Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. DXI--The Who: Don't Let Go the Coat

 Believe it or not, I had three quarters of this complete last Saturday....

A few years back my youngest son was playing the The Who's video Thirty Years of Maximum R & B Live (actually the 2009 re-release of it), and when this week's tune came on...I realized that over time I had completely forgotten about the song.  I literally loved this song when it was first released, and somehow it had disappeared from my memory. Makes me wonder how many other musical gems have faded from my mind these many years....

I've written about The Who twice (can't believe it's only twice), Vol. XLII and Vol. CLXXX, and I wrote about a song each by Pete Townshend (here) and Roger Daltrey (here), so there's really not much else to add other than the fact that we saw them live in 2022, and for a couple of guys just about touching eighty years of age, Townshend and Daltrey put on a hell of a show.  Also to note that, amazingly enough, they're still my favorite band....

"Don't Let Go the Coat" was the second single released from The Who's 1981 album, the rather profile rhythmically entitled, Face Dances.  The single reached #47 in their native U.K., and a whopping #84 (but still with a bullet!) in the U.S.  The album fared much better, hitting #2 in Great Britain, and #4 here in America.

Fun Fact:  The cover for Face Dances is composed of sixteen different paintings of the band members (four of each) as painted by English painters.  The concept for the cover came from one Peter Blake whose musical claim to fame is designing the renowned cover for an album you may have heard of:  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

There's some disagreement as to what "Don't Let Go the Coat" refers to, with some believing it's an ode to Townshend's spiritual advisor Meher Baba, and others believing it's a nod to his parents who helped him numerous times during his struggles with alcohol and drugs. Personally, and this could just be that I'm not imaginative enough, I thought the coat was hope.  Anyway, the song is something of a departure for The Who, as it's a more of a pop ditty than some of their power rock from their earlier days (Wikipedia called it country rock, but I flat don't see it), and very much shows their versatility.  The critical reception to the tune was somewhat lukewarm, but what the fuck do they know?  Daltrey delivers a resolute vocal performance, Townshend lets loose with some wicked jangly guitars (with a hint of Spanish guitar in his solo), John Entwistle and Kenney Jones keep the beat smartly, and its lyrically inspiring and musically (especially the chorus) as catchy as ca-ca-ca-catchy can be.  The song was a joyous surprise when I first heard it, and an even more joyous surprise when I was reintroduced to it so many years later--and another in the wonder of all wonders that makes up great pop music.

Lyric Sheet:  "You friends all pass all pass for life is just a market/But you have to finish everything you started/So I live my life tearing down the runway/Sure to get the hang of hanging in there someday..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDLXXXVIII--The Refreshments: Banditos

 At least this one's only six days late....

I was only eleven when the sixties ended, but through the years I have read/seen/heard that musically it was a veritable cornucopia of styles with hundreds of bands releasing singles that became classics, or, at the very least, inspired many an oldies tour many years later.  While I wouldn't compare the two, in many ways the nineties were a lot the same.  Sure, there were greats like Nirvana and Pearl Jam (among others) having their breakthroughs, but there were plenty of smaller artists that had their moment in the sun, sometimes just as a one-hit wonder--much like this week's featured band and its tune....

The Refreshments, like many bands before them, formed out of the remnants of two other bands,though in Tempe, Arizona in 1992.  They originally opened for other local bands, but within a year found themselves packing small venues.  They were accepted into South by Southwest where their solid performance morphed into a record deal with Mercury.  They released their first LP in 1996 and had a minor hit.  They recorded a follow-up, but a combination of changes at the label and poor promotional support of their second album led to weak sales and the band being dropped from the label.  That would spell the end of band, though they have reunited briefly in 2010, 2013, and 2016.  For their career, the Refreshments released two albums, one EP, and five singles.  Lead singer and guitarist Roger Clyne formed Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers after the band's demise, and is still performing under that moniker, including playing a number of the Refreshments hits when in concert.

Fun Fact #1:  Not only did the Refreshments write and perform the theme song for the television show King of the Hill, but they have also penned the theme song for their local baseball team, the (boo!) Arizona Diamondbacks.

"Banditos" was the first single from their debut album, the alliteratively named Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big and Buzzy.  While doing my half-assed research, I learned that the single did reach the Billboard Hot 100, but was given no number. I was also unable to find a chart position for the album.  Not a good week for Wikipedia entries....

Fun Fact #2.  The title of this week's album is a nod to the Who's compilation album Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy.  Maybe Wikipedia wasn't so bad after all....

Roger Clyne has said that the inspiration for "Banditos" came from being a poor college student, and playfully dreaming of knocking off a convenience store for money and heading for Mexico.  He actually wrote the song while hanging out with friends, and the reference to Jean-Luc Picard came from them all being Star Trek fans.  As you might suppose, this one is just fun.  That being said, Clyne's vocals are just this side of wonderful, with a mischievous exuberance that plays well with the song's story line (for whatever odd reason I also love the way he says "uh-huh" at the end of several stanzas--just a nice touch of smart ass).  There's a couple of nice instrumental breaks, and Clyne's lyrics capture the criminal daydream element with a B-movie embellishment that's worth a smile or two (also love the line "And everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people" in the chorus, but that may just be a reaction to the dumbasses in MAGA).  Every now and again, a good pop song is just a good pop song--and "Banditos" is just a good pop song.

Lyric Sheet:  "Well, give your I.D. card to the border guard/Now your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard/Of the United Federation of Planets/"Cause he won't speak English anyway..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CD--Joe Purdy: Why Do I?

 Special shout out to my son-in-law this week, as a couple of years back at a family gathering, he suggested I give this week's featured tune a listen.  He nailed it--much like last week's music post (though the two songs couldn't be more dissimilar), one listen was all it took to fall in love with it.  Couldn't help but notice that as I was playing it this week in preparation for writing this week's music post that my wife asked what the song was...which usually means she's taken a hankering to it, too.

This week's bio paragraph is going to be mercifully short, as neither Wikipedia nor Joe Purdy's website had much of a history.  Purdy is from northern Arkansas and began releasing albums in 2001.  He's had several songs featured in movies and television shows, and in 2017 made his acting debut in a movie called American Folk.  For his career, Purdy has released 16 studio albums (which is quite the output for 21 years), which have had over 800,000 single downloads.  His latest album was released in March of this year, and he is currently on tour in support of it.

Fun Fact:  After Purdy played at the Wireless Festival in Leeds, England, Pete Townshend of The Who (like there's another Pete Townshend of some other band I'd be mentioning....) enjoyed Purdy's tunes so much he asked him to join him and his girlfriend Rachel Fuller at a series of their acoustic shows known as "In the Attic."

"Why Do I?" was released on Purdy's fifth album, Only Four Seasons, in 2006.  Unfortunately, neither song nor album came anywhere near the Billboard charts.  In fact, the only link I could provide for either was from AllMusic, which merely denotes that both were officially released.  

The more I listen to it, the more "Why Do I?" reminds me of the best of alt-country.  Purdy's lyrics are a subtle foray into the sorrows of an ordinary man (not sure if the protagonist a) has a problem with alcohol, b) a problem with happiness, c) a problem with being lonely on the road, or d) some combination of the three, though it really doesn't matter), and show a quiet introspection that is the hallmark of a songwriter coming into his own.  Purdy's vocals gently render the sadness that is part and parcel of loneliness and never once does he let them take a maudlin turn.  The music compliments it all with a slow drawl, and I have to admit that I was particularly enamored of the instrumental breaks which well captured the protagonist's inherent uncertainty.  A smart song for people who appreciate smart songs...just like my son-in-law.

Lyric Sheet:  "So why do I get so lonely/When there really ain't nothing wrong/'Cause I can sleep just fine when you hold me/Can't sleep at all when you're gone..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXXIII--Roger Daltrey: Without Your Love

 For those wondering, while last week's Friday Night Jukebox featured Who band mate Pete Townshend, the next two weeks posts will not feature John Entwistle or Keith Moon as I have zero familiarity with their solo work.  There's only so much time....  

As with last week's post, this week's bio recap will be mercifully short as I've already written about the Who a couple of times.  Roger Daltrey was actually the founding member of the Who, as Townshend and Entwistle originally joined his band The Detours.  Daltrey was known for leading the band and settling arguments with his fists and was at one point fired from the band for beating up Moon for supplying drugs to Townshend and Entwistle.  Daltrey has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, most notably the film version of the Who's rock opera, Tommy.  For his solo career, he has released 10 studio albums (with two top ten LPs in his native U.K.), and 42 singles (with a top ten in Great Britain and a top twenty here in America).  As noted in last week's bio for Townshend, Daltrey is involved in their charity for teen cancer, and has loaned his talents to numerous charitable events through the years.

Fun Fact:  Daltrey kept extremely busy throughout the course of his younger days in the fine art of procreation.  In addition to the four children he has from his two marriages, Daltrey has four other children from various relationships throughout the sixties.  

"Without Your Love" was released as a single in 1980 from the soundtrack to the film McVicar (a biopic in which Daltrey starred as the title character).  The single reached #55 in the U.K. and #20 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 (it hit number two in the Netherlands--so many cool Dutch kids!).  The album hit #39 on the U.K Albums Chart, and #22 here in the United States.

While the song is catchy as all hell and the backing music is tastefully understated, this song is all Daltrey's vocals.  Daltrey weaves the tale of a man trying to find his place in the world (more or less the story behind the film noted above) but realizing that no matter where he ends up it means nothing without the love of his life.  Daltrey sings with all the calmness of a man who has made his peace with his life, and delivers a performance that would make the Gods of Love themselves smile.  A lovely and loving ballad.

Lyric Sheet:  "And if I could travel far/If I could touch the stars/Where would I be without your love?"

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXXII--Pete Townshend: Let My Love Open the Door

A few years back I was watching the tail end of Kevin Smith's movie Jersey Girl when this week's tune began playing over the final scene, and my youngest son's ears perked up and he asked if it was perhaps a Who song that he was unfamiliar with...alas, I had to tell him that, no, it was not and was rather a solo effort from Pete Townshend (which may be the next best thing).  His only concern thereafter was how quickly I could add it to his favorites playlist....

As I've covered the Who a couple of times already (here and here), this week's bio recap will be mercifully short.  Pete Townshend, songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire, has long been the guiding force behind the Who, but through the years has released solo albums here and there, and while he has not had quite the critical and commercial success of that other band, has done quite well nonetheless.  Townshend has released seven studio albums (with one top ten here in the States), and 17 singles (again with one top ten in America).  Ever the Renaissance man, Townshend has also dabbled in writing (essays, short stories, a novel), and has helped develop both Broadway plays and orchestral renditions of his work with the Who.  Townshend is also quite active (with Roger Daltrey) doing charitable work for children with cancer (including a wing at UCLA), and as a former addict himself, has helped support rehabilitation centers for drug abusers in his native U.K.

"Let My Love Open the Door" was the second single released in the U.K. from his 1980 album Empty Glass, but the first single released in the United States.  Somewhat surprisingly (because of the Who's popularity in their homeland), the single and the album did much better here than across the pond.  In the U.K. they peaked at #46 and #11 respectively, while in America the single reached #9 (with a bullet!) and the album #5.  So many cool kids here at home!

Fun Fact:  Townshend's peak position for his highest charting single was also the same as the Who's highest charting single ("I Can See for Miles")--number nine.

In the liner notes for an anthology LP of his solo work, Townshend claims that "Jesus sings" on this single--and that's all you really need to know about this wonderful "ditty."

Lyric Sheet:  "Release yourself from misery/There's only one thing gonna set you free/That's my love..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCLXV--Taxxi: Cocktail Queen

A couple of years back I wrote about a tune by Dwight Twilley called "Somebody to Love" that I thought should still be being played in all its anthemic glory on FM station after FM station...but alas, it isn't.  This week's tune is much the same, though it should be as fondly remembered of a one hit wonder as Looking Glass' "Brandy" or Blues Image's "Ride Captain Ride..."

Amazingly enough, Taxxi did have a Wikipedia entry (a whole couple of paragraphs) because I could find absolutely nothing else about the band--the only album mention I found just stated the album and its songs without any review, and for the first time in the history of Friday Night Jukebox there was no lyric sheet to be found (gasp!).  For the record, Taxxi formed in London (surprise to me as I thought they were an American band) in 1979 and lasted until 1987 despite an utter dearth of commercial success.  They released four studio LPs, one compilation, one unreleased tracks album (?!!!), and had a song on two separate soundtracks (Weird Science and The Secret of My Success).  The band did get its start with help from the Who's manager Kit Lambert, so there's that.  Otherwise, singer/guitarist David Cumming, keyboardist Colin Payne, and drummer Jeffrey Nead's only claim to fame is making a song I deemed worthy of inclusion on FNJ (which I hope doesn't give them pause as to the breadth of their career)...

Fun Fact:  Randy Jackson of American Idol fame played bass as a session musician for the band on its first three albums.  Fascinating, my God....

"Cocktail Queen" was released in 1982 on Taxxi's second album, States of Emergency.  Neither the single nor the album so much as sniffed the charts, though the song did receive some steady MTV airplay (and is where I became familiar with it).

Regular readers (both of you) know of my love for power pop, and "Cocktail Queen" has the commanding guitar chords and driving drums that make my heart sing (to coin a phrase).  There's also plenty of hand claps, great backing vocals, and a story about a cocktail waitress who may (or may not) be everybody's angel (and what man among us hasn't fallen in love with a waitress at least once?).  But if you really want to know how I feel about the song, check out keyboardist Colin Payne in the video below--I may not be as graceful as he as he bop, bop, bops along, but my heart dances exactly as he every time I hear "Cocktail Queen."  Don't she love to rock and roll (rock and roll!), indeed.

Lyric Sheet: [Blogger's Note:  I actually own the LP of States of Emergency and these lyrics are verbatim from its...uh...lyric sheet]  "Cocktail queen, like a fire in the night/Burns with a flame that will set you alight/And she can keep on burning, all night long..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol CCXXVI--The Faces: Ooh La La

As I've noted here a time or two, thrift shop CDs for a dollar have added immensely to my enjoyment of music by allowing me to take a chance on bands that I have missed through the years but don't have the financial means to take said chance.  One such band was Faces, who I knew slightly because of a) my fandom of early Rod Stewart, b) their one big hit, "Stay With Me," and c) this week's tune.  I picked up a two disc hits compilation of theirs for that one dollar figuring I'd listen to it a few times through on my jaunts to work before moving onto the next great musical adventure.  I preceded to spend the next three months alternating between the two discs as it turned out Faces were actually one hell of a band whose output went far beyond a couple of  hit singles.

Faces formed in 1969 in England from the remains of Small Faces after lead singer Steve Marriott left to form the band Humble Pie.  Joining Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones were a lead vocalist and a guitarist of some note--Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood  respectively.  Between their beginning and their end in 1975, the band released four albums (three of which reached the top thirty on the Billboard 200), 11 singles (the aforementioned "Stay With Me" was their only hit, reaching #17--with a bullet!--on the Billboard Hot 100), and were noted for being a hell of a live act (if a bit on the tipsy side as they did so).  Unsurprisingly, Rod Stewart's solo success lead to fissures in the band and they went their separate ways in 1975 (though they have reunited several times through the years).  In 2012 they were elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  In addition to Stewart, their members have gone on to quite some success--Ronnie Wood eventually joined the Rolling Stones and has now spent the better part of forty years with one of the world's most successful bands, and Kenney Jones would go on to replace Keith Moon in the Who for a number of years.  Sadly, Ronnie Lane died of multitple sclerosis in 1997 and Ian McLagan passed in 2014.  Though the band didn't last long, they are considered one of the more influential bands from their era, especially in their native U.K.

