Only the young rock out?

In the late '90s, I heard an aspiring DJ call an AM radio talk show host for advice.  He told the host he'd like to work at a classic rock station.  The rest of the exchange went like this:

Host:  That'll be fine for about three or four years.

Caller:  Then what?

Host:  Then, you grow up.

That's ironic advice, coming from a host whose recurring slogan was, "I refuse to grow up."

Online radio sampler highlights CXXXI

Eight of the better tunes I've heard today:

KDKI (Twin Falls, ID)

• All Of Me-Billie Holiday (One of the more definitive vocal renditions of this standard.)
• Just One Of Those Things-Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson (Armstrong's gravelly vocals mesh well with Peterson's piano underscoring.)

KORJ (Butte Falls, OR)

• Kelly's Garden-Laurie Z. (An inviting piano waltz; Crowded House's "Pineapple Head" would sound compatible before or after it.)
• Storm In The Valley-Pete Huttlinger (A pleasant uptempo guitar melody.  The title puzzles me, though, as the tune sounds more like the calm before or after a storm.)

WLOU (Louisville, KY)

• All This Love-DeBarge (I remember this getting heavy airplay on soft rock stations in 1983. This ballad's sentiments are appropriate for any era, so I'm surprised I don't hear it at least slightly more often today.)
• Use Me-Bill Withers (The keyboard intro establishes an immediate atmosphere for some of Withers' most forthright vocals.  Instrumentally and vocally, this is one of the best songs Withers ever recorded.  For someone who knows he's being used, the protagonist is clearly at peace with it.)

WZBT (Gettysburg, PA)

• Tired Eyes-Ruby Bones (This new track sports a good driving energy and could segue with "Happy Unhappy" by The Beths.)
• Summer Sun-Slow Down, Molasses (Guitar-heavy in a positive sense; the tune would work as well or better as an instrumental.  Somehow, the chord progression reminds me of Echo & The Bunnymen's "My Kingdom."  "That's On Me" by Wavves would flow well after this.)
  

FM dial scan highlights CLIV

Six impressive tunes heard today:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Career Opportunities-The Clash (This is one of the best uses of kids' voices in a song.  When you're young, it's daunting to realize that you're facing decades of work before retirement.  There's no denying that almost everyone's career path includes frustrating, tedious aspects...)
• Three Miles Down-Gil Scott-Heron (...or health hazards.  As these lyrics drive home, there's no way to know what it's like to work in a mine if you've never done it.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Over Easy-Booker T. & The MGs (A piano rhythm fit for sashaying into a room, even if no one's around.)
• (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66-Nat King Cole (There are so many versions of this, but few of them rival Cole's smooth vocals.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Hard Up-The Bamboos (Appropriately powerful vocals, guitar, and bass; that's fitting for these lyrics about how draining work is sometimes.)
• Sky Full Of Song-Florence + The Machine (All of us are imperfect mortals.  Inevitably, not every choice we make will be the wisest one.  Of the Florence + The Machine songs I've heard, this one sounds especially well-suited for concerts.)
  

Ruling out raps to the skull?

A memory from high school Summer bass camp: The instructor, Mrs. S., divided us into groups, saying, "Why don't those of you in the seats go work with Tom, (the piano player), on your pieces?  While they're doing that, those of you onstage can stay there and practice.  And, the others...I'll come up with something for them to do..."

Those of us onstage started laughing, realizing Mrs. S. was implying, "The other players need the most help, although it might be a lost cause," without saying it.  

When the other players were out of earshot, she mused, "Maybe I'll bang their heads together."

I'm not sure how Mrs. S. kept the remaining bass players occupied, but I'm guessing there was no cranial damage.

Reconsidered merit VIII

I understand why it topped the charts in 1988, but I still don't like it much.  Decades later, I still haven't warmed up to "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys.  Although I don't listen to a lot of the group's music regularly, I still like "Sail On Sailor," "Sloop John B," and "Heroes And Villains."

The group's comeback hit, "Kokomo," however, has never done much for me.  The rhyme scheme, which names various beach destinations and tropical getaway sites, just makes me shrug.  A lot of listeners obviously like hearing a song that reminds them of favorite vacation destinations, but a song whose essence is, "Come on, let's go to the beach," doesn't aspire to draw listeners in with its depth...

...So, I'll continue to flip past it when it comes on the radio.

The limits of reverence

Ah, Sunday--a day when you can relax and enjoy The Sixteen singing Claudio Monteverdi's "Mass For Four Voices."  It's a reverential piece and performance.  While listening to this piece today, my cat, Collette, spent much of her time attacking a toy mouse, a dragonfly toy, and any shoes that were in the path of those toys.  Eventually, however, she settled down, climbed onto my lap, and listened to the rest of the piece peacefully.

Presumably, God gives cats leeway in being reverential.

Well, it's the same number of syllables...

In recent days, I've been able to anticipate when my cat, Collette, was about to bite my feet.  I'd start humming the NyQuil jingle.  Instead of thinking, "NyQuil, to help you get your Zs," however, I'd think, "Now comes the biting of the feet."

Call it a passive acceptance of fate.

An overlooked cover tune LXXXIV

Despite listening to a wealth of singer-songwriter music over the years, I hadn't known of Dave Van Ronk's 1973 cover of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" until today.  While listening online to WWCF, a radio station in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, I was surprised to learn that this version existed.  A few thoughts came to mind after hearing it:

• You have to have absolute confidence to pull off a tune like this as an adult.  Van Ronk succeeds on this count.  Are his vocals completely in tune?  No.  The guitar is, however, and the song's sense of fun and heart come through.
• Lyrically, it's interesting how those who aren't teddy bears are advised to wear disguises.  (After all, this is a gathering of teddy bears who are still bears, after all.)  It's immediately clear, however, that the bears pose no threat--a wise choice for a children's song.
• Hearing this acoustic version of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" made me realize how smoothly John Kirkpatrick's "Jogging Along With My Reindeer" would segue with it.  It's equally whimsical in its own way.

I never expected to write a post recommending "Teddy Bears' Picnic," but this version checks the necessary boxes.  I wonder if KDHX's Grandfather Stark has ever played this on his "Musical Merry-Go-Round" show.

Birdsong for both of us

I could have written another "An overlooked cover tune" post today, praising the Paul Langford choral arrangement of the Stevie Nicks hit, "Edge Of Seventeen (Just Like The White Winged Dove.)"  Out of context, I would have been surprised to hear it last night on K297BI 107.3 FM.  Typically, on "Re-Choired Listening," I'd expect to hear more Classical choral works.  Knowing that the theme of the latest program was doves, however, made it slightly less surprising.  The version host Philip Barnes played honored the original version's spirit and demonstrated that multiple voices can pull off a pop hit intended for just one vocalist with aplomb.

Something else happened last night, though.  Barnes explained that some recent morning doves he'd discovered inspired this week's dove-themed program.  Before playing the first musical selection, he played a recording of those doves.  This excited my cat, Collette, to no end.  She perked up her ears, widened her eyes, ran to the stereo, and perched her front paws on a stack of CDs.  She looked at and around the speakers, trying to find the doves.  When she finally gave up trying to find them, she jumped on my lap and took in the rest of "Re-Choired Listening" contentedly with me.

It was a pleasure to see Collette react as excitedly to recorded doves as she has to those on the living room window sill.  It also brought back memories of another gray and white tabby who used to get just as intrigued by recorded birds as real ones.  Not just any program contains selections my cat and I can enjoy together.  I'm glad that last night's "Re-Choired Listening" made both of us pay attention.

SiriusXM highlights CXXIV

Standout tracks heard today:

The Covers Channel

• I Want You Back-Lake Street Dive (The cool, jazzy bass line sets the tone for this slowed-down, inspired take on the Jackson 5 hit.)

