The allure of shuffle mode LIX

Is everything going more or less as you'd like?  Is it a good day for skipping along without a care, at least in your mind?  If so, you might enjoy the segue iTunes made between two songs in my collection.  Spanky & Our Gang's "Lazy Day" led into Ron McCroby's whistled version of "Joy Spring."  I've been in a positive frame of mind since hearing that pair of tunes yesterday.

The allure of shuffle mode LVIII

After hearing a song about a friend's unexpected suicide, it makes sense to want to lighten the mood.  After hearing about something so grim, a ray of hope is comforting.  It's jarring, however, to slam into a blistering metal guitar track or a dance tune that's intended strictly for a party.  iTunes got it right a little while ago by pairing James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" with the Barry Gibb & Alison Krauss version of "Too Much Heaven."

Context? CCCXXI

Recently, a radio talk show host said that she's "the mother of an almost 34-year-old baby and an almost 32-year-old baby."

She wasn't being derogatory.  I understood immediately that no matter how old one's kids get, they're always your kids.

Despite my best intentions...

Not every long blog post I plan to write pans out.  Usually, when I monitor radio stations with the intention of writing an FM dial scan highlights or Online radio sampler highlights post, I publish the end result.  This morning has been one of the rare times when I didn't hear enough music to recommend.  Here are the reasons I rejected various songs:

• There's a hit from the '80s that's often praised as one of the artist's best works.  While I don't dislike it, I'm largely indifferent to it and didn't want to sit through the full album version of it to see what the station played next.
• An indie rock track tested my patience with too aimless saxophone squawking that reminded me of Fear's "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophones."
• In the early '60s, a well-known jazz saxophonist recorded the only version I've liked of a particular tune.  Not having to gnash my teeth at overly theatrical singers warbling cloying lyrics makes me appreciate the melody in a way I don't otherwise.  I've already mentioned it on this blog, however, and have said all I need to say about it.
• Hearing a classic country station start to play one of the better country crossover vocalists made me think, "This tune might have potential."  As I listened more, I thought, "I still like her voice, but these lyrics are rather generic, and this melody is bland."
• Maybe it's churlish to admonish "Waltzing Matilda," but I thought, "I'm sure this artist is singing it to the best of his ability, but the backing vocals make it sound too precious."
  
• My ears perked up when I heard some good, fast early folk-style guitar playing.  I enjoyed the first minute and change until the vocals came in.  To my chagrin, I thought, "The vocalist clearly has the right attitude.  Unfortunately, she's noticeably off-key."

While none of the songs I heard were completely wretched, I didn't want to write, "Here are some tunes I recommend tepidly.  Most of them made a C or C+ impression on me."  

I'll monitor stations again soon--perhaps tomorrow, next week, or next month.  Maybe I'll have better luck next time--and, if I don't, I'll have a fallback post ready to go.

A petty fixation XXIX

Twice this morning, I thought, "This is inconvenient.  Leaning back too far in my chair and pulling out the headphone jack means I'll have to plug it back in and move the computer speaker around until I can hear both channels again."

Both times, however, I also thought, "This is a compliment to the song.  I'm so into it that my head shaking and moving around made me inadvertently disconnect the headphones."

These two songs elicited that reaction:

Chicago, or more precisely, Chicago Transit Authority, as they were known on their debut album--recorded a strong leadoff track, "Introduction."  Lyrically, the band admits to feeling a little ill at ease but confident in its ability to win fans.  Terry Kath's vocals sell the group's conviction convincingly, and every instrumentalist rises to the occasion.  Not just any singer, horn section, or guitarist could pull off the transition from blistering rock declaration to slow dance number to anthemic rock march in the course of one song.

Fairport Convention's "Possibly Parsons Green" is an outlier in the group's catalog.  The British folk-rock group's 1973 incarnation featured Australian lead singer Trevor Lucas in an eclectic array of styles on the underrated "Nine" album.  On "...Parsons...," Lucas sounds like an American country-rock vocalist nailing a well-structured tune with a strong hook.

Actually, I'm surprised I only pulled the headphones out once during each track.

