Discuss: Great Vocal Performances

Doug: Today we're discussing great vocal performances, both recorded and live. Below is one of my all-time favorites, from 1982's "The Concert in Central Park". Enjoy!

Adding to One's Musical Resume'

Doug: How about musicians who get around? OK, you're thinking "sex, drugs, and rock -n- roll". But I'm thinking of a guy like Steve Winwood. You almost need a scorecard to follow the guy's career. Notable stops included the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and of course his fine solo career. Another singer/guitarist is the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar. From Montrose to a solo career to Van Halen to a solo career to Chickenfoot. Wow. Lots of tickets punched with just those two examples.

So today we're discussing rock and roll artists (and if you want to branch into other genres, that's fine -- some of us will appreciate the education) who've been in multiple bands with perhaps a solo career squeezed in for good measure. And don't feel like you have to stick within any temporal parameters, and our comic book Silver Age will have some wonderful examples we can kick around, too (I'm looking at you, Graham Nash). Have fun -- artists, albums, favorite tracks, etc. It's all fair for today.

Who's the Best... Record of 1980?

Doug: Now here's an idea for an ongoing series. Karen previously touched on her favorite albums of 1976... why not expand this throughout the Bronze Age? Fire away, kids -- and if you need a list, just click here.

A Simple Question: Who is the Most Influential 50s Rocker?

Karen: Which 50s  rocker has proven to be the most influential? And why? (Don't feel limited to the candidates below.)

Star Trek at 50: Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage

Karen: Today we're taking a little break from the episode reviews so I can share with you a fantastic experience I had this last Sunday, April 3rd. My husband and I went to the Mesa Arts Center to see and hear Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage, a live concert experience featuring the music of Star Trek! This is a touring show, which started in January of this year and sadly is coming to a close this month. You can find the schedule at this link. If you can find a venue near you, I highly recommend that you go. The music was performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Justin Freer. Interestingly, Freer was mentored by composer Jerry Goldsmith, who was responsible for the music for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

From Row G at the Mesa Arts Center before the show (no photography allowed during the show)

Karen: We were seated close, in the orchestra section, row G, and had a wonderful view of the very large screen on which all the TV and film clips were shown. We could also see the performers easily, although during the performance they were partly occluded by the set design, which looked somewhat like the Next Generation bridge. During the show, the lighting would change colors from purple to blue to orange and so forth with the different musical pieces. It was a very unique and beautiful staging. 

Karen: The show featured music from every TV series and many of the films, It was broken into two hours, with a 20 minute intermission. The show interwove both chronological themes, starting of course with the original Star Trek, but also featured themes such as exploration, the captains, lifeforms, close bonds, and so on. Michael Dorn, the actor who played the Klingon Worf on both Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, narrated the program. Sometimes entire scenes were shown with dialog and sound effects; other times, montages of clips were shown, mixing different shows, casts, and eras. All of it flowed well. Some of the more memorable music for me included 'Main Title', 'Klingon Battle', and 'Ilia's Theme' from Star Trek: The Motion Picture,  'The Ancient Combat/2nd Kroykah' from the 'Amok Time' episode of classic Trek -with full scene shown!-, and 'The Inner Light Suite' from Next Generation. 

Photo from Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage website

Karen: If I had any criticisms, it would be that the music could have been louder. It seemed a bit restrained in volume for my tastes. I spoke with a friend in California who saw the show there and he echoed my sentiments, so I don't believe it was just a problem with my venue. Also, while I enjoy the film clips, I'd like to have less dialog, so I could enjoy the music more. But honestly, we had a great time and I would tell all Trek fans to run out and see this show! Trek, in its many incarnations, has had some beautiful music. Composers like Alexander Courage, Gerald Fried, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Jay Chattaway, and many others have contributed so much to Trek with their compositions. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra, conductor Freer, and Cineconcerts have done them proud.

He's Gotta Be "The Man"

Doug: My oldest son and I frequently evaluate life's pleasures in an ongoing conversation about "The Man".