Deep Tracks

• Wade In The Water-Ellen McIlwaine (Impressive ringing guitar and infectious percussion; it took me a few minutes to appreciate McIlwaine's singing off the beat in places, but the passion in the vocals makes me recommend this version.  Also recommended: My two favorite versions of this tune by Ramsey Lewis and Eva Cassidy.) 
  

Iceberg

• Help Me-Joni Mitchell (Some of the most honest, forthright lyrics from the perspective of someone who fears she's smitten.  This hit also contains one of Mitchell's most appealing hooks.  If you like the general feel of the tune, you'll probably also like "Free Man In Paris" and "In France They Kiss On Main Street.") 
  

Luna

• Barandanga-Giovanni Hidalgo (This would make great underscoring for a suspenseful caper.)

Real Jazz

• Midnight Sun-Al Jarreau/Metropole Orchestra (Emotive traditional jazz singing with piano, strings and Miles-inspired trumpet.)
• How High The Moon-Oscar Peterson (A not surprisingly excellent rhythm section, with Peterson in command at the piano, carries off this jazz standard.  Seek out the Stratford Shakespearean Festival live performance for an expansive take on the tune.)

SiriusXMU

• Paper Cup-Real Estate featuring Sylvan Esso (Relaxed guitar and vocals; I hear elements of The Smiths and early to mid '80s underground rock here.)

A lesser known form of perseverance

My seventh grade chorus teacher, Mr. B., drilled our class frequently on rhythm.  He would write different rhythmic patterns on the chalkboard and ask us to clap each one in unison.

Late in one day's class, he told us, "Now, let's try this one."  One student, however, protested, "We can't clap anymore.  Our hands are raw."  

Mr. B. took a bemused look at the student's hands and said, "I have never seen a raw hand before."  Somehow, the rest of the class and she mustered the fortitude to clap out some more patterns.

This must be what "Survivor" host Jeff Probst means when he tells contestants, "You are going to have to dig deep!"

An overlooked cover tune LXXXIII

Even if it isn't to your taste, Johnny Cymbal's oldie, "Mr. Bass Man," warrants respect.  Not just anyone can sing a fast baritone part with this degree of precision and fun.  Scooter and Floyd performed it impressively on "The Muppet Show."

There's another version, however, that I've only heard on the radio once--because I was the one who played it.  While looking through the LPs at KCOU, I did a double take upon seeing that The Who's bassist, John Entwistle, covered it.  While it might not be a perfect rendition, it holds up well.  Entwistle captured the tune's inherent novelty value while staying true to the its spirit.  That's what makes a good cover version.  In retrospect, maybe I should have played it more than once.

Not a Herculean task

It's a simple enough task, so I don't know why I avoid it half the time.  Why do I put off putting an album back in its jacket or a CD back in its case after I've finished listening?  Then, before listening to music the next day, I have to put the previous album or CD back in its place before listening to another one.

Based on the way I delay it, however, you'd think it's an arduous, backbreaking challenge that's best avoided.

I'll admit it's an odd place at which to draw the line.

Macaroni nirvana?

I enjoy Kraft macaroni and cheese as much as the next person.  Still, I was surprised to hear Enya's "Only Time" used in a commercial for it recently.  It's good cheese sauce, yes, but I've never seen it as an existential choice my subconscious mind makes without knowing why.

To each, his or her own, though.

Context? CXII

A radio announcer, while doing a live commercial for a locally owned florist today, praised the family that runs the business.  "I've met them, and there's not a clunker in the bunch," he said.

That made me wonder, "What if there were slackers who worked in that family business?  Would the host have put a qualifier on the commercial, saying, 'Granted, John is frequently on his phone during work hours and might barely give customers a passing glance,' or 'Jane sometimes passes off plastic roses as real ones, telling unsuspecting customers that they just happened to grow with unusually rigid precision?'"