Having the last word

I think a radio stint is especially satisfying when you get to set the tone or have the last word for the broadcast day.  For one semester on KBIA, I got to be the station's last voice on Sunday nights.  During my 10 p.m.-1 a.m. shift, I did the local breaks during the new age show, "Musical Starstreams," for two hours and back announced an hour of new age and smooth jazz tracks played on CDs in the studio.  I enjoyed getting to wish everyone well before punching up the BBC feed on the console and leaving the station without live announcers until morning drive time.

As I headed back to the dorm, I liked knowing that the station trusted me to be its final voice of the day and tell the audience, in essence, "Good night--or keep listening, if you prefer."

The pitfalls of shuffle mode X

Chicago's instrumental, "Anxiety's Moment," impressed me upon first hearing it about 40 years ago.  It took a Baroque-sounding melody, modernized it for the early '70s, and the horn section, in just one minute, conveyed the gripping tension of making a life-changing decision, possibly such as proposing to someone.  This morning, while hearing it in shuffle mode, the angst of "Anxiety's Moment" mounted and then segued abruptly into...

...a tasteful version of "Good King Wenceslas" by Empire Brass.  Well, both tracks feature strong brass ensembles, at least.

The pitfalls of shuffle mode IX

Well...That took a dark turn.  I've never grown tired of Level 42's "Children Say."  Lyrically, it encapsulates the difference between the idealism one has as a child and the compromises and weariness that sometimes accompany adulthood.  Musically, however, it sounds considerably catchier and more upbeat than its lyrics would suggest.  Its overt 1987 production values also serve it well, and I've wondered for decades why it wasn't a hit.  I wasn't prepared for iTunes to segue it with another track in my library, however, that spotlights an even grimmer clash between the cocoon of childhood and the reality of adulthood.  iTunes paired "Children Say" this morning with...

...Gil Scott-Heron's "Gun," which defends being armed for one's protection.  I understand the rationalization the person in "Gun" uses for carrying a weapon.  Understanding someone's reasoning, however, isn't necessarily the same as being comfortable with it.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXXIII

To the consternation of my cat, Collette, and me, we've had a lot of rain this Spring.  In fact, it was storming again not long ago.  If you were listening to WFXB in 1993 or '94, you might have heard Dee Carstensen's "Rooftops," which I've never heard on any other radio station.  Lately, though, in St. Louis, there have been many occasions to hear "showers on the rooftops..."

To Carstensen's credit, "Rooftops" has a strong rhythm, fit for contemplating one's exasperation with excessive rain.  It still puzzles me that it wasn't a hit.

Context? CCCXX

Heard out of context on AM radio this morning: "My plungers are your plungers."

Admittedly, that's...neighborly.  Yes, that's the word.

The pitfalls of shuffle mode VIII

Separately, "Come The Day" by The Seekers and Lucy Kaplansky's "Every Single Day" are captivating.  Hearing "Come The Day" followed by "Every Single Day," however, is a rough transition from idealism to realism.  "Come The Day" looks toward a better world that will eventually become reality, while "Every Single Day" shows what it feels like when your glory days are behind you.

Even though I heard that downcast transition a little while ago, I'm choosing to latch onto "Come The Day"'s optimistic conviction, regardless of whether evidence supports it these days.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXXII

This morning, a new age instrumental I haven't thought of in years is stuck in my mind.  When I've heard Gary Chang's "Cityscape," I've often imagined someone drawing multiple concentric circles.  Something about "Cityscape"'s melody suggests a maze to me, so  I've also envisioned cars traveling through a roundabout on their way to work, with no time to spare.  The tune's undercurrent of hope, however, makes me believe they'll all reach their destinations in time. 

The allure of shuffle mode LVII

A recent random segue paired two unexpected tunes from my iTunes library.  I wouldn't have thought to play the Boz Scaggs instrumental, "Can I Make It Last (Or Will It Just Be Over?)," before Nickel Creek's version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas."  After hearing those tunes back to back, however, I realized how well "Can I...," which could underscore a sunrise, serves as a prelude to Nickel Creek's acoustic take on "I'll Be Home..."

Toiling in obscurity

In the early '90s, I called a friend who left college after his sophomore year.  He told me he was working as a roadie for a local band.  When he named the band, I said, "I don't think I've heard them.  The name doesn't sound familiar to me."  He responded, "Where have you been?"

I could have said, "I know this is your life now, and the band might be quite good, for all I know.  It just so happens that despite listening to a lot of music, I haven't heard their music on the radio or playing in a store.  (I've heard some of their music since then, and the band's vocals, guitar playing, and songwriting are all solid.)  This is why it's so challenging (and was especially challenging in pre-Internet times) to make it in the music business.  A band's music has to be played frequently for it to make an impression on the public.  I don't think it should be that way, but that's how it is."

Instead, to be polite, I said, "Hmmm...I'm not sure.  Somehow, they've escaped my notice.  What's it like working with them?"

I still think I made the right choice, from a human perspective.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXXI

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has thought this way.  At a previous job, when work was going great, I thought I could do it forever.  When that wasn't the case, I thought frequently of "I Wanna  Be Sedated" by The Ramones.  However, I sang it, "I wanna be retired..."  

There's no substitute, after all, for all of your time being your own.

Dreams vs. reality

An '80s memory: The National High School Honors Orchestra director told the ensemble during a question-and-answer session, "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't pursue your dreams."

As much as I admire such idealistic thinking, I think comedian Rita Rudner's outlook is generally more realistic.

I watched an interview in which Rudner said, ""People are going to hate me, but don't follow your dreams.  Follow what's possible.  If you've got a dream, go to sleep.  Pay attention to what's happening while you're awake."

I wonder if any commencement speakers have given such blunt, pragmatic advice to graduates recently.

FM dial scan highlights CCXLIII

Five of the better songs I've heard today:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• White Sands-The Shallows (New, unhurried indie rock, with vocals floating over a heavy guitar-and-synthesizer backdrop.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Wade In The Water-Ramsey Lewis (The declarative trumpet intro draws me in every time.  If you like the way Lewis plays "The 'In' Crowd" on the piano, you'll probably enjoy this, as well.  The rhythm is similar, and in my view, it's the best version of the tune)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Same Color As The Sun-flor (Honest lyrics about the void a significant other's absence leaves in one's life.)

WFUN 96.3 FM

• Before I Let Go-Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (An inviting, well-sustained groove from 1981.  Why wasn't this a top 40 pop hit?)

KLOU 103.3 FM

• Invisible Touch-Genesis (Thirty-eight years later, this is still one of the catchiest pop hits about pursuing someone who drives you crazy.)

In memory of David Sanborn

When I wrote yesterday's post, I hadn't heard that David Sanborn had passed away.  Since learning of his passing, I've thought a lot about his most memorable melodies.  Sanborn's way with accessible hooks on the saxophone netted him deserved acclaim and considerable commercial success in the jazz world.  These are 10 of his best tracks, in my opinion:

• Bang Bang (A former KNJZ personality used to play this every Friday afternoon to kick off the weekend.  It's an appropriate choice, given the festive, party-like atmosphere that the instrumentation and vocals create.  It doesn't surprise me that multiple artists have released their own versions of this.)
• Benny (One of Sanborn's best slower-paced tracks.  This laid-back melody shows how effectively Sanborn was able to wail.)
• Chicago Song (This no-nonsense rhythm suggests a gritty setting.)
• Hideaway (I cited this song in yesterday's post as an example of jazz getting its due in a concert promo.  It's one of Sanborn's most immediately ear-catching uptempo melodies.)
• Lesley Ann (I always liked playing this on KNJZ, as its hook is fit for a lullaby.)
• Maputo (with Bob James) (Nice interplay between keyboard and saxophone here.  This is one of Sanborn's many compelling ballads.)
• One In A Million (Reflective.  I can imagine Stevie Wonder playing Sanborn's sax part on the harmonica.)
• Since I Fell For You (with Bob James and Al Jarreau) (These lyrics are appropriate in any era, and this melding of saxophone, keyboard, and vocals serves the narrative especially well.  There are many renditions of this tune, but this one ranks first with me.)
• Slam (This track's synthesized scoring is rooted firmly in the '80s, which is probably why a friend who drove me home from school in that decade played it at full blast in the car.)
• Summer (Another immediately accessible, high energy Sanborn track.  This appropriately titled instrumental conveys the joy and freedom many listeners associate with Summer.)

