A Canadian Band I'd Sure Pay To Hear - That You've Never Heard Of

Ach! We've been long away. And the music's just piling up...

A few years ago, my friend Mike said I should check out this Canuck band, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. He played me some tracks of theirs and it wasn't just the beer talking. They were good.

I kinda remembered about them when I got home and dl-ed a couple of tunes of theirs from Napster. But you know how it is. They got lost in the shuffle, so to speak.

I re-discovered them a year or two ago on YouTube and featured one of their tunes on my original blog. Lately, I've found a few new-ish ones and I want to give the guys their due: Blackie & The Rodeo Kings might just be the best that Canuck music has to offer right now. And Canuck music has a TON to offer. Too bad they only seem to play about twice a year.

The first video I'm going to post here requires patience on your part. Sorry! The sound is poor for 1:45. Hang in. At that point, you'll start to hear, in crystal-clear tones, their first near-hit, Stoned. If you really listen, you'll hear the birth of an interesting, and darn-near unique sound. (Spare me the hate mail, all you unique-can't-be-modified people.)

As always, turn up your speakers and please, do up your seat belts.



The three frontmen are Tom Wilson (guitar and vocals) Stephen Fearing (ditto) and Colin Linden (lead guitarist/vocals/producer). Each adds an elixir to the brew that adds up to magic.

I had a hard time choosing which vid to show next. I decided on a solo Stephen Fearing job. Partly because it brought up the name of Willie P. Bennett and partly because it's such a nice song and Fearing does a great job. (And shows he's no slouch in the pickin' department.)

Bennett's songs inspired the band, right down to choosing their name. (I'll s'plain in a minute.)

Until then, enjoy Fearing's take on Willie's song. (And wouldn't Nick Cage HAVE to play him in a bio-pic?)



For their final tune, I've chosen a wonderful song via CBC Radio. Featuring another terrific Canuck talent, Serena Ryder, Black Sheep is a standout - pure and simple.

And c'mon, fess up: When Shearing starts to sing his part, don't you hear echoes of Marty Robbins? I sure as heck did. I got shivers.



Now, you devoted folks, all five of you, know that I always stop at three videos. I don't like to tax your patience more than that. I know how precious time is. I hear a clock ticking in every pause.

But what the heck. As a bonus, I'm adding a track by Willie P. Bennet. This is the song from which Blackie & The Rodeo Kings took their name. Those of you who stick around will hear Canada's prairies in Bennett's song. And echoes of Jimmie Rodgers and Boxcar Willie -- 20th century troubadours. But he's as Canadian as Gordon Lightfoot is not Bob Dylan. And he blows a lovely, mournful harp. Godbless him. Mr. Bennett passed in 2008.



Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed.

Thanks Mikey.

And thanks to highorhurtin, verbverb, skumm60 and cbcradio3 for posting the vids.

Three Great Covers

Sometimes, the movie IS better than the book. And sometimes, the cover is better than the original. I present three of my favourites as evidence.

Everybody of a certain age was there in 1969. And if they weren't in body - they were in spirit. I know I was.

It was Woodstock, baby - arguably the most defining moment of the hippie subculture. A generation was turning left en masse - tuning in and dropping out - and The Man was horrified. If peace, love and dope was the message, music was the messenger. And Woodstock broadcast it to the world.

Of the many memorable performances, Joe Cocker's rendition of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends stands out. His passion rendered him spastic. The words weren't sung. They were torn from his belly and squeezed through his soul.

Never seen it? Only seen it 47 times?

You're all in luck.

Turn up your speakers folks and please, as always, do up those seat belts. (No extra charge for the french subtitles. They disappear for most of it.)



The next song, in my opinion, ranks as one of the most astounding vocal performances in popular music. Spyder Turner's mimicry of other singers during his cover of Ben E. King's Stand By Me is uncanny. But this is no novelty record. This is a vocal tour de force by an amazing talent. I still get chills at the end when he sings: "But my name is Spyder Turner and I'll get on my knees and say 'Darlin' - don't go!...'"

Although the video consists of a series of static images, they're interesting in that they show pics of all the performers Turner imitates. The sound is good and I deliberately wanted to find the original 45 rpm.



