*Beep Beep! Beep Beep! Yeah!*

A little bit about my favorite band of all time:

I’ve been an obsessed Beatles fan for quite some time. For me, nothing can truly compare to The Beatles. My obsession was kicked into overdrive in November 2001 – after hearing the news of George dying. I decided in an effort to pay tribute to him, I’d spend the day listening to Beatles songs… It didn’t stop after that day though. Something about me – when I really like something, I jump in with both feet and completely submerge myself in everything I can find that is related to… whatever it is I’m getting into. When it came to The Beatles and the vast amount Beatle-related material, it took me about 2-3 years to finally come back to the surface for air. It’s strange because I’d known Beatles music for years and found it enjoyable, but for some reason in 2001, it hit me in a completely different way. I guess before I hadn’t been really listening… This time, it was a whole new kind of experience. In fact, it’s kind of hard to put into words, but getting into The Beatles in such a way… It had a rather profound effect on me. A lot of my thoughts and feelings on music seem to generally lead back to The Beatles. So, I started off listening to all their albums (most of which I owned, but hadn’t listened to thoroughly), watched their films, read the books about the band (Anthology is still the definitive Beatle book in my opinion)… Then that following summer, I branched out into the world of Beatles solo careers.

Anyway, I could probably go on for ages about “my boys”, but in this post, I’m going to limit myself to discussing the first actual Beatles album I ever bought. Rubber Soul. I bought it while I was a sophomore in high school and it’s still one of my favorite albums of all time.

Rubber Soul starts with the twangy guitar intro of "Drive My Car". There is so much that I love about this song, it's hard to know where to start. It's upbeat, optimistic, and unforgettable. The lyrics tell you an amusing story that deals with gender role-reversal. Paul is featured on lead guitar here (and what a cool guitar solo he comes up with!) and George takes the bass line. I love the piano on the chorus – and I love how tambourine is used almost continually on the album. "Norwegian Wood" is mainly a John song, written about an affair. The lyrics are ambiguous, but the story is interesting and ends in a fire – which I find kind of amusing. There aren't many instruments used on this song, just acoustic guitar, bass, tambourine, and of course, the distinctive sound of the sitar. George played the sitar on this song – and I believe this is one of the first, if not the first, pop song where a sitar was featured. "You Won't See Me" is one of my favorites of this album. I listened to this song on repeat when I first got the album and still tend to go back to it. It's a pure pop song, but a great melody and includes some of Paul's less optimistic lyrics. Paul generally has a very upbeat attitude in his songs, but Rubber Soul isn't full of the happy boy-loves-girl sorts of songs. I love the background vocals and the drums on this song are fantastic. Ringo really does a great job – in fact, he does on this entire album. He really shines here. "Nowhere Man" features some great harmonies and very Lennon-like lyrics. Obscure, but something I think a number of people can identify with. A typical McCartney melodic bass line also is present. Also, love the harmonic at the end of the guitar solo. "Think For Yourself" is a George composition with more fabulous harmonies. Love the bass line and lead guitar – and more tambourine! As for the lyrics, George said they were "probably about the government", but I think (like any good song) they can be applied to a number of situations. "The Word" is another song that is up there as far as my favorite Beatles tracks. Great harmonies, cool lead guitar, very idealistic lyrics, and fantastic drumming from Ringo –particularly at the end of each chorus. My favorite part is the last time during the chorus, when that highest harmony part comes out. Great, great song in my book! Besides, it's a hell of a lot of fun to sing along to and blast in the car! "Michelle" is the only song I knew when I bought the album. It's a very typical Paul ballad with a bit of a Parisian feel with French lyrics included. I believe the "I love you/I want you" middle 8 bit was contributed by John, and it's probably my favorite part of the song – I really love Paul's voice when he sings, "I want you, I want you, I want you" the last time. I believe Paul played pretty much all of the instruments on this track – except for maybe the drums.

