Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. It's often an interesting mix. There are songs though, that I really want the world to appreciate as much as I do. Songs that make me say, "Ooh, listen to THIS! Isn't it great?!"
This morning was another tough one to choose from. But I will not break my own rule - 3 songs. Period. I'll also try to not repeat the artist, too often. Here's what I heard this morning:
RXRA (Eric Serra): "Little Light of Love"
This song is from the soundtrack of the wonderful 1997 film, The Fifth Element. When I first heard it, I thought it was yet another amazing Peter Gabriel tune I had somehow missed. But it's not Peter. It's Eric Serra. There are so many hooks in this song - it's infectious. And Nourith Sibony's amazing vocals on the end of the song, along with the guitar part that echoes the melody, are hypnotic. I can listen to it over and over again.
Switchfoot: "Dare You to Move New"
This alternate version of the hit song is from 2004's The Beautiful Letdown. My favorite parts of this version are the percussion behind the first verse, the killer guitar in the second verse, and the build into the final chorus. Switchfoot cranks out great rock-pop songs with really hopeful messages. This is definitely one of those.
The Budos Band: "Budos Rising"
This 10-piece band from Brooklyn offers up Latin-flavored instrumentals (they call it Afro-Soul), heavy on the horn section, produced in a very rough 70's style. Even on CD, you can practically hear the scratches and pops as you listen. I first discovered them about a decade ago and they now have three albums and an EP. This track is from The Budos Band II. I always think, if the World's Most Interesting Man had a theme song, this would be it.
Until next time...
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Three from the Train: Pinnick Gales Pridgen, Bill Spooner, U.K.
Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. It's often an interesting mix. There are songs though, that I really want the world to appreciate as much as I do. Songs that make me say, "Ooh, listen to THIS! Isn't that great?!"
This morning was tough. I hear at least six songs I'd love to bring to your attention. But I will not break my own rule. I'll also try not to repeat the artist, too often. Here's what I heard this morning:
Pinnick Gales Pridgen: "Been So High (The Only Place to Go is Down)"
So, once upon a time, three incredible musicians got together to form a band and see what kind of music came out. We used to call those super groups, like Asia. This super group is made up of Dug Pinnick (King's X) on bass and vocals, Eric Gales on guitar and vocals, and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta) on drums. What came out was magic. Dug has been my favorite rock vocalist for decades and he's a heck of a bass player, too. Eric Gales channels Jimi like no one else I've ever heard, and Thomas, though new to me, is amazing, as well. Check out this track from their debut album, Pinnick Gales Pridgen.
Bill Spooner: "Too Much"
I'm a huge Tubes fan. Not to detract from the other GREAT talents in the band, one of the truly creative geniuses behind the Tubes was Bill Spooner. He left the band back in the mid 80's and kind of fell off the radar. I try to keep up with what he's been doing because I love, so much, his voice, his writing, and the choices he makes as a guitarist. This is a song - a beautiful song - that he released on 2001's Demolicious: Adventures in Lo-Fi. To me, it encapsulates everything that makes Bill so amazing.
U.K.: "Night After Night"
Speaking of super groups, U.K. was comprised of John Wetton (King Crimson), Eddie Jobson (Roxy Music, Zappa), Alan Holdsworth, and Bill Bruford (Yes, etc.). Terry Bozzio (Zappa) replaced Bruford in 1978, and in 1979, U.K. released the live album, Night After Night, recorded in Japan. Hey, if it worked for Cheap Trick and Deep Purple, then why not U.K.? This track is from that live album. It's classic 70's progressive rock-pop. I really love the audience clapping along with the song the whole way through.
Until Next Time...
This morning was tough. I hear at least six songs I'd love to bring to your attention. But I will not break my own rule. I'll also try not to repeat the artist, too often. Here's what I heard this morning:
Pinnick Gales Pridgen: "Been So High (The Only Place to Go is Down)"
So, once upon a time, three incredible musicians got together to form a band and see what kind of music came out. We used to call those super groups, like Asia. This super group is made up of Dug Pinnick (King's X) on bass and vocals, Eric Gales on guitar and vocals, and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta) on drums. What came out was magic. Dug has been my favorite rock vocalist for decades and he's a heck of a bass player, too. Eric Gales channels Jimi like no one else I've ever heard, and Thomas, though new to me, is amazing, as well. Check out this track from their debut album, Pinnick Gales Pridgen.
Bill Spooner: "Too Much"
I'm a huge Tubes fan. Not to detract from the other GREAT talents in the band, one of the truly creative geniuses behind the Tubes was Bill Spooner. He left the band back in the mid 80's and kind of fell off the radar. I try to keep up with what he's been doing because I love, so much, his voice, his writing, and the choices he makes as a guitarist. This is a song - a beautiful song - that he released on 2001's Demolicious: Adventures in Lo-Fi. To me, it encapsulates everything that makes Bill so amazing.
U.K.: "Night After Night"
Speaking of super groups, U.K. was comprised of John Wetton (King Crimson), Eddie Jobson (Roxy Music, Zappa), Alan Holdsworth, and Bill Bruford (Yes, etc.). Terry Bozzio (Zappa) replaced Bruford in 1978, and in 1979, U.K. released the live album, Night After Night, recorded in Japan. Hey, if it worked for Cheap Trick and Deep Purple, then why not U.K.? This track is from that live album. It's classic 70's progressive rock-pop. I really love the audience clapping along with the song the whole way through.
Until Next Time...
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Three from the Train: The Carpenters, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison
Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.
Here's what I heard this morning:
The Carpenters: "It's Going to Take Some Time"
Carole King co-wrote this great song with Ton Stern. The top 10 hit shows up on The Carpenters 1972 album, A Song for You. I love the little piano hook and the harmonies. Karen Carpenter had the perfect pop voice. I remember as a kid, laying awake late at night, riding in the back seat of my parents car and listening to AM radio hits by the glow of the radio dial. This is one of those songs I remember vividly.
Elvis Presley: "It's Now or Never"
In 1960, this was the B-side of "A Mess of Blues." Elvis channels Roy Orbison in this song. I think it's one of his best vocal performances. His vibrato and control is superb.
Roy Orbison: "Leah"
Hey, what the heck, let's keep with the sappy pop stuff. Guess the iPhone was in that sort of mood this morning. "Leah" was released as a single in 1962. (No, my daughter is not named after this song. Or the Donnie Iris song, either.) Here's the version from 1987's A Black and White Night Live, featuring a host of other artists.
Until Next Time...
Here's what I heard this morning:
The Carpenters: "It's Going to Take Some Time"
Carole King co-wrote this great song with Ton Stern. The top 10 hit shows up on The Carpenters 1972 album, A Song for You. I love the little piano hook and the harmonies. Karen Carpenter had the perfect pop voice. I remember as a kid, laying awake late at night, riding in the back seat of my parents car and listening to AM radio hits by the glow of the radio dial. This is one of those songs I remember vividly.
Elvis Presley: "It's Now or Never"
In 1960, this was the B-side of "A Mess of Blues." Elvis channels Roy Orbison in this song. I think it's one of his best vocal performances. His vibrato and control is superb.
Roy Orbison: "Leah"
Hey, what the heck, let's keep with the sappy pop stuff. Guess the iPhone was in that sort of mood this morning. "Leah" was released as a single in 1962. (No, my daughter is not named after this song. Or the Donnie Iris song, either.) Here's the version from 1987's A Black and White Night Live, featuring a host of other artists.
Until Next Time...
Monday, August 11, 2014
Three from the Train: Hüsker Dü, David Bowie, The Fags
Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.
Here's what I heard this morning:
Hüsker Dü: "It's Not Peculiar"
I discovered these guys on MTV's late Sunday night show, 120 Minutes. That was the best two hours of programming MTV ever had. When I heard "Could You Be The One" from 1987's Warehouse: Songs and Stories album, I was instantly hooked. I bought the cassette and wore it out on my Walkman. There are a lot of great songs on that double album and this is one of my favorites.
David Bowie: "It's No Game (Part 1)"
From Bowie's 1980 release Scary Monsters. What a great album - one of my favorite Bowie albums. It yielded two hits, "Ashes to Ashes" and "Fashion," but what I really love is the chaotic nature of this record. Here's the opening track featuring Robert Fripp's guitar work that is unlike anything else I"d heard before it and Bowie's frantic and often panicked voice that sets an amazing tone for this record, one that is "full of tension and fear."
The Fags: "List"
The Fags are a 3-piece from Detroit that play '70s-style power-crunch-pop a la Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, the Police, etc. I first caught them on some obscure internet radio show in 2002. The group had just released a five-song EP. It's one of my favorite possessions. I LOVE this band. Here's one reason why.
Until Next Time...
Here's what I heard this morning:
Hüsker Dü: "It's Not Peculiar"
I discovered these guys on MTV's late Sunday night show, 120 Minutes. That was the best two hours of programming MTV ever had. When I heard "Could You Be The One" from 1987's Warehouse: Songs and Stories album, I was instantly hooked. I bought the cassette and wore it out on my Walkman. There are a lot of great songs on that double album and this is one of my favorites.
David Bowie: "It's No Game (Part 1)"
From Bowie's 1980 release Scary Monsters. What a great album - one of my favorite Bowie albums. It yielded two hits, "Ashes to Ashes" and "Fashion," but what I really love is the chaotic nature of this record. Here's the opening track featuring Robert Fripp's guitar work that is unlike anything else I"d heard before it and Bowie's frantic and often panicked voice that sets an amazing tone for this record, one that is "full of tension and fear."
The Fags: "List"
The Fags are a 3-piece from Detroit that play '70s-style power-crunch-pop a la Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, the Police, etc. I first caught them on some obscure internet radio show in 2002. The group had just released a five-song EP. It's one of my favorite possessions. I LOVE this band. Here's one reason why.
Until Next Time...
Friday, August 8, 2014
Three from the Train: Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, The Tubes
Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.
Here's what I heard this morning:
Bob Marley and the Wailers: "Exodus"
This is the slightly faster version from the 1984 Legend album, a greatest hits of sort. There is another, slower version was on Marley's Exodus album, circa 1977.
Johnny Cash: "The Long Black Veil"
From the Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison album (1968). This kind of story-telling in a song is what Johnny does best. Love the interaction with the inmates. I was a late comer to Johnny's music, having hated "country" when I was a kid. Of course, there's a huge difference between this music, which is authentic, and the garbage coming out of Nashville today that passes as country. Gimme some Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or George Jones any day of the week.
The Tubes: "You're No Fun"
The version I heard this morning was from their 1978 What Do You Want from Live? album. Couldn't find that one out there, so you'll have to settle for the studio version from Now, the album they were supporting on that tour in 1978. The Tubes are a personal favorite, so they're likely to show up here often.
Until Next Time...
Here's what I heard this morning:
Bob Marley and the Wailers: "Exodus"
This is the slightly faster version from the 1984 Legend album, a greatest hits of sort. There is another, slower version was on Marley's Exodus album, circa 1977.
Johnny Cash: "The Long Black Veil"
From the Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison album (1968). This kind of story-telling in a song is what Johnny does best. Love the interaction with the inmates. I was a late comer to Johnny's music, having hated "country" when I was a kid. Of course, there's a huge difference between this music, which is authentic, and the garbage coming out of Nashville today that passes as country. Gimme some Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or George Jones any day of the week.
The Tubes: "You're No Fun"
The version I heard this morning was from their 1978 What Do You Want from Live? album. Couldn't find that one out there, so you'll have to settle for the studio version from Now, the album they were supporting on that tour in 1978. The Tubes are a personal favorite, so they're likely to show up here often.
Until Next Time...
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Three from the Train: Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, The Producers
Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.
There was a lot of great music in rotation this morning, so this was a tough choice:
Paul McCartney: "Dear Boy"
Ram is my favorite McCartney solo album and this song is the 4th track from that 1971 release. It's the track that leads into "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." There's a lot of speculation about who the song is about: John Lennon insisted the song was about him and Yoko but Paul maintained it was about himself and his love for Linda. Regardless (and I never gave it THAT much thought) it's a great song that few have heard or know about. Love the harmonies and the do-to-doing.
