I Started A Joke by The Bee Gees

Before they were the kings of disco, the Bee Gees were a creative and introspective rock group. And before they were the Bee Gees, they were simply three brothers: Barry and his twin brothers Maurice and Robin. There are other groups in pop music history that are made up of brothers like The Beach Boys and The Kinks. However the fact that there were only ever three members of the Bee Gees made this family affair seem different.

When I watched the three of them interact during performances it felt like the way that my brother and I would be if we were on stage. There was some slight ribbing but more than that, there was humor, support and genuine brotherly love in the way they created music together.

In 2003, Maurice died of a sudden heart attack and a couple weeks ago Robin passed away due to complications due to pneumonia at the age of 61. Now Barry stands alone. There’s not only a feeling of sadness because this group will never perform or record music but there’s also the family part of it that’s really touching.

Barry went through a great loss with Maurice and Robin in 1988, when the fourth Gibb brother, Andy died of a suspected drug overdose at the age of 30. Andy was a pop star in his own right and it was just as triumphant to see his rise and ultimately tragic to loose him and hearing his brothers talk about him is simply heartbreaking.



When I think of all this loss that this family has endured, Robin’s voice comes into my head with one of the Bee Gees’ most powerful songs “I Started A Joke.”



People have speculated that this song is about religion, talking about the struggles of Jesus Christ dealing with a world that acted contrary to his actions. Other people interpret this song with a more literal meaning. I’ve never quite known how to take this song, but there’s something innately powerful about it. It’s not the fact the lyrics hold a profound meaning in of themselves but because combined with the melody and Robin’s voice the emotional expression is this song is undeniable.

There’s tragedy, sadness, regret but also hope in this song. Even though the lyrics of the song cycle to death, it also leads to the happiness of other people in the world. At first this seems spiteful but when you hear the words in context, there’s a feeling of sunlight shining, a level of hope and optimism. It’s the same kind of mix of darkness and light that U2 has in their lyrics like in the song “One.” It is precisely this ambiguity that makes this song so beautiful.

Robin’s voice seems so exposed making this song feel almost painfully intimate. While there is some insecurity in his voice there’s also bravery, and courage in putting these feelings out there for all us to witness.

It’s weird, you’d think the more times in my life that musicians who have meant something to me pass way, the easier it would get.

It doesn’t.

Maybe it’s because the older I get, the more I appreciate them or maybe it's because of something different that I will never truly understand.

All I Need by Matchbox Twenty

Once upon a time, iTunes wasn’t a store. It was simply an application used to play CD’s. It wasn’t until a couple months into using it that anyone I knew started using this program to import songs onto their computers (We’re talking about the early 2000s here). iTunes was far better at not only organizing music but also burning music CDs.

Before iTunes you had to import the songs, arrange a playlist, create an image and then burn that image onto a CD. Most of the time this two-hour process would mess up and you’d have to restart. iTunes slimmed this process down and it opened up the world of making mix CDs. All you had to do was drop some songs in a playlist you had previously uploaded and press burn and in about 45 minutes you would have a personalized audio CD.

I really loved making these mixes for people. I tried to create something that expressed the way I felt about them and also gave a joyful to experience. Most of the time I started the mix with faster music and ended with slower and more introspective tunes. I didn’t really try to send subliminal messages through these mix CDs. Most of the time if there was something that I wanted to say through a song, it was pretty explicit like with “Bobby Jean” by Bruce Springsteen, which I discussed in this post.

When I set out to make the first mix CD I ever made for Diana,  I spent a lot of time figuring out which songs to include. One of the first songs that came to mind was “All I Need” by Matchbox Twenty.



This song is probably the most joyful song that this band ever recorded. Released in 2002 from their third album, Matchbox Twenty leaves behind the brooding darkness of many of their hits embracing a hopeful joy.  There’s an 1960s feeling in this song even featuring a quote from The Buckingham’s hit “kind of a drag” in the bridge.



Within this shiny soundscape the lyrics talk about difficult times and people with “a sinking feeling” and being “down on themselves.” Thomas’ reaction to this in the chorus is that all he needs is someone to lean on.  It’s such a simple sentiment but at that time it was exactly how I felt about Diana. All I felt like I needed was someone to lean on and in some ways that has never changed.

Putting “All I Need” on that mix CD forever connected this song with that time in my life and the feelings I had for Diana.  When I talk to my students about music, this idea that you can create a group of songs for about how you feel is lost on them.  We don't have any more as people share songs more than playlists.

Music isn't just about how we feel about ourselves, but also how we feel about each other.  Mix CDs communicated my feelings to other people and while I haven't made a mix CD in a while, whenever I hear "All I Need" that reminds me of the joy creating one.  As dorky as they may seem, mix CDs were awesome and I wish we could embrace this unique gift of music once again.

Day 13 & 14: The Sound Of Music Tour!!

In Salzburg we took two bus tours.  The Sound Of Music Tour and The Eagles Nest Tour (which is actually in Germany).  The latter tour was amazing but the Sound Of Music Tour had a mediocre guide who wasn't very enthusiastic and made some pretty bad jokes, that nobody laughed at.  So this post will be pictures from the two tours interspersed with actually quotes from The Sound Of Music Tour Guide.  Oh yeah and no one sang along to the songs on the bus except for Diana which was totally awesome.   I mean why go on the tour if you're not into the musical?

 

 People now have blackberries, some call them crack berries.

They were running and Greta tripped and no one cared.

Julie Andrews went up the mountain in a horse carriage.  Imagine with her fur coat going up a mountain. There were a lot of cows there so she first had to find a clean spot to put her coat.

The building is a university and they filled the two love scenes in the gazebo behind the building.  After the film came out many people came to the gazebo and made their own love scenes.  All these love sounds meant the students couldn't study so they city decided to move the gazebo.

The first public swimming pool is on the left. It as first filled in the 1960s and it stills looks like it.

The building is a university and they filled the two love scenes in the gazebo behind the building.  After the film came out many people came to the gazebo and made their own love scenes.  All these love sounds meant the students couldn't study so they city decided to move the gazebo.

Over in that pasture are the black cows that we use for black chocolate.

When they got married.  She was 22 and the captain was 25 years . . . older.

The wife would stay home as the husband was in the field farming.  The wife would make lunch and ring the bell.  When the husband heard the bell he knew it was time to come home. . . And not only for lunch.

Do you see the bay window? That's the toilet. That's why we have shitty weather here.

Men had to climb a mountain to get edelweiss for their girlfriends and sometimes it was dangerous. Well now you know why we have such a low population. Now the tradition is different. Woman bring edelweiss to men as a six pack.  We now have edelweiss beer.

People come from miles around to yodel. I don't call my husband, I yodel to him. Just kidding. I need 5 beers then I know how to yodel. So far I've only had 4.

We are going to stop at the gazebo so you can have your own love scene.

If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot/Johnny Cash

"I just don't get it."

As much as we try to figure out the events of our lives sometimes we just have to admit to ourselves that there are things beyond our understanding.  We question the logic of life when things don't go our way and the feeling of helplessness, accepting what we can not make sense of is one of the hardest things in life.

Gordon Lightfoot's 1971 unforgettable hit "If You Could Read My Mind" is about this moment. 



I recently came to this song through Johnny Cash's cover:



On February 26th, 2010 seven years after his death, Johnny Cash released his last album, American VI: Ain’t No Grove. Like the five previous albums produced by Rick Rubin, this was a simply produced album combining popular hits along with Cash’s own compositions. The most popular of these song was “Hurt,” a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song (which I discussed in this earlier post) was on the previous album American IV: The Man Comes Around. While Cash’s own compositions on this album are stunning and unforgettable, his interpretations of other songs are truly remarkable.

There is something unforgiving and dark about this song. Here is a man trying to explain how he feels initially relating himself to a trapped ghost then in the second verse a fallen hero. Even when there’s hope in the third verse and he admits how his queen that brings “all the good things out in me.” He admits, “let’s be real, I never thought I could act this way.” Then he gives up.

And I got to say that I just don’t get it.
I don’t’ know where we went wrong,
But the feeling’s gone and I just can’t get it back.

Lightfoot displays incredible song writing craft and he builds tension towards the end of each rising in melody and speeding up the rhythm of the words. The setting of the words reflects the natural pulse of the words. The way the words against the constant pulse of the guitar that just tears at your heart.

Now Lightfoot’s performance is great, but Cash takes it to another level. Slowing down the tempo and singing with his battered baritone, Cash doesn’t so much sing but emotes straight from the dark corners of his heart.

Cash's voice carefully and deliberately steps through each note. No, his voice is not as agile as it was when he was younger but it’s the slight strain, the struggle, the shake in his voice transforms this song from a reflection of a pain to the actual event of a heart breaking.

When Cash sings “I just don’t get it,” you believe he truly doesn’t.

Admitting this to ourselves is one of the most painful and helpless things we can do.  And no, listening to Cash fall apart doesn't make us feel better when we just don't get life.  That's not the point of sad music.  Sad music helps us feel better about the pain in our lives, it reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles and that as hard as our moments in our lives are, just like this song, eventually it will be over.

