Simon & Garfunkel - America

Paul Simon is a master craftsman -  carefully choosing words and patterns, rearranging, polishing, devising unusual but gorgeous melodies. Unlike the nearest contemporaries (Dylan and McCartney), his output is limited, often spending three years on the same ten songs in a quest for perfection. There is a seam of high quality from his Simon & Garfunkel material through to his solo years.

"America" is a perfect example, skilfully constructed prose with no rhymes, a typical folk acoustic melody aligned to a Broadway swelling refrain.

Recalling a 1964 road trip with his girlfriend Kathy, Simon describes not only a literal journey exploring America, but also a search for its essence and soul. The exhilarated joy of young lovers sharing precious time, pooling limited resources, with their optimism and hopes. They pass their time smoking, reading and joking together ("She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy").

The travelogue seems so romantic  to a non-American, exotic place names like Pittsburgh, Saginaw and even the New Jersey turnpike. However the mood sours towards the end, as he can only confess when she is sleeping ("I'm empty and aching and I don't know why"").  His unease is echoed on the road, as millions are vainly pursuing a dying American dream - a timely sentiment as it was recorded at the start of the turbulent 1968.

"America" is unusual as Simon takes the lead vocal, but typical as it features the magical close harmonies with Art Garfunkel, starting with the faded in ""mmmmm" start. The instrumentation is supportive and sympathetic, especially the sparse drum fills from Hal Blaine, and a soprano saxophone.

Initially it was only an album track, but its potent imagery has been appropriated by politicians and covers by David Bowie (at a 9/11 tribute), U2 and Yes (10 minutes!). A graffiti artist took to spraying its lyrics on decaying Saginaw buildings.  

"America" is one of many high points from a distinguished and beloved writer / performer.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo2ZsAOlvEM

Hear Next -  Either the very successful "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" or one of the frequent compilations.

Kasey Chambers - The Captain

The "Sopranos" always had impeccable music taste (how could they not with Steven Van Zandt in the cast?).  I vividly remember an episode of the third season, relating to a character's desperate zeal for a captaincy, ending with an appropriate and literal musical choice.

I was hypnotised by the metronome beat of a guitar, and then the sad nasal whine, as the closing titles ran. Subsequently I tracked it down as  "The Captain", written and recorded by the Australian country singer Kasey Chambers (in truth I didn't know there was an Aussie country scene).

"The Captain" was the title track and highlight of her debut album. Chambers had nomadic background (literally - they hunted on the Nullarbor Plain), before her parents returned their love of American country music, forming the Dead Ringer Band. Kasey was also included, and provided backing vocals on father Bill's two solo albums. She went solo herself in 1998, but kept her love of country music.

"The Captain" can be easily misread as a pitiful female subservient to a superior male partner. She seems so vulnerable and self-pitying in the opening ("Well I don't have as many friends because / I'm not as pretty as I was") with no self worth ("I am no one"). Her voice is hesitant, childish, and even seems to be cracking in parts (listen to heart breaking "stand my ground").  She  only deserves  to be in this shadow - he will always be the boss.

But the second verse reveals the full story, as she is more confident and resilient ("So I slammed the doors they slammed at me"). She is not weak, but just happy to settle down after previous stresses -  a rare peace and calm ("I figured out my destiny at last"). Impressive and mature lyrics for a debut album.

The recording was a family affair, produced by her brother Nash, and accompanied by her father on guitar and the American singer Julie Miller on backing vocals  Perhaps Kasey's twangy voice may irritate some, but I love it, and it is perfect for this new country classic.

Chambers has proceeded with a lengthy and varied career of 12 albums, but "The Captain" remains her masterpiece, and the song she never tires of playing live.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdEefQWXPR8

Hear Next -  "The Captain" and "Barricades & Brickwalls" are my two favourite albums.

The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday

I always felt the Monkees  had a bad rap. Of course, they weren't as great as the Beatles or the Bob Dylan, and they were artificially assembled. But they had access some of music's greatest talents, so produced an array of irresistible crafted pop classics.

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" was one such case, written by the legendary partnership of Gerry Goffin / Carole King. Their success had seen them to move to the leafy suburbs of  Pleasant Valley Way in New Jersey, but Goffin was ready to take a swipe at this affluent conformity.

The Monkees were recruited primarily as actors to play a moptop Beatlesque group for a TV series. Following its runaway success, they quickly rebelled against their oppressive workload (4 albums in 13 months), ousting producer Don Kirshner, grabbing artistic control and (the outrage!) playing on their own records.

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" is very much biting the hand that fed them,  satirising life in the suburbs, a key Monkees demographic, even from the meta opening "The local rock group down the street  / Is trying hard to learn their song". It quickly paints a battle of consumerism and pride, involving roses, lawns, tvs and barbecues, witheringly describing it as "status symbol land". All this good living can only "numb my soul".

