

But today we return, after having witnessed the sublimity of Jacques Brel, to behold the ridiculousness of Yacht Rock. The phrase 'yacht rock' is used to describe the smooth rock hits which proliferated in the years 1976 to 1984, associated with names such as Michael McDonald, the early Kenny Loggins, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross and others. Yacht Rock is also the name of a series of videos released on channel101.com and youtube.com, created by J.D. Ryzner.

There are currently 11 in the series, the most recent being released just last week. Each of the videos manages both to send up the genre and also serves as an affectionate, if ironic, tribute to it. They are worth watching for a laugh, as well as to listen to some fine older smooth rock. (Tho' they aren't afraid to pull out the f-bomb...you've been warned.) Each fictional story focuses on the creation of at least one song, featuring outlandish yarns of how it came to be and the personalities behind them; if they are noteworthy for nothing else, they at least present a staggeringly accurate portrayal of John Oates and his personality...or not.

My personal favourites are episodes one and two, and I present them here for your distraction...er, enjoyment.

Here's Episode 1, the one that started it all, with the story of the genesis of 'What a Fool Believes'.


And here is Episode 2, featuring a songwriting duel between Hall & Oates (on the one hand) and Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (on the other). Some fine cameos by Peter Cetera and Christopher Cross fill out what might be the best episode of the series.


In case YouTube is being stroppy, you can also see all eleven episodes at channel101.com.

Many thanks to my brother Matt - of Baconsteak fame - for connecting me to these videos when he was recently visiting. Here's a link to a cool short video of him playing the guitar.

Look for more Distractionfest 2008 soon!

Distractionfest 2008: day 1 - Jacques Brel

Dear friend James gently chided me over the weekend for not posting more than twice a month recently. He was right, of course, I have been otherwise occupied for a while. But never one to miss an opportunity to overaccept an offer, particularly one of James', I hereby announce that today begins the annual installment of Distractionfest:

Distractionfest 2008

...because you demanded it!

Well, by 'you', of course, I mean 'James' - only he didn't really demand it either.

But before getting further bogged down, let us dash on to other matters.

Over the last year I have been acquainting myself with the delights of French pop music, in particular some of the songs of Jacques Brel (about whom I have known for a while, and even own a CD of his which is in storage in the US). But I have realised that, as incredible as Brel is to hear, he is even more moving to see.

Probably the best known song of Brel's to American audiences is 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' (translated - quite inadequately - into English as 'If You Go Away', and covered by numerous artists such as Dusty Springfield. A better translation would be 'Don't leave me'.). It is a desperate, poignant - and ultimately fruitless - plea for a lover to stay. It moves me whenever I listen to it; it is hard for me to watch him sing it without becoming choked up. Some have described it as a love song, but that's wrong - although it might be Romantic in a certain sort of (capitalised) way. It is filled with such raw, pleading emotion, only to end with abandonment; it's not love, but a deeply poignant vulnerability, a humanity. The video clearly shows Brel as both an astounding lyricist and an amazingly talented performer. He clearly communicates the emotion, without going 'over the top'; watch it, even if you can't follow the French, and see if it doesn't affect you. Vraiment, un maître!

Another song of Brel's which I have discovered more recently is Amsterdam, first performed live in 1964 and apparently not originally intended for recording, it is nevertheless another of his more popular songs (and covered in English by many, including David Bowie). When first performed, it was met with a three minute standing ovation, almost 30 seconds longer than the song itself. The music itself, as well as the singing, constitutes a crescendo which builds to the very end. The lyrics themselves speak about sailors in the port of Amsterdam and all that they do there - sing, sleep, dream, be born, die, whore, eat, drink (and drink, and drink), and so on. One commentator - who posted the 1966 version with English subtitles on YouTube - described this as 'Brel's vision of freedom', the implication being that this is something great and good. But interestingly, the singer himself - in the form of I (je) - only appears in the very last full line before the final chorus: 'Et quand ils ont bien bu Se plantent le nez au ciel Se mouchent dans les étoiles Et ils pissent comme je pleure Sur les femmes infidèles' = 'And when they [i.e. the sailors] are well and truly drunk, they put their noses in the sky and blow their noses in the stars and they piss like I weep for the unfaithful wives.'

I think, on the contrary, that this is deeply ambiguous about freedom: the narrator's not a sailor, the women of Amsterdam (or at another point in the song, Hamburg) are not sailors. They instead endure the sailors who sail from place to place with no home, no roots, exercising a kind of 'freedom' which is parasitic on those they find themselves amongst. The narrator does not style himself as eating, sleeping, singing, whoring, drinking, enjoying it all but merely weeping. Not accidentally, this comes at the very end of the song, at the very height of the crescendo; after that, the refrain is hastily repeated twice and it all ends abruptly, perhaps to some surprise, and we are left wondering about this reversal. I don't think this is a paean to freedom at all, but a startling presentation of its enduring ambiguities.

The presentation is dramatic and, like the other, worth a look even if you don't know French.



Come back tomorrow for more Distractionfest 2008 - space and time permitting.