Obviously, he wouldn't have said that.  Still, I wonder if his tone might have been a bit more restrained.

Online radio sampler highlights CXXX

Classy and quirky gems heard today:

KCAT (Pine Bluff, AR)

• Born To Lose-Ray Charles (Vocals with feeling and orchestral underscoring suitable for wallowing in a breakup.)
• A Lover's Concerto-The Toys (Memorable vocals and a strong, ascending, singable hook.  "A Lover's Concerto" is a perfectly appropriate song title, but as a kid, I wished it had just been called "How Gentle Is The Rain," after the opening lyric.  It would have made the tune easier to find in record stores.  "Different Drum" by The Stone Poneys features some of Linda Ronstadt's most engaging vocals and would segue well after this.)

KJEM (Pullman, WA)

• Tea For Three-Makoto Ozone Trio (A jaunty, swingin' showcase for piano, bass, and drums.)
• Moonglow-Coleman Hawkins Trio (Elegant tenor sax that's ideal for a ballroom performance.  Great rhythmic support, as usual, from guitarist Kenny Burrell and bassist Ron Carter.)

WMKV (Reading, OH)

• Rockin' Chair-Harry James (Trumpet underscoring fit for a documentary about New Orleans.)
• The Typewriter-Leroy Anderson (Brisk orchestral underscoring fit for a workplace sitcom set in the '50s.)

WMVY (Edgartown, MA)

• Smoothie Song-Nickel Creek (If this doesn't inspire a guitarist, mandolin player, or fiddler to pick up their instruments and shred right along, I don't know what tune would.  Even after several hundred listens, I never tire of this raucous instrumental.  Also recommended: All of Nickel Creek's "This Side" album.)
• Linger-Jonatha Brooke (Strong lyrics about an unhealthy relationship, set to a singable, very of-its-time, i.e. 2001, rhythm.)
• Blue Sky-Patty Griffin (Immediately soaring guitar that pings from speaker to speaker, forthright vocals, and a solid hook...Why wasn't this a huge hit?  Sheryl Crow's "My Favorite Mistake" sounds right to me before it.)
• Sing For You-Tracy Chapman (An honest, heartwarming way of expressing appreciation for the people closest to you.)
• Love Reign O'er Me-Bettye LaVette (An effectively bluesy, emotively sung cover of one of The Who's best songs.)

"My sensibility! Mine, mine, mine!"

At an appointment today, I talked with the nurse about my longtime desire to be a radio station program director.  I never went down that path, however, because program directors usually don't have much job security and typically have to move from city to city.  Also, my desire to be a p.d. stemmed solely from wanting to set a station's musical agenda.  I didn't have much interest in managing people.  

"Ideally, I'd like to run and program my own noncommercial station," I told the nurse.  "I don't really want to work for or with anyone, though.  I just want to be a team of one."

"Then, it's not really a team," she replied.

"True," I answered.  "It's inherently contradictory..."

...but it's one of the rare times when I could say, "Go, team, go," and mean it.

Partial immunity, partial peace of mind

It's interesting to approximate how much relief I should feel after having one of two Covid vaccination shots.  I feel more at ease but not entirely relaxed.  After all, there's a difference between being fully and partially protected.  After my first injection, I sang softly to myself in the car, making up my own lyrics to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man."  Somehow, I doubt the song would sound as commanding if the group had used my lyrics, "I am immunized--not completely yet but partially!"

Qualifiers don't work so well in rock anthems, admittedly.

FM dial scan highlights CLIII

Six standout tunes heard yesterday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Mary-Take 6 (An outstanding a cappella rendition of the gospel standard more commonly known as "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep."  This is one of the many powerfully, perfectly sung highlights on Take 6's self-titled album.  Also recommended: Actually, I recommend the entire album, but other stellar tracks include "Gold Mine," "Get Away, Jordan," and "Spread Love.")
• Theid Mi Dhachaigh-Talitha Mackenzie (Well-produced, clear, resonant vocals fit for a lullaby.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Rainbow Seeker-Joe Sample (The keyboardist from The Crusaders in excellent form, as usual.  Part of the melody sounds like a faster version of a Crusaders with Bill Withers tune, "Soul Shadows.")

