For today's song, we stay in France with prolific singer-songwriter Charles Trenet's hit, <La mer>. The song was (according to legend) first written on the back of a napkin on a train in 1943, but Trenet's buddies didn't think the song was that great and didn't swing enough, so it sat in a drawer until Trenet recorded the song in 1946, and ended up being his biggest hit. The song en francais is an ode to the ocean, with the chord progession and instrumentation acting as the hypnotic ebb and flow-like quality of the waves. Eventually the song was translated into English and called "Beyond the Sea", recorded by over 400 artists, most popularly by Bobby Darin in the 1950s (heard here).
Charles Trenet the man, like out previous entry Edith Piaf had a pretty interesting life. He wrote over a thousand songs and became a pretty popular cabaret artist during WWII, but made some questionable performance decisions - he played for Nazi occupier audiences in order to keep his fame rather than decline and keep his dignity. France soured on him after the war for some of these choices, so Trenet moved to America for a few years, where he was arrested for allegedly pimping underage boys (it also came out that Trenet was gay, something he never publicly admitted to). He toured and sang well into the 1970s when he retired, only to come back a few years later for a tribute concert, retired again, released an album (eat your heart out, Cher!). Trenet eventually stroked out and died in 2001.
Revieeeeeews:
Holly:
La mer (Charles Trenet): Oh, another song I know but by a different name! This Charles Trenet guy has a super smooth, creamy voice, and he rolls his ‘r’s so perfectly. The song itself is pretty dated, and a bit harp heavy. As you listen to it you think “oh, this is pleasant! Maybe a little on the cheesy side, but I can deal with it”. Then you get smacked over the head by the background choir. Whoa, they just kicked the cheese into high gear! Still, a pleasant song to listen to. 3/5
Kelly:
I LOVE this song. Unfortunately for Charles Trenet, I love the Bobby Darin version of this song (I love Bobby Darin. He reminds me of Kevin Spacey, who I also love.). Anyway, I was actually really impressed with Trenet's vocal performance. His voices is strong and smooth, and I like that he gives 'er towards the end of the song. I agree with Holly, ugh, that harp. When the choir came in my immediate reaction was "holy shit, who orchestrated the choir, Puccini??" It's a little dramatic and heavy handed for the lighter orchestration and content of the song. It's a nice song, but sorry Charles, other people did it better. 3.5/5
Listen here:
La mer - Charles Trenet
Monday, September 14, 2015
Thursday, September 10, 2015
La vie en rose - Edith Piaf
Et maintenants, nous ecoutons un chanson francais avec <La vie en rose> par Edith Piaf. I don't think there is a song more identifiable with the city of Paris than this song. Piaf herself wrote the lyrics, the melody being handled by "Louiguy" (real name Louis Gugliemi), written in 1945 and recorded by Piaf in 1946. Her friends told her it was a bad choice for her signature song, but audiences disagreed, making it a huge hit. La vie en rose - which translates to "a life through rose-coloured glass" is seen to reflect Piaf's tumultuous life and became her signature song, along with it's B side <Non, je ne regrette rien>. The song has been covered by, well, everyone, most notably Louis Armstrong and Grace Jones.
Now for a bit about Piaf's life. Ouf. Her life was a French soap opera, starting with her being born Edith Gassion (Piaf was a stage name, meaning 'sparrow') to a disinterested teen mom and sent to live with her grandmother in a bordello where she was raised by the prostitutes. At age 14 Piaf began singing on street corners and by age 17 met and fell in love with a man who would become the father of her child that year. Because history repeats itself, Piaf gave birth at 17 to a baby girl, but Piaf was disinterested in raising a child, so that child was neglected and died at age 2 from meninghitis. Piaf was very unlucky with men as well - the man who discovered her and brought her off the streets and onto the stage was murdered (turns out he was mobbed up) and the love of her life, a married boxer died in a plane crash flying out to see her. She married twice and was involved in a car accident where she suffered a broken arm and two broken ribs, which then turned into a morphine and alcohol addiction. In October of 1963 at age 47 Piaf succombed to liver cancer after drifting in and out of consciousness for several months, her last words being, "Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for.". The Catholic Church refused her a funeral mass due to her questionable lifestyle but had a change of heart in 2013 where she was given a proper mass.
Now the reviews:
Holly:
La vie en rose (Edith Piaf): This song just screams France and all the things that I loved about living there! Edith’s voice is immediately recognizable and, though dated, is just so powerful. Somehow that weird fast vibrato seems to fit her just perfectly. The orchestration teeters right on the verge of being cheesy, but stays on the right side of that line, and the melody is just awesome. I love this song. My favourite part is right at the end with Piaf is just singing ‘lalala’ over the melody. 5/5
Kelly:
Oh man, this song is so French. A lot of people I've talked to didn't like Paris, but I loved it, and when I close my eyes and listen to this song, I'm walking along the Seine with my sister, checking out the book stalls, watching the women and their fashion, sipping coffee in a cafe. One thing I really like about Piaf (and this song) is that maybe aesthetically her voice isn't great, but it is instantly recognizable. There's no mistaking with her fast "sheep" vibrato and her nasal delivery that the singer in question is, in fact, La Piaf. The melody of this song will stick in your head forever, and that's just fine with me. 5/5
Listen here:
http://youtu.be/0g4NiHef4Ks
Now for a bit about Piaf's life. Ouf. Her life was a French soap opera, starting with her being born Edith Gassion (Piaf was a stage name, meaning 'sparrow') to a disinterested teen mom and sent to live with her grandmother in a bordello where she was raised by the prostitutes. At age 14 Piaf began singing on street corners and by age 17 met and fell in love with a man who would become the father of her child that year. Because history repeats itself, Piaf gave birth at 17 to a baby girl, but Piaf was disinterested in raising a child, so that child was neglected and died at age 2 from meninghitis. Piaf was very unlucky with men as well - the man who discovered her and brought her off the streets and onto the stage was murdered (turns out he was mobbed up) and the love of her life, a married boxer died in a plane crash flying out to see her. She married twice and was involved in a car accident where she suffered a broken arm and two broken ribs, which then turned into a morphine and alcohol addiction. In October of 1963 at age 47 Piaf succombed to liver cancer after drifting in and out of consciousness for several months, her last words being, "Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for.". The Catholic Church refused her a funeral mass due to her questionable lifestyle but had a change of heart in 2013 where she was given a proper mass.
Now the reviews:
Holly:
La vie en rose (Edith Piaf): This song just screams France and all the things that I loved about living there! Edith’s voice is immediately recognizable and, though dated, is just so powerful. Somehow that weird fast vibrato seems to fit her just perfectly. The orchestration teeters right on the verge of being cheesy, but stays on the right side of that line, and the melody is just awesome. I love this song. My favourite part is right at the end with Piaf is just singing ‘lalala’ over the melody. 5/5
Kelly:
Oh man, this song is so French. A lot of people I've talked to didn't like Paris, but I loved it, and when I close my eyes and listen to this song, I'm walking along the Seine with my sister, checking out the book stalls, watching the women and their fashion, sipping coffee in a cafe. One thing I really like about Piaf (and this song) is that maybe aesthetically her voice isn't great, but it is instantly recognizable. There's no mistaking with her fast "sheep" vibrato and her nasal delivery that the singer in question is, in fact, La Piaf. The melody of this song will stick in your head forever, and that's just fine with me. 5/5
Listen here:
http://youtu.be/0g4NiHef4Ks
Monday, September 7, 2015
Al Gurugu - La Nina de los Peines
Today the DeCaigny sisters visit Spain and flamenco music with La Nina de los Peines (which translates to "the girl with the combs"), but on her birth certificate she is known as Pastora Maria Pavon Cruz. Cruz was born into a Gypsy family in Andalusia and began her singing career singing on street corners to help support her family. She was known for the abrasive quality of her voice and powerful delivery and eventually garnered the attention of poets and even flamenco guitar phenom Andres Segovia. In this day and age is is considered in Spain to be the greates female flamenco singer ever, and her rendition of this song is seen by flamenco efficianados as a must-own single, and that we can thank her for preserving many flamenco styles that would otherwise be lost to modern ears.
The song itself has no known writer and the title "Al gurugu" is a nonsense term to the effects of 'doo doo doo' or 'tro lo lo'. I couldn't actually find a lot of info on it, so this section will be short.
This recording is backed by flamenco guitar and some claps for percussion.
Reviews:
Holly:
Al gurugu (La Nina de los Peines): I’ve listened to this song quite a few times trying to wrap my mind around it, and what I think of it. I like the raw quality of the singing, and sometimes I love the ornamentations, and sometimes, to my ear, they sound completely over the top. I definitely like the aggressive, almost angry sound of the guitars and I like the way they interact with the voice, but I’m not sure. The overall effect is not my favourite. For some reason, all the things combined just don’t do it for me. Meh. 2.5/5
Kelly:
I was really excited to listen to this song. Being a guitar player I really appreciate flamenco music and love how aggressive and erotic it can be. I absolutely hate to say it, but this song really disappointed me. I found Cruz's voice more grating than anything - I would have like the song much more if it was just the guitar and clapping. But, the most distressing thing this song did for me is that I felt next to nothing. I listen to music to feel - happiness, anguish, hatred, SOMETHING. The first thing that popped in my head when I listened to this was 'null', which is not a great thought to pop into your head when listening to music. Sorry "girl with the combs", I shan't be adding this to my collection. 2/5.
