The Music Court

              Oh The Monkees. Many have a warped love/hate relationship with them. You do not want to admit that you like their songs but they are so incredibly catchy. How can one deny “I’m a Believer” or “Daydream Believer” or anything that has to do with believing in something. The songs latch themselves onto your susceptible minds and quite literally need to be knocked out of there by another, equally as catchy song. May I suggest today’s Song of the Day. “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” by the annoyingly catchy four, The Monkees. 

            The Monkees were obviously just a poor man’s Beatles in their joking attempt to create a band name that misspells one letter in an animal/insects name. No respect to our beloved Monkeys and Beetles. But, over their vast list of material one song is a pretty solid piece of social commentary. Yes, social commentary, fighting the man, you heard it correct. “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” while recorded by The Monkees in 1967 is actually a song by the tremendous lyric writing duo of Gerry Goffin and Carole King who wrote over 30 hits for different artists from 1960-1970. That is simply remarkable. “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” one of these hits that hit #3 on the Top 100 in 1967, is actually about life in suburbia, particularly in Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey. The song is a musical version of “keeping up with the Joneses’” which basically is another way of saying keeping track of people’s social status.’

            The song, like all Monkees’ songs, is catchy and stays in your head. Partly because the lyrics are somewhat humorous and also partly because the song is based off a Beatles guitar riff on Revolver in the song, “I Want to Tell you.”

Check it out on your own Pleasant Valley Sunday:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB0bnT4QRIc   (Awesome video also)

                 We have reached 10. Unfortunately, there is nothing fantastic planned. Who am I kidding! Song of the Day is fantastic in itself. Okay moving away from my sarcastic arrogance, a few days ago I learned that Paul McCartney will be the first performer to open Citi Field. For all you Mets fans and those who follow baseball, I wish Paul all the luck in the world and I must ask the Rock Legend to be careful when he steps on the field. A hip/hamstring/stomach injury/virus may overcome you as you walk on the grass. The concerts are July 17th and July 18th. The 18th is my birthday. To say I want to go is an understatement. Tickets go on sale June 15th. Good luck getting your pair!

            On to today’s song of the day. Not to much going on in the world of music today. Phish is coming to Jones Beach Theatre on Long Island, NY tonight. That’s pretty cool. I thought we would focus on some older stuff today. As we all know this is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock (1969-2009) and there are a couple of tours going on to commemorate the drug-filled, muddy, musical haven. Hippiefest, led by the surprisingly funny Flo and Eddie will continue there yearly tour with old, depleted bands ( I do not mean that in a bad way). Heroes of Woodstock, a new list of bands including Country Joe will also make its rounds. Yet, I am most disappointed that on these lists is no Richie Havens. Havens, the first Woodstock performer, was called on for seven encores because he was plagued by his punctuality and the fact that since the crowd was close to, I don’t know, 500,000 strong other performers had a little trouble making there way down the small pathway to the field in White Lake, NY. I have been there and it really is amazing because no one can imagine 500,000 fitting in the cramped space. Seven encores! He was later interviewed and he mentioned that he played all he knew. This included numerous Beatles covers. One of which is today’s song of the day.

            Number four on his extensive set list is “Strawberry Fields Forever.” There are two things I really enjoy about Richie Havens. First, his thumb is enormous. Seriously he bars chords with his thumb successfully. His thumb can consume my hand. Second, his voice is just wonderful. It is like a gravely folk voice of old. He performs the song with power and feeling. He turns Strawberry Fields Forever into a Soul/Folk mix that sounds extraordinary.

Oh My Lord, Look at the Thumb

Cool Video (I apologize for the premature rolling credits):   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQG-xM62tQg

“Close your eyes baby close your eyes
sunshine just this one last sunrise and im home”

                   These homebound lyrics appear in Aqualung’s 2008 release Words and Music. Aqualung is the taken name of English singer/songwriter Matthew Hales known for his “Strange and Beautiful” which has appeared in a Volkswagen commerical and countless television shows. Okay I know what you are all thinking. Can he pull it off? Is one of his songs in Scrubs? Yes, of course, every band must be christened by the Scrubs producers. “Easier To Lie” was featured in an episode.

