An overlooked cover tune CXLV

I've had good luck in two different years to walk by when local band The Dog's Breakfast performed Bruce Hornsby's "Sunflower Cat" outdoors in concert.  The piano part hops and skips around compellingly, with lead and backing vocals to match.  It's an ideal choice for an open air setting, and as my brother points out, not the most obvious choice for a cover song.

One cat's decree

I never should have told my cat, Collette, about the orchestra director who insisted that when you're absent from rehearsal, "your music goes here!"  Collette has adopted a similar mantra for being fed.  While leading me to her food bowl, she says, "When I'm hungry, my cat food goes here!"

I just wish she wouldn't set the stage for such an adversarial meal.

FM dial scan highlights CCLIV

Recommended selections heard yesterday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• One In Seven-Engineers (Spacey vocals and heavy guitar dream pop that proceeds in its own good time.  This track is from 2005 but could pass for a tune I would have played on KCOU in the early '90s.)
• Sun Baby-The High Violets (More heavy guitar and submerged dream pop vocals.  This is from 2006 but could also pass for an early '90s indie rock tune.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Best Foot Forward-Dan Siegel (This July release is one of 2024's most enjoyable smooth jazz grooves.  Siegel carries this midtempo melody, which sounds like a Steely Dan backing track, on piano.)
• Sentimental Journey-Houston Person (A pleasant sax-driven rendition of this standard.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Supersad-Suki Waterhouse (An appealing driving energy and honest lyrical acknowledgment that fretting about things doesn't make them better.)

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2

• Cesar Franck: Symphony in D minor: III. Finale: Allegro non troppo (Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Pierre Monteux, conductor) (This is how you command the listener's attention right from the opening phrase.  I nearly stood and saluted upon hearing this dynamic, powerful introduction.  Considering how it starts off commanding, dips into softer, more lyrical territory for a bit, and then resumes its authoritative phrasing, this must be a satisfying movement for string and brass players.)
  

In memory of Greg Kihn

Ever since it entered the charts in 1981, I've liked the Greg Kihn Band's "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em.)"  It's tightly constructed, rhythmically catchy, and has a distinctive vocal hook that propels the song effectively.  Lyrically, it scores with accurate lyrics not only about what a breakup feels like but with its observation that language has become less eloquent over time.

A college friend and I used to have a literary exchange in which we'd recommend prose, poems, and lyrics to each other.  I wish I remembered which poem elicited her reaction, "I wonder if a poem like that would even be possible today."  I've had that thought, as well, when reading verses from previous centuries.  While certain sentiments are universal, the ways in which they'd be expressed today won't necessarily hold up.

"They don't write 'em like that anymore," indeed.  Kihn was right to exclaim, "That's for sure!" after that chorus in concert.

Context? CCCXXXVII

During the Summer of 1985, a radio station here hosted a blood drive.  The DJ promoting it one afternoon said, "Come get yourself a free orange soda!" with such conviction that for a moment, I thought, "Maybe I should give a pint of blood.  Granted, I'm not of driving age yet, the station is nowhere near home, and it would be impractical to walk across town even if I knew how to get there.  But still, a free orange soda..."

Instead, I walked to a grocery store and spent 20-something cents on a generic can of root beer.  Sometimes, you just have to put the allure of free food or drink out of your mind and splurge on a product that's within your neighborhood.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXLIV

I've written previously about how overplayed I think Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll" is.  I didn't mind hearing it 40 years ago, but after decades of hearing it on classic rock stations, in stores, and online, I've had my fill of it for a lifetime.

Hearing it as bumper music on an AM station this morning reminded me, though, of my eighth grade chorus class.  Our teacher, Mr. B., led the singing while playing "Old Time Rock & Roll" on the piano.  When the bell rang to end class, he ad-libbed in time with the song, "It's time to go, so Goodbye, you all.  I'll see you here tomorrow at the same time.  Be sure to bring your notebooks to this class because I just might check on them."

You never know what will trigger a memory from 40 years ago.

What's in a (song) name?

I've always liked a Leo Kottke guitar track that suggests a relaxed, dreamlike state.  "Floating" would have been an accurate song title for it.  Instead, however, Kottke titled the tune, "A Child Should Be A Fish."