Listen here:
Friday, September 4, 2015
(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 - The Nat King Cole Trio
Aaaaaaaaaaand we're back!
We're currently on year 1946 with the song that has been massacred by so many high school vocal jazz groups - Route 66. This Nat King Cole is the original version and the song was written for him by Bobby Troup who got the inspiration for the song while - surprise - driving Route 66. The song was pretty popular as it captured the 'great American road trip' and ended up being covered by a bunch of other groups, including The Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode (??) and Chuck Berry.
It turns out that Nat King Cole started out as a pianist in a combo and played shows around the country. As luck would have it, his singing voice was smooth like butter and he gained more and more popularity, but unfortunately he encountered a shit-ton of racism. He moved into an all-white neighbourhood in LA and because the Klan was still an active organization in the area, Cole would wake up to burning crosses on his front lawn. During one show in the deep south, 4 men rushed the stage to attack Cole and the band, knocking him over and injuring his back. Cole understandible never played the south again. Unfortunately for lovers of good singing he was diagnosed with lung cancer and given months to live. Cole didn't slow down his performing and adulterating and passed in 1965 at age 45.
Go Holly Go:
(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 (The Nat King Cole Trio): I’ve always liked this song, and this relaxed version is great. Nat King Cole has a smooth, kind of treble-y voice (see Kelly’s part of the blog for a better description!), and like so many of the songs we’ve heard so far, there’s a great sounding trumpet playing off of his voice! I have to admit, I didn’t know that the Nat King Cole Trio was the original version, and I was way more familiar with the Chuck Berry version, among a whole bunch of others. I like this song, and this version’s pretty good. 3.5/5
Kelly:
I, like my sister, was unaware that this was the original version, but I'm more familiar with the Stones version and the version we butchered in high school vocal jazz (doo BAH doo WEE doo BAP). And as far as Nat King Cole is concerned I'm much more familiar with songs like Smile and Unforgettable, but this song shows how smooth his voice really is - like a tenor version of Lou Rawls (oh man, that would have been amazing if they had sung together!). I really like this version because it's pretty simple, some great piano playing and some pitch perfect muted trumpet as well. Sometimes you shouldn't mess with a song when the original sounds so great, and I'm inclined to think that for this version of this song. 4/5
Listen here:
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Lili Marleen - Marlene Dietrich
For this song we head over to Deutschland for the strains of (alleged) songstress and actress Marlene Dietrich. Dietrich had a lengthy career as a singer, movie star and cabaret performer and was known for her sultry, oppulent and exotic looks, as well as being very fashion-forward by wearing menswear, creating an androgynous look. Born in what is now a district of Berlin in 1901, Dietrich initally wanted to be a concert violinist, but a wrist injury kiboshed that. She began acting and got her big break in 1930's The Blue Angel. She soon became one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, although her screen acting career didn't last a super long time, as her films became knows as 'box office poison'. It is said that in 1939 the Nazi party approached her and offered her a boatload of money to move back to Germany and appear in a movie about the Third Reich, but she turned them down flat and applied for U.S. citizenship later that year. She started a stage act where she toured North Africa, Italy and Iceland entertaining the Allied troops with American night club comedian Danny Thomas. She successfully segued into a world tour cabaret act that took up most of the rest of her career. She employed song master and hair wunderkind Burt Bacharach to arrange songs that would hide her limited contralto vocal range. Dietrich pretty much ended her career after falling off the stage and breaking her thigh, became an alcoholic and addicted to pain killers and spent the last 11 of her 90 years bedridden in her apartment in Paris.
So the song Lili Marleen was born the same way a lot of German lieder was - it started out as a poem and was eventually set to music some time later. Originally recorded in 1938, the song didn't make much of a splash until WWII when a radio station in Begrade, Serbia (at the time Yugoslavia) started playing it for the occupying German troops. The song became a big hit for the soldiers in part due to its nostalgic nature (it's about a girl back home) and soon it became the theme song for Erwin Rommel's soldiers in North Africa. It eventually became a big deal for the Allied troops (who were listening in) and English and French versions were recorded. Marlene Dietrich recorded the song in 1944, and performed it in her subsequent cabaret act as well as in the movie Judgement at Nuremberg.
Thoughts:
Kelly:
Ohh, I really like this song. It reminds me of all that Berthold Brecht/Kurt Weill/German Weimar cabaret type music that I really enjoy. The accordion makes it so nostalgic - I can imagine Dietrich amble down the main strasse in Berlin, cigarette in hand, exchanging niceties with passers-by. I can see why Allied radio picked it up as well, because with French lyrics it could easily sound like a French composition (and the French really seem to have the market cornered on nostalgie, don't they?) The clarinet sounds good too, and although La Dietrich is no Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, I enjoy the husky quality of her voice and her delivery. I had no idea that she sang or was involved in performing for the troops, I thought she was just a moody actress, so that was a cool thing to learn. It was also cool to learn that she was a woman after my own heart and was a gay icon, loving the active gay cabaret scene of 1920s Berlin. Nice work, Dietrich! 4.5/5
Holly:
Lili Marleen (Marlene Dietrich): Ok, so Marlene Dietrich is not a good singer. Her voice is husky, yes, sultry, sure. But good – nope. I kind of like the background accordion playing. It’s got a really weird tone to it, and it’s almost played as a wind instrument would play some of those lines. I also quite like the song itself. We seem to be in a long list of songs with great historical import, which this song also possesses. Taking into account that I like the song, and the arrangement, but not the singing, I’m giving this a 3.5/5
Lili Marleen - Marlene Dietrich
So the song Lili Marleen was born the same way a lot of German lieder was - it started out as a poem and was eventually set to music some time later. Originally recorded in 1938, the song didn't make much of a splash until WWII when a radio station in Begrade, Serbia (at the time Yugoslavia) started playing it for the occupying German troops. The song became a big hit for the soldiers in part due to its nostalgic nature (it's about a girl back home) and soon it became the theme song for Erwin Rommel's soldiers in North Africa. It eventually became a big deal for the Allied troops (who were listening in) and English and French versions were recorded. Marlene Dietrich recorded the song in 1944, and performed it in her subsequent cabaret act as well as in the movie Judgement at Nuremberg.
Thoughts:
Kelly:
Ohh, I really like this song. It reminds me of all that Berthold Brecht/Kurt Weill/German Weimar cabaret type music that I really enjoy. The accordion makes it so nostalgic - I can imagine Dietrich amble down the main strasse in Berlin, cigarette in hand, exchanging niceties with passers-by. I can see why Allied radio picked it up as well, because with French lyrics it could easily sound like a French composition (and the French really seem to have the market cornered on nostalgie, don't they?) The clarinet sounds good too, and although La Dietrich is no Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, I enjoy the husky quality of her voice and her delivery. I had no idea that she sang or was involved in performing for the troops, I thought she was just a moody actress, so that was a cool thing to learn. It was also cool to learn that she was a woman after my own heart and was a gay icon, loving the active gay cabaret scene of 1920s Berlin. Nice work, Dietrich! 4.5/5
Holly:
Lili Marleen (Marlene Dietrich): Ok, so Marlene Dietrich is not a good singer. Her voice is husky, yes, sultry, sure. But good – nope. I kind of like the background accordion playing. It’s got a really weird tone to it, and it’s almost played as a wind instrument would play some of those lines. I also quite like the song itself. We seem to be in a long list of songs with great historical import, which this song also possesses. Taking into account that I like the song, and the arrangement, but not the singing, I’m giving this a 3.5/5
Lili Marleen - Marlene Dietrich
Monday, March 2, 2015
This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
And now for a song that everyone probably knows the chorus to. This Land is Your Land is one of those songs that feels like it's been around forever, a traditional folk tune that no one really knows where it came from - but we do know where it came from, and that was the mind of Woodrow Wilson 'Woody' Guthrie (with a little help from our friends the Carter Family). Woody was a behemoth of American folk music and a mammoth influence on such greats as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and perpetual nice guy Pete Seeger. Where Seeger wrote on his banjo 'This marchine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender', Guthrie had a placard on his guitar which said 'This machine kills fascists'. Guthrie was born in a small town in Oklahoma and wrote many songs of his experiences growing up in the dust bowl during the Great Depression. To the surprise of no one he was associated with many communist sympathizing groups, although was never a card carrying member of any of them. Guthrie was married 3 times and had 8 children, one of which is also a famous folk musician Arlo Guthrie. Unfortunately, Woody had inhereted Huntington's disease (a neurodegenerative disorder that affects muscle control and leads to mental decline) from his mother and passed away in 1967 at the age of 55.
