Is there any way to express the inarticulate rage that comes over me when I hear “Kokomo,” the 1988 Beach Boys sans-Brian Wilson hit for the Tom Cruise crapfest “Cocktail”? As it turns out, someone’s done it for me.
[credit: HogPig (music) Wikipedia Man vs. Clown! blog]
Thanks to Andrew for the heads-up.
Greg Richling, left, and Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers Saturday in Freeport
The Wallflowers brought down the horse, uh, house Saturday. The Jakob Dylan-fronted band performed a free show at LL Bean’s flagship store in Freeport, Maine as part of the store’s continuing free concert series.
Kate and me attended, despite having spent the previous nine hours getting heat stroke at the Maine Highland Games. The grunts and howls of sweaty men in kilts throwing rocks, however, were preferable to the opening band. Let’s just say this band seemed to want to be uber-em versions of the Killers or the Cure, but whose actual sound is closer to what is emitted when you step on a cat. If you’re going to emulate anyone, just do it on-key.
The Wallflowers, by contrast, seemed understated, but that only worked to their advantage. They came off like the genuine thing, mixing newer material with plenty of crowd favorites. The Wallflowers played well, sang well, and didn’t need to put on airs to do so.
The Wallflowers perform Josephine
I decided to make this post part of an exercise in live micro-blogging. So enjoy the following Twitter composite (with all spelling and grammatical errors lovingly intact) that you probably ought to read from the bottom to top, unless you have something against chronology.
[Between sets L.L. Bean showed vintage cartoon shorts, but without any sound. We had to fill in the pieces as best we could, but the result was nevertheless akin to Garfield Minus Garfield.]
For a band renown for overt electronic distortion, the Magnetic Fields really know how to go minimalist: Check out this performance of “Yeah! Oh, Yeah!” in 2004, and compare with the original:
It’s fascinating to see how music and television interact. I say “fascinating,” because such a combination can readily be used for good or evil. For example: Evil = Diane Warren’s “Faith of the Heart” nearly killing the Star Trek franchise; Good = Selections by David Chase used to augment “The Sopranos” (“Thru And Thru,” The Rolling Stones; “Living on a Thin Line,” The Kinks). Today on theFiver, we’re lucky again to have our boob-tube/music expert Kate Stabile hold forth on the music from the CW’s “Supernatural.”
You guessed it, I have a wee bit of a Supernatural addiction. I started watching the series in season 1, episode 1 and have been hooked ever since. Scoff if you will about a show that airs on the CW network, but I won’t even call it a guilty pleasure, because no guilt is needed. It’s actually a really good show. On the surface you’ve got a bunch of fun elements: plotlines filled with ghosts, demons, vampires and other supernatural baddies; two quite attractive lead actors; quirky supporting characters … something for everyone. However, the crux of the series, and what makes it so good, is the interaction between the two Winchester brothers, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. The chemistry between the actors is just perfect, and it’s very difficult to imagine anyone else playing the roles. Another great thing about it, hence this blog post, is the unexpectedly awesome music that is used in almost every episode. Instead of the usual angst-ridden pop that you might find on most other CW shows, Supernatural strategically places excellent classic rock tunes throughout. There’s nothing like watching Dean Winchester peeling out in that 1967 Chevy Impala to the strains of “Back in Black.”
Enjoy some of my favorite song selections from one of my favorite shows!
Top 5 Songs Used for Montages or Key Scenes in Supernatural
1. “Carry on My Wayward Son,” Kansas (“All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2,” Season 2)
This classic tune was first used in a montage for the season 2 finale, and summarizes the entire season throughout the song, gunshots and screams perfectly placed. Best. Use. Of Kansas. In a montage. Ever.
2. “Time Has Come Today,” The Chambers Brothers (“Everybody Loves a Clown,” Season 2)
Making a deal with the devil never turns out how you’d like it to… In this montage recapping the first episode of season 2, John Winchester makes a deal with the yellow-eyed demon: his life, and soul, in exchange for the life of his son Dean. The ticking of the clock with the repeated lyric “Time” accompanying the events at the end of the montage is incredibly effective.
3. “Renegade,” Styx (“Nightshifter,” Season 2)
The brothers escape from a bank in which they have been pursuing a shapeshifter, evading capture by the authorities, with this song playing in the background. A clever choice, and quite possibly the only cool song Styx has ever recorded.
4. “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” Blue Oyster Cult (“Faith,” Season 1)
I almost hesitated to add this one to the list, because of its irresistible association with a hilarious SNL Behind the Music parody (everybody needs more cowbell). It was also used to good effect in the miniseries of Stephen King’s The Stand. However, Faith is one of my favorite episodes of season 1, and despite its appearances in other notable shows, Don’t Fear the Reaper works quite well here. In the episode, a preacher heals members of his congregation, not knowing that each time he heals, another life is taken. This song plays as Death pursues a young woman through the woods while the preacher performs his “magic”.
