Friday, November 23, 2007

Santa Claus vs. The Go-Betweens - Christmas Music

There are two basic types of Christmas music - official and personal. You are aware of the former but may not recognize the latter.

First, a clarification: I’d call it holiday music, but I don’t know a damned thing about Hannukah or Kwanzaa, and when was that last time you heard a Thanksgiving song, anyway? So I hope you’ll bear with me when I simply call it Christmas music.


Official Christmas Music:

This is the music that pertains to the holidays. You know what I mean - the stuff you begin to hear in the shopping malls right after Labor Day. It goes into heavy rotation from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. If it’s played again after that, mass suicides are sure to ensue.

Once Thanksgiving passes, the wife and kids can’t wait to put Official Christmas Music (OCM) on in the house. I don’t see the point myself. If you’re going to be bombarded with it outside why bring it inside? I don’t want to hear OCM until Christmas Eve at six pm, when I’ve finally gotten my shopping done and I can get into the holiday spirit. (This lasts about eighteen hours.)

In mid-December 1979, while my roommate, his girlfriend and I were decorating our tree, I decided to put on some music. I picked something pretty, but definitely non-Christmas. I thought that the tree trimming combined with the music would be sufficient to get us into a holiday mood that we could call our own. To me, those are the best ones. But after a short while, my roommate’s girlfriend politely asked, “Ahem, do you have any, you know, Christmas music?”

Now I’ve got nothing against Christmas music per se. My strong preference is, of course, for good Christmas music, which I define simply as holiday music you can stand to hear more than once. So I’ve learned my lesson and have tried over the years to get some OCM for the sake family, friends (and myself).

Here are some of my favorites:

 The Bells of Dublin
The Bells of Dublin by the Chieftains
An Irish Christmas, musically, anyway. (The other kind, I don't know that I'd recommend.) It’s got the usual suspects (Elvis Costello, Ricki Lee Jones, Jackson Browne, