Song of the Day #5: All Your Love - Otis Rush

 All Your Love - Otis Rush

Song of the Day #5

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/all-your-love-i-miss-loving/193677889?i=193678129

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/3dTKNQxas5m4cuunpHiVpi?si=71d9c3b8891a4a44

I will admit that I'm no electric blues connoisseur, but I will be shocked if anyone could rival Otis Rush in the electric blues scene in the 50s, maybe besides the 3 Ws of Chess. Maybe Otis Rush did not have the cockiness of Muddy, the overwhelming vocal power of Howlin' Wolf, or the swampy vibe of Sonny Boy Williamson II, but all three of those guys always sounded like it was at least a bit of an act at times. Could you ever imagine Howlin' Wolf walking around the block shredding his voice like that? Unlike them, Otis Rush's singles at Cobra always involve his authentic self first and foremost. When he sings lyrics like "My drowning heart / Oh all the tears I've cried / Oh I may weep forevermore / My love will never die," you get the feeling he really meant that, and if you aren't fully convinced, his guitar will do the trick of showing you.

That's why this song is such a masterpiece. Eric Clapton did a marvelous cover of the song on Bluesbreakers, where the production was crisp, his tones cut deep, and he added new guitar tricks to the song that worked perfectly (for example, hear how Clapton makes each sustained note on his guitar sizzle when the chorus begins). Yet, nothing compares to the original in terms of depth of emotion. The poorness of the production makes it sound like those horns are cracked and beaten down, simply bleeding with emotion. Mixing those Afro-Cuban rhythms with Otis's burning vocal performance makes the song such a gut-retching, desperate plea for holding onto one's love, and those solos once the groove transitions simply scorch into your soul. And that riff, you can't get away from such a magnificent riff. 

Christ, words just fail me when it comes to this song, it's just one of the greatest pure blues recordings I've ever heard. It's considered a standard, but neither the rewrite of the song "Black Magic Woman" nor Clapton's version even begins to touch this sheer perfection. Be sure to give this song many, many listens: every single second of this recording is priceless.

Song of the Day #4: Shake For Me - Howlin' Wolf

 Shake For Me - Howlin' Wolf

Song of the Day #4

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shake-for-me/1423339042?i=1423340111

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/5kj3Q1fVwgb2f8SxFT6bD5?si=afb0b3cd33e84c66

Although "Shake For Me" was originally the A-side to "Little Red Rooster," the latter is the one that gets nearly all the attention and critical acclaim, not only because of the Cooke and Rolling Stones covers but also being probably closer to what people expect from someone like Howlin' Wolf: a terrifying, slowly-crawling masterpiece featuring an absolutely shredding vocal performance. I love both the A-side and B-side dearly, but I have to say I've always been a bit more partial to the A-side. It might sound more danceable and accessible than "Rooster," but when you start closely listening to the song, it can creep under your skin just as much as its more famous sibling does.

You don't even need to go further than the intro to be impressed by the song. Just hear how Hubert Sumlin's frantic, paranoid guitar licks scurry all around the place, almost as if each of those licks is a small critter running for its life to hide from the big bad wolf. When Wolf starts singing, he really does sound like a vicious, animalistic predator, ready to quench his thirst for blood by ripping open any animal he sees. The groove of the song almost cannot handle Wolf's terrifying presence, where it sounds like his voice is physically beating the shit out of the rhythm section to make it dance the way he wants it to. This is one of the most brutal songs he ever put out, not a single compromise he gives in terms of the vocal performance nor does his band ever stray from the minimalistic but ferocious musical arrangement.

And we really shouldn't discount the role of the musicians in the success of this song. In fact, even if it were purely instrumental, I have no doubts it would still be an awesome track because of the great guitarist Hubert Sumlin's juicy licks. That jaw-dropping solo around 0:54 is something to behold, the guitar sounding like a breathing, animate creature giving everything it can to survive (perhaps the prey Wolf is trying to consume?). While the bag of tricks seems limited here, you cannot deny the tones and few ideas here are astonishing in their power and perfectly complement the mood Wolf tries to set.

I could probably talk a bit more about this song, but there's no need: just go ahead and hear this incredible song right now. Just don't hear it when you're in a shady, poorly-lit place: your nerves will positively be on the edge.

Song of the Day #3: Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

 Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

Song of the Day #3

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/then-he-kissed-me/382736253?i=382736552

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/7jeOETwLUP84mPQzxlD5nh?si=65f9891a8f084333

I will say that I honestly have not heard much from the Crystals before today. My tastes when it comes to pre-60s music generally run towards R&B, blues, and rock and roll, and compared to those three scenes, most pre-60s pop music just hasn't aged very well. Yet, such is the magic of Phil Spector's production style that this song immediately moved me to tears despite my lack of taste in this depersonalized, manufactured era of pure pop music. Say what you will about Spector (and he was an absolutely horrible human being), there are few producers who can take ordinary songs to whole new levels of emotionality while still leaving such a distinctive stamp on everything they touch

I think part of the magic of his early style is the percussive sound behind all of the songs. Almost all classic Spector-produced pop songs have this huge, bombastic drum sound that gave each song sound unbelievably huge, almost regal quality to them, almost like the kingdom of heaven was coming to your doorstep. Unlike most overly sappy arrangements that plague a lot of pre-60s and especially Motown pop, Spector didn't just slap on an orchestral arrangement or a loud drum sound because he thought it would be palatable to the masses: he was creating idealistic mini-universes with these songs that operate on a whole different spiritual plane than practically anything else in the pure pop sphere. Spector's production FORCES you to take his songs seriously, and in the end, that's why songs like this one have aged so well.

Though, I will say this one is not just production style over songwriting substance: it has a gorgeous melody, one where the verses are just as mesmerizing as the chorus, and the buildup to that chorus is absolutely cathartic. I bet this song could have been a hit without Phil's production, but with his arranging genius, this song becomes a timeless masterpiece. It must have very deeply shaken the foundations of the young Brian Wilson, whose cover on Summer Days was not just faithfully recreating the spirit as much as he was channeling his sincere love for this song itself. And hey, if there is a pop producer who should blow your mind, it should be someone like Phil Spector.

Song of the Day #2: New Grass - Talk Talk

 New Grass - Talk Talk

Song of the Day #2

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/new-grass/1444218854?i=1444218874

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/3MSXyJUuFs9SZ7K5hd54nA?si=36f2c73b8a3647cf

Talk Talk is one of those bands that I find impossibly difficult to write about, simply because words are just not apt to express what effect Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden, and Laughing Stock has had on my life. Their music exists on such a transcendent spiritual plane that I have to almost prepare myself for the intense emotional experience that listening to them brings. Even a song like this that I've heard dozens of times in my life, I cannot even begin to describe how the combination of notes, chords, and arrangement choices brings me to a meditative state: no description can really do it justice.

But I will say that, like all good spiritual sources, Talk Talk's music has the ability to bring life into clarity, showing how feeble our ordinary materialistic lives are in the face of such cosmic grandeur and unity with all things. I was feeling quite depressed when I woke up on this day, and I decided to go on a walk to clear my head. Somehow, I knew I was emotionally ready to listen to this Talk Talk album on this walk. It was truly a soul-healing experience that not only brought me a great deal of inner peace but also made me love being alive more than ever. To me, it's a demonstration of Talk Talk's genius that the album could bring me back to a much calmer state and bring me back in touch with my spiritual side. I don't even have to be in the mood to feel something from this music: it simply takes me there.

The part of Laughing Stock that made the greatest impact on me during the walk was "New Grass." So here is the song in all its glory, but if you are new to this band, do yourself a favor and listen to their 5 albums + Mark Hollis's solo album in chronological order. It might seem cliche to say a band could change your life, but Talk Talk's discography could truly put you on the path to happiness and enlightenment. What could be more beautiful than that?

Song of the Day #1: Double Trouble - Otis Rush

 Double Trouble - Otis Rush

Song of the Day #1

Foreword before I begin this series: since I now invest most of my music-writing energy in writing full-fledged pieces for a music journal, I probably won't be able to review complete discographies for now. Instead, I decided I could try to write a small amount casually about a song every day. Some days I'll keep it to a brief description, and some days I'll write more than that. But I do like writing about music causally as much as I do in more serious articles, so I'll try to keep this blog going through this series.

Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/double-trouble/193677889?i=193678116

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/3JggrSor1wtd74bvF2fsmz?si=a248e17001764243

I am deeply ashamed to say that, for some bizarre reason, I just wasn't terribly impressed by Otis Rush when I first checked out. One listen to this recently changed this completely because this has become one of my favorite songs of all time, and it probably is my favorite blues recording ever as of now. And I'm sure if you hear this song once or twice, it should be pretty evident why.

This is one of those songs to hear to not when you are merely sad. You have to be truly beaten down over and over again, giving everything to try to survive but failing anyways while seeing everyone around you succeed. It's one of the most vulnerable, aching songs in the whole genre, where pretty much everything about this song simply bleeds with emotion, from the hazy horn swoops to the bleeding guitar soloing to the beaten-down vocal performance. There's not even a single attempt at toughness in the whole song: Otis's frustration has been channeled into inner turmoil and paranoia, pleading for a way out of this cruel, unfeeling world. He really must have been battling some fierce inner demons to deliver lines like "they say you can make it if you try / yes, some of this generation is millionaires / it's hard for me to keep these clothes to wear" so effectively and sincerely. It becomes truly chilling right after when that ringing guitar-horn combination absolutely annihilates you, one of the greatest musical demonstrations of drowning within oneself I've ever heard. This is taking electric blues to a whole new level of expression.

There are just so many details about this song that make it so hard-hitting. The poor production gives the song a murky, raw feel. The scorching guitar solos, especially the stinging one around 2:00. The way the horns subtly build that tense, haunting atmosphere. It's just one of those timeless masterpieces that I feel should have universal appeal, containing a mood so powerful that it forces itself upon you. Yet, the song is still so underrated that it blows my mind that it isn't remembered as a major classic of its time. Let this mini-review be my very small contribution to the reputation of this crushing, heartbreaking masterpiece, one of the greatest odes to defeat and the suffering that comes with it ever recorded.

Review: Tribute to Uncle Ray

 Tribute to Uncle Ray - Stevie Wonder

Rating: 4/10 (Not Good)

Track Listing (highlights are bolded):

1. "Hallelujah I Love Her So"

2. "Ain't That Love"

3. "Don't You Know"

4. "The Masquerade"

5. "Frankie & Johnny"

6. "Drown in My Own Tears"

7. "Come Back Baby"

8. "Mary Ann"

9. "Sunset"

10. "My Baby's Gone"

Review:

As inconsistent as Stevie's output was back then, I find it hard to get mad at any of these albums. Maybe it is my blind love for Stevie, or perhaps I forgive him because of his age. My best guess is that it is really just Motown's lack of cognizance when it comes to putting together records. Now, I understand that Motown aimed almost entirely at the singles market and put together albums for people who wanted a little more. I get that Motown operated like a music factory rather than an artistic pressure cooker. Yet, some of their decisions were just so bizarre and straight-up bad that it makes me wonder what kind of people they were allowed to assemble records.

Listen, I deeply love Ray Charles, one of my absolute favorite artists. I've probably memorized the originals covered here (along with the rest of his Atlantic singles). Don't you think I am giving this a bad rating because I do not love Ray with all my heart. It's just that Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles are not two artists that you can mix together just because both happen to be blind geniuses. Ray's voice and style are mature, gutsy, and rough, and songs like "Come Back" and "Don't You Know" are very suggestive and sexual in nature. It takes a real master to take on any of Ray's tunes, and as great as Stevie would become by 1972, he was and never can be like Ray. Stevie's greatness lies with intricately crafted smooth R&B overflowing with joy and humanism, a different paradigm entirely. This doesn't mean Stevie's music is unchallenging and boring because it is less "gritty" (you wouldn't say Brian Wilson was inferior to the Rolling Stones because he was less earthly, right?), but this is not the music he should be singing, period.

These six covers very clearly show this issue. Stevie's young age and inability to match the gutsy phrasings of "Drown In My Own Tears" make his cover truly painful to sit through. Maybe if he was a bit older with more singing experience, this would be tolerable, but this is just not a song he could have done well. "Ain't That Love" might look more promising, but it is still a very tough groove that Stevie couldn't handle yet. These are still better than the nauseating covers of "Don't You Know," "Mary Ann," and "Come Back Baby." The LAST thing I want to hear is a prepubescent kid forcing out sexual groans to imitate a grown man. Whoever listened to these tracks and didn't see any moral issues with releasing them is going straight to hell, that's for sure. The other songs aren't too bad, but they're either not terribly impressive or notable (did the world need yet another cover of "Frankie & Johnny?").

Thankfully, he did a great job with "Hallelujah I Love Her So." Maybe I am biased because it is my favorite Ray Charles song, but this is the only one I feel is well suited for Stevie. The original still has strong sexual romantic implications, but it is mainly a song expressing joy for being alive. Stevie capitalizes on that aspect and converts it into an expression of innocent, child-like joy. There's so much enthusiasm and energy to this cover that I don't even care when he misses a note. This one does show Stevie's young charisma much more than the general limpness of the material here.

At the very least, failing to imitate the magic of Ray Charles is much easier to digest compared to failing to adequately cover show tunes and third-rate surf anthems. The material they chose for this album is generally OK and produced at least one winner. Compared to this, the following two albums are much, much worse. Let's just be thankful that this 2-year slump didn't end his career, and the record label eventually got him on the right track soon enough. Luckily for us listeners, we can entirely forget that these early records even existed in the first place.

Review: The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie

 The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie - Stevie Wonder

Rating: 6/10 (Decent)

Track Listing (highlights are bolded):

1. "Fingertips" -> the live single

2. "The Square"

3. "Soul Bongo"

4. "Manhattan at Six"

5. "Paulsby"

6. "Some Other Time"

7. "Wondering"

8. "Session Number 112"

9. "Bam"

Review:

If this album was under anyone else's name, there very little chance anyone would remember this record. It's just easy listening and not a whole lot more. Pretty much all these songs are fine background noise, but most people who immediately hear this record after his classic run are bound to be disappointed. None of the tracks are flat-out awful or dull, and for a debut album, this isn't embarrassing at all. Just don't go tell all your family and friends to buy it or something.

There are pretty much two things that make this lightweight release notable. Number 1: it is made by the greatest genius soul music ever had, and for that alone, it deserves our attention. Yes, none of these tracks are that interesting, but it is indeed Stevie who plays on every song and even has a songwriting credit on two of them (neither of which are particularly noteworthy but hey, they're hardly bad). Stevie plays harmonica, bongos, drums, piano, AND organ on this record without seriously blundering. The fact that he is already capable of this at the young age of 12 is outstanding. Let's cut him some slack for not writing "I Believe (When I Fall In Love)" already.

The other notable aspect is that it features the studio version of his first significant song, "Fingertips." The studio version is pretty decent with its lush sound, but I think there's an obvious difference in the live performance that makes it superior: his harmonica subbing out the flute. His playing is already beautiful and individualistic at this young age, showing technique and passion. He always produces this thin, high-pitched wail from the instrument that profoundly nourishes your soul, every note dripping with warmth, compassion, and friendliness. He can make it jump around, dance, scream with joy, tease, laugh: it is the musical personification of an innocently joyful child playing right in front of you. This charismatic musicianship is what energized that audience, the vibe going so strong it even captured the hearts of listeners who weren't present at the performance, sending it to the very top of the charts.

In the end, this isn't an impressive start, where a lot of this record is defined by the label more than Stevie himself (a problem with Motown in general). Yet, we already get a lot of Stevie's lovable personality visible here and in that first single. It would be a long road to get to Talking Book and Songs In The Key of Life, but when it comes to genius of his caliber, every recording of his is a priceless chapter in the journey to that summit. And besides, an easy listening record from 1963 is so more listenable and enjoyable than a sterilized electronic easy listening record from today. So throw it on if you want some nice background music that pays tribute to future greatness.