Fun Fact:  Small Faces became just Faces because when Stewart and Wood joined the band they were considerably taller than the other members (though only 5'10" and 5'9" respectively) and the remaining members of Small Faces thought they should make a break with the past and focus on the new band.

"Ooh La La" was released in 1973 on Faces' final album, entitled, surprisingly enough, Ooh La La.  It was released as a single but it failed to chart (how in the hell that happened is beyond me).  Rod Stewart--who does not appear on the version being featured this week--did release his own version of it in 1998 and it did hit the top 40 (even though it wasn't a particularly memorable version).  The song has also been featured in a number of movies and television commercials.

"Ooh La La" tells the story of a young man being warned by his granddad about the ways of wily women and the young man rolling his eyes...until he's a little older and wishes that when it comes to women, he knew what he does now when he was younger.  The song is notable because it is the only Faces song that Ronnie Wood sang lead vocals on (though Wood has had a couple of solo projects, being in bands with lead vocalists extraordinaire Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger probably doesn't offer much in the way of chances to sing lead).  Wood also delivers some fine acoustic and electric guitar work, McLagan has some enjoyable piano work in the instrumental break, and Jones, in what may be an FNJ first, plays the maracas (coooolllll) for a bit.  The song has a lot of folksy charm and is one of those that can lighten even the worst of my days, leaving me singing the words "Ooh La La" (and what a great title that is) for days on end.  Just like now...ooh la la, ooh la la la....

Lyric Sheet:  "Poor young grandson, there's nothing I can say/You'll have to learn, just like me/And that's the hardest way/Ooh la la..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CLXXX--The Who: Who's Next (Album)

Another year has passed, and as I turned 59 last week, we have another edition of "It's My Birthday and I'll Write About a Favorite Album If I Want To..."

I've written about The Who before on FNJ so we can dispense with the weekly bio--not that The Who even need one.  They are without a doubt my favorite band of all time, and their Holy Trinity of Albums (Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia) released in succession may only be rivaled by the Beatles who released so many classic albums in a row I'd need a whole post to list all of them (slight exaggeration...) and maybe Springsteen's quartet from Born to Run through Nebraska.  For me, Who's Next is easily one of the five greatest albums of all time, and is Pete Townshend's magnum opus--an album filled with one rock classic after another. So without further ado:

Baba O'Riley--I noted a couple of weeks back that "Heroin" by the Velvet Underground, in my humble opinion, may be one of the best rock songs ever written--and some of it's fiercest competition might come from this song.  Literally the perfect musical storm:  vocals, instrumentation, music, and lyrics come together in a way few songs ever have. The best song The Who have ever done, bar none--and lyrically one of the sparsest.  Favorite lyric:  "Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals/I get my back into my living/I don't need to fight, to prove I'm right/I don't need to be forgiven..."

Bargain--A love song that would border on obsession...until Townshend sings the third verse, and you realize that love can be both a blessing and curse.  Catchy as all hell--a very underrated Who tune.  Favorite lyric:  "I look at my face in the mirror/I know I'm worth nothing without you/And like one and one don't make two/One and one make one..."

Love Ain't for Keeping--Lyrically this one reminds me of taking place in ye olde England--lying in a field with your baby not far from the cottage you built with your own hands.  Musically, it bounces from its ballad laced verses to an staccato, rat-a-tat chorus.  Nonetheless, another nice, if short, song from the album.  Favorite lyric:  "But the air is perfumed/By the burning firewood/The seeds are bursting/The spring is seeping/Lay down beside me..."

My Wife--Written and sung by John Entwistle, the song chronicles a man who stayed out far later than he should have getting drunk and now has to run from his wrathful wife.  Both comical and foreboding, the song shows another side of The Who.  The ominous horns are the work of comic genius.  Favorite lyric:  "Give me a bodyguard/A black belt Judo expert with a machine gun..."

The Song Is Over--One of my favorite songs on the album.  Townshend sings the vocals on this one as he tells the story of a relationship that has ended...by comparing it to a song.  Heartfelt and introspective, another in a long line of songs written by Townshend that remind you just how great of a songwriter he was.  Favorite lyric:  "The song is over/I'm left with only tears/I must remember/Even if it takes a million years..."

Getting in Tune--Who's Next was originally going to be an album called Lifehouse, that was supposed to be a follow up to the rock opera Tommy, and telling the story of a world taken over by totalitarianism that is redeemed by music from The Who.  When I read this my first thought was to marvel at the chutzpah, and my second was to wonder if The Who can save us from Donald Trump and the republican party....  A celebration of the healing power of love and music.  Favorite lyric:  "I'm singing this note cause it fits in well/With the way I'm feeling/There's a symphony that I hear in your heart/Sets my head a reeling..."

Going Mobile--An ode to the joys of owning a mobile home and taking to the road.  Uh, yeah.  One of the best pop songs Townshend ever wrote, and it truly conveys the joyousness of hitting the road.  Easily the funnest song on the record, with the vocals courtesy of Pete Townshend.  With my pop sensibilities, this is the first song on the album that grabbed me back in the day.  Favorite lyric:  "Hee, hoo!/Beep beep!"

Behind Blue Eyes--Quite possibly one of the most compassionate rock songs ever written--and it's sung from the viewpoint of a villain seeking an understanding of what it's like to be the bad man in search of a little empathy.  Another song that shows the sheer brilliance that is Pete Townshend.  Roger Daltrey's vocals for this one are as good as they get, especially as the song starts as a ballad and then segues into a balls out rocker.  One of The Who's most popular songs, and rightfully so.  A masterpiece.  Favorite lyric:  "And if I swallow anything evil/Put your finger down my throat/And if I shiver, please give me a blanket/Keep me warm let me wear your coat..."

Won't Get Fooled Again--An epic conclusion (eight and a half minutes) to an epic album--though it's seen as an anti-revolution song, I think it's more of an observation that revolutions all too often don't live up to their promises. Together with "Baba O'Riley" this song was the trailblazer for synthesizers in pop music.  Daltrey's scream of righteousness toward the latter part of the song is the perfect ending for a perfect album--it's an anthemic unleashing of the rock and roll soul.  Favorite lyric:  "And the parting on the left/Is now the parting on the right/And the beards have all grown longer overnight..."

For lyrics freaks like me, all the words can be found here.

If you have the time, enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXLIII--Eddie Cochran: Summertime Blues

Alas, my introduction to this week's tune came not from the original, but from a cover version by The Who...which my youngest son thoroughly loved, especially their version from the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.  I had mentioned to him that it had originally been done by Eddie Cochran (which I'd heard a time or two, but wasn't really familiar with), and at some point he asked me if we could find his version on Youtube.  We did...and it was love at first (give or take) listen.  We both listened to it two or three times a night for the next month.

Eddie Cochran began his musical career as so many others have done by forming a band when he was in high school at the wee age of fourteen.  A multi-instrumentalist (though he is remembered most for his guitar playing), Cochran would go on to become one of the forefathers of rockabilly, an innovator in the studio, and an influence to a number rock and roll stars higher than most republicans can count.  Though he would release only one album in his lifetime, and have 7 singles reach the charts, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.  Sadly, Cochran's musical career was cut short when he was killed in April of 1960 when the taxi he was riding in while on tour in England blew a tire and ran into a pole.  Cochran's last act was a heroic one--when he realized the car was going to crash he thew his body in front of his girlfriend to protect her.  Cochran was thrown from the taxi and died of massive head injuries later the same night.  He was twenty-one years old.

It would be all but impossible to understate the influence that "Summertime Blues" has had on rock and roll--there are probably fewer bands who have not covered the song than there are those that have.  Released in 1958, the single would reach #8 (most assuredly with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  More telling is the fact that two more bands would take the single into the top 30--Blue Cheer took the song to #14 in 1968 (wasn't all that crazy about their version), and the aforementioned Who version went to #27 just two years later.

To call "Summertime Blues" the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of the 1950's would be flattery of the highest order to both tunes.  Cochran tells the tale of summertime angst--and what a bummer it is to have to work a job for money when there's so much other fun to be had when the weather's warm and you're out of school for three months.  The song lasts a mere one minute and fifty-three seconds, but it packs an opera's worth of highlights into that short time span, from Cochran's wondrous rockabilly guitar work (I defy you to name a guitarist who hears it and doesn't immediately try to learn it--I did!), to his fuck this bullshit vocals, to the hand claps (and I loves me some hand claps in songs), to the use of a deep voice each time an adult speaks to Cochran's desires.  I would honestly say it holds its own with the great early rock and roll tunes like "Rock Around the Clock," or "Johnny B. Goode" or "Blue Suede Shoes."  It is a timeless classic that came, like those songs, at a time when American kids were first beginning to question authority and find their place in a rapidly changing America.

Lyric Sheet:  "A-I'm a-gonna raise a fuss/I'm a-gonna raise a holler/About a-working all summer/Just to try to earn a dollar..."

Enjoy (and note Cochran trying to keep from laughing each time his band mate does the adult voice):

Bonus Video (because you can never get enough of The Who--well at least I can't):

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. XCVIII--The Jam: The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)

When I write Friday Night Jukebox each week, the song I've chosen was picked months ago.  I keep a notebook by my computer that lists each week and what song will be written about for that week (I currently have songs lined up through February of 2018)--and there's really no order to how a song is chosen.  I hear it, or remember it, and I think, "Man, that'd be a great one to write about..." and I log it in my FNJ notebook.

Little did I know when it was originally chosen that "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)" by
The Jam, would pop up in the same week as the single most disheartening election of my entire existence.  And let me tell you, the election of Donald Trump was one mother fucking bitter pill to swallow--though I have to admit I'm hoping this trend of FNJ songs reflecting current happenings continues and I win the Powerball jackpot the week I highlight "Money (That's What I Want)"  by Barrett Strong....

In 2002 Virgin Radio did a poll and eventually a countdown of the top 100 English music acts of all time and the top five in order were Queen, The Beatles, Oasis, David Bowie, and...The Jam.  I note this because the first four had substantial, though to somewhat varying degrees, success here in the States, and The Jam had none.  Their most successful album here was Sound Affects which peaked at a celestial #72 (and probably not with much of a bullet either).  Nonetheless, The Jam would probably make my top five favorite bands of all time (and their greatest hits package Snap! is the greatest greatest hits package ever, bar none), and I can honestly say I've met exactly one person in my life who liked them--and that was a hundred years ago when I was in my early twenties.

And here's where I go full on fan boy:  heavily influenced by my all-time favorite band The Who and the band I think is the most underrated group ever, The Kinks, The Jam musically were a mix of sixties pop, Rhythm and Blues, punk, and new wave, and lyrically were political, poetically English, and never lost sight of their working class roots.  Paul Weller's vocals varied from anger to matter-of-fact to sorrow and never sounded false or contrived.  And, as an added bonus, they dressed super snazzily.  Sadly, the band lasted all of five years (1977-1982) before a bitter break-up (Weller and bassist Bruce Foxton didn't speak for twenty years and though now reconciled, Weller said he and his children would have to destitute and living in the streets before he'd ever consider a reunion), releasing only six albums, but leaving dorks like me a host of songs to marvel at into our old age.  Weller would go on to form the Style Council (not for me) and have some solo success; his band mates did what lesser talented band mates usually do:  form lesser talented bands that have as many hits records as I do:  zero.

Released as a single in 1982, "The Bitterest Pill"  surprisingly enough is not about disappointing election results but rather about love lost and the ensuing heartache when said love finds their soul mate who in no way whatsoever resembles you.  I don't want this post to turn into a novel (well on its way!) so suffice it to say that the song combines the best of sixties soul with vocals that fluctuate between heartbreak and, unsurprisingly, bitterness, and all the while it's catchy as all hell, because, what the fuck, just because you're miserable doesn't mean you can't dance.