This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
And just for fun, here's the first verse of the Canadian version:
Guthrie originally wrote This Land is Your Land in 1944 as an antithesis of the recently released 'God Bless America', which he saw as inane. He borrowed the melody of the song from a Carter Family tune 'Little Darin', Pal 'o Mine' and wrote his own lyrics. This was something that he apparently did quite often to increase the popularity of his songs, and seeing as he wrote what is known as a scathing protest song during a time when his country was at war, he put it into a booklet with a few other folk tunes that he had written. The song became a hit with people who were struggling economically and financially during that time and eventually became a protest anthem around the world, the lyrics being adapted for India and Canada (!) Anyway, the song continues to be a big deal, as Bruce Springsteen and perpetual nice guy Pete Seeger sang it for Barack Obama's 2009 Presidential inaugauration.
Holly:
This Land is Your Land (Woody Guthrie): This song is simple, and is played and sung without any ornamentation or frills, but it’s become a big cornerstone in American music history. Another song that has more historical than musical importance in my opinion. The guitar playing and singing are both fine on this recording, but nothing special. The fact that it was a protest song is what has given it the staying power over the years. I’ve never felt a particular attachment to this song, and I still don’t. 2.5/5
Kelly:
Yeah, again I agree with my sister on this one - a song heavy on historical importance and light on musical importance. But maybe had it not been such a catchy melody, it wouldn't have caught on? But we can thank the Carters for that (sorry Woody). For some reason this song reminds me of my early childhood, maybe there's a Raffi version? Anyway, Guthrie's voice sounds exactly like you would expect someone with the name Woody Guthrie to sound like. It's pretty simple, just him and his guitar, but that's the set of for a lot of folk music, as it was meant for people to join in and sing together. I can imagine that this song is relatively poweful when you have a bunch of folksters gathered at a park in New York with their guitars and banjos and hammered dulcimers singing their hearts out, but poor ol' Woody by himself just doesn't make the cut for me. 3/5
This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
And just for fun, here's the first verse of the Canadian version:
This land is your land, This land is my land,
From Bonavista, to Vancouver Island
From the Arctic Circle to the Great Lakes waters,
This land was made for you and me.
Rum and Coca-Cola - Lord Invader
Move over, George Harrison and the Chiffons - we have our first instance on this list of a song being plagiarized.
But first things first - the history behind this song. The book tells us that during World War II the US invaded the Caribbean island of Trinidad in attempt to block any invasions (makes sense). Lord Invader decided to change his name from Rupert Westmore Grant to poke fun at the occupying forces, and his song Rum and Coca-Cola not only speaks of the delicious drink, or the blending of American and Caribbean cultures, but how the infantry would pay for the 'services' of many of the local Trinidadian women. He also borrowed the melody from the nearby island of Martinique. There's not a lot of info about Lord Invader, except for that he was important in early Calypso music.
The big controversy with this song is that after its release in 1943, a suspiciously similar sounding song came from the Andrews Sisters in 1945 with the same title and some of the same lyrics (they even sing with faux-Trinidadian accents). Anyway, Mr. Invader took the 'song writers' to court where it was determined that yes, they deliberately borrowed from his song, and he was awarded with an undisclosed sum of money.
But here's the important part - what we think!
Holly:
Rum and Coca-Cola (Lord Invader): Hmmm. I listened to this song several times, and just couldn’t really get into it. It’s just a light, fluffy, forgettable song to my ears. The subject matter is really the thing that’s interesting in the song. So listening to the lyrics was really cool, and informative of the attitude in Trinidad at the time. It’s too bad it just wasn’t a better song. 2/5
Kelly:
Why do I feel like I've heard this song a million times? I can't place it. Anyway, I get that this song is kind of a big for Trinidadians and their feelings towards the American invaders, but this song just doesn't do it for me. I understand that it's meant to be cheeky and pointed, but for me if falls flat. And there has got to be a better singer in Trinidad than Lord Invader. I found his voice grating and annoying, and it sounds like the band and backup singers didn't rehearse at all. 2/5
Rum and Coca Cola - Lord Invader
And below is the Andrews Sisters not-so-subtle rip off:
Rum and Coca-Cola - Andrews Sisters
But first things first - the history behind this song. The book tells us that during World War II the US invaded the Caribbean island of Trinidad in attempt to block any invasions (makes sense). Lord Invader decided to change his name from Rupert Westmore Grant to poke fun at the occupying forces, and his song Rum and Coca-Cola not only speaks of the delicious drink, or the blending of American and Caribbean cultures, but how the infantry would pay for the 'services' of many of the local Trinidadian women. He also borrowed the melody from the nearby island of Martinique. There's not a lot of info about Lord Invader, except for that he was important in early Calypso music.
The big controversy with this song is that after its release in 1943, a suspiciously similar sounding song came from the Andrews Sisters in 1945 with the same title and some of the same lyrics (they even sing with faux-Trinidadian accents). Anyway, Mr. Invader took the 'song writers' to court where it was determined that yes, they deliberately borrowed from his song, and he was awarded with an undisclosed sum of money.
But here's the important part - what we think!
Holly:
Rum and Coca-Cola (Lord Invader): Hmmm. I listened to this song several times, and just couldn’t really get into it. It’s just a light, fluffy, forgettable song to my ears. The subject matter is really the thing that’s interesting in the song. So listening to the lyrics was really cool, and informative of the attitude in Trinidad at the time. It’s too bad it just wasn’t a better song. 2/5
Kelly:
Why do I feel like I've heard this song a million times? I can't place it. Anyway, I get that this song is kind of a big for Trinidadians and their feelings towards the American invaders, but this song just doesn't do it for me. I understand that it's meant to be cheeky and pointed, but for me if falls flat. And there has got to be a better singer in Trinidad than Lord Invader. I found his voice grating and annoying, and it sounds like the band and backup singers didn't rehearse at all. 2/5
Rum and Coca Cola - Lord Invader
And below is the Andrews Sisters not-so-subtle rip off:
Rum and Coca-Cola - Andrews Sisters
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Stormy Weather - Lena Horne
And now time for another classic - Stormy Weather. The song was written in 1933, but the book gives us its seminal version as sung by Lena Horne for the 1943 movie of the same name. Miss Lena was a legend of stage and screen, performing on Broadway (even winning herself a Tony award) and being in movies. Lena's life had its own 'stormy weather' (see what I did there?) and she met with difficulties not only because she was mixed race (White, Black, First Nations) but she was also blacklisted in the 1950s due to her political inclinations and her friendship with fellow leftist sympathizer Paul Robeson. Lena was able to recover from this and maintained her popularity right until her death in 2010.
Stormy Weather is a classic - some of you fellow high school music nerds probably remember drippy arrangements for 'jazz' band and choir, thanks to the likes of Sammy Nestico and Kirby Shaw. As mentioned before, the melancholy song was originally written in 1933, but was made famous by the version heard here, as well as Billie Holiday's version (which we are mercifully not listening to. Sorry Billie.) Lena's version was included in AFI's 100 Years 100 Songs, ranking at number 30.
Our thoughts now.
Holly:
Stormy Weather (Lena Horne): Stormy Weather is another Harold Arlen classic. It sounds a lot like a less optimistic Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I’m going to admit to never having been a big Lena Horne fan. She always seems a bit syrupy and lacking in real emotion in her music. This song is not bad, but there are much better arrangements out there in my opinion. Just listen to Billie Holiday’s version, for instance. The instrumentation and backing band are well less cheesy as well. Admittedly a good song, but not my favourite version. 2.5/5
Kelly:
I like this song. I also have penchant for things that are a little more on the sad side of life, but I love the video of Lena in her billowy dress, singing of her troubles. Musically speaking, I think it's a really interesting melody, and the orchestration is pretty good. I'm not super crazy about Lena's voice, but again, I think it's just the aesthetic of the times. This song also holds a special place in my heart, as my best friend plays a really great Bill Evans-inspired version on the ol' piano. It's a classic, but I shan't be adding it to the song library. 3/5
Stormy Weather - Lena Horne
Stormy Weather is a classic - some of you fellow high school music nerds probably remember drippy arrangements for 'jazz' band and choir, thanks to the likes of Sammy Nestico and Kirby Shaw. As mentioned before, the melancholy song was originally written in 1933, but was made famous by the version heard here, as well as Billie Holiday's version (which we are mercifully not listening to. Sorry Billie.) Lena's version was included in AFI's 100 Years 100 Songs, ranking at number 30.
Our thoughts now.
