Beatles Love

I realized that I haven't done anything to show The Beatles some love on this blog yet. I firmly believe that they did more to further the cause of Rock music than anyone else. There are a lot of bands that are really just one talented guy with other dudes playing instruments because he can't play them all at one: Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters. The Beatles are not one of these bands. They are greater than the sum of their parts. Truth be told I'm not really a much of a fan of any of The Beatles solo stuff. There are a few songs but not much to get me excited. I think Paul and John are an incredible song writing duo. Paul tends to be a bit mellow and sappy if left to his own devices and John's just too much "out there" at times. They are the perfect balance. Paul writes fantastic songs and John inputs some interesting tidbits in there and vice-versa. Add in George playing some fantastic guitar as well as adding a half dozen really good songs to The Beatles catalogue and Ringo's ever steady and bouncy drumming and you've got one heck of a band.

I'm sad to make it known that I grew up largely ignorant of The Beatles. I will blame this mostly on my parents(I have no one else to blame and I'm not about to start shouldering responsibility for anything). My childhood consisted mostly of Neil Diamond, courtesy of my dad, and old honky-tonk type country courtesy of my mom. There were periodically some other things that got played but that was honestly 90% of the music I heard in my house. I didn't have any older brothers or sisters to show me what was cool so I was left to my own devices and like most kids, made really bad music choices. This may not seem like such a big deal to most people, but I'm supposed to have better musical taste than some of the unnamed garbage I listened to. Of course I heard the various ubiquitous Beatles songs that everyone hears: Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, etc. I was 23 and spending an enormous amount of time outside scraping paint off of my old house. I needed something to listen too and the alternative music station I normally listened too wouldn't have been looked upon too kindly by my neighbors so I listened to the oldies station. I'm a fan of the oldies so this wasn't too bad, until I had heard Gary Pucket sing about some Young Girl one too many times. I found an old Beatles mix tape and popped it in. It had mostly the early poppy stuff, but had some gems like Old Brown Shoe and Eleanor Rigby. It kept me interested and I really grew to love The Beatles.

I started acquiring CD's, though I still don't have all of them, much to my wife's surprise. I still need to buy Yellow Submarine just so I can get "Only a Northern Song" and "Hey Bulldog". I think The Beatles were the first to make music videos. I really need to somehow compile the various videos into one DVD to play at home when my kids want to watch something and I just can't take one more Disney flick.

I really didn't intend on telling my history with The Beatles, but the fact of the matter is, their music is a big part of my life. I have a lot of memories that flood back whenever I hear a particular song, or conversely when a memory comes to me it's often accompanied by a Beatles tune. When my wife and I were in L.A. for two weeks I had only one thing that I had to do, the rest was mostly left to her, I wanted to find the street "Blue Jay Way" where George Harrison wrote the song of the same name while waiting for his friends to get to the house he was renting in the Hollywood hills. After searching for a couple of hours I can see why, in the fog, his friends had a hard time finding it. Oddly enough, Simon and Garfunkel wrong the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the same house. I think the house belonged to some music agent and he let various people use it when he wasn't around.

I don't think a lot of people have taken the time to really appreciate The Beatles because they don't know much beyond the Please Please Me days. Anyone that has listened to an album over and over again knows that you start to hear new things, nuances, little guitar riffs, interesting lyrics, etc. The Beatles catalogue from Rubber Soul on is like that, but on steroids. It's mostly due to The Beatles and their producer really understanding how to create an interesting song, but some of it is due simply John having a great sense of humor. His various tips, tricks and hints as to Paul being dead are testament enough to that fact. Rain was the first song that anyone played vocals backwards. It wasn't really meant for any other purpose than to add something interesting to the song, but it's a great example of them always looking for something new. That same era also showcased their harmonizing vocals, Rain, Paperback Writer, Nowhere Man, etc. While writing "Norwegian Wood" George really felt like some additional element was needed. He happened to be experimenting with the sitar at that time and put a little in the song. It added a great textural element that made the song that much more interesting. Now...if I could just figure out what that song was about.

Many that are unfamiliar with the actual history of The Beatles figure that much of their music library was influenced by psychedelic drugs. The truth is that Sgt. Pepper is the only album that came from their drug experiments. George Harrison, the first to really embrace the 60's drug movement was also the first to stop using drugs. He went out to San Francisco in 1967, during the summer of love to experience what he hoped would be a a really enlightening community. What he found was a bunch of drugged up and drunk homeless people lazing around begging for food. Needless to say he was a little disappointed. It was after this experience that he decided to stop using LSD, though I think he still used marijuana, but the effects are far less extreme. He later stated that had he found (eastern) religion first he wouldn't have ever used the drugs. He had been searching for that spiritual state of mind. Suffice it to say, Yellow Submarine, I Am The Walrus, and others are not drug songs, just fun little ditties that came from the imagination of the most famous song writing duo to ever grace our auditory nerves.

My wife scoffs at my elitist Beatles test, she thinks I'm a music snob of sorts, especially when it comes to The Beatles. With that said, I've found my little test to be fairly accurate. I have found that a real Beatles fan never has a favorite song. They often have a favorite album, which usually ends up being the White album, probably due to the number and variety of songs, but never a favorite song. That's not to say someone that really likes The Beatles can't have a favorite, it's just that if someone has really listened to The Beatles a lot, they have a hard time narrowing down the catalogue, and the songs vary so much in feeling and emotion that it's impossible to put a pin in any one song as THE song.

Alarm Clock Music

Random post, but it is about music. I have my alarm clock set to play the radio when I wake up. After 20 years of hearing that stupid buzz buzz buzz...I can't take it anymore. I had originally set my alarm clock to play Golden Slumbers by The Beatles because it starts out with a nice mellow piano. It was nice to wake up to but two problems developed: My wife got very tired of it and I started to dislike the song. So, I opted for the radio, I figured this would provide a variety and I wouldn't get tired of any particular song. I don't recall what radio station I had originally chosen but it's long since been changed by my children. Since my kids are normal kids they mess with anything that has buttons and dials so I've given up on changing the station so something I like. I believe it's set to some sort of adult contemporary crap right now and for some reason my kids haven't changed it in months. I know as soon as I pick a decent radio station they'll mess with it.

This brings me to this morning. I don't keep the radio volume very loud because I still don't like to be jarred awake. Because of this I'm often asleep deeply enough that the songs don't wake me up, the infuse themselves into my dream. This morning, I don't recall what I was dreaming but I was aware of the Shania Twain song "Feel Like a Woman"(at least I think that's the title) that was playing and for some reason the goings on in my dream required that I listen to the entire song instead of hitting snooze or turning it off. The song ended and I came to my senses wondering why I put myself through that. I shrugged it off and got in the shower. I bet Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, would produce some really trippy dreams.

Favorite Albums

I thought I'd list my favorite all time albums in no particular order:

Led Zeppelin - II: Incredible album, invented rock and roll as we know it. This album just needs to be listened to over and over again. Incredible blues sounds, alongside rock guitar and drum fills that will became the standard to be measured by.

Song Pick: Ramble On, lots of close seconds on this album.

Pearl Jam - Vs: I know, I know, Ten is the seminal album but Vs. has such an incredible sound and interesting songs. The record company gave Pearl Jam all the room they needed to make an album the way they wanted. So much so that it didn't get quite the commercial and critical success that they expected. Radio favorites "Daughter" and "Elder Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" can be found along side more raucous songs like "W.M.A", "Rear view Mirror" and "Leash." If you don't like the swears then stay away from "Leash" otherwise enjoy a bit of a teenage rebel song. A great guitar record, Stone and Mike are on top of it on this album.

Song Pick: Blood

White Stripes - Icky Thump: This was another tough call. De Stijl, Get Behind Me Satan, and White Blood Cells all have lots of incredible songs. Icky Thump just has an awesome variety. The songs are all interesting, vocally and instrumentally. Awesome blues sounds and even a song with bag pipes, you know I'm a sucker for bag pipes.

Song Pick: Little Cream Soda, Catch Hell Blues (I just couldn't decide between the two).

Blind Melon - Soup: This was the last album that Blind Melon made before Shannon Hoon died. It never got the attention the first album did, with No Rain, but Galaxie did get a good amount of airplay. Several of my all time favorite songs are on this album, Mouthful of Cavities and Toes Across the Floor. The sonic goodness contained in each of these songs is just mind blowing, especially on Mouthful of Cavities. Put on some headphones and listen to that song over and over until you reach nirvana. The energy contained in that snippet of audio history is mind blowing. There are multiple layered guitars, vocals, sounds; I get chills thinking about it.

Song Pick: Mouthful of Cavities

Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards: I cannot state that this is my favorite Cold War Kids album as it's the only one I've ever heard but I do not tire of listening to it. It's different, sort of a blues/jazz/rock sort of sound. Definitely not the normal rock song progression, it's filled with great lyrics, the music is filled with interesting subtleties that keep my attention.

Song Pick: Saint John

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: It's impossible to pick a favorite Beatles song, and nearly as impossible to pick a favorite Beatles album. Most big Beatles fans will pick the White Album, I suspect because it's a double album and is filled with a huge variety of music. I became a big Beatles fan in 2000 and Sgt. Pepper's was the second or third actual album that I purchased. Nothing has resonated with me quite like this album has. There was a great book I once read about the Summer of 1969(that may have even been the title). It mentioned that everywhere you went that this album was playing. Teens were playing it, adults were playing it, it was just heard everywhere. I believe this album was what changed me future music listening. Before this I had been an avid music listener but like most people I was mostly a passive listener. This album taught me to listen closer to the various layers of the songs, to listen to the artistry that the band used to create a particular song. Since then I listen to much more interesting music and the usual radio fare is rather boring. A well written hook is always catchy but beyond that many songs are somewhat blah. I will require my kids to listen to this album once a day for two weeks when they're old enough to begin their music education.

Song Pick: Obviously tough to choose so I'll go with "Lovely Rita"

Ben Harper - Diamonds on the Inside: Another tough one to choose from one of my favorite artists. Ben reinvents himself a bit on each album. A close second, aside from the "Live from Mars" - live album, is "The Will to Live". Diamonds on the Inside starts off with "My Own Two Hands." This may be my favorite Ben Harper song of all time. Like Ben Harper himself this song is full of life, it's genuine, and has a good message. It also has a great reggae sound. You'll also find some Funk on "Brown Eyed Blues" and "Bring the Funk." The intense rock sound with soaring vocals that Ben does so well on "So High So Low." He brings out traditional African and spiritual sounds on "Picture of Jesus" and "Blessed to Be a Witness." Just a great all around Ben Harper Album. If you like this one you'll find similar sounds on "The Will to Live."

Song Pick: My Own Two Hands

The Black Keys - Rubber Factory: From the opening drum sounds on "When the Lights Go Out" you know this album is different from your usual rock album. It has a decidedly lo-fi sound. It was recorded by this blues-rock duo in a vacant rubber factory. The sound is raw, hollow at times and in your face through the entire album. They sounded pretty much the same in concert, not in a bad "just like listening to the CD" kind of way. More like thick guitar and drums with incredible vocals that can't be contained by a simple plastic medium kind of way.

Song Pick: Aeroplane Blues(choosing this one is like choosing your favorite child, you listen to each one and really like it but in the end you know you have a favorite)

Dinosaur Jr - Beyond: Chock full of, if I might use the word, Grungie alt. rock. Somehow this masterpiece that sounds strait out of 1990 was released in 2007. It's as if they had 15 years to decide what they wanted a rock album to sound like then simply put in on wax. Great guitar tones, 90's feedback at the end of the songs, I'm a sucker for that stuff. I had to double check myself on the release date because I don't see how this could have been made in 2007. The sounds are thick and heavy with punchy guitars and drums and smoldering bass lines. Just pretend you're back in high school and you've just discovered a hidden treasure.

Song Pick: Almost Ready

Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love: Psychedelic rock at it's best. Classic Hendrix stuff on "One Rainy Wish", "Little Wing" and "Spanish Castle Magic". Bluesy beats on "If 6 were 9" let you just sink back into your chair and take it in. "Bold As Love" just puts me at ease, an instant relaxing classic. Which isn't to mean it's lacking in Hendrix energy, it's there in spades. The tones, lyrics and overall composition lend itself to easing my mind into a mellow state that makes thing everything in the world will float on by.

Song Pick: Bold As Love

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream: I think this is Smashing Pumpkins seminal album, even more so than the double album Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness. I won't list all of the great songs on this album because, except for "Luna" and "Sweet Sweet," all of the songs are awesome. The last two aren't bad, just not that exceptional. Just great, classic mid 90's music. It's got Billy Corgan's usual somewhat whiny voice with that great guitar work by James. Thick and brooding at times and wailing in 90's crunch the rest of the time.

Song Pick: Mayonnaise

Ben Harper & Relentless 7 with Pearl Jam

Seriously ever since I spotted this concert pairing my mind has been soaring. I've always wanted to see Pearl Jam, especially now that they're good again and Ben Harper is, as I've stated before, incredible in concert. The concert will be at the E-Center. Though not great audio quality, pretty much any seat there is decent. I feel like dancing about like a wee school girl I'm so excited.

Toots and Concerts in General

Salt Lake holds a free twilight concert series at the Gallivan Center downtown. I went to my second show last night, Toots and the Maytals. Toots and the Maytals is a fantastic Reggae group that I've always wanted to see but since they've been around for so long I didn't think I ever would. The show was awesome, Toots was in great form on songs like Sweet and Dandy, Pressure Drop, his cover of Country Roads, and of course 54-46.

The concert last night got me thinking about all of the great shows I've been to, often with Jen's brother Dan, he's a like minded music aficionado. Concerts I've been to in the fairly recent past include:

Toots and the Maytals - See above.

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - My fourth Ben Harper show. This concert set the bar for all the rest of the concerts I will ever see. Nothing has topped it yet.

Eric Clapton - How could he be anything less than awesome. He covered Jimi's Little Wing, along with classic Clapton and Cream songs.

Stone Temple Pilots - Big let down. 18 year old Ryan would have loved it as they sounded just like they do on the CD, but it seemed to lack soul and substance.

Blitzen Trapper - Awesome show packed into a tiny space (Kilby Court). A very full 6 piece band, that at times included 3 keyboard players and a child's water bird whistle.

Alela Diane - Opened for Blitzen Trapper and really blew me away. Beautiful vocals, backing vocals and instruments. Her father, aside from being their road manager also plays in the band. He plays a very Neil Young-ish guitar sound, as well as the mandolin.

Black Keys - The only other show I saw at the Gallivan Center. Just knowing the sort of sound they produced on their albums I knew my face would be ripped off with the intensity and they did not disappoint. We were right down in front at this show and the show was not only aurally intense but physically intense as well. We were on the edge of the mosh pit and often found ourselves serving as a barrier to keep small women and girls from getting crushed. This concert is up there with Ben Harper and Eric Clapton.

I have a fear that I'll never get to see the White Stripes in concert. I'm a huge White Stripes fan and with Jack White's various side bands and Meg White's anxiety I'm not sure I'll ever get to see them. I suspect Jack will come back around and make another White Stripes album after he's done with the "Dead Weather" tour, though if they do tour I doubt Utah will be on the list of dates so Dan and I are going to have to put together a road trip.

I'm just a huge fan of live music. I thoroughly enjoy Nashville even though I'm not really a fan of country music. The artists and musicians just lend so much spirit to the music that it's a lot of fun to watch. Take the time to go to a bluegrass concert if you've never been, just amazing to take it all in. I've made a point to go to as many concerts as I can. I really didn't go much in my youth; Neil Diamond, INXS, and Van Halen were the only shows I saw before I was 24. There is so much great music being made currently that there is always a good concert coming up.

New format

Ok, the reason I stopped posting here, not that anyone has ever read this blog, is I just can't find the time or initiative to formalize my thoughts on music. Oddly enough, even though it's been a year since I last posted, I'm currently listening to Ramble On from Led Zeppelin II, the last album I reviewed.

Here are some favorites from this past year:

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

I saw Blitzen Trapper and Alela Diane in concert at Kilby Court last spring. Blitzen Trapper is a 6 piece band, lots of fun and a very full sound. They have a definite Greateful Dead sound, so much so that one of my co-workers overheard me playing the song Furr and asked me what year it came out, indicating he thought it was the late 60's.