Typically this critique was encapsulated in a poppy three minutes with a singalong tatatata part. The sound could hardly be more middle period Beatles (either "Paperback Writer" or "I Want to Tell You"). The new producer Chip Douglas (from the Turtles), was key, as he played the bass line, and guided Nesmith's doubled tracked lead guitar. There was also a piano part for Tork, and Davy Jones reverted to his beloved maracas. On this occasion Mickey Dolenz took lead vocal. They also fought against it being too pretty, with reverb and echo as it fades to the end.

The Monkees were evolving, and their teenybopper fans would be stunned by Jimi Hendrix (temporarily) opening their concerts and the surreal craziness of the "Head" movie.

We should ignore their roots, and accept the Monkees as a great pop band, with "Pleasant Valley Sunday" as one of their highpoints.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boJlejbuyw0   and there is also the intriguing slower demo from Carole King https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtyqPzeso5A

Hear Next -  There are plenty of Monkees' compilations, all of which cover hits.

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

The film director David Lynch loves Chris Isaak, his Roy Orbison throwback style, perfectly suits Lynch's 1950s nostalgia. He had already used two of his songs in "Blue Velvet", but it took an instrumental of "Wicked Game" in  the 1990 film "Wild at Heart",  for Isaak's career to really take off.

Isaak had already released two albums that had not bothered the charts, and 1989's "Heart Shaped World"  seemed little different, as its first single flopped too. However after the movie appearance, "Wicked Game" started garnering airplay, prompting a single release.

A brooding and melancholy air percolate throughout the four minutes, with an obsessional lust, desperate to resist, but futile like a moth to a flame.  Isaak wrote it quickly, between a late night phone call from a girl and her arrival. He knew she was wild and dangerous, but he could not resist.

There is an Lynch-style atmospheric opening ("The world was on fire and no one could save me but you"), but he already knows the stakes ("It's strange what desire will make foolish people do").

The beautiful soft backing vocals warn him ("this girl is only gonna break your heart"), but it is too late he has already lost. Her callous disregard ("what a wicked thing to say you never felt this way") triggering his plaintive declaration ("nobody loves no one").

Heart wrenching lyrics, matched by Isaak's tearful croon hithting his falsetto highs. But most memorable is the shimmering guitar phrase from James Wilsey (using a tremolo bar), the obvious attraction for Lynch. The recording was difficult, with many takes, and in the end the bass and brushed drums come from previous looped samples, married to Isaak's acoustic guitars

It took time, but finally "Wicked Game" hit the top 10 hit in the US and UK in 1991, assisted by the provocative black & white video with Helena Christensen.  Today it remains an X-Factor staple, and covered by Celine Dion and Lana Del Rey, and Gemma Hayes (my favourite).

A modern classic in an old style.

Hear Now -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vKsSGyQf-M

Hear Next -   I have always "enjoyed" his break-up album "Forever Blue"

PJ Harvey - Good Fortune

PJ Harvey is challenging and exciting,  I may not have not enjoyed all of the her work (I really struggled with "Let England Shake"), but I admire her courage and ambition.

The "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea" album from 2000 remains my favourite, and it seems her happiest too (unusual for me). It takes its title from a suite of songs that were written at her Dorset home and in New York.

The first single, "Good Fortune" was a good precursor for this album -  a giddy whirlwind tour around Manhattan with a new lover. She feels so joyous, as it seems all their bad luck has evaporated, and now she has only "good fortune".

It is such an evocative portrait of New York, with the tall buildings, "In Chinatown / Hungover" and a delightful walks through "Little Italy". An audio version of Woody Allen's "Manhattan".  She is totally smitten, gazing into his eyes, and realising her impossible dream of love has come true.    

Even in her ecstasy, Harvey still seems to snarl, channelling New York's royalty Patti Smith,  and you have to love the extended "looooooooovvvvve" at the end of the chorus, and dying "on the run again"s.

"Good Fortune" was recorded mainly in Milton Keynes, with a tight knit band of just the producers -  Rob Ellis on drums and piano and Mick Harvey on bass and organ (no relation, but a good match, as he had frequently worked with Nick Cave).  PJ Harvey still plays the lead guitar with plenty of reverb and feedback. Even her most beautiful moment, there has to be some grit.

Harvey has forged her own unique path, such as the piano ballads of "White Chalk", autoharp on "Let England Shake"" and inviting an audience for the " The Hope Six Demolition Project" sessions. Her sales might not be huge, but she is critically adored, receiving an unprecedented two Mercury awards.

