January 2023 Overview

 January 2023 Overview

Writer's Check-in

Well, we've reached the end of the first month of 2023. It's crazy to think that we are finally hitting the point where the blues and modern popular music are now more than 100 years old (it still blows my mind to realize a century has passed since Bessie Smith recorded "Down Hearted Blues"), and it warms my heart that many of the greats of the 1920s still attract quite a few listeners (like myself) today. At least, it makes me feel that no matter what kind of evil, chaotic things happen at the hands of the cruelest, the beautiful music people create can transcend time and space and still provide meaning to people who live long after those musicians pass. People deep down are really all the same, and the enduring power of the century-old music of Jimmie Rodgers, Bessie Smith, and Blind Lemon Jefferson reminds me that music has a way of timelessly invoking our innermost humanness in a way few things can.

That small contemplation aside, January 2023 has been a pretty good month for me. Adjusting to the new home and the new semester has gone rather smoothly, and I've been overall relaxing with a good balance of work and life (at least for now). More importantly, I think the singles reviewing project is going rather well! I probably won't finish 1950 by early February, but I've quite been satisfied with the reviews I've been putting out thus far and hope you all have been enjoying them as well! I'm quite excited about the new reviews coming up (especially for the Muddy and Ruth Brown ones!), so stay tuned to hear more about the great music that came out in the first year of the 50s and beyond!

Music Stats for the Month

Total Listening Time: 155 hours. Much more than last time, but it was much less consistent. Some days I would only hear roughly 45 tracks, but some days I would hear roughly 160 tracks. 

Top Artist: Mothers of Invention. Mostly due to the sprawling tracklists of Uncle Meat and Absolutely Free, but I had a lot of fun listening to both of those albums this month.

Top Album: Uncle Meat - Mothers of Invention. I gave this behemoth many concentrated listens to try to digest every part and was really rewarded for doing so. Frank had more interesting musical ideas than he knew what to do with.

Top Song: "Louis Collins" - Mississippi John Hurt. I seriously think this is becoming my favorite song of all time, or at least, it is giving a lot of competition to "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands", "Sittin' At The Dock of the Bay", "Ambulance Blues", "Strawberry Fields Forever" for that personal title. I can't think of a song that so naturally captures the beauty of being alive with such a peaceful contemplation on the nature of death.

Reviews

I was able to pump out fourteen 1950 singles reviews this month, which I think was rather impressive given how busy I normally am. Here they all are, where the ones reviewing the recommended/essential singles are bolded:

1. Rag Mop / Sentimental Me - Ames Brothers
2. I Can Dream, Can't I? / The Wedding of Lili Marlene - Andrew Sisters
3. The "Harry Lime" Theme / The Cafe Mozart Waltz - Anton Karas
4. If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake / When Love Happens to You - Eileen Barton
5. Dream a Little Dream of Me / Can Anyone Explain? (No, No, No!) - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
6. The Fat Man / Detroit City Blues - Fats Domino
7. Foggy Mountain Breakdown / No Mother or Dad - Flatt and Scruggs
8. Goodnight Irene / Tzena, Tzena, Tzena - The Weavers
9. Long Gone Lonesome Blues / My Son Calls Another Man Daddy - Hank Williams
10. Stack-A-Lee - Archibald
11. Why Don't You Love Me / A House Without Love - Hank Williams
12. Bad, Bad Whiskey / I'm Going to Tell My Mama - Amos Milburn
13. Moanin' the Blues / Nobody's Lonesome for Me - Hank Williams
14. Shotgun Blues / Rollin' Blues - Lightnin' Hopkins

Articles

Again, the Neil Young one is still being edited at the moment, but once it's out, I'll be sure to post it here!

Monthly Playlist

Here is the link to this month's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2LBuBBRElQcGhyAJikXsca?si=43edde6d0e7e4422

As much as I love all the tracks here, I feel more and more nervous sharing this with people because I am not sure how most people will react to a playlist where nearly 67% of the playlist is composed of music made before 1960. Still, most of the music here is rather accessible, and I can't imagine this playlist being entirely disagreeable for most people when it has tracks from Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Dire Straits, Jeff Buckley, Ben E. King, and Blur. So enjoy the playlist, and let me know what you think! 

Here is the tracklist along with links to any that got reviews:

1. "Instant Karma" - John Lennon
2. "To The End" - Blur
3. "Charmless Man" - Blur
4. "What About Us" - The Coasters
5. "Ex-Spectator" - Fugazi
6. "Entertain Me" - Blur
7. "Hawaiian Boogie (No. 2)" - Elmore James
8. "Gulf Coast Blues" - Bessie Smith
9. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" - Flatt & Scruggs
10. "Irene (Goodnight Irene)" - Lead Belly. A discussion of the song can be found here.
11. "The Uncle Meat Variations" - The Mothers of Invention
12. "Mississippi Delta Blues" - Jimmie Rodgers
13. "John The Revelator" - Blind Willie Johnson
14. "Raw-Hide" - Link Wray
15. "Stack-A-Lee" - Archibald
16. "Wang Dang Doodle" - Koko Taylor
17. "Crazy About You Baby" - Sonny Boy Williamson II
18. "Home of the Blues" - Johnny Cash
19. "Sho' Nuff I Do" - Elmore James
20. "I'm Satisfied" - Mississippi John Hurt
21. "Setting Me Up" - Dire Straits
22. "Louie Louie" - Richard Berry
23. "Kind Mama" - Blind Willie McTell
24. "Grace" - Jeff Buckley
25. "There Goes My Baby" - The Drifters
26. "Short Haired Woman" - Lightnin' Hopkins. Discussion of his music can be found here.
27. "Goin' Home" - Fats Domino. Discussion of his debut single can be found here.
28. "Big Ten Inch Record" - Bull Moose Jackson
29. "Blue Monday" - Fats Domino
30. "Tuesday's Gone" -  Lynyrd Skynyrd. I actually didn't realize that I followed up a Monday song with a Tuesday song!
31. "Louis Collins" - Mississippi John Hurt

That's all for now. Thank you all so much for reading my lengthy ramblings about music. It means the world to me to share something I am so passionate about with others, and I hope they can get everybody excited about music too. Here's to the upcoming February 2023 and beyond!

1950 Singles: Shotgun Blues / Rollin' Blues - Lightnin' Hopkins

 Shotgun Blues / Rollin' Blues - Lightnin' Hopkins

Why included: Personal pick (#15 on RYM's top singles of 1950)

A-side: Shotgun Blues

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shotgun/724222820?i=724223756

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/4il8Ki3peNFcKUafJLhy0P?si=4a21d534584e4c5b

Out of all the major post-war blues giants, Sam John "Lightnin'" Hopkins is easily the toughest nut to crack and dissect, let alone write about. At first, he seems like nothing special: just another country blues feller heavily influenced by the simultaneous rhythm-lead approach of Robert Johnson, the chilling weep of Skip James, and especially the enigmatic mystique of the great Blind Lemon Jefferson, who mentored the young Lightnin' Hopkins when playing together at informal church gatherings. Obviously a worthy playing and performing talent, but with a voice like that, he could even sound a bit meek compared to Charlie Patton or Blind Willie Johnson.

Yet, when you go back to all of the pre-war greats, you really don't find anyone like Hopkins, precisely because all of them were still playing from a personal perspective and concealing the pain of their own lives in musical form. I don't doubt that Sam didn't have quite a lot of himself in the music, but his style first and foremost dissolves himself and assumes a truly epic stance to country blues. It doesn't matter whether he is playing threateningly or tongue-in-cheek: when he does a song for you, he performs like an elder prophet delivering a sermon to a crowd of soon-to-be believers. Playing the humble "country blues" genre with that level of seriousness may be a recipe for disaster, but the combination of slow but absolutely scorching boogie lines with his overflowing levels of charisma and confidence makes the effect of this "jazz-and-poetry blues" truly astonishing. He might have meant some humor in a song like "Short Haired Woman", but with that style, it was simply impossible for the emotional effect not to be crushing.

The only issue that comes with this magnificent style is the monotony: like Nina Simone, every song of his feels so weighty and powerful that it can wear out the listener quickly, and Hopkins had a limited number of grooves he liked to repeat over and over. Yet, in the right dose, just a couple of his numbers can feel more important than some artists' entire discographies. "Shotgun" is a powerful demonstration of that talent. Hopkins's tone is most potent under a textured electric sound, but even under thinner acoustic, he wrings out every note, repeating each one enough times so their ringing impression remains deep with you. When he starts delivering those verses, you can feel that subtle, concealed danger without even glancing at its homicidal lyrics (that aggressive solo around 1:58 is enough to indicate the foul play going on). He has so much terrifying charisma that a mumble is all that's required to scare off the lighthearted, yet the elegant, free-form flow of the guitar and melody makes the vibe sound real and authentic.

Of course, much of Sam's appeal relies on absorbing his personality and presence rather than great compositional talent, which is why he's tougher to get into his discography compared to other blues greats of the 50s. Yet, it's not every day that a singer can come along and sing "if I don't get some competition, there's gonna be trouble in here" and make every breath of that believable, and sometimes, you just gotta live up to a talent like that.

B-side: Rollin' and Rollin'

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/rollin-and-rollin/724222820?i=724223761

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/0ww2XsrOozqWq1Lo2OpND4?si=c57c43c1526740fd

With Hopkins in his prime, you can rarely go wrong, and this song delivers the goods nearly as well as the A-side. In this song, you can appreciate his signature playing technique in all of its glory, where at times he just lets his guitar loose to twist and turn in those winding series of chromatic turnarounds. Yet, the title isn't just for the guitar technique: the song's desolate, aggressive atmosphere almost embodies the narrative of a lone traveler that can't stay in one place for too long, a mood that is ideally suited for a guy like Lightnin' Hopkins. A mini-atmospheric gem right here, underrated only because of the sheer number of great (but repetitive) songs this prolific (but difficult) artist managed to release.

Verdict: Essential listening

As widely revered as Hopkins is, he is an artist I feel no person who genuinely loves blues music can truly be without, simply because no one could ever recreate the vibe that permeates all of his recordings. On his best singles like this one, it is almost mindboggling how he was able to bottle up the most explosive forms of aggression and misery within a subtle, minimalistic framework and still have the effect be absolutely shattering, and it's this unique personality that still makes this music sounds so timeless today. Perhaps some people might find him too stiff compared to most of his country blues elders, and it is true only 3-4 songs are necessary to understand his essence. Yet, there is a time for fun and variety and there is a time for the terrifying assault of the opening chords of "Shotgun", and it's best to appreciate the best of both of these worlds rather than believing one to be superior to the other.

1950 Singles: Moanin' the Blues / Nobody's Lonesome for Me - Hank Williams

Moanin' the Blues / Nobody's Lonesome for Me -  Hank Williams

Why included: 10th in RYM's Top 10 singles of 1950

A-side: Moanin' the Blues

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/moanin-the-blues-single-version/1434905254?i=1434905521

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/02u8S4pSK98no24rCn6zvi?si=96747d238d5744bc

Maybe this title might seem fitter for a grizzly bluesman like Howlin' Wolf than the king of the honky-tonkers, but if anyone country musician had earned the right to put "blues" in one of his titles, it was Hank (well, maybe Jimmie Rodgers as well, but he was an actual country bluesman, closer in spirit to Blind Willie McTell or Mississippi John Hurt than any future country disciple of his). In fact, this is quite a good title because he hardly sings as much as he groans and wails his way throughout the song. This is where he finally nailed the art of edging his audience: rather than having concentrated bursts of pain (like in "Long Gone Lonesome Blues") or destroying his audience with emotion from the get-go (like in "Lovesick Blues"), he slowly but viscerally builds up the tension, constantly sounding like he's on the verge of a breakdown until it erupts with a guttural moan of despair. It has a truly devastating power that few can compete with, providing sizable competition with the gloomiest of Chicago blues and making most other country recordings seem fluffy in comparison. One should never underestimate Hank in a depressive mood, and this is one of the most harrowing examples of his artistic genius.

