*But the feeling that you're under can really make you wonder...*

The White Stripes have been a part of my music collection for quite a while now, though, I think I first became aware of them because of an episode of Gilmore Girls. The first album I purchased was White Blood Cells because of the song loud, punk-like song, “Fell In Love With A Girl”. It wasn’t until a year later that I heard Get Behind Me Satan and quickly fell in love with the entire album – and it’s still my favorite of their albums.

 

But instead of going album by album today, I’m just gonna do a quick inventory of my favorite White Stripes tunes. “Truth Doesn’t Make A Noise” is fantastic for the amazing and addictive guitar riff and the piano’s response to the riff. “The Denial Twist” was my favorite for a very long time for the fun, dance-y, ‘60s feel. “I’m Bound To Pack It Up” is very reminiscent of Led Zeppelin to me – but I love the acoustic guitar and minimal percussion. “I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart” is awesome because of the featured slide guitar (I do love slide guitar!). More recently, I’ve found myself entirely addicted to the noisy “There’s No Home For You Here”. I love the harmonies and the driving guitar, but my favorite part is the bridge – and of course, the guitar is pretty impressive as well. “Apple Blossom” is another song that sounds like it was ripped right out of the ‘60s and I love it. Of course, there are numerous songs of theirs I could include in this list, but I am a bit pressed for time today, so that will have to wait for a later date…

 

But the thing I really love about The White Stripes is how bare their recordings are. Those oddly rustic guitars, the boyish vocals, the simple drumming, it all sounds out of place in this era, as if Jack and Meg White stayed under a rock for a quarter century and then came out and started making music. I mean, it’s just what it is… it’s not over dressed, not over produced. It is just plain and simple rock and roll. Fabulous! Love the way Jack uses piano in so much of his music. And Meg? No, she’s not a great drummer, but what she adds is a raw quality, that any technically talented drummer would completely destroy.  Somehow, though, the band’s stripped-down sound and lo-fi production just works. Jack White combines his acoustic guitar strumming with lots of bluesy licks and riffs, and Meg's insistent drumming propels the songs forward effectively. The vocals are another high point, as Jack comes out sounding like Mick Jagger and at other times sounds boyishly innocent. Music made by two people, sounding like it was recorded in a garage, has no right to pack this much of a punch. But it does. The conviction the White Stripes bring to their music alone would be enough to give them a listen.

*Yes, and I ain't saying you ain't pretty...*

Just a brief ramble about my song of the moment...

The past week or so I've been listening to a lot of music from 1966 and 1967. During the course of this, I've stumbled back onto a song that has been a part of my music collection for many years, but somehow I've not paid a lot of attention to it, other than the fact that it's a pleasant song. Hearing it again this week, after not really listening to it for a while, I've found myself completely addicted.

The song is "Different Drum" by The Stone Poneys. I think I first became aware of this song when I was around 14 or so. It was played on a radio station called "Memories" (that has since become a country music station) quite often. I enjoyed the song and would always sing along with it, but it was several years later before I realized that the song was penned by Monkee, Michael Nesmith.

Coincidentally, I got into The Monkees around that same time (the TV show was on in the mornings before I had to go to school), but I'd never considered any of The Monkees songwriters at that time. Strangely enough, Mike Nesmith wrote some of my favorite songs The Monkees performed like "Tapioca Tundra", "Listen to the Band", and "The Girl I Knew Somewhere". But I'd honestly never heard Mike's version of "Different Drum" until this week. (How behind am I?!) His version has a lot more of a country flavor to it and features some cool guitar work, but I still think Linda Ronstadt's rendition is the definitive version. Her voice seems to resonate with a defiance that seems to be missing from other performances I've found of this song.

As for the song itself... I love the lyrics, though I suppose they're a bit wordy - at least in comparison with a lot of what was going on in the Top 40 of the mid-'60s. I am finding that I have a thing for unusual rhymes, which this song has a few. I love the classical influence in the production, featuring a harpsichord and strings... and I love the unconventional structure to the song - not following the typical verse-bridge-verse configuration of many pop songs of the time. Also, as I think I've mentioned before, I dig the fact that it's quite clearly a break up song ("It's just that I am not in the market for a boy who wants to love only me") and it's set to a rather upbeat tune. Love the contrast of that.

Anyway, I suppose I've rambled enough for now, so I'll just leave you with the song.

Dancin' Through the Decades

So… this post isn’t going to be strictly about music, but I do think music and dance do go hand in hand a bit.

 

I’ve been thoroughly infatuated with popular dances of the past 100 years or so. To me, it’s fascinating to watch how dance has evolved throughout history, and it evolves just as the music evolves. You also can see influences from earlier dances in more recent dances. It’s crazy to think about the fact that during the 1910s, there was a craze of Animal Dances, like the Fox Trot, Kangaroo Hop, Duck Waddle, Chicken Scratch, Turkey Trot, or Grizzly Bear. From my research, they all seem to be fairly similar, one-step ballroom type dances. What’s also rather amusing to me is that when the Fox Trot first came on the scene, it was considered shocking

 

The 1920s is one of my favorite eras – especially in dance. It’s just so much about letting go and having a good time – and The Charleston is so much fun (and a pretty good cardio workout). There was also The Black Bottom, The Shimmy, and The Varsity Drag. As I’ve gotten better at these dances, I’m finding they’re all pretty easy to combine, but of course when you’re dancing in this style, it’s helpful to have 1920s jazz on. It makes it a lot more fun.  In the 1930s, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers style ballroom dancing was at the forefront of popular dance and as “jazz” merged into “swing” through the late 1930s and early 1940s, a number of swing dances became popular, like the Lindy Hop or the Jitterbug. There were also a number of Latin dances, like the Rumba, that caught on while on the dance floors. I thoroughly enjoy swing dancing, though, it’s really hard to properly swing dance without a partner!

 

As Rock ‘n’ Roll became popular, the Jive joined the Jitterbug on the dance floor – most of the rock ‘n’ roll dancing was a more wild version of swing dancing from decades before. Also, the Hand Jive and the Stroll made some appearances throughout the decade. A hybrid of the Rumba and Swing evolved as well, known as the Mambo. The ‘60s is one of my favorite decades of dance, because it’s so bouncy and fun – kind of like the style in the ‘20s. And you don’t need a partner – which is good for me because I can’t always find someone willing to dance with me! The Twist is probably the most famous of the 1960s dances, but there were a ton of jerky Mod dances – like The Pony, the Watusi, the Swim, the Monkey, the Jerk, the Freddy, and the Mashed Potato.  As the ‘60s rolled on, Psychedelic dances started – which are completely experimental and freeform and all about “feeling the music”. And of course in the 1970s, we’ve got the explosion of disco. I don’t know too many disco dances, but I think I’ve perfected The Hustle! I’ve yet to do too much research on dances of the 1980s and 1990s (though, I think I can remember the Macarena), and I don’t know if I could ever bring myself to do the Gangnam Style dance…

 

I think, however, my favorite dance from a previous decade at the moment wasn’t even really a popular dance craze. While I was doing my research on dances from the 1970s, I ran across the music video of Kate Bush’s song, “Wuthering Heights”. I love the song, but had never seen the video before. I think her style of dance would fit more in the freeform, psychedelic area, and while it may look a little silly as I dance with Kate in my living room, it’s a whole lot of fun!

 

*I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star...*

I’ve recently gotten myself a copy of Fiona Apple’s latest album, The Idler Wheel… It’s definitely a very interesting listen, and one I’d recommend. For those of you unfamiliar with Fiona Apple, her music is dark, dreary, occasionally uplifting, and always emotional. The songs have a structure more associated with pop music, but her deep voice shows that there is something more profound and disturbing under this facade. Her husky alto voice carries the songs with a rare intensity (and is a bit reminiscent of a torch singer from the '30s), backed with swelling strings and delicate piano melodies.

 

While Fiona has been in the music scene for more than 15 years, she has been a fairly recent addition to my music collection. I actually went and searched down some of her music a few years ago, after watching some VH1 show featuring the “Top Songs of the ‘90s”… The first song I heard of hers is probably her most famous, “Criminal”. After downloading a handful of songs from her first album, Tidal, I ran across “Paper Bag” and it quickly became a favorite of mine – and one I’ve often dubbed as my theme song.  The simple, grooving drumbeat, melodic piano and poetic lyrics hooked me. I listened to the song over and over, each time identifying with and finding a new appreciation in another layer of the song.

 

Since then, I’ve found myself listening to Fiona Apple on a fairly regular basis. She only has 4 albums, but all of them have noteworthy qualities and songs that I would urge anyone to take the time to listen. Tidal  is dark, murky, and soulful. As a songwriter, her songs are blunt, emotional, pensive, and self absorbed yet strangely relevant. This is a woman who knows she's screwed up, but isn't going to ground herself in her pretensions. She's world weary... Opening with "Sleep To Dream", a stalking theme of romantic collapse with biting lyrics and thundering piano taps. "Sullen Girl" is powerful. In fact, this whole album is commanding. "Slow Like Honey", "Never Is A Promise", "Shadowboxer", "Criminal", are all significant. It's hard to believe that a 17 year old girl wrote these melodies and words. Her vocals ache with disappointment, regret, and pain. And what’s even more interesting about hearing her first album, is to see how she evolves as a musician and songwriter.

 

Her next album, When The Pawn…,  is still probably my favorite album. While her first album could become a bit tedious, this album contains all of my favorite songs of hers. “Limp” is, musically, a wild ride of complex melody, jazzy interludes, and poetry. “Love Ridden” is a mellow discussion of the aftermath of a breakup. “Fast As You Can” is another amazing song. Opening with an unique drum fill before kicking in with a driving piano part and fast paced vocals, the tempo change in the middle makes for an interesting listen and stands out in contrast to the rest of the song. And “Get Gone”… The repeated piano riff through the verses is rather addictive and interesting and I find the lyrics and passion behind the performance quite liberating. Again, I love the contrast in this song – how the quiet verses transform to the strong chorus, where she defiantly sings, “I do know what’s good for me”. I love that. The album closes with the slow, subtle ballad that is an almost hopeful end to a somewhat cynical album.

 

After six years of waiting, Fiona released her third album in 2005, Extraordinary Machine. away, "Extraordinary Machine" grabs you, with its unexpected orchestrations--oboe and bells that delightfully enhance this downright catchy tune. The ironic pairing of such whimsy with lyrics about adaptability in a raucous relationship is delicious. “O’Sailor” may be my favorite on the album, with her trademark piano style and smoky yet yearning vocals. "Not About Love" describes the scene after a late-night fight or possibly break-up. "Get Him Back" narrates the vengeful plans of a jaded lover that eventually finds herself wanting back the one man who didn't disappoint her. Probably the most outwardly angry songs on the album is "Window" where she tells about how a "filthy pane of glass" was obstructing her view out a window while a lover is confessing to having an affair.

 

Which brings me to her latest album, The Idler Wheel… Upon my first listen or two, I knew this was different from previous releases. I listened to it often through the month of December and it really hit me that Fiona is pouring her emotions out like never before. She is really letting loose and her voice sounds better than ever. The writing and creativity is superb. While not all of the songs are instantly accessible, this is some of the most passionate, emotional work I have heard from her. "Every Single Night" starts out quietly, with a vibraphone/toy piano sound, joined by an acoustic base; she starts softly, soon becomes demanding: "That's when the pain comes in...Like a second skeleton/Trying to fit beneath the skin/I can't fit the feelings in/Every single night's alright with my brain." There are not words at my disposal to describe the emotional changes that this song brings you through, but it had my mouth open in disbelief, it was so powerful.

"Werewolf" is another standout track set to a chiming piano. This dichotomy, this my fault/your fault push and pull is something that she excels at, and this song is no exception, and it is developed into a description of an obsessive relationship, full of pain but full of fire. "If I'm butter, then he's a hot knife, He makes my heart a cinemascope..." she croons to an insistent tom tom beat on "Hot Knife" and soon a dark dancing piano figure comes in, and Fiona, tight and controlled begins harmonizing with her sister, twisting in and out of each other's melodies, forming a complex web of sound that is still focused and sharp. It is an astonishing achievement that she pulls off with incredible focus, and her sister's voice is not only an amazing counterpoint to her own, but is hauntingly similar. All in all, this is an incredibly intimate album.

 

Fiona brings a sultry mix of blues, pop, rock, and R&B to the table, along with edgy lyrics and fresh perspective. I look forward to hearing more from her, even if I have to wait another 7 years for a new album.

*Driftin' through the dreams we used to share ... *

Thirty years ago, Karen Carpenter passed away. As I’ve expressed before, I’ve been a long time Carpenters fan and Karen has always been quite special to me. I thought that in remembrance of this exceptional talent, I’d write a little bit about her solo album.

 

Now, Karen’s solo album is the source of some controversy among the Karen Carpenter fan community (and yes, I am a part of said community!). The story of Karen’s solo album is a bit tragic considering the album was ultimately shelved and wasn’t released until 13 years after Karen left this world. When Karen started her solo project, Richard was in rehab ridding himself of a sleeping pill addiction. Rather than remaining idle, she went out to New York, teamed up with producer, Phil Ramone (known for producing for Billy Joel and Paul Simon), and started work on an album. I’m sure it was an odd experience for Karen to be in the studio without her brother, but I bet it was also quite liberating for her to be breaking out of the Carpenters mold and doing something on her own.

 

The album didn’t come together quickly, taking well over a year to complete. After it was finished and Karen came back to LA, she was called into an intense meeting to discuss the release of the album. Despite the fact that Karen was rather proud of the record, the pressure and negative criticism from the label and Richard, Karen reluctantly allowed the album to be shelved.

 

In 1996, the album was released to little fanfare – though, I remember cutting out a small article out of a magazine that mentioned the album. And of course, in 1996, being deep in my Carpenters obsession, I picked up the CD from Camelot Music in the local mall. Upon first listen, I enjoyed it (except for the second track, “All Because of You” - a song that has since become a favorite). My favorite song from the album at that time was “If I Had You” – I loved all the intricate layers of harmonies and complex vocal arrangements.

 

I hadn’t listened to the album much for several years, but after getting the book Little Girl Blue, I felt the need to dust of the album and check it out again. As is typical of anytime you haven’t listened to something for a while, I heard much more than I had the first time around and heard it in a different way. The album is much different from the standard Carpenter albums – Karen is edgier here than she was as part of the Carpenters. She plays with a number of styles including disco, power pop, smooth jazz, and includes a couple tunes with a bit of a country lilt to them. While this album is not my favorite work of Karen’s, I do enjoy the songs.

 

The album opens with an upbeat disco tune, “Lovelines” (Karen was a fan of disco). The next song is “All Because of You”, which has become the most played song on my iPod of her solo songs. It’s an interesting song because it’s just Karen accompanied by an acoustic guitar – very limited production, which I dig. Karen’s performance is very intimate and sincere. “If I Had You” is all about the complex vocals – my favorite part is towards the end, when you’ve got about 16 Karen’s singing together. “Making Love In the Afternoon” is a sunny, light pop song that Peter Cetera contributes some background singing on. “If We Try” is a jazzy ballad and “Remember When Lovin’ Took All Night” is another disco infused song. “Still In Love With You” used to be my idea of what rock music was (at that age, I had very limited exposure to true rock music). And while it’s definitely not rock, it is a catchy power-pop song with some crunchy guitars. “My Body Keeps Changing My Mind” takes you back to some more disco, but the limited production version of “Make Believe It’s Your First Time” I feel is far superior to the later released Richard Carpenter arrangement. To me, when you’re dealing with such a rich, pure voice like Karen’s, there’s no need to add choirs and heavy orchestration… At least, not with such an intimate song. “Guess I Just Lost My Head” is a nice ballad with some lovely harmonies. “Still Crazy After All These Years” is a splendid cover of the Paul Simon ballad (For some reason, it always makes me envision Karen singing it leaning against a piano in a smoky bar – but that’s just me.) “Last One Singin’ the Blues” was notable for me when I first heard it because I was so excited about hearing Karen speaking a little at the beginning – instructing the band about taking it a bit slower this time. (I had never heard her speaking voice at this point, thus the novelty!)

 

Of course, there are also quite a few outtakes from her solo sessions that are floating around on the internet – and I’m rather intrigued by them as well. My favorites of the non-released tracks are the ballad “It’s Really You” and the edgy “Keep My Lovelight Burning”.

 

So… All in all, it’s a very pleasant listen, though I’ll admit to a number of the songs being a  bit dated. There’s definitely a 1979-1980 feel to the productions, but that is when they were recorded, so it should be expected. And while I’m not convinced the album would have been a smash hit, I do firmly believe it wouldn’t have been a flop and that it should have been released when originally intended. (And I do prefer her solo album to the following Carpenters album, Made In America). Of course, it’s hard to know how the release of the album would have changed the course of events in Karen or Richard’s lives, and I’m not going to play the “what if?” game now. I guess all we really need to remember is that Karen was a remarkable talent – both as a drummer and as a vocalist. Her voice was always rich, pure, and haunting and provided layers of longing, maturity, and vulnerability. She will always be remembered.

*Whatever gets you through the night, 'salright...*

I’ve been listening to a great deal of John Lennon’s solo stuff lately. John Lennon, as a person, was probably one of the most fascinatingly complex icons of the last century. He is documented as saying, “When I was a child, I always wondered, 'Am I crazy, or am I a genius?'” The statement is pure John Lennon: incredible ego plagued by raging insecurity. And while I don’t know if I think he’s either crazy or a genius, I do know that he was an eccentric, really clever, and highly creative man with a desire to use his fame to publicize social issues he felt strongly about. He was a very public figure who advocated for peace, and did so very loudly for a while, then did almost a 180 and became a house-husband for several years. Though, this blog is about music, so before I digress into a long-winded post about John Lennon, the man, I better pull the reigns back in and talk about John Lennon, the songwriter and musician.

 

I’ve had all of John Lennon’s solo albums for quite some time. All of his albums are notable for multiple reasons, though, I’ll admit that I’ve been quite partial to Mind Games ever since I first heard it over a decade ago. Mind Games is a pretty mellow listen and is quite solid from start to finish, even if much of the abrasiveness John is famous for in critical circles is missing.

 

Instead, on this recording, he sounds content, happy and relaxed, and it's precisely these qualities which make it a favorite of. Even the politically-oriented material, like "Bring On The Lucie", skips happily along. And then there are the ballads-- remarkable, lush, sweeping classics like "Aisumasen", "Out Of The Blue" (which I believe I’ve discussed before) and "You Are Here", with some of the finest vocals in his career. “One Day (At A Time)” is another lovely ballad, with John singing entirely in falsetto and some opulent harmonies in the backing vocals. "Intuition" is a fantastic track with great lyrics and a bouncing bass line. Not to mention the title track, an anthem of the same vein as “Imagine”. Then, of course, there’s the absolutely fantastic rocker, “Meat City” featured as the album closer.