Holly:
Stormy Weather (Lena Horne): Stormy Weather is another Harold Arlen classic. It sounds a lot like a less optimistic Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I’m going to admit to never having been a big Lena Horne fan. She always seems a bit syrupy and lacking in real emotion in her music. This song is not bad, but there are much better arrangements out there in my opinion. Just listen to Billie Holiday’s version, for instance. The instrumentation and backing band are well less cheesy as well. Admittedly a good song, but not my favourite version. 2.5/5
Kelly:
I like this song. I also have penchant for things that are a little more on the sad side of life, but I love the video of Lena in her billowy dress, singing of her troubles. Musically speaking, I think it's a really interesting melody, and the orchestration is pretty good. I'm not super crazy about Lena's voice, but again, I think it's just the aesthetic of the times. This song also holds a special place in my heart, as my best friend plays a really great Bill Evans-inspired version on the ol' piano. It's a classic, but I shan't be adding it to the song library. 3/5
Stormy Weather - Lena Horne
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
God Bless the Child - Billie Holiday
And we're back with our 3rd entry from Billie Holiday. Again, for more info on Billie, check out our review of Strange Fruit.
So God Bless the Child is one of the few songs that Billie actually wrote. It is said that she penned it after having had an argument about money with her mother, and her mom sort of bastardized a passage from the Bible which became the starting point for the song. The song was then recorded in New York in 1941. Anyway, it's probably one of Billie's biggest hits and has been covered by a lot of people, including Lou 'Smooth Like Butter' Rawls, Liza 'Can't Sing Legato' Minelli and Diana 'Don't Make Eye Contact With Me' Ross. It was also included in the Bioshock soundtrack, so all you gamers out there can listen for it.
Holly:
God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday): Wow, Billie Holiday again! I like her a lot, I really do, but this is pretty crazy. We’re only 23 songs in and we’ve heard the same artist 3 times! Oh well, she’s awesome, so I guess I’ll let it slide. I know that this is one of the few songs that Billie Holiday actually wrote, and yaddayadda, but it’s never really been my favourite. It’s good, but I just don’t like the actually melody that much. I think it’s a bit unimaginative. The band backing her up is good and I love the trumpet (Roy Eldridge) sound. Is it just me, or are the saxophones not mic’ed? They sound like they’re playing down the hall from the rest of the band! 3.5/5
Kelly:
Billie Holiday. AGAIN. Sorry list, but if it came down to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Ella would win every time. Anyway, I've always kind of liked this song, and I feel like it's one of those songs that when Holiday recorded it, it was pretty simple and basic, so it made for a good song to cover and put your own spin on, like Blood Sweat and Tears did (and I'm actually more familiar with their version.) Like Holly, I think the band sounds really good, especially the trumpet, but they're all just kind of churning along, nothing spectacular or virtuosic. All said, it's a classic, but that doesn't mean I have to love it. 3/5
God Bless the Child
So God Bless the Child is one of the few songs that Billie actually wrote. It is said that she penned it after having had an argument about money with her mother, and her mom sort of bastardized a passage from the Bible which became the starting point for the song. The song was then recorded in New York in 1941. Anyway, it's probably one of Billie's biggest hits and has been covered by a lot of people, including Lou 'Smooth Like Butter' Rawls, Liza 'Can't Sing Legato' Minelli and Diana 'Don't Make Eye Contact With Me' Ross. It was also included in the Bioshock soundtrack, so all you gamers out there can listen for it.
Holly:
God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday): Wow, Billie Holiday again! I like her a lot, I really do, but this is pretty crazy. We’re only 23 songs in and we’ve heard the same artist 3 times! Oh well, she’s awesome, so I guess I’ll let it slide. I know that this is one of the few songs that Billie Holiday actually wrote, and yaddayadda, but it’s never really been my favourite. It’s good, but I just don’t like the actually melody that much. I think it’s a bit unimaginative. The band backing her up is good and I love the trumpet (Roy Eldridge) sound. Is it just me, or are the saxophones not mic’ed? They sound like they’re playing down the hall from the rest of the band! 3.5/5
Kelly:
Billie Holiday. AGAIN. Sorry list, but if it came down to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Ella would win every time. Anyway, I've always kind of liked this song, and I feel like it's one of those songs that when Holiday recorded it, it was pretty simple and basic, so it made for a good song to cover and put your own spin on, like Blood Sweat and Tears did (and I'm actually more familiar with their version.) Like Holly, I think the band sounds really good, especially the trumpet, but they're all just kind of churning along, nothing spectacular or virtuosic. All said, it's a classic, but that doesn't mean I have to love it. 3/5
God Bless the Child
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
ALBUM OF (LAST) WEEK: The Wildest! - Louis Prima
Aaaaaaand we're back. Holly had a busy week of organizing a saxophone conference, so we took a bit of time off, but here we are again, and it's with Louis Prima.
Many people will probably remember Louis Prima as the voice of King Louis from Disney's the Jungle Book and duetting with Phil Harris on probably the best song in the movie (I Wanna Be Like You), but he actually had a very lengthy jazz/big band/Dixieland career. Prima was born in New Orleans to Italian immigrant parents in 1910. He started a seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the late '20s, a swing combo in the '30s, a big band in the '40s, and lounge act in Vegas in the '50s and a pop-rock band in the '60s. He was apparently very good with his fan base, often posing for pictures and signing autographs and was an equine enthusiast. He was a bit of a cad, having had an Elizabeth Taylor-esque string of marriages and divorces and eventually died of complications from a brain stem tumor in 1975. Apparently the inscription on his crypt reads, "When the end comes, I know, they'll all say 'just a gigolo' as life goes on without me. Lovingly, your little family..."
The Wildest! was recorded and released in 1956 and runs a tight 32:00. It also features Keeley Smith, who became one of Prima's many wives. This album is seen as probably the best in Prima's catalogue due to its fun mix of jump blues and jazz as well as its raunchy sense of humour. The book says, "this is simply irrepressible music that more than matches its cover shot. Prima is joyous, rumbustious, and irresistible.".
What do we say?
Holly:
And just for a bonus, here's a fun live version of Night Train, complete with bitchy side-eye from Keely.
Night Train Live
Many people will probably remember Louis Prima as the voice of King Louis from Disney's the Jungle Book and duetting with Phil Harris on probably the best song in the movie (I Wanna Be Like You), but he actually had a very lengthy jazz/big band/Dixieland career. Prima was born in New Orleans to Italian immigrant parents in 1910. He started a seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the late '20s, a swing combo in the '30s, a big band in the '40s, and lounge act in Vegas in the '50s and a pop-rock band in the '60s. He was apparently very good with his fan base, often posing for pictures and signing autographs and was an equine enthusiast. He was a bit of a cad, having had an Elizabeth Taylor-esque string of marriages and divorces and eventually died of complications from a brain stem tumor in 1975. Apparently the inscription on his crypt reads, "When the end comes, I know, they'll all say 'just a gigolo' as life goes on without me. Lovingly, your little family..."
The Wildest! was recorded and released in 1956 and runs a tight 32:00. It also features Keeley Smith, who became one of Prima's many wives. This album is seen as probably the best in Prima's catalogue due to its fun mix of jump blues and jazz as well as its raunchy sense of humour. The book says, "this is simply irrepressible music that more than matches its cover shot. Prima is joyous, rumbustious, and irresistible.".
What do we say?
Holly:
Louis Prima: The Wildest! (1956):
What a well needed change of pace! From Tragic Songs of Life, to the Wildest! I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s listening, partially because it wasn’t the Louvin Brothers, and partially because this album is so damned fun!
The band is energetic, and Prima’s trumpet playing is clear and strong. Saxophonist Sam Butera influenced a whole ton of jazz, pop, and rock saxophonists for decades after this recording. He just has such a confrontational way of playing. It’s awesome!
I liked that there are a few different singers, including Prima’s wife, and that all the instruments in the band get a chance to shine on this album. I also like how there are a number of different styles of songs on this album, from ballads, to swing, to Dixieland.
I have a few favourite songs on this album. First is Just a Gigolo. I know it’s the Louis Prima song that everyone knows, but it really is a great, fun song with energy, and good singing by Louis Prima. There’s a reason everyone knows it!
I also enjoyed Oh Marie, I like the rock and roll tenor sax, the Dixie brass section at the end, and just the overall fun vibe of the song.
And, just to have three favorites, Night Train. It’s such an unexpected version of this song. It’s slow, and dirty, and like the rest of this album, very in your face. I love the unexpected silences, and the crazy piano.
Ok, a bonus one. I also like the trombone solo, Body and Soul. It’s very musical, great trombone sound, and he quotes The Peanut Vendor at the end!
All in all, this was a super fun listen. Maybe not incredibly virtuosic on any level, but a super satisfying listen all the same. 8/10
Kelly:
Oohhh this album is so much fun! It was probably a total gas being in Prima's band/watching one of his live shows. I really love this kind of exuberant big band/jump and I feel like in this album, Prima has a really good thing going.
I really like tight back up vocals, and he's got some here! I'll leave the instrumental/saxo opinions to Holly, because I'll probably just end up sounding like a fool. I also really like his effortless little bits of scat and improvisation in some of the phrases. His voice is really recognizable too, and he doesn't sound like he takes himself too seriously at all. I couldn't help but dance and smile when I listened to this!
I have to say my favourite song on this album is Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody. It's so cheeky and I just love the great big chord the voices open up on "Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ain't got nobody". So good! Prima's characterization in the song is good too.