The final clip was a real treat to find and made my week. One of my favourite tunes performed superbly in a live setting. Not any ordinary live setting, nosir. We're talking about a clip from the Ed Sullivan Show.

Vanilla Fudge recorded a cover of the Supremes' You Keep Me Hanging On that just might be the most radical departure from an original, ever. It's psychedelic. It's soul. It's blues. It's amazing drumming by Carmine Appice. It's weird.

And this performance is absolutely wonderful. (You'll thank me for reminding you about the seatbelt.)

Enjoy. (Apologies to early clickers, I'd originally posted the wrong Cocker clip.)



Thanks to GGLEC78, Classic63 and JustU95 for the vids.

The Girl Groups (Part One)

I was about 11 or 12 years old when it suddenly seemed the radio was chockful of girl groups. And I ain't talking about the Andrews Sisters. (Not that there's anything....)

Nosir. These gals sang toe-tapping, finger-snapping, dare-they-show-it-on-tv, hip-shaking songs. They sang with gusto, in sweet harmony. They sang soulfully. They rocked.

I loved them all.

To this Canadian boy, the girl groups were exotic, beautiful and sexy. They brought sass and a new dimension of sensuality to the early days of rock n' roll. They sang sweetly of true love. But by shaking their bootays while doing so, there was no mistaking their true love for the hand-holding of Frankie and Annette.

One can't discuss the girl groups without mentioning Phil Spector. Spector produced many of them and was primarily responsible for their room-filling, booming sound (dubbed Spector's Wall of Sound). The man, by all accounts, is batshit crazy, a possible/probable murderer and a complete putz.

But he was a musical genius, responsible for some absolutely stunning, unforgettable songs.

Let's open with the one that woke my virgin ears to the wonders of the girl groups. Here, reminding us that you can pack a lot of great song into two minutes: The Crystals with Da Do Ron Ron.

(As always folks, please turn up your speakers and do up your seatbelts. And if you're anywhere near my age, I think you'll get some nostalgiac enjoyment out of seeing the hairstyles and clothing that were popular back then.)



Martha & The Vandellas brought an element of R&B into their tunes. Here's another great old clip (praise YouTube) of their much-covered hit, Dancing In The Streets featuring the crystal-clear, powerful pipes of the great Martha Reeves. Yeah, they're lip-syncing. I don't care. It's still great.



I confessed above that I loved all of the girl groups. And that's true. But I loved one of them more than the others. And that would be The Ronettes.

And I loved the Ronettes mostly because of Darlene Love, who fronted the band. (I first gushed about her last Christmas.)

Ms Love is a wonder and I hope she keeps belting them out for at least a couple more decades. In the following clip (introduced by Chuck Berry) you'll see and hear a young Darlene Love, bursting with talent. And this one ain't lip-synched!



I hope you enjoyed.

Thanks to doowop50s, drakep and DestinationDooWop for posting the videos.

Cry guitar, cry....

A year ago, I didn't know who Gary Moore was. I knew who Garry Moore was - a tv game show host in the 50s and 60s - but not Gary.

I heard about Gary Moore when I read about his death this past February. The small headline said something like: Blues Guitarist Dead Of Suspected Heart Attack. I went on to read about Moore being found dead in a Spanish hotel room while on holiday. Turns out, he played guitar for Irish rockers Thin Lizzy, a band I enjoyed from the 70s.

Intrigued because I love the blues and hadn't heard of him, I visited your friend and mine, YouTube. There, I learned something else about him: He might be the best blues guitarist these ears have ever heard.

What a revelation! He could give sustaining lessons to Carlos Santana, and Steve Vai would approve of his quicks. I'm going to open with Moore sharing the stage with B.B. King. Soooooo many of these Superstar Jam Sessions fall flat. This one doesn't. It takes a minute for the music to start because Moore has to tune up. Once it does, you'll be sorry it has to stop because the licks these guys exchange provide an aural orgasm. (That was for you, Cay. And q. And anyone else who enjoys a naughty pun now and again.)

Crank up those speakers boys and girls.