I don't understand that, but at least you can't accuse Kottke of crafting a predictable or unimaginative title.  Similarly, when you hear his song, "Balloon," you can't accuse him of composing derivative lyrics.

An enduring '70s influence

Earlier this month, during an appointment to have botox injected into my vocal cords, I got to talking with the nurse, Amy, about how well the "Schoolhouse Rock" songs from the '70s still hold up.  She agreed that it was an effective way to reach her kids and other kids.  

When Dr. E. entered the room, the nurse asked him if he was familiar with "Schoolhouse Rock" songs.  He replied, "Yes, like 'Conjunction Junction,'" and launched into a verse from it.  Dr. E. then left the room briefly to ask other staff members if they remembered "Schoolhouse Rock."

He reported back that at least one other staff member also remembered and liked "Schoolhouse Rock."  Whether it's "Conjunction Junction," "I'm Just A Bill," or "Three Is A Magic Number," "Schoolhouse Rock" tunes have staying power.  They're catchy teaching aids but also stand on their own musically.

Context? CCCXXXVI

Sometimes, when you don't listen carefully to the lyrics, a song sounds much cheerier than it really is.  The Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway hit, "Where Is The Love?," usually comes to mind first when I think this.  I had a similar reaction yesterday while listening to Everything But The Girl's "Me And Bobby D." I thought, "Musically, this is pleasantly breezy, the way Tracey Thorn sings it.  This almost sounds like one of Basia's uptempo tunes."  Listen closely, however, and you'll realize that the men about whom Thorn sings in "...Bobby D" shouldn't be anyone's role models, to say the least.

That juxtaposition between lyrics and delivery is why I respect the song--but stopped short of including it in yesterday's Online radio sampler highlights post.  I'll stick to recommending the Everything But The Girl songs that I've liked best for decades, including "One Place," "Driving," and "Downtown Train."

Online radio sampler highlights CCXLVII

Thursday morning standouts:

KPFA (Berkeley, CA)

• A Change Is Gonna Come-Otis Redding (There are multiple versions of this, but Redding's version is the most emotively gripping one.  Playing it on vinyl, as this station did, added to the tune's authenticity.
• I Can't Turn You Loose-The Chambers Brothers (If this guitar riff doesn't prompt you to start your day and keep your energy up, I'm not sure what other tune I could recommend.)

KRSM (Minneapolis, MN)

• Hazy Jane II-Nick Drake (Drake exhibits impressive pacing in rattling off rapid-fire syntax.  Lyrically, this is a thoughtful look at how it feels to be a recluse.)
• Extraordinary Machine-Fiona Apple (Apple showcases her full vocal range effectively in this well-written tribute to individualism and thick skin.)

WICK (Scranton, PA)

• Sweet Caroline-Neil Diamond (Of Diamond's many hits, it's not surprising that the sing-along quality of this one has held up for decades.)
• Ain't That Peculiar-Marvin Gaye (Rhythmically and vocally, this 1965 oldie never wears out its welcome.  This is an excellent example of how to build to a chorus in a fast tune.)
  

FM dial scan highlights CCLIII

Wednesday morning highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Flowers In The Rain-The Move (The idealism of 1967 rock, in a bouncy arrangement, complete with horns.  This romp of a track could segue easily with The Family Tree's "Nickelodeon Music.")

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Cristo Redentor-Donald Byrd (The solemn vocals are an effective prelude to Byrd's trumpet playing.  I also recommend Charlie Musselwhite's rendition.)
• Chain Reaction-Joe Sample (Sample's version of his prior stellar band's 1975 album title track succeeds with a lighter touch.  In fact, "Chain Reaction" is one of the best albums The Crusaders recorded, in my view.  Wayne Henderson's commanding trombone part is key to the original version's melody, and Sample pulls it off on the piano here.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• So Bad-Cassandra Lewis (Lyrically, and vocally, to some extent, Lewis reminds me of Fiona Apple on this track.)
• Shame, Shame, Shame-Lake Street Dive (One of the band's stronger, catchier rhythms that stands up easily to repeated listening.)
  

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2

• Otto Klemperer: Merry Waltz (Minnesota Orchestra/Eiji Oue, conductor) (Appropriately lighthearted strings and brass, although it's interesting to hear the middle of this waltz veer into "March Of The Toys" territory.)
  