Doug: For example, one of his contentions is that the inventor of brown sugar-cinnamon Pop-Tarts is The Man. I have been known to counter that the person who invented crunchy Cheetos is The Man. But just to show that it's not always positive, we both agreed last week when I was feeling a little under the weather that whoever created DayQuil is also a strong candidate! Take a dose of those, and your cold goes on vacation for four hours!

Doug: So please join the conversation. I think you get the hang of it. What are those pleasures in life that you just think, "Whoever made this..." Show some love today!

When It Came On, I Couldn't Sit Still

Doug: Back on January 31, I was charged with driving my sister the 50 miles or so up to Midway Airport so she could catch her flight home after a short visit. It was really early on a Sunday morning, so I needed some tunes on high just to keep me awake for the ride back home. I had the Sirius-XM set to "70s on 7" because, after all, I am a Bronze Age Baby. I really like that station, because you could get Led Zeppelin, Al Green, the Bee Gees, and the Knack all back-to-back-to-back. And then it came on -- the Spinners' Rubberband Man. At no point for the next three minutes was I in any danger of falling asleep at the wheel. I'm sure other drivers gave a sideways glance at the champagne-colored Highlander and wondered who the whackjob behind the wheel was.



Doug: Enjoy a live version of the song in question. And of course, what makes you move to the music?

Time May Change Me

Doug: My wife and I were recently offered a deal we couldn't refuse on a used vehicle. We weren't in the market, as the SUV I was driving had relatively low miles for its age and had been paid off for several months. Yet we were able to upgrade after negotiating a best-case scenario trade-in and adding several thousand dollars from my original art sales as a down payment on the new loan. I say all that to tell you that the new SUV has satellite radio capabilities, so I've been enjoying an introductory offer from Sirius-XM radio. For those who don't know, satellite radio not only offers several "genre stations" across the musical spectrum, but also stations dedicated to specific artists. I've also enjoyed their "decade stations", featuring popular music from the timeframe we cover on this blog -- the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. And it was a day not too long ago while listening and driving that the inspiration for today's topic struck me.

Doug: Simple question -- of the three decades just mentioned, during which do you feel popular music changed the most? Of course music exists in so many layers that many of us will approach our answers with different songs or artists in mind. I hope that will be a fun part of the conversation. For example, I might think of the early 1970s as characterized by the advent of AM radio "soft rock" and the end of the decade as the "disco era". You might have thought of some of the hard rock acts emerging from the 1960s, with the '70s ending with punk. Regardless of who or what you choose to cite, in your opinion which decade's music had changed the most by the time the next decade rolled round?

http://www.bionicdisco.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/bionic_disco_music.jpg

If I Wasn't a Fan of ..., I'd Be a Fan of ...

Doug: Back on Monday, November 30, I was watching the Chicago Bulls play the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA tilt. It was playoff-caliber basketball, and the level of talent on the floor was top notch throughout the game. The stars played like stars, and the role players did their thing. In the end it was an exciting finish, certainly worthy of the investment of my time. During the game I was texting with my sons and I made the comment that if I wasn't a Bulls fan I could be a Spurs fan. I don't really follow that team, but every time I do see them play I really appreciate their style. In a league where most of the players are "all about me" and many, many players just lollygag through the season to get to the playoffs, the Spurs are one of those clubs that always plays hard, they share the ball, they guard, and although they have future Hall-of-Famers on their roster there are no prima donnas.

Doug: All that was to say this -- we all have favorites: athletic teams, movies, foods, musical artists, superheroes, comics creators, etc. The door is wide open today. Pick something or someone that is your very favorite, and then suggest that if it/he/she was not, then you could get fully on board with something/someone else.

Doug: It's pretty well-documented that the Avengers are my favorite super-team. But if I wasn't an Avengers fan, my money would be firmly in the corner of the Fantastic Four. When I was buying back issues I was of course putting almost all of my resources toward finishing my complete run of The Avengers. But if I'd been wanting to chase another book, it would have been the FF (fully knowing that once I got down to those first half dozen issues I'd most likely have been on the outside looking in).

