I live on Long Island, a little finger jutting out of New York City into the Atlantic Ocean. This weekend, Hurricane Irene will menacingly attack New York and wind gusts on Long Island may shoot up to 90 m.p.h. I have never even driven my car 90 m.p.h. I cannot comprehend these wind speeds. Next time you see us world, Long Island will be embarking on a new mission in northern Canada after Irene picks us up and tosses us over the Canadian border like a wet towel. Okay, hyperbole aside, this seems that it will be the worst hurricane to hit NYC in perhaps a century. The supermarkets are flooded with individuals preparing for the apocalypse. We’re New Yorkers. We overexaggerate like crazy.
Anyway, the hurricane got me thinking. What are some good songs to melodize this damage-inducing event. And then I thought, hey, why not ask you, the reader, to help me pick the greatest song about a storm. Yeah, you know what it is. Poll time. Get out your ballots. Here we go. What is the best song about a storm? I really tried putting this list together with songs only about actual storms, but the metaphorical storm, rain, and hurricane got the best of me. Please, provide your own feelings on best storm songs as well!
Hopefully you all enjoyed your Fourth of July weekend. Now that we are all back to being fully ensconced in the drudgery of life without reckless barbecues and fireworks play, I think it is a good time to reveal the answers to the Fourth of July Music Trivia Game. If you still want to play, go and answer these questions prior to reading this post Unfortunately, I cannot crown a winner this week because no one commented on the post with their name and answers. Perhaps I will create a better way to crown the winners in the future without making individuals comment on the post. I can still post up the answers and tell you all how you did. Let me commend everyone who played for all getting the first question correct. The national anthem did indeed come from a British Drinking Song (the one below to be exact).
Credit to the Georgia Tech Glee Club for the rendition. While there was a 100 percent success rate on the first question, things did not go as well for the other three questions. Let’s answer them one by one.
2.) I want to know what American musician gave Randy California his stage name?
The popular choice was Jim Morrison. It does make sense in both the geographical and time aspects. California received his nickname in 1966 and the Doors formed in 1965. But despite the links, Morrison did not give Randy his nickname. Jimi Hendrix, who met Randy at a guitar store in NYC, gave him the nickname of California when he joined Hendrix’s short-lived 1966 band, The Blue Flames. The band, which also featured bassist Randy Palmer, had a slight same-name problem that Hendrix solved by giving each Randy a nickname based by where they came from. Palmer became Randy Texas and Randy Wolfe became Randy California. Congrats to those who got this question correct
3.) Jimmy Page is often cited as the originator of using a violin bow on a guitar, but this is incorrect information. Who was the true FIRST guitarist to popularize this practice?
I admit, this was a bit of a trick question. But I’m glad I asked it, because it just exposes the unfortunate anonymity of the guitarist who started this inventive trend and also still serves as a great guitarist. Eddie Phillips did not receive a single vote, but he is the correct answer. Jimmy Page was inspired to strike the guitar with a violin bow by David Lindley, a multi-instrumentalist who did indeed experiment with this practice, but did so after Eddie Phillips started. There is the slight catch. Phillips first played the guitar with a violin bow in his pre-Creation band The Mark Four. With the Creation, Phillips mastered the playing style and used it in several popular recordings.
4.) Newman vocalist/keyboardist John “Speedy” Keen worked as a chauffeur for a famous British band who’s guitarist thanked Keen by creating the band around him to showcase his work. What was that band?
Most votes went to the Rolling Stones, but “Speedy” Keen was not driving around Mick and Keith. Instead, Keen chauffeured Pete, Roger, John and a probably intoxicated Keith Moon. Townshend, a good ear for talent, gave Keen the opportunity and man did they strike gold with “Something in the Air.” Enjoy!
Every post I do about psychedelic music must be prefaced by a piece of computer psychedelic artwork. It is a necessity. Over the past couple of weeks, I have put together posts for the section entitled “60’s Psychedelic Experiment – What is 60s Psychedelic Music.” The section has explored numerous types of psychedelic music. Most similarly to Indie music today, Psychedelic music was a fad genre that took on several sub-genres. I say “fad” genre because it is not a main modern music genre like pop, rock or blues. Psychedelic music was a rather obscure genre that took shape because of its temporary popularity.
I love psychedelic music. It is one of the reasons why I first got into listening to true classic rock (rock before 1973 with the exception of a few bands like Boston and Thin Lizzy). The question that I pose in this poll is what is the best type of 1960s psychedelic music. There are more sub-genres than options in the poll below, but since psychedelic music spawns genres within genres (an Inception twist), I’d rather keep it simple. Plus, remember, we are not including sub-genres like Kraut Rock, Art Rock, and Progressive Rock, because besides a few early examples, these sub-genres burgeoned in the 1970s, uncharted territory for this post. Below are a few big sub-genres that contain most psychedelic songs. I will include an example of the genre as well. Happy Voting.
We have a winner! The tournament’s #1 seed Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band was not denied, and unlike my incorrect pick of #1 seed Duke in the 2011 March Madness tournament, Sgt. Peppers brought it home. Am I surprised by the results? No. Despite the list of 16 fantastic albums, Sgt. Peppers was arguably the best. It beat #3 seed Are You Experiencedby Jimi Hendrix by only three votes. It was close, but so was the Duke vs. Arizona game, that ultimately led to Duke’s demise.
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely considered as not only the Beatles‘ best album, but also the greatest album of the rock n’ roll era. The album was preceded by Revolver and it demonstrates musical elements that the Beatles were exploring in Revolver, like electronic sampling and creative instrumentation. Elements of Revolver were heard more in Magical Mystery Tour(a combination LP) and the culmination of the Beatles’ psychedelic experimentation resulted in the concept album that was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
An album is obviously defined by its track listing. A concept album is also defined by its order. The album’s first song, “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band,” is an invite into the magical world of the Beatles. The song sounds like the opening of a Broadway play. It is a tremendous concoction of melody, studio sounds, brass and rock. The song also seamlessly flows into track two, “With a Little Help From My Friends,” a traditional pop/rock Beatles’ hit. While Sgt. Peppers flows as a concept album, the music pieces psychedelic elements with the Beatles’ rock sound, but the psychedelic trinkets are more defined in some songs than others. It is this pleasant combination, mixed with the band’s unique efficiency, that makes Sgt. Peppers so successful.
Best song off the album? Is there any question. “A Day in the Life” provides listeners with one of the most original psychedelic pieces ever created. The song combines drawn-out verses and strange lyrics, with a fast-paced day breakdown and two of the most intense transitions ever heard in music. It is the David of rock music. Enjoy.
The 1967 Album Tournament has spilled over March and has entered into April, but despite its lasting power it is not going to be around for much longer. That’s right, the finals are among us. And, unlike the droning Butler vs. UCONN Men’s College Basketball Final, I envision a solid match between two deserving albums. Voting for the final round will remain live until Friday, April 15, when the Music Court will crown the winner. Thank you to those who have voted thus far, but your favorite album still needs your votes.
The #1 seed, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, has not experienced any problems wasting its opponents. It is the perennial 1967 powerhouse. It defeated #5 seed, Disraeli Gears, handily and seems ready for its next challenge. But, will it experience issues going up against the upset winner of the #2 vs #3 battle. In a last second vote to break the tie, #3 seed, Are You Experiencedby The Jimi Hendrix Experience, beat The Doors by The Doors and moved on to the finals. Jimi Hendrix vs. The Fab Four. The battle of two psychedelic albums with different sub-genres. What album will bring home the prize. The Beatles’ complex psychedelic masterpiece or Hendrix’s passionate psychedelic blues adventure. It is up to your votes.
The Music Court 