Guest Post: Prince Can Play

By Alanna Gluck

Little Red Corvette, Nothing Compares 2 U, 1999, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, KISS!!! I can't take it any longer!!! I must get up and dance!!!!.

It's clear that his velvety ruffles get us...well, all ruffled, but i feel that a great deal of Prince's talent is overshadowed by our idea of Prince as an "artist", a character, or a novelty act that pushes our comfort zone just to the point that we, collectively, can handle it. 

His genius, both in musical ability and music business is undeniable.  Prince has produced ten platinum albums, thirty Top 40 singles, has his own label and recording studio, writes, self-produces and plays most if not all of the instruments on his recordings. Not to mention his aptitude for public relations and general self-promotion. 

Like I said, GENIUS.

In a 2004 show-stealing performance at the Rock n'  Roll Hall of Fame honoring fellow inductee George Harrison, Prince shared the stage with Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Ferrone and Dhani Harrison (George's son), taking part in an all-star rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". 

If you must, skip ahead to 3:32, but take it from Prince, "your extra time and your..." is worth it!

His purpleness may get in the way, but without a doubt, Prince can shred ax.

And, because one taste of Prince is never enough, here is one of my all time (and more current) favorites from the royal canon (its. just. so. funky. ugh!).

Prince - Musicology (2004: Musicology)

--a note from Pongo: Where the hell does Prince throw his guitar at the end of that video?!?--

Sun Wind Sky Truth Beginnings Salt Earth Broad Never Kindess Sadness Open Forever

The Beginning:  Fleet Foxes - Montezuma (2011: Helplessness Blues)

The Middle:  My Morning Jacket - Golden (2003: It Still Moves)

The Ending:  Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping (2007: Ash Wednesday)

Sail Away!

Sail Away... an album by Randy Newman released in 1972. It's his second best album in my opinion as well as in the opinion of most critics. His best, and my favorite, is Good Old Boys. I'm shying away from posting from that for some reason... maybe because if you're gonna like Randy Newman then you're already gonna know that album. Anyway, here are a few tracks from Sail Away... if you don't have the album and you like these songs... get it! Every single song is just as good as these:



Randy Newman - Sail Away (1972: Sail Away)
 - "In America you get food to eat, won't have to run through the jungle and scuff up your feet"

Randy Newman - Memo to My Son (1972: Sail Away)
 - The song sounds to me like it could have been on Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... that's a big compliment.

Randy Newman - God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) (1972: Sail Away)
 - Nice story.

New La Strada EP

by J. Silverman

In the spirit of sharing I would like to offer you (my friends and family) a chance to download the new La Strada EP. If there's anyone reading this who doesn't know me (and I doubt there is), this is the band I was in from 2007-2010. It was a big part of my life and a whole lot of fun. We recorded these last four songs after we decided to split up because we loved the songs and really just wanted to enjoy the process of recording them. It was rushed but with the very generous support of our label (Ernest Jenning) we were able to complete it. It comes out today! ...And to anyone out there who ever came to see us play... I sincerely thank you. Much Love!

La Strada: In Motion EP (2011) (right click the link and choose 'Save as...' or 'Download linked file')

Delicate Steve('s label) not into file sharing

I've been officially asked to take down the download links to all the Delicate Steve songs I've posted except for the song 'Butterfly' which is already 'officially' available as a free download. Everyone's got their own views on the whole file sharing thing but this is my blog so I'll say what I want: sharing is caring and anyone who's making music to earn money or even to make a living... is doing it for the wrong reason.

Delicate Steve's album is really great... so anyone who wants it please let me know and I'll 'buy' you a copy. In the meantime listen to Butterfly... it's one of the best on the album:

Delicate Steve - Butterfly (2011: Wondervisions)

p.s. Whoever is scared of this blog doing any damage... you can relax, it only gets about 5 hits a day : )

p.p.s. Definitely check out this live video of an amazing song that's not from his album:

*Update 08/21/11: A friend of mine was at a Delicate Steve show a couple months ago and told him about my blog and that some of his music was asked to be taken off. He told her that I should just put it back up. I had no part in that interaction and certainly did not ask her to ask him that. However, I think since I now have the permission of the creator of the music... I will put the music back up. It's a good thing if more people know about this great music. If you want to support him... go see him live! That's where the real fun is anyway. You can see his tour dates here. And here's the original post.

E Viva Caetano!

These are my two favorites by the Brazilian juggernaut:

Caetano Veloso - Lost in the Paradise
(1969: Caetano Veloso)

Caetano Veloso - Fina Estampa
(1994: Fina Estampa)
 - written by the Peruvian juggernaut Chabuca Granda.  Killer string arrangement.

Out of Our Heads

The Rolling Stones released Out of Our Heads in 1965... it was their 3rd album (4th in the US).  I think it's one of their best... simple songs (both covers and originals), gritty, solid performances... a great all around rock and roll album.  Some of their biggest hits were on it (Satisfaction, The Last Time)... but you've heard those enough already:



The Rolling Stones - Mercy, Mercy (1965: Out of Our Heads)

The Rolling Stones - That's How Strong My Love Is (1965: Out of Our Heads)

The Rolling Stones - Play with Fire (1965: Out of Our Heads)
 - this one's my favorite

- Links removed to comply with the DMCA.  Apparently the Rolling Stones feel they can make more money by asking me to remove these links from my defunct and obscure blog; that's fine, hopefully they'll give something to charity.  Or they're just really into following the rules... I thought the Beatles were supposed to be the 'good boys' and the Stones the 'bad boys'?

Neil Young Gettin' Old

It seems to me that the most brilliant artists have a golden period and then lose their magic touch with the passing of time.  A few examples: Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, David Byrne... and in more recent times: Arcade Fire, Wilco... I know not everyone will agree with me... but it's a fact: the output of these artists has been diminishing in quality since they peaked.  So it's a very special thing when a musician like this manages to pop out a great song whilst wallowing in the winter of his career.  Neil Young managed to pull that off with his song 'The Way.'  A song that could only ever be at the end of an album... it sounds like it could have been on After the Gold Rush.  This is what these artists should be doing... reflecting on their experiences and sharing their wisdom:

Neil Young - The Way (2007: Chrome Dreams II)

Guest Post: You like Opera, you just don't know it...

By Alanna Gluck

At a recent gathering, I overheard two friends with respected and varied musical taste discussing opera. They agreed that though the general spectacle of opera production was impressive, the emotional affectation of it was hard to relate to as an audience member.

I see their point, but had to add my two cents. 

It seems to me that many first timers choose to see operas that are a little hard to relate to. Wagner's horned diva-goddesses singing about Germanic majesty for hours? SNOOZE-FEST.

I believe in "gateway" operas: operas which are more easily accessible to the inexperienced audience member because of

1) The categorical humanity of  the topic

             - in my opinion, this is any opera in which the plot line highlights the irony of the human condition; for example, The Marriage of Figaro is a comic opera about unhappy adults trying to find someone better looking or wealthier than their current lover, only to realize that love itself is the most attractive thing ever and has been available to them all along.  Man, couldn't we all learn from this one? And get a good laugh from it?

or

2) a pre-existing musical context 

               - do you realize how many operas you know from a childhood of watching cartoons and pasta sauce commercials? 

So next time you feel like grabbing some culture, take a moment and think, WWBBD (What Would Bugs Bunny Do)?

Trivia Time!!!!

For 20 P&P Points: Who is the Barber of Seville? 

Delicate Steve

I wanted to dedicate a whole post to this band because I think their debut album really deserves attention.  I've already posted a couple songs of theirs (or his) here and here.  Here are three more:

(and by the way, definitely catch them live if you get the chance)

Update: Delicate Steve's Label Not Into File Sharing

Delicate Steve - The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (2011: Wondervisions)

Delicate Steve - Wondervisions (2011: Wondervisions)

Delicate Steve - Flyin' High (2011: Wondervisions)

 - this one features Dustin Wong from Ponytail.

Later that night...

Egg - Fugue in D Minor
(1970: Egg)

Yoko Ono Oh Yes

The world is made up of two types of people... those who hate Yoko Ono and those who love her.  What Yoko Ono type are you?  Positive or Negative?







John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Sisters, O Sisters (1972: Sometime in New York City)
 - Killer chorus... cool string arrangement.  Awesome reggae-pop groove.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono - We're All Water (1972: Sometime in New York City)
 - Elephant's Memory is the backing band on this album... not the greatest backing band... but they're great on this track.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Yes, I'm Your Angel
(1980/2010: Double Fantasy - Stripped Down)
 - This is from the stripped down/remastered version of Double Fantasy released last year.  This sounds like an 'ending credits' type of song to me.

Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band - The Sun is Down!
(2009: Between My Head and the Sky - Chimera Music No. 1)
 - Some credit should be given to Cornelius for this song who was part of the Plastic Ono Band on this incredible album.  Remember... in 2009 Yoko Ono was 76 years old!!

Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band - Unun. To
(2009: Between My Head and the Sky - Chimera Music No. 1)
 - She starts talking in English at 1:20.  Listen to this earnestly or don't listen.

Yoko Ono & the Plastic Ono Band - I'm Alive
(2009: Between My Head and the Sky - Chimera Music No. 1)
 - "It's Me, I'm Alive"

p.s. there were a lot of other songs I wanted to post but it would have gotten out of control... if you need more Yoko Ono let me O-know!

For 25 P&P Points: What does 'Unun. To' mean?

Why George Harrison's Solo Career Sucked

It's not that it completely sucked... it's just that his career was such a big disappointment that, all things considered... it sucked.  Here's why (and remember this is just my opinion... feel free to disagree):

Abbey Road was released in September of 1969... just after the summer of love.  Sadly, the love between the Beatles was waning.... but they were all at the top of their game.  Harrison contributed Something and Here Comes the Sun to Abbey Road.  'Something' was by far his most successful song while he was in the Beatles... it was his only A-side single and his only song to top the American charts.  'Here Comes the Sun' is probably his best known song now and was the most downloaded of all the Beatles' songs when the 2009 remasters were released.  Just listen to the brilliant moog melodies starting at 2:12. Because of these two hits... Harrison's solo career was actually getting public attention as being the most promising of the four Beatles... (click read more below)

Rage Over a Lost Penny

I bought a digital recorder a few years ago. One of the first things I did with it was to go the MoMA and record random people talking. At one point I sat down on a bench; two little kids sat down near me and I was able to record their adorable conversation.

Here's the recording: Pennies

And here's a transcript:

Boy: Do you know how many pennies         I found last week?
Girl: What?
Boy: Do you know how many pennies I found like a month ago?
Girl: How many?
Boy: NINE, at once!
Girl: What!?  Nine at once?!  ...Who would throw away nine perfect pennies??
Boy: Yeah, who?

I think this conversation says more than I could ever say about the value of money, perspective and lots of other important stuff. And it's really cute.

Beethoven, Ludwig van - Rondo á Capriccio for piano in G Major 
     (Rage Over a Lost Penny), Op. 129 (1993: Anatol Ugorski)

We Dance to the Beat

It's top 40 music, be warned... but I like it:

Robyn - We Dance to the Beat (2010: Body Talk Pt. 2)

     - awesome lyrics

Happy Easter!

Nelson Riddle - Easter Isle (1958: Sea of Dreams)