(I don't know if those occasional, annoying pop-up blurbs I see on the YouTube site will translate to here. If they do, you can close them if you hover your mouse over them to reveal the hidden x.)



Next up is the first clip of Moore I listened to. Like the nearly 10 million others who have tuned in, I became an instant fan. He plays notes with an astounding power and purity and his voice ain't chopped liver. The man could do it all on stage. Here's his Still Got The Blues.



Last, but hardly least, is a live, 1987 performance of Empty Rooms. The YouTube uploader refers to it as Moore's greatest guitar solo ever. I don't know. I haven't heard all of them. But it is four minutes of absolute genius and serves as a wonderful epitaph for yet another rare talent, gone too soon.

Cry guitar, cry....



Thanks to jukeiko, UndeadKuntiz and webmastergarymoorenl for uploading the clips.

Ray, Dave & Their Kinky Crew

I think it's safe to say the British Invasion of the 60s revitalized rock n' roll and kick-started it into becoming a world-wide musical force.

One band near the forefront of that invasion demanded to be heard from the first note of its first hit single. They out-louded the Rolling Stones and out-rocked just about everybody.

"They," of course, were the Kinks, fronted by the Davies brothers - songwriter extraordinaire and lead singer Ray, along with Dave, he of the slashing lead guitar.

Here's how the boys introduced themselves to the music scene in 1964.



There are easily a dozen songs I'd love to include and it's excruciating trimming them down to the usual three. But I certainly can't leave out the next one. It is arguably the most socially and culturally important song of its generation and inarguably the most audacious -- probably ever.

Ray turned his lyrical genius to the heretofore forbidden topic of man love. (And/or transvestite love. And/or transgendered love.) And he did so with typical puckish humour, exhibiting the Brit love of naughty double entendres.

But wait! That's not all!

He also managed to make it one helluva kick-ass rock n' roll tune. One that's remained ensconced in my all-time top 10 for over 40 years.

Ladies and gentlemen, from a 1979 concert in Rhode Island, the brilliant Lola.



As I mentioned a while back in my Stevie Winwood post, I love it when an artist I admired way back in the long-ago and far-away is still making music. Last year, at the wonderful, annual Glastonbury Festival, Ray Davies appeared with a few friends and performed Victoria, one of my fave (and underrated) Kinks songs. I hope you enjoy.



Thanks to lovehides13, RenaiSpirits and SkipALightFandango for posting the clips.

Cool Guy, Cool Tunes, Coolest Name Ever

It was one of the great albums of the 70s and is comfortably ensconced in my all-time Top 10. It was impossible to categorize because it rocked, it swayed, it boogied, it crooned, it jazzed and I think it even salsa-d a little.

"It" was Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs.

Say it with me: Boz...Scaggs. Every guy reading this wishes his name was half as cool. If he wasn't a musician, he'd have to be an old-time baseball player - maybe Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown's catcher.

I've selected three tunes from that album, all written by Scaggs. I suspect all three will be familiar to old-timers. And I hope some young ears become attuned to a fine, underrated musician.

Let's open with a live version of Lido Shuffle, performed under less than ideal conditions (looks pretty darn cold) at Japan's Expo in 1985.



If I had a buck for every time this next song was played as the newlywed's first dance at weddings - I'd have a lotta bucks. It's a beautiful song, made famous when Rita Coolidge covered it. But I like Boz's take on it better. He flat-out nails it in this next clip.



The biggest kick I get out of this gig is finding out that musicians I loved way back when are still out there, playing their stuff in front of live audiences. It's a treat to see a 60-year-old Boz, still stylin', still way-cool, from a performance a few years back.



Thanks to HOJIRON, SK3776 and darylhsu for the vids.

Who Is This British White Boy With The Soulful Voice?

I think I was 15 or 16, at a friend's party, when I first heard this amazing voice come on the radio. It soared and dipped and wailed. I really couldn't make out the words but it didn't matter -- the raw emotion and energy it expressed kept me listening, rapt. I soon found out it belonged to a singer in a band called the Spencer Davis Group, a guy only a couple of years older than me named Stevie Winwood.

Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, we can enjoy a live performance by an 18-year-old Stevie from a Scandinavian TV show, belting out the vocals and hammering the Hammond to the song he co-wrote -- and one of the seminal songs of the 60s.



Somewhere around 1968, Winwood hooked up with Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood. Together they formed Traffic, one of the most influential and beloved bands of the psychedelic 60s. Mason (who I featured a few posts ago) and Winwood, like many towering talents, found they couldn't coexist forever. But they stayed together long enough to make a lasting musical mark.

There are dozens of great Traffic songs. I'm going to go with one of my early favourites, co-written by Winwood and Capaldi and expressed via Stevie's wistful, mournful lament - the haunting, No Face No Name No Number.



In his spare time while still with Traffic, and later, after they'd officially disbanded, Winwood became part of one of the early supergroups. With Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Rick Grech, they formed Blind Faith.

Winwood later went on to a distinguished solo career but will likely be remembered best for his contributions to three of the greatest rock n' roll groups of all time. I'm happy to report that he's still got chops. For dessert, let's check out Stevie and Eric getting together again in 2007 for a fine version of Can't Find My Way Home.



Thanks to dac10012 and trichoone for posting the videos.

DeVotchKa: Lush, Lyrical & Plaintive

In fact, for my money, lead singer Nick Urata has the most plaintive pipes this side of Gene Pitney. (Who? Ask your mother. Or Google.) For the most part, I think his soaring, semi-whiny vocals work very well with the band's material but you can be the judge of that your own self. In a minute.

DeVotchKa is a four-person band from Denver Colorado with a very European sound. In the 90s, many of their gigs were backing burlesque dancers, including Dita Von Teese. Their big break came in 2006 when asked to score the film Little Miss Sunshine, a wonderful, heartwarming movie - one of the best of the decade. The first video is from that movie and shows clips from the film interspersed with shots of the band.



While wandering the corridors of YouTube I came across the next video of theirs, the official version of How It Ends, a tune that contains the wonderful line, "forever's not too long." It's in this song that the Pitney comparison occurred to me. See if any of you other greybeards agree with me.



Last is the song many consider their masterpiece, a cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees' classic, The Last Beat Of My Heart. As with many of my favourite songs, I like it more with each listening. The percussion, particularly at the end, is mesmerizing.



Thanks to Devotchka and nelnel2709 for posting the videos.

Punched In The Heart By Tracy Chapman

When a person has a special voice, it's a gift from the gods and something worth celebrating. If that person can also play an instrument or two, I am agog at their talent. And if that person should happen to be gifted enough to write wonderful songs which they then sing and play wonderfully, well, I would just like to touch the hem of their garment.

Tracy Chapman is that kind of person. Some of you are nodding. Some of you await proof.

I'm going to feature three songs as evidence, all written by her. The first is the one that made me a fan, Baby Can I Hold You, a song about vulnerability, hope, delusion and, of course, love. Recorded live at Austin City Limits, it's one of two clips from that concert I'll be showing.



Also from that show, the new-to-me and highly enjoyable Another Sun.



The last tune I'm featuring is one of the most touching love songs ever written. I love the comment by one YouTube poster: "ouch this song seriously punched me in the heart." That's how I felt when I first heard it. And I think it has that effect on many. There's a so-so live version out there but I'm going with one of the very many vids put together by fans based on the recorded version. Here's Tracy Chapman's The Promise.



Thanks to Atanvarde and Azurelce5 for the videos.

The Tragically Hip

While everybody (rightfully) talks about Nashville, New Orleans, New York, London, Memphis and Detroit as hotbeds of music, a lot of good stuff has been spawned right here in the Great White North. I'm going to bid farewell to 2010 with a nod to the group I consider Canada's best over the last 25 years. Oh, I hear the grumbling from you Rush fans. Tough tamales. Start your own blog. (Without actually checking, I bet there's a few already dedicated to Geddy, Neil and Alex.)

But my vote for the maplest of leaves goes to The Tragically Hip. Fronted by the brilliant, if a tad erratic, Gord Downie, The Hip's music is every bit about the land as Gordon Lightfoot's. The light weave of their melodies is shot through with threads of black. This is, after all, Canada -- a country of stark beauty, some of which is shrouded in darkness for months at a time.

The Hip are always interesting musically. The band is tight. And Downie's passionate and poetic vocals reflect both the delicate beauty and harsh reality that epitomizes our country.

I'm going to open with a young Hip and their very first single. The video is just about as puzzling as the lyrics. But Blow At High Dough still kicks ass.



Bobcaygeon is another favourite, only partly because the town isn't far from me and I've been there many times. Mostly it's because it's just a good song. Here, we find a considerably more mature Gord Downie starring in another bit of a head-scratching video (albeit with a brilliant ending). But again, the song's the thing. And it's a beauty.



My absolute favourite song of theirs is the hauntingly melodic Ahead By A Century. By now, none of you will be suprised to find another enigmatic tune and video. I admit it. Many of the songs I like best have an element of the obscure. Few things bring me greater joy than hearing a song for the 1000th time and finding something new. The Hip's songs have that sort of layering.

At midnight we're going ahead by a year, but for now, let's skip ahead with The Hip by a century.



Thanks for keeping me company. I wish you all a healthy and fulfilling 2011.

It's Not Really Christmas

until Darlene Love takes to the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater on the Dave Letterman show and sings Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

She did so last night for the 17th (or maybe 18th) consecutive year. Unfortunately, as of this posting, I could only find two videos of last night's performance and each is less than stellar. So, I delved a little further into the stacks and found last year's.

The year doesn't really matter. Darlene's the thing. Turn up those speakers boys and girls. (The darkness fades in a few seconds.)

Ho-ho-ho!



Merry Christmas folks.

A Damaged Genius

In the 1980s, unless you lived in the British Isles or Canada's east coast, you probably never heard anybody that sounded remotely like The Pogues. Fronted by lead singer and chief songwriter Shane MacGowan, they originally became known in their home country of Ireland as traditional Celtic musicians. They never lost touch with those roots but they expanded on them.

Their 1988 album, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, was a shining beacon of joy in that dreary musical decade. It gave me a whole new genre to love.

Let's start with the title track for a 2 1/2 minute dose of typical Pogues fare. (As always, please turn up your speakers and make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened.)



Now, the sharp-eyed among you may have noticed that Shane has some orthodontic issues. Well, truth be told, he has other issues as well, particularly with alcohol. He's an erratic performer with a devilish problem but, by many accounts, the possessor of an angelic soul.

All I know is he writes and performs some wonderful, wonderful tunes. This next one is one of my all-time favourites, a lovely duet pairing the pure, sweet soprano of the beauteous Sinead O'Connor with the growly, slurred vocals of the Adonis-challenged Shane MacGowan.

Somehow, musical magic happened (after the boring 15-second intro).



That magic didn't surprise anybody familiar with Shane's earlier, classic duet with the late, much-lamented Kirsty MacColl: Fairytale of New York. It's a song about two people whom society would likely dub "losers." Despite the sordid conditions of a New York City jail and a bitterness spawned of despair, two fallen angels find love.

It's my favourite Christmas song but make no mistake - it is very much not a carol. There's lots of versions out there but I'm going with the audio from the original release accompanied by subtitled lyrics. Normally, I wouldn't consider the lyrics thing because it's distracting - but in this case, I think it might be helpful for first-time listeners.



It was 10 years ago this week that Kirsty MacColl was tragically killed while on vacation. She was swimming with her two sons when she was struck by a passing motorboat. She was 41.

Since you've stuck around this long (and now that you know the words) here's a live version of Fairytale featuring the lovely and talented Kirsty MacColl (and an enthusiastic and helpful crowd).

Merry Christmas.



Thanks to antmusique, zttrecords, boobiieezmum and niceandeasy for posting the videos.

Maybe "The" Guitar God

As one of the world's worst two or three guitarists (Fumble Fingers is my nickname) I have an abiding appreciation for pretty much every other guitarist on the planet. Some, however, elevate themselves as high above the pack as I rank below it.

We all know their names, even their first ones will do in most instances: Jimi, Eric, Jeff, Stevie Ray, (insert your fave here) ________ .