"Good Fortune" is far superior to any contemporary love song mustered by Ed Sheeran or Lewis Capaldi.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDBZZ3uvimE

Hear Next -  " Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea" remains her most accessible album.

Freda Payne - Band of Gold

A 1970 heart-breaking classic, which sounds like Motown.  Not surprising really as it was written by Ron Dunbar and the famed Motown writers / producers Holland / Dozier / Holland.  Following an acrimonious departure from Motown to form their own label, Invictus Records, HDH  resorted to a pseudonym of Edythe Wayne to avoid any legal complications.

Freda Payne had actually been in the same school class as Lamont Dozier in Detroit, and released two jazz albums, before she was one of the first Invictus signings

.

"Band of Gold" is an agonizing tale of a young woman abandoned on her wedding night ("We stayed in separate rooms"), desolate in" my lonely room" and desperately hoping for his return and to rekindle "memories of what love could be".  Motown never got as sad as this.  We can only speculate on the train of events, but "love me like you tried before" suggests an argument, impotence or homosexuality.

Curiously, the original version casts a very different light with "the night I turned you away" hinting at her frigidity or nerves. But the song was reduced by 50 seconds to come in under three minutes, thus increasing the possibility of radio play and commercial success.

Payne was initially reluctant too, as she felt too old at 30 to sing about these issues. She was persuaded and contributed a mesmerising performance of pain and angst.

HDH also borrowed some of the Funk Brothers backing musicians that had played on so many  Motown classics (the hidden stars of the sound).  So they provided the rapid constant beat of the drums, pounding bass, and twangy guitar. There was also the exotic twist of an electric sitar guitar, and beautiful backing vocals.  Even with their saddest moment, HDH could still couple it with a bouncy and  irresistible beat.

"Band Of Gold" was a massive hit, with six weeks at number 1 in the UK, and remains a timeless classic. A perfect combination of superlative lyrics and killer Funk Brothers beat.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daxiMb0rITA

Hear Next - The Vietnam anthem "Bring the Boys Home" is the other classic Freda Payne hit.

Prefab Sprout - Faron Young

During my quarantine, I have been avidly exploring the Sodajerker podcast archives, with over 150 insightful interviews with great songwriters. So far my favourite is their first interview with Paddy McAloon, the lead singer and songwriter of the Prefab Sprout, as he comes across as funny,  modest and grateful.

He recounts a great story about the genesis of his  "Faron Young" song. Challenged by the drummer to include "antique" in a lyric, he promptly responded with the incredible opening couplet  "Antiques ! Every other sentiments an antique / As obsolete as warships in the Baltic".

I think I was first attracted by their name - so strange and mysterious, and then their music didn't disappoint. I had missed their first album "Swoon", so "Steve McQueen" in 1985 was my first experience. As first song on the first side of the cassette, "Faron Young" instantly won me over - a well-crafted, upbeat and enigmatic treat.

It name-checked  the American country singer and his hit "4 am in the morning" (I confess I knew neither then). Even now, I am not really sure about its meaning, but it definitely involves American journey imagery with straight roads, all night radio station and bubblegum. It could be critical, but there is always love for Faron Young. I also admire the evocative "The sunset makes a fence out of the forest".

The music sounds slightly unusual, (produced by Thomas Dolby),  with a wonderful urgent guitar riff opening. McAloon's vocals are good, but always superior when backed by Wendy Smith.

Prefab Sprout released clever, sophisticated albums, and enjoyed brief pop stardom with "King of Rock 'n Roll".  However McAloon preferred his own route, with few tours (seeing him in Liverpool in 2000 was a delight and a relief) and often scrapping whole albums. He has also been blighted by serious health issues, so any new releases are gratefully received.  

A singular and original talent. We are lucky to have him.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEzLp4MWeBw

Hear Next -  "Steve McQueen" remains my favourite, and all their albums are  excellent. First time listeners may prefer to delay "I trawl the meagahertz", as it is an interesting but unrepresentative outlier.

Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone

Which superlative should be used for "Like a Rolling Stone" ? Best single of 1965 ? Best Bob Dylan song ? Best rock 'n roll single ever ?  We can make a case for all four, as it is undeniably one of the finest and most influential moments of recorded  music. The esteemed Greil Marcus  spent over 250 pages about it, so my paltry 450 words will be an amuse bouche.

The classic documentary of Dylan's 1965 UK tour "Don't Look Back",  depicts Dylan as obnoxious, chain smoking and tired. Understandable, as we also see his encounters with hangers-on, cynical journalists, agents and dignitaries - all wanting a piece of the Dylan mystique .  

The anger spilled over into his next recording sessions - the  vicious "Positively 4th street", the bleak 11-minute "Desolation Row" and the epic "Like a Rolling Stone". The  latter derived from  a ten page vitriolic ramble, honed to four lengthy poetic verses and a scathing chorus. 

Directed at a former arrogant debutante ("Once upon a time you dressed so fine"), who has fallen on hard times ("scrounging your next meal"), and is struggling to adjust ("Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street").  A warning to appreciate their privilege, as it can change quickly, and you are left with "no direction home". 

The subject of this tirade has been endlessly discussed, with Edie Sedgewick, Joan Baez, Andy Warhol ("the diplomat") and even himself mentioned, but it is probably an amalgam.

The words are only half the story. Dylan was casting off his acoustic roots, so for the session, he recruited an electric band of  Mike Bloomfield (lead guitar), (Joe Macho), Bobby Gregg (drums). The initial takes were unsatisfactory as the 3/4 waltz tempo did not fully convey his scorn. So  Frank Owens moved from organ to piano, and then in a Hollywood movie scenario, the spectator Al Kooper, jumped on to  the organ, even though he was barely proficient, but proceeded to play the role of a lifetime.

It gelled so perfectly - from the opening crash of the drums, Kooper's authoritative organ lead, an effective guitar riff, and Dylan's distinctive harmonica.  His voice may be an acquired taste, but suits this so perfectly, as he whines, castigates and emphasises the "feeeeeeeeellllll" at the end of each chorus.  

The record company were reluctant to release a six minute abrasive single, but it was rapturously received,  and his biggest hit in UK and US. A concert regular, it was preceded by the famous shout of "Judas" in the Manchester 1966.

"Like a Rolling Stone" was a pivot moment for Dylan and music, setting the bar, and influencing so many.  If it is not the greatest moment in modern music, then is damn sure near.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0  and the 1966 live "Judas" version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xz7WfVYxok

Hear Next -  Anything from 1964-66 Dylan is essential




** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats.

The B-52's - Give Me Back My Man

The B-52's are a special hybrid of kitsch, 1960s surf guitar, 70s disco, classic pop culture and science-fiction and day-glo colours - music that could grace any John Waters' film.

They emerged from Athens, Georgia (like R.EM), as a quirky new wave  dance act, with the very popular debut "B-52's" album, and the great "Rock Lobster" single. Typically the distinctive lead vocals of Fred Schneider, and backing vocals from Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson were married with a great beat to form a potent and original sound (although John Lennon detected a Yoko Ono resemblance).

My favourite  is "Give Me Back My Man", one of their earliest songs, but only made it on the second album "Wild Planet"  in 1980. Unusually this only has a solo vocal from Cindy Wilson, so Schneider was consigned to adding a great glockenspiel part (not enough glockenspiel in pop music) and Pierson on keyboards.

On the surface it seems like another version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene", as Pierson recounts a sad fable of a stolen man. Narrating in the third person, she covers regret ("Wishin' everything could be the same / Like when she had him") and desperation ("If she don't get her man back / She's gonna drown"). Including the frantic bargaining of the chorus, as she howls "I'll give you fish / I'll give you candy /I'll give you everything I have in my hand", she has truly been through all the stages of grief.

However this being the B-52's, there were suggestions that it related to a boyfriend eaten by a shark ! Not a common occurrence in hit pop song, but the water and bird imagery can support this view.

Despite the downbeat subject, the music is so groovy, with a classic B-52's dance beat. She might be upset, but the band are having a ball. The joyful dancing on the video was surely echoed in many 1980s clubs.

 "Give Me Back My Man" was not a hit single, and "Wild Planet"  did not garner the same raves as its predecessor. A pity, as it is superb album with many great moments like "Private Idaho" and "Party Out of Bounds".

After four albums, they would be rocked by the death of guitarist (and Cindy's brother) Ricky Wilson, not returning until 1989 with a second wave including hits "Love Shack", "Roam" and the awful "Meet the Flintstones" (as the BC-52s!).  It was still fun, but more cartoonish, so it is better to remember the early years and the classic "Give Me Back My Man"

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swBDlOk0V6Y

Hear Next -  Either of the first two albums "B-52's" or "Wild Planet" are essential.

Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová - Falling Slowly

Music in the cinema often seems to have more impact due to its superior surround speakers and  emotional context, so it is inevitable that several of my favourites come from, or are included in movies ("Tiny Dancer").  The best example is "Once", a  delightful understated 2007 musical and potentially romantic relationship between an Irish busker and a Czech immigrant.

Its theme song is effectively "Falling Slowly", written and performed by the two stars - Markéta Irglová  and Glen Hansard (he had already starred in "The Commitments").  Writer / director John Carney wrote the story around their specifically composed songs, so it was initially recorded by his group the Frames, while the low-budget movie took shape.

"Falling Slowly" is a fragile and yearning love song, but I am intrigued by the lyrics and meaning.  A common assumption is love at first sight ( I don't know you / But I want you") between a couple vulnerable from previous affairs ("you have suffered enough"), and encouraging them to try again ("We've still got time").

But the four minutes could also encapsulate a whole relationship, from meeting, love, troubles and the final break-up ("I played the cards too late / Now you're gone"). Hansard humorously has described it as sighting a beautiful girl across a crowded room , then realising it is your partner.  

Regardless, it is such a poignant tale, with its quiet start as Hansard  is just accompanied by  his delicate acoustic guitar, before Irglová joins on piano and vocals at the crescendo chorus. Their vocals hitting the high notes, contrasting and merging, reminding of  another Irish pairing - Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan.

The "Once" film was a surprise hit, especially in the USA, and "Falling Slowly" beat off the might of Disney to claim the best song Oscar, and even spawned a stage musical.

Hansard  and Irglová  had a  real-life musical and romantic relationship, recording as Swell Season, but sadly short-lived. However  nothing can dim the allure of "Falling Slowly", a beautiful and tender ballad.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8mtXwtapX4 is the official video, but I always love this version from the Sundance festival - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YAKOnt68D8

Hear Next -  The "Once" soundtrack is highly recommended.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

"Fortunate Son", written in 1969 at the height of the Vietnam War, has transcended the decades, seeming as relevant today, even as a theme song for George W Bush and Donald Trump.

Creedence Clearwater Revival (one of the best band names!)  released several seminal singles of the late 60s such as "Proud Mary" and "Bad Moon Rising", in their patented roots or swamp rock style, normally  written and sung by John Fogerty.  

Opposition to the Vietnam War was at its peak in 1969, and Fogerty was so incensed by the privileged marriage of  Richard Nixon's daughter to  Dwight Eisenhower’s grandson, that he wrote ""Fortunate Son in just 20 minutes.

It bridles at the hypocrisy of an upper class patriotism ("born made to wave the flag"), while the poorer fight their wars ("they point the cannon at you").  Fogerty is unflinching as he singles out the sons of millionaire and senators avoiding the draft (he himself had served in the reserves). The class theme and fake jingoism continues as he targets the tax evasion ("when the taxman comes to the door / Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale").

A searing indictment with Fogerty's gruff and strained vocals, underpinned by the classic CCR sound. A  memorable guitar riff and the power of the massed guitars and drums. 

An unusual single, as it contains just three verses and no chorus, it captured the rebellious climate,  quickly becoming a protest classic, and reached top 5 in the US.

"Fortunate Son" retains its vibrancy and  power today, but its licensing by their record label (Fogerty sold all his rights) has lead to some good ("Forrest Gump"), some questionable (Vietnam War video games) and some ridiculous deals (adverts like Wranglers Jeans).

Hopefully cover versions musicians like Springsteen, U2 and Cat Power have restored its true meaning. A classic of its time and today.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec0XKhAHR5I

Hear Next -  "Chronicle" contains an unbeatable collection of hit singles, which I have often played.

The Go-Go's - Our Lips are Sealed

In the 1950 and 1960s women in pop music were mainly limited to singing, either as a group (The Ronettes) or  acoustic (Joni Mitchell). It took until the 1970s, with the Runaways in the USA and punk in the UK, to lead the way for the chart success of the Go-Go's and the Bangles.

The Go-Go's, a Los Angles female five piece, emerged as punk then moving into new wave poppier fare, with Belinda Carlisle vocals and Jane Wiedlin's songwriting. Their initial breakthrough occurred after meeting the Specials in Los Angeles. The quirky Jane Wiedlin commenced  a brief affair with Terry Hall, complicated as he already had a serious UK relationship. Hall posted Wiedlin some lyrics about their clandestine affair, which she completed and added the music.

"Our Lips are Sealed" is an exuberant slice of pop heaven, expressing caution to avoid the gossip ("Can you hear them? / They talk about us / Telling lies"), and it is better to keep quiet ("In our defence / Silence"). They should not be too concerned ("No one listens anyway ").

There is a great chugging guitar sound, with the drums laying a vital beat, and Carlisle perky vocals. I especially like the quieter bridge, where Wiedlin take over to console ("Hush, my darling", "Forget their lies").

"Our Lips are Sealed" was the Go-Go's first US single, slowly reaching the top 20, in a marathon 30 week stay. The subsequent "We got the Beat" hit number 2, and the album "Beauty and Beat" number 1 (unprecedented for a female self-penned group). 

"Our Lips are Sealed" was also recorded by Hall's next band Fun Boy Three, but a much more downbeat version. 

 

There would be  two more Go-Go's albums, before disintegrating amid drug excesses and petty  disputes. Carlisle moved on to a very  successful solo pop career, Wiedlin hit with the wonderful "Rush Hour", befefore a series of reunions.