As a second favourite I have to go with Night Train. I always thought this was a James Brown song and am more familiar with the faster James Brown version, but I must say, I really like this slow, raunchy shuffle! It's like a slightly intoxicated saunter. And the piano noodling is just great. Oh, AND when the sax solo is going on, I love the other band members cheering and jeering. It makes it feel like you're in on the jam session.
And for final favourite song I like (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby. It's just more fun and more cheeky singing, with some really solid vocals from Keely Smith.
There really wasn't anything I didn't totally enjoy on this album. In fact, I am adding it to my 'to buy' list! 8.5/10
And just for a bonus, here's a fun live version of Night Train, complete with bitchy side-eye from Keely.
Night Train Live
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Guantanamera - Joseito Fernández
Aaaaaand we're back to Cuba. Guantanamera is believed to be Cuba's most popular and patriotic song, allegedly written by José Fernández Diaz (later known as Joseito Fernández) and often used in his radio show. The song is said to have stemmed from Diaz making a pass at a woman who walked by and she responded pretty harshly, offended. Diaz was so shocked by the reaction that that afternoon he went home and wrote the song out at his piano. The song was made famous for North American audiences by folk troubadour and all around good guy Pete Seeger. Seeger recorded the song in 1962 at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis as an attempt to pacify both sides of the conflict and encourage unity (you can hear Pete's version here), and it ended up being a hit for Seeger.
I couldn't find too much info about Joseito Fernández except for the fact that he helped popularize the song Guantanamera and that he passed away in 1979.
Holly:
Guantanamera (Joseito Fernandez): Oh. Guantanamera. Great. Every crappy busker with an acoustic guitar and cheap amp plays this on the subways throughout Europe! I had a hard time listening to this one objectively too. If there’s one thing I can say about the melody, it’s that it’s super catchy. It’s almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head. I love the brass, and percussion, not a huge fan of the strings in this arrangement. I sort of can’t wait until the point where the saxophone is more commonly used….I like Joseito Fernandez’s voice a lot. It’s really smooth and, well, Cuban! I’m going to say that I like the musicality, but not really the song itself. 3.5/5
Kelly:
Oh, I know this song. I can't pin down where I've heard it before, but probably just around. I humming the melody to this at work the other day and the melody is so infectious it was pretty soon in a few other people's heads. I agree with Holly, the string part is super lame, but everything else sounds great, and Joseito's voice is clear and strong and the harmony is really tight. This is not my favourite example of Cuban music, but it's really spirited and fun. 3/5
Get ready for this to be in your head forever.
Guantanamera
I couldn't find too much info about Joseito Fernández except for the fact that he helped popularize the song Guantanamera and that he passed away in 1979.
Holly:
Guantanamera (Joseito Fernandez): Oh. Guantanamera. Great. Every crappy busker with an acoustic guitar and cheap amp plays this on the subways throughout Europe! I had a hard time listening to this one objectively too. If there’s one thing I can say about the melody, it’s that it’s super catchy. It’s almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head. I love the brass, and percussion, not a huge fan of the strings in this arrangement. I sort of can’t wait until the point where the saxophone is more commonly used….I like Joseito Fernandez’s voice a lot. It’s really smooth and, well, Cuban! I’m going to say that I like the musicality, but not really the song itself. 3.5/5
Kelly:
Oh, I know this song. I can't pin down where I've heard it before, but probably just around. I humming the melody to this at work the other day and the melody is so infectious it was pretty soon in a few other people's heads. I agree with Holly, the string part is super lame, but everything else sounds great, and Joseito's voice is clear and strong and the harmony is really tight. This is not my favourite example of Cuban music, but it's really spirited and fun. 3/5
Get ready for this to be in your head forever.
Guantanamera
Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday
Ah, another Billie Holiday classic. For more info about Billie, check out our review of Strange Fruit.
There is apparently a lot of myth and controversy surrounding the song Gloomy Sunday, also ominously known as The Hungarian Suicide Song. The original song was titled Vége a világnak (The world is ending) and written by Hungarian composer Rezsö Seress in 1933 and was written about the sadness and despair of war. Another Hungarian, László Jávor kept the melody but wrote his own lyrics and called it Szomorú vasárnap (Sad Sunday) and tells of lover wanting to commit suicide after their sweetheart's death. The song was translated into English and in 1936 was recorded by Paul Robeson, but the it is said that Billie Holiday's is THE version. It became popular and controversial - BBC Radio banned it during the war because it negatively affected morale (the ban was lifted in 2002) and it was also said that people would commit suicide because of/whilst listening to the song. Probably the most twisted bit of irony surrounding the song is that the original Hungarian composer, Reszö Seress committed suicide in 1968. In its lifespan, the song has been covered multiple times, from artists such as the smooooooth as butter Lou Rawls (here), and inexplicably attractive, oily french munchkin Serge Gainsbourg (beware of hot sax solo here!) to international weirdo Bjork and local yodeller Sarah McLaughlan.
Holly:
Gloomy Sunday (Billie Holiday): I didn’t know about this song before this listening. It’s creepy, and sad, and haunting, and has a bizarre history and plenty of weird coincidences associated with it. I’ve already talked about how much I enjoy Billie Holiday’s voice and interpretation, so I’ll just recap with “I love Billie Holiday’s voice and interpretation”! But really, she has such a great, understated way of conveying lyrics. You can tell she really put a lot of thought and consideration into the words she was singing. I also really like this orchestration behind her. What a great song. 5/5
Kelly:
I also was unaware of this song before listening to it. I really like it! What a great melody, and I love that most of the orchestration sounds like it's a dirge of a clarinet choir, and then some trumpet stylings towards the end. As said before, Billie is a great singer so of course this version is a classic, and having had the tragic life she did, she probably really felt this song when she was singing it. Also, I really love that morbid, nefarious subject matter and all the weird stuff that went along with the creation of the song. 5/5
Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday
There is apparently a lot of myth and controversy surrounding the song Gloomy Sunday, also ominously known as The Hungarian Suicide Song. The original song was titled Vége a világnak (The world is ending) and written by Hungarian composer Rezsö Seress in 1933 and was written about the sadness and despair of war. Another Hungarian, László Jávor kept the melody but wrote his own lyrics and called it Szomorú vasárnap (Sad Sunday) and tells of lover wanting to commit suicide after their sweetheart's death. The song was translated into English and in 1936 was recorded by Paul Robeson, but the it is said that Billie Holiday's is THE version. It became popular and controversial - BBC Radio banned it during the war because it negatively affected morale (the ban was lifted in 2002) and it was also said that people would commit suicide because of/whilst listening to the song. Probably the most twisted bit of irony surrounding the song is that the original Hungarian composer, Reszö Seress committed suicide in 1968. In its lifespan, the song has been covered multiple times, from artists such as the smooooooth as butter Lou Rawls (here), and inexplicably attractive, oily french munchkin Serge Gainsbourg (beware of hot sax solo here!) to international weirdo Bjork and local yodeller Sarah McLaughlan.
Holly:
Gloomy Sunday (Billie Holiday): I didn’t know about this song before this listening. It’s creepy, and sad, and haunting, and has a bizarre history and plenty of weird coincidences associated with it. I’ve already talked about how much I enjoy Billie Holiday’s voice and interpretation, so I’ll just recap with “I love Billie Holiday’s voice and interpretation”! But really, she has such a great, understated way of conveying lyrics. You can tell she really put a lot of thought and consideration into the words she was singing. I also really like this orchestration behind her. What a great song. 5/5
Kelly:
I also was unaware of this song before listening to it. I really like it! What a great melody, and I love that most of the orchestration sounds like it's a dirge of a clarinet choir, and then some trumpet stylings towards the end. As said before, Billie is a great singer so of course this version is a classic, and having had the tragic life she did, she probably really felt this song when she was singing it. Also, I really love that morbid, nefarious subject matter and all the weird stuff that went along with the creation of the song. 5/5
Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday
Java Jive - The Ink Spots
Waiter! Waiter! Percolator! Today we review The Ink Spots' hit Java Jive (and now we're in the 1940s!). The Ink Spots were a big group in the 1930s and 40s and were seen as pioneers of R&B and doo-wop. They owe a lot of their success to a formula they used in many of their songs - they started with the same 4 chord guitar intro and halfway through the song the bass singer takes a spoken word solo. The foursome broke out big time in 1939 with If I Didn't Care which sold over 19 million copies. The original incarnation of the group broke up in 1954 and apparently it was quite acrimonious (I imagine a lot of velvet-voiced yelling at each other) and there are still a lot groups today touring as the Ink Spots, although they have no connection to the original foursome.
I can't find that much info on the song Java Jive except that it was written by Milton Drake and Ben Oakland, and the book tells us it's a bit of a jovial oasis amid a desert of lonesome heart ballads for the Ink Spots. The book also says that one of the original members, Deek Watson once performed in a group called The Percolating Puppies. The song was seen as a novelty fad song, as coffee was (and I guess still is) a fad.
Kelly:
Yay, finally a song that I own on an album! I really like the Ink Spots and can clearly remember the first time I ever heard them: in the Sir Ian McKellan 1940s film adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III, McKellan's titular character (spoiler alert) is falling to his death in slow motion. As he falls, a broad smile forms across his face and The Ink Spots' I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire is heard playing. I must have been in high school when I heard it. I told my dad that I really liked it so on his next trip to A&B Sound he picked me up an Ink Spots CD and Java Jive is on it. I like the song, but I don't think it's the Ink Spots best (for me, that goes to Whispering Grass). As usual their voices sound really good together and the harmonies are tight. It's a cute song and I'm glad the Ink Spots have a place on this list. 4.5/5
Holly:
Java Jive (The Ink Spots): There’s something just so nice about this song. It’s pleasant, and happy, and calm, but not bland. I think that’s tough to do. The vocals are awesome, and the harmonies are interesting and really well done. And, FINALLY, a song that has a well thought-out ending! I was going to say that they totally ripped of the ending of String of Pearls by Glen Miller, but this song came out two years before String of Pearls! So…..maybe Glen Miller stole from the Ink Spots? 4.5/5
Java Jive
I can't find that much info on the song Java Jive except that it was written by Milton Drake and Ben Oakland, and the book tells us it's a bit of a jovial oasis amid a desert of lonesome heart ballads for the Ink Spots. The book also says that one of the original members, Deek Watson once performed in a group called The Percolating Puppies. The song was seen as a novelty fad song, as coffee was (and I guess still is) a fad.
Kelly:
Yay, finally a song that I own on an album! I really like the Ink Spots and can clearly remember the first time I ever heard them: in the Sir Ian McKellan 1940s film adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III, McKellan's titular character (spoiler alert) is falling to his death in slow motion. As he falls, a broad smile forms across his face and The Ink Spots' I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire is heard playing. I must have been in high school when I heard it. I told my dad that I really liked it so on his next trip to A&B Sound he picked me up an Ink Spots CD and Java Jive is on it. I like the song, but I don't think it's the Ink Spots best (for me, that goes to Whispering Grass). As usual their voices sound really good together and the harmonies are tight. It's a cute song and I'm glad the Ink Spots have a place on this list. 4.5/5
Holly:
Java Jive (The Ink Spots): There’s something just so nice about this song. It’s pleasant, and happy, and calm, but not bland. I think that’s tough to do. The vocals are awesome, and the harmonies are interesting and really well done. And, FINALLY, a song that has a well thought-out ending! I was going to say that they totally ripped of the ending of String of Pearls by Glen Miller, but this song came out two years before String of Pearls! So…..maybe Glen Miller stole from the Ink Spots? 4.5/5
Java Jive
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Mbube - Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds
Today's song takes us into South Africa. Many will know the song as The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) but the song was originally called Mbube (Lion in Zulu) and recorded by Solomon Linda. Linda was born in South Africa and learned about Western music and hymns in school. He blended that knowledge with that of traditional Zulu songs and started singing at weddings and feasts. In order to make money Linda went to find work in Johannesburg, where he joined the choir The Evening Birds. Their popularity grew and they started wearing pinstripe suits and dandy shoes. Eventually their style of singing was known as Mbube or isicathamya, with many singers on the bass line and a falsetto singer to bring in the 'female' element. Anyway, they recorded Mbube in 1939 in the only studio in sub-Saharan Africa and it saw great success. Unfortunately, Solomon Linda passed of renal failure a pauper, but his descendants have been trying to get the recognition for their ancestor that he deserves - even now Disney credits Linda in the Lion King for their use of Mbube.
The original version of the song Mbube is sung entirely in Zulu - it wasn't until North America acts like the Weavers or Jimmy Dorsey did we start hearing the song in English, and then probably its most popular version as sung by the Tokens (heard here). In the end there ended up being 3 different incarnations of the song: Mbube (this version by Miriam Makeba), Wimoweh (here is the Weavers) and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Decide for yourself which version you like best!
Holly:
Mbube (Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds): Oh. I know this. Wimoweh is apparently just how Pete Seeger misheard it! Kind of a sad story behind this song since Solomon Linda died a pauper, even though this is one of those songs that everyone knows. I really enjoyed listening to the original version. I had no idea that it was even in existance and I thought it was historically super interesting, and musically a lot of fun. It’s much slower and less raucous than most versions we’re used to hearing, but there’s a lot of energy and excitement in the singing. I also love the background singers’ voices. 4/5
Kelly:
Right away the first time I listened to this song I thought "Oh! Sounds like Ladysmith Black Mambazo!" and then the recognizable melody came in and I thought "OH! I know this song". I had always assumed it was a traditional song, so it's kind of neat to learn that it's actually a 20th century creation. I love that sound of all those voices singing the bass line, gives the song so much depth and oomph. I love the timbre of the voices too - apparently different from Westerners because of where the Zulu language sits in the mouth and throat. 4/5
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
The Gallis Pole - Lead Belly
Time for the folksy-blues of Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. Lead Belly was a beast on the 12-string guitar and a bit of a problem child around town. He ended up in jail for carrying a concealed weapon (I guess no 'open carry' laws at that time?) only to escape and get arrested 3 years later for murdering one of his own relatives over a lady (that is some blues street cred right there). After 10 years in the clink he wrote a song to the Governor asking for release and was subsequently pardoned and set free. Then in 1930 he was arrested for attempting to stab a man and sent to the infamous prison called 'Angola'. There he won over hearts and minds of officials and was released after serving the minimum sentence in 1933. For the next few years Lead Belly toured around, trying to scared up some acclaim and notoriety. He had a brief stint at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, but that failed to stir up any attention, but started piquing the interest of white leftist folkies. Then in 1939 he was arrested AGAIN (for - guess what? Stabbing a guy) but upon release in 1941 became a regular on a CBS radio show called Back Where I Come From and made friends with the likes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Lead Belly also started to see some success in Europe and embarked on a tour there in 1949 but before completing it he fell ill and was diagnosed with ALS. He died later that year.
The Song Gallis Pole (also known as Gallows Pole) is an olde Englishe ballad that Lead Belly had adapted, made popular and recorded in 1939. The song tells of a man trying to collect gold and silver to bribe officials and keep him from being hanged. Lead Belly is heard playing his style of 12 string guitar here, a style that would go on to influence pretty much everyone ever, including Elvis, Brian Wilson, Pete Seeger, The Animals, Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, shit even RAFFI. People will probably recognize the song reworked by Led Zeppelin and heard here.
Holly times:
The Gallis Pole (Lead Belly): This is the second reverse-cover we’ve listened to! Meaning that I know a cover of this song much much better than this version. Led Zeppelin does a version of this too that I really like. Anyway, I digress. Leadbelly is another artist I’ve definitely heard of but never really listened to. I really like this upbeat, high-energy version of this song! I’m not as versed in guitar terms as my sister is, so I’m going to say I really like the jangly sound of the guitar in this one. It goes so well with Leadbelly’s voice. As an aside, I’m looking forward to the point in history where people put some forethought into how they end songs! 4/5
Kelly:
Oh, I know this song. Well, I know the Zep version, from my fave Zep album (Zeppelin III). Anyway, I really like this version. I like that I can barely understand what he's saying, and I feel like his frantic, energetic guitar playing matches the desperation of a person who is trying not to get hanged. The guitar sounds big and he definitely has a mastery of those 12 strings, and I don't think it would sound as good if there was any other instruments playing. You can definitely hear how he's not quite as bluesy as Robert Johnson and how he's definitely more folky. He kind of reminds me of Richie Havens. His singing is great, his voice is strong and in control. I even like the random person throwing in a few random 'yeah' and 'uhhn' from time to time. 4/5
Gallis Pole - Lead Belly
The Song Gallis Pole (also known as Gallows Pole) is an olde Englishe ballad that Lead Belly had adapted, made popular and recorded in 1939. The song tells of a man trying to collect gold and silver to bribe officials and keep him from being hanged. Lead Belly is heard playing his style of 12 string guitar here, a style that would go on to influence pretty much everyone ever, including Elvis, Brian Wilson, Pete Seeger, The Animals, Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, shit even RAFFI. People will probably recognize the song reworked by Led Zeppelin and heard here.
Holly times:
The Gallis Pole (Lead Belly): This is the second reverse-cover we’ve listened to! Meaning that I know a cover of this song much much better than this version. Led Zeppelin does a version of this too that I really like. Anyway, I digress. Leadbelly is another artist I’ve definitely heard of but never really listened to. I really like this upbeat, high-energy version of this song! I’m not as versed in guitar terms as my sister is, so I’m going to say I really like the jangly sound of the guitar in this one. It goes so well with Leadbelly’s voice. As an aside, I’m looking forward to the point in history where people put some forethought into how they end songs! 4/5
Kelly:
Oh, I know this song. Well, I know the Zep version, from my fave Zep album (Zeppelin III). Anyway, I really like this version. I like that I can barely understand what he's saying, and I feel like his frantic, energetic guitar playing matches the desperation of a person who is trying not to get hanged. The guitar sounds big and he definitely has a mastery of those 12 strings, and I don't think it would sound as good if there was any other instruments playing. You can definitely hear how he's not quite as bluesy as Robert Johnson and how he's definitely more folky. He kind of reminds me of Richie Havens. His singing is great, his voice is strong and in control. I even like the random person throwing in a few random 'yeah' and 'uhhn' from time to time. 4/5
Gallis Pole - Lead Belly
ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Tragic Songs of Life - The Louvin Brothers
Yee haw. We were knee-deep in southern country-gospel this week with the Louvin Brothers. The Louvin Brothers were actual brothers (unlike those Righteous 'Brothers'), Ira and Charlie. Ira played mandolin and Charlie played guitar, and both sang in close harmony which went on to influence the likes of Gram Parsons, The Everly Brothers and Emmylou Harris. Charlie Louvin seemed like a pretty reasonable person, whereas Ira was a bit more of a spicy personality. He was a heavy drinker and womanizer and had a horrible temper - he would smash his mandolin on stage if he was unable to tune it. He married 4 times and his third wife Faye shot him 4 times in the chest (he survived). Ira was killed in a car accident at age 41 and Charlie lived to the ripe old age of 83.
The album Tragic Songs of Life was released in 1956 and was packed with your standard 'done do me wrong' songs, some with a bizarre twist.
Holly:
The album Tragic Songs of Life was released in 1956 and was packed with your standard 'done do me wrong' songs, some with a bizarre twist.
Holly:
Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs of Life
Let me start off by saying two things:
1- This style of music is not my thing.
2- The Louvin Brothers are good at what they do.
Before we started this project I’d never heard of Charlie and Ira Louvin, but apparently they were a big deal to country music. They are now in the Country Music Hall of Fame, and lots of country stars that came after them credit the Louvin Brothers as super inspirational.
So Charlie Louvin was the higher harmony and guitar player in the group, and Ira Louvin played mandolin and sang the lower harmonies. I have to say, to my ears, the mandolin playing sticks out as more memorable. The mandolin can sound pretty terrible when played poorly, and Ira is really able to get a big and dark tone out of the instrument. Although this style of twangy singing is not my thing, they both sing really well. Their voices sound great together, and they sing very tightly with these close together harmonies. Having said all that, this record did the opposite growing on me over the week. I found myself really looking forward to having the Louvin Brothers in my rearview mirror.
As for songs that I liked or didn’t like; to be honest, a lot of them blended together for me, in a very similar fashion to the Sinatra album from a couple of weeks back. Maybe the whole album was in the same key? But, I’m not going to cop out. Two favourites: Let Her Go, God Bless Her, because of the mandolin, because it’s fast paced, and it’s soooo cheezy! Other favourite: Knoxville Girl. I mean really, what more can you ask for than a lovely waltz about beating the crap out of your girlfriend and drowning her in a river? Seriously. Weird.
I give this album a 5/10. They’re good at what they do. I just don’t like it.
Kelly:
Before the purchase of this book, I had never actually heard of the Louvin Brothers. My initial reaction listening to this album was 'wow, they sound like country-fied Everly Brothers!', but the more the album wore on, the more I tired of it. Here's the bad first:
I felt like I was listening to the same song over and over again. I'm pretty sure all the songs are in the same key and as far as tempo and time, they're either common time or that country waltz 3/4, which gets pretty boring pretty quickly. And as good as they are at harmonizing with each other, they are awfully heavy handed with the harmony. And I LOVE me some harmony. But this is all in thirds through most of all the songs. I think it was the 3rd or 4th song that I realized that I was no longer paying attention. I had to consciously focus on the music so that I would be able to tell that it was a different song that was on, and I found myself looking forward to the end of the album.
The good: the harmonies, are grating as they are, are flawless, which is one of the benefits of having a sibling act - voices usually sound very similar if not identical, which means they mesh very well together. Apparently no one had really sung close harmonies like these 2 had before, so they were sort of harmony pioneers. The mandolin playing is really good too. If I have to pick a favourite song, it would have to be Knoxville Girl, as I was not expecting a song about beating his girlfriend to death, dumping her body in the river and when he comes home and mom asks what the blood on his shirt is from, he says a nosebleed.
I can appreciate this album's place in history, it just isn't one that I'm going to buy. 5/10
Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland
CAVEAT: Because this song is so pervasive in culture and so well known, we had a discussion as to what we would do. We thought about maybe saying that we can't look at the song from an objective perspective so perhaps with would give it no score? We then decided that that was a cop out, and we would review the song like the others and give our honest views.
Anyhow, this is one of those songs that everybody ever knows, and has been covered a bajillion times. It was written for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, although it almost didn't make the cut (studio executives thought it slowed down the movie). The song was written by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg (of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? fame) and won them a best song Oscar. It was also voted #1 on AFI's 100 Years 100 Songs list.
The song was almost an allegory for its vehicle's life. Born Frances Ethel Gumm, Judy Garland started in the business pretty much when she was a fetus and that's when trouble started. The studios were never completely crazy about her looks and were always manipulating her onscreen appearance by capping her teeth and putting rubber discs on her nose to reshape it. She could never really shake her good girl image so she lost out on some of the more desirable roles. She married 5 times, had a myriad of financial issues as well as a drug and alcohol problem, which led to her death at the age of 47 in 1969. The song because an anthem for Garland who performed it at almost all her concerts and told the songwriters, "I've sung it thousands of times and it's still the song that's closest to my heart."
There are 2 popular cover versions of this song as well - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version (heard here) which he paired up with What a Wonderful World, and Eva Cassidy's soulful take (listen here). Oddly enough, like Garland, Kamakawiwo'ole and Cassidy both also died prematurely.
Here we go:
Holly:
Over The Rainbow (Judy Garland): Well, this is difficult to evaluate. Everyone and their dog has heard both the original of this song, as well as ukulele versions, Muzak versions, and small children on televised talent show versions. Is it a good song though? Is Judy Garland any good? This arrangement? I found it really difficult to listen to objectively, but I tried. So here’s what I’ve come up with while trying to listen without any previous bias: the orchestral arrangement is the height of sappy, the low clarinets, the overabundant harps, and the bird sounds. So cheesy. Judy Garland has a really nice voice. It’s pretty dated sounding, but pleasant enough. So, it definitely falls on the cheesy side of the scale. I’ll give it a 2.5/5
Kelly:
I found this one tricky to objectively evaluate because it is just so iconic and came to this conclusion - it's a good song, I'm just not crazy about the Judy Garland version. I know this song means a great deal to a lot of people, I've just personally never loved it - maybe it's too overtly sentimental? The song has a great melody but like a lot of the songs we've evaluated so far, it's pretty dated. The orchestration is a bit weak, but Judy sounds pretty good, although you can tell the decade just by listening to her style of singing. I prefer the absolutely face melting version done by a questionably-coiffed Patti LaBelle, which can be heard here. But honestly, if I live another 50 years and never hear this song again, I would be ok with that. 3/5
Over the Rainbow
Anyhow, this is one of those songs that everybody ever knows, and has been covered a bajillion times. It was written for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, although it almost didn't make the cut (studio executives thought it slowed down the movie). The song was written by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg (of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? fame) and won them a best song Oscar. It was also voted #1 on AFI's 100 Years 100 Songs list.
The song was almost an allegory for its vehicle's life. Born Frances Ethel Gumm, Judy Garland started in the business pretty much when she was a fetus and that's when trouble started. The studios were never completely crazy about her looks and were always manipulating her onscreen appearance by capping her teeth and putting rubber discs on her nose to reshape it. She could never really shake her good girl image so she lost out on some of the more desirable roles. She married 5 times, had a myriad of financial issues as well as a drug and alcohol problem, which led to her death at the age of 47 in 1969. The song because an anthem for Garland who performed it at almost all her concerts and told the songwriters, "I've sung it thousands of times and it's still the song that's closest to my heart."
There are 2 popular cover versions of this song as well - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version (heard here) which he paired up with What a Wonderful World, and Eva Cassidy's soulful take (listen here). Oddly enough, like Garland, Kamakawiwo'ole and Cassidy both also died prematurely.