I Wish It Would Rain by The Temptations

OMG. Ok people, look, just because someone is from Seattle doesn’t mean that they love rain. I don’t know how many times people and said or implied that I love rain because I grew up in the Seattle area, but it seems to ALWAYS come up.

Livescience.com reported a study by San Francisco-based Weatherbill, Inc. They ranked American cities by the amount of rainfall they got and Seattle didn’t even make the top 10. Heck, the first city from the Pacific Northwest to even make the list was Olympia, Washington (#24).

Even if Seattle was in the fact that wettest city in the United States, how do you make the assumption that people in Seattle like rain so much? That’s like saying that I love political corruption because I live in Chicago or that I someone loves unemployment because they live in Flint, Michigan.

So, for the love of everything that is good and holy on this planet, do not, I repeat DO NOT pull the “wow you’re from Seattle, it rains a lot there you must love rain” line next time you meet someone from Seattle. If you pull that line on me, well, you might feel a rain of fury coming from this disgruntled little Asian man.

Now while I dislike rain, I guess I can understand it’s benefits. We need fresh water to live, I love trees and green lawns and sometimes as The Temptations remind us raindrops can hide teardrops. [okay, don't worry everyone, I've calmed down enough, let's talk about music. . . ]


("I Wish It Would Rain" starts 2 minutes in)

By 1967, Motown had established itself as a force in popular music. Constantly developing their sound, Smokey Robinson who was responsible for The Temptations biggest hit “My Girl” (which I discussed in this earlier post) stepped aside and songwriter Norman Whitfield led the Temptations into new musical avenues.

Working with lyricist Barrett Strong, Whitfield introduced funk and psychedelic sounds utilizing sound effects and experimental production techniques. Many of Whitfield’s most well known songs like “Cloud Nine” are fast-tempo explorations of war, poverty, politics and drugs. Whitfield’s ballads showed a different side, sensitivity and a personal experience with love that no one could express better than “The Temptations.”

If David Ruffin’s soulful and joyous performance on “My Girl” doesn’t blow you away (not really sure how that is possible) then his tear-stained vocals and agony-filled delivery in “I Wish It Would Rain” has got to get to you.

“I Wish It Would Rain” has brilliant lyrics. The internal logic in this song is clever as the protagonist hopes for rain so that when he does outside no one knows he is crying. While Whitflield’s experimental effects using actually recorded sounds was cutting edge at the time the true special effects in this song are the Temptations.

The Temptations do the standard “echo the lead singer” job of the back-up singers but there are other time where they take it a step further. In the second verse when their voice cascade on the word “crying” falling like tears beautifully paints the lyrics. This isn’t something that you necessarily consciously notice when listening but it adds layers of meaning to the listening experience displaying amazing craft and musical expression.

Have I ever wished that it would rain? No, never. Do I like rain? No. Does “I Wish It Would Rain” rock my world? Yes. Listening to this song almost makes me forget how angry I get when people ask me about being from Seattle and loving rain. . .

almost.

Miss Otis Regrets by Bryan Ferry/Ethel Waters

Sex, guns, murder, hanging.

No, we’re not talking about a new Eminem song, we’re talking about Cole Porter’s 1934 tragic tale of “Miss Otis Regrets.”

Cole Porter is one of the most important song writers in American history. His works included “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” which became Frank Sinatra’s signature song as well as many others.



Looking back on Porter’s music, so much of it is so ingrained in our culture that his musical invention doesn’t seems impressive. Honestly I didn’t think too much of Porter until I came across “Miss Otis Regrets,” a shocking, haunting and beautiful song.

Cole Porter frames his tragedy from perspective of a butler explaining to a guest a the circumstances in which why Miss Otis cannot lunch. In a proper and collected manner, the butler explains how Miss Otis found that her love had “gone astray.” In her anger she shoots him and is taken to jail. Later a mob comes and hangs her on an oak tree and as she dies she “lifts up her lovely head and cried.” All the time through the butler informs us that “Miss Otis regrets she’s unable to lunch today.”

The first version I heard of this song was by Bryan Ferry, an 1980s singer who became known as part of Roxy Music.



The earliest version of this song I found was Ethel Water’s recording of this song in 1934.



While Ferry stays reserved, Water’s breaks into tears as she sings about Miss Otis’ herself crying. Ferry’s distance from the story, staying cold and emotionless like a stereotypical butler, shocks and haunts us, Water’s emotional reaction pulls directly at our heartstrings. The songs becomes less shocking and more tragic as we are reminded of the sexist double standards against women in crimes of passion at the time this song was written which echo through present day.

