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Classic Soul

It should figure that I'm writing this just after the Grammy's, but I didn't watch. My TV-without-cable currently does not bring in CBS well enough to make it worth my time to watch.

I was listening to a marathon of love songs. I don't usually listen to marathon blocks of anything. Marathon Christmas songs, I can't destroy the radio fast enough most of the time. But I didn't really mind listening for some reason, and every once in awhile, I heard a classic, such as the original Lean On Me, or Killing Me Softly. I love those songs. I remember songs like On The Wings Of Love by Jeffrey Osbourne, and songs like Mercy Mercy Me, Let's Get It On and What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. I love the song Easy by the Commodores. I don't mind remakes and such; some are quite good, either faithful renditions or interesting, yet good interpretations. But there's something about those originals.

As an aside, it's interesting that I dug up an old tape a friend sent to me a number of years ago. Even with Michael Jackson songs on it (2--one on each side), it's an enjoyable and memory-filled listen. It's more a compilation of memories, rather than a memory tied to each individual song.

eastmountainsouth

It's always cool to get a personalized email from someone in one of your favorite bands. I got one from eastmountainsouth yesterday.

Wynonna, Tracks And Bob Harris

While I was in the pain I was experiencing last night, I heard Wynonna singing on CMT. I don't recall everything she was singing in the state I was in, but I do recall her voice sounding of weariness and pain. Not in a bad way mind you--when I was listening I could sense that unlike a lot of singers who sing about heartache and such, you know she's been there, and it's that kind of person that reminds me of my own personal miseries. I don't have to like her lifestyle--the DUI thing didn't do her any favors with me--to believe that what I heard her sing last night was genuine and heartfelt, and beautiful.

I finally got around to reading my latest issue of Tracks today while listening to the Bob Harris show, which I've come to enjoy a lot over the last three weeks. The music is diverse, and he has a calming effect as well. The other thing I like is that you can listen to a show over the course of a week, and he also catalogues all the songs he plays on each show. All you have to do is look at last night's playlist to know he plays a diverse set from quite a few eras.

For instance, I enjoyed the entire show, as usual, but particularly enjoyed hearing Marc Cohn's Stranger In A Car (I own the CD that's on), Sun Kil Moon's Carry Me Ohio and Winterlight by Roman Candle. I even liked the particular Maroon 5 track he picked out to play.

I almost hate singling out a track off his show because I generally enjoy hearing them all, which is rare for any music station.

Back to Tracks, it always comes with a CD, which isn't why I bought this particular issue. I like reading it for the diversity of music they discuss in their pages. I've gotten as far as reading the contents, the letters and new things by Phish and Brian Wilson. Prince happens to be on the cover. There's quite a few reviews, and articles on the aforementioned Prince, PJ Harvey, Jimi Hendrix and more. Oh what the hey, there's articles on Wilco, the Roots, the Notorious Cherry Bombs, the summer of 1984 and a Sidetracks section that goes into travel, books, trends, movies and tech as it all relates to music.

I'll likely read the entire thing--rare for me and a magazine.

Lastly, I also got to watch some of the Glastonbury Festival via the BBC website today.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon, just relaxing and doing things at my own pace before facing the music and the dentist's chair.

Song Parts

As much as I love certain music and songs, sometimes I like parts of a song better than the song itself, or I find that without that particular part of the song, the song loses its emotional pull with me. I write this because this website rated the best 50 song riffs of all time.

For instance, I love Level 42 and much of their music, and love the heartbreak song, It's Over. The original intro to that song hooked me in and I love the whole song.

However, I remember when I bought a greatest hits CD with that song on it, and turned out to be disappointed because they edited the longer intro into something that for me, turned out to be too short. It cut the emotional heart of the song for me, as it set the mood for the entire song. Thankfully, I can listen to the full-length version and still feel everything in the song.

Their #1 song riff: the drum solo part near the end of In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins. The song I mentioned wasn't listed.

Keane For Music

Always nice to find music you're eager to hear, especially when it's on sale. I found Keane's new CD, and other variety disc on sale that seems to have a bit of promise.

I actually spent the afternoon listening to Allison Krauss, which seemed appropriate for such a dreary, rainy day here. She has such moody music, quite depressingly brilliant at times if you ask me.

I also got around to buying a couple of books--C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity and the Little Book of Big Bible Promises for men.

Tonight, as I'm listening to Keane, as I'll likely be doing much of the weekend, I'm appreciative of people who enlighten me to different music, different things, and to those with the music and the thoughts that give me something with which to ponder.