 

While, Mind Games, has long been a favorite Lennon album of mine, lately I’ve been thoroughly engrossed with the box set, Lennon Anthology. If you are a Lennon fan, I highly recommend giving this a listen, because a number of the “stripped down” and “demo versions” are, if not better, an even more interesting variation of the singles and tracks we’ve become so familiar with. The demos of “What You Got” and “I’m Losing You” (referred to as “Stranger’s Room”), accompanied by only acoustic guitar or piano, are fantastic – and I’m always fascinated with hearing how the songs evolve from their inception. I was also very intrigued by the early studio version of “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” sans Elton John and with a very mid-‘70s dance beat, a little reminiscent of “The Hustle”. Getting to hear John’s version of “I’m the Greatest” is amazing, but I think my favorite may be the stripped down version of “Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out”. Hearing it without the heavy brass, where the piano and acoustic guitar are so prominent, is incredible… and John’s vocals on this version are so sincerely heart-felt. I love it, particularly when he raises his voice during the bridge…

 

So… while you may or may not agree with the icon status John Lennon has achieved, particularly since his death, you can’t deny the man’s tremendous talent and the enormous impact he had on the world of music.

 

 

 

*Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime…*

I’m going to admit something to you… Christmas music isn’t my favorite music in the world. In fact, I believe all the years of working in the retail world over the holiday season may have permanently soured me on a large percentage of the holiday tunes that tend to be piped into stores from November 1^st through the end of the year. Though, there are a couple dozen tunes that tend to be staples in my music collection at Christmastime.

 

The Carpenters Christmas albums (A Christmas Portrait and An Old Fashioned Christmas) never fail to bring happy memories of childhood Christmases. It’s probably my favorite Christmas album. Karen's rich and warm voice over a dazzling selection of beautifully arranged Christmas songs, is a perfect cup of hot chocolate for the season. There a number of lovely classic Christmas tunes, saturated in gorgeous harmonies and a few medleys (which, I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for). My favorites of the Carpenters’ holiday songs are “Christmas Waltz”, “Sleigh Ride”, “It’s Christmas Time”, “Little Alter Boy”, and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”. Of course, I absolutely adore Richard’s impressive piano solo of “Carol of the Bells” and my favorite Christmas carol for many years was the now classic, “Merry Christmas Darling”.

 

Aside from The Carpenters’ albums, there aren’t too many other full holiday albums that I even listen to, let alone own. I do enjoy The Partridge Family song, “My Christmas Card To You” and included it as the opening track on the Christmas CD I sent out one year (instead of Christmas cards). Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” from Meet Me In St. Louis is flawless. There are a handful of Frank Sinatra holiday carols that tend to play on my iPod in December and of course, Nat King Cole’s rendition of “The Christmas Song” may be the definitive version of the song in my book. I couldn’t exclude Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and I threw in his collaboration with The Andrews Sisters, “Mele Kalikimaka” in last year’s Christmas compilation. I ran across a duet that Bing did with Judy on his radio show in 1950 and while I’m generally not a big fan of the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, I found their rendition entirely amusing – especially the bit about Rudolph “smoking Chesterfield’s all the day” (a shameless plug, I’m betting!)

 

When I was a child, I loved Barbra Streisand’s speedy performance of “Jingle Bells”. I also remember when I was about 8, I loved Amy Grant’s “Emmanuel”. And of course, I dug “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”. These days, I prefer Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmastime Is Here.” And, true to the die-hard Beatles fan I am, I will always find time to listen to Paul’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” and John’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”. But I think my favorite Christmas-y tune this year may be the 1967 Beatles Fan Club message, “Christmas Time Is Here Again”, complete with John Lennon speaking nonsense-speak. :)

 

Whatever Christmas tunes you prefer to listen to, I do wish a happy holiday season to you all!