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Music

The vinyl renaissance

I’m not surprised by this and definitely pleased by it, though I have a little secret to confess.

After Dave Ritz came back to Houston from serving in the U.S. Army — working in a Saigon, Vietnam, radio station — he assembled a collection of more than 3,000 vinyl records. He organized the first Houston Record Convention in 1978 in the Galleria area and has been hosting such conventions six times a year ever since.

Don’t look for those events to stop anytime soon. According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s annual revenue report, vinyl albums outsold CDs last year for the first time since 1987. Additionally, physical music formats continue to grow with $1.7 billion in sales in 2022, a 4 percent growth from the previous year.

Ritz, who has sold vinyl all over the country, says that interest in vinyl in Houston has always been steady. And he even noticed a Bayou City uptick in record sales shortly before the pandemic drove people to get their music fix inside their homes.

“It’s driven by younger people, there’s no doubt about that,” Ritz said. “The thing about a record is that when you hold it, you feel like you have something. You’ve got artwork on the front. Sometimes inserts with personal information or photos inside. And then you’ve got this disc you can play.”

Michael Morales, who goes by DJ Mikey Mike, runs a Facebook network of DJs across Houston that continue to spin vinyl. Morales said the vinyl resurgence is due in large part to parents wanting to introduce their children to the music they listen to.

Both Ritz and Morales said the hottest vinyl records right now are 1980s albums.

“If you can get your hand on a Journey, Van Halen, or Boston, or anything like that, it gets pretty competitive and pricey,” Morales said. “80s rock bands I would say are pretty hot right now.”

Cactus Music has been a popular spot for vinyl records in Houston for 47 years. Co-owner Quinn Bishop said there has been a steady uptick of interest in vinyl records for the past 15 years coinciding with a decline in CD sales.

Most big box retailers, like Best Buy and Target, have largely abandoned selling CDs.

“There’s a greater proliferation of vinyl stores and shrinking storefronts for CDs, and that has sort of accelerated the trend,” Bishop said.

Cactus Music still offers CDs, which are often cheaper than vinyl records.

[…]

Bishop said younger people have a “bookshelf mentality” and want to support their favorite artists by buying something physical. In fact, according to research by the entertainment data website Luminate, only half of U.S. vinyl buyers even own a record player.

Bishop said when an artist like Taylor Swift releases their albums on vinyl, it brings people into Cactus Music for the first time.

“Not everyone has a great record store near them,” Bishop said. “I will say that if you live in Houston, Texas, you’re very fortunate because there are quite a few terrific record stores here. That is not true everywhere.”

I would agree with that. Cactus Music is a great store, which often features live performances. If you’re a music head, put them on your destination list when you come to town to visit.

Both my daughters are big music fans, though Olivia is more the collector type. She has a turntable and a decent-sized cache of vinyl, some of which she inherited from me and my wife, some of which she has bought for herself, and some of which has been given to her as Christmas or birthday presents. What Ritz says about the feel and the artwork and the pride of ownership absolutely applies to her. (And to a lesser extent to Audrey, who just bought the latest Taylor Swift releases on CD, even though she listens almost exclusively to Apple Music.) She did play her records in her room before she went off to college, and I’m sure she will again when she’s back for spring break and the summer, but it’s not so much about that – Olivia is also mostly an Apple Music and Spotify girl – it is, for lack of a better word, about the coolness of it. There’s just something about studying the album art, reading and memorizing the lyrics, looking to see who has the songwriting credits and who sat in this session and on and on. I was at best a middlebrow collector back in the 80s, but I have a lot of happy memories of this kind.

As for that confession: I really preferred collecting CDs. With record albums, I mostly played them to record them to tape, because you could get the whole album on tape, you could skip a song you didn’t like that way, and you could play a tape in your car. CDs enabled the whole-album playing, the song-skipping, and the portability, while being more durable than tape and keeping the artwork (though in a smaller size) and the lyric sheets and other inserts. I basically stopped buying vinyl once I got a CD player. Later on, once I was firmly in the clutches of my iPod, I got myself a USB turntable and ripped a bunch of my old vinyl to MP3s. I’m delighted that The Kids Today are into vinyl – it’s a boon for the artists, it’s a great generation-spanning conversation topic, a good record store is a blessing – but in my heart of hearts I’m a CD guy.

Saturday video break: The year of Olivia

By “Olivia” I mean Olivia Rodrigo, though it was my Olivia who first introduced me to the latter’s music. They share something in common besides their given name, and that’s a love of Billy Joel. My Olivia came back to Houston from college to see Billy Joel with us at Minute Maid Park in September, but she’s still a little salty about the fact that I didn’t take her to New York to see Billy Joel at one of his regular Madison Square Garden shows. When COVID first hit, I admit I feared, as did Olivia, that maybe there would never be another chance to do that. That remains to be seen, but at least we can say we saw him in concert together.

Anyway, whether we get to see him at MSG on some future date, we’ll likely not see a repeat of this from one of his shows in August:

I’ve watched this video at least 20 times since I first heard of its existence (via Twitter, as bittersweet as that is). I love everything about it – her joy and enthusiasm, the way the two of them play off each other, how she skips off the stage at the end. It’s everything you could want from a live musical performance, and that it came as a surprise to everyone in attendance just makes it that much sweeter.

And then, in November, Rodrigo took the stage to honor another legend by singing one of Carly Simon’s greatest hits at her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction:

Again, I love everything about this. The song is an all-timer, and it is just perfect for her voice. (There’s a great cover of it by Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet that I also recommend; this one is maybe a smidge better but both are total bangers.) The way the band feeds off her energy, and the way the crowd is into it – the shots of Brandi Carlile singing along, and (I believe) LL Cool J air-drumming are perfection. As with the Billy Joel video, this is an introduction of Olivia Rodrigo to folks who are of the Billy Joel/Carly Simon musical era, and they are suitably impressed. Several commented that she should do a cover album of classic rock and pop hits, and I would be so there for it. I already like her debut album Sour – give it a listen if you haven’t already.

Two other things. One, much as I love “You’re So Vain”, we realize that whoever Carly Simon was (figuratively or actually) singing it to would have heard it at some point, and thus would have been correct in assuming that the song was indeed about him, right? It’s a good mind-fuck either way, I just wanted to note that for the record.

And two, in regard to the first video:

Sigh. I’m old enough to remember when Twitter was fun. Maybe it will be again someday. Happy New Year!

Saturday video break: A brief manifesto about Christmas music

Been awhile since I’ve done one of these. Maybe I’ll work a few in next year, we’ll see how it goes. I was inspired by the Slacktivist re-running his own Christmas music manifesto from a few years ago. I broadly agree with him on this, but there are a couple of points that I feel need to be included.

1. “The Little Drummer Boy” is an abomination before God and man and should be avoided at all costs. It’s not just that it’s dumb – seriously, who thinks playing a drum for a baby is a good idea? – it’s maudlin and draggy and so annoyingly repetitive. If you must have a song featuring a kid with a drum on your playlist, the correct answer is “Pat-a-Pan”, an old French carol:

I first heard this song as a choir boy in the mid-70s, when we performed it for that year’s concert. It’s still in my head all these years later, and yet I can’t say I’ve ever heard it on the radio or someone’s random playlist since then. A shame, because it’s simple and bouncy and brief, a good quality for most Christmas music. The first version of this I found when I looked was a Julie Andrews rendition, and while I’d never say anything bad about Julie Andrews, the super slow tempo of her arrangement was not the optimal choice.

(Also, as is the way with old traditionals, the lyrics I learned were different. The first verse, as I sang it all those years ago, was “Willie play your little drum/With the whistle I shall come/We’ll make music bright and gay/Too-ra-loo-ra-lay, pat-a-pat-a-pan/We’ll make music bright and gay/Too-ra-lay/It’s Christmas Day”. Your mileage may vary.)

2. “O Holy Night” is indeed a beautiful showcase for talented singers. It’s one of my favorite hymns for that reason. It also has one of the hallmarks of a great song in that it can be done in a completely different and unexpected way and still be awesome. To wit, here’s Brave Combo and their cha-cha version of “O Holy Night”:

I have no idea how you can hear the normal version of this and think “cha cha cha”, but they did and we are all the better for it.

3. On the subject of songs with more than one verse, the same can be said for “Jingle Bells” as well. If you’re not singing about Miss Fanny Bright when you sing “Jingle Bells”, you’re doing it wrong. You know who does “Jingle Bells” right? Alvin and the m-f’ing Chipmunks, that’s who:

Three verses, y’all. That’s how you “Jingle Bells”.

4. “Good King Wenceslas” is an underrated classic and should get more love.

That’s all I’ve got. Feel free to add your own requirements for a good Christmas playlist.

Thanksgiving video break: A return to something resembling normalcy

Let’s spend a few minutes with an old friend:

The day may come when I will get tired of that video, but that day is not today. I am as always thankful for my family and friends, my health, my ability to engage in local and state politics via this silly old blog, and for those of y’all who keep on reading it. Happy Thanksgiving, stay safe, and enjoy whatever celebration you indulge in today.

KPFT station for sale

Not cheap, I’m sure.

A mainstay of Montrose, public radio station KPFT, could be headed elsewhere in Houston, signaling to some a changing of the guard in one of Houston’s most eclectic enclaves.

In an email to members, Pacifica Foundation, the California-based public radio partnership that owns KPFT, said the station’s building at 419 Lovett Blvd. is for sale, with the proceeds expected to pay for relocation and some debt repayment. The decision was prompted in part by what officials called a “favorable real estate market in Houston.”

Officials said the Lovett Boulevard location “holds a very special and sentimental meaning,” but repairs and restoration made it cost-prohibitive to keep it. The announcement did not include specifics of where officials are planning to relocate, or when a move could occur.

[…]

Most operations in the building ceased in March 2020 and the COVID pandemic took hold. That makes the sale even more bittersweet as volunteers adjust to the possibility “we will never again gain access to the Mighty Ninety studios,” said former general manager Duane Bradley, who still volunteers with the station.

“My greatest concern is that Pacifica… will use the proceeds of this property sale to deal with financial problems external to Houston and leave us effectively ‘homeless,’” Bradley said. “ It has been a rough year-plus for all of us and as we begin to come out and about again, it hurts to feel on the cusp of losing the tangible evidence of what community radio — and community itself —was all about.”

The KPFT station is a Montrose icon, but as the story notes quite a few other Montrose icons like the Disco Kroger have gone the way of all things lately, so this is just how it is. I’m sure they can get a good price for it, so if this has to happen then let’s hope it at least puts KPFT on firmer financial ground. And maybe for the new station, look outside Montrose for a neighborhood that is in 2021 similar to what Montrose was in the 70s. It would at least be in the spirit of the old place.

Thanksgiving video break: At least we still have old favorites

I think we can all agree that this is not the Thanksgiving we thought we were going to get when the year started. So let’s be thankful for the things we do have, like the comfort of the familiar.

I am thankful for my family, my health, my continued pleasure in doing this blog, and the people I have met along the way. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

How risky is music?

I’m very interested in the answer to this.

In any other time, under any other circumstance, the question would seem minor and technical. But today it has taken on both a global significance and pressing deadline: What happens to your breath when you play an instrument?

The answer could contribute to society’s budding understanding of the health risks of attending a classical concert, which will affect major decisions by the world’s largest orchestras.

The Houston Symphony has partnered with researchers at Rice University to try to do just that — study how air particles are spread during a symphonic concert, thus giving orchestras a road map to reopening safely.

The study, funded by the Rice University COVID-19 Research Fund Oversight and Review Committee and expected to be released later this summer, could help symphonies around the world find a way to hold a live concert while practicing safe social-distancing guidelines.

“This is an urgent matter,” said Robert Yekovich, dean of the Shepard School of Music at Rice. “Orchestras are waiting for information on what they’ll be able to do eight weeks from now.”

Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ashutosh Sabharwal, Yekovich and Houston Symphony CEO John Mangum penned the proposal for this study. Both Veeraraghavan and Sabharwal are electrical and computer engineering professors at Rice.

Veeraraghavan and Sabharwal spent June calibrating the machines they’ll use to test a variety of Houston Symphony musicians. They plan to begin the study this month. They’re using “Schlieren photography,” which tracks air flow by observing changes in its density; air itself, being invisible, can’t be tracked directly.

The machines would be able to see just how far an instrumentalist’s breath goes when he or she plays.

“Schlieren optics is a beautiful way of measuring. It’s an elegant technique,” Veeraraghavan said.

As someone who plays a wind instrument in a band that performs at sporting events, I have some interest in the results of this study. As with so many things about COVID-19, there’s conflicting data about how the virus is transmitted through the air, and all we can do is keep studying until we get a consensus. I look forward to the publication of this research.

The KLOL documentary

Of interest to me, and other middle-aged guys like me.

This past week Houston filmmaker and blogger Mike McGuff released a trailer for his upcoming film about the late, great radio station, Rock 101 KLOL-FM, and it’s getting Houstonians of a certain vintage very excited for the finished product.

The story of the raunchy Houston radio phenomenon will be told in McGuff’s first documentary, with appearances from the likes of Outlaw Dave (one of the Texican’s creative mentors), Lanny Griffith, Colonel St. James, Pat Fant, David Sadof and even the late Jim Pruett of morning duo Stevens and Pruett in footage shot before he passed away in 2016.

To help with this long-gestating rock doc, McGuff, a former newsman, has turned to crowdsourcing platform IndieGoGo to bankroll some final nips and tucks for the promotional side of things. He’s hoping for a wide release in 2020, just in time for the station’s 50th anniversary. KLOL, formerly KTRH-FM, was born in 1970 as a progressive-rock station, evolved into a more structured album-oriented-rock and then classic-rock station before owner Clear Channel flipped it to Spanish-language in 2004.

As McGuff says, it has been a long journey to get this film in the can. When it comes to labors of love, sometimes time is the best ingredient.

“This project was only supposed to take a couple of years, at least that is what I told my very patient wife back in 2010,” McGuff says. “The years kept piling on as I kept chasing people for interviews, conducted a bunch of research, and waited for people’s photos and video to be found.”

As their onetime promo went, I admit it, I listened to Stevens and Pruett back in the day, and not just them. My enthusiasm for Dayna Steele’s Congressional campaign came very honestly, I assure you. I was right in the sweet spot of their demographic. Anyway, you can see a trailer for this here, and if you want to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, you can do that here. You know you want to.

Thanksgiving video break: I haven’t done one of these in awhile

So let’s redo one of my greater hits:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Astrodome song

A little bit of nostalgia for you today.

Misty air conditioned memories...

Like many of us, Bruce Robison has driven by the Astrodome and gotten emotional.

He is of that age — born in 1966, one year after the Dome opened — that gives him a genuine reverence for the Eighth Wonder of the World.

When he was young, Robison moved from boomtown Houston to small-town Bandera in the Hill Country. But as was the case with many Texans, the Astrodome still earned a special place in his heart.

Robison saw quarterbacks, left fielders, horses, bulls, motorcycles, demolition derby cars and monster trucks. He says he even saw what was touted as the biggest ape in the world at the Astrodome.

His father was at the Game of the Century between UH and UCLA. That game brought college basketball to a national audience and a huge stadium for the first time.

While most of us just wax nostalgic over the stadium that was once Houston’s claim to fame, Robison figured he should put his thoughts on wax.

Thus was born the song “Astrodome,” which the award-winning tunesmith has turned into an eye-catching video project.

The short film of the song is a unique blend of archival footage from the good ol’ days with clips from inside the Astrodome as it is now. Unique animation brings to life a place that has long been dead.

Here’s the video:

I’m not from here, and the Dome was hardly a novelty by the time I got here, but I still have my own fond memories of the place. But nothing lasts forever, and unlike most other retired stadia, the Dome will get a chance to have a second act. And we’ll always have our own remembrances of the place.

Saturday video break: Vote ‘Em Out

Listen to Willie Nelson, y’all.

Link via the Current. The deadline to register to vote is this Tuesday, October 9. Early voting begins on Monday, October 22. You know what to do.

Musicians for Beto

Just another dimension to a really interesting picture.

Rep. Beto O’Rourke

Beto O’Rourke’s time as a musician is one of the more well-trodden parts of his bio. And it makes sense. As O’Rourke worked to introduce himself to 28 million Texans who had scarcely heard of the young congressman from a corner of the state that had never elected anyone to statewide office before, the punk rock was an easy shorthand for “not your daddy’s Senate hopeful.”

That could be why Texas musicians have lined up behind O’Rourke in a way that we’ve rarely seen with previous candidates. During her 2014 gubernatorial campaign, Wendy Davis was also a rising national star, but Willie Nelson never played a major public rally to drive support for her candidacy (but he did perform at a private fundraiser on her behalf). And it’s not just Willie—at events around the state, heavy hitters are performing at rallies in Austin, Houston, and Dallas for (and with!) the candidate.

Willie’s event in Austin this Saturday kicks off the lineup of performances. He’ll be joined by Bridges, his sons in Lukas and Micah, Carrie Rodriguez, Tameca Jones, and Joe Ely—as well as O’Rourke himself, who’ll be speaking in a pre-headliner slot at 10 p.m. From there, O’Rourke will be co-headlining a festival in Dallas on October 7, where he’ll be joined by indie rockers Spoon, the Polyphonic Spree, Sparta, and more. The following day, in Houston, Bun B and former Texans running back Arian Foster are hosting a voter registration drive and concert at which Bun, Shakey Graves, Willie D, the Ton Tons, and others will be performing. (There’s no word yet if O’Rourke will make an appearance at that event.)

The Willie Nelson event was this past Saturday, and as I understand it there were some 25K people in attendance. Here’s a report from Texas Monthly from a reporter who attended. Kinky Friedman had his share of support from the music scene, but this is another yet another example from this year for which the phrase “we’ve never seen anything quite like this” applies. My way of looking at it is this: Musicians have the capability to reach audiences that are harder for political campaigns to communicate with. There’s a lot of young people, and a lot of people who aren’t terribly engaged, at concerts. Maybe these particular events will mostly draw in a crowd that’s already all about Beto, but it seems to me if you wanted to get your less-engaged friend fired up, this would be a great opportunity for you to do that. I think we all learned a lesson a couple of years ago not to underestimate a politician who can draw crowds.

“Viva Texas! Viva Beto!”

It’s been too long since the last time I posted a video.

It all came from a love of the law and a shared dislike of Ted Cruz.

It was a few bigwig local prosecutors, a capital defense attorney, a seasoned member of the Harris County Attorney’s Office and others who got together over the summer, hoping to unseat the junior senator from Texas – with their music. It was, they promised, not as outlandish as it seemed.

“Before John F. Kennedy the only person to ever defeat Lyndon Johnson for public office was Pappy Lee O’Daniel,” said Special Assistant County Attorney Terry O’Rourke.

“Pappy Lee beat Johnson by having a band and they went around to all these courthouses in Texas playing this song – ‘Pass the Biscuits Pappy’ – and Lyndon Johnson lost that election.”

Seeking to replicate that success, the legally-minded balladeers recorded three songs in support of Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke, including ditties like “Viva Texas! Viva Beto!” – released on YouTube Saturday.

“We are part of the resistance, we’re it’s tonal dimension,” said David Mitcham, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office trial bureau chief and lead singer of what’s become the de facto in-house band for the DA’s office, Death by Injection.

But the new political rock gathering calls itself The Yellow Dog Howlers.

Here’s the video, in all its glory:

Well, it’s not The Altuve Polka or It’s A Ming Thing, but I give them an A for enthusiasm. And look, it’s not like anyone is gonna write a song about Ted Cruz.

And since they mentioned it, here’s Pass The Biscuits Pappy:

For sure, they don’t write ’em like that any more.

Friday random ten: Dark in here

Yeah, this should have run last week. Sorry about that.

1. Dark As A Dungeon – The Chieftains
2. The Dark End Of The Street – The Commitments
3. Dark Eyes – Hot Club of Cowtown
4. Dark Horse – Katy Perry
5. Dark Lady – Ceili’s Muse
6. Dark Star – POLICA
7. Dark Street – Fastball
8. Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground – Asylum Street Spankers
9. Darkness Darkness – Solas
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town – Bruce Springsteen

I still believe that Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show was a crowning achievement for our time. It sure was popular with all the kids who were there at the Super Bowl party I was attending. Halftime was literally the only part of the Super Bowl they watched, and they were into it. I could say something about the other songs on this list – some of them are very good – but after Katy Perry it’s all a letdown, so we’ll just leave it at that.

Friday random ten – Dancing as fast as I can

We should be dancing. Just, you know, not where anyone can see us.

1. Dancin’ Shoes – Rachael Davis
2. Dancing Barefoot – U2
3. Dancing In Isolation – Terri Nunn
4. Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen/Big Daddy
5. Dancing In The Dark – Kim Wilde
6. Dancing In The Moonlight – King Harvest
7. Dancing Queen – ABBA
8. Dancing The Manta Ray – Pixies
9. Dancing With Mrs. White – Great Big Sea
10. Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol

The Kim Wilde “Dancing In The Dark” is not the same as the Bruce Springsteen “Dancing In The Dark”. Big Daddy’s “Dancing In The Dark” is both the same and not the same as the Springsteen classic, depending on how you look at it. “Dancing In The Moonlight” is from the genre that Dave Barry calls “weenie rock”, and is easy to confuse with “Dance With Me”, by Orleans. Whatever Billy Idol is saying with “Dancing With Myself”, we all danced to it back in the 80s.

Friday random ten – Dance party

Everyone on the dance floor!

1. Dance – ESG
2. Dance Away – Roxy Music
3. Dance Hall Days – Wang Chung
4. Dance In The Dark – Lady Gaga
5. Dance Like Nobody’s Watching – Laura Marano
6. Dance On – Love Motel
7. Dance This Mess Around – B-52’s/Asylum Street Spankers
8. Dance To The Music – Global Village
9. Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) – Chic
10. Dances Fantastic – Neva Dinova

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the song “Dance Hall Days” over the past thirty-some years, but I am still not confident I’m singing along to it with the right lyrics. I know, I could look them up. I’m just saying that with some bands, you have to. I heard the Spankers’ version of “Dance This Mess Around” before I heard the B-52’s original, and the first time I saw them perform it I thought it was one of their original funny songs. Easy mistake to make. If you’re wondering where some other dance-related songs are, tune in again next week.

Saturday video break: Spanish Eyes

Elvis!

U2!

Sorry I’ve been remiss in posting these. Life, ya know? I’ll try to be better going forward.

Friday random ten: Crazy talk

Let’s go crazy!

1. Crazy – Gnarls Barkley/Seal/Patsy Cline/Peter Wolf
2. Crazy ‘Cause I Love You – The Hot Club of Cowtown
3. Crazy For You – Madonna
4. Crazy Game – Indigo Girls
5. Crazy Life – Toad the Wet Sprocket
6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen/Dwight Yoakum
7. Crazy Love, Vol. II – Paul Simon
8. Crazy Man Michael – Ceili’s Muse
9. Crazy Ones – John Mellencamp
10. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne

Three of those four songs called “Crazy” were legitimate hits. I feel like that means something. “Crazy Love, Vol. II” may be the only song off of Graceland that I don’t recognize right away. “Crazy Man Michael” is a reminder that if a talking animal warns you about an impending death, you would be well served to heed it.

Friday random nine – Come, come now, part 3

Finishing this topic up, with some gerund usage at the end. A nice gerund, not an obscene gerund.

1. Come To My Party – Black Joe Lewis
2. Come To Poppa – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
3. Come To Your Rescue – Thinkman
4. Come Together – Aerosmith
5. Come Together – Ike & Tina Turner
6. Come Together – John Lennon
7. Comin’ Home – Robert Ellis
8. Coming For You – von Grey
9. Coming Up – Paul McCartney

I don’t usually put the same song title in these lists more than once, but I was trying to get to ten (and still fell short). I also don’t spell “Papa” the way Bob Seger does. Where do you fall in the “Papa/Poppa” debate, or for that matter “Mama/Momma”? These are the issues are candidates don’t want to talk about.

Friday random ten – Come, come now, part 2

Keep it coming.

1. Come Go With Me – Georgetown Chimes
2. Come In, Sit Down – Jiggernaut
3. Come On (Part III) – Stevie Ray Vaughan
4. Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
5. Come On With Me – The Mollys
6. Come Out Ye Black And Tans – Larkin
7. Come Saturday – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
8. Come To Jesus – Mindy Smith
9. Come To Mama – Pete Townshend
10. Come To Me – Bonnie Raitt

Have I mentioned before that my sister Eileen really hated the song “Come On Eileen” when we were kids? Because she sure did. And when did the expression “Come to Jesus”, to refer to a serious conversation, come to mean that?

Friday random ten – Come, come now, part 1

Another multi-part list! And we’re still in January! Woo hoo!

1. Come & Get It – Selena Gomez
2. Come A Day – Nils Lofgren
3. Come A Little Bit Closer – Jay & The Americans
4. Come And I Will Sing You (The Twelve Apostles) – Great Big Sea
5. Come As You Are – Midnight Juggernauts
6. Come Back And Stay – Paul Young
7. Come Back Home – Matthew Mayfield
8. Come Back To Me – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
9. Come Down In Time – Sting
10. Come Down Slowly – James William Hindle

Nils Lofgren is probably better known for his time in the E Street Band. “Come As You Are” is from a tribute to Nirvana on the 20th anniversary of Nevermind. “Come Down In Time” is probably the best Elton John song you’ve never heard; Sting’s cover is from the excellent Two Rooms tribute album. “Come And I Will Sing You” is one of those songs that builds on itself, like “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, but much better and less annoying. I’ll have two more of these lists in the next weeks.

Saturday video break: Soon

Remember the Squirrel Nut Zippers? Here they are with a song called “Soon”:

I really liked SNZ, as I have always been a fan of that style of music. I wish they’d stayed together longer and made more records, but that’s the way it goes. Now here’s Yes:

The video is from 2001. They may be older, but there’s no mistaking Jon Anderson’s voice. Playing in front of a full symphony orchestra is pretty much peak Yes, wouldn’t you say?

Friday random ten: Can’t even, part 2

Because “can’t” is a key part of anyone’s vocabulary.

1. Can’t Stop Dancin’ – Becky G
2. Can’t Stop Killing You – Kirsty MacColl
3. Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You – Aaron Neville
4. Can’t Stop Rockin’ – ZZ Top
5. Can’t Stop Singing – Ross Lynch & Maia Mitchell
6. Can’t Stop The Music – Village People
7. Can’t Take Love For Granted – Mary Chapin Carpenter
8. Can’t We Try – Teddy Pendergrass
9. Can’t You See (You Doin’ Me Wrong) – Tower of Power
10. Can’t You Tell – Asylum Street Spankers

To address the comments from last week, Depeche Mode’s song is “Just Can’t Get Enough”, which I do have but which doesn’t qualify for this list, I’ve never been a big fan of Bad Company, and I plead nolo contendere on Barry White. Please take the fact that I have a Teddy Pendergrass song on this list instead as a mitigating factor when determining my sentence.

Saturday video break: Something So Right

Here’s Paul Simon performing one of his solo hits:

Simon was a top-notch songwriter for over 20 years, and if you look at the trajectory of most artists, that’s a long time. Here’s Annie Lennox, in a recording someone took from a performance she gave on morning TC show, doing her rendition of this song:

Her actual recording, on the Medusa album, is longer, but I was delighted to find even a low-quality version of her doing a live contemporaneous performance of this, so that’s what I went with. Paul Simon is a decent singer with a decent voice, but man is it a treat to see his work being done by someone with a truly amazing voice, and a lot more stage presence to boot.

Friday random ten: Can’t even, part 1

I just can’t, you know?

1. Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles
2. Can’t Even Get The Blues – Reba McEntire
3. Can’t Find My Keys – Mojo Nixon
4. Can’t Get There From Here – R.E.M.
5. Can’t Go Back There – The Bellyachers
6. Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley
7. Can’t Keep It In – Cat Stevens
8. Can’t Let Go – Lucinda Williams
9. Can’t Run But – Paul Simon
10. Can’t Stand Losing You – The Police

Wise men say there will be a part 2 next week, which is also next year. See you on the flip side.

Friday random ten: California dreaming

I had no idea I had this many California songs.

1. California – The Aislers Set
2. California – Delta Spirit
3. California – Joni Mitchell
4. California (There Is No End To Love) – U2
5. California Christmas – Brooke White
6. California Girls – The Beach Boys
7. California Gurls – Katy Perry Feat. Snoop Dogg
8. California Here I Come – Shorty Long
9. California Sun – The Rivieras
10. California Wasted – Toad the Wet Sprocket

Don’t worry, I have plenty of “Texas” songs, too. And please note that I generate these lists by the first word in the song title, so “Hotel California” isn’t in consideration here. I’ll need to go back and re-listen to the first three songs on this list to remind myself if they’re all different or if there’s a cover or two in there. Maybe over the holiday. Hope you have all your Christmas shopping done, if that’s a thing you need to worry about.

Saturday video break: Somebody Loves Me

I feel like we could use a little sax music, so here are Al Cohn and Zoot Sims:

I’m pretty sure it’s the law that you have to be a musician to be nicknamed “Zoot”. Where there’s jazz there’s western swing, and where there’s western swing there’s the Hot Club of Cowtown:

Sadly, there was not a live version of this, but I encourage you to search around YouTube for the live performances they do have. If you don’t already like this kind of music, you will after you watch a few of their videos.

Friday random ten: Bring it

It has been brought.