Doug: Your turn now -- anyone going to get in the corner of chocolate donuts after powdered sugar donuts?

Have You Never Been Mellow?

Doug: Today we're talking relaxation from life's stressors -- and who isn't assaulted by those on a daily basis? I've long told of my appreciation for the voice of Karen Carpenter. That woman can bring me down to a tolerable blood pressure level with only a few lines of a familiar tune. Another '70s songstress whose '70s material I like is Olivia Newton-John (I'm definitely saying pre-Physical).

Doug: So aside from music, what else brings you down to earth? Is it a certain color, or are you into aromatherapy. Sheesh -- this is beginning to sound like a therapy session in itself! Hey, for all I know, you unwind with a good shoot-'em-up motion picture! But that's what we're after today -- how do you return to "normal"? Me? When I was thinking of this idea I was heading for a nap and wanted something to soothe my mind. But you get after this any way you want.

True or False: I Am a Completist

Doug: You may consider just about anything that afflicts you in your obsession... or maybe you're not smitten that way.

True or False: I Am a Completist

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDcyWDgwMA==/z/A44AAOSw7ThUg93W/$_75.JPG

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c5/d6/7d/c5d67daffafeff3743b4e716b40f1c82.jpg

http://www.thewildstars.com/TarzanBallantinePBset.gif

Who's the Best... Song About School?

Back Me Up on This, Will You?

Doug: Back in 2013 we ran a post about surprise back-up singers. Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Phil Collins, James Taylor, and many others made our list of suggestions for conversation. Today we're not talking surprises at all, but those regulars who appeared... regularly on the songs of certain bands or solo acts.

Doug: Below I've pictured some vocalists/band members who came to mind when, well, this post came to mind. We'd like you to expound on favorite performers of your own, but also favorite performances. We all know that Paul McCartney sang lead on many, many Beatles hits. But one of my favorite performances from Sir Paul is his backing of John Lennon's lead on "One After 909" (the 1963 version).

For those who occasionally enjoy a little AM pop...

Now Accepting Nominations for Best Album of All Time

Doug: So last week I was in the basement cleaning. I didn't care for what was on the radio, didn't have my Bluetooth speaker or any earbuds. So what was a fella to do? You guessed it (did you?) -- pop a cassette tape into the old boom box. And the one I chose? Maybe, just maybe, one of the greatest albums of all time. So that's where you come in. Argue with me, nominate your own, set some parameters... you know what we do around here. Just be sure to give us your rationale, which could be based on the number of hits, cultural significance or influence, or maybe it was just a favorite of yours at a key time in your life.

Doug: I was checking through the albums when my eyes settled on the Who's Who's Next. To be honest, I'd forgotten I had it. Let's be honest -- have any of you used your cassettes in the past 15 years or so? While records have made a comeback that I think is just great, I don't know if we'll have the same sort of nostalgia for cassettes (maybe for 8-tracks, though? Nah...). So without reading the back of the tape case, I inserted the tape into the machine and hit Play. "Baba O'Reilly". Awesome. Followed by "Bargain". Jeez -- did I have a greatest hits album in the wrong case? Nope. It's just that good. The cover and contents (courtesy of Wikipedia) is below.

Doug: So I'm thinking someone's going to sing the praises of... well, again, that's your job. We'll all be waiting patiently.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Pete Townshend, except "My Wife" by John Entwistle.

Side one
No.	Title	Lead vocal	Length
1.	"Baba O'Riley"	Roger Daltrey (verses) Townshend (bridge)	5:08
2.	"Bargain"	Daltrey (verses) Townshend (bridge)	5:34
3.	"Love Ain't for Keeping"	Daltrey	2:10
4.	"My Wife"	Entwistle	3:41
5.	"The Song Is Over"	Townshend (verses) Daltrey (chorus)	6:14

Side two
No.	Title	Lead vocal	Length
6.	"Getting in Tune"	Daltrey	4:50
7.	"Going Mobile"	Townshend	3:42
8.	"Behind Blue Eyes"	Daltrey	3:42
9.	"Won't Get Fooled Again"	Daltrey	8:32

Can't You Hear Me Rocking: Sticky Fingers Deluxe

Karen: The Rolling Stones have re-issued their classic 1971 album Sticky Fingers in 374 different versions to choose from -well, maybe not that many, more like nine, with varying price points and formats and goodies included. I purchased the Deluxe edition for $14.99, which includes two discs: a remastered version of the original album, and a second disc, with five alternate takes and five live tracks. I'm going to talk about that second disc in this post.

Karen: Here's a list of the tracks:

1. Brown Sugar (Alternate Version with Eric Clapton)

2. Wild Horses (Acoustic Version)

3. Can't You Hear Me Knocking (Alternate Version)

4. Bitch (Extended Version)

5. Dead Flowers (Alternate Version)

6. Live With Me (Live At The Roundhouse, 1971)

7. Stray Cat Blues (Live At The Roundhouse, 1971)

8. Love In Vain (Live At The Roundhouse, 1971)

9. Midnight Rambler (Live At The Roundhouse, 1971)

10. Honky Tonk Women (Live The Roundhouse, 1971)

Karen: The opening track is Brown Sugar and features Eric Clapton on a very prominent slide guitar (listen below). It's an interesting take on the song, and while kind of fun to hear, I'll take the original. But like everything on this disc, since we've heard the originals so many times, hearing anything different is like a breath of fresh air.

Karen: Wild Horses here is acoustic, and every note rings with clarity. It's pretty, in its way, but also very subdued, and maybe too spare. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure this isn't just the recording we know stripped of the electric guitar parts. Can't You Hear Me Knocking is clearly still in work-out stage, with Jagger still using "filler" vocals. I've read about this practice of his before, so it was fun to listen to him singing a strange tongue of his own creation along with the music. The song itself is in its embryonic stages, with the rhythm coming together but no long, Santana-like solo from Mick Taylor in sight. Bitch is another workout song, with the music mostly all together, but Jagger still groping for the words.

Karen: Dead Flowers is a real standout of the alternate takes, as it is a complete track but sounds  very different from the version on the album (listen to it below). This is much more up tempo, rock and roll as opposed to the country twang of the original. Jagger's vocals sound flat, almost disinterested, although some might prefer that over his exaggerated redneck style that he uses on the Stones' country-tinged tunes.

Karen: The live stuff is really the best part of this disc. Obviously the live tracks are not songs from Sticky Fingers but from the time frame that the band was touring the album. Recorded at The Roundhouse in London in 1971, the sound quality is excellent and the band is in great form. Live with Me is raucous and the horn section really blasts it out. Stray Cat Blues and Love in Vain both feature some excellent guitar work. But the last two songs are truly exceptional.

Karen: Most people are probably already familiar with a live version of Midnight Rambler -the one from Get Yer Ya Yas Out, which was also included on the Hot Rocks compilation album, rather than the studio version from Let It Bleed. That version is a fantastic example of the Stones at their most masterful -it is menacing, hypnotic, and theatrical. This version is a terrific counterpoint, as it goes in a completely different direction, shedding the darkness and going for a blistering raver, with Jagger's harp tearing it up. Charlie Watts propels the song with his chugging rhythm and the band is tight! It's a great cut and I'm glad they included it here.

Karen: Wrapping it up is Honky Tonk Women, a big, loud crowd-pleaser, not even ruined by Keith's screeching background vocals (yeah, I went there). Again, a great song done to perfection by a band at the peak of their abilities.

Karen: Now even though I purchased this "package" -an actual physical CD, which, since I got it through Amazon, I also got the MP3s too -I may be making another purchase. You see, I discovered something about the Super Deluxe version, which includes these CDs and a third CD full of more live tunes, plus a DVD, the vinyl album and a bunch of other crap for $152. For $18, I can just get the MP3s of the CDs, so I could get that third disc of 13 tunes of live material recorded at Leeds University in 1971 (known as Get Your Leeds Lungs Out). Dang it, the Stones are as bad as George Lucas when it comes to double dipping customers!

