Tag: USA

Al Green | Happy Days Ahead

“It starts with the voice. You either get it or you don’t — and though it took too long, by now almost everyone does,” (Robert Christgau). “Al Green’s mid-range generates a mellow burn like good single-malt Scotch and is cut by a rotgut roughness when he growls and a signature falsetto finer than wine. It’s hard to believe the Michigan-raised, Memphis-based Arkansan, born Albert Greene and now 61, was once dissed for being less manly than Otis Redding–women have always adored him. He seemed both vulnerable and passionate, and he minded his subtle touches like a love man should.

Green started in gospel, and after a return to Jesus and a fall from grace on the charts, he reinvented himself as a gospel singer in 1980 and eventually amassed a sacred catalogue to rival (although not equal) his secular one. That catalogue, especially his miraculously consistent Hi (label) albums with producer Willie Mitchell, has replaced macho pleas and pledges as the epitome of soul … Truth ‘n’ Time, the final album before (Green) devoted himself to his ministry (1978), is yet another expression of his mixed feelings about God and Mammon … Mammon just wasn’t doing it for him anymore.”

Starting in E major, “Happy Days Ahead” shifts to C major at 0:37, only to return to first key at 0:57. The pattern continues throughout.

Zager + Evans | In the Year 2525

It’s 2025, and our AI overlords have just begun their domination of the human species. What will life be like five hundred years hence?

Zager and Evans, a duo who met as students at Nebraska Wesleyan University, explained the consequences of technological change run amok with their only hit, “In the Year 2525 (Exordium + Terminus),” a Billboard #1 hit in 1969. Each verse increments the year described by 1010 years, so we have the sequence 2525, 3535, 4545, and so on, up to 9595. 1010 is not necessarily the most logical interval, but makes for a handy piece of songwriting.

There are upward half-step modulations at 1:34 and 2:12. The fan-made video is cut together from excerpts derived from Fritz Lang’s 1927 sci-fi classic film Metropolis, in all of its retro-futuristic splendor.

Sonny + Cher | I Got You Babe

“When it came out (1965), ‘I Got You Babe’ also bridged a divide that should’ve been unbridgeable,” (Stereogum). “It’s a hammy little earworm, a simplistic example of pop-music showmanship at work. It’s the product of experienced studio hands, and its got some of its era’s greatest session musicians playing on it. But it’s also an example of the vaguely psychedelic, starry-eyed folk rock that was starting to take over in one of those big generation-divide moments. It’s got Cher reassuring Sonny Bono that his hair’s not too long. It’s not Bob Dylan, exactly, but it was pitched directly to the same young people who were buying Dylan records. And, because it’s a great song, they bought it.

… Sonny wrote ‘I Got You Babe’ one night … Sonny woke (Cher) up, she said what she didn’t like about it, and then he rewrote it after she went back to sleep. They recorded it with the members of the Wrecking Crew, the LA hired-gun studio musicians who’d played on so many of (Phil) Spector’s records … Bono produced it, and he did a nice job making it sound as much like a Spector track as possible. The arrangement … is lush and gorgeous, with those chiming guitars, those tinkling bells, and that tootling wind instrument (It was either an ocarina or an oboe, depending on who you ask). But the real discovery, of course, was Cher, who belted out all of her lines with tremendous gusto. On the bridge — ‘I got you to taaaalk to me’ — she’s a force of nature.”

The mid-tempo 6/8 track ambles along in F major through the first two verses and choruses, and then into the bridge, before a half-step key change shifts upward to F# major at 1:30 (about halfway through the tune). Many thanks to Amy C. for this contribution to MotD — her third submission!

Brian Wilson | Your Imagination

“Few musicians, if any, have contributed as much to the American myth of summer as Beach Boys leader Wilson,” (TheSecondDisc). “Years after galvanizing popular music with albums like 1966’s much-reissued Pet Sounds and singles such as the same year’s psychedelic ‘Good Vibrations,’ Wilson embarked on a solo career in 1988 … the music produced by Wilson between 1988 and 2000 over the course of five albums, one of which remains unreleased to this day, is startlingly ripe for rediscovery.” Imagination was released in 1998.