The B-side of the album opens with a Ringo co-penned song, "What Goes On." It's got the characteristic country-western feel that a number of Ringo's songs had. The lead guitar by George is very Carl Perkins-esque. Random Beatles fact: In the background, if you listen hard, after Ringo sings "Tell me why" you can here John say, "We already told you why!" "Girl" is next – John really has a lot of great ones on this album. Of course, when I bought it back in the day, I was very innocent and didn't realize during the middle 8 they were singing "tit, tit, tit, tit." I believe I thought it was "dit." Anyhow, the guitar has a Greek sort of sound – love the lead guitar part. "I'm Looking Through You" is another less optimistic Paul – I think he was having trouble with Jane during this period. More tambourine! Ringo plays Hammond organ on this track. I love the guitar riff after the chorus (at the end of the chorus?). I have a number of "The Soul Sessions" recordings and it's interesting to hear the evolution of this song. "In My Life" is one of John's best ballads – and another of my favorite tracks. Beautiful melody, tender lyrics, and John does a captivating vocal performance. Paul does great on the harmonies and bass, Ringo's drumming is superb, and of course, George Martin's sped up piano solo is very fitting – giving a classical feel to the pop song. "Wait" is considered a "filler" piece, left over from the Help! Sessions. I've recently re-discovered it and I adore the middle-eight, sung by Paul, with the driving guitar and drums. Good harmonies and more tambourine! "If I Needed Someone" is another George song and shows how very much George had grown as a composer since "Don't Bother Me" the year before. Great lyrics, lovely harmonies, hypnotic guitar intro, and cool bass line (more tambourine!). I like the bridge a lot, too. I think it's the only George composed song that was ever performed live on a Beatles tour. "Run For Your Life" was apparently John's least favorite Beatles song. It's John in jealousy mode, a theme in a number of Lennon songs. There's a pretty cool lead guitar part that has been suggested that it's John playing rather than George. It's not overly apparent as Lennon or Harrison, so I'm not sure. It's not my favorite on the album, but still a song I enjoy.

So… yeah, that’s about it for now! More later!

Be Like Two Fried Eggs!

So, after a week of listening to The Partridge Family almost exclusively, I finally moved onto something else. This past weekend, I watched an episode of the TV show, Cold Case. It was an episode about a murder from 1929 which (as is normal of all Cold Case episodes) music from the era was included. There was also an original piece featured – “300 Flowers”- written in the style of jazz tunes from the time. Gorgeous song and I’d love to find the piano music to it – but I digress. That episode inspired me to download quite a bit of music from the 1920s. I'll admit that the amount of music I own from that period is pretty thin (I think up until this last weekend, I only had about 10 songs from the Roaring Twenties), but I am working on expanding my horizons.

Most of the jazzy music I've collected up until recently revolve around the big bands, crooners, and songbirds of the 1940s and 1950s. Though, I am a fan of Billie Holiday and have quite a lot of her songs - and I've been exploring Ella Fitzgerald's catalogue this past year, but in comparison to the '40s and '50s, the '20s (and even the '30s) was a pretty wild time! And the lyrics are pretty shocking at times. A couple years ago, it dawned on me what Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" was about, but after downloading Bessie Smith's "Wild About That Thing"… Yeah, definitely some racy lyrics there. Great song and wonderful performance, but it's pretty obvious what "that thing" she's referencing is!

A lot of the '20s music I've listened to have been more of the popular dance tunes, like “The Charleston”, “Do It Again” (that’s featured in Thoroughly Modern Millie), or “Sweet Georgia Brown”. There’s even a jazzy, upbeat rendition of “It Had To Be You” out there with a prominent banjo line. Those are definitely some fun songs to dance around to – and I’ll confess to the fact that I have a lot easier time dancing like a flapper outta the ‘20s than I have attempting the dances people do in the clubs these days (but I’m working to rectify that). That dance music definitely was influenced a great deal by Ragtime (I do dig me some Scott Joplin). Helen Kane’s “I Want To Be Loved By You” and “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael are classics. And the song “Keep Your Sunny Side Up” is a fun one (and featured in the film Paper Moon, which is what motivated me to hunt it down). Louis Armstrong playing “St. Louis Blues” is impressive – Sadly, until the last couple years, I knew Louis mostly for his raspy voice and not his trumpet playing. Obviously, he was pretty amazing. Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor seemed to be quite prominent on the charts back in the day as well.