Songs That Name Other Bands or Songs

Doug: It has occurred to me that the Beatles show up in other people's song lyrics, maybe more than you'd think. Here are a few examples --


Peter, Paul, and Mary, I Dig Rock and Roll Music (1968)

And when the Beatles tell you
They've got a word "love" to sell you
They mean exactly what they say

Dream Academy, Life in a Northern Town (1985)

He said, "In winter 1963
It felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy and the Beatles"

Sugarloaf, Don't Call Us We'll Call You (1975)

Listen kid you paid for the call
You ain't bad but we've heard it all before
And it sounds like John, Paul and George

Bad Company, Shooting Star (1975)

Johnny was a schoolboy
When he heard his first Beatles song
Love Me Do, I think it was
And from then it didn't take him long

Doug: And then there are artists who name specific songs of other artists, and perhaps even appropriate their music or some close facsimile:

Kid Rock, All Summer Long (2008)

And we were trying different things
We were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

Johnny Rivers, Summer Rain (1973)

All summer long, we spent dancin' in the sand
And the jukebox kept on playin'
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Doug: So there's your charge today -- name as many songs as possible that either name another artist or another artist's song within their own song. Good luck!

Discuss: That Band You Hated in High School... and Still Can't Stand Now

Karen: Regular readers here know mine (sorry Doug):

Karen: What's yours?

Discuss: What's Your Headgear?

Karen: Back when I was a kid, I loved my big honkin' headphones that fit completely over my ears, encapsulating me in my own world of sound. I felt like I got a deeper experience of the music. But as time went on, headphones grew smaller and smaller, til it seemed everyone was wearing ear buds, which 1) always seemed to cause me pain, and 2) never fit well in my ears. But in the last few years, big headphones have come back into style. So I have to ask -what's your headgear, man?

Been A Long Time Since I Rock and Rolled...

Karen: Today's post was suggested by BABster Joseph -thanks for the great idea! Knowing how folks around here love to talk about music, why not discuss some of our favorite live music experiences? I'm sure that many of you have great stories to tell, and we'd love to hear them.

Karen: To get the ball rolling, I can say that my fondest concert memory is from 2005. It wasn't too long before I knew I would be leaving the Bay Area to move out to Phoenix, and a very dear friend and I got tickets to see Robert Plant and his band play at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. His album, Mighty Rearranger, had come out that year and was doing pretty well, and I had enjoyed that and Dreamland from a few years prior, so I was really looking forward to the show. Neither my friend nor I had been old enough to have experienced Led Zeppelin when they were touring, and I had no expectations that Plant would cover his old band's material, but still, to see him live, a true rock legend, would be exciting. Plus I knew I didn't have much time left to hang out with my friends as I would be moving soon, so every chance I got was special.

Karen: Well, I was in for a huge surprise: about half of Plant's set was Zeppelin tunes! He was in great form and his band was fantastic. My pal and I rocked out like we were teenagers! It was a magical night and when the show was over the place was full of smiles. I think a lot of folks were transported that night. 

Karen: Let's hear your stories now!

With a Side of Jam

Doug: Raise your hand if you love long plays where the band just seems to love what they're doing and gets into an extended jam. Me, too. I'm betting we can come up with quite a list of fun songs, particularly when we get into album versions, live versions, etc. of favorite songs.

Doug: One of my nominees, and you can hear it below, is the extended version of the Doors' "Light My Fire". Of course, for much of my life I was held a musical hostage by the radio version. What most of us knew to be true was in reality missing about a 5-5 1/2 minute jam in the middle. And doesn't that make a difference when you hear the whole thing! Other songs that are enhanced by the "jam version" are the Blues Brothers' "Sweet Home Chicago"and the album version of  "Abacab" by Genesis.

Doug: And the ending of Guns 'n' Roses' "Paradise City", which is tremendous, may just get nominated right now in the "best ending ever" category!