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The King of Soul: Still Sittin’ on the Dock

10 Sep

James Brown is considered the Godfather of soul. Aretha Franklin is certainly soul’s distinguished Queen. But, who holds the position of male royalty. Who is the King of soul? The answer is Otis Redding, and, if our quixotic, spinning world did not take him too soon, he would have been 69 years old yesterday.

1967 marked a phenomenal year for music. The Beatles released a little album called Sgt. Peppers, the “Summer of Love” brought a peaceful swarm of long-haired humans to San Francisco, Jethro Tull and Procul Harum were founded, The Doors released their first album and the Monterey Pop Festival became the first heavily attended rock festival, promoting a three-day musical exploration from June 16-18. At that festival was Mr. Otis Redding himself. And, after famously saying “So this is the love crowd,” he gave an excellent show to the grand, and probably stoned audience. Six months later Redding was dead at 26.

1967, Chicago, Illinois, USA --- Otis Redding --- Image by © Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis

On December 9, 1967, after Redding and his Bar-Kays were in Cleveland, Ohio to appear on a local television show and perform at a small venue club called Leo’s Casino. On the afternoon of the 10th, Redding, four members of the Bar-Kays, his manager and his pilot died when the Beechcraft 18 airplane they were in crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin.

Three days before the crash, Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” was recorded, and Redding’s unfinished masterpiece – the whistled verse was going to have lyrics put to it – became the first posthumous number one single in U.S. chart history. There was actually so much recorded material from Redding that another three studio albums and a few successful singles were released after his death. The first, The Immortal Otis Redding, released in 1968, was correct in its title. Redding’s brand of soul music is as relevant today than it was back at the time of his death. Search “The Dock of the Bay” on Youtube and you will see numerous covers of the song done by known, modern musicians. He still garners tremendous respect and I believe “The Dock of the Bay,” with its smooth, ocean sound and even the eerie concluding whistle, supports the claim that Redding was, and still is, the very best soul voice to ever grace our radios. Just listen to his effortless croon and his remarkable command.

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The Rest of the Night

8 Sep

Yesterday, it was the seven-year anniversary of Warren Zevon’s death. The sardonic and ebullient musician whose hilarious, but sometimes abstruse lyrical gifts still grace classic rock stations and my iPod alike, died September 7, 2003 at the age of 56. Zevon’s brand of hard piano-rock and his active playing and performance style combined to mold a wonderful musician. One, who was taken from the world a little too early.

I have always been a big fan of his final album The Wind. I love this album for two reasons. First, the music is just great. Look at the cast of musicians who contributed. Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Don Henley, David Lindley, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty…the list continues. Seriously, where else can you find a collaboration like this. But, underneath the track listing is the reason why all of these artists came to the studio to record with Zevon. A goodbye. The solemn undertone that marks the farewell album (the album was recorded early 2003 and released only two weeks before his death) is quaint. Yes, it is quite apparent in the conclusion of the album, “Keep me in Your Heart,” an acoustic tear-jerker that emits a beautiful austerity and is carried by Zevon’s known, raspy and crispy croon. But, for the focus of this post, I would like to explore “The Rest of the Night,” track eight on the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUnJvMd5qTQ

Enjoy the video above? Zevon adds Tom Petty as a backing vocalist and their combination begets this magical piece with a well-done guitar riff and excellent, germane lyrics. Because, even in the face of his illness, Zevon stayed true to his being. This album allowed him to toss out the conventions of how to act in the face of death. Instead of using his mortality as a sobbing crutch, he focused his attention on music and partying on this album with his friends. This is a valiant album and Zevon portrayed the true dogged, indomitable sonofabitch he is. Keep on partying, Warren.

And, to all my Jewish bretheren, a very happy and healthy new year!

The Finest Worksong

6 Sep

Yes…the absolutely perfect Labor Day song title from R.E.M. was just too tempting not to put as the title of this post. R.E.M., be proud, you created a fine work song that gets the most plays on a day devoted to workers. Labor Day always confused me. So, we celebrate laborers by giving everyone a day off from work. On Labor Day shouldn’t we work twice as much? Um…no nevermind, forget I said anything. Yes, Francis Griffin would be proud.

Well, my Labor Day was spent with family. Tomorrow, I am taking the Graduate Record Exam. Nervous? Ah, not really. I have never been one to worry about tests. You go in and do the best you can do at that particular point of time and that is all. Plus, I never much got the point of standardized testing. Well, tomorrow I will get the brain juices flowing and see if I can regurgitate some old mathematics all over the computer test.