The allure of shuffle mode LXI

One life-affirming instrumental deserves another.  Apparently, that was iTunes shuffle mode's thinking this evening when pairing "Joy" by the Lynne Arriale Trio with Taj Mahal's "We Tune."  Arriale carries the festive atmosphere of "Joy" on piano, while "We Tune" is brassy, percussive, and similarly energetic.

If you're hosting a carnival, these two tracks should keep the mood up.

A petty fixation XXXIV

After pulling out a CD I haven't heard in a while, I'm slightly put out.  When it's a singer-songwriter's CD with a 24-page booklet, I reflexively expect it to include lyrics.  This booklet doesn't, however.  Instead, it includes photos of the musicians recording and enjoying their camaraderie.  I guess I'll have to listen intently, pay attention to the lyrics while they're sung, and decode them myself.

Granted, the lyrics to most or all of these songs are probably online, but I'll respect the artist's intentions.  Apparently, she decided not to include them in 1987, so I'll rediscover them as she sings them.

By any reasonable definition, that's not a hardship.

Only in college CVIII

For once, I was glad I wasn't the DJ on the air.  During one of the rare weeks during a semester when I wasn't guest hosting "Blues 101" on KCOU, the DJ who subbed told me that members of a fraternity came down to the station during his show.

"We heard you on the air," one of the frat brothers told him, "so we decided to come down and see what KCOU looks like and what you look like."

If there was any mayhem, I didn't hear about it, but I sympathized with that DJ for having to keep an eye on uninvited guests.  While radio is a public medium, it's meant to be heard, not seen.

A function of age XXIX

Yesterday, when I turned on an AM station, I thought I was hearing a college athlete praising other talented athletes at his school.  After he'd noted the accomplishment of a women's soccer player, the talk show host asked him, "So, the next step is All-American, Coach?"

I thought, "This person coaches a team?  Based on the little I've heard of him so far, he doesn't sound older than 21."

Obviously, he's older than I thought.  It's an adjustment as one ages, though, to realize that many coaches and other authorities are much younger than you are.

A petty fixation XXXIII

I'll stay in 1985 for one more day.  It concerns me that upon unearthing the cassette I referenced yesterday, my first thought had nothing to do with the tape's content.  Instead, I thought, "Ah, yes--the first blank cassette I bought when the new Walgreens store opened in November that year."

Somehow, I remember this--and still don't know my own blood type!

Context? CCCXXXV

Heard on a radio air check tape I unearthed recently: A DJ promoted a program of albums in their entirety, "brought to you by the record department at Venture, which features a growing selection of your favorite music on compact disc."

As dated as that sounds now, that was a perfectly sensible tag line for a department store plug in 1985.

The allure of shuffle mode LX

iTunes paired two songs in my library this morning for people with considerable self-esteem.  As Milo Greene's "Move" segued into Irene Cara's "Fame," I thought, "Talk about believing in one's own charisma..."

Staying the course, per my cat

It would have been appropriate for my cat, Collette, to have worn a Cardinal baseball cap last night.  I was about to turn off the game on KMOX, but Collette put her paw over the radio to prevent it.

Her attitude suggested, "Yes, the Cardinals are behind by five runs, but they're our hometown team, so let's support them and keep listening."

The Cardinals lost, but I appeased Collette by listening until the game was over.  After all, I admired her outlook and wanted us to be on the same side.  I'm not sure what I'll do, though, if she puts her paw over the radio during an overrated power ballad.

Context? CCCXXXIV

A radio commercial I heard recently promoted a pizza place that offers over 40 options of toppings and sauces.  The restaurant's spokesperson said, "I like the pesto pizza."

That makes one of us.  I tried a pesto pizza with black olives years ago.  I managed to stomach it, but I wouldn't eat it again.  Call me a rigid traditionalist, but a proper pizza, in my view, contains tomato sauce.

In fairness, I haven't tried the pesto pizza from the advertised restaurant.  Still, given my previous experience, just hearing about someone eating pesto-based pizza is triggering.  If I hear that ad again, my stomach will likely feel a tad turbulent--and I won't want to try anything on the restaurant's menu.

