April 16th, 2009 | No Comments »
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Nostalgia 77 (w/Alice Russell)
Seven Nation Army
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Tender Forever
My Love
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B.Cause (w/The Whitefield Brothers & The Dazz Band)
Let It Whip
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I’m gonna switch things up on Musical Cousins. Usually, I do a modernish song that contains a sample from a slightly less modern song. Not this time. The tracks offered up in this post are all cover versions that sound as if they were released before the original. Allow me to demonstrate.
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Published in Music, Musical Cousins |
February 28th, 2009 | No Comments »
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Kid Cudi
50 Ways To Make A Record
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Album: A Kid Named Cudi (Mixtape, 2008)
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Paul Simon
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
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Album: Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)
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One of the benefits of sampling other artists’ songs is that I get to rediscover music that I haven’t heard in a while. Such is the case with this edition of Musical Cousins.
One of the many (too many) year-end “best of” lists I read was The 10 Best Mixtapes of 2008 (all free, by the way). Most of them were not of interest to me, but I checked out a couple. The freshest was from Kid Cudi, a Cleveland singer-rapper who, as a result of his mixtape, became a protege of Kanye West.
Cudi has a laid back flow and a respectable singing voice. But what really brought a smile to my face was a throwaway track, a semi-cover of Paul SImon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” which he reworked as “50 Ways To Make A Record.” Yeah, the new lyrics are insidery and on its own, this track won’t move the needle for Cudi’s burgeoning career, but hearing that militaristic drum line took me back instantly.
I probably hadn’t heard Paul Simon’s version for at least 20 years, so after listening to Cudi’s track I downloaded the original immediately. Wow, what a great song (a 5-star classic, fo’ sho’). The song shifts — both musically and lyrically — from the wistful realization of dissatisfaction in the narrator’s relationship to the buoyant catharsis of letting go and finding relief through freedom. Simon is that rare artist who is equally skilled as a songwriter, singer, and musician and this classic is a testament to his talents.
Thanks, Kid Cudi, for shepherding me back to this song after all these years.
Published in Music, Musical Cousins |
January 31st, 2009 | No Comments »
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Summer In The City
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Manteca
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“Sanford & Son” Theme
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Chump Change
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Album: You’ve Got It Bad Girl (1973)
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To mark the one month anniversary of gBlog, I’ve got a new feature that I hope you will enjoy: LP Classics, a tribute to the best records in my collection. The rules: each selection must have a few 4- and 5-star classics, and it can’t be a compilation or live album.
I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more auspicious debut for this feature than the LP I selected: Quincy Jones’s You’ve Got It Bad Girl. Released in 1973, it’s rarely mentioned among Q’s triumphs, but I’ve played and enjoyed this record countless times. I found it at a San Francisco sidewalk sale for $2, a deal that still makes me smile some 15 years later.
As you can see from the tags I assigned to this post, Quincy showcases his eclectic tastes on this LP. A few tracks originate from movies or TV shows, others are creative interpretations of other artists’ songs, and the liner notes detail several legendary session players providing support throughout the album.
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Published in LP Classics, Music |
January 6th, 2009 | No Comments »
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Little Ghetto Boy
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Jealous Guy
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We’re Still Friends
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Album: Live (1972)
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Introducing Sorta Live, where I’ll post some tracks from a live album, back when capturing a live concert was different enough from the recorded versions to merit release. I’ll also attempt to put some shine on recordings you may not have heard before and digitize my vinyl collection.
This time around, I selected some tracks from the late, great Donny Hathaway’s 1972 live album. Side 1 of the record (represented by “Little Ghetto Boy” and “Jealous Guy”) was recorded at NYC’s Bitter End club and side B (“We’re Still Friends”) was recorded at The Troubador in Los Angeles. Many live albums skimp on the production values, but these recordings are warm and intimate, with the perfect balance between performers and audience. Donny is among my favorite singers, and this set is a great example of the confident command he has over his luscious voice.
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Published in Music, Sorta Live |
