#39 - Donovan

Donovan's inner light led him to several innovations that we take for granted in hindsight.  

  * delving into world music, including his own celtic heritage

  * developing heavily thematic songs, like Atlantis ("Way down below the ocean...")

  * having friends and connections in just about every important band of his era

  * leading the way in adopting a 'flower power' persona

  * name checking in his songs

The Donovan songs that I'm still eager to hear include the brilliant "Hurdy Gurdy Man", the beautifully titled "Wear Your Love Like Heaven"--excellent cover by Sarah McLachlan, by the way--and the weird "Season of the Witch"--several good covers).

Donovan was one of the few musicians invited to attend the final recordings for the Beatles "Day In The Life".  He was friends with the Rolling Stones' Brain Jones (later marrying the latter's ex-girlfriend).  He is in D. A. Pennebaker's film of Bob Dylan's 1965 tour, meeting with Dylan.  His "Hurdy Gurdy Man" may have been the first time that three of four Led Zepplin members played together.  He had wanted Jimi Hendrix to play in that song, but was unable to arrange it.  

A possible reason his career faded in the '70s is that in '67 he was one of the first British musicians to be busted for marijuana.  This meant that he couldn't make it to the Monterey Pop Festival that year, due to being denied entry into the US.  Another reason, is that in '69 he split up with his longtime producer Mickie Most (over a California 'session' that included Stephen Stills and Mama Cass getting a bit too lubricated...to the point of near uselessness).

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)  
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

10/6/5/2 = 23 out of a perfect 40

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Additonal collaborations: John Paul Jones (Led Zep) arranged "Mellow Yellow".  Paul McCartney is on the tamborine and singing back-up on "Atlantis".

#40 -- Sleater-Kinney

Your office has been notified.
This is a hack-a-tude.
Bellow it to the pebbles.
We here; we can tell.

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Note:

The above hack appeared here on the 6th of April.  The group Sleater-Kinney was inserted in the header, instead of the original Kate Bush.  Since I've recently been listening to S.-K., and feel their music represents a hat-tip to the high-intensity, youthful sound of today, I'll okay the change.  Besides, I think I know who hacked this post, and they might just do it again if I protested.

S.-K.'s 2015 release, No Cities To Love, is something I've grown to enjoy, after many listenings.  Getting used to Corin Tucker's vocal wallop reminds me of the first impression Bono made on me, back in the '80s--too intense.  But, I don't feel that way anymore.  Quite the contrary.

Take "Price Tag", the album's opening number.  If you don't smile when the lyrics get to hungry kids at the grocery store reaching for "the good stuff"....  you might need a hack-a-tude adjustment.

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)  
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

8/2/10/5 = 23 out of a perfect 40

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Half-hearted warning: If you're an old fogey like me, this is not only high-intensity music, as I mention above, but, it's also cutting edge: melody fused with 'difficult' chord progressions.  If you like bubble gum pop, S.-K. will present a challenge.

#41 -- Radiohead

Ineluctable Tea
Bot-force Zero
Concatenation Domini
Daring Feat

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)  
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

9/4/7/3 = 23 out of a perfect 40

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A WIP.

#42 -- Marvin Gaye

You don't often come across a voice that's so immediately appealing; nor one whose unfolding career is so wonderfully liberating and fulfilling.  Marvin Gaye was that man.

From his first hint at success in 1962, "Beechwood 4-5789" (co-written for the Marvelettes) through his exciting concept albums like "What's Going On" (which I sometimes pronounce "what's going own"--with a long, drawn-out 'own'), I like just about everything he composed and sang.

A few years ago I watched a '70s-era concert on MTV while flipping channels.  Hit after hit with informed timing and delivery.  Simply brilliant.

The crowning glory to his music was probably that he not only broke away from the micromanaging dictation that was the Motown model (producers telling you what to wear and how to 'dance' on stage), but he did as much for R&B by mixing in social commentary and bending genres to fit his musical inclinations.

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

8/4/7/4 = 23 out of a perfect 40

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Note: this entry originally appeared as #48, but thanks to my friend Alex Voltaire's comment (which I will attempt to recreate, presently), was transferred here after my grades were adjusted from a total of 17 to 23.

#43 - Traffic

What do you call a band that had numerous breakups, with multiple members quitting, but always rejoining?  Traffic, wouldn't be a bad choice for this sort of coming and going.

Also, where might a band of Brits--world music lovers, with their first few hits in the UK, eventually find their greatest success?  In the US, of course.

And that paradox can be explained in one word, which was Traffic's secret sauce: improvisation; after all, jazz is an American invention.

Their sound began as psychedelic pop, following in the footsteps of The Beatles and Donovan with a side dish of jazz.  A pivot occurred in the '70s, with a turn towards that improvisation.

Their 1970 album "John Barleycorn Must Die", was one of my first purchases; this, after borrowing my friend Jim Paul's copy.  I can recall playing the title track loud enough for my mother to hear as she ironed in the next room.  I was sure she would approve of that renaissance-sounding number.

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

7/6/4/3 = 20 out of a perfect 40

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Notes: Traffic's use of world music percussion (Rebop Kwaku Baah) and wind instruments was thrilling at the time.....  I will be mentioning Steve Winwood (Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, solo) in my summary piece that explains how I chose to deal with, for example, Paul McCartney and John Lennon's solo careers in light of an overshadowing Beatles oeuvre.

#44 - Al Green

What is it about Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" that sounds so good?  If you could figure out the formula, there'd be many an interested party knocking at your door.  

Though I'd heard R&B and soul on the radio, it was early-70s Al Green who opened up these genres for me, and likely others, too.  A great example of his music seeping into popular music: Talking Heads' covering Green's "Take Me To The River".

As an historical achievement, there's perhaps no greater honor than having a sitting president sing a few bars from a song of yours, in public, and President Obama's rendition ("Let's Stay Together" at the Apollo Theater in New York in Jan. 2012) was actually quite good.

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

6/5/4/4 = 19 out of a perfect 40


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From the man himself:  Green cites Jackie Wilson, Wilson Pickett and Elvis Presley as the music he listened to when growing up.

#45 - Carole King

Today at work I found myself humming "Pleasant Valley Sunday", which to me in junior high in the '60s seemed to stand out as something different than the usual Monkees sugar high.  And low and behold, looking it up I find it was written by Carole King!

Getting right down to the best, I have to say I just love "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (which was written for Aretha Franklin, then later recorded by King herself).

That vote has many a competitor.  "Up On The Roof", written for the Drifters, is a lovable family dog.  And let's not forget "Chains", that was of course covered by The Beatles. 

In my late teens, there was no bigger phenomenon in the musical universe than Carole King.  With the breakup of the Beatles in '70 and listeners logically turning to a female voice, her music was simply dominant.

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

4/5/6/4 = 19 out of a perfect 40

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Hilarious: In high school she formed a band named the Co-Sines.  Also, it was about this time that she made demo tapes with schoolmate Paul Simon.