A petty fixation XXXII

I haven't heard this KMJM breaker since 1981, but I still recall the promotion between songs for "the July Jam...Mmmmm...This one's blackberry.  We're jammin' with more Summer magic on Majic 108 FM."  I don't know if the station played more hits that month from July or Summer of various years, but Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff," a Summer 1971 hit, played after it.  If the station turned its playlist over to July or Summer hits, I wonder if the July Jam was an annual tradition or a one-time occurrence.

I'm still not sure of my own blood type--yet I still remember a station breaker and song from a tape that my stereo ate over 40 years ago.

Kudos for tasteful background sounds

Upon entering a grocery store one recent night, I thought, "Good choice of the store to play Stephen Bishop's 'Save It For A Rainy Day' as background music.  It was a middling 1977 hit that a lot of people wouldn't know today, but it's tasteful and understated.  Maybe I should buy more than planned to reward them, even if it's just an extra can of soup or one more microwavable meal."

I didn't buy more than I'd planned, but I'm sure the store strives to put customers in that frame of mind.  If Bishop's song had been accompanied by the scent of fresh-basked cookies, buying one or more extra items probably would have been tougher for me to resist.

Persistent earworm alert CCCXLIII

An earworm has persisted in my mind for three days, but I don't mind, as it's one of my favorite covers.  Blood, Sweat & Tears remade Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child" to great effect.  The band's three big 1969 hits--"Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," and "You've Made Me So Very Happy"--tend to overshadow it on the radio, but it deserves as much airplay as those tunes.

David Clayton-Thomas sings the lyrics with absolute conviction, and the tune is a great showcase for the horn section.  Just before the last verse, the piano comes in, the horns follow, and for a little while, the tune becomes a raucous dance number.  Then, once the brass players have had their say, the vocals return for a final verse.  In the context of the late '60s, this free-for-all followed by a return to order serves the tune perfectly.  

To my ears, this version of "God Bless The Child" is a perfect earworm.  It lets the vocalist and instrumentalists shine in equal measure with the right amount of showmanship.

Online radio sampler highlights CCXLVI

Seven standout songs heard this morning:

KCJV (Marta, TX)

• You Took My Love-The Cellos (Impressive doo-wop R&B vocal harmonies from 1957...)
• Count Every Star-The Rockers (...that segue smoothly with these impressive doo-wop R&B vocal harmonies from 1955.)

KPTZ (Port Townsend, WA)

• Guardar Mais-Mayra Andrade (Thoughtful, understated vocals, guitar, and piano.)

WVKR (Poughkeepsie, NY)

• Chapter 2-Ellis Marsalis (Melodic, contemplative piano, and one of the reasons I've played Marsalis's "Heart Of Gold" CD many times.  Also recommended: "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most," "El-Ray Blues," and "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?"  Speaking of which...)
• Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?-Stephane Grappelli (This melody is as compelling on the violin as it is on the piano.)

WYEP (Pittsburgh, PA)

• Feels Like Rain-Buddy Guy (Guy's reflective vocals and guitar playing make this one of my favorite blues tunes.  I enjoyed playing this on KCOU when the CD was new.)
• I Need To Believe-Alisa Amador (If your self-esteem isn't as positive as you'd like, "...Believe" is an encouraging pep talk.)
  

A petty fixation XXXI

A late '80s memory: My high school newspaper staff held a white elephant gift exchange.  A look of disappointment came over a fellow staffer's face when he chose my gift randomly.  After unwrapping it, he announced, "A normal bias blank cassette tape.  Aw, it couldn't be chrome?"

No, it couldn't have been.  I knew that high bias tapes had greater noise reduction and sounded truer to life than normal bias ones.  As a high school student with only so much cash to spend on white elephant gifts, however, I wasn't going to splurge on a high bias cassette--especially when I didn't know who would receive it.

Context? CCCXXXIII

I always feel satisfied when I cast my ballot on Election Day.  How could I not appreciate having a say in which candidates are elected and which amendments pass or don't pass?

That's my mindset today.  As a radio talk show host said this afternoon, "Not everybody gets to do what we do."