“Miss Otis Regrets” is an unforgettable song, nuanced, subtle and beautifully crafted. Music in our past often shows how far we’ve come but sometimes shows us how far we have to go.

Downtown Train by Tom Waits/Rod Stewart

Tom Waits is one of music’s greatest song writers, and you've probably never heard of him. A true artists’ artist, Waits has been producing music since the 1970s and has released over 20 albums. Many artists have covered his songs and the most famous is Rod Stewart's version of “Downtown Train.”



One of Rod Stewart's biggest hits, “Downtown Train” perfectly fits Stewart’s soulful delivery. Now if you thought that Stewart has a gravely voice, check out Waits singing his own composition.



Waits sounds like Louis Armstrong, horribly aged 20 years, smoking cigarettes non-stop, soaked in bourbon. Gravely doesn’t even begin to describe the grit in this man’s voice and the crazy thing is that his recording of “Downtown Train” sounds angelic compared to other performances. Check out this recording of “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” of my personal favorites.



Once you get past the initial surprise, listen, really listen. It’s the male equivalent of Janis Joplin. This is expression pure and true. There is nothing holding back this voice. Waits could not be singing any harder or with any more soul. In the musical and lyrical world of Tom Waits, his voice truly is the main character walking down dark rain-soaked streets.

Rod Stewart's enters Wait’s world and adds a shimmer. Stewart sings with energy as he almost swings through the lyrics. The groove is reminiscent of the time when it was recorded, synthesized and bright. There is hope and light in this recording so much that you believe that Stewart will actually see the girl that he longs for at the end of it all.

As Waits methodically moves the lyrics, the dirty and gritty background instruments plod along mysteriously. There is something spiteful in Waits’ voice, a little sarcastic and angry. While Stewart pours on the emotion during the chorus Waits almost seems to hold back throwing away the ends of the lines like a man tired of asking the same questions.

The imagery in this song is simple but powerful: “Outside another yellow has punched a hole in the night time mist.” Wait paints a picture of emotions using few words and subtle symbolism. Even though you may not understand exactly what he is saying the emotion his is expressing is crystal clear.

My brother introduced me to the Rod Stewart version first and I’ve always loved that version. When I found Waits original at first it sounded awkward and lacking in any real passion. But more and more I find myself coming back to Waits version because there is something so primal and exposed about his voice that it draws me in.

Whichever one you prefer, it’s undeniable the greatness of this song. The lyrics are incredible, the simple verse melody is intimate and the chorus is beautiful rising and falling like a wolf howling at a full moon.

If you’re not a Tom Waits fan, give his version a try. You may be surprised how much you like it even after initially being turned away from the ugliness of his voice. If you’re not a Rod Stewart fan, give him a chance. It's blue-eyed soul at its best.

Either way, take a minute to jump into the world of Tom Waits whether it be through his voice or Stewart's. It's dark and a little scary, but there's magic there in the moonlight, the empty streets and the memories that keeps hope alive.

Fix You by Coldplay

“Thanks for supporting us through thick and thin and taking all the “shi**” for being a Coldplay fan.”

LOL

At the close of a concert in Toronto, Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay thanked the audience for their support and acknowledge the fact that like Coldplay has a certain stigma.

Through first hand experience, I know how much fun it is to make fun of Coldplay fans. I spent years mocking them. When a band reaches the popularity and has the cultural impact that Coldplay has there is bound to be backlash. And really once you marry someone like Gwyneth Paltrow, a beautiful and talented actress, it’s hard to buy Chris Marin singing about longing and loneliness.

Then came “Viva La Vida.”



In this earlier post, I discussed the power of this song, the incredible instrumentation and inventive lyrics. This song tells the story of a king who had lost his kingdom, and incredibly, Coldplay was about to make this story relate to our own memories and dreams.

As I’ve explored the world of Coldplay, I’ve found that many of their songs exist in the world of fantasy exploring different realities and dimensions, exploring science fictions stories, using metaphors and symbolism to reflect the human experience whether it be “Clocks” or “The Speed Of Sound.”



One of Coldplay’s most interesting and loved songs in “fix You,” which is perhaps their most direct and intimate song. In contrast to songs like “Viva La Vida,” “Fix You” doesn’t tell a story and isn’t self-reflective, instead, it’s a direct message of friendship of love.

In the first two verses, Martin sings about trying and painful situations. The first line, “ when you try your best and you don’t succeed,” speaks to the loss of idealism, the realization that what you’ve been told as a child is not true. Other lines speak to the pain, the tears, and asks “could it be worse?”

The chorus replies that “light will guide you home, and ignite your bones and I will try to fix you.” The beauty in this statement is that Martin is reassuring us that something somewhere, a light, a power or force will help us out and fill us up with energy, with hope. Through all of this, a friend will try to help us out. The reality of a situation is that sometimes our friends can’t fix our lives for us, but it’s a powerful statement of devotion when they promise that they will try.

As the song builds up out of the simple organ accompaniment relating us back to the intimacy and safety of church, there is a celebratory glory behind the words “tears stream down your face, when you lose something you cannot replace.” Instead of shying away from bad feeling and pain, Coldplay embraces these feelings reflecting something that Coldplay expresses in their music: an understanding of the beauty of emotion not only in the happiness but in the entire spectrum of the human experience.



At the end of the song, Chris Martin, drops from his falsetto, down an octave into his chest voice. In this moment, he changes from a rock superstar to a friend. This promise isn’t being sung to a stadium of fans but directly to us. In the depth of his voice, this final reiteration of support is venerable, honest, daring and true.

“Fix You” is what we need to hear other people say to us to get through the challenges in life and it is also what we would like to promise to the people we love in our lives. It is everything we need. It's everything we long to be. And it's simply one of the greatest rock songs in recent memory.

Coldplay fans, you were right. You don't deserve all the crap you've gotten through the years. I apologize.

Now if someone could explain Chris Martin's fascination with colored electric tape. I mean, seriously man, what's up with that?

Rainy Days And Mondays by The Carpenters

I grew up on Mercer Island, which is a suburb of Seattle. When I tell people this, one of the first people comments people say is “it rains a lot in Seattle, you must like the rain.” arrgh.

There’s a couple things that irritate me about this statement, first off Seattle doesn’t even make the top ten list of rainiest cities. And really, even if Seattle was the rainiest city how does that mean that people from Seattle like the rain?

Who really loves the rain? It’s raining right now in Chicago not with the sprinkle of summer rain but the torrential “walk outside for 5 seconds to walk the dog and come in and need a complete change of clothes” kind of rain.

Most of us tolerate rain because we know we need it and it makes us appreciate the sunshine all that much more. Rain is the valley that makes the peak that much more amazing, but knowing this doesn’t mean you like being in the valley, it just means that you’ve figured out a way to look on the bright side of something that is innately depressing like rain.

Combine the grossness of rain with having a “case of the Mondays” and really could it get much worse?



I’m sitting here, it’s raining, it’s Monday, perfect time to listen to “Rainy Days & Mondays.” When you are in a bad mood and you listen to a song that is about being sad, it doesn’t make the bad mood go away, it just makes you feel better knowing that you aren’t alone in your feelings. However listening to Karen Carpenter, instead of feeling better about my bad mood, I'm realize I'm not feeling that bad.

Talking to myself and feeling old
Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
--------
What I've got they used to call the blues
Nothing is really wrong
Feeling like I don't belong

“Rainy Days & Mondays” is one of the best descriptions of the feeling of depression in popular music. It’s wanting to give up, not because something is wrong but because you feel you don’t have a place. We’ve all had these times in our lives where we’ve felt this way and gotten through them but listening to this song you can’t help but wonder if Karen Carpenter ever did herself.

Karen Carpenter died of heart failure at age 32 of heart failure because of weakened heart muscles due to anorexia nervosa. In 1983, the year she died, the public knew little about eating disorders and Karen’s death raised awareness of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. I don’t know if Karen was singing about her own depression in her music or it was just part of her skills as a singer. Either way you can’t help but wonder.

I know that The Carpenters could not sound more adult contemporary but behind the squeaky-clean image was one the greatest voices in popular music. Her voice is like Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. There’s a scene when her character Penny Lane finds out that she has been lost in a bet for $50 and a case of beer (3:30 in).



There’s a smile and a swagger on the outside but a pain on the inside that even when is hidden is in everything action. Optimism almost makes us forget the pain when shaking off tears looking into the sunlight, but the darkness haunts is never forgotten.

Listening to Karen Carpenter makes me cry. I don’t know why. She always gets to me and more than sad the Carpenter's music somehow makes me feel at peace. I just noticed that the sun has broken through the clouds and the rain has stopped. Rainy days and Mondays can’t last forever and it’s comforting to know that not only for myself but for Karen Carpenter.

Look like Buffy noticed that the sun came out too, well, I guess it’s time for a walk. C’mon girly, let’s go explore.