The Music Court

Usually today I would be posting a response to the court poll but I thought I would let it sit until monday because it only has five votes so far. Vote if you would like; I want to know who you believe was the top one-hit wonder of this last decade. So, since I am letting that brew, I want to let you in on some knowledge about a consummate performer who excited crowds and charter numerous hits before his horrible untimely death at the age of 21.

Eddie Cochran knew how to entertain a crowd with his musical talent. We are nearing the 50th anniversary of his death but the videos we have of him show a vivacious performer with tremendous spirit and skill. Watch this video of “C’mon Everybody” and you will see what I am talking about: http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4848293

The song he is most known for is “Summertime Blues” which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1958. The song has been covered by such bands as “The Beach Boys,” “Blue Cheer,” “The Who” and even “T-Rex” (the glam rock extraordinaire who will figure into this post in a bit).

Yet, the spring blues were his downfall. On April 16, 1960, while traveling in the United Kingdom with songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent, a taxi being recklessly driven by George Martin (not the Beatles producer) crashed into a lamp-post jettisoning Cochran from the windshield. He died later the next day from head injuries. The car and other belongings, including Cochran’s famous Gretsch guitar were impounded at a local police station. Here is when things begin to get wierd. This guitar (while we may want to call devil’s play-thing) was picked up by a police officer named David Harman, who would later become known as Dave Dee of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. Harman learned how to play guitar on this Gretsch and would seem to be the only one to break its curse. Earlier in the tour, before Cochran’s death, his guitar had been carried to the car for Cochran by a young fan named Mark Field who would later become known as T-Rex. See how things are starting to take shape. Now, let’s test some music knowledge. T-Rex (otherwise known as Marc Bolan) died just two weeks before his 30th birthday. How did it happen?

Well, if you are just perceptive you may have gotten it. Bolan never learned to drive because of a fear of premature death, but, while riding in a Purple Mini with Gloria Jones, an American singer and songwriter, Jones crashed the car into a tree killing Bolan instantly. And, the legend of the killer Gretsch lives on. It is a shame when musicians with such talent die young but one must realize this is a reality that all face, not just the musically inclined.

While he is not a band, he is certainly good enough to count as several musicians. Here is a little profile on a musician who deserves a lot more credit than he receives.

Beauty is rarely found in musicians today. Musical beauty, the type that has you staring at your wall while you listen to the album in absolute awe of the pure emotion that is being displayed. The kind that you feel after you listen to a classical piece that a composer has slaved over for many days perfecting the string sections ending crescendo. The type of beauty that allows you to nod your head and exclaim, “This is why I listen to music!.” Peter Bradley Adams displays these immaculate brush strokes with his brand of americana melodic folk. He is a master of his craft and it shows.

Adams combines his delicate melodies that are both sweet and smooth with his extraordinary lyric capabilities. His personal lyric is well displayed in “Los Angeles” on his recent release “Leavetaking.” Adams sings his tribute to the city of Los Angeles and finishes the song softly singing, “Well they say the Big One’s gonna come, And you’ll fall into the sea, We will know that then your work is done, And your angels will go free.” While the song remains a constant lull throughout, as the song ends, and the piano holds its last note and the guitar plays its fading echoing riff, the listener is given the impression that they are too hovering over the clouds like the freed angels in the song.

Yet, the song that may leave the largest mark is the song with no words. Adams, having studied classical piano, combines his excellent organizational skill and composer ideas, to form “Song For Viola” a short instrumental piece that ends the album. A quiet piano plays slow notes as a viola inserts an emotional reverberation of strings. The piece gradually grows to its climax where the two instruments blend with each other in a tasty musical concoction and then the viola fades and the piano is left alone again playing it’s initial notes until it drops off leaving a lingering echo that ends the album. This may be considered risky, to end an album with a short instrumental piece, but Adams vanquishes any doubts. In a way this is the perfect ending. He lets his smooth melody entrap listeners and makes a lasting impact, leaving the listener with the gentle sound of a viola instead of his voice. Since, no voice can replace the emotion and ambiguity of a single instrument.

Check Out: Entire “Leavetaking” album

Only $8.00: http://www.amazon.com/Leavetaking-Peter-Bradley-Adams/dp/B001AZ8BHI

Every July a festival of medieval music is celebrated at the site of the ruins of Bauska Castle, located on the outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska. Imagine the castle in full glory, music being played on lutes and recorders and dances being choreographed to the sound of the instrumental music. Now, put the New York Dolls on the stage in their trademark full girlie dress, rocking out on somehow self-amplified electric instruments, being branded as sure heretics in medieval society. A humerous anachronism, right?

While my list of 60’s bands remains at home this new category will work to replace it temporarily. The point of it is simple. I will profile a band of my choice for your reading and listening pleasure. Hopefully, I will start to dig deep into some unknown bands so you can get a good grip on a lot of different types of music. So, imagine you are at Bauska Castle, dressed in medieval garb expecting to hear some good, mellow, medieval music, and, instead, are introduced into the world of different music and artists. In this case, keeping with the theme of Halloween, it is The New York Dolls.

Glam Rock is an interesting genre of music that focused on the performance, more than the music. Long hair, lipstick, face-paint are trademarks and theatrical performances, like those seen from Arthur Brown, are musts. The New York Dolls do not get enough credit from the music world. They were glam-metal/punk and this style of dress and music was a huge inspiration for those who followed them, including, Kiss, Blondie, The Ramones, The Clash, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper; need I say more. Bands like them and performers like Marc Bolan and Arthur Brown were huge inspirations on this odd musical movement and the sounds that came from it.

The Dolls original formation is quite interesting and I have a great fun fact for you. The band’s original line-up consisted of singer David Johansen, guitiarists Rick Rivets, who was replaced by Sylvian Sylvian (Mizrahi) after a few months, and Johnny Thunders, bass guitarist Arthur Kane and drummer Billy Murcia. There first ever performance occured at the Endicott Hotel which is between 81st and 82nd St. on Columbus Avenue, New York City’s west side. Around Christmastime 1971, workers at the hotel were organizing a party for the residents when they heard the Dolls jamming across the street and asked if they’d play in exchange for free food. The Dolls said yes and the band started.

You can hear some elements of the rhythm and blues of the Rolling Stones combined with the dual-influence of classic American girl-group bands and the post-psychedelic anarchic bands like the Stooges, as well as glam-rocker original Marc Bolan. Sound like a weird combination. It is, yet, sometimes things like this turn out to sound good. The Dolls were lucky enough to be skilled and ended up creating this odd harmony of hard rock/punk that people did not know what to think of. The guitar was slashing, Johansen’s voice was okay. In 1973 a Creem Magazine poll declared them the best and the worst band of the year, yet, they still toured successfully, and, even though critics disliked them they are now looked at as one of the original punk rock bands. Funny how opinions can change over time.

Here is another fun fact. Do you know who produced their first album? Todd Rundgren, former Nazz guitarist and promoter of his style of wierd power-pop solo work.

So, check out the Dolls and enjoy their interesting music this Halloween. I will be visiting my brother and parents in Cornell this weekend and will be back to the blogosphere on Monday, but, for the time being you will most definitely see a visual music tomorrow, and, who knows, maybe it will be Halloween themed.