The Go-Go's remain a definitive and essential group with several memorable and catchy singles.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3kQlzOi27M  and I also discovered this great acoustic  version from Jane Wiedlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8I_uIv45HY

Hear Next -  "Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's" is a great compilation and includes all the Go-Go's you will need.


** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats.

Dengue Fever - Tiger Phone Card

This song recalls so many happy memories, as I often used it as a teaching aid in my English classes in Cambodia. I would give the students the lyrics with some gaps, and they would complete the missing words as they heard the song. Sounds quite easy, until I realised how many times I have misheard lyrics, even with my native tongue.

I chose songs by Adele, the Beatles and their beloved Taylor Swift, but I preferred Dengue Fever, as they had revived the 1960s Cambodia garage or surf rock sound. The California-based Holtzman brothers loved this music, so formed a group,and selected the Cambodian emigrant singer Chhom Nimol.  Their albums often revived old songs (from the greats such as Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Srey Sothea), or wrote new songs in the same style in Khmer or English.

"Tiger Phone Card" is written in English, and appears on their third album 2008's "Venus on Earth" . It details a long distance relationship ("You live in Phnom Penh / You live in New York City") and obviously the students enjoyed the reference to their home town.

A fraught existence, limited to E-mail or calling cards (no Skype or zoom then) and hamstrung by the time difference. The American man (Zac Holtzman) trades lines with the Chhom Nimol's pure but accented vocals, until their vocals merge in the envisioning of their meeting ("The first thing that I do / Is throw my arms around you"). A tale of longing and passion, even though she chides "You only call me when you're drunk".

The guitar backing embraced an infectious Khmer pop style, was even more impressive in concert. I recall the incongruous teaming of the diminutive Nimol, two very tall guitarists and a spirited saxophone player, but it worked perfectly. If you were not dancing by the end, then there was something wrong with you !

Dengue Fever never let me forget a wonderful place and people.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTckGk6eBjM

Hear Next -  I have enjoyed all the Dengue Fever albums, but would first recommend "Venus on Earth" or "Sleepwalking Through the Mekong" (which is a film too).

Elton John - Tiny Dancer

Not being too familiar with Elton John, like many people my first exposure to "Tiny Dancer" was in the 2000 film "Almost Famous". The writer / director Cameron Crowe, was previously a music journalist, so knew it would be perfect for a pivotal feelgood singalong group scene.

Elton John  in 1970-71 was a whirlwind phenomena, as he released five albums and built a impressive live reputation in America. The six-minute heroic "Tiny Dancer" was the opener to final album of this prolific period - "Madman Across the Water".

Lyricist Bernie Taupin wanted to capture the joy of their first California tour, where the women seemed so beautiful, fearless and free. He amalgamates them into a single character ("Blue jean baby, L.A. lady") in evocative portrait of this time ("Jesus freaks out in the street "). He  also merges in a tribute to his new wife, Maxine Feibelman, who had actually been the "seamstress for the band" from the song. 

It is not easy marrying a travelling musician,  as she watches the concerts ("the words she knows, the tune she hums") and endures endless bus journeys ("count the headlights on the highway"). Despite this, there is a genuine love and companionship when they are together ("Lying here with no one near"), holding each other tight.

As normal, Elton John added the music to the completed lyrics (see Bacharach / David & Difford / Tilbrook), and crafted a gentle ballad rising to a spiritual chorus. Initially it is just John on the piano with the beautiful pedal steel guitar of BJ Cole. There is a slow burn of John's expressive vocals, taking over two minutes to reach the chorus, where it is supplemented by ten backing vocals and strings.

"Tiny Dancer" was not a hit single, partly due to radio disliking its length, but its popularity grew steadily until the tsunami of "Almost Famous". Today it remains one of John's most  famous songs, so people could instantly understand Phoebe from Friends mistaking it as a  tribute to "Young Tony Danza".

A memorable moment from an outstanding career.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYcyacLRPNs   (a video made subsequently from a Youtube competition)

Hear Next -  John's early 1970s albums are essential, but a newcomer may prefer a singles compilation

Kathleen Edwards - In State

Sting believed "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free", but my favourite coffee shop owner Kathleen Edwards had a completely different view and wanted to send them to prison for twenty years !

Kathleen Edwards was another artist I discovered through a magazine CD sampler, which included the peerless "In State". This was from her second album, and I had completed missed her well-received debut "Failer". Edwards has a good line in self-depreciating titles, as it included "One more song radio won't like".

For "In state" she has fallen for a bad boy - a habitual criminal ("The last job you pulled was never big enough"). She had naively thought that her pretty face and love could reform him, but that could never happen, as she recounts his shortcomings and evasions "You wouldn't even be yourself if you weren't telling a lie".   