B-side: Nobody's Lonesome For Me

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/nobodys-lonesome-for-me-single-version/1434905254?i=1434905522

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/4hx7B8TCMXljgRhQgboyFf?si=d04c7fbec3c941b6

This is as catchy and emotionally striking as anything he released in his prime, but this is one of my all-time favorite songs of his because of how many classic lines are contained here. This is like the ULTIMATE "I'm sad and lonely" song, mixing in self-deprecating humor in the lyrics with genuine anguish to great effect. In fact, the lyrics here are so good I think I'll post the 5 best quotes from the song with some commentary:

1. "Everybody's lonesome for somebody else, but nobody's lonesome for me" - the chorus itself encapsulates the theme of romantic loneliness so well, doesn't it? Watching everybody happily in relationships and having lovers of their own, but being all alone yourself? I'd even argue that, given that Hank was in a relationship at this time, the song might imply he doesn't have anyone he felt cared about him, his lover not giving him the affection he needed to be happy. 
2. "When the time rolls around for me to lay down and die, I bet I'll have to go and hire me someone to cry" - man, this is such a morbidly humorous way of saying that "no one will care if I'm gone." It might seem like a funny exaggeration at first, but taking into account his deteriorating mental health and his looming mortality within 3 years of this song, it becomes very eerie to hear him sing that line.
3. "All I need is a bride who want's a big-hearted groom. I wouldn't care if she come ridin' in on a broom" - I think invoking the "witch" image is actually quite nuanced because a "witch" description is used in different ways, whether it be an evil personality or superficial ugliness. Yet, it could also mean that he wants by some magical spell to have a woman apparate into his life who could appreciate his complex, bleeding personality. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but the fact that I can come up with different interpretations should show he was pretty underrated as a lyricist.
4. "Oh, I shined up my shoes, and then I slicked down my hair, put on my Sunday suit, but I ain't goin' nowhere" - it's interesting that he would describe all of the work he put into looking nice and then says he's going nowhere. It might seem like that would have a straightforward interpretation, but the reason he is going nowhere is a bit ambiguous. Does he mean he's gonna meet other women and have nothing come out of it? Does he wear his stuff symbolically for his untapped romantic availability? Does the fact it is a Sunday suit mean he is not gonna be able to attain heaven, and if so, what type of heaven is being described here?
5. "Now I ain't had a kiss since I fell out of my crib. It looks to me like I been cheated out of my rib" - the first line there is just witty and funny, but the second line is actually referencing (as a commentator on Genius.com pointed out) Genesis 2:22, where god made Eve out of Adam's rib to symbolize a woman must be beside her man and how they complement each other. Maybe Hank did spend a little more time writing these lyrics than one would think.

Of course, all of this could be seriously overanalyzing a song that comes across as quite simplistic, and much of their charm obviously comes from Hank's vocal personality. Yet, every line here stuck within my memory walls so strongly that I had to provide some justification for why that was the case.

Verdict: Essential Listening

Really, it's incredible that Hank could churn out dozens of whiny, loser tunes per year and still make each and every one ring true without feeling repetitive or irritating in the slightest. Though, it is hard to imagine his style ever sounding forced if that pathos was all too real, reflecting a tortured, tormented spirit coming from deeply painful experiences in his tragic life Hank was never able to shake off. With this perspective, both the musically devastating "Moanin' The Blues" and the wit of "Nobody's Lonesome For Me" become haunting self-testaments that only become more powerful in an age where this outlook on life only becomes more pervasive. At the very least, Hank will probably be a kindred spirit for so many suffering today, and sometimes, having direct, emotional music like this can be a good friend that can heal in profound ways.

1950 Singles: Bad, Bad Whiskey / I'm Going to Tell My Mama - Amos Milburn

Bad, Bad Whiskey / I'm Going To Tell My Mama - Amos Milburn

Why included: Personal Pick (#60 on top singles of 1950)

A-side: Bad, Bad Whiskey

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/bad-bad-whiskey/723502278?i=723504344

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/6UI32eDarmT5xDQpD2VpEz?si=9cfa349c8a394c59

Play any of Amos Milburn's peak-era material, and you'll realize the man playing was no ordinary hackman. Undoubtedly, he was one of the greatest piano players of his generation, delivering masterful solos with a feather touch that simply couldn't be beaten. While his jump-blues peers relied on powerhouse vocals (like Wynonie Harris or Big Joe Turner) or explosively well-oiled backing bands (like Louis Jordan), Amos managed an ideal balance of artsy excursions and kickass entertainment that managed to last the test of time: even if not everybody remembers Amos specifically, you probably know him through covers (Down The Road Apiece and One Scotch have become popular standards) or through his vast influence on future piano-playing entertainers, from Little Richard to Professor Longhair. At least, Fats Domino deeply idolized the man, which means his style is deep-rooted into the DNA of all rock 'n' roll piano players.