Though, today I've listened to almost exclusively early blues from that era. I've never been a huge fan of the old blues music, and there are still times that I find some of it a bit tiresome, but some of it is pretty fantastic. Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Big Bill Broonzy all have some pretty great songs, but today I focused mainly on the women of the era. Ma Rainey, Mamie Smith, Ethel Waters, Ida Cox, and Sara Martin all are fairly new to my music collection. And I found that I really enjoyed some of Hattie McDaniel's songs ("I Thought I'd Do It" particualrly) - I really only knew her as Mammy in Gone With The Wind and was happy to explore another aspect of her talent. Though, I think Bessie Smith may be my favorite of those early women blues performers at the moment – “Gulf Coast Blues” and “Down Hearted Blues” are really great. She had an unique, inventive style with that husky voice that influenced a number jazz and blues vocalists -  including Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin.

Anyway, I think that's all I've got for now... Except, after a few days of '20s music, I think I need to get myself a ukulele!

Guitarin'

So… I have a confession. I have a thing for guitarists. I have since junior high when I fell in love with Keith Partridge, but as much as I dig guitarists, I’m even more a fan of guitar solos. *sigh!*

Guitar solos… Honestly, I’m not sure when my obsession started with them, but I’ve definitely been in the basic realm of “guitar solo whore” for the better part of a decade at least. Guitar solos almost always can give me a bit of a thrill. I have never been moved to tears by a guitar solo – But they do have quite an effect on me. Something I can hardly explain at times. There are the ones that make me absolutely giddy. There are ones that are like an adrenaline rush, where I have the urge to step on the accelerator and zoom to 90 mph on the freeway with the windows down. Then there are the ones that I close my eyes and let the notes wash over me like a waterfall, ones that hit notes that send shivers down my spine…

The guitar solos I love the most are the melodic ones. I’m all about the melody (something I’m sure I’ll write about in a later post). Believe me, I have respect for the guitarists that play the rapid-fire, shredding solos that are so prominent in heavy metal songs – but for me, those can’t compare with the note bending, clean solos. The way a guitarist can make the instrument speak… That is something that can always send me.

There are a number of solos that I am particularly inclined towards – and before I get into this list, allow me to say, these are just my favorites. I know there are hundreds of fabulous guitar solos out there! This is not a professional ruling, just the opinion of someone who is infatuated with guitar solos and the musicians that play them! (And it’s a safe assumption that you will be hearing about these artists again in future posts).

“25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago has a pretty cool solo – though, not super clean, and very of its time – particularly with the use of the wah-wah pedal. “Let It Rain” by Clapton… Of course, I have to have Clapton included on a list of guitar solos. I’m also in love with his solos in “White Room” (Cream) and the solo he does on the Concert for George version of “Isn’t It A Pity.” I was particularly proud of myself while listening to that solo for the first time and knowing it was Eric playing before I saw it was him. This was while I was just beginning to recognize various guitarists’ styles – and Eric’s style is as distinctive as a voice. It couldn’t be anyone else.

I’m crazy about the solo in “Peace Frog” by the Doors. The solo in Elvis Costello’s “I Want You” is pretty hot, despite the fact that it’s just 2 slightly off-key notes. It totally works in that song. The Carpenters song, “Goodbye To Love” is probably the first guitar solo I ever really took notice of. Of course, the song is fantastic (and one of my favorite Carpenters songs), but Tony Peluso rocks that solo. And it wasn’t common at that time to have a love ballad with a fuzz guitar solo interjected in the middle of it. Rock on, Carpenters!

So it doesn’t seem like I have an aversion to more modern guitar solos, allow me to include The White Stripes’ “I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart” (I have a major thing for slide guitar), The Raconteurs’ “Consoler of the Lonely” (yeah, yeah… I dig Jack White), Stone Temple Pilots’ “Lady Picture Show” (the acoustic version is really amazing too! Gorgeous song and gorgeous solo), Velvet Revolver’s “Fall to Pieces”, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “21^st Century”.

Obviously, any catalog of guitar solos would be sorely lacking if I didn’t include Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. There are so many of both that are featured in lists of the best solos… “Stairway”, “Heartbreaker”, “All Along the Watch Tower”, and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” are the ones I see all the time on those kinds of lists, but my favorites are Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold as Love” (I really dig ballads – and love that under water sound) and Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away”.

