Steely Dan, “Here At The Western World”

Some song lyrics are cryptic, but we don’t need to “figure out” the meaning. We can suspend disbelief and just live in the mood or the world they create. “Here At The Western World” is certainly an oblique lyric (like those of most Steely Dan songs), but it’s one of those where the details are so specific, and hang together so well, that it’s hard to resist trying to sleuth out the story. The music is laid back, smooth, almost innocuous (but this is SD, so the lyrics scratch the surface to reveal the darkness underneath). There’s an implied bossa nova rhythm (similar to “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”/“Song for My Father”), which brings us to… South America. No way could I pin down this song’s meaning on my own, so I googled a few times over the years, and found that the most coherent explication was this: it’s about … Read more

Amateur

The professional blogging sites (and courses, and books) say the savvy blogger should become an expert at something. No, more precisely, you should be perceived to be an expert. I’m not an expert at anything, even the things I love. I love = amateur.

Experts (the real ones, not the “perceived as” types) burrow as deeply as possible into a topic, whether it’s early punk music, or JFK conspiracy theories, or vintage motorcycles… they know the whole history, the tiniest details — and we need these people; they write the histories. And don’t get me wrong, they love their subjects; they all started out as amateurs.

I’ve just never had the inclination to be an expert on any one topic, or a “critic” for that matter. I hope that my writing here (especially about music) comes across more as appreciation, from the heart of an amateur.

Steely Dan cast of characters

For no particular reason, here’s a list of named characters who appear in Steely Dan songs: Felonius (my old friend) Cathy Berberian Dr. Warren Kruger Kid Clean Ann de Siècle Pixeleen Charlie Freak Kid Charlemagne Lonnie Lady Bayside Deacon Blues Buzz Abu Peg Josie Gina Yvonne Rikki Abbie Pepe Aja (? a woman or a drug ?) Doctor Wu ‘Retha Franklin Jill St. John Marilyn 4.0 Katy Rudy Carlo (oh) Michael (oh Jesus) (the corpse of) William Wright Good King Richard and Good King John (my) Louise the Queen of Spain Napoleon Hoops McCann Jive Miguel Miss Fugazi Dave from Acquisitions Franny from NYU Bobby Dakine Mr. Parker (Bird) Little Eva Klaus (Barbie?) The Rooster (Hugo Banzer Suarez?) Ruthie Mr. LaPage Babs and Clean Willie Papa (Doc Duvalier) T-Bone Angie Madame Erzulie Brother Lou Garue and the Jerry Garry Chino and Daddy G (Gordon Liddy) Rose Darling Snake Mary Janie … Read more

Music & Mindfulness

As I said earlier, this isn’t an “oldies music blog” (first few posts notwithstanding). It’s not really a “music blog” either, although I’ll probably write more about music than about any other topic. One big area I want to explore is Mindfulness, particularly from a Buddhist perspective. Although, I’d never call myself “a Buddhist.”

Twelve Thirty

Listen to Hal Blaine’s drumming on the “quiet” parts of The Mamas & the Papas’ “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)”. No wonder the Wrecking Crew got the big bucks back then. BTW, this is a song I can put on repeat for an hour and still want to listen again. Perfect.

Music we enjoyed in 2018

I say “we” because Valerie and I discovered and experienced most if not all of these together. Not necessarily stuff that was released in 2018, but that we discovered (or rediscovered) and enjoyed this past year. Various Artists, A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper Each song re-imagined by a contemporary jazz artist, sometimes recognizable, sometimes not so much, always invigorating. Hear Mary Halvorson’s “With A Little Help From My Friends” on YouTube Donny McCaslin, Blow. The new fusion? Smart jazz-rock with hooks. Great show at The Sinclair in Cambridge. Hear Donny McCaslin’s “Club Kidd” on YouTube Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Live at KEXP Old school soul, baby! These guys burned it up at Atwood’s Tavern last June. Love Jimmy James’ guitar work! Watch the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio’s half-hour KEXP set on YouTube Jenny Scheinman live at Big Ears The Mischief and Mayhem outfit veered between punk and … Read more

Gary “U.S.” Bonds, Quarter to Three (1961)

This record changed my life. I was ten years old. How many of us, at around that age, heard new music because of a friend’s access to his or her older sibling’s records? Summertime — a friend said, “You ever hear U.S. Bonds?” And then (to quote Lou Reed), my mind split open. I grew up in a pre-rock family. As a little kid, I lived in the world of my mother’s music: classical and pop from the 1920s through the 1950s. I latched onto this set of RCA Victor albums she had called “60 Years of Music America Loved Best” (1959-1960). This was my musical education. The collection was eclectic, to say the least: Marian Anderson, “Go Down Moses” Vladimir Horowitz, “Variations on Themes from Carmen” Paul Whiteman, “Whispering” Perry Como, “Prisoner of Love” Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, “Indian Love Call” Fritz Kreisler, “Liebesfreud” Harry Belafonte, “Day-O” …and … Read more

Drive time

A chugga-chugga motion like a railroad train, now! There’s an element in early ’60s pop songs – not only non-ironic optimism, but also something in the drive of the music itself – maybe the same drive that would enable an entire nation to pursue crazy goals like putting a man on the moon… and a quality in the vocals – just enough youth, just enough street – I’d swear, you can almost hear Little Eva popping her chewing gum, and I love her for that. Combine all this with the BIG SOUND they got from recording real people on analog equipment with very limited track counts, and you have something that was “of its time,” and will never come again. When I say drive, it’s not just about tempo, it’s the feel, the attitude, the sound itself. Hear it (and feel it!) in Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion” (1962 – my … Read more