General Music thread 2

[Anonymous @]

Sheila Chandra (as mentioned on @whisht ‘s The Entire History Of Music blog) – Breath Of Life from The Two Towers soundtrack.

Sadly, Shelia now suffers from Burning Mouth Syndrome, making it impossible to speak and sing.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@fatmaninabox

Goodness, I had no idea. How tragic to lose the part of you that creates and expresses your art, especially at such a relatively young age. Singers are so vulnerable to that sort of thing: the wonderful operatic tenor Ben Heppner, who became famous for his performances of Wagner, lost his ability to sing for awhile, and although he fought back for a time, decided this year to retire from performing as he couldn’t maintain the quality anymore.

Here is a brief sample of “Big Ben” (having resisted the urge to post Nessun Dorma!).

[wolfweed @wolfweed]

The full BBC Radiophonic Workshop performance at the Quay, Glasgow,  is available for a month.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022z1pq.html

[Anonymous @]

now @whisht I promised that I wouldn’t ever mention a word, a ‘peep’ about Sherlock but as it’s by birthday I will say “oh wow, simply wow”. So that’s 4 words but 2 are the same!

Now, in line with what you asked some months ago, I shall endeavour to invite people to suggest some songs from the 80s that they actually liked: or even jazz, 20th century music of the ‘classical’ kind -for @arbutus may have some ideas there, or  art from the 80s -even a tattoo, perhaps (not really my thing but you never know: I could be convinced).

So are we are up for some bopping?? hopping, sliding, gentle jazz or R & B?

Kindest, puro. Happy Days!

[Craig @craig Emperor]

@purofilion Happy birthday and many happy returns! I had the unfortunate experience of growing up in the 80s. Nevertheless the first record I ever bought (I was denied a record player until I was 15) is, I think, an undeniable classic…

Unfortunately this was the second record I ever bought. It has all the flaws of the 80s but there’s still a place in my heart for it. 🙂

[Arbutus @arbutus]

A very happy birthday to you, @purofilion! You almost share one with my son, we celebrated his yesterday (the 27th). I hope yours has been lovely.

I pretty much tuned out pop music from around 1986 right through the end of the century, except for the retro and some local indie stuff, but there is a certain amount from the early eighties that I remember quite fondly. I was taken enough with Prince’s Purple Rain that I actually bought the double album (now there’s a blast from the past for the posters on @whisht‘s blog– double albums!) I gave you the long version.  🙂

For something classical, I considered the lovely Iberia Suite by Isaac Albeniz (I have it performed by Alicia de Larrocha, and the lyrical fourth movement of Mahler’s 4th Symphony. But I decided in the end to offer Arvo Pärt’s Fratres performed by Gidon Kramer and Keith Jarrett.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Oops, wrong link. Darn it. That last one, the Pärt, should be here:

 

[Anonymous @]

@craig – Whilst not the first record I ever bought, the first record by a non-British act was, coincidently, also by Talking Heads…

Ah, the ’80s. The decade that taste forgot. Thankfully, I discovered Heavy Metal so the crimes against music went largely un-noticed 😉

Here are the masters of that genre with a song based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Warning – it’s long!

[Anonymous @]

@fatmaninabox @craig @arbutus  I simply loved ‘Road to Nowhere’ Years since I’ve even thought of it. Of Prince, last week I believe I saw an interview which was superb so that music was perfect. Arbutus, I loved the Arvo!  I always ‘heard’ our announcer saying ‘Gideon Kramer’. So, naturally that is how I’ve spelt it in my head. Ha!  Now, I can re-learn that one;  and what a gorgeous set of pieces.

I received a few Doctor Who cards and memorabilia which means I’ve been talking waaaay too much about the Doctor in general and this Forum. Thank you to all who have made this such a great place : a sofa, a pub, a dance stage, an orchestral ‘pit’; a viewing platform -our own Platform 1! and a creative fan page. Mr Moffat must notice this site soon…

Kindest,  purofilion

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

Here’s the best Guitar riff of all time (and for those of you who think Van Halen’s version is better, you’re wrong)

[Whisht @whisht]

Hi @Purofilion – Happy Birthday!!

Sorry I’m late to the party!