I’m a big fan of Elliott Smith and while he doesn’t have the super-impressive guitar solos that usually dominate lists, I’m completely in love with his style and his guitar work on “Southern Belle” and “Almost Over” are remarkable (I really dig that style of playing the same note over really fast in a tremolo effect). My favorite solos of his, though, are in his live performances of “Cupid’s Trick” and “Mr. Good Morning”. They’re not extended solos by any means, but something about them absolutely sends me.

I’ve been quite a fan of Queen and in particular, Brian May, for quite some time – in fact, I had quite a crush on him as well! (Like I mentioned before, I have a thing for guitarists). Brian’s style is quite unique, particularly with the orchestrating of guitars. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the most popular of his, but I’m even more impressed with the orchestrating of a Dixieland band of electric guitars in the song “Good Company”. The guitar solos in “ Dead on Time” and “Keep Yourself Alive” are electrifying, but my all time favorite Brian solo is from one of my favorite songs of his, “Sail Away Sweet Sister”. The part that always sends my insides swirling is from 2:10-2:20, with the guitars playing in harmony.

This brings me to my favorite band of all time – rather predictably, The Beatles. John, Paul, and George all had some amazing guitar solos throughout their career as Beatles. “Taxman,” “Drive My Car”, “I Feel Fine”, “Yer Blues”, “Something”, “Back in the USSR” (more of that playing the same note over really fast during that last verse. *sigh!*), and of course, “The End”, featuring all three alternating for the solo. Though, I think my favorite solo of theirs (at the moment at least) is “Hey Bulldog”. The bit from 1:23-1:28… God, yeah. Love that bit.

But my all time favorite guitar solo is from George Harrison’s last solo album, Brainwashed. The song, “Rising Sun”, is a beautiful song, but that solo… It’s so silky smooth… so sleek, so clean – it makes my heart race. And at 3:59, when he hits that one note – Oh my god! There’s that swirly feeling in my stomach, shivers down my spine, and there’s an overwhelming feeling of happiness. I just find myself grinning idiotically by the end of that song. No other solo affects me quite in that way…

So yeah, I told you… I’m a guitar solo whore.

Now I'm Just A Pebble On A Lonely Beach...

I know that I said I'd get into rock and roll soon (and I'm working on that), but wanted to write a little about this song that I discovered a few months back. I heard this old standard type song for the first time on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Rose Marie sings it and does a fantastic job. The song is "Crying My Heart Out For You".

 

Between the syncopated and lilting melody and the lyrics from the point of view of a discarded lover, I was hooked. I like songs where there's a bit of contradiction between the melody and the lyrics - since the melody is fairly happy and the lyrics are a bit on the melancholy side. Kind of balancing each other out - keeping it from being too sad or bitter. And I especially like the sentiment of the second verse, "I hope you'll be more tender in your next affair… Hoping you'll be happy is my only prayer." I like to think that I'm that way when presented with a situation like this… At least, eventually! :)

 

 

Other than the Rose Marie version, I've run across 3 other recordings: Vera Lynn, Ella Fitzgerald, and a piano solo by the songs composer, Claude Hopkins. All the versions are great, though Rose Marie's performance is probably my favorite. I wish there were more versions of the song though. I'd have loved to have heard Judy Garland's or (especially) Karen Carpenter's take on this song. And I'd love to find sheet music for it, but alas, it's not easy to hunt down! Maybe I'll be able to find it one day. Until then, I guess I'll just make do with the recordings.

If You Feel Like Singing, Sing

For the last several days, I've been on a movie musical kick. Just a bit of background, I was raised listening to musical soundtracks and soft rock of the '70s. I think I will always maintain a bit of a soft spot for these songs.

Anyhow, I am a big fan of the musical Summer Stock. Though, I must admit, I was well into my teen years before I realized that the words "summer stock" had anything to do with theater and not farming. I think it's a very engaging film and Judy Garland and Gene Kelly are fantastic in it (Great chemistry too, by the way). I love the challenge dance between Judy and Gene ("The Portland Fancy" - check it out if you haven't seen it. It's available on youtube). One of my favorite songs from it is "You Wonderful You". Now that's a lovely little ballad. And the reprise with Gene's solo dance with the newspaper and squeaky board is classic. Of course, there's Judy singing "Get Happy" which is an amazing performance - and I love her costume during that number.