Giving jazz its due

In the early to mid '80s, I knew an artist had made it big when a slick announcer touted his or her concert in a commercial for the venue.  Usually, this honor was reserved for the biggest names in rock and R&B.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear David Sanborn receive his due a saxophonist in one such 1984 commercial.  It was unusual to hear jazz--or any instrumental, for that matter--in those commercials, but there it was--Sanborn's track, "Hideaway," along with a plug for his upcoming concert.

Although I was pleased to hear the promo, the rarity of hearing jazz artists promoted on that scale tempered my enjoyment.

An overlooked cover tune CXLIII

It's a day-brightener to stumble onto a well-sung cover tune unexpectedly.  While searching for another song of hers recently, I saw that Rebecca Poole sang a version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."  The Lettermen and Frankie Valli recorded strong versions of the tune, and I'd add Poole's take to that list.  Her low-pitched, breathy vocals suit the tune well, while the bass and guitar give them added gravity.  She also deserves bonus points for singing the "Da-da, da-da..." refrain instead of just relying on the instrumentalists to handle it.

The sentiments of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" are timeless, so it won't surprise me if I'm reviewing yet another strong cover of it years from now.

Online radio sampler highlights CCXXXV

Some of the better selections I heard yesterday:

KJEM (Pullman, WA)

• 'S Wonderful (Live In Paris)-Diana Krall (Although I like Krall's vocals, her piano playing from 4:08 on impresses me even more; it imbues this Gershwin standard with a self-assured modern sensibility.  Krall and her rhythm section give this longer-than-usual rendition a chance to breathe, making it all the more appealing.)
• Pavanne-Erroll Garner (Garner was always adept at carrying off a melody with just the right amount of embellishments on the piano.  That's why I played so many tracks of his on WEW.)

WCZY (Mount Pleasant, MI)

• Hold On-Wild Cherry ("Play That Funky Music" was this group's big hit, but this laid-back slower jam deserves some attention.  I'm surprised that this oldies station played it, as it wasn't a top 40 hit.)

WFMT (Chicago, IL)

• George Gershwin: Three-Quarter Blues, "Irish Waltz" (Fazil Say, piano) (A pleasant, graceful piano interlude.  It's only one minute long but conveys its intended atmosphere compellingly during that minute.)

WWCF (McConnellsburg, PA)

• Follow Me-Jane Siberry (If someone thinks of you in these terms, that someone might be your soulmate.)
• Lonesome For A Place I Know-Everything But The Girl (Thoughtful lyrics about the allure of home.  Also recommended: "One Place.")

Diminishing returns

Let's see.  I've got some time, so let's find out if there's a documentary I haven't seen yet about a band I've followed for over 40 years.  Granted, I've read multiple books about this band, seen countless documentaries and interviews, and heard their music repeatedly.

Ah!  Here's a documentary on them I haven't seen.  Undoubtedly, it will cover the group's history, which I already know by heart.  It'll also likely spell out the reasons for various personnel and musical genre changes over the years, which I've also heard about many times.  There's a strong chance it will also include highlights from the band's concerts--all culled from the same sources other documentary producers have used.

It should be an enlightening morning of hearing the band members and a narrator tell me about pivotal events in the band's history that I already know.

I might as well be reading a favorite bedtime story.

Consoling the cat

No one is better at sheltering in place than my cat, Collette.  Yesterday was a rough day for her, with all the storms we endued.  I wanted to comfort her, so I put on "I Am The Mercury" by Jimmie Spheeris.  It was an especially appropriate day to play a song about coming in from the rain, after all.  I crouched down to where she was hiding, put two of her favorite cat toys near her, and started stroking her chin.  Eventually, she started purring.  A little later, I heard the jingling of her pink mousehead toy and saw her bat around her red toy mouse.

"I Am The Mercury" fit yesterday's necessity of seeking refuge from a storm while accepting that storms are inevitable, so this scene will likely repeat itself.

An overlooked cover tune CXLII

What's the difference between a command and a strong hint?  The answer lies in the contrasting vocals of Blondie and Janet Evra.  Evra covered Blondie's "Call Me" compellingly, giving it a breezy sheen.  When Blondie sings it, it sounds like the title should end with an exclamation point.  When Evra sings it, it sounds like the tune's parenthetical title could be, "(I Hope You Will)," or simply, "(Ahem.)"  Both artists' interpretations are equally valid, and I'm surprised that I haven't heard smooth jazz stations playing Evra's accessible version.

Context? CCCXIX

A radio talk show host reminded his audience this morning, "I don't go to war each day; I go to work each day."

That's a sound reminder, I think, that not every radio personality is out to antagonize the audience.  Often, they're just trying to entertain the audience and bring up topics designed to get people talking.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXX

I haven't gotten lost on the road recently, but when I have, the chorus of Jefferson Starship's "Find Your Way Back" has blared in my mind like a siren.  Once, I said in the car to no one, "Care to elaborate, mental soundtrack?  Just telling me to find my way back isn't helpful. I know I'm lost, but how do I get to where I need to be?"

Precocious, perhaps--but also accurate

While listening to the radio in 1983, I heard our top 40 station, KHTR, play a song I hadn't heard before.

"Hmmm," I thought.  "This isn't terrible, but it's not as inspired as most of the band's other hits.  The chorus doesn't sound like it would stand up to repeated listening, and the song sounds like it didn't take long to write."

I was right.  The song was only a minor hit, and I don't think the station played it for more than two weeks.  Even back then, I had a program director's ear, complete with insight that might have been unusual for a 12-year-old.

Only in college CVII

One of my favorite compliments from a fellow KCOU DJ was, "You command a lot of respect (at this station.)"  My positive inner monologue upon hearing that from her was, "Thank you very much.  I'm glad to hear that.  That tells me that other DJs respect my work and find me approachable.  I need to remember that and apply that to everything I do."

Have I fallen short in those ways at times?  Sure.  Over the course of a lifetime, how could I not?  Sometimes, though, when I catch myself overreacting to some trivial nuisance, I'll remind myself, "Remember to act in a way that elicits respect."

Questionable inertia

While eating dinner one recent night, I turned on the radio.  I'd left it on the same station I'd selected when having lunch.  As I listened to a talk show host opine on how well various athletes had played this season, I thought, "These names mean nothing to me.  This isn't a team I follow.  In fact, this isn't a sport I follow.  Just because I was listening to this station during a previous meal, I'm not obligated to listen now.  I haven't sworn any blood oath to listen to anything this station airs whenever I'm eating."

Yet, despite the subject matter's lack of relevance to my life, I kept listening.  I was nearly finished eating when I had this epiphany, after all.

FM dial scan highlights CCXLII

Five standout tunes heard today:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Lil Birdie-DJ Harrison (This excellent cover of a tune from "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" stays true to original version's spirit while modernizing it just enough on the piano.  As a bonus, this track also includes a version of the closing theme that plays under Snoopy and Woodstock enjoying their Thanksgiving feast.)
• Clube-Toco (This April release has a pleasant beach-at-sunset vibe in its vocals and instrumentation.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Satin Doll-McCoy Tyner (Tyner stays faithful to Duke Ellington's classy original melody while playing piano with the ideal amount of swing.)
• Just Another Day-Peter White & Basia (White's guitar takes the edge off of sorrowful lyrics about someone walking out of one's life.  Basia sings this with an appropriately melancholic tone.)

KWUR 90.3 FM

• Municipality-Real Estate (For times when you aren't where you wish you were.)
  

Persistent earworm alert CCCXXIX

Although it was a big hit in 1977, I'm surprised it didn't top the charts.  Since importing some Boz Scaggs songs from my CDs into iTunes this morning, "Lido Shuffle" hasn't left my mind.  

As with "Lowdown," there's an instant coolness factor from the first note.  Even if you have no clue about what's happening in the narrative, the infectious rhythm and strong "One for the roa-oa-oa-oa-d!" hook demand attention--and might make you drive a little faster.