As I am late I thought I’d do the obvious thing.
Yes, I thought I’d list every UK Number 1 from the 80’s for your birthday (ie Number 1 around July 28th)

There was an obvious ‘winner’ to embed but they’re all…. classic?

🙂

Odyssey – Use it up and wear it out (huh? oh… that one, actually its rather good)

The Specials – Ghost Town (that’s more like it!)

Charlene – I’ve never been to me (huh?? erm)

Paul Young – Wherever I Lay my Hat That’s my Home (ouch. Steady ladies…) [although I never thought it at the time, he actually has a very good voice).

Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes* (for a staggering 9 WEEKS!!!!)
(* that’s a 12″ version)

Crap audio but this one is the original video for everyone who wants to re-live the wrestling.

From TotP – with added ‘tache and shoulder pads
(wow – memories! My music teacher put this on at the school fete and everything stopped as that air raid siren went off!)

Eurythmics – There must be an angel

Madonna – Papa Don’t Preach

Madonna – Who’s That Girl

Glenn Medeiros – Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For you (huh?)

Sonia – You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You

Jeezus Stock Aitkin and Waterman could really end a decade.

However – if Two Tribes is too…. warring for a Birthday (though what a bassline!) then how about this

though equally, if life’s what you make it isn’t life affirming enough (and actually I’m not a lyrics person, I just love that song and it has a special memory for me of a band who were mates of my brother playing it live in a tiny bar to ~30 people, even though only one of them had ever heard the song. It was awesome!)

But if not then… how about this one. I’ve been trying to learn more about music recently and I think crotchets are something musical but I’m not sure.
helluva song mind.

Happy birthday!

😉

[Whisht @whisht]

ooh best guitar riff of all time this week – excellent!

Well it is great. No denying.

I’ve already linked to Roxette by Dr Feelgood so won’t embed again (though it is a great hook – less is more?!?).
Also I’m always slightly scared that the lead singer will actually beat me up. (eg I’ve heard no stories that they never got paid).

Interestingly there’s no guitar solo in the kinks link @thekrynoidman – it was a tad shoddy on the single (though who cares as its always seemed raucous and visceral).

so, a better riff?

There’ll be a lotta Love for this

Though to be fair this person may have listed a few (50!!!) and linked to appropriate YouTubes.

Can’t say they’re better but some crackers!

🙂

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@whisht The Guitar solo was there, it was during the part where it cuts to the audience dancing.

Here’s some more of my favourite riffs:

[Whisht @whisht]

ah @thekrynoidman – they are indubitably great riffs.

Hopefully someone (other than my osteopath) can explain why my head rocks back on the Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac track. Every other one my head rocks forward on to hit the beat but that one my head rocks back.
Maybe just a thing tonight…

Oh and as I mentioned to @arbutus I prefer the version at Woodstock even though its flawed with gaffs, out of tune strings and stuff but just because it seems to have more energy.
But the riff is the same and this is about riffs. I’m sure that others will weigh in with stuff which we haven’t linked to!

[Anonymous @]

he he @whisht the arguments I used to have about ‘s’riffs man’ . Whoo-ee.  I always thought @thekrynoidman – that the Kinks song above was effective in that it just changed key -really a good riff, I dunno? But I’m with you on The Stones.

Whisht the trouble you went to and the fun I had! Awesome!

Charlene Duncan I  think has the best head voice ever: so sweet in tone. Lovely intonation: good at crotchets 🙂 Glenn’s voice was amazing too: the chain around his neck not so much. But the wonderful metaphor of the crashing waves? Great stuff indeed. I had so forgotten Frankie GtH ! Terrific: the minimalist rock of that period; modes are Dorian, the pitch is static-and the movements on stage are robotic. Luurve it!

So much was offered in the 80s and you captured it well. Quite right about SA and W. Talk about automatons. Blech.

And Young? He grew on you (or is it: ‘he grew on one?’) as time passed. What struck me, is the quality of some of these voices: and so many more: Bonnie Tyler, Laura Brannigan… Sadly, some have left us.

Kindest, puro.

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

Here’s a couple more good ones

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@thekrynoidman

I’m no expert on the guitar, and don’t always feel a strong connection to it, but I love a good hook, and you’ve included some fabulous ones. I do think that there is a quality to the electric guitar that allows a player to make a riff into something special, which I think is part of what makes the Kinks so fabulous. My favourite Kinks guitar moment comes in Lola. Aside from the opening, which is also great, there is the moment 35 seconds in, when the full band comes in and there is a great little riff before the second verse. That always makes me smile!