            Yet, while Matt Hales has enjoyed popularity based off of his older releases, it is this recent release, Arrivals, on the album Words and Music that I believe displays his true talent and potential. The song is a masterpiece that is connected with his pleasent whine that explores head falsetto’s and chest low’s. Yet, what really puts this song in the category of strange and beautiful is the beginning. The beginning that introduces morning strings which almost feel like they are introducing you to a new day. Strings that play the hook that follows the song through both strings and piano. Notes that resound beautifully and carry the melody. Notes that carry you home.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loqseAaW-Zs&feature=related   (Not the greatest video and no opening strings, but check it out and possibly buy it if you want to hear the full version)

In honor of Bruce Springsteen closing out Giants Stadium where Giants fans have celebrated and Jets fans, over the past 40 years, have wallowed in continual defeat (You can tell I am a Jets fan right?), today’s song of the day will be my favorite Bruce Springsteen song.

Over his incredible career Bruce has had a multitude of #1 hits and epic songs from “Thunder Road” to his recent song “The Wrestler” which appeared in the movie “The Wrestler” as the title track. Yet, while his popular classics are fantastic hits my favorite Bruce song is a recent classic dating only four years. “Devils and Dust,” the title track off of Springsteen’s 13^th studio album, “Devils and Dust” has a subtle beauty to it that resounds through Springsteen’s vocal, lyrics, and harmonica.

What I believe is most impressive about the song is the build-up. The song begins with Springsteen and an acoustic guitar, the two most basic elements for a musician, instrument and voice. Beginning in the second verse we are introduced to a synthesizer that reverberates as the bass and a rising horns section that matches perfectly with Springsteen’s lyric that also gets louder with the lyric, “The smell begins to rise.” Strings are introduced by the Nashville String Machine, the master group of session musicians. Then we get drums and a bass which combine with the strings and the synthesizer and the guitar and the voice and the lyrics and then wow. You pause and you think. What we need now is an elongated harmonica solo. We get it. It is pronounced above all the other instruments. Everything combines and one can get the image of the soldier that Springsteen portrays in his lyrics. The soldier that is thinking and searching for guidance and a morally correct solution to the war. The soldier who is alone in, “a field of blood and stone…just trying to survive.” The soldier whose harmonica is felt and as it fades and the acoustic guitar (which has both high and low E tuned down to D giving it a deeper sounds) fades and as Springsteen’s voice reaches a culminating note, we as listeners understand why Springsteen is considered one of the very best and even at sixty years old still continues to rock harder and write better then anyone in the music business.

Yesterday’s two posts both had to do with music in movies. “Shipping up to Boston” from The Departed and “Mrs. Robinson” from The Graduate. The coincidence inspired me and today we shall do it on purpose. When I pick my brain for famous moments one particular scene catches my memory. There is nothing better then an upbeat, unexpected song in a zombie movie. So, as a mock-zombie flick “Shaun of the Dead,” the hilarious horror/comedy/parody/ mocking every zombie movie convention ever, one could expect the perfect song to be used during the climactic zombie fight towards the end of the movie. Oh yes, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well a group of zombie fighting friends, fight charging zombies to the tune of “Don’t Stop me Now” by Queen.

Freddie Mercury zombie

And that is not the great part. The entire fight is in perfect rhythm with the song. A show of strobe lights distract the zombies. It’s like we entered into a Queen concert in the afterlife. Oh no look out Freddie Mercury zombie! But, in all seriousness, the 1979 hit single off the album Jazz, known as one of the rare songs Brian May, the usually faithful guitarist, did not like (I do not blame him) is playing in the background of a zombie fight until a zombie is thrown through the jukebox cutting the music immediately.