Archive | Musical Interludes (Melodic thoughts from the Jester) RSS feed for this section

Opening Day For The New York Mets – Have Hope

5 Apr

Mets Pride?

So this is how it is. I am a fan of the New York Mets. I have been since I was a wee lad and I will be until I am interred. I feel that Mets fans do have a sense of self-pity, often exclaiming, “I am asked how I cheer for this team…” Well, look, at least we are not the Cubs, right?

But I am not here to discuss the ineptitude of my beloved franchise. There is much negative to discuss (whether it be ownership or talent). There is also a whole world of unrepresented optimism (burgeoning farm system, young star quality). Let’s put all of the sabermetrics and notorious Mets-related pessimism aside for a moment. Let’s just talk about Opening Day.

I’ve always had a special relationship with Opening Day. It is an American representation of Spring’s beginning. While it is chilly in New York, the weather doesn’t matter. Baseball is back. The fields are neatly manicured, the basepaths chalked with fine white spray, the bats sticky with tar, and gloves stiff with anticipation. Even if the game is not sold out (looking at you Mets), the bright-eyed youngsters and beleaguered old fans are together, are one, to celebrate the time-honored tradition of welcoming baseball back to the city. And, well, it’s a simple beauty.

The Mets are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and most fans are prepared for a disappointing season where the Mets will struggle mightily to keep up with the talent in their division. Most fans are already looking ahead to 2014 and the maturation of prospects starting their own opening day this year in Binghamton or Buffalo (or Florida still). Take a second, though, even if you cannot muster up the excitement (not even a small grin) for the beginning of the season. Come on Mets fans. I beckon you. I behoove you. It’s opening day. I know your heart is blue and orange. Let it shine through and cheer for the mighty metropolitans, the miracle mets, the Amazins, the team you grew up with and cheered for when you were a kid, the team that can turn a dull person passionate. Cheer for our New York Mets.

Remember. You have to play the games. So let’s do just that. Join me in a nationwide chorus to say the two greatest words in modern sport. Play Ball!

Tags: , , , ,

The Moondog Coronation Ball – Rock n’ Roll – and Why We Should All Choo Choo Ch’Boogie

21 Mar

The first big rock n’ roll concert happened 60 years ago today…and it lasted less than one song. While it may not seem like much of a concert, Alan Freed’s ode to togetherness and the new “teen music” he played for his loyal Moondoggers culminated in this one event that ultimately was shut down by police. The concert at the Cleveland Arena was truly about music. While the United States was still very much segregated, Freed encouraged a racially diverse list of performers and audience. Tickets were sold and sold and sold and then possibly counterfeited and sold again, until around 20,000 people longed to push into the arena of around 10,000 seats to dance and enjoy music. The police feared a riot and shut down the show but it was the simple intention and initial gathering that pushed the Moondog Coronation Ball into legendary status and Freed into rock lore.

This anniversary got me thinking expansively. Rock n’ roll was in its incipient phases back then, but when did rock n’ roll officially begin? What was the first rock n’ roll song ever released? I am unfortunately plagued by a nearly impossible longing to learn about the roots of everything. I like to know what came first. This particular question has several answers. There is not one song that has the title of first rock n’ roll song ever. There are many. I came across an interesting article written in Discovery that labels “That’s All Right Mama” by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup as the world’s oldest rock n’ roll song. Southeastern Louisiana University rock historian Joseph Burns thinks so. The song was released in September of 1946.

“It’s music that draws heavily from blues and country in a hit form that’s often danceable. There should be hints of jazz, gospel or folk influence. There should also be some technology influence,” writes the author of the article quoting Burns that can be accessed here.

Is he right? Is he wrong? Who knows. 1946 seems to be the year for emerging rock n’ roll. There was a turn over from big band, jazz, country, and straight blues, to a genre that mixed all of the elements together. As stated above, the music needs hints of blues and jazz and must be danceable. Well, in the 1940’s a genre developed that did just this. It was called Jump Blues and in my opinion it featured the first rock n’ roll song some months prior to Big Boy’s version of “That’s Alright Mama”

Jump blues combined blues and big band. It featured a small group of horn musicians who sang swingy, melodious pieces tinged with blues sentiments. And no one did this better than Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. In January of 1946, Jordan released “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” which played to both black and white audiences by fusing together elements of country, blues, and jazz music. It is a stroke of mastery and it sounds a whole lot like rock n’ roll. And it’s catchy as hell and makes you move!

The First Round Continues – March 1966 Madness – 2 vs. 15, 3 vs. 14, 4 vs. 13

15 Mar

Thus begins the true first round of March Madness: 1966 Album Edition. If you are new to the game, let me do a quick sentence reminder of what this is. Over the next few weeks we are going to do a March Madness-style poll game that will narrow down the best album released in 1966 in a time span concurrent with the NCAA March Madness tournaments. Easy enough. All you have to do is vote and have fun. A few days I go I did the premiere post of this year’s competition that saw the #1 seed Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys vs. Buffalo Springfield by Buffalo Springfield. Both good albums, of course, but I think Neil Young would even vote for Pet Sounds, though. It seems that the majority of readers agree. Pet Sounds is winning 5 to 2 currently. Buffalo Springfieldis putting up a deserved fight, though. It is an excellent album featuring some musical superstars. Vote for The Beach Boys or Buffalo Springfield here

Keep voting! Remember, the only way this works is if we receive a whole bunch of votes. Let me thank John Phillips over at http://joebeans2002.wordpress.com/ for re-blogging the first March Madness poll. Do check out his blogs. I am grateful to all of you if you spread this along to others. Let’s make this years March Madness even more exciting than last’s.

On to the match-ups!

#2 seed: Revolver by The Beatles vs. #15 seed:The Young Rascalsby The Young Rascals

 

The Beatles were on last year’s 1967 list twice. They occupy a #2 seed this time around. The Beatles are Duke. They must have been a pretty good band. It is actually striking just how industrious and talented the fab four actually were. Many consider Revolver to be their first deep dive into musical diversity and psychedelics (and it makes sense considering their next two releases). It features hits like “Eleanor Rigbey,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” and “And Your Bird Can Sing.” It goes up against the debut album from the Young Rascals. The album features their versions of “Mustang Sally,” “In The Midnight Hour,” and a little-known song named “Good Lovin” that went on to be one of the Young Rascals most beloved songs. Is this an easy match-up for Revolver? I think Revolver has too many strengths to lose. It is multi-faceted and classic. Up to you all, though!

#3 seed: Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan vs. #14 seed: A Quick One by The Who

  

Blonde on Blonde was released a year after Highway 61 Revisited which is my favorite Dylan album. It is nowhere near a slouch though. Many consider Blonde on Blonde to be Dylan’s most advanced album. The opening track is “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35!” The album also features “Just Like a Woman” and “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.” It is bluesy and folky and if it wasn’t for the fact that two of the best albums ever released ever were ahead of it, it may be a #1 seed. It goes up against a Who album that is no Spring chicken – even though it was the second album released by the band. The album, which originally was called Happy Jack because of the title’s lewd aspirations, features a few great pieces, but mainly a band that would develop into one of the best of the generation. This may be closer than you think.

#4 Seed: Freak Out  by The Mothers of Invention vs. #13 Seed: The Soul Album by Otis Redding

This is a good battle between two bands that seem like they are absolutely nothing alike, but are more alike than it seems. The Mothers, led by Frank Zappa’s keen musical nature, blended doo-wop, blues, and rock, that together formed the experimental rock collage the album was. The Soul Album (features bluesy soul – obviously) was Otis Redding and members of Booker T & The MG’s (STAX Records house band). The album just couldn’t be bad. Will we have a 13-4 upset?

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jermaine Jones Disqualified from American Idol

14 Mar

So here is the skinny. Jermaine Jones, the deep-voiced loveable giant in the top 12 of American Idol, was reportdely disqualified from the show for undisclosed criminal charges in 2011. According to TMZ (per Yahoo), Jermaine was “charged with public nuisance and obstruction of justice stemming from a fight at at a Howard Johnson Hotel in New Jersey, and was later charged after a separate incident for hindering apprehension and giving false information to avoid self-discovery. He was also supposedly arrested for having four outstanding warrants (three for driving on a suspended license, one for disorderly conduct with an open container). Jermaine allegedly gave fake names to the police in both cases.” 

Check out the Yahoo article here for more information. Like I said, this is just a report, though Jermaine’s American Idol assigned Twitter feed has vanished and reliable sources are stating that this shocker will be revealed in a highly emotional Idol.

Lyndsey Parker made a great point in her Yahoo article. It has been echoed by several loyal Idol watchers. This all seems way too “reality” television to us. Think of Survivor and Big Brother. That is “reality” television. While both shows play it off that they have no large impact on the participants, everyone knows this is a complete lie. A show only survives if it has viewers and viewers are quite vocal. Talent competitions, like American Idol, have hopefully been without manipulation because the producers put the viewership in charge. That’s what makes these shows better, in my opinion.

BUT…when an individual is disqualified, well, things change. Here is my (and everyone elses) question. You’re telling me that they didn’t know about Jermaine’s past (AT ALL) throughout. It’s not like he committed a crime in 2004. This was LAST YEAR! Did he commit the crime in between trying out and going to Hollywood? The producers of American Idol are not stupid. They do background checks. This would have come up (you would think). Okay, fine, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they didn’t find out until they did another round of testing for the live top 24. But surely then (before putting an apparently violent dude prone to outbursts) on live television, they would have found out). And, there my viewers, is the conspiracy.

Remember, Jermaine was the shocking judges choice – a rare 13th individual in the usual top 12. He was beloved by fans – an imposing offensive lineman (the gentle giant) in the midst of other singers. His croon was elegant and candid. Did American Idol play up Jermaine’s persona just to reveal that he is getting kicked off the show. AND, apparently they have the outburst (which Jermaine understandably had – unless they filled him in on the plan and told him to act for an undisclosed amount of cash and publicity). It will air tonight on American Idol. Can’t you just hear Ryan Seacrest saying it? This, in my opinion, is an example of “reality” television. It is as fake as the Kim Kardashian wedding. It will be extravagant and the producers of the show are crossing their fingers it will assist the spotty show ratings.

It’s not like I was going to miss the show anyway, but, I will be watching. But, come on, I know they are lying through their teeth.

Tags: , , , ,

March Madness is Back! 16 vs. 1 and an Introduction – Welcome to 1966

13 Mar

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...1966

One year ago yesterday, I excitedly posted about an idea I had to celebrate March Madness. 16 albums. One year. One winner. What was the best album released in one of the greatest years for music – 1967. We did it like a region of the March Madness bracket. 16 vs. 1, 15 vs. 2, 14 vs. 3 and et cetera until we got down to our final match where the 1-seed, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, took home the grand prize. You can read the finale post here. The entire Music Court event was extremely fun. Do you know why? Because you all voted and made it awesome. We had several votes per poll and therefore received close battles and true blowouts (which you will also see during the March Madness tournament itself. And guess what?

We are doing it again! We are traveling back in time one year and exploring what was the best album released in 1966. Did you know that Texas Western won the NCAA men’s tournament that year. It was actually a very memorable tournament. The all-black starting five of Texas Western defeated an all-white starting five for Kentucky in the championship game and continued to open up possibilities of black athletes everywhere.

During the same year two bands from California released two influential albums. One was released by a couple of simple surfer boys turned complex musical composers – their 11th album. The other, a debut, featured protest, protest, and protest. Before we get to a preview of round #1 let’s go over some of the rules. Yes, I am copying this from my post last year!

I have ranked 16 albums from 1 (meaning the best) to 16 (meaning the 16th best on our list). Yes, 1-16 will have tremendous albums and your favorite may not be included. Many albums were released in 1966 and it is very hard to choose the best (1-16) but I am trying. There is no genre discrimination. If I feel that the album was the best, it will be on our list.

The tournament will see four match-ups in the form of polls two days a week. So, today, below, you see the one seed vs. the sixteen seed. It is a little taste of the tourny. Tomorrow we will do three more match-ups. You vote for your favorite. You have until the end of the first round (March 21 ) to vote. After the first round I will tally the votes and we will move onto the elite eight and then the final four and then the finals. Here are the rough dates of when everything will be posted.

March 14 (Tomorrow: 2 vs. 15, 3 vs. 14, 4 vs. 13)

March 19: (5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, 8 vs. 9)

March 23: Elite Eight (First two matches)

March 26: Elite Eight (Last two matches) Voting for Elite Eight ends April 2

April 2: Final Four – Voting for Final Four ends April 9

April 9: Finals – Voting ends April 15 and winner is crowned.

REMEMBER: THIS WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU ALL VOTE!!! Keep track of the schedule and VOTE VOTE VOTE!

ROUND 1 Preview

#1: Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys vs. #16: Buffalo Springfield by Buffalo Springfield

It is not an easy choice. While Pet Sounds is widely considered as one of the most impactful psychedelic explorations ever (ranked #2 of 500 albums in Rolling Stone’s Top Albums Ever), Buffalo Springfield’s eponymous first album did feature Neil Young and Stephen Stills rocking out together for the first time (even though they were unhappy with the release). So will we have a rare first round upset or will Michigan State beat LIU (oh I mean Pet Sounds vs. Buffalo Springfield). It’s time to make your voices heard. Vote!

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →