What are you listening to?

[Eddie Teach]

Bruce Springsteen- Born in the USA

[The Minsky Moment]

Clive Davis (president of Columbia records) said that he played their version of "Summertime" for Richard Rogers; who grew so angry that he stormed out and vowed never to write another song. 

I didn't realize that Rogers felt that strongly about Gershwin.

Just read in a completely different source another account of Rogers bitching about jazz musicians messing with his music.  The one exception being Ella.  Silly attitude really, without Miles Davis and Chet Baker who would remember My Funny Valentine anyways?  Can anyone even remember what show it come from?

[Eddie Teach]

Eh, pretty sure the version I've heard was either Sinatra or Tony Bennett.

[Jacob]

Myrkur - Folkesange

Black Metal band Myrkur releases a full album of mostly Scandinavian folk with no metal content whatsoever. Lyrics in Danish, Swedish, and English with a mixture of original and traditional compositions. The traditional texts are stronger than the original compositions, IMO, but it all sounds lovely.

[Syt]

Ooh, nice, I like Myrkur.

[Savonarola]

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo () 1968

The Byrds had done country-ish songs before they had never been this twangy.  This was released just over seven months after "The Notorious Byrd Brothers;"  it must have been quite a jolt for Byrds fans to go from Haight-Ashbury to Nashville in that short amount of time.

There's only two compositions by the Byrds (both written by Graham Parsons) on this; "One Hundred Years" and "Hickory Wind."  There's a couple countrified Dylan songs, "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" and "Nothing was Delivered."  ("You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" only existed in Demo form at this time.  They misunderstood some of the lyrics, so when Dylan recorded his version he shot back with the line "Pull up your tent, McGuinn, you ain't goin' nowhere.")  All the other songs were covers of country songs, ranging from Merle Haggard ("Life in Prison") to The Louvin Brothers ("The Christian Life.")

[Savonarola]

Just read in a completely different source another account of Rogers bitching about jazz musicians messing with his music.  The one exception being Ella.  Silly attitude really, without Miles Davis and Chet Baker who would remember My Funny Valentine anyways?  Can anyone even remember what show it come from?

I had to look that one up, and then thought, "I've seen "Babes in Arms," I don't remember that song.  As it turns out the movie is completely different than the play.

Edit: I just read that Rogers hated the Marcel's version of "Blue Moon" so much that he took out a full page ad telling people not to buy it.

[Savonarola]

Giles, Giles and Fripp - The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp (1968)

So Peter Giles and Michael Giles advertised for a singing keyboard player and ended up with Robert Fripp; who is neither a singer nor a keyboard player.  Still, I can't say they made the wrong decision.

I believe Frunk mentioned this one as an example of how messed up 1968 was; there's even photographic evidence of Robert Fripp smiling:



This isn't at all what I expected, it's not a proto-King Crimson album, instead it's more like a MOR Jazz-Fusion album.  It's not bad (though the lyrics tend to sound like Ray Davies' throw-aways); but it's much more like Anthony Newley's "Jazz" backing band had gone solo, rather than King Crimson.

[The Brain]

Is it better than Jazz Odyssey?

[Josephus]

Giles, Giles and Fripp - The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp (1968)

So Peter Giles and Michael Giles advertised for a singing keyboard player and ended up with Robert Fripp; who is neither a singer nor a keyboard player.  Still, I can't say they made the wrong decision.

I believe Frunk mentioned this one as an example of how messed up 1968 was; there's even photographic evidence of Robert Fripp smiling:



This isn't at all what I expected, it's not a proto-King Crimson album, instead it's more like a MOR Jazz-Fusion album.  It's not bad (though the lyrics tend to sound like Ray Davies' throw-aways); but it's much more like Anthony Newley's "Jazz" backing band had gone solo, rather than King Crimson.

Robert Fripp does smile a lot. Have you seen the recent viral youtube sessions with his wife?

here's one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6zp6FKR0hg

[The Minsky Moment]

Eddie Palmieri, Sabiduria (2017)

Palmieri has had 8 albums win Grammy awards, in 4 different categories.  His style hasn't really changed that much, the grammy people have just been confused historically about what to do with Latin music.  So Palmieri has won "Best Latin Recording" (2x), "Best Tropical Latin Album" (WTF?) (3x), "Best Salsa Album" (1x), "Best Latin Jazz Album" (2x).  This one didn't even get a nomination but it's as good or better than most of the winners and overall a decent introduction to his music as it mixes together his different genres over the years including big brass section backed salsa, Latin jazz fusion with saxophone-electric guitar duelling solos (and Marcus Miller guesting) and a couple tracks with vibraphonist Joe Locke (filling the role Cal Tjader played on 60s era Eddie records), among others.

[Savonarola]

Robert Fripp does smile a lot. Have you seen the recent viral youtube sessions with his wife?

here's one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6zp6FKR0hg

No, I haven't.  I was under the impression that Robert Fripp was famous for his stoic demeanor, like Buster Keaton on Keanu Reeves; but I'm hardly a monster King Crimson fan.

[Savonarola]

Jefferson Airplane - Crown of Creation (1968)

In 18 months Jefferson Airplane had released three albums.  Surrealistic Pillow is the one with the big hits "White Rabbit" and "Someone to Love."  Though it was a monster hit, the band didn't think that reflected their real sound, and followed that up with the wildly experimental After Bathing at Baxters; which sounds like what should have been playing at the Merry Pranksters' Acid Tests.  (The real Pranksters actually had The Grateful Dead, then known as The Warlocks as their band.)  They toned it down quite a bit for this third album, and while more experimental than Surrealistic Pillow, it's quite a bit more accessible than After Bathing at Baxters.  Neither of the singles from the album charted very high ("Crown of Creation" made it to 64 on the Billboard charts; "Greasy Heart" only made it to 98); but the album itself sold well.

The opening track "Lather" covers the fear of aging (that is turning 30) in a youth-obsessed society.  I thought that was kind of funny knowing how long Jefferson Airplane or their subsequent acts soldiered on for.  They also covered David Crosby's polyamory song "Triad" which the Byrds had refused to release.  (The legend is that "Triad" got Crosby kicked out of the Byrds, but today Crosby and Roger McGuinn both agree that Crosby was kicked out for being a colossal asshole and not for that song.)

[The Minsky Moment]

Curtis Mayfield, Superfly (1972)

Critics then and now attacked Blaxploitation flicks for reinforcing negative racial stereotypes and glorifying criminality for profit; defenders claimed they were representing the gritty reality of the streets and the lack of realistic opportunities. And Robert Townsend resolved the debate definitively in favor of the critics in Hollywood Shuffle.  What's left is what in large part made the movies a box office draw - the soundtracks. I can't recall the convoluted plot of Across 110th Street, but I can't forget the title track from Bobby Womack. The wooden acting and confused scenarios of Black Caesar were almost rescued by juxtaposing James Brown's funk with cinema verite - style New York Street scenes. And while Richard Roundtree played the body of John Shaft, it was Isaac Hayes that provided the soul.

I've never really seen Superfly having found it unwatchable, but Mayfield's music is the Beethoven's Fifth of blaxploitation soundtracks.  The  same high tenor voice behind one of the most inspirational songs of spiritual hope ever written - "People Get Ready" - here delivers messages of crushing despair and cycnicism. Some of the music shows its age, but the grooves and Mayfield's pathos are timeless. Too bad it wasn't in service of a project that merited his contribution.

[Josephus]

Rush...Moving Pictures. 40 years old today. One of the greatest rock albums ever.