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Emma Rain-Elevations (The piano and trumpet set the tone right away.  To me, this sounds like underscoring for a dream that contains hints of turbulence.) 
  

KSHE 94.7 FM

• The Caves Of Altamira-Steely Dan (A somewhat overlooked track with thoughtful lyrics about early, primitive forms of record-keeping.  Not just any group could pull this off, lyrically or melodically.)
• Slipping Away-Dave Edmunds (The wall of guitar sound blasts through even the most limited speakers, right from the first note.  The electrified production values are firmly of their time, i.e. 1983, so it still puzzles me that this wasn't a bigger hit.)
  

An overlooked cover tune LXXXII

Lyrics about all of us being in this life together and treating each other with compassion and respect ought to translate into almost any genre.  That's true of Triste Janero's version of "Get Together."  Most listeners have heard the original version by The Youngbloods.  Until I heard Triste Janero's rendition, I'd never considered what a Brazilian take on "Get Together" might sound like, but it's an inviting cover that should be better known.

Not too much to ask II

I was already going to vote for the proposition that would alleviate overcrowding in my old school district.  Still, my resolve strengthened all the more when I read that my old elementary school doesn't have art or music classrooms.

In 2021?  Seriously?  Separate rooms for valid subjects such as art and music should be a given.  Holding classes in the hallway conveys the attitude, "We're only offering these subjects because we have to."

Fortunately, the proposition passed, so eventually, art and music teachers will once again have classrooms dedicated to those subjects.

Persistent earworm alert CCXXV

I was so relieved to finally have the first of two Covid vaccine shots today.  Since leaving the vaccination site, I've kept thinking of the song, "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow."  My revised lyrics, however, are "I'm immunized against Covid.  I'm immunized against Covid.  I'm immunized against Covid...Or, at least, I'm halfway there."

Here's hoping everyone who hasn't been vaccinated yet will be soon--and will get to rejoice in comparable fashion.

Context? CXI

Heard during a radio station's pledge drive today: "This station can't continue to exist just based on good wishes and good vibes."

True, admittedly.  Noncommercial radio has to get its funds from somewhere, so I try not to grouse any longer about pledge breaks--especially when I'm enjoying the station's programming otherwise.

Plausible song parodist tabby II

I'm concerned that my cat, Collette, has expanded her biting routine.  Until recently, she would just bite my feet.  Lately, however, she has also bitten my arms for no apparent reason.  Considering she has drawn blood three times in four days, it's no wonder I've been having a recurring dream.  In it, Collette sings her own version of Zapp's "I Can Make You Dance" through a vocal harmonizer.  Some days, she sings, "I can bite your feet if you want me to."  Other times, it's "I can bite your arms..."

At least in my dreams, if not reality, I have the illusion of a choice.

SiriusXM highlights CXXIII

Standout tunes heard yesterday:

Love

• I Just Fall In Love Again-Anne Murray (This contains one of Murray's stronger hooks and segues easily with one of her other 1979 hits, "Broken Hearted Me.")
  

Luna

• Triste-Dianne Reeves (This warm, engaging Antonio Carlos Jobim melody lends itself well to a vocals-and-guitar arrangement.  Also recommended: For one of the most ear-catching jazz piano intros ever, listen to Kenny Barron's version.) 
  

Real Jazz

• Boogie Stop Shuffle-Charles Mingus (From the brass to the bass, this tune conveys a sense of urgency convincingly.  This could segue with Povo's "The Art Of Blakey.") 

Siriusly Sinatra

• The Look Of Love-Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (Vocally, this is some of-its-time gravitas.  If you like this approach, you'll probably also enjoy this group's version of "Goin' Out Of My Head.") 
  