For anyone who is roaming around the internet at this hour, bored, and too tired to move your body into your bed, here is a work-related, Labor Day influenced song quiz. See if you can name that fine work song.

http://totalyellow.com/blog1.php/2010/09/06/finest-worksongs-a-musical-labor-day-quiz

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The Psychedelic Quest: “This Is IT” by Alan Watts

5 Sep

Let us embark on a psychedelic journey. Oko’s first “Journey to the Center of the Mind” post introduced his immense catalogue of psychedelic sounds that aurally stimulate him. The broad genre of pyschedelia is well-known, but esoteric, followed by a coterie of heightened music listeners who are unwilling to withstand normal pop/rock constructions. It is a type of abstruse music that is marked by true experimentation, tactile but teetering on the wavy line of incomprehensible. Psychedelic music frees listeners and enters them in a limitless, expanding universe of pulsating sound with no stable grounding. There is no gravity. Listeners float in a astral body where one can see, feel and hear the stars, but still not quite grasp their unknown wonder. Lost and found.

And, it is this concept of lost and found that I would like to explore this morning. Oko inspired me to search for the origins of psychedelic music. There was a moment in its foundation during the early 1960’s when psychedelia moved past its beat generation foundations of spoken word albums and the drug experimentation inception. It was during this brief point of time that listeners got their first taste of a true psychedelic album. And, no it was not the Beatles. It was even before the 13th Floor Elevators of Texas started advertising themselves as “psychedelic rock” in 1965. It was even before the LSD-inspired folk scene prompted the New York-based Holy Modal Rounders to use the word psychedelic in their version of “Hesitation Blues.”

This moment of time was 1962 and it emerged from the amalgamation of European/American researchers, artists and poets. In a quiet revolution, Western and Eastern thought merged with the controlled use of LSD to form a powerful energy that certainly could be looked at as a true predecessor of the musical revlotion that practically took over the United States and scared most of the country only five years later. And, at the forefront of this psychedelic movement was Alan Watts, an eloquent British lecturer who basked in his innate curiosity and weirdness and helped bridge the gap between London, New York and San Francisco (emerging psychedelic hotbeds) .

In 1962, Watts released his spiritual LP This Is IT, a rare, practically unknown release, that can truly be cited as the first psychedelic record.

Released in Sausalito, California this album of “Alan Watts and friends in a spontaneous musical happening”  is real psychedelia. It is more of a spacey, aural experience and it is impossible to grasp any structure. There is no need for structure. It is the psychedelic experience of zany instrumentation, conversation, and incantation. It is drums and chanting and evocations. It is pure psychedelic exaltation.

The album explores Eastern thought and sound and combines it with “controlled accidents” of sound explosions, random pockets of jazz, eerie piano, and lots of acid. It is the premier psychedelic soundscape. Go on and get this album and take a listen. This is 1962 we are talking about. The Beatles haven’t even released “She Loves You” yet. Jimi Hendrix was 20.

Watts’ exploration is a timeless example of psychedelia at its very best. It is the first example of the burgeoning genre of music and is still as complex and real today, as it was back when it was released in a very different American society. This Is IT wasn’t only it, but, IT was a start.

Here is Watts on the concept of Nothingness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLrMVous0Ac

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“Please Speak Well of Me”: One Song Review From Weepies’ Be My Thrill

2 Sep

The Weepies released their new album Be My Thill two days ago and my friend, another Weepies’ fan, was able to pick up a copy after class. He listened to half the album and turned it over to me for some auditory consumption. I popped the album into my computer and let Deb and Steve sweep me off into a world of cool folk tunes. Cool is a good thing. My room is still quite steamy.

I have not gotten a chance to listen to the entire album yet, but, by the end of tonight I should have the majority of it finished. But, in the 4-5 songs I have listened to, I can tell you all with much confidence that The Weepies’ have not lost a step. I mean, yes, one could argue that because they play a pretty generic style of pop, it is kind of hard for the river to run dry. But, producing tune after tune is harder than it seems. The Weepies could easily fall into the trap of trying to do too much. Trying to expand their infectious pop genre. But, no, they stick to what they are good at. Chill music.

And, the aptly titled first song “Please Speak Well Of Me” (I see what you did there Weepies…very clever) does not deviate from the Weepies norm…and being awesome. It is a perfect opening track and the rest of the album follows in suit. Buy a copy and enjoy.

I am heading home tomorrow for break. If I don’t get to post tomorrow…I will be back Saturday. Keep tuned!

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