Category: JB

Steven Page | Wilted Rose

Here’s a submission from busy mod scout JB: The Vanity Project, a 2005 solo album by Barenaked Ladies‘ frontman Steven Page, featured the track “Wilted Rose.” Sputnikmusic describes Page’s solo material as compared to BNL’s: “more serious in its lyrical overtones and more experimental in approach. However, the catchy style of lyrical phrasing and light, head-bobbingly poppy choruses continue to carry to the light, honest voice of the other half of a generation.”

The verses are in minor, transitioning to major for the chorus (for the first time at 1:11) and then back to minor for the next verse (1:37).

George Benson | On Broadway

Another mod from frequent contributor JB: “On Broadway” was first a hit for The Drifters in 1963. In 1978, guitarist/vocalist George Benson covered the tune, which is part of his smash hit album Weekend in LA. Benson’s version became a sustained adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio mainstay and won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance.

The several modulations couldn’t be clearer (there’s a mini-“intro” after each one before the lyrics of the next verse start!), so we won’t timeslate them.

The Kooks | Shine On

Our seasoned mod scout JB’s latest contribution: “Shine On,” by UK indie rock band The Kooks, was released in 2008. Deemed a “mid-tempo ’60s-tinged number” by AllMusic, the track reached only #63 in the UK Singles Chart but has nonetheless had plenty of staying power, receiving steady airplay over the years.

Starting in F# major, the tune transitions at the chorus (0:40) to G# major, then pivots back and forth throughout.

Elton John | (Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket

“(Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket” is a track from Elton John‘s 1975 album Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy.

Contributor JB writes that the tune is “from the golden days when Elton John was still an unabashed rocker. If he’d never done anything beyond playing rock piano, he still would have been inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame. There are outright mods at the beginning and end of each chorus. But the most interesting part of the song is all the keys-of-the-moment, especially the fleeting shifts from D minor to D major (and back) during the chorus.”

In an interview with Cameron Crowe, Elton said “I’ve always thought that Captain Fantastic was probably my finest album because it wasn’t commercial in any way. (It) was written from start to finish in running order, as a kind of story about coming to terms with failure—or trying desperately not to be one. We lived that story.”

Kenny Loggins | Return to Pooh Corner

Here’s another modulation from frequent contributor JB: the live version of Kenny Loggins‘ “Return to Pooh Corner” from Outside: From the Redwoods, recorded in 1993 in Santa Cruz Shakespeare‘s Festival Glen.

“The track has a nifty modulation into the bridge at 2:09, and then another rather haunting mod at 3:10. The backing vox on this song are pretty sweet for a live performance, especially since they’re done by instrumentalists, and not dedicated singers.”

Elvis Costello | Clubland

Elvis Costello‘s 1980’s atmospheric “Clubland,” produced by Nick Lowe, is another contribution from prolific mod correspondent JB. The track features “quasi-latin” piano by Steve Nieve, according to American Songwriter, that’s “all over the place, propelling the song in different directions, without ever getting in the way of the tune.”

Starting in B minor, there’s a switch to B major for the chorus at 0:35, then back to minor for verse 2 at 0:51. At 1:37, the bridge begins, combining alternating B major and B minor within the vocal line from 1:52 – 2:07. Many thanks to blue-ribbon mod contributor JB for this tune!

Ian Dury + the Blockheads | Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

After multiple requests from *two* regular contributors, JB and Rob Penttinen, here is “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick” (1978) by Ian Dury. Stricken by polio in his native UK at age 7, Dury didn’t allow anything to slow him down. His band, Ian Dury (and the Blockheads), mixed funk textures, gonzo punk sensibilities, and cutting lyrics.

The track features F minor verses and F major choruses, with a few quick nods to F minor even during the choruses. It reached #1 in the UK, #2 in Australia, and Top 10 across much of Europe.

Aimee Mann | I Should’ve Known

Busy mod scout JB has submitted “I Should’ve Known” by singer/songwriter Aimee Mann, formerly the frontwoman of the 80s band ‘Til Tuesday. The track was from her first solo album, Whatever (1993.) AllMusic‘s review gushes that Mann’s “blend of wit, smarts, cynicism, and downright hum-ability make for a wonderfully pleasing collection of catchy songs…Lyrically, it is often hard to know whether Mann is spilling her guts out over a love or a deal gone bad. In fact, it is often a combination.”

The tune modulates as the bridge starts at 2:25.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJgaxspMu30

Steely Dan | Haitian Divorce

Frequent contributor JB has submitted yet another mod: The Royal Scam, Steely Dan‘s 1976 release, which achieved gold status and reached #15 on the album charts. Hearkening back to the mid-century era when Americans traveled to tropical locations for relatively quick divorces (which required a brief residency by one half of the couple), “Haitian Divorce” showcases the band’s colorful, cynical lyrics at their best. 

Ultimate Classic Rock reports that the reggae-infused tune was “reportedly inspired by a recording engineer who asked for time off to fly to the Caribbean nation and obtain a quickie marriage annulment. Intrigued, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker asked for details on his return…” The E major verse transitions to E minor for the chorus at 0:46, then reverting to major at 1:15, etc.

The Nice | Country Pie Brandenburg Concerto #6

Chalk up another mod for frequent contributor JB: According to AllMusic, the Nice “bridged the gap between mid-’60s psychedelic pop and 70s art rock, laying the groundwork for the entire progressive rock explosion in the process. It was with the Nice that Keith Emerson began his transformation from an unknown musician into an international rock star with Emerson, Lake & Palmer.” Over time, the band pulled excerpts from an eclectic range of composers including Sibelius, Janacek, Brubeck, Tchaikovsky, Bernstein, and more, including this 1969 tune featuring a J. S. Bach melody.

At 2:28, there’s a short bridge based on a quote from the Brandenburg Concerto #3; at 2:46, after a pause, the tune modulates up a whole step.