Farther On--5:17

In my early years I hid my tears
And passed my days alone
Adrift on an ocean of loneliness
My dreams like nets were thrown
To catch the love that I'd heard of
In books and films and songs
Now there's a world of illusion and fantasy
In the place where the real world belongs

Still I look for the beauty in songs
To fill my head and lead me on
Though my dreams have come up torn and empty
As many times as love has come and gone

To those gentle ones my memory runs
To the laughter we shared at the meals
I filled their kitchens and living rooms
With my schemes and my broken wheels
It was never clear how far or near
The gates to my citadel lay
They were cutting from stone some dreams of their own
But they listened to mine anyway

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say
It could be I've lost my way
Though I keep a watch over the distance
Heaven's no closer than it was yesterday

And the angels are older
They know not to wait up for the sun
They look over my shoulder
At the maps and the drawings of the journey I've begun

Now the distance leads me farther on
Though the reasons I once had are gone
I keep thinking I'll find what I'm looking for
In the sand beneath the dawn

But the angels are older
They can see that the sun's setting fast
They look over my shoulder
At the vision of paradise contained in the light of the past
And they lay down behind me
To sleep beside the road till the morning has come
Where they know they will find me
With my maps and my faith in the distance
Moving farther on

This song is appropriate for the mindset I'm feeling today after 34 years of life, which began with my birth May 17, 1970 in Key West, Florida. Thanks to a very kind overseas reader for the lyrics and for tuning me into this Jackson Browne song. In a touch of irony, the track length on the CD is listed at 5:17.

Weak Idols

Note: I apologize to West Coast readers who may not have seen the show yet. If you count yourself among them, don't read any further. I'll give you a photo of a current Survivor All-Stars contestant I met in Korea. Say hello to Ethan.

It was almost excruciating to listen to the group of American Idol contestants "sing" tonight. All the contestants from last week's show would have had a better shot to advance in this group. As it is, since 2 have to advance out of this group, it'll probably be Lisa and the girl from Hawaii, with the last singer of the night making the top 3 if only by default, because no one else should be even close.

Musical Coincidences

I was reading one of the magazines I picked up today, Tracks, and was in the middle of an article about Norah Jones, who's on the cover, when her new song Sunrise, came on one of the VH1 speciality channels on cable. I later read one on John Mayer, after which I hit Virgin Radio online and they were doing an interview with him where he played 3 of his new songs on the show.

The magazine itself is pretty good. They review a wide variety of music and the articles are really good as well. I'd rather read it than Spin or Rolling Stone any day of the week.

They had what I thought was a good article about the decline of radio--not a big surprise considering they the corporations that run them have such tight formulas on what they think people want to hear. The video channels (when they show them) are much the same. I only watch them to in the mostly vain attempt to hear something different. I don't much care for music videos mostly, even when they are done creatively well. I prefer to make my own interpretation first for where a particular song fits into my life, and then learn how the artist was trying to express themselves later.

I mean, with the millions of songs that are out there, you'd think they could rotate beyond the same 40 or so. I just wish I knew how to play an instrument (the piano would be first, followed by the sax). My fantasy (one of a few I suppose) would be to write the lyrics to a song that got recorded.

Justin & Janet In Lewd-ston

I guess I really did see what I thought I saw during the halftime show of the Super Bowl as Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson's breast.

Up until that point, I was wondering what Janet was doing singing Rhythm Nation. Didn't that CD come out over 10 years ago? I think I actually have that CD too. Maybe she could have sang Control too, while she was at it. The only other thing I paid attention to was Kid Rock and the American flag he was wearing. I've seen plenty of people with the flag draped on their backs to carry into soccer stadiums, but not one with a hole in the middle. And oh yeah, what could be worse than the Oh Mickey song by Toni Basil? Hearing it as an ode to P. Diddy and Nelly.

Back to Janet, I'm hearing that in fact, she may have had a flesh-colored covering anyway...whatever. As it is, I'm surprised CBS didn't have a five-second delay or anything to switch to another camera angle or something.

"CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show," a network spokeswoman said. "We attended rehearsals throughout the week, and there was no indication this would happen. It did not conform to CBS broadcast standards, and we would like to apologize to anyone who was offended."

Timberlake said he did not intend to tear the cup off Jackson's black leather bustier, exposing a nipple piercing shield.

"I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl," Timberlake said in a statement. "It was not intentional and is regrettable."

Michael Wilbon's column in the Post today about the game puts the male perspective on what happened:

The best move came from my man Justin Timberlake who committed the illegal contact-on-TV penalty. In case you were reaching for another cold one, what you missed at the end of the halftime performance was Timberlake attempting to pull Miss Jackson's blouse off her shoulder. But hey, they were moving so fast and his adrenaline had to be way off the charts, and you know, his hand slipped and caught the front of her blouse, inadvertently of course, and next thing you know.Oops. Miss Jackson was half-topless on international TV. Yeah, baby.

Seems another guy in a g-string ran out on the field and got leveled by a New England Patriots player too. The guy says he's from Liverpool and does this at lots of sporting events.

Oh, by the way, it was one of the better Super Bowls, and certainly exciting until the final seconds.

New England 32, Carolina 29.

Nice entry for something that didn't bother me too much, perhaps because I didn't quite realize what I had seen.

eastmountainsouth

I just found out eastmountainsouth is coming to the DC area for two shows February 18-19, one here in Annapolis and then the night after in Arlington, not far from where I work, so I'm hoping I get a chance to catch them perform.