So she is poised to take her revenge, revealing that she knows his hideaway and the local cops. He is dangling by a thread, as she controls his fate "I know when you're going down".

It is a great scenario, a spurned girlfriend and a recalcitrant offender, worthy of a 1950s film noir or a Sopranos episode. Edwards had already walked on the wild side, as her first single "Six O'Clock News" involved the shooting down of a another delinquent boyfriend. Like Aimee Mann, many of her songs deal with unhappy and messy relationships, but veer clear of self-pity .

Kathleen's vocals are perfect for this song, a rough and powerful drawl that can still reach the high notes, and I love her elongation of the doooowwwwwnnnnn.  The backing is great too, a great melody from a tight band of  guitars, drums and organ, and a catchy chorus.

  

I have often seen her music in the country section of music shops, which does her a disservice, as she can flit between alt country, Americana, folk, singer songwriter, and with another favourite "What Are You Waiting For?" even rock..

After her fourth album in 2012, Edwards stepped away from the music scene, opening a successful coffee shop named "Quitter" (again with the self-depreciation) in her native Canada. 

She has been a sad loss to music, but there were reports that she has been recording again, so we can just hope that 2020 will bring new releases by Bob Dylan and Kathleen Edwards. We need it.

Hear Now -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el6AZ5QEU5I

Hear Next -  I have really enjoyed all her four albums, but would recommend starting with the second album "Back to Me".



** The book of "Song from a Quarantine" is now available  on all Amazon sites in paperback and ebook formats.

Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood - Some Velvet Morning

Originally I had only heard Nancy Sinatra and the annoying "These Boots are  Made for Walking", but it was interesting to discover her 1960s work with Lee Hazelwood, and especially the dark and enigmatic "Some Velvet Morning".

Nancy Sinatra's fledging singing career was stalling in the mid 1960s, so her father Frank asked Duane Eddy's well-regarded producer Lee Hazelwood for help. He quickly reinvented her image, and the hits flowed, including some country style duets with him.

"Some Velvet Morning" was originally written by Hazelwood for a Sinatra TV show, recorded at the peak of psychedelia in 1967, and marked a significant departure.

It sounds like two different songs welded together, singing separately -  Hazelwood older, deep and moody, Sinatra younger, light and playful. The contrast emphasised by the different beats - 4/4 for him and 3/4 for her. Major kudos to the orchestra arranger Billy Strange for enabling it be recorded live in one take with no overdubs.  

Starting with an atmospheric spray of strings, Hazelwood intones "Some velvet morning when I'm straight / I'm gonna open up your gate" and wishes to recant his past with Phaedra. Sinatra immediately replies with a dreamy ode to nature "Flowers growing on a hill, dragonflies and daffodils" before introducing herself as the same Phaedra.

It is hard to determine a definitive meaning, especially as Hazelwood himself professed ignorance. On a simple level, it could be trying to overcome a serious drug addiction and wanting to be free (straight might be the key word). But there may be more sinister and threatening overtones, especially considering his creepy vocals and her innocence. What is the "gate" he wants to open, could it be enlightening or sexual ? And why did he chose the name Phaedra, from a Greek myth of spurned passion for stepson and false witness ?

Initially "Some Velvet Morning" was only a top 30 hit in the US, but its stature has grown over the years, and frequently used as a base for mismatched duets.  

A haunting and enigmatic concoction, which sounds as unusual and intriguing now as it did 50 years ago.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1sq_fdq_Ps

Hear Next -  "Nancy & Lee" is a great album of duets.

Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me

I wanted to celebrate my addiction to travel, so "Come Fly With Me" by Frank Sinatra seemed the obvious choice.

Frank Sinatra blazed the trail for the Beatles, from the teenage hysteria of the Bobbysockers to the mature recording artist. "Sgt Pepper" is often cited as the first concept album, but Sinatra was releasing themed albums like "In the Wee Small Hours" and "Songs for Swinging Lovers" 15 years earlier.

One of the most enduring is the "Come Fly with Me" album, provided a phonographic trip around the world, taking in New York, Chicago, Paris, London, Brazil and Mandalay, at a time when travel was more exclusive.

The title track is an intoxicating tribute to the golden age of air travel, when it was an aspirational luxury, the preserve of very  wealthy. Glamorous people on magnificent planes jetting to exotic locations. So the stylish and raffish Sinatra was the natural to perform it.

Composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics from Sammy Cahn, specifically for Sinatra (like  "High Hopes" and "Love And Marriage"), it was recorded in one December 1957 session. Arranger Billy May guided the big band, with the emphasis on the great brass sound, while Sinatra swung, carefree and effortlessly.