But there's this guy...this blues guitarist named Joe Bonamassa, who just might be the best of the best. If you love brilliant guitar work (and darned impressive vocals) sit back, turn up your speakers and treat your ears to 9 minutes of wondrous artistry.



Told ya'. Didn't I?

I have one more folks, and this is a nice treat. Joe is joined on the Royal Albert Hall stage by Eric Clapton. Check out the near non-stop grin from Clapton as they start trading riffs around the 4 minute mark. He's enjoying himself hugely and why not? Those two make beautiful music together. Look. Listen. Enjoy.



Thanks to AlruneRod2811 and lukebest88 for posting the vids on YouTube.

Best Male Rock Voice + The Perfect Song

If you've been listening to rock n' roll for 50 years like a certain old fart, there can be little dispute as to who has the best rock voice. (Although I'd be tickled if you'd beg to differ.) The guy who can best whisper, growl, croon and howl is another gift from the great state of Michigan: Mr. Bob Seger. (Eddie Vedder is 2nd. I'll get around to him one of these days)

But Seger is not just a pretty set of pipes. He's a terrific storyteller and has written, recorded, and charted more classic tunes than most artists could dream of. There are so many songs to choose from to illustrate my not-so humble opinion but I'm going to limit myself to (and beg your indulgence for) three. Sadly, I couldn't find any clips of live performances that satisfied my ears' quality criteria.

First up is a tune that didn't get the airplay that many of his did and still rarely appears on the playlists of oldies stations. But it's a gem.

As always, please turn up your speakers and enjoy Fire Inside.



If Nat "King" Cole's voice was buttery caramel, Seger's is whiskey and a fine cigar. The richness and maturity of tone is evident in Like A Rock. (And there's a sweet slide guitar for some aural dessert.)



You folks know me. I don't toss around terms like "perfect" lightly. For about 20 years, my all-time favourite (and also perfect) song was Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys. Somewhere around 1990, this next tune came on the radio. It was probably the 200th time I'd heard it -- but for some reason it felt like the first. I cranked up the car radio during the guitar intro and knew Good Vibrations had just slipped to 2nd place - where it remains.

Seger wrote and recorded a tune that touched my soul and probably that of millions of people who were teens in the 60s. It's about youth and dreams and immortality - sung from the standpoint of weary, yet defiant resignation.

And it's perfect.




Thanks to metalboombox, jonny1214 and shutterbugger24 for posting the videos.

Underappreciated Then And Now: Dave Mason Still Kicks Butt

One of my favourite bands of the late 60s was Traffic. Their sound was a wonderful blend of psychelic pop/rock with a nod to the blues and jazz. They were blessed/cursed with two musical geniuses, Steve Winwood and Dave Mason.

Two geniuses in one band generally leads to the math of division. And so it went with Traffic. But not before they graced us with a handful of interesting, intelligent albums. Winwood went on to great fame, forming one of the first "Super Groups," Blind Faith, with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech.

Mason's career was lower-key. His (arguably) signature tune, Feelin' Alright, was covered by a lot of musicians, most notably Joe Cocker. A few years later, he had a hit with what I think is his masterpiece, We Just Disagree.

The latter is the song I'm going to feature first. It's a brilliant tune, telling the tale of a break-up without a villain -- the way perhaps, of most break-ups.

Thanks to HudyRockinRoll, wttv and Riahsha for posting the videos.

First - Dave then:




And Dave now - (give or take a year):




He hasn't lost a thing. And he's maybe gained something.

Hang on, we're not done.

Mason is one of the best guitarists ever - then and now. I mean an all-time top 10-er. Don't believe me? Check it out. The video isn't the best but all you really need is your ears. Use them for all four minutes. The old man's still got it. (Charlie - this one's for you.)



Tell me I was wrong.

Frickin' right you can't. ;)

Never stop Dave.

New Favourite Song + The Cutest Baby Of 2010

Remember way back to my 2nd post here, the "Placenta" one? Yeah, last week. Anyway, I said you wouldn't see many officially-released videos here. Well, one isn't many....

The video is fun and fits the mood, so what the heck.I hope you'll give a look/listen to my latest favourite tune.