Now, with those heaps of praise, some might find this song underwhelming in terms of virtuosic soloing, which may be justified. "Bad Bad Whiskey" topping the R&B charts is generally thought to be the end of his golden age, where Amos started to forgo impressionistic soloing and energetic rockers for slower, classier drinking-related tunes. I concur with this perspective, finding much more musical substance in the elegant "After Midnite" than in the rather simplistic "Let Me Go Home Whiskey." Yet, inspiration doesn't disappear overnight, and this song still retains quite a bit of his inventiveness and charisma. In fact, it manages to impress in the first fifteen seconds with those beautiful explosions of piano notes set to a topsy-turvy rhythm that set the tipsy mood perfectly. Even after the intro is over, the song doesn't lose any of its charm due to the freshness of the vibe, Amos's humble but charismatic voice carrying the song's friendliness throughout. At least, I can see how this sort of booze-tinged good-timey style could have strongly influenced Fats and other New Orleans players, and the fact he could influence the guys who live in this atmosphere is damn impressive.

B-side: I'm Going To Tell My Mama

Quite nice for a B-side since it features some of his fluid, proto-rock 'n' roll soloing toward the end. However, the horn section ends up drowning out most of Milburn's piano playing, and what's the point of listening to Amos Milburn if his performing chops aren't the focus of the song? Still, it's entertaining enough to be passable, so check it out of it you are a big fan of his.

Verdict: Recommended

In his prime, Amos Milburn was a performer who could make practically any song he performed delightful by spicing them up with exciting musical ideas and solos. By valuing substance and intelligent artistry over flashiness, he manages to stake his firm place in the popular music canon. Songs like "After Midnite," "Down The Road Apiece", "Amos Boogie", "Chicken Shack Boogie", "Amos Blues", "My Baby's Boogying", and so many others are not just a must for anyone interested in jump blues but also for anyone who enjoys music that satisfies both your mind and soul. The fact that "Bad Bad Whiskey" (along with his equally famous "One Scotch") happen to be mellow crowd-pleasers shouldn't turn you away from his early greatness, but even with that in mind, they happen to be so enjoyable nevertheless because of that early greatness. So, be sure to give this song a fair chance, and have a couple shots of whiskey while you're at it.

1950 Singles: Why Don't You Love Me / A House Without Love - Hank Williams

 Why Don't You Love Me / A House Without Love - Hank Williams

Why included: 7th in RYM's Top 10 singles of 1950

A-side: Why Don't You Love Me

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/why-dont-you-love-me-single-version/1434905254?i=1434905515

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/3u4QCWCMvQzkobZmwR9i2N?si=6301c17b2d3e41fe

This has got to be one of the (if not the) catchiest, earwormiest songs Hank ever released. Now, like most pre-60s artists, Hank probably borrowed a lot of his core melodies from the rich tradition of blues/folk/country before him, but he always had a knack for choosing just the right vocal phrasings, just the right melodies/riffs, just the right lyrics, and just the right tones/arrangements to make it stick in your brain like no other (indeed, I've heard roughly 40-50 of his songs and I remember how almost all of them go just by looking at the titles). Yet, this song is incredible even for his standards, every moment here manages to be instantly memorable and consistently entertaining the whole way through.

As it goes with Hank, the secret lies deep in the details. Much of the magic here comes from the brutally simple rhyming schemes in the lyrics, allowing the melody and the flow between verses to be buttery smooth. Sure, rhyming "do" with "shoe" and "while" with "mile" might seem inane, but such is the nature of his genius that he can make such a "dumb" song so emotionally striking. The balance of lighthearted friendliness and bleak world-weariness perfectly captures that "depressed self-deprecating humor" vibe he does so well, but he manages to use subtle toning to sneak in unique submoods for each lyric. In fact, you could understand his deeper torment by following the four-part structure of each stanza, starting with a hopeless cry for lost love ("why don't you be just like you used to be?"), questioning whether it is his fault ("how come you find so many faults with me?"), frustratedly retaliating back at his lover ("somebody's changed so let me give you a clue"), and then tries to innocently ask for a genuine answer to his original question ("why don't you love me like you used to do?"). Really, there are so many little details flavoring the whole thing that one could go line-by-line and psychoanalyze the whole damn thing. No wonder this manages to be so memorable: the combination of catchiness and relatability just cannot be beaten.

B-side: A House Without Love

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-house-without-love-single-version/1501917880?i=1501918411

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/7vspIptSGUU5dX3O1aht4Q?si=281d95250daa4edd

Truth be told, this is not a great highlight of his catalog, but I'll be damned if Hank ever recorded a truly bad song, which is why his B-sides are usually quite treasurable. This one contains his trademark soulful elongations that drown you with his voice, the rich sound of his backing band, and his melancholic vibe that no one could ever fully recapture. Those three elements alone are enough to guarantee its quality will still be miles above 90% of performers in the genre, so why say no to more of a golden formula?

Verdict: Essential Listening

"Why Don't You Love Me" is the perfect example of why one should never quickly dismiss a simpler, more accessible song by a great artist. A fan who appreciates complex gems of his like "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive" or "Kaw-Liga" could quickly right this off as a dumb attempt of scoring a catchy hit, which is even how I felt when I first heard it. Yet, artistic genius is not something that ever fully disappears, and even if Hank just tried to write a fun little ditty, it might end up having layers of depth that the artist himself would even struggle to account for. At least, with every listen, my respect for the song grew and grew, which is usually the opposite of what happens with songs like this. So, be sure to give this single the time it deserves, and hey, how could that be a chore with a melody so damn infectious?

1950 Singles: Stack-A-Lee - Archibald

 Stack-A-Lee - Archibald

Why included: Personal pick (#12 on top singles of 1950)

A-side & B-side: Stack-A-Lee

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/stack-a-lee/457960462?i=457960526

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/6fnLX48iMco4pORx6ieVEB?si=a2e5dfa72ea243ee

At first, it's pretty weird to think about the fact that "Stack O'Lee," one of the most well-known standards of American popular music, is about an actual murder that took place Christmas 1895, and it's even stranger that musical personalities as different as Ma Rainey, Mississippi John Hurt, and Lloyd Price all covered the song. Yet, after having heard enough versions, it does become clear why the composition is so notorious. First off, the actual name "stack o'lee" is a word with common syllables that make it quite conducive to internal rhyming, so it was easy to vary a musical structure around the title. More importantly though, the song has the unique ability to confront the artist with the idea of death, murder, and the fragility of life in a profound way, forcing the artist deep down to contemplate their own existence in the process. It might be displaying the sick brutality of man (like Nick Cave), expressing their willingness to tough the odds (like Ma Rainey), or treating death as a fact of life to accept (like John Hurt), but no matter sings it, you know that they will not be able to totally toss off far-reaching implications of the subject.