5. “Rooster,” Alice In Chains (“Folsom Prison Blues,” Season 2)
Another escape from the law, another cool song. It’s an appropriate choice for the end of this episode, and besides, I just really like Alice in Chains.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Les Paul, the musician who helped change the face of music, has died today at 94 of complications of pneumonia, the Associated Press reports.
“Though he couldn’t read music, Paul had a magnificent ear and innate sense of structure, conceiving complete arrangements entirely in his head before he set them down track by track on disc or tape,” his official biography, in part, reads.
“Even on his many pop hits for Capitol in the late ’40s and early ’50s, one can always hear a jazz sensibility at work in the rapid lead solo lines and bluesy bent notes – and no one could close a record as suavely as Les. And of course, his early use of the electric guitar and pioneering experiments with multitrack recording, guitar design and electronic effects devices have filtered down to countless jazz musicians.”
The Gibson Les Paul guitar, which went on the market in 1952, is one of the most iconic instruments in rock, country and more. The humbucker pickups lent themselves to the preferred distortion favored by many hard-rock guitarists like Joe Perry, Slash and Jimmy Page. But the guitar also lent itself to an array of other music stylings, from jazz to rockabilly.
“He’s the man who started everything,” Page is quoted on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Web site. ”He’s just a genius.”
“Without Les Paul, we would not have rock and roll as we know it,” said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “His inventions created the infrastructure for the music and his playing style will ripple through generations. He was truly an architect of rock and roll.”
Paul was inducted into the hall of fame in 1988. He remained active until his death, performing and inventing. He released the American Made/World Played album in 2005, netting two Grammys.
“Les Paul was truly a unique human being,” said Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs at the museum. “He was an artist who made his mark as a tremendously influential guitarist. He was also an inventor, the man responsible for the solid-body electric guitar and multi-track recording. Few people have accomplished as much as Les did in his legendary career. We will truly miss him.”
— JS
Caravan – Chet Atkins & Les Paul
Our good friend Tara Thomas recently made the trek to see one of her all-time favorite bands, blink-182, and was kind enough file this report. — JS
Full Disclosure
I have been in love with blink-182 since Enema of the State, and I fell hard for Fall Out Boy the first time I heard “Grand Theft Autumn/Where is Your Boy.” While there was a chance I’d get to see FOB play some day, I knew I couldn’t hold out any hope for blink. When two members of a three-person band form another band and release a song titled “No, It Isn’t” (which totally is about the original band’s break up) and which opens with the lines, “Please understand / this isn’t just goodbye / this is I can’t stand you,” that pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? But then Travis Barker, blink’s drummer, almost died in a plane crash last Fall and blink-182 reunited. Then FOB announced they would be opening select dates on the blink tour this summer. I think it’s safe to say that both definitions of “auralgasm” fit my response to that bit of news.
And that’s what brought me to the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Mass. Aug. 6 to see Chester French, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and blink-182.
Chester French
I arrived halfway through their 20-minute set (stupid Boston traffic). They had the same flavor as the other bands in the lineup, but they were easy to forget. In fact, I would have forgotten to include them at all, if I hadn’t made myself a note about them. They ended their set with the first few bars of the Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight” before the lead singer dropped to his knees and appeared to molest his bass player. It was a little uncomfortable to watch.
Panic! at the Disco
I was surprised to see the exclamation point in the backdrop, because I’d read about how it was a big deal that they dropped it. Founding member, guitarist, and primary songwriter Ryan Ross left the band with bass player Jon Walker early last month, and the exclamation point made its return shortly thereafter. Despite losing half their band, Panic! gave a good show, opening with one of the hits from their first album, “But It’s Better if You Do.”
Lead singer Brendon Urie referred to a “fucking debacle” during “The Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)” and made reference to other technical difficulties, but I didn’t notice them. I was pleasantly surprised to find that “Nine in the Afternoon” still sounds fabulous, even without all the additional orchestral instruments featured in the studio version.
Fall Out Boy
First auralgasm of the evening: Fall Out Boy opening with “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” one of my top five favorite FOB songs, and they nailed it. My only complaint is that they didn’t play a lot of my favorite songs. I get that when you only have 45 minutes, you have to prioritize and that usually means sticking with the hits and more recent songs. My FOB faves tend to be lesser known songs, and many of them come from their first two albums. I was still surprised that they didn’t play more from their most recent album, Folie à Deux, including “What a Catch, Donnie” – the video for which was released that very morning.
Most surprising to me was how much I enjoyed the songs I usually skip when listening to their CD. For example, I found myself appreciating Patrick Stump’s incredible range on “Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet.” Same goes for “Thnks fr th Mmrs.”