Lyric sheet:  "For the bitterest pill is hard to swallow/The love I gave hangs in sad coloured, mocking shadows..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol XLII--The Who: Baba O'Riley

The Beautiful Boy turns eleven today, and in honor of that glorious achievement, Friday Night Jukebox is going to pay homage to his favorite band (and, in my ever so humble opinion, the greatest rock and roll band ever), and his favorite song by said band.

Formed in 1964, the quartet of Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey. John Entwistle, and Keith Moon, have left a legacy that is arguably matched only by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan.  Between 1969 and 1972, The Who released three albums (Tommy, Who's Next. and Quadrophenia) that are worthy of any top ten list.  They also released a multitude of wondrous singles, were considered one of the best live bands ever, and set new standards for both music production and the use of the rhythm section (in this case, bass and drums).  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys, and literally over a hundred million records sold--their influence on rock and roll has been felt far and wide.  And one thing you can say about the Who--there's no jazz or blues or classical influences.  They swore on their music bible in the church of rock and roll.

The most compelling aspect of "Baba O'Riley" is the sheer enormity of the song--there is a joyous power to it, and in it is the soul of triumph.  From the kid on Christmas morning excitement of the opening synthesizer movement to the front and center of the Entwistle's bass and Moon's explosive drumming the intro is one of the most recognized in rock and roll history.  It takes nearly a minute before Daltrey's vocals appear, and they are well worth the wait.  Bold, triumphant, and proud, Daltrey is a man on a mission.  And only when the first verse is done does Townshend's whirlwind guitar arrive, steamrolling the listener into aural ecstasy.  Throw in Townshend's unforgettable "teenage wasteland" vocal verse, a return to Daltrey, and closing it out with some dancing the jig fiddling and you have a song that underscores why you spent so much of your precious time on this planet listening to pop music, and makes every second of it ever so worthwhile.

Two more quick points:  first, the intricacy of the music and lyrics are utterly amazing in the simplicity (it's power chords and brevity in words) of the song and its sound, and second, that the Who were very much a sum of their parts.  Four men who literally had fist fights amongst themselves came together musically as one and created a song as close to perfection as a rock and roll can logically get.

Fun factoid:  The Beautiful Boy amazed his kindergarten teacher by being able to name all four band members and their instruments....

Not to ruin a lot of teenagers dreams that their youthful disillusionment was being addressed in the line "it's only teenage wasteland," but the line was actually a snide poke at the hippies who overdosed on acid at Woodstock....

Enjoy:

Peace,
emaycee

Sheep to slaughter

AIG CEO Bob Benmosche told The Wall Street Journal this week that the anger and outrage over bonuses bestowed upon AIG executives after receiving a bailout with our tax dollars was just as bad as the lynch mobs and lynchings that once occurred in the deep South.

Leaving aside how heinous it is to compare people being angry about your greed to people getting murdered because of the color of their skin, and leaving aside the chutzpah it takes to whine in the face of people still struggling financially after said people bailed your incompetent ass out...

...you have to wonder how bright it is for a guy making seven figures for basically being an asshole to mention lynch mobs to the millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, to the millions who fell into poverty because of his idiocy, and the even more millions who believe bank executives are the moral equivalent of cousin Kevin from The Who's Tommy.

Peace,
emaycee

I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth

Desperate for attention now that his mediocre career has been over for better than twenty-five years, Hank Williams, Jr. made the following comment to Iowa fairgoers (and how pathetically dull must your life be to pay for tickets to see Hank Williams, Jr.):  "We’ve got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the US and we hate him.”

Leaving aside the fact that only utter morons would give two shits what Hank Williams, Jr. thinks about anything (sort of like his numbnuts buddy, Ted Nugent), I can see why Mr. Jr. would be a Romney supporter.  They have an awful lot in common--both men have no discernible talent and only have their careers thanks to the success of their fathers.

Peace,
emaycee