“… Album opener ‘Your Imagination,’ co-written with Joe Thomas and Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl, shimmers with the buoyant charm of Wilson’s most effervescent compositions … Certainly many fans would like to see Brian’s vocal tracks stripped of Joe Thomas’ glossy production, but it’s difficult to dislike Imagination even in its existing mix.  Recently, Wilson has embraced the distinct sound he pioneered so many years ago … his sound refined Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound and is instantly identifiable for trademarks such as sleigh bells, clip-clopping percussion, and densely layered harmonies. Imagination represents a final attempt to marry Brian Wilson’s style with (somewhat) modern production … it remains a great and breezy listen for a summer afternoon.”

The track’s varied instrumentation, from classic rock combo to small orchestral groupings, keeps things moving throughout. A textbook whole-step unprepared key change hits at 2:11, followed by a sparkling instrumental break. Unexpectedly, another key change (this one only a half-step) appears at 2:40 after a grand pause.

Toad the Wet Sprocket | I Will Not Take These Things for Granted

“Toad was in the house last week — that’s Santa Barbara’s beloved (and probably most famous) homegrown rock band, Toad the Wet Sprocket, to those of you who are new to town,” (Santa Barbara Independent, 9/4/2024). “And as we’ve come to count on, they came … bearing gifts of lovely vocals, powerful chord progressions, familiar tunes, enthusiastic friends, family, and fans, plus a strong supply of feel-good vibes. 

With the seemingly ageless vocals of founding band members Glen Phillips, harmonizing with bass player/vocalist Dean Dinning, and guitarist/vocalist Todd Nichols, now backed by drummer Carl Thompson and Jon Sosin on keyboards, mandolin, accordion, and more, it was a solid evening of mostly well-known tunes … It’s hard not to think of Santa Barbara when you hear Toad sing ‘Walk on the Ocean,’ which Dinning told me was his favorite Toad song to play live.”

“I Will Not Take These Things for Granted” is the closing track of the 1991 album Fear, which opens with “Walk On the Ocean,” a single which reached #18 on the US pop charts. The track is built in A major overall, with a prominent bVII-I vamp making up much of the chorus. At 1:24, an alternate verse/pre-chorus(?) shifts to a purely diatonic F# major. 1:36 brings the first chorus and a return to A major. The pattern continues from there, with the exception of the alternate verse/pre-chorus, which returns at 2:52 which a longer duration than before. The tune ends with a long run in A major.

Dusty Springfield | Just One Smile

“Despite its status as a classic record, Dusty in Memphis (1969) had less than auspicious beginnings,” (BBC). “By 1968, Springfield had scored a string of chart successes with what she called ‘big ballady things’ and her decision to make an album in Memphis, home of hard edged R’n’B grooves, was viewed with puzzlement by many.” The distance from Springfield’s native UK to Memphis was large, both in miles and in sonic difference.

“Teaming up with the crack production/arrangement team of Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin (responsible for Aretha Franklin’s Atlantic classics) also proved a bit much initially for Springfield, whose confidence in her vocal abilities was never very high … Springfield unsurprisingly resists any temptation to do an Aretha, instead relying on understatement, timing and delivery rather than vocal firepower. The songs (all by Brill building denizens) are all top notch, and Springfield’s interpretation of them is peerless … Mardin’s sensitive blend of Bacharach poise and Memphis funk provides the perfect frame for Dusty’s blue-eyed soul.”

Written by Randy Newman, “Just One Smile” was previously recorded by Gene Pitney. The tune starts in Eb minor, with plenty of harmonic sidesteps, a la the above mentioned Bachrachian influence. The tune then shifts to Bb major for the chorus (0:49 – 1:10) before reverting to the original key.

Mike Stern | I Know You

“One of the great jazz guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has the unique ability to play with the finesse and lyricism of Jim Hall, the driving swing of Wes Montgomery, and the turbulent, overdriven attack of Jimi Hendrix,” (MikeStern.org) “Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, Stern revered all three of those guitar immortals, along with such potent blues guitarists as Albert and B.B. King. Aspects of those seminal influences can be heard in his playing on the 18 recordings he has released as a leader or in his acclaimed sideman work for Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Steps Ahead, David Sanborn, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Joe Henderson and the all-star Four Generations of Miles band.”