Here we go:
Holly:
Over The Rainbow (Judy Garland): Well, this is difficult to evaluate. Everyone and their dog has heard both the original of this song, as well as ukulele versions, Muzak versions, and small children on televised talent show versions. Is it a good song though? Is Judy Garland any good? This arrangement? I found it really difficult to listen to objectively, but I tried. So here’s what I’ve come up with while trying to listen without any previous bias: the orchestral arrangement is the height of sappy, the low clarinets, the overabundant harps, and the bird sounds. So cheesy. Judy Garland has a really nice voice. It’s pretty dated sounding, but pleasant enough. So, it definitely falls on the cheesy side of the scale. I’ll give it a 2.5/5
Kelly:
I found this one tricky to objectively evaluate because it is just so iconic and came to this conclusion - it's a good song, I'm just not crazy about the Judy Garland version. I know this song means a great deal to a lot of people, I've just personally never loved it - maybe it's too overtly sentimental? The song has a great melody but like a lot of the songs we've evaluated so far, it's pretty dated. The orchestration is a bit weak, but Judy sounds pretty good, although you can tell the decade just by listening to her style of singing. I prefer the absolutely face melting version done by a questionably-coiffed Patti LaBelle, which can be heard here. But honestly, if I live another 50 years and never hear this song again, I would be ok with that. 3/5
Over the Rainbow
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
A tragic song sung by a tragic icon. Billie Holiday had an exceedingly tragic life - dropped out of school at 11, mom was in and out of her life, she and mom moved to Harlem and both began working in a brothel (Billie was 14 by this point). She then started performing and changed her name to what we know it as today. People started taking notice of Billie because of unique and unusual delivery, and she made friends in the industry (including a special rapport with sax player Lester Young), started working for and got fired by Count Basie and hired by Artie Shaw. She struck up a friendship/rivalry with Ella Fitzgerald. As Holiday's popularity grew, so did her heroin addiction, spending up to $1,000 a week on the drug and was arrested several times for possession. Along with her the drug addiction was alcoholism and relationships with abusive men and Billie's health and career started to suffer into the 1950s when she wrote her autobiography and recorded new material which she called Lady Sings the Blues. The album was a big success, but Holiday wasn't able to kick the habit and on July 17th 1959 she died in hospital from complications of cirrhosis of the liver. She died broke in a hospital room lined with police officers who had arrested her on her deathbed for possession.
The song itself was written in 1937 and adapted from a poem written by schoolteacher Abel Meeropol who saw a photograph of 2 black men being lynched and a group of white onlookers. It was seen as a comment and protest to the ongoing horrific racism and lynchings in America's deep south. The song was introduced to Holiday and she soon made it one of her signature pieces. When she performed it live it was always her last song with no encore. While at the Café Society, she would make sure the crowd was silent and still and as she began to sing, there was only a small spotlight on her face. On the final note, the spotlight went out, leaving the room dark and when the lights came back on, Holiday was gone. Recording the song for Holiday was a bit of a trial, as many of the record companies thought it was too touchy a subject, radio stations backed away and concert promoters tried to stop her from singing it. The song ended up being long-reaching as Bob Dylan is quoted to have said the song influenced him, and in 1999 Time Magazine called it the song of the century.
Holly:
Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday): 5/5 I remember vividly the first time I heard this song, and it has kept all its power over the years since. This song started as a poem written by a high school teacher after seeing a picture of a lynching. The lyrics are powerful, and haunting, Billie Holiday’s singing is dark, and slow-moving, and full of power – it’s like watching a stream slowly trickle by. It seems so unlikely that this song would be performed in the 1930s in the US, and I think that gives it even more significance. Many people have tried to sing a comparably moving rendition of Strange Fruit over the years (Nina Simone, Common), but Billie Holiday’s interpretation is on its’ own level.
Kelly:
Because I am not as well versed in the jazz music, I only really heard this song a few years ago and it is soooo haunting. There are a couple things in life that my brain won't let me deal with/handle, and the lynching in the deep south is one of them. You can tell that this song was really important to Holiday, as it should be. It's like a slow dirge, not really a discernible melody, the piano just grimly following along. The song has stirred up some controversy as of late, as divine Scottish chanteuse Annie Lennox included it on her 2014 album, and many people remarked that she shouldn't sing it as she is white. Personally, I think it should be sung by anyone who was horrified by the subject matter. I listened to a few other versions, including Jeff Buckley, but Billie's is best. 5/5
Strange Fruit
The song itself was written in 1937 and adapted from a poem written by schoolteacher Abel Meeropol who saw a photograph of 2 black men being lynched and a group of white onlookers. It was seen as a comment and protest to the ongoing horrific racism and lynchings in America's deep south. The song was introduced to Holiday and she soon made it one of her signature pieces. When she performed it live it was always her last song with no encore. While at the Café Society, she would make sure the crowd was silent and still and as she began to sing, there was only a small spotlight on her face. On the final note, the spotlight went out, leaving the room dark and when the lights came back on, Holiday was gone. Recording the song for Holiday was a bit of a trial, as many of the record companies thought it was too touchy a subject, radio stations backed away and concert promoters tried to stop her from singing it. The song ended up being long-reaching as Bob Dylan is quoted to have said the song influenced him, and in 1999 Time Magazine called it the song of the century.
Holly:
Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday): 5/5 I remember vividly the first time I heard this song, and it has kept all its power over the years since. This song started as a poem written by a high school teacher after seeing a picture of a lynching. The lyrics are powerful, and haunting, Billie Holiday’s singing is dark, and slow-moving, and full of power – it’s like watching a stream slowly trickle by. It seems so unlikely that this song would be performed in the 1930s in the US, and I think that gives it even more significance. Many people have tried to sing a comparably moving rendition of Strange Fruit over the years (Nina Simone, Common), but Billie Holiday’s interpretation is on its’ own level.
Kelly:
Because I am not as well versed in the jazz music, I only really heard this song a few years ago and it is soooo haunting. There are a couple things in life that my brain won't let me deal with/handle, and the lynching in the deep south is one of them. You can tell that this song was really important to Holiday, as it should be. It's like a slow dirge, not really a discernible melody, the piano just grimly following along. The song has stirred up some controversy as of late, as divine Scottish chanteuse Annie Lennox included it on her 2014 album, and many people remarked that she shouldn't sing it as she is white. Personally, I think it should be sung by anyone who was horrified by the subject matter. I listened to a few other versions, including Jeff Buckley, but Billie's is best. 5/5
Strange Fruit
Hellhound On My Trail - Robert Johnson
Sorry for the delay folks, life got in the way a little bit this week! Time to catch up.
Anyhow, we get a Robert Johnson two-fer this week. Since we already talked about Johnson the man in the previous post, let's talk about the song. Hellhound On My Trail was recorded in 1937 in Johnson's final recording session. In keeping with the theme of Johnson meets Satan, the book tells us that the image of the devil's dogs coming to drag sinners to hell was a popular telling in Southern churches at the time. Like the character in the song who is travelling from town to town, Johnson lived a nomadic lifestyle as well. In this recording we just hear Johnson and his guitar, playing some bottle neck (so called for using the neck of a bottle on your finger as a slide).
Thoughts:
Holly:
Hellhound on My Trail (Robert Johnson): It’s a Robert Johnson double-header this week! I found Hellhound on My Trail a little bit of a letdown after Cross Road Blues. I think that’s not because of any particular fault to this song, but just because Cross Road Blues is a way better example of his grindy voice and huge guitar sound. Still, there’s something creepy and haunting about this song that I really appreciate. On a technical note, how does he hum so loud? I have to admit I tried to hum as loudly as possible when I was home by myself, with terrible results! This recording sounds like there’s a really quick fadeout at the end, so I wonder if this is another example of artists phoning in the ending of their songs! 4/5
Kelly:
Completely agree with Holly. Cross Road Blues is just a better song and better showcases Johnson's voice. His voice sounds more nasal and plaintiff in this song and his guitar playing is more interesting in the previous song as well. The song itself is a pretty good song, I'm just not crazy about it. It's also too bad the recording quality is not great - I would have loved to hear him in person to get the full affect! Also, the end is weird - not the repeat and fade that we're used to, just quick fade. 3/5
Hellhound on my Trail
Anyhow, we get a Robert Johnson two-fer this week. Since we already talked about Johnson the man in the previous post, let's talk about the song. Hellhound On My Trail was recorded in 1937 in Johnson's final recording session. In keeping with the theme of Johnson meets Satan, the book tells us that the image of the devil's dogs coming to drag sinners to hell was a popular telling in Southern churches at the time. Like the character in the song who is travelling from town to town, Johnson lived a nomadic lifestyle as well. In this recording we just hear Johnson and his guitar, playing some bottle neck (so called for using the neck of a bottle on your finger as a slide).
Thoughts:
Holly:
Hellhound on My Trail (Robert Johnson): It’s a Robert Johnson double-header this week! I found Hellhound on My Trail a little bit of a letdown after Cross Road Blues. I think that’s not because of any particular fault to this song, but just because Cross Road Blues is a way better example of his grindy voice and huge guitar sound. Still, there’s something creepy and haunting about this song that I really appreciate. On a technical note, how does he hum so loud? I have to admit I tried to hum as loudly as possible when I was home by myself, with terrible results! This recording sounds like there’s a really quick fadeout at the end, so I wonder if this is another example of artists phoning in the ending of their songs! 4/5
Kelly:
Completely agree with Holly. Cross Road Blues is just a better song and better showcases Johnson's voice. His voice sounds more nasal and plaintiff in this song and his guitar playing is more interesting in the previous song as well. The song itself is a pretty good song, I'm just not crazy about it. It's also too bad the recording quality is not great - I would have loved to hear him in person to get the full affect! Also, the end is weird - not the repeat and fade that we're used to, just quick fade. 3/5
Hellhound on my Trail
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