Pete Wentz paid tribute to John Hughes, who had died earlier that day, before going into “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me.’”
Auralgasm number two occurred when Brendon Urie came back on stage to sing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” with FOB. My mom’s a big Journey fan and would probably argue this one, but I have to say it was better than the original.
blink-182
The forty minute wait between FOB and blink was agonizing. The stage lights started flashing to the title words to Wang Chung’s “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” as it played over the PA. Midway through the chorus, the lights flashed, the curtain dropped, and blink went right into “Dumpweed.” It’s not one of my favorites (mostly because the line “I need a girl that I can train” ruffles my feminist feathers), but I found myself screaming along anyway.
Guitarist Tom DeLonge and bassist Mark Hoppus mentioned that it had been years since they’d played together. DeLonge took the blame for “everything that went wrong with that song” after playing “Going Away to College.” Hoppus later noted there were several points where they were off time or off key. Honestly, I barely noticed any problems. The crowd was singing along so loudly DeLonge said he couldn’t even hear his band mates, and it definitely made it harder to pick up any missed notes. Hoppus announced that this was the second-largest show blink had ever played, with 20,000 people in attendance.
To identify individual auralgasms during the blink show would be pointless. They played all of their hits, and many lesser known songs like “Going Away to College” and my favorite, “Stockholm Syndrome.” The line “Please tell Mom this is not her fault” in “Adam’s Song” has always cut very deeply with me. Hearing Mark Hoppus sing that line live literally gave me chills.
Blink is known for their toilet humor during live shows, but a couple of references to Tom DeLonge’s penis certainly weren’t any reason to blush. The choice of songs tended toward the more grownup, too. I heard one teenage girl lamenting as we left that they didn’t play “Aliens Exist.” I was a little sad not to hear “A New Hope,” but that’s because I have a little bit of a thing for Princess Leia myself.
The encore began with Travis Barker’s drum solo. To think there was question about whether or not he’d be able to play again after the injuries from last year’s plane crash. He played an incredible drum solo from a platform that was floating at least ten feet above the stage, which turned and spun like some vomit-inducing carnival ride.
Blink ended with their first hit, “Dammit,” which still makes you want to dance as much as it did a dozen years ago.
“Your revolution is over! Condolences! The bums lost!”
— The Big Lebowski
My friend Andrew recently touched on something that has bothered me for years, but have I never been able to properly express. In commenting on Rolling Stone’s 100 greatest guitarist list, Andrew wrote:
“As usual, these lists end up nothing more than ways to piss people off and drive page hits/ad revenue. Rolling Stone has been irrelevant for decades now, and this is another great excuse to pander to the ‘I survived the 60s, so your music sucks, man!’ demographic, with a few oddly-chosen ringers to appear ‘hip’ and ‘with it’ (say in a Dr. Evil voice for maximum effect) to Generation X.”
There is something of a selfish streak in the Boomer demographic Andrew mentions, but I’m not entirely sure they’ve earned the right to be selfish.
The greatest generation went through hell and back, overcoming the worst economic times of the 20th century before defeating the greatest evil of the same 100 years. The boomers had their share of strife to overcome – civil rights, Vietnam. The difference is, the generation that fought the Depression and World War II managed to do it without self-agrandizment. They went on give everything to their children. For the boomers, their favorite subject is themselves. And they don’t let you forget it.
Two of America’s most popular writers, Stephen King and Dave Barry, are boomers, and you don’t have to read between the lines to see the importance they place on their generation. King’s fiction often takes place in the ’50s and ’60s. In “The Body,” “It,” or the stories of “Hearts In Atlantis” King’s reflection of that era has a guild that shines with a force that greatly overshadows plot. Reading “It” is like being trapped in an episode of The Wonder Years, only with a killer clown.
Barry, however, is worse in “Dave Barry Turns 50.” In that book, humorist gives readers a year-by-year account of history from 1947 before he gets bored by 1974. For him, it’s as though history stops there, and that’s just as well. Barry writes: “what, really, is the difference between, say, 1985 and 1987?”
OK, in ‘85, Reagan is sworn in for a second term, the first artificial heart recipient leaves the hospital, the FDA apporves a blood test for AIDS, Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Soviets, WrestleMania, South Africa ends a ban on interracial marriage, Coke brings out New Coke, TWA flight 487 is hijacked by Hezbollah, Route 66 (that old Boomer legend) is decommissioned, Christa McAulife is chosen to fly aboard Challenger, the wreck of the Titanic is discovered, Nintendo makes its US debut as does Calvin and Hobbes, Windows 1.0 is unleashed on an unsuspecting world, the Ford Taurus debuts, John Gotti becomes head of the New York Mafia, and widespread famine continues to wreak havoc in Ethiopia.