Soul Town

• I'm Doin' Fine Now-New York City (Good lyrics about recovering after a breakup.  I can imagine The Spinners singing this somewhat overlooked 1973 hit.)

Watercolors

• The Night Is Young-Jeff Kashiwa (A smooth, steady, driving saxophone groove.)

An overlooked cover tune LXXXI

I've probably heard Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" a few hundred times over the decades.  Today, thanks to Dianne Reeves and Robert Glasper, I heard it in a new light.  Through her thoughtful vocals, Reeves makes the listener pay attention to the "Things are rocky between us now, but eventually, things will settle down, and we'll both be fine," scenario Stevie Nicks crafted.  Glasper's jazzy piano highlights the rain-and-thunder aspects of the lyrics.  This winning combination makes me appreciate Fleetwood Mac's biggest hit all the more.

Off-pitch holiday joy

While listening to a church choir sing Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" on the radio this morning, I kept thinking, "I know I'm not fully awake, but this is rather...off-key."

I thought, "Well, it's Easter, and I'm in a good mood, so let's just give them credit for trying and consider it the 'joyful noise' I've heard about from the Bible."

For throwback Easter reverence...

...I recommend The London Fox Choir's rendition of "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today."  If you're seeking a rendition with vocals somewhere between the Mitch Miller and Ray Conniff ensembles, this is for you.

Online radio sampler highlights CXXIX

Some of the quirkier and/or more intriguing tunes I heard yesterday:

KNTU (Denton, TX) 

• Carry Christ Wherever You Are-Jeremy Pelt (A reflective trumpet piece that grows in intensity, with piano and vibraphone adding considerably to the atmosphere.)
• Quiet Is The Star-David Sills (A gentle melody for flute and guitars; the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 version of "So Many Stars" would flow smoothly into or out of this.)

KTUH (Honolulu, HI)

• Tequila Fish-Squarepusher (Throbbing electronica.  It's roughly four minutes of a semi-relaxing, chill soundscape followed by about two increasingly frenzied minutes.)
• Trouble With Dreams-Eels (Appropriately eerie backing instrumentation underscores the lyrics, with a suitably off-kilter video to match.  Another Eels tune, "Rotten World Blues," sounds appropriate after this.)

KUAK (Bismarck, ND)

• Run And Hide-Clashic (Catchy indie rock guitar, bass, and drums provide more than ample support for the vocals.)

WMMM (Madison, WI)

• I Need You-Jon Batiste (Batiste's new single sounds simultaneously old and new.  Lyrically, these are timeless sentiments with an infectious dose of jitterbug dance backing.)

WRLT (Nashville, TN)

• Dancing In The Dark-Nicole Atkins (A toned-down, quietly intense version of the Bruce Springsteen hit that wouldn't be out of place in a soap opera--or even a new age playlist.)
• Early Morning Breeze-Kishi Bashi (Although this is a cover of a Dolly Parton song, it's reminiscent of early '70s Gordon Lightfoot, lyrically and instrumentally.)
  

An overlooked cover tune LXXX

Whenever I'm asked to rate anything, I'm stingy about giving the highest or lowest grade.  Whatever I'm evaluating has to be pretty extraordinary to receive an A from me and virtually without redeeming qualities to elicit an F.  For me, much of the world falls at or around B- territory.

Today, however, I heard a cover song that deserves no less than an A.  Until today, I didn't know that the group Fanny released an excellent cover of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" in 1972.  (Thank you, YouTube algorithms, for recommending this to me based on my previous song choices.)  The piano playing brings the underappreciated band Joy Of Cooking to mind, and the wailing slide guitar reminds me of Led Zeppelin's "The Lemon Song."  Everything--vocals, guitar, piano, and drums--clicks perfectly here.  This is how you cover a song--by being faithful to the original version's spirit while putting your own stamp on it.  These four women pulled off a perfect remake, and I'm floored that I've never heard it on the radio or any streaming service.