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht    That list was epic, I’m going to be having fun with it all weekend. The year 1980 resonates with me because that was the year I graduated high school, left the (newish) family home in Alberta and moved back to the west coast, spent a few abortive months in uni, then quit at the end of the year before starting 1981 in the unskilled job market and a cheap apartment. So many of those songs are permanently embedded in my brain.

Some of those names really make me remember how long ago 1980 was! And I’m rather astonished that Kenny Rogers made number one in the UK, I always thought you guys were way hipper than that!  🙂  Kenny was huge in Calgary, Alberta, but you never heard the Police on the radio there in 1980, I had to go back to Vancouver for that. I’m going to link to Blondie, just for fun, because this song is so darn catchy, and I still love an Island beat (although this video is kind of like a psychotic episode!).

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion   Yes, some wonderful voices, those women. I love a voice that stands out, too many sound the same to me. I didn’t realize that Laura Branigan was no longer alive, how terribly sad. I loved Bonnie Tyler, and used to sing along with the radio full-boogie-tilt on “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, which always appealed to my youthful sense of melodrama.

Probably your mention of Laura Branigan brought this singer to mind, Laura Smith, a Canadian folk singer who had some radio success in the 90’s, but who dropped off the radar for awhile after a couple of accidents led to pain relief addiction. She has overcome it and is back in the biz, happily. I just love the smokey quality of her voice.

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@arbutus Since both your link is blocked in my country, and so is the one I posted earlier in the thread, here’s Lola again

And, just in case that gets blocked as well, here’s a live version

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@arbutus speaking of the Kinks, this songs got a pretty catchy riff.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@thekrynoidman   That “blocked in your region” thing is beyond aggravating. Thanks for putting those alternates up. That live version of Lola, is great fun, isn’t it? A great example of what @whisht and I were talking about earlier, how a live performance can bring a different energy to a song. There’s a great raw energy to the vocals in that performance.

20th Century Man, I actually don’t remember that one, very nice. There’s some really brilliant arranging in there. I love how it morphs from a sort of hillbilly country sound, with the acoustic instruments and nice bit of slide guitar playing, through an electric folk rock sound, and suddenly there comes that gorgeous organ playing and we’re into full on blues rock.

[Anonymous @]

oh wow @arbutus that Bonnie version was terrific: yes, Laura Branigan (no double n, sorry about that!) passed away. I was thinking of another singer – actually, and I can’t recall them! Hot Damn. Also, the Kinks, yeah, loved it @thekrynoidman when they played live they were inevitable drunk and a bit out of tune, but energetic, hell yeah. Now, my glasses/contact lenses are across the room and so forgive my typos – I’m half blind!!

[Whisht @whisht]

@thekrynoidman – good work with the Lola link.

Some nice riffs too. Here’s one that has an instantly recognisable riff but I was looking for something from the last 20 years so chose this instead!

@arbutus – to be honest I’ve been listening to a lot of live (recorded) stuff – especially by Bjork and the Fall. Mainly as I’d overdone some of Bjork’s albums and sometimes the energy and passion she gets into her voice is astonishing. I’ve linked to it before but this live version of one of her songs is far better imo than the studio one (where they mucked around layering effects over her voice).

Interestingly I came across this last night – a ‘live’ set by Radiohead.
As you’d expect, all the songs are different to their album versions except one – Codex.
Its basically as true to the album version as is possible it seems. Maybe they just thought ‘we can’t do the song any better or any more justice than playing it this particular way’?

Glad people enjoying the 80’s Number 1s – just seemed like the ‘obvious’ thing to do for @Purofilion ‘s birthday(!) I was in my teens during the 80’s and usually thought/think of it as a horrible decade for fashion and music. Although I didn’t realise it at the time, there were some gems along the way (even if they didn’t make number 1 around July!).

[Whisht @whisht]

btw @arbutus – there used to be a show in the UK called the Word (anyone of a certain age in the UK will now roll their eyes! 🙄 )

I was looking for where Dinosaur Jr played ‘Start Chopping’ live on the show and went on through the ad break and out the other side. It was amazing at the time but… memories seem to have coated the actual playing in a large dollop of nostalgia. If it was your first time hearing Dinosaur Jr it’d probably be the last and that’d be a shame!

However, again from the Word (which anyone who rolled their eyes will tell you was a piss-poor The Tube) is a great live performance full of energy by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – rather than annoyed by the Elvis persona I kinda find it fun. He’s celebrating rock’n’roll rather than mocking.

[Anonymous @]

@whisht lovely morning music! Well, music, for anytime and anyone. I loved those lines as much as I loved his voice : “everyone has to live their life, God knows I have to live mine”. I also liked the changes from major to minor, the skips in pitch and melody and the fab “William” sung  in high alto and falsetto near the end.

I love The Stooges, btw and have that album -probably everyone does! I recall playing it to some year 10s (15 yr olds) whilst teaching History through music including Rage Against the Machine, of course, and many others like Phil Ochs: does anyone remember him? He committed suicide- I think; ashamed of Dylan’s ‘progress’ towards rock/pop and away from purely protest- driven music.

[Whisht @whisht]

ah @Purofilion – I wish had a teacher like you when I was a kid. Stooges? Rage Against the Machine??
No inspirational teachers at all even in Music or Art where you’d expect it!
The only time I remember a teacher using a song in a lesson was an English teacher trying to make poetry ‘hip’ (Gerald Manley Hopkins was the most contemporary we studied).
He gave us a poem that he wondered if we recognised… head shakes and dumbfounded looks all round the class of 14 yr old boys. He then said, “c’mon, its a song, don’t you recognise it?”

Again, we were a bit lost.

“When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical…”

Yes, it was The Logical Song

but… Supertramp were never going to be ‘hip’ for a bunch of 14yr old boys in a New Town school in the early 80’s! Why not try Madness or The Specials on us?
The lads just looked at each other a bit embarrassed and mumbled “right sir…”.

Its only now writing this and re-reading the lyrics, that I realise what he was trying to do – the lyrics just went over our heads at the time (and he never really connected with us as a teacher to help us ‘get’ it).

However, its nice to be proven wrong and that kids can ‘get’ the song!
Here’s a video that looks like it was made as a bit of fun by a couple of German teenagers! Maybe though, the catchy melody kinda makes the song listenable 🙂

[Anonymous @]

@whisht  I must admit to always liking that song. Actually, the video was great (does Love Actually have a lot to answer for? The pieces of paper with key words floating to the ground near a song?)  and the middle 8 is great.

The thing with playing so-called cool songs to students is that you have to give them ‘the speech’ which is really sad:

1.    This is not just for your amusement

2.    I’m not playing these songs in an attempt to make you think I’m cool (followed by giggles because they know I’m not). 3.       Do not talk and giggle during song and pay attention to the lyrics -I’ve printed them out for a reason (not for paper aeroplanes)

4.     This is not a competition; don’t feel the need to say how hopelessly uncool I am playing Rage Against the Machine whilst your iPod has songs ‘made’ 2 weeks ago and therefore yours are better

5.    Songs are historical documents just like paragraphs from “History 1, Oxford” are also.

6.    Did I say DON’T TALK?

So, cool as a teacher?? Nope. It takes a  lot to ‘set up’ the song(s) and generally some students just hate it: they think I’m showing them my iPod stash and trying to ‘impress (a bunch of 14 year olds:like, totally). Others, though, really love it, and if one plays a song by Dylan or even SuperTramp, ELO and Cross, Stills, N&Y, the odd student will say “Oh my dad loves that & he’s teaching that to me on guitar”.  Oh, thank god for little Bob (named after Dylan although the Dad wouldn’t have known Dylan’s Christian/given name. By the way, I’ve forgotten it too! Being a teacher (even P/T) means your brain cells are attacked daily by rum conversations.

“The laws in this country are made by the Parliament.”

Student: “no the coppers told me last night they made the laws”

me: “Pretty sure they didn’t say that. Common Law is…

Student “Oh, oh. I know that, miss, miss: it means laws made by us: Dad says we are the Common dickheads and so we get to make the laws”

Other student: “yeah doofus, sure, totally, your Dad is lunch meat and you…

Me: “right, that’s enough, Common Law is based on precedent”

Student: “No that cannot be right miss, coz we have a Prime Inister not a President, they have them in Tasmania which is totally another country”

Other student: “oh you ass wipe, that’s so bull, you’re SO dumb, England has a president coz it’s got a King”

Smart student: “just play the song, Miss so I can go to the tuckshop”

Happy Days. Kindest, puro.

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

This is The Beach Boys 1965 masterpiece California Girls

[Whisht @whisht]

ok, as part of a random occasional series “Songs for Companions” how about this:

Still not sure if its better for Amy due to the lyric “When I was a little girl I had a rag doll…” but Amy’s had a song so far, so this is for River.

Anyone else got any suggestions for music inspired (no matter how tenuously!) by Companions?

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@thekrynoidman    I’ll see your California Girls and raise you a Sloop John B!

Further to the “live vs. studio” discussion, I have always thought the above recording pretty much flawless, but there is a lot to be said for this:

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht

Oh, yes. That song is a barn-burner, and as such, more than appropriate for River.

Since you said “no matter how tenuous”, I will offer this (originally from Man of La Mancha) for Clara, the impossible girl. Loads of choices obviously, but I’ve always been fond of the Elvis version. Not a vocally flawless performance but I always felt that he sang it as if he meant it. And as someone who always seemed so full of promise and good intentions, and who fell tragically short in the end, I’ve always found it moving.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion     If that is an example of an actual conversation in your classroom, you really should write a book. Or maybe a screenplay?

My son did a poetry unit last winter, and his English teacher wanted them to analyze three poems or songs of their choice. As a sample of how a song can work as poetry, he gave them Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”. My son, who is reasonably bright, could not make head or tail out of it, given the generational disconnect and his own rather literal mindset. I think this was really an example of the teacher overshooting the target! He ended up doing “Blowing in the Wind” instead, a much more straightforward and elegant bit of poetry, with nice clear images for discussion.

I couldn’t seem to find the Dylan version on YouTube, so here are the Lumineers:

And here is “Blowing in the Wind”, neither Dylan nor Peter, Paul, and Mary, but, because I am perverse, Steve Wonder:

That’s me done for today!  🙂

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

@whisht Pet Sounds does have some great tracks on it, like Sloop John B and this one.

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus  I loved Elvis: as for vocally flawless performances, I don’t like ’em!  We’re flawed, the human voice is flawed. Like a diamond or an emerald which has a break line right through its middle, but made all the more sartorially wondrous for it, our voices need a flaw. Beauty, or true beauty, is not sweet, and neither are the best performances; like beauty, they’re alarming. Maybe we’re in the presence of that gifted individual and that either brings grace or a hefty dose of nerves as we wonder: “how do they do it?” Elvis always had that quality as did Lennon for me; yet McCartney did not. Dylan, for me didn’t have that quality and yet Phil Ochs did. It’s personal and speaks differently to each person.

How was that ramble through the ‘burbs to collect son from basketball (I think)? Traffic is always a jam, isn’t it?

I’d love to write a book about my experiences in the classroom. I have imagined short chapters and even funny chapter titles; but the thing with teaching is you can’t sit on the laurels: to work you immerse yourself and then, faced with an urge to drink, you don’t resist it!

Therefore anything I’d write would be a lamentable, talentless thing and hopelessly unfunny!  If I lived near you, I’d suggest a partnership!! But a whole three continents away and no private jet…. 🙂

Kindest, purofilion

[Anonymous @]

@whisht still working on my little list (was there a song that went; “I have a little list?”) for companions but I gotta say the rag doll line is PERFECT (well spotted!) but the raunchy, hair throwing and gutsy performance: “Still, if I lost you, would I cry?” is all River really. I can imagine a stanza with “don’t watch the window, don’t watch the door, spoilers in the middle  and that could be your flaw” etc… Yeah, well, day job n’ all…

Kindest, purofilion

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus having read upstairs I realise now you might take “lamentable and talentless” to mean if we partnered up, you would also be lamentable….At least, I hope you didn’t read that into it. Certainly, I meant, as you have written other things & are an excellent writer, then a partnership would do me wonders!! Honestly, see what I mean?..I drop pronouns and miscommunicate in general! &%$@!!??.)+-*^#

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@purofilion    Shame on you! Neither one of us is lamentable or talentless. Perhaps what you need is a blog, where you can post your random amusing stories as they happen. You do have a talent for relating things in an amusing way!