“These Times (2004) is Mike Stern’s debut on ESC after a long career on Atlantic that began with Upside Downside in 1986,” (JazzTimes). “It sees him consolidating a subtle change of direction. Where once he seemed to be attracted to the polar opposites of either the backbeat or straight ahead swing, with not much interesting him in between, here the accent is on world-music rhythms. To achieve this, Stern is ably assisted by bassist Richard Bona, whose voice is featured as much as his bass … (Bona) appeared on Stern’s Grammy-nominated Voices from 2001, from which These Times seems to have grown organically … banjo superstar Bela Fleck joins in on Bona’s falsetto ballad feature ‘I Know You.’”

After a start in G# minor, the tune features a restless and shifting section at 1:06 which pivots from phrase to phrase among several keys of the moment before a return to the original key at 1:31. At 2:48, a less complicated E major section holds sway until 3:20, when G# minor returns again. Previous sections are revisited for the balance of the tune.

Was (Not Was) | Spy in the House of Love

It’s difficult to sum up the 80s cult favorite band Was (Not Was), founded in 1979 in Detroit by David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who adopted the unlikely stage names David Was and Don Was. “‘Don and I started recording in the Pleistocene Era, with Fred Flintstone producing,’ says David Was in the promotional materials accompanying the release of punk-funk band’s retrospective compilation Pick of the Litter 1980 – 2010,” (Slant Magazine). “… (The band) fashioned some of the most cracked, amusing, disturbing non-sequiturs of 1980s no-wave. The band’s early work straddled the dividing line between post-disco and arty punk, resulting in three propulsive smart-stupid underground dance tracks …

Still, Was (Not Was) seemed adamant to avoid being pigeonholed as brainy outcasts from Boogie Wonderland, and their following few albums would prove them to be adept musical scavengers, true Warholian kitchen-sink artists. Be it recruiting Ozzy Osbourne to drone-rap ‘You can’t sue Buddha for libel’ over a electro-pop ditty … or inviting Mel Tormé to croon an elegant piano lounge neo-standard about a boy named Zaz who nearly choked to death one night in the park, Was (Not Was) made invention its own reward … though Robert Christgau sort of had the band’s number when he backhandedly complimented ‘It’s worth five minutes on David Letterman,’ you have to remember, that was when Letterman was really, really cool.”

1987’s “Spy in the House of Love” featured the Was “brothers” on bass and keys, allowing their hand-picked band to take center stage. The synth-heavy textures betray the tune’s late-80s vintage, but the track’s pop-funk sensibilities rule the day. Thoroughly in keeping with the band’s eclectic reputation, the track hit #21 on the UK Singles chart, #13 on the Irish pop chart, #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #77 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/HipHop chart. It even reached #1 on the US Dance Club chart, but somehow still takes a back seat to the band’s terminally goofy “Walk the Dinosaur.” Starting in G minor, the track shifts up a full step to A minor from 3:33 – 3:50. The tonality then reverts to the original key — not directly but rather via a compelling double chromatic step-down. Don’t listen to the lyrics too closely unless you’re thoroughly prepared — file them under R for “restraining order!”

Many thanks to our regular contributor Rob P. for this wonderful submission!

Starship | Jane

“Jane” (1979) is “a track that represents big changes in the history of a band renowned for them,” (UltimateClassicRock). “Formerly Jefferson Airplane, the group had lost vocalists Grace Slick and Marty Balin in the run-up to their fifth album, Freedom at Point Zero. They hired former Journey drummer Aynsley Dunbar and, up front, gambled on singer Mickey Thomas – who wasn’t even sure he wanted to be in a rock band.

… ‘Jane’ proved to be the perfect showcase for Thomas’ talents, pointing the band towards the stadium rock sound that would see them through the ‘80s as Starship … ” The track peaked at No. 14. It later appeared in the films Cocaine Bear and Wet Hot American Summer, and in the gaming world as part of Grand Theft Auto IV and Rock Band 4.

Built in E minor overall, the bridge (1:47 – 2:15) shifts to F# minor and also shifts from a hard-driving rock texture to a gentler reggae-inflected feel.