Turn up those speakers boys and girls and please, do up your seatbelts.





I hope you enjoyed that. I wasn't very familiar with the tune until I came across this next video last week. When you see it, you'll understand that my tastes are shared by a discriminating young man. This lad is not only a musical connoisseur he can...well...see for yourselves. (And thank goodness he was wearing his seatbelt!)

It Ain't Music If It's Got No Soul

I don't care what kind of music it is - classical, rock, bluegrass, rhythm & blues - it's got to have soul. A tune may be melodic and mellifluous but without real emotion, it's just aural wallpaper.

I love Motown, one of Detroit's many musical gifts of the 60s and early 70s. The mix of pop, rock, gospel and r & b was irresistible. The singers were passionate and the beat contagious. My favourite practitioners of the Motown sound were the Four Tops, led by the room-filling, soulful pipes of Levi Stubbs.

The word "unique" may be the most abused in the English language. It can't be modified, yet on nearly a daily basis in newspapers, magazines or online, I see "really unique" or "most unique" or some other disturbing variant.

Few voices can be described as unique -- as sounding unlike any other. I can suggest Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Roy Orbison and Van Morrison. No doubt there are a handful of others.

And Levi Stubbs.

Mr. Stubbs had a particular resonant timbre that set his pipes apart. If you're over 40 years old, you're probably nodding right now. If you're younger, you won't have to take my word for it for long. A couple of examples are coming up.

Sadly, Mr. Stubbs passed away in 2008.

Happily, his voice will never be stilled.

Here's the group early in their career. (Thanks to Mkheire75 for the video.)



Yeah, but did they still have it some 35 years later?

Uh-huh. And the moves. (Thanks to adamweishaupt81 for the video.)



I'm going to wrap this one up with a wonderful ballad that was new to me. There are only a few still pictures in the video making it, at least for these ears, easier to focus on the soulful, unique voice of Levi Stubbs. Unfortunately, I can't embed the video here but I can link to it. I hope you'll click here and listen. 

Welcome

A few times over the past couple of years, at BaronItAll, I've done a music-related post. Judging by the few comments and paucity of emails, they didn't go over especially well. But music is important to me. And I know it is to a lot of folks. Hearing it, making it, sharing it -- all are wonderful ways to spend time. And one of the greatest gifts this computer age has given us is the ability to watch and listen to musicians from around the world. At the merest click of a mouse you can find some old footage of Duane Allman, or Solomon Burke or Ella Fitzgerald. And a gazillion other folks, famous and not, from yesteryear or today.

So I decided to start another blog. Yeah, one of those annoying people with multiple blogs. (Of course I didn't mean yours!) On the plus side, you dasn't hasta visit...well, either one really. But if you're interested in music and would like to see if (this time) our tastes mesh (or don't) I hope you'll check it out. And feel free to comment if you think my featured choices suck.

Most of what you'll see here are YouTube videos, probably with an intro. I hope you enjoy a goodly portion of them. (Being as how there's no accounting for taste, you're unlikely to love 'em all.)

And that heron pic in the header? Well, that's probably a tale for my other blog.

Hmm...or maybe another blog....

Best Song Ever With The Word "Placenta" In It

It's no contest really. Live's Lightning Crashes is a marvel. The lazy, hypnotic intro is soothing, despite the disturbing lyrics. The slow build into a powerful, seismic wave of music inspires with every listen.

There are three pretty good videos of the tune on YouTube. The most-watched one, with over 3 million views, is the official video of the song. The sound quality is good but, as is usually the case, I felt the video interfered with my own interpretation -- force-feeding images I found distracting. You won't find many officially-released music videos here. For the most part, I'll feature live performances - still and always the best way to determine if musicians (and their songs) really do have the right stuff.

And a live, Live (huh?) performance is what I chose. An overall pretty darn good one from May, 2000. Lead singer Ed Kowalczyk is in fine voice. A voice, by the way, that hints at both the delicacy and vibrancy of Roy Orbison but delivers occasional gusts up to Freddy Mercury.

Lightning Crashes isn't just one of the best songs of the 90s. It's an all-timer. Turn up those speakers. I hope you enjoy.