Never underestimate the power of a well-placed vocal modulation. This is the peak of the Orioles' ability to create a truly religious atmosphere in the genre: the serious level of spirituality was already in place on "It's Too Soon To Know", but this song has this gorgeous buildup that pushes it firmly into classic territory. It's almost as if the opening words rise up higher and higher into the heavens, edging your expectations until you reach paradise with the glorious "the chaaaaaaaaaaaapelllllll" finale. With such a perfect musical phrase, all they need to do is hammer it home and sustain the pious atmosphere the whole way through, and with their tight minimalistic sound, they succeed at making something truly beautiful. Of course, don't go in expecting a revelation: it may sound quite typical of its era and genre at first. Yet, I do feel there is a certain amount of depth here that you don't find in most doo-wop singles, and that alone is a reason to give this single a listen almost 70 years later.
I'll be honest that my first exposure to this classic song was through the version on The Smile Sessions. Yet, Brian Wilson knew a meaningful melodic hook when he heard one, and this is easily one of the most memorable songs to come out of the whole movement. The main "doo do do do" hook is in the same category as Richard Berry's "Louie Louie" as an extremely simplistic musical statement but shocking effective in its straightforwardness. Its reputation as one of the first rock 'n' roll songs is probably due to that juicy little guitar solo in the middle of the song, but it was even more influential on the doo-wop scene, being the first song in the genre to sell a million copies and setting the core foundation for dozens of doo-wop songs just like how the Kingmen's version of "Louie Louie" did for dozens of rock songs. Even without this historical value though, it is still quite a nice little pop song, and for those who think the song is totally dumb and generic, just watch how long it manages to stick in your memory.
If one truly wants to get into doo-wop, it is necessary to at least hear the very beginnings of this genre, and this is where most people put the starting point at. Now, some people have noted that they don't really see what is being done here that is radically different than what the Ink Spots were doing before them, and I understand that: this sort of music was certainly not invented by the Orioles. Yet, the production here is a serious improvement over their predecessors, and there is a beautiful, spiritual intimacy to this recording's minimalism that makes it especially beautiful. I also like how, even if it is subdued, there is still a tightness to the harmonies here that gives it a lot of clarity in the atmosphere they try to create. Their greatest achievement was yet to come, but this is already a minor classic in its own right that many can still appreciate today.
When most people think of '70s R&B, they think one of two things: the hot, sweaty, tense funksters or the sappy, string-heavy, mature soulsters. Both of these individual styles have their individual charms to cherish on their own terms, but many of the greatest R&B albums in the '70s went so far as to unite both of these styles into a funky soul paradise: Superfly, Innervisions, and Talking Book are classic examples of this successful synthesis. However, this new type of soul didn't come solely from the hands of Curtis or Stevie. The roots of almost all of these burgeoning styles are found in Isaac Hayes's seminal Hot Buttered Soul, the true beginning of '70s soul for all intents and purposes, and while "Walk On By", "One Woman", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" presage the lusher, mature types of soul, "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" is where funky soul music was born.
Of course, this shouldn't be confused with the birth of funk music in general. That probably started in 1965 with James Brown's "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and both Sly Stone and James would begin to establish their mighty empires as the decade went on. Yet, neither of them saw themselves primarily as soul musicians like Isaac did (at least by 1967 neither of them did), and because of that, it would be nobody but Hayes who would create this new style, a seamless merger of equal parts soul and funk that would prove to be so influential.
How did he do this? Well, sultry sexuality, in short. Isaac Hayes was simply the smooth, masculine, larger-than-life sexual figure in soul music, one that would eventually become a cliche in the hands of Barry White, but for now, he was a radically new personality the likes of which the R&B community had never seen before. This charisma he brought in would affect how he would approach everything he performed, and especially on this song, he play funk music more erotically than anyone had done before him. Just hear the sheer sonic richness of the guitar-bass interplay throughout the song, how you can hear each grumble, twitch, and thrust of their synergistic playing as they lay down those filthy riffs. Yet, Isaac Hayes laid the groove down slowly, not just to ensure you can feel the fullness of every note but also so he can take control of the song with his deep, naturally sexy voice. With all of his carnal lyricisms and seductive phrasings, the whole song feels like you are peering into an intimate, love-making session between two lovers, and if you let this groove penetrate into your soul, you might even be able to place yourself in Hayes's shoes in the song.
Still, as sensual as the lyrics and vocals are in the song, his voice has an underlying depth of feeling and even spirituality that makes the song cut much deeper than your average "sex soul" song. That feeling is emphasized by the jaw-dropping, amazing jam that follows the main song, where Hayes showcases his incredible piano-playing abilities on top of the tight funk groove. Focused on expressivity over perfection, he relies on harsh, brutal phrases to pummel as hard as he can until the grand release of tension around the eight-minute mark where he totally lets it loose onto his listeners. It is a breathtaking performance, where you feel Isaac and the Bar-Kays are playing almost telepathically to reach the grand, final conclusion of such an epic song.
"Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" is just an incredibly stunning achievement of soul music in general, balancing accessibility and experimentation with such perfection that the song is just as exhilarating today as it was in 1969. The song deserves the level of praise "Walk On By" receives, but instead of simply hearing those two songs, it is worth your while to hear this whole record to treat yourself to some of the most daring and rewarding soul music ever created.
I have yet to find a musician whose music can radiate gentleness and humane warmth so organically like Mississippi John Hurt. Whether he was 35 years old or 73, he always performed as if he is a wise and content old man, having experienced the whole world and found inner peace within it. When you hear him sing and play, you somehow learn the very essence of life itself, but he doesn't teach you by rigid, moralistic lessons. He shows you by subtly healing chords, by stories of redemption from tragedy and cruelty, by tender love between people that seems to transcend all other worldly things. John Hurt's unique personality and approach to music, laying the foundation for nearly all modern folk music, was too modern for the musical world in the '20s, which is why it took all way until the '60s for him to gain the recognition he deserved. Even then, his deeply humanistic message is something that is both understandable to all people but takes a lifetime to process, just because there is so much depth and nuance to each note and breath of his that ever graced a microphone.
This song in particular, a big favorite of mine, was among the last he would record in his life. It was a part of the two final sessions in 1966 he held in a Manhattan hotel, released six years later in an LP titled Last Sessions. What's funny about this song and album in general is that he performs them pretty much in the same way he performed over his whole career. His voice weathered and his technical playing skills weakened, but he was clearly unfazed by his approaching mortality, his style feeling just as natural in old age as it was when he was much younger.
If you want to understand why, this song is a perfect place to start answering that question. Based on a familiar old folk melody that you can hear in songs like Jimmie Rodgers's "Waiting For A Train", the song both lyrically and musically is based on a deep longing for salvation from worldly troubles, finding no meaning in work, people, and life on Earth in general and dreaming of a paradise underneath the ocean. However, he doesn't sing the song as if he craves such a refuge: he just sings it as if that's simply the flow of life. When he speaks about those pains and sorrows, he speaks about them with melancholy, yes, but with a mindset of acceptance, that life's difficulties are to be endured without fighting or mourning them. At the same time, talking about entering the cool, blue sea and flirting with all of the mermaids brings him joy in a detached way: he does not yearn for any particular fate, happy to get such an afterlife but not afraid to accept whatever he gets. It's such a profoundly beautiful way to live, one that allows you to do what is necessary but find peace and contentment with whatever the unpredictable world brings you.
This is just one of the many jewels of his career where he succeeds in showing his way of life while soothing the soul, and it's no wonder Mississippi John Hurt struck a chord so deep in future listeners that they went on an expedition in 1963 to find the guy and get him recording again. That's ultimately why, among his many late-period recordings, this holds a place of honor: it's rare that an artist can capture something so deeply universalist, but it's even harder to find someone who can do it with such humility that it seems like a natural part of their being.
Hello everyone! Sorry for disappearing for a whole month without a single word. I can't say I was exactly busy, but I didn't have a lot of energy left in the tank for reviewing. As I said last month, the end of April was pretty grueling in terms of workload, and by the end, I didn't feel pushing through the whole month on a regular reviewing schedule was realistically possible. I did end up still writing quite a bit, but it falls into a) reviews I don't think anyone really wants to read and b) rambling to friends over messages. So, instead of reviewing, I decided it was worthwhile to just take some time to just take in and thoroughly enjoy music without analyzing it formally. It was a lot of fun to do that (especially since my music listening sharply decreased during last semester), and I got to check out a lot of new music and revisit old favorites I hadn't heard in quite a while.
However, I don't think I am capable of just listening to music without writing my thoughts forever, so I'll try to get this going again. The plan is to start out doing a song of the day review once again, but I might throw in a mini-essay or an album review if in the mood. I think having a set schedule doesn't seem to really work for me, and I have more motivation to continue the blog if I am writing about stuff I am currently listening to. So, don't expect a cohesive direction to it, but if this works, you can expect much more regular writing on here in the future. I'm looking forward to the future of the blog, and I hope you guys are too!
Music Stats for the Month
Total Listening Time: 193 hours. I wasn't kidding about listening to a lot of stuff this month!