Billy Joel: "She's Right On Time"
I'm not a huge fan of the stuff Bill Joel is best known for. My taste in his stuff is a little less predictable (No "Piano Man", please). In fact, my two favorite Billy Joel albums are 1981's live album, Songs in the Attic and 1982's Nylon Curtain. This track form the latter is one of my favorites. I love the sentiment and the conviction.
The Producers: "What's He Got?"
The opening track from their 1981 debut album, The Producers. The video is kinda silly, but close your eyes and listen to the song. Pure 80's pop at its very best. They should have made it illegal for anyone to ever use this chord progression after this song was released. (It's so over used now that I can barely stand it when I hear it.) I love the background vocals - na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na - on this track.
Until Next Time...
There was a lot of great music in rotation this morning, so this was a tough choice:
Paul McCartney: "Dear Boy"
Ram is my favorite McCartney solo album and this song is the 4th track from that 1971 release. It's the track that leads into "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." There's a lot of speculation about who the song is about: John Lennon insisted the song was about him and Yoko but Paul maintained it was about himself and his love for Linda. Regardless (and I never gave it THAT much thought) it's a great song that few have heard or know about. Love the harmonies and the do-to-doing.
Billy Joel: "She's Right On Time"
I'm not a huge fan of the stuff Bill Joel is best known for. My taste in his stuff is a little less predictable (No "Piano Man", please). In fact, my two favorite Billy Joel albums are 1981's live album, Songs in the Attic and 1982's Nylon Curtain. This track form the latter is one of my favorites. I love the sentiment and the conviction.
The Producers: "What's He Got?"
The opening track from their 1981 debut album, The Producers. The video is kinda silly, but close your eyes and listen to the song. Pure 80's pop at its very best. They should have made it illegal for anyone to ever use this chord progression after this song was released. (It's so over used now that I can barely stand it when I hear it.) I love the background vocals - na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na - on this track.
Until Next Time...
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Three from the Train: Brand X, Chris Whitley, Dread Zeppelin
Every morning that I decide to drag myself to the city, I have a little over an hour to listen to music on the train. I put the iPhone music player on shuffle, and off I go. Calling my collection eclectic would be an understatement. So it's often an interesting mix.
Here's what found its way into rotation today:
Brand X: "Sun in the Night"
From 1977's Moroccan Roll, this track features Phil Collins singing Sanskrit and Percy Jones on what I can best call Sitar Bass - a weird phased and chorused out the wazoo fretless bass part that dominates the song. If you've never heard this album in it's entirety, you're missing some of the best British fusion ever made.
Chris Whitley: "Can't Get Off"
1995's Din of Ecstasy is the follow-up to Chris Whitley's amazing debut, Living with the Law. I love the guitar on this track. I can't say enough about how much I love Chris's work. The world lost him to lung cancer almost a decade ago - tragic. If you don't know about Chris Whitley, check him out.
Dread Zeppelin: "Nobody's Fault But Mine"
What DO you get when you reboot Zeppelin as a Reggae band and hire an Elvis impersonator as your lead singer? Dread Zeppelin, of course. From their second album, 5,000,000* (*Tortelvis Fans Can't Be Wrong). Nothing I can say can prepare your for this if you've never heard them before.
Until Next Time...
Here's what found its way into rotation today:
Brand X: "Sun in the Night"
From 1977's Moroccan Roll, this track features Phil Collins singing Sanskrit and Percy Jones on what I can best call Sitar Bass - a weird phased and chorused out the wazoo fretless bass part that dominates the song. If you've never heard this album in it's entirety, you're missing some of the best British fusion ever made.
Chris Whitley: "Can't Get Off"
1995's Din of Ecstasy is the follow-up to Chris Whitley's amazing debut, Living with the Law. I love the guitar on this track. I can't say enough about how much I love Chris's work. The world lost him to lung cancer almost a decade ago - tragic. If you don't know about Chris Whitley, check him out.
Dread Zeppelin: "Nobody's Fault But Mine"
What DO you get when you reboot Zeppelin as a Reggae band and hire an Elvis impersonator as your lead singer? Dread Zeppelin, of course. From their second album, 5,000,000* (*Tortelvis Fans Can't Be Wrong). Nothing I can say can prepare your for this if you've never heard them before.
Until Next Time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