In 1987: Arehta Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Reagan addresses Iran-Contra, U2 releases “The Joshua Tree,” USS Stark is attacked by Iraqi missiles, WrestleMainia III shatters attendance records, The Simpsons debut on the Tracy Ullman Show, Jim Bakker defrocked, Gary Hart drops out of the Democratic primary because he was porking Donna Rice, Margaret Thatcher wins a third term, Reagan to Gorby: “Tear down this wall,” world population reaches 5 billion, the Dow closes above 2,500, G’N'R debuts “Appetite for Destruction,” Hungerford massacre, Pat Robertson and Jesse Jackson run for President, the first National Coming Out Day, baby Jessica falls down a well, Black Monday, US blows up Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf, NASA awards contracts for the Freedom space station (later becomes International Space Station), Chunnel construction starts, Hustler v Falwell, Prozac hits US shelves, first version of Photoshop, and a freaking squirrel closes the NYSE when it borrows through a phone line.
That’s the fucking difference.
These facts can be found on Wikipedia or whatever means of research you choose, you just need to look beyond your own generational selfishness and make the effort. Meanwhile, so-called Gens X and Y are still dealing with the world inherited us: our own Vietnam (Iraq), global warming, AIDS, the worst recession since the Depression, Gitmo …
I can’t believe you started the fire.
Rolling Stone has listed what it claims are “The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time.” Rather than come up with the definitive list, however, the article simply fans the flames of a long-running debate.
Many music critics would say that sound and inventiveness trumps technique and skill. Serious musicians could counter that even if you stun listeners across the nation with your songs, it doesn’t mean your playing is any good, never mind sophisticated.
The RS list appears to lean toward the former argument. That’s fine, but in reading its list, one can’t help but feel mislead. If they called this list “100 Great Artists Whose Guitar Is Their Primary Instrument,” then, yeah, you could get behind that. But to give props to Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil because he used dropped-D tuning, but exclude technically superior musicians like Eric Johnson and Alex Lifeson … that just seems wrong.
One thing is for certain; Rolling Stone’s list leaves a lot of head-scratching.
Top 5 “what the hell were they thinking?!” moments on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time:
1. Eric Clapton
No. Sorry. He’s not the fourth greatest guitarist of all time. I’m not even sure if he’s the fortieth. Yes, he’s incredibly popular; yes, he’s been around for a bit; yes, he deserves a huge thanks for giving the blues a British renaissance; and yes, the baby boomers love him. But as my old guitar teacher once said, any kid on the street corner can play his licks. The pentatonic scale is just not that hard. If he’s “God,” then my dad’s God … and he’s not.
2. Kurt Cobain
Cobain helped to give the music industry an enema just when its hair band-impacted bowels needed it, and we’re all better off for that. But Cobain was not that great of a guitarist, he just wasn’t it. If you need to recognize a guitarist representing the early ’90s alternative/grunge music, why not Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready?
3. Johnny Ramone
Punk is a good and almost necessary form of music. But its very nature shuns the technical know-how of its contemporaries such as prog-rock. The Ramones is New York punk through and through, but you didn’t go to CBGB to hear an exercise on symmetrical augmented scales.
4. Keith Richards
One of the most overrated guitarists from the world’s biggest overrated band. The Rolling Stones did not do much to innovate. They came along at the right time, tweaking the Beatles sound with a bit more sex and drugs, and most of them had the good fortune to stick together and not die. Richards is a decent guitarist, but he’s not one of the all-time greatest.
5. Neil Young
As a singer-song writer, he’s fine. But like Cobain, he’s simply not that great of a guitarist. If you want to talk musicianship with a flair for songwriting, give me Paul Simon any day of the week.
Runners up: George Harrison (#21); The Edge (#24); Ron Asheton (#29); Tom Morello (#26); John Fogerty (#40); Clarence White (#41); Joni Mitchell (#72); Joan Jett (#87).
Slate has a good article on the use of the phrase “no homo” in lyrics and homophobia in general in the hip-hop community. Jonah Weiner argues that the “no homo” reference, often used after an artists displays a quantum of sensitivity, is employed as a suffix that is “more complicated … than a simple slur.”
Weiner writes: “As society becomes increasingly gay-tolerant, hip-hop is reassessing its relationship to homosexuality and, albeit in a hedged and roundabout way, it’s possible that no homo is helping to make hip-hop a gayer place.”
Rise of the phrase, which has apparently gained ground in the NFL, is credited to rapper Cam’ron, who is also known for a one-time obsession with the color pink.
Nick Catucci writing for Vulture responded, in part: “… to call this progress might also be premature. After all, getting playful with gay-sounding phrases isn’t the same as winking at gays. … In a sense, ‘no homo’ is just a more evolved way of calling someone a ‘faggot’ — and evolved partly in that it’s more clever.”
