I watched the PBS “American Masters” documentary on David Geffen today for the second time. Geffen was the guy who signed one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Laura Nyro, whom he championed and cut deals making sure that the likes of Three Dog Night, The Fifth Dimension and Blood Sweat and Tears recorded hit versions of her […]
Song Of The Day – “Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly” by Elton John
By the release of “Rock Of The Westies” in 1976, the bloom was beginning to fall off of the Elton John flower. While “Westies” was indeed a very good album that debuted at the pole position of the charts, its release signaled the beginning of a long decline in the quality of the music and […]
Song Of The Day – “Cupid de Locke” by Smashing Pumpkins
Beautiful grunge may seem like an oxymoron to some, but in the hands of Smashing Pumpkins on their masterwork “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness,” beautiful grunge is a reality. Case in point is this gorgeous, gentle melody – one of several that pop up on an album that Billy Corgan says was inspired by […]
Song Of The Day – “On The Road To Freedom” by Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre
British born Alvin Lee got his start playing the same Hamburg, Germany club circuit as The Beatles where they both performed at the Star-Club in 1962. He found success after forming Ten Years After in 1968 and coming to the attention of rock impresario Bill Graham who brought him to American and booked him into […]
Song Of The Day – “Don’t Let’s Start” by They Might Be Giants
You can’t bottle creativity, but in the case of They Might Be Giants, you certainly can buy it! They were two wild and crazy nerd-boys when they burst onto the scene in the 1980s, we just didn’t realize how wild and crazy they really were. The two Johns: Flansburgh and Linnell have always looked at […]
Song Of The Day – “St. James Infirmary” by Anat Cohen
Whatever happened to the prominence of the clarinet in Jazz? Sure, the clarinet is still the front-and-center instrument in Klezmer music, but over the years the clarinet’s prominence in Jazz has shrunken to the point of non-existence, only to be replaced by the soprano or alto saxophone. There was a time when the clarinet was […]
4th Of July Playlist
4th Of July Playlist Here’s my own personal 4th Of July Playlist. I’m sure there are songs you feel deserving of such an endeavor. If so, add them and let me know… Woody Guthrie: This Land Is Your Land http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE Ray Charles: America The Beautiful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjr8EVgBg The Beach Boys: Spirit Of America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc0cvsSwvs0 Grateful […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “America The Beautiful” by Ray Charles
By1972, the year he recorded his Gospel-tinged version of “America The Beautiful,” Ray Charles’ career was deeply in decline. It had been many years since his last hit and his recording contract with ABC was coming to an end. Indeed, the “A Message From The People” album that originally contained this song sank without a […]
Song Of The Day – “New World Rising/Ocean Breakup (Reprise)” by Electric Light Orchestra
By 1973 and the release of “On The Third Day,” ELO had literally rid themselves of all the Wood (Roy Wood, that is) from the lineup, and the band was firmly under the artistic direction of Jeff Lynne. The record was far more progressive in its arrangements, and the music acquired a melodic flair attributed […]
Song Of The Day – “We Got The Beat” by The Go-Go’s
When they burst onto the scene in 1980, a New Wave girl group was indeed a novelty. While their sound harked back to the first wave of girl groups from the 1960s, these ladies could also write their own material and play their instruments. The Go-Go’s rose from the same fertile LA punk scene as […]