Top Artist:Charley Patton. The vocals are obviously unbeatable (even by people like Howlin' Wolf, who took it in a more extreme, brutal direction but also lost some of the underlying humaneness of Patton's style), but even more than that, there are few artists who had such a powerful understanding of rhythm to make those recordings come alive. At his best, he could make you want to dance with all of those clever rhythmic structures and memorable, hooky phrasings, but when catching him in a somber mood, he could easily churn your guts with those raw, vigorous grooves to make you physically feel whatever he was singing about. Definitely not the easiest artist to get into (partially since the recording quality isn't that great), but once you do, it's totally worth the while.
Top Album:The Best Of Charlie Patton - Charley Patton. Like most artists in their 20s and 30s, the sound quality sounds like shit, but Yazoo always does an excellent job cleaning them up. I highly recommend using this comp to get into him, it has practically all the essentials. Though, I do wish that "Prayer of Death" made it here.
Top Song: "Down The Dirt Road Blues" - Charley Patton. One of his toughest, hardest-rocking songs ever, it's one of those songs that has a perfectly sharp, straight-edged direction to it, kicking and plowing through a rough dirt road into the horizon. The rough directness of the vocals absolutely tears here, but it is also rich with tasty guitar rhythms and tones as well. Just hear those awesome stinging tones around the one-minute mark and how perfectly he blends them into the chopping rhythmic sound. Just one of the many masterpieces he crafted at the very beginning of his career.
Video of the Month
"Earth Angel/Johnny B. Goode" - Tim May/Michael J. Fox/Mark Campbell
I watched Back To The Future for the first time when I was in elementary school and didn't really like it too much. I'm not sure what exactly didn't appeal to me about it back then (since it's a pretty entertaining movie), but I crossed paths with the movie once again when I started working through the famous Doo-Wop Box and stumbled upon the Penguins' "Earth Angel", a magnificent doo-wop single that quickly became one of my favorites of the genre (who can resist such a beautiful chorus?). The song was also featured in the movie, so I went ahead and watched the whole clip again. Now, the "Earth Angel" part is solid and important in the movie, but the real reason I picked this particular clip was the awesome "Johnny B. Goode" rendition. Of course, anybody who covers Chuck Berry will be on my good side, but I was absolutely blown away by how perfectly they were all able to nail the essence of rock 'n' roll in that one scene.
Everybody notes the wide range of styles and rock references they cover, from the classic Berry duckwalk to the windmills and amp kicking of Pete Townshend to the melodic speedy metal tapping and soloing of Eddie Van Halen, yet the truly awesome part is how the flow of rock history in the performance feels so organic within Chuck's self-aggrandizing anthem. It makes you feel that all of these different offshoots of rock 'n' roll, as much as they kick ass in their own special ways, all have a deep spiritual bond that unifies them: the feeling of freedom, optimism, and excitement in the original and the best of 50s rock 'n' roll creeps into all of these future styles so well that they all feel at home here. It's a rare and beautiful moment where you can see the universalist vision of rock music unfold before your very eyes, and even if this movie itself isn't a huge favorite of mine, this one moment was absolutely priceless. Check this great scene out if you haven't already.
Articles & Reviews
As I said above, I spent most of this month listening rather than writing about music, so no new reviews for now, but I'll get this kicking back up again very soon!
Yes, you guys know the drill, the playlist is nearly 66% made up of blues and soul tracks (they're GREAT blues and soul tracks though, so check them out!). Though, there has been a little more variety of music this month: little bits of Britpop, post-punk, Krautrock, hard-rock, and alt-rock should make the playlist a little easier to digest for people whose lives don't revolve around bluesy grooves. So, dig in to get a nutritious dose of great music :)
Here is the tracklist:
"Funky Broadway" - Wilson Pickett
"When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge
"I Want To Do (Everything For You)" - Joe Tex
"I Wouldn't Treat A Dog" - Bobby "Blue" Bland
"Cry, Cry, Cry" - Bobby "Blue" Bland
"Baby, I Love You" - Aretha Franklin
"Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight" - Mississippi John Hurt
"Made To Love" - The Everly Brothers
"Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)" - Solomon Burke
"I'm In Love" - Wilson Pickett
"A Sweet Woman Like You" - Joe Tex
"Cloud Nine" - The Temptations
"Oh Me Oh My" - Aretha Franklin
"Disco 2000" - Pulp
"Hobo Blues" (1949) - John Lee Hooker
"I'll Be Around" - The Spinners
"Red Hill Mining Town" - U2
"Standing In The Shadows of Love" - Four Tops
"Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues" - Charley Patton
"One Tree Hill" - U2
"New Year's Day" - U2
"Teeth Like God's Shoeshine" - Modest Mouse
"A Spoonful Blues" - Charley Patton
"One More Night" - Can
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" - U2
"Chartered Trips" - Husker Du
"Jealous Hearted Blues" - Ma Rainey
"Without The One You Love" - Four Tops
"Baba O'Riley" - The Who
"Patches" - Clarence Carter
"Cowboy Dan" - Modest Mouse
Well, that's all I have for now. I sincerely hope I can keep this blog going because writing about music that I love means a great deal to me, but hopefully loosening things up will help out in that regard. Hope you see you all soon!
Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well. I know I am especially happy to be done with the semester. Not that I didn't have a lot of fun these last 4 months (this has probably been my favorite semester of college thus far!), but I am pretty damn tired and needed a break from the regular college schedule. This break will be pretty relaxed overall for me, so hopefully I can get some rest and some music writing done. The only problem is I have almost exclusively been listening to Motown and Atlantic R&B singles. I guess it's because soul/R&B is strongly associated with the spring and summer for me since those are the most uplifting seasons of the year, and what better music is there for stirring the soul and getting you moving? I certainly can't think of much else.
So, I plan to do at least two major things before August is through: first, I would ideally like to get at least 2 long-form pieces done to be published in Fall, just to have some material ready so I don't enter dire straits in the semester in terms of generating content. Second, I would like to begin a very big project: make definitive retrospectives of Atlantic, Motown, and Stax/Volt. All three have put together boxsets compilations of their best material, but I would like to go through and actually review it all along with making my own amendments to what I would add to each. This will obviously be a huge project, but I think it could seriously help get people into a lot of classic soul, a tradition of music I believe must always be remembered for the health of all consumers of Western popular music.
Anyways, that's all for now. I hope you guys are having a nice summer, and I hope to see you guys on a semi-regular basis from now on!
Music Stats for the Month
Total Listening Time: 107 hours, more than last month but still way less than normal. Probably gonna change over the next four months though!
Top Artist:Blind Willie McTell. We (rightfully) crown Blind Blake as "King of the Ragtime Guitar," but it's about time we crown good ole Samuel "King of Piedmont Blues."
Top Album:The Best of Blind Willie McTell. The sound quality of this compilation is excellent, but I wouldn't recommend this being your only acquaintance with McTell since it only really covers the early years (1927-1931) and leaves out many classic recordings ("Delia", "Georgia Rag", "Razor Ball", "Savannah Mama", the entirety of his Atlantic recordings, too many to mention).
Top Song: "You Got To Walk That Lonesome Valley" - Mississippi John Hurt. Luckily the audio from this recorded performance is available on Apple Music (not on Spotify though, I'm afraid), but you can always watch this wonderful performance here. There is a meditative, spiritual quality to some of his pre-war artists that makes you feel that god really flows through their bodies when they play.
Video of the Month
Son House - Death Letter Blues/John The Revelator (1969)
There are no words that can adequately describe the emotional effect of watching this master of Delta blues play and perform. Son House is absolutely crushing in audio effect alone, the combination of the fire-and-brimstone-preaching vocal approach with his brutal, stinging picking style is utterly devastating. Yet, to watch him wring the maximum expressivity out of his guitar and make those facial expressions as he sings these songs is one of the most intense video-watching experiences you'll have. The stories he tells before are gripping and add quite a bit of substance to what is about to be played, and both songs, among the greatest songs in his repertoire, are incredible here. It is vital to listen to Son House to understand the essence of this school of blues playing, and this recording will force you to feel that spirit on a whole new level. I know when I first watched it, I was mesmerized the whole way through.
Reviews
No new reviews this month, but some soul/R&B reviews will be coming! Stay tuned!
Articles
This is the real big news: I managed to finally get out two pieces this month! A third one is done (just a republish of my old article on Sam Cooke's Soul Stirrers period), but it is still in the works of getting edited. I am quite proud of both of these, so I hope you enjoy them!
Honestly, this might have been one of my favorite monthly playlists I've made. Maybe it's because I find the songs in it uplifting and soulful, maybe it's because of the high proportion of upbeat soul anthems, or maybe it's because it's got a little bit of everything I like in soul/blues music in general. I don't really know, but I had a blast putting this together over the month, so I hope you all enjoy it!
The only substitution I got to address is that the original playlist had "You Got To Walk That Lonesome Valley" by Mississippi John Hurt, but the recording is not available on Spotify. Instead, I replaced it with another song of his, "I'm Satisfied", a beautiful and underrated little tune that definitely deserves more love. There can never be enough Mississippi John Hurt in your life, so be sure to check out "You Got To Walk That Lonesome Valley" whether or not you have Apple Music!
Here is the tracklist:
"Dancing In The Street" - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
"Juke" - Little Walter
"It Takes Time" (1969) - Otis Rush, which you can read my detailed thoughts about him here.
"Mother's Last Word To Her Son" - Washington Phillips