I think it's precisely this weightiness that makes Archibald's rendition such an iconic and influential version (in fact, his is probably my second favorite version ever behind John Hurt's). Like most music from New Orleans, there is playful warmth that permeates the atmosphere, but when facing such a harsh topic, Archibald turns the song into something incredibly life-affirming and powerful. His playing talents and musical phrasings are just so unbelievably rich and nuanced. His smooth-flowing but fluent glissandos and rhythms single-handledly provided the soulful depth required, maybe not as mind-boggling as Professor Longhair's wild-ass piano weaving but every bit as moving. The main piano riff alone captures the whole spectrum of emotions relating to the song: those bouncy little intro piano trickles halted by an affirmative chord that moves into pummeling piano rolls ending with an optimistic finish. Even Archibald's singing provides this level of complexity, preserving both tragic and uplifting overtones in equal proportion that never sounds forced. 

To me, this song is absolutely stunning because Archibald finds such an organic way of presenting the raw human spirit, where we can still thrive and find beauty in adversity by sheer human strength. The song is both heartbreaking and inspiring, yet it never feels like an unnatural juxtaposition to put both of them together. It's this wonderful spirit that became the standard for almost all future versions, but although I respect the greatness of Lloyd Price's and future covers of this song, none of those who modeled Archibald here reached quite as deeply as he did here.

Verdict: Essential Listening

This single alone develops a pretty strong case for why Archibald was such an influential presence in New Orleans music despite being more of a local performer. Throughout the song, he makes each musical phrase not just impactful but meaningful as well, giving you a great entertaining performance that can touch deeply at your soul at the same time. In a way, he provided here the more stately, articulate R&B perfection to Longhair's grimy, gusty R&B perfection, and with the national success of this single, he would help establish New Orleans's musical identity in the modern era and influence many outside those circles as well. The fact that Archibald did not have a long, fruitful recording career is to be lamented, yet the collective spirit of his time and place is so perfectly bottled up here that it provides adequate compensation. Please, give this underrated classic a chance: it may not blow you away at first listen, but it rewards immensely if you give it the time it deserves.

1950 Singles: Long Gone Lonesome Blues / My Son Calls Another Man Daddy - Hank Williams

 Long Gone Lonesome Blues / My Son Calls Another Man Daddy - Hank Williams

Why included: 1st in RYM's Top 10 singles of 1950

A-side: Long Gone Lonesome Blues

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/long-gone-lonesome-blues-single-version/1434905254?i=1434905510

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/0AwKnorWl9zYIqFRBSMvSu?si=e6e80dc5931e4a54

To me, this one stakes its place out of Hank's dozens of classics out of the sheer suspense it manages to generate. One of his greatest assets of Hank is that, unlike so many performers of his time, there are very few artistic layers he builds between you and himself: what you hear is the real deal, and whether it be the deadly seriousness of "Ramblin' Man" and carefree friendliness of "Hey Good Lookin,'" he is able to powerfully communicate his inner spirit through masterful phrasings and arrangements. This song, in contrast, works a bit differently than the directness we're used to from his material. It almost sounds like Hank tried to sing in his typical lonesome style, but the lyrics triggered such painful memories that his inner turmoil would come in brief pangs of groaning pain in between verses. This is where his crying wail from "Lovesick Blues" was truly bottled up as a powerful weapon, using that cracking moan in the song to literally inflict his audience with visceral pain when they least expected it. I guess we should expect a song with such suicidal lyrics like "I'm gonna find me a river, one that's cold as ice / And when I find me that river, Lord I'm gonna pay the price / I'm going down in it three times, but Lord I'm only coming up twice" to be deeply affecting, but only a genius like Hank could have figured out such a striking way of communicating a persisting troubled state.

B-side: My Son Calls Another Man Daddy

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-son-calls-another-man-daddy-mgm-single-version/1434905254?i=1434905511

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/5iRzVbN1poSomi80iLcROz?si=615ac68981144e6c

Generally seen as a lesser track of his, I happen to view this humble little cover as a minor classic. After all, he probably empathized with the subject matter on a deeply personal level, having dealt with incessant marital and family problems his whole life. His phrasings are just as astonishingly beautiful as usual, elongating and stretching out just the right syllables to make the message of his song clear and heartbreaking. Even then, guitar players Bob McNett (electric) and Don Helms (steel) are equal heroes here, coating the end of each verse with flurries of soft-pinging notes or human-like moans to emphasize the delicate melancholy to this story. It's a shame that a song of such high quality is relegated to mere B-side status, but once you get into the deep richness of the Hank Williams vibe, you'll realize that the man practically did no filler and even a minor B-side can be more emotionally moving than some artists' entire oeuvres. And hey, at least it made it onto his classic 40 Greatest Hits compilation, hopefully allowing people to place it on the same plane as "Settin' The Woods On Fire" and "Howlin' At The Moon."

Verdict: Essential Listening

For a man with a well-defined style and personality, it's amazing how many submoods and ideas he was able to explore within this range. That's why listening to 40-50 songs of his in a row is such a delight: with each song, you get a more and more multi-faceted, humanistic portrait of who he was as a human being. Yes, he had his flaws, shortcomings, and embarrassing moments just like the rest of us, but they only served to make him feel more real and organic. In a way, this confessional artistic paradigm was incredibly modern for his time and thus allows his music to be absolutely timeless, able to be revered by the snobby hipsters of today just as much as country music fans back in 1950. So, even if this is perhaps not his single greatest achievement, it is one of his most quintessential and intriguing successes by the greatest artist of his genre. What bigger recommendation could I really give?

1950 Singles: Goodnight Irene / Tzena, Tzena, Tzena - The Weavers

 Goodnight Irene / Tzena, Tzena, Tzena - The Weavers

Why included: Best Sellers In Stores Billboard #1 hit in Aug-Nov 1950 for 13 weeks, making it the best-selling single of 1950

A-side: Goodnight Irene

Naturally, somebody like Pete Seeger was going to cover this monumental Lead Belly classic. After all, Lead Belly's version of "Goodnight Irene" does not just contain his signature melody, it's one of the most tear-inducingly beautiful recordings of pre-war blues/folk. The song is one of Lead Belly's most obvious attempts at bringing tenderness and affection into his catalog, an intimate, soothing lullaby for his lover. Yet, a life of genuine suffering, toil, and hardship could never be fully shaken off, and a guy like Lead Belly was practically unable to produce a totally soft-edged folk tune. Beneath the superficial fluffy surface of this song lies his bleeding soul, all of the pain and frustration concealed within him seeping out over the course of 2-3 minutes. You can hear it in each bated breath, in each elongated phrase, in each brief moment where he belts it out from the depths of his heart. It is so emotionally rich I could sit all day and analyze the profound sub-moods conveyed in every lyric while still feeling it forms a complete picture of a man. The beautiful waltzing melody is wonderful, but it really comes down to the subtlety and sheer expressivity in his voice, the complex emotional palette that you can only get from authentic pre-war performers. At least, I feel more alive and human every time I hear it, no matter which version of his I hear. Lead Belly has a plethora of tunes I can give this sort of praise to, but this song (along with "Cotton Fields" and "Midnight Special") displays to me more than anything why his music has stood the test of time so beautifully. 

It's only with this context one can truly grasp the butchering done in the biggest hit of 1950. See, I get that Pete Seeger genuinely found the old folk tradition interesting and inspiring and was not solely responsible for this, but it is absolutely inexcusable all the same. What they do here is not just go against the spirit of the original, they smother it with tepid vocals and drown it in Jenkins's tasteless, sappy string arrangements. Of course, the melody is still nice, but without a single trace of humanity left here, I have no idea how such a recording was such a smash success in the charts. Sadly, this is unquestionably a textbook case of "stealing and watering down the black man's music" that just gets sourer and sourer every time I hear Huddie's original. The chance that some royalties from this success went to Lead Belly's estate (I hope, at least) makes this not entirely deplorable, but I cannot imagine a regular, emotion-feeling human being seriously preferring this to the moving original.

B-side: Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

Well, I like this more than the A-side because it's got a bit more energy, but still, if the idea of combining grittier, traditional genres with big, bombastic arrangements wasn't always tremendously successful for a genius like Ray Charles, what can I say about these (justly) forgotten folk interpreters? Jenkins's arrangement might be well made and the quartet tries to make it entertaining, but it just comes across as quite dated and manufactured today. If you're into this kind of sound, it might be a bit somewhat listenable, but it's not something to go out and search for.

Verdict: Not Recommended

Although this certainly is not the cream of the crop when it comes to American folk revival or Pete Seeger's career in general, I do find this song to still fundamentally convey my issue with most of this scene. Unless they can present a serious amount of their own charisma (like Odetta or Bob Dylan) or fundamentally deconstruct the style (like John Fahey and other American primitivists), I find most of the stuff I've heard way too stiff, tributary, and intellectualized to be enjoyed with my heart and soul. Many of them were deeply moved by the grand tradition of folk music and were blown away by what they heard in the famous Anthology of American Folk Music, but unfortunately, most of them were unable to truly recreate that spirit within themselves, which is why it is (rightly) considered a predecessor to the true greats to emerge from the scene rather than present artists with mindblowing original visions of their own. This may be a seriously poor example of this problem, but it is fairly indicative of the issues of the scene to come.

1950 Singles: Foggy Mountain Breakdown / No Mother or Dad - Flatt and Scruggs

 Foggy Mountain Breakdown / No Mother or Dad - Flatt & Scruggs

Why included: 2nd in RYM's Top 10 singles of 1950

A-side: Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/foggy-mountain-breakdown/1496061160?i=1496061161

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/56i2gbY4OHLK1mTcl5aWNs?si=44f38c1597784739

Now, this is one uncontrollable motherfucker! This was not just the speediest song around in the early '50s, this was one of the speediest songs ever recorded. Seriously, I don't think Slayer or Minor Threat ever played as effortlessly fast as Earl Scruggs here, redefining the use of the banjo entirely by plucking those poor, battered-down strings at a monstrous pace. Hell, this thing is so fast that I'm not really sure the average Joe can dance to it anymore!

Yet, don't let its comedic uses in Western chase scenes fool you, this is not a crude attempt at playing fast for the sake of it. There is an impressive level of fluency in how Scruggs cranks out the notes in a breakdown fashion, and the song never loses direction due to the smooth fiddle notes anchoring the groove down. The real achievement here is that, even at this frantic pace, each and every note is kept sonically rich and sharp. That's what makes the effect so unbelievably annihilating: when he kicks the power on, so many ultra-charged notes are launched at your face that you barely have time to process what is happening. Flatt & Scruggs very and truly invented a whole new genre here, proving to be influential to generations of bluegrass artists (it did make it onto May The Circle Be Unbroken after all) and even the future rock 'n' roll scene.