A beautiful and beguiling love song, inviting a loved one for a special trip together. An adventurous itinerary could included India ("If you can use some exotic booze / There's a bar in far Bombay"), Peru ("llamaland") and Acapulco Bay. However the attraction is not just the destinations, but the flight itself. A different era when flight was exciting and mysterious ("air is rarefied"). He is not inviting her for trip on Ryanair or Easyjet !

Such an appealing song and notion, "Come Fly With Me" was very popular with the public, recorded by many, a fixture in his concerts, and even lent its name to a 1963 film.

We may not be able to travel from some time, but Sinatra can help us remember past glories.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQq6yLe2ww

Hear Next -  The essential Sinatra albums are from the 1950s, but a newcomer may prefer one of the many compilations.

Mighty Wah! - Come Back (Story of the Reds)

For me, no artist embodies the city and people of Liverpool as much as Pete Wylie - witty, proud, passionate, self-assured and inherently musical.

Coming out the 1970s Liverpool scene, he primarily recorded under derivatives of the Wah!, band name (notice the exclamation point), had a  top 5 single with the great "Story of the Blues", but then dropped by a major label. However he would return in 1984 with wonderful "Come Back", an impassioned polemic on his hometown's plight, within a catchy four minute rock song.

1980s were a difficult time for Liverpool, with mass unemployment and closures of historic industries. It was a battleground between Margret Thatcher's "managed decline" and the rebellious City Council. Wylie definitely sided with the latter. And there was always hope in the resurgent music and two great football teams.

"Come Back" describes a divided Britain "As some are striving to survive, the others thrive", and the pride of a working class "I don't want charity, just half a chance".  A song of defiance and self determination ("Encouragement! Development! And it's all to you!"), as we know Liverpool will fight back as it has always done before.

There are nice references to the glorious past, with the Beatles and his beloved Liverpool FC.  While the subtitle (Story of the Reds) cleverly acknowledges his previous hit, but also his football and political allegiances.

There is no gloom in the music, with the Spectorish layers of guitars, a hooky keyboard phrase, and wonderful backing vocals from Josie Jones on with a singalong chorus. A Scouse Springsteen meets the Beatles.

Perhaps the meaning was lost on some pop pickers, as it entered the top 20, but many noticed, including long-term fan John Peel, who included it in his Festive 50. 

In 1998 Wylie would revisit his love of Liverpool "Heart as Big as Liverpool"  (an Anfield favourite), but his career has been disrupted by a near fatal fall and record labels. There has been consistently great music, and memorable titles ("Long Tall Scally" single or most recent album "Pete Sounds").

"Come Back" can be seen as snapshot of Liverpool's history, but sadly is still relevant today. Wylie is a mercurial and off-beat talent who should be cherished, as he describes himself "Part Time Rock Star. Full Time Legend".

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph57IaYdEsY

Hear Next -  The " The Handy Wah! Whole : Songs From The Repertwah!" is a good compilation album, but hard to find now, so you may need to rely on the two albums on Spotify.  

Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun

I first heard "Blister in the Sun" at the start of an episode of "My So-Called Life" in 1995, as Clare Danes' character danced around her bedroom, mouthing the words with great delight. It then cropped up again in the great "Grosse Pointe Blank" movie, no surprise as John Cusack always chose great music for his films.

"Blister in the Sun" had originated from Violent Femmes 1983 debut album, and was written by precocious lead singer Gordon Gano, aged just 19.

It has one of  the most memorable and appealing openings - an acoustic bass riff, followed  by two beats on a snare drum and then repeated. Very simple, but so effective .Another guitar is added, and it is off at a frantic pace.

Even though there have been suggestions about masturbation, it is really just another drugs song, with little disguise ("I'm so strung out / I'm high as a kite"). He is tormented by the addiction and its impact, alienating everyone "My girlfriend, she's at the end". 

Gano's voice is quite nasal, even whiny, but it suits the tale of teenage angst. There is also a wonderful shift in the middle, as the backing reduces, as he whispers, until it explodes into a glorious chorus again.  

Maybe in this bleakness there is a chink of light, with a prospective new person -  "I just might stop to check you out".  In truth, it doesn't even matter about the lyrics, as like "Centrefold", we have already been won over by the catchy singalong tune.

"Blister in the Sun" was never released as a single (bizarrely the record label didn't think it sounded commercial enough), but was quickly popular on American college radio and sports events. Subsequently it has been used on TV shows, movies  and advertisements (who probably don't appreciate its meaning). A unforgettable beat and performance.

Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE-dqW4uBEE

Hear Next -  I have not heard any other Violent Femmes songs, but can highly recommend the "Grosse Pointe Bank" soundtrack CD.