 

I'll also admit to being a huge fan of the That's Entertainment series - owning all three parts (plus bonus disc!) on DVD. The musical performances in the MGM musicals were amazing back in the day. And That's Entertainment is great since it features almost exclusively just the highlights and best numbers from the films. I don't find that the lack of story detracts much since a lot of the older musicals don't have too much of a story to begin with. Just the same, the performances are stellar. Great vocals, great dancing, and great songs.

 

Of all the fantastic musicals out there though, I am partial to the ones that star Judy Garland or Gene Kelly. Singin' In The Rain, Meet Me In St. Louis, and Easter Parade have been favorites of mine since childhood. I watched one of those old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movies a few weeks back, Strike Up the Band, and while I admit that the plot is a little weak, the music is pretty great. I love "Drummer Boy", "Nobody", and "Do the La Conga" are pretty good tunes. And of course, the fruit orchestra performing "Our Love Affair" is highly amusing. And, it wasn't too long ago that I rediscovered the film, Good News. Now, I'm quite aware that Peter Lawford wasn't the best singer or dancer, but I find him adorably charming in that film. I just wish there was a bit more character development! (But that's the writer in me).

 

There are a number of other musicals that I adore, but I think I've rambled on long enough for now. I will, however, leave you with a fake Summer Stock trailer.

 

 

 

 

And yes, I'm quite aware that I'm a big dork. I promise to get into some rock and roll type music soon. :)

A little about my addiction...

 

So, as the title may suggest, I am a self-professed music addict. I’ve always been a big fan of music, but it wasn’t until relatively recently that I discovered how very much I need it. I’ve recently gotten a job where I cannot listen to music while working and have found that it does affect my mood. I have to go out to my car on my lunch break and get my fix! And after double checking the definition of “addiction” (Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects), I can very safely say, I am addicted to music.

I suppose writing a blog about music isn’t the most original idea in the world, but since I’ve not been able to discuss music quite so freely with people who understand it, I’ve decided I may as well write about it. So here it is… My unabashed tribute to music.

I can’t think of anything else in the world that has the ability to affect me in such a profound way. I think music is a very powerful thing. Music has the ability of affecting your mood, moving you on such a deep level… Frankly, I find it amazing! I can’t imagine any drug being this fantastic. Where it takes you from feeling like absolute crap, to making you feel like you are soaring above the clouds. The moods of a piece of music… The way all the parts of a song meld together… The lyrics, the melody, the harmony, voice, drums, guitar, keyboards… All of it combines to create music! There are a number of songs and musicians that move me in that way… I find myself grinning stupidly while listening to a guitar solo, or unable to contain my excitement and bouncing around with a song, or having the uncontrollable urge to roll down my windows and blast my music because I just can’t get enough of that sound! Then there are the songs that bring tears to my eyes… Maybe because of the memories listening to it brings back – because every song reminds me of a certain place and time. Or there are the songs that give me such comfort during a hard time in my life, because I feel like I’ve found a friend who understands me.

It’s so disappointing to me that there are so many people who just don’t “get” music. They don’t understand how it can mean so much to a person, but for me, I can’t understand how it can’t mean much to a person. And I think that’s what I miss most from the recent years gone by. Up until fairly recently, I’ve had good friends who I talk to on a regular basis, who understand this part of me. And sure, I know a number of people who know I love music and tolerate it, but I know that to them it’s just another thing… It’s pleasant, but not a part of them. They think I’m being melodramatic when I say that I think I’d die without music, but that is a very true statement. I can’t imagine my life without it. It has always been an important part of my life. Listening to my mom play piano, I believe, started before I was born. From a very early age, I enjoyed music and it often inspired singing and dancing in me. And there are still times that I find myself dancing around like a little kid – feeling completely uninhibited and gleeful. Music is the one constant in my life. It’s always there for me and it can always make me feel better… Who needs drugs or alcohol when there’s music? What can feel better than listening to a fantastic new album for the first time or rediscovering a song you hadn’t listened to for a long time? Nothing, that’s what! So to those people who look at me like I’m crazy when I get completely jazzed over a guitar solo, piano riff, gorgeous melody, intricate harmony, a drum fill, or lyric… I say to them, “You’re the one who’s missing out!”