Detractors could argue that this style of playing is quite limited, and that's quite true: if you hear their album Foggy Mountain Jamboree, they had as much wiggle room with this style as Ramones did with theirs (maybe even less since Ramones could at least use their vocal hooks to their advantage). However, if you give both styles the time they deserve, they will surely endear themselves to you and, eventually, you'll begin to notice that there is a lot to explore within these limited means. So cheers to this kickass masterpiece of an instrumental, and let's hope it endures as a staple for bluegrass bands to come.

B-side: No Mother or Dad

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-mother-or-dad/1455684747?i=1455684775

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/1nKIOqCncZ4ldZ72GOf5ul?si=3327e23cfa664f56

I like this one! The grit of Earl's banjo mixing with the fiddle gives the song a rich sound and far removes it from the overly clean-cut forms of the genre. Along with that, the boys are obviously taking heavy cues from Hank Williams, especially with the way he would use elongated phrasings to extract a tragic feel. I wouldn't say this song is a classic (the song is, after all, a typical country song with some elements of creativity), but it is pretty darn enjoyable, especially if you need a break from the head-spinning chaos of the A-side.

Verdict: Essential listening

Although I try to stay away from the country bashing done by many ignorant folks, I do often find it hard to enjoy most country music unless it maintains some edgy elements (unless it's Jimmie Rodgers or something). This single, however, is a prime example of music from the genre that is timeless because it dares to take large risks that pay off enormously due to the sheer passion and artistic drive required to even begin to play like this. It's a really beautiful moment when you watch the famous music video of them playing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with company, where you can feel how excited everyone is to be there celebrating this landmark instrumental. It's rare that songs like this feel so alive and vital, and there's loads of that spirit to be found here. So what are you waiting for? Go hear this single and get the jolt of your life!

1950 Singles: The Fat Man / Detroit City Blues - Fats Domino

 The Fat Man / Detroit City Blues - Fats Domino

Note: I am aware that it was recorded and released at the tail-end of 1949, but the single is so important to not just the year 1950 but music history in general that I make an exception for it.

Why included: 5th in RYM's Top 10 singles of 1950 

A-side: Fat Man

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-fat-man/1396311078?i=1396312104

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/0ImWszBg2sQEInlAWaug31?si=23f4639d8e9d4f35

Sometimes, major revolutions may not be as obvious and flashy as we expect; they may lie in subtle details that might seem insignificant at first but earth-shattering when you finally soak it all in. If you listen to a good amount of old-school R&B and jump blues, this song may not stand out as a major highlight. At its core, it is just a regular rhythm and blues song set to the trademark New Orleans "Junker Blues" melody used by Lloyd Price, Professor Longhair, and many others. He didn't possess the vocal powerhouse of Big Joe Turner or Wynonie Harris nor did the song present instrumental virtuosity on par with Amos Milburn or the previously-mentioned Professor Longhair. Forget that this is commonly heralded by people (like myself) as the first rock and roll song, how did this sort of song become such a monster hit?

If I had to take a guess, it is the unique yet organic juxtaposition of a ferocious sound with such a charming and lovable personality. Maybe it is a jump blues song at its core, but it was genuinely novel at the time the way Fats banged the keys with all of his might under a pounding backbeat propelling it forward. Fats had serious playing chops (as demonstrated in the B-side of this single), but he wisely traded complexity for this minimalistic style to give the song a visceral, gutsy feel. The song becomes even more fascinating when you hear the utter friendliness of his demeanor, living and wah-wahing his life to the fullest while even poking a bit of fun at himself in the process (the lyrics are truly classic here). Really, it's so mindblowing how he managed to balance his heavy sound with his easygoing persona so perfectly throughout his career, becoming the friendliest guy in rock 'n' roll while packing a punch that blew the minds of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and countless others who could feel the beginning of a musical revolution in their bones. A milestone classic indeed that retains plenty of entertainment value today because who could not fall under the spell of such a wonderful dude like Fats? 

B-side: Detriot City Blues

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/detroit-city-blues/1552756829?i=1552756832

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/7qFokcHPh1BbKqo7GHDIXI?si=05fac74c58e34e17

If anyone still had doubt in their mind about Fats being a great piano player, this is the recording to hear. He wasn't the finest player of the rich New Orleans piano-playing tradition, but he certainly had plenty of performing talent that made him a significant presence in the scene. The song itself is pretty generic, but the way he flavors the songs with glissandos and speedy soloing is quite impressive. His style was not nearly as visceral and unique as Professor Longhair or Allen Toussaint at the time, but this track is a good demonstration of the musical backbone behind his acclaimed classics that all Fats fans must check out.

Verdict: Essential listening

There is plenty of debate about when rock 'n' roll truly begins, which I always felt was generally unresolvable. Most genres develop and evolve gradually, and it's hard to say when we have crossed the point of no return. Yet, I feel this single is the best point at which to begin, not only because this was the first rock-sounding song to sell a million records but also because much of the core ingredients are in place. We have our charismatic frontman banging away at his instrument like there's no tomorrow, rocking the dance floor down in a way few did before him. We count Fats Domino as the first rock star chronologically for a reason, and even though this is not his greatest song, this would be a defining recording that declared that he had arrived as a powerful musical force and he meant business. His subsequent career would be a glorious continuation of this song's mighty spirit.

1950 Singles: Dream a Little Dream of Me / Can Anyone Explain? (No, No, No!) - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

 Dream a Little Dream of Me / Can Anyone Explain? (No, No, No!) - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Why included: 3rd in RYM's Top 10 singles of 1950 

A-side: Dream a Little Dream of Me

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/dream-a-little-dream-of-me/1359340014?i=1359341569

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/78MI7mu1LV1k4IA2HzKmHe?si=6ccf711f84dd49a3

I'm not a fan of vocal jazz truth be told: being too repetitive and too clean-cut is not a combination that will gel with a grit-lover like me. Yet, it is still a genre that can be very respectable in the right hands, and this lovely duet of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong works splendidly here. The composition itself isn't spectacular and perhaps a bit overly sentimental, but the immaculate, subtly assertive phrasings of Ella and the lovable charm of Louis Armstrong play off each other beautifully, providing an organic balance of seriousness and playfulness. Really, this was a perfect match of charismas to make the experience endearing instead of merely pleasant like most other vocal jazz recordings. And isn't it nice when someone scats and it doesn't sound forced?