Alela Diane, is a bit of a departure for me. I had never heard of her when she opened for Blitzen Trapper but I was blown away by the beauty of her songs. She has great melodies and a fantastic voice. She struck me as being a modern Joan Baez. Great voice, and a folk style.

Dinosaur Jr., I just discovered them even though they were a late 80's and 90's staple. They just didn't get played on the radio and back then if it I didn't hear it on the radio, it didn't exist. Excellent 90's alt. sound. I just bought the new album, Farm, on vinyl.

Cold War Kids. I don't know how to describe their sound. Sort of a modern pop with a somewhat bluesy beat. Kind of a White Stripes + The Bravery sort of sound.

Led Zeppelin - II

I am reviewing the Led Zeppelin II album today because it’s an incredible album and music listeners coming up may wish to experience some Led Zeppelin and be unaware, as I was, of which albums to buy. So, here is my review of a classic rock and roll album.

I wish to propose something that may enrage some of you, especially the rock purists and Beatles fans, of which I am one. I believe that Led Zeppelin created the first album that contains the modern and enduring form of rock and roll that we enjoy today, when they recorded their second album. There, I said it. It’s a hard thing for me to admit being the enormous Beatles fan that I am. By stating this I in no way wish to diminish the contribution of The Beatles, Elvis, Buddy Holly, or anyone else that may have been a part of rock and roll up to this time. Certainly Elvis and Buddy Holly helped to form rock and roll and The Beatles are among the best song writers and music creators in all of rockdom. I think Cream came very close but they were still essentially a blues trio with amazing rock aspirations.

Led Zeppelin II comes out and blows your mind wide open with the first powerful riff from Jimmy Page on the song “Whole Lotta Love.” Rock and roll has always had it’s roots in the blues and Led Zeppelin did not try to hide that. In fact they didn’t stray to far all even on this album which included such songs as The Lemon Song, a loose cover of Robert Johnson the famous bluesman and Bring It On Home another nod to traditional blues that includes blues riffs and harmonica before it explodes into some of the sweetest blues rock guitar riffs that the world has ever heard.

There are some songs that have to be played just before or after another song. What that those two or three song series were set up that way by the musicians or by radio DJ’s I’m not sure. Some examples are Queen’s “We Will Rock You” which has to be followed by “We Are the Champions.” Slightly Lesser known is INXS with “Need You Tonight” and “Mediate.” You can’t here the first song without wanting/needing to hear the next song. Led Zeppelin started it all with the three song series of “Heartbreaker”, “Living Loving Maid”, and “Ramble On.” “Heartbreaker” swings the hammer hard with the incredible guitar riffs and the baseline that is so heavy it makes your knees weak. About two-thirds of the way through, the song breaks and Page comes through with a quick guitar solo until it resolves then the rest of the band joins jamming until the song breaks again and they come back with a sound so big it knocks you back in your chair wondering what just hit you. “Living Loving Maid” is Jimmy Page’s least favorite song so it was not played very often in concert. Though not a particularly stellar song it was a fairly well done slightly popish song by Led Zeppelin standards. “Ramble On” has to be one of the best all around rock songs ever recorded. As many times as I have listened to this song I still get my rock on if I hear it come on the car radio. Anyone vaguely familiar with the J.R.R. Tolkien “Lord of The Ring” series will recognize the various references in this song. Robert Plant was a huge fan of the books and as such references sections in “Ramble On” as well as other songs they’ve recorded.

“Moby Dick” is a purely instrumental song that seems to be there to showcase John Bonham’s amazing drumming. It features bass and guitar parts though the song is wrapped around the drum beats including an extended drum solo. John Bonham and Ginger Baker, of Cream, really revolutionized rock and roll drumming with the changeup in beats and time signatures as well as the interesting fills that they are both famous for. Rock drumming exists in it’s current form because of these two drummers.

Every listen is a new experience. The first few listens give you simply enjoyable rock music. On subsequent listens you’ll begin to hear the textures of the various instruments including Plant’s voice. I am amazed every time I listen to this album.

This album gets an easy A grade.

If you like Rock and Roll, you’ll love this album.