Song In My Head

Today's Song in My Head: "Minnesoter" by the Dandy Warhols. Great tune. Fun to play on the guitar.

14 And Life To Go...

Interesting read the other day in The New York Times about how crucial the age of 14 is on our musical tastes.

Look at all the artists that turned 70 this year or next -- Bob Dylan, George Clinton, Paul Simon, Joan Baez, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Lou Reed -- not to mention the people who would be 70 this year were it not for premature deaths: John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia.

The theory is that all of these people were 14 when rock and roll exploded in 1955 and '56. And that explosion influenced them so deeply, it set them on the course to being the musicians that they are.

I think when I was 14 I heard the Cure's "Let's Go to Bed" for the first time. I don't claim to be a musician but the song was influential to me in the sense that it was different than what most other kids my age were listening to -- dare I say alternative -- and my musical tastes do tend to run to the "other".

Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists - A Joke

Rolling Stone just released its "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," and artists listed will no doubt surprise many of you. The list is ridiculous and clearly intended to provoke discussion. There are so many issues I don't know where to begin: The Doors at 41 (they should be Top 15)?, Bruce at 23?, Led Zep not in the Top 10?, 2Pac at 86 (behind Eminem)? That said, I wholeheartedly agree with Chuck Berry, Little Richard and The Stones and The Beatles in the Top 10.

I was so appalled at Elvis Presley being listed as No. 3, that I wrote the following comment:

Listen Rolling Stone, I love your magazine and I'm willing to live with most of your reviews in which you pretend to apply an artisitic bent in an attempt to turn garbage into gold (case in point 4 stars for Radiohead's "Kid A"), but the Top 3 in this list, and even the Top 10, are ridiculous. Maybe you are just trying to stir discussion, but putting Elvis Presley as anything less than No. 1 is shameful. The Beatles have admitted on multiple occaisions that they would not exist but for Elvis, and that he was, and is, the beginning and the end of rock and roll. Its not even worth mentioning why Dylan is misplaced here, but I'll just say he didn't invent folk music. Yes, Elvis didn't write more than one or two of the songs that made him famous, but his understanding of music from a producer's perspective was beyond many (if not all) the other artists of his time. He rarely used producers in the early days, and even when he did, it was Elvis that made the final decisions. Elvis' other greatest asset was his abiity to make you believe he lived every word of every song he sang, which is even better than writing the songs. Few artists relay that level of emotion, including the Beatles and Dylan. You should be ashamed RS - The King is readying a karate kick for you right now.

On Elvis, Dylan described the sensation of first hearing Presley as "like busting out of jail."

John Lennon famously said: "Before Elvis, there was nothing."

"Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century", said composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. "He introduced the beat to everything and he changed everything—music, language, clothes. It's a whole new social revolution—the sixties came from it."

My father (who grew up listening to Elvis) had the following to say to Rolling Stone:

The Beatles and Bob Dylan ahead of Elvis? Really? You must have had a very narrow focus. The Beatles and Dylan had five great years, and then what? Individually, after 1969, the Beatles may have had one song each of any merit. Elvis, on the other hand continued with rock hits (when he could find them), Country hits, Rhythm and Blues songs, Gospel, and Christmas songs (now standards all over the world). Even Dylan admits he can't sing his songs as well as Elvis. I hope you didn't have the "wrote my own songs bias". Song writing and song performance are two distinct talents. Song writer/performers only write songs they can perform. Elvis has no equal when it comes to song performance. He has had his own hits, as well hits originally performed by everyone from Al Jolson (Are You Lonesome Tonight) to Frank Sinatra (My Way), the Beatles (Yesterday/Something/Hey Jude/Get Back), and Bob Dylan (Don't Think Twice, It's All Right/Tomorrow is a Long Time). Ask the worldwide public. Over one billion recordings sold, Aloha TV audience of 1.5 billion (double the first Moon landing), nearly 1200 sold out performances from 1969 to 1977 alone, and many prime time network shows featuring Elvis. Do you really think 90 minutes of Bob Dylan on network prime time would go over well? I have to believe that Rolling Stone is either bias or out of touch with reality.

You can submit your own comments and complaints at:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231

Song In My Head

Blur - "Badhead"

Just a nice song for an overcast Monday. Where is the sun, anyway?

Song in My Head

"Hell Hole" by Spinal Tap.

Song in My Head

Yes, another song.  I have been shuffling the ol' ipod a lot lately.  Today's song comes form one of the forgotten about artists of the 90's, Matthew Sweet.  Sweet is best known for the hit "Girlfriend," and more obscurely, for being the guitarist in Austin Powers' band, Ming Tea.  I personally feel his 1995 release 100% Fun (taken from a line in Kurt Cobain's suicide note) is a more complete record.  The record is proably best known for the song "Sick of Myself", but I'm more partial to the follow-up, "We're the Same."  It's just great power pop.  Great chorus, nice guitar fills, and simple message.  A great, forgotten artist.

Matthew Sweet - "We're the Same."

Song in My Head

"...feelin' supersonic, give me gin & tonic."

Oasis - Supersonic

Song in My Head

Sorry, long time - no post.  Woke up with a great song in my head.  The Posies "Dream All Day" fits this sleepy, overcast day.  Enjoy.

Seger Overload

Did Bob Seger die or something? I heard him twice in one day - I was on hold to the sweet sounds of "Night Moves" and later heard "We've Got Tonight" at a Duane Reade drugstore. I don't think I've heard -- let alone thought about -- Bob Seger since those ubiquitous "Like a Rock" ads he did for Chevy a few years back.

Summer in the City

Courtesy: http://www.carterfamilyfold.org/

It's practically summer here in the metro area, and car windows are down and stereos are loud. I know it's never really summer until I can drive with the windows down and Len's "Steal My Sunshine" pumped up -- it's the perfect summer song. Where I live, you tend to hear the same, typical stuff coming from cars in the summer time -- lots of Jay Z and Latin rap. But yesterday, I actually heard someone blasting the Carter Family from their Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Carter Family! Maybe it was the autoharp. Anyway, it's probably the least blast-able music there is. I love it.

Song In My Head

"L.A." by The Fall. I love the menacing opening riff that carries throughout this song.

Video Vault Friday!

Bow Wow Wow's "Do You Wanna Hold Me". No idea why... but I like the quick flash frame of Matt Pinfield at the top of this video.