B-side: Can Anyone Explain? (No, No, No!)

Clearly the B-side here: Ella still gives a great performance here, but it's much more generic compositionally. Regardless, the actual singing is solid and the interplay between them is still fresh, so this is quite entertaining all the same. That little spoken word section towards the end is a cute touch as well.

Verdict: Recommended

As much as find the professionalism of most vocal jazz suffocating, only a heartless bastard could not be seduced by the charm of the duo. Indeed, in a genre like this where exploring sharper emotional territories is difficult, settling for "adorable" and "pleasant" are fair options, and while these sorts of songs can be pretty underwhelming in the grand scheme of things (do people feel these sorts of love songs as deeply as those by Marvin Gaye or Al Green?), I can say quite confidently that they succeed at being adorable and pleasant like few others in the genre can. All and all, a pretty successful duet, even if my heart I am more well-attuned to the Tammi-Gaye combo or even the Redding-Thomas combo (I can't help it that I'm a soul guy at heart!). 

1950 Singles: If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake / When Love Happens to You - Eileen Barton

 If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake / When Love Happens to You - Eileen Barton

Why included: Best Sellers In Stores Billboard #1 hit in April 1950 for 2 weeks

A-side: If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake

Listen, as much as I have a distaste for this sort of pop music, a lot of it can be listenable if you simply lower your expectations. For the most part, pre-Beatles pop rarely reaches the lows that pop-punk or nu-metal hit simply for having a level of decency as a product of its era, and many of its songs have a hook or two to at least keep you somewhat occupied. Really, it ain't all that bad, especially since this type of music inspired plenty of great artists that would start trickling in towards the end of the decade.

However, this is a prime example where no cutting of corners can make me actually find this song tolerable AT ALL. This melody and lyrics are so unbelievably idiotic that I am shocked that anyone would have allowed this to move past the demo stage. It might have been somewhat less excruciating if there was some actual humor to this recording, but no, Eileen totally is unaware of how moronic the song is and her vocal performance is basically like watching your drunk, dimwitted sister-in-law "bust out da moves" on the dance floor during your family reunion. Some people may think I am being too harsh on such a "cute" song, and maybe I'm giving too much flack to a composition with such iconic, clincher lines like "I'd hired a band, grandest band in the land." Yet, it violates my intelligence in such a brutal way that putting it on one more time might bring me to the brink of cardiac arrest. I cannot quite grasp the mass cognitive decline required to allow this to stay on the charts for fifteen fuckin' weeks, but PLEASE, no one record any more nursery rhyme-level songs if you don't have LaVern Baker behind the mic.

B-side: When Love Happens To You

Normally, I would be pretty harsh on something so overproduced and overly sentimental, but believe me, once you have sat through the A-side, this B-side gives your brain a chance to recover. It's just a generic and bland sort of dreary pop song, though I wasn't expecting much from this B-side anyways.

Verdict: NOT recommended

Instead of restating the obvious, I would rather talk about who were the ones responsible for this being a hit. Was it because it was really that catchy and entertaining? I have my doubts about that. I would rather put my money that plenty of guys had the hots for the cute blonde singer who sang in a seductive voice about how she would "bake a cake for you" if you arrive at her front door. That's the only way I can explain it, or maybe people were just perplexed how a contraction like "I'd've" could even exist. Whatever it is, it makes it easier to sleep at night thinking that it was for non-musical reasons this was such a success back then.

1950 Singles: The "Harry Lime" Theme / The Cafe Mozart Waltz - Anton Karas

 The "Harry Lime" Theme / The Cafe Mozart Waltz - Anton Karas

Why included: Best Sellers In Stores Billboard #1 hit in Apr-July 1950 for 11 weeks

A-side: The "Harry Lime" Theme

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-harry-lime-theme-from-the-third-man/1452513643?i=1452513652

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/24XO7tQTlhGI9UIW3sQ22l?si=5184d838a6f7453f

Rumors say that the soundtrack to the famous British film The Third Man inspired the Spongebob soundtrack, and you know, this theme makes a pretty good case for that being the truth (doesn't it match the show's spirit so well?). It captures that "lazy floating driftwood" vibe so perfectly as it frolics and bounces along its steady but stately pace. Plucking the melody on a zither gave the song a rich central European vibe, but doesn't the melody sound a bit too jumpy and playful to sound like an authentic 19th-century Viennese waltz? The whole thing has this lighthearted, faux-royal ambiance to it that I find pretty funny and endearing, and I'm not at all surprised that such a memorable theme lasted in the charts for so long. It is quite interesting though a connection was found between a serious film noir and a cartoon show, but in the world of music, practically anything can share a spiritual bond.

B-side: The Cafe Mozart Waltz

Sounds like a variation of the A-side with the same sort of feel and zither instrumentation. If you liked the "Harry Lime" Theme, this is something to hear if you want more of the exact same thing. Great sound, of course!

Verdict: Recommended

When soundtracks these days are dime a dozen, it's great when a movie theme can rise above it and have its own individual charm. Just goes to show that the public can often recognize good stuff when they hear it: this was a #1 hit for a deserved 11 weeks, far longer than the Ames Brothers' and Andrew Sisters' offerings put together. Even today, the richness of its spirit and sound still make it quite enjoyable, and while it won't change your life, it's the perfect soundtrack for a lazy, sunny day in the pool where inertness transforms into a blissful state.