Yes, traffic. I live in the middle of town so that I don’t have to drive long distances to get places, and then the “must-do” basketball camp is across the river! I survived the week, and I don’t have to do it again. So it’s all good.

BTW, I meant to say, yes, I do remember Phil Ochs, very haunting voice and lovely songs. He is forever associated in my mind with Leonard Cohen, as I once dated a man who loved them both.I wonder if part of that quality comes from vulnerability, as we know Presley, Lennon, and Ochs were such fragile personalities. One doesn’t associate fragility with Dylan or McCartney!

Also, there used to be a thing called a songwriter: Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, and later brilliant composers like Burt Bacharach and Henry Mancini, paired with clever lyricists (speaking of which, wasn’t the “little list” song from The Mikado? G&S, anyway.). Then for a long time it seemed as if you couldn’t perform music if you hadn’t written it, or write it for others to perform. But as I have lately learned from my son, there is now a thing called a “deejay”; not meaning any of the things I would have thought that word meant, but what really seems to be a songwriter/producer, who puts the music together and brings another vocalist on board to sing it. So a lot of the songs are listed as “by So-and-So; featuring “Somebody Else”. I am always ready to be educated!  🙂

 

[Whisht @whisht]

@thekrynoidman – California Girls – re-listening now its strangely slower than in my memory! Wouldn’t it Be Nice is a great track and as with @arbutus ‘ – Sloop John B – I’ll admit that for me, The Beach Boys are always ‘impressive’ but I just don’t connect with them.
The melodies are catchy, the arrangements are interesting but… I dunno, maybe I need more of something. I guess I find them ‘nice’ (which is quite a damning word, but all my problem I guess; maybe I’ll one day ‘get them’).

And Arbutus – “Loads of choices obviously” – for Clara?? I have none!! Do share!
And enjoyed Elvis as you say “singing as if he meant it”.

That live version of Sloop John B is interesting to compare to the album version. Live its quicker (almost too much so!) and fills out the chorus to be sung along to which is a good illustration of how the live dynamic changes the performance.

Lumineers – Subterranean Homesick Blues
Difficult song to cover. You really have to bring something new to it just because its so ‘full’ – but there’s nowhere to squeeze anything in! Not sure he brings anything to the lyrics other than recite them but enjoying the cello – almost sounds like a sax!??!

“original” video of Dylan here (seems the label keep taking versions down? Convoluted story as to how the guy had to recreate the video!)

Blowing in The Wind – Stevie Wonder.
Wow – never heard that before! On first listen sounds like the arrangement is purely there to support his singing which is no bad thing.
In fact he brings quite a Gospel feel to it, and then very Soul with “…and the answer my friend is in the wind…” almost like Ben E King (Stand by Me).

oh and Arbutus and @Purofilion – Phil Ochs is a name I’ve heard of but not heard him sing before. I’m gonna have to listen to that a few times as its all lyric! Good sentiment though!
Arbutus – I had that “DJ” chat with my niece a while back! She said she liked a particular song that my brother and I knew, but claimed it was by [nameofDJfeat.ICan’tRemember].
“ooh we’d better get you to hear it properly!” we thought.
However, she was non-plussed by the original when I dug it out! Which is fair enough – it isn’t her or her friend’s song (I still think she’s at that age where she hasn’t found any music for herself yet – its still all whatever her friends are listening to, though she let on that there was a girl at school who listened to ‘weird stuff’ – “Befriend her!” I thought!) 🙂

[Arbutus @arbutus]

@whisht   Okay, you have challenged me to look for something that I hadn’t thought of in a very long time. It didn’t even occur to me to post this version of the Dylan song, as the band is so obscure they don’t even have a stub on Wikipedia. I could have dropped in shock to find that someone has actually put this up on YouTube, as I don’t even own it in digital format. The Wildroot Orchestra was a presence here in Vancouver for a few years in the early eighties, playing in blues clubs, with as far as I know only the one album. Check this out. I think it actually does bring something new to the song, if only from a stylistic point of view. Also the lead singer in this group had a vocal quality that often brought a certain cynical tone to a lyric, that worked really well here.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

And @whisht, I didn’t mean that there were lots of choices for Clara, but lots of versions of “The Impossible Dream”!

Yes, that Stevie Wonder cover feels very much of its time to me. Ben E. King, Sam Cooke, and some of Stevie Wonder’s other songs of the period have that same melodious gospel/soul sound. I don’t remember when I would have been introduced to that version, but I imagine it would have been on some retro radio show in the late seventies or early eighties. I’ve always liked it.

I agree that the live version of Sloop John B is almost too fast. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it started to grow on me. Some of the pristine vocal quality of the arrangement is lost, but the energy more than makes up for it. Groups that use a lot of harmonies in their arrangements can lose a lot in a live performance, because you will almost never be as perfectly in tune as a studio recording. But sometimes live can actually sound better if the right energy is brought to the performance. I’m very keen on harmony, which is one of the reasons I do enjoy the Beach Boys.

[Whisht @whisht]

wow @arbutus – that’s a really interesting take on that Dylan song!
Thanks for digging that out!! you’re right, its definitely different stylistically and its interesting. Funnily enough the excellent “cynicism” of the singer reminded me of Graham Parker!

Though I didn’t know of his music at the time I’ve come across it since and kinda like it when it pops up.
This studio version of his song has a brass section that may also be what made me think of him when I heard your song.

Here he’s playing it live and though there are no horns (economics! boo!), its got a great tight guitar and a bit more aggressive delivery.
And a really really embarrassingly bad bit from the pianist. [shakes head]

Thanks again for digging that band out!

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

This went to number 2 in the UK charts in 1975.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B13QoA59tA4

Kept off the top spot by Bohemian Rhapsody

[Anonymous @]

@arbutus I was trying to comment on the Ochs yesterday -but innernet dropped out, dinnit?  I luuurve a bit of Phil. Yes, yes, so he likes lyrics @whisht -that’s the guy though, with a gorgeous voice & a melancholy presence with a hate-on for Dylan after the rock and pop stuff started. Then he offed himself. Sorry. Respect.

Wildroot Orch -brilliant, as good as the original. Well, almost.

@thekrynoidman -love Bohemian & enjoyed those songs I heard.

As for Parker, he looked very very funny. And you’re right, the pianist is awful+

F*** it’s cold this morning. Heater’s on. Where my coffee??

Have a good sleep peeps (sorry, the boy says that). Puro.

[Anonymous @]

hahah had to play Laurel & Hardy twice for the sleeping family. Boy, did they wake up quick! Thank you Krynoid

[The Krynoid Man @thekrynoidman]

Fans of The Inbetweeners will be familiar with this

[Anonymous @]

Yippee! I’ve passed the first two assessments on my Horticulture course (six more to go) – weed identification and soil preparation – so here are some appropriate tunes.

Blur’s ‘Clover Over Dover’ (Clover is a weed)

and Peter Gabriel’s ‘Digging in the Dirt’

[Whisht @whisht]

@fatmaninabox – well done! And I didn’t know clover is a weed so thanks for that!

In terms of mud/soil etc this is the first thing that sprang to mind.

I’ve always loved this band – to me they’re ‘clever’ (which appeals to my chin-strokey ear-noodling) but more than that, their music just fills me with joy.

Good luck on the next modules and let us know what they are when you pass them in case it inspires any “ooh – fruit! Well, that’s just gotta mean…”

;¬)

[Anonymous @]

@fatmaninabox  well done!  I USED to love that Gabriel song- until I watched the vid. I dunno but it reminded me of a horror movie I once saw: weeds growing over and into the victim. God!  However, still love Gabriel: I think! And again, good luck for the last few modules. Yes, clover’s an awful weed here. Try crab grass, now that’s the worst; I’m always struggling with that.

Kindest, puro.

[Arbutus @arbutus]

Congratulations, @fatmaninabox! How about a noxious weed (rather than the annoying but innocent clover, which is a weed to my lawn but friendly to the bees!). This great old track by The Coasters contains one of the great rhymes in pop music: “You’re gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion.” (Although I did like the Blur song, never heard them before.)

And how about morning glory? I don’t know if it is technically a weed, but it counts as one in my neighbourhood, where it is horribly invasive, and will take over your garden in no time during spring and summer, if you go away for a couple of weeks you come home to find it twining around everything in the yard!   👿

@whisht    Yes, that PCO piece put a smile on my face as well!

 

 

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