1. Bring Back That Leroy Brown – Queen
2. Bring ‘Em Home – Bruce Springsteen
3. Bring It Back Again – Stray Cats
4. Bring It On Down To My House – Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel
5. Bring It On Home To Me – The Commitments
6. Bring Me Some Water – Melissa Etheridge
7. Bring On The Dancing Horses – Echo & The Bunnymen
8. Bring On The Night/When The World Is Running Down – Sting
9. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak – Def Leppard
10. Bringing Home The Bacon – Procol Harem

“Bring ‘Em Home” is from the Seeger Sessions. “Bring On The Night/When The World Is Running Down” is from the Bring On The Night concert CD, which came out after Sting’s first solo CD. There was a movie in there somewhere, too – I remember seeing it in the theater, because that’s what wannabe hip music fans did back in the 80s.

Friday random ten: Break it up

You can shake it, but please don’t break it.

1. Break It To Me Gently – Brenda Lee
2. Break My Heart – La Sera
3. Break Your Heart – Natalie Merchant
4. Breakin’ Me – Jonny Lang
5. Breaking – Anberlin
6. Breaking Bells (Take Me To The Mardi Gras) – Crash Crew
7. Breaking The Law – Judas Priest
8. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do – Neil Sedaka
9. Breaking Us In Two – Joe Jackson
10. The Breaks – Kurtis Blow

This is where I say that Joe Jackson is a greatly underrated artist, and you would do well to listen to more of his music. This is also where I confess that sometimes when I am out walking the dog at night, I will sing “Walking the dog, walking the dog” to myself to the tune of and in the style of Judas Priest’s “Breaking The Law”. I don’t know what you may want to do with that information, but now you have it.

Saturday video break: Solsbury Hill

An all time classic from Peter Gabriel:

No, I have no idea what the lettuce this is about. Apparently, the video was done much later, so who knows. Now here’s Jiggernaut:

There’s a live version here but the audio quality is so-so. I personally like bagpipes and think it adds something to this rendition, but your mileage may vary.

Friday random ten: Born to be wild

Where it all begins for everyone.

1. Born At The Right Time – Paul Simon
2. Born Blonde – Wild Moccasins
3. Born In The U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
4. Born In Time – Bob Dylan
5. Born This Way – Lady GaGa
6. Born To Be Bad – George Thorogood & The Destroyers
7. Born To Lose – Ray Charles
8. Born To Run – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
9. Born To Win (Part 1) – Hurray For the Riff Raff
10. Born With A Broken Heart – David Wax Museum

I’ve said this before, “Born At The Right Time” is the song that was going through my head when Olivia was born. There are Paul Simon songs I like more, but that one will always be my favorite.

Saturday video break: So Far Away

Here’s Carole King performing one of her many hits from Tapestry:

I’m always entertained to see James Taylor with long hair, because by the 80s he had become such a short-haired clean-cut type. According to the comments on this video, the show at which this was recorded was before Tapestry was released; Carole King opened for James Taylor, then joined his band for his set. That would have been a fine show. Now here’s Dire Straits:

Man, Brothers In Arms was a great album. I feel like it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Thinking about it, I don’t believe I ever had the chance to see Dire Straits live. I can’t recall a time when they were on tour and played a gig where I was living. If that ever changes, I will be sure to do something about it.

Friday random ten: Blue bayou, part 3

One more for the holidays.

1. Blue Sky – The Allman Brothers Band
2. Blue State Girl – Michael Clem
3. Blue Uniforms – Yung
4. Bluebird – Tufts Bellzebubs
5. Bluebonnets – Clandestine
6. Blues For A Graying Walrus – Trinity University Jazz Band
7. Blues Music – G. Love & Special Sauce
8. Blues Power – BB King & Eric Clapton
9. Blues, Part II – Blood, Sweat & Tears
10. Bluesy Little Tune – Stanley Smith

I stretched the definition of the category a bit to get me to the finish line. I trust that’s all right with you. Happy rest of the Thanksgiving weekend!

Saturday video break: Snakedance

Here’s the terrific Texas trio of Marcia Ball, Angela Strehli, and Lou Ann Barton:

There’s live footage of one televised concert they did off this album, but none I could find featuring this song. Here’s a live version of Marcia Ball singing it solo, which is good because Marcia Ball is never not good, but it’s not the same as what I’ve got. Now here are the Rainmakers:

My God. That video is so 80s I probably attended a keg party with it back in college. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about this band, but watching that video makes me love them.