Three MC's* and One DJ (or: And Now for Something Completely Different)

Not everyone knows this, but my musical takes are, shall we say, eclectic. I adore the King’s College Choir, they are pure heaven, and I have developed a deep appreciation of sacred choral works in general. I believe Arvo Part and Henryk Gorecki are among the best contemporary composers, maybe among the best ever. Ralph Vaughn Williams and Sir Edward Elgar are well represented in my collection, as are the more conventional Mozart and Bach. I also love jazz, particularly Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, and Chet Baker. I have recently become especially fond of Diana Krall; her most recent album, although it breaks the mold set by her previous work, shows an emotional depth and maturity which shows that Ms. Krall is on her way to artistic greatness. I enjoy more popular music, especially Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and Bob Dylan. I’m even beginning to appreciate roots music and bluegrass, since a friend plays mandolin in the band Open Road. Pretty diverse taste, no? But it goes farther, much farther:

One of my favorite bands of all time is the Beastie Boys and Thursday night (11/4) my brother and I went to see the Chicago show in their Pageant Tour promoting their most recent album, To The Five Boroughs. The show was incredible and only served to deepen my appreciation for them.

First, an apology (in the classic sense of 'a defense'): if the only Beastie Boys that you have heard is the raucous noise of License to Ill (and especially "Fight for your Right to Party", ugh), then I invite you to get to know the genuine, grown up "Boys". Continue reading Three MC's* and One DJThey have matured (not least in musical style), and have incorporated a powerful positive message into their work. They still kick it old school -- some of the best straight up old school rap out there -- but they are careful to respect women, promote racial harmony, and promote peace and well-being in the world. They have worked with The Milarepa Fund quite extensively; coordinated a benefit concert in NYC following 9/11 with the proceeds going to help families of immigrants who died and others who missed out on the "official" aid; they have also thrown themselves wholeheartedly into national politics, encouraging people to register and vote. At a quieter moment in the concert last night, and there weren't many, the band encouraged the audience to be cool and respect each other, "Don't act like frat boys, just leave it at the frat house." MCA (Adam Yauch) in one song raps "I've got more rhymes than I've got gray hair/ and that's a lot 'cuz I've got my share." They do indeed have a bag full of rhymes, but I suspect that they've got their share of gray hair, too, as they've grown up musically and emotionally.

One reason why you've got to love the Beastie Boys: their opening act was a dog show. That's not jargon or slang or code for something else -- Bob Moore's Amazing Mongrels was in fact a show in which dogs came onstage and did tricks. Most excellent. The other opening act was Talib Kweli, another rapper native to Brooklyn. He was ok, but the bass was almost overpowering, and in a situation like that it is tough to appreciate new songs, sort of like going to opera or musical theatre and not knowing the story: nice enough, but difficult to enjoy on the level you would want. But it was more good straight up east coast rap, and a good intro to the main act.

The main act started with Mix Master Mike coming in after having posed as a beer vendor in the main hallway. When he revealed who he was to the patrons, they nearly fell over. He then walked out through the crowd and onto the stage (his movements were followed by a camera) and began mixing. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the ability of Mix Master Mike (MMM). He is a mixing savant, so fast on the scratch it makes your head swim, mixing sounds so effortlessly you can only gawk in slack-jawed admiration. His business card reads "World Champion DJ". Don't believe it -- he's being modest. I can't remember the last time I saw someone working so hard and having so much fun at the same time.

Then Adam, Adam, and Mike (that's MCA, Adrock, and Mike D to you and me) came in and began. They broke the show down into three parts with an encore. The playlist was as follows:

Super Disco Breakin'
Root Down
Sure Shot
Triple Trouble
Time to Get Ill
Putting Shame in your Game
Egg Man
Hello Brooklyn
Shake Your Rump

MMM then did some great mixing and scratching; then the stage changed to look like the stage at a bad wedding or prom, with the Boys (and two other musicians) wearing bad powder blue tuxedos. Here they moved from their MC work to playing the funk/jazz jams that they have become know for over the last ten years or so. They played:

Sabrosa/Futterman's Rule
Lighten Up
Something's Got to Give

Then they played a video montage while the stage changed again, and they came back out with MMM to rap some more. They rapped:

An Open Letter to NYC
Body Movin'
Paul Revere
Right Right Now Now
Three MC's and One DJ
Brass Monkey
Ch-Check it Out
So Whatcha Want?

The encore consisted of:

Intergalactic (in which they came off stage and reappeared to perform the song at the other end of the United Center, only a short ways from us.)
Gratitude
Sabotage ("dedicated" to George W. Bush: O My God! It's a mirage/ I'm tellin' y'all it's sabotage!)

It was, in short, an incredible show. A great mix of old and new; the second, third and fourth songs were three of my absolute faves, right in a row. Excellent incorporation of light and video into the production -- they even incorporated video from earlier in the day at one point. One guy actually proposed to his girlfirend there at the United Center on tape. (She said yes.) A couple of times during the show MCA came off the stage to shake hands with audience members. The performances were tight for a live show. MMM stunned the crowd with his mastery. And maybe the best part was that it was a lot of fun, which is really what the Beasties are all about.

I was frankly surprised at how many women were there; they accounted for maybe 30% of the audience. I usually think of the Beastie Boys as a guy band (even if an egalitarian, straightedge one). I was glad to be wrong. Unfortunately, I was also surprised that the crowd was around 98% white. As much as the Beastie Boys have tried to reach across borders, not least by working in the predominately African-American idioms of rap and funk, I guess that they have not been entirely successful at attracting a heterogenous following.

These guys have been doing this for -- can you believe it? -- 23 years. Can they sustain another 23? I hope so.

I know, I know, this seems an odd change of pace for an otherwise stentorian, tightened-up blog. But, hey, you know, bread and circuses...

(If you want to see documentary evidence click here.)


* To write "MC's" just seems wrong, since the apostrophe is not intended to be used for plurals. On the other hand, if I just wrote MCs, it would seem as if it should be read "m-c-s", rather than "m-cs". Plus, the title of the song that I cribbed my title from includes the apostrophe, so I figured it would be safe to include it, since even if it wasn't grammatical it was a reference to a title.