Context? CCCXXXII

When a radio newscaster says it's a slow news day, it makes me all the more interested in the newscast that follows.  It's on those days when you're most likely to hear about a rare species of a new animal being born, a fast food chain introducing a new holiday-themed sandwich or dessert, or a nitwit robber writing his demand for money on the back of a business card containing his address and contact information.

Sometimes, the most heartwarming, useful, or amusing stories are broadcast on days when not much is happening.

FM dial scan highlights CCLII

Friday through Sunday highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Swing 98-Romane (Smooth interplay between the fiddle and the guitar, with the guitar playing bringing Django Reinhardt's music to mind.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• It's Real-Alex Parchment (Light, bouncy, uptempo smooth jazz trumpet.)
• What Cha' Know About That-Lisa Addeo (Light, bouncy, uptempo smooth jazz piano.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Everything Almost-Madi Diaz (A refreshingly honest admission that in any couple, no two people can be literally everything to each other at all times.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• Don And Dewey-It's A Beautiful Day (This was a fun 1970 instrumental to play on KNJZ during its last few months.  When it's done this skillfully, it's a pleasure to hear a violinist carry a propulsive rock melody.)
• It Don't Matter To Me-Phil Collins (Thanks to Collins's drumming and the Earth, Wind & Fire horns, this is a rhythmically infectious Collins solo track.  Lyrically, it's a less intense way of conveying the exasperated outrage of "I Don't Care Anymore.")

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. WFUN-HD2

• Concorde-Gregory Porter (Porter's deep voice convincingly conveys lyrics about how vast the world feels when you're on a plane and how stepping off a plane brings you back down to Earth.)
• Dancing By Myself-Janet Evra ("I'd Rather Be Lonely With You" is still my favorite Evra track, and I like the consistency of her "Hello Indie Bossa" CD, but this new single is yet another example of Evra's warm vocals.)
  

Persistent earworm alert CCCXLII

I hadn't thought about the song, "Jimmy Crack Corn," since our grade school vocal music class sang it approximately 45 years ago.  For some reason, however, just one lyric, "His epitaph is there to see," has run through my mind all day.

I have no idea why.  I've been in a reasonably good mood, so it can't be a subconscious wish for anyone's demise.  I also don't typically think about inscriptions on tombstones.

Why would one lyric about someone's passing loom so large in my mind after so many years?  I might never know.

A function of age XXVIII

Recently, I looked at video of KCOU, the former college station where I worked.  I flinched, just for a moment.

I thought, "That's where the studio is now?  And there's a dark, soulless hallway looking into it?  The DJ is programming songs ahead of time into a computer and not using any tangible records, CDs, or cartridges?"

Actually, none of this was a surprise to me.  I'd known that the station moved to a new location years ago, so logically, it wouldn't look the same.  The footage was filmed at night, so obviously, the hallway would be dark.  Naturally, I've known that most DJs don't use tangible forms of music for their shows these days and haven't for many years.

Logically, I knew all of this.  Emotionally, though, when I think, "KCOU," I still expect it to look the way I left it in 1993.  I felt better when I looked at other semi-recent footage of the station, where I could see band posters, a board for irreverent notes, and mailings that record labels had sent.

It was comforting to remember that KCOU is still KCOU at its core.  Its mission and spirit are still intact, and that's what matters most.

Online radio sampler highlights CCXLV

Six standout tracks heard today:

KELS (Greeley, CO)

• Sweet Georgia Brown-Harry Connick, Jr. (A strong Dixieland-style piano-and-brass rendition.)

KRUI (Iowa City, IA)

• Last Of The Loving-Coco (Lyrically, this is a sound, honest way to savor a relationship as it ends.)

WBRH (Baton Rouge, LA)

• D-Natural Blues-Wes Montgomery (Montgomery begins with a riff reminiscent of "Heartbreak Hotel" and steers it in a better direction on guitar.)
• The Flame And The Lotus-Renee Rosnes (Tasteful, self-assured, in-its-own-good-time piano, sax, and rhythm playing.)

WFIV (Knoxville, TN)

• Thunder Island-Jay Ferguson (The opening guitar and vocal hook set the energy level immediately and keep it there, which made this an understandably big hit in 1978.)

WKUF (Flint, MI)

• If I Could-Jay Som (Som's determined vibe in the lyrics and this May release's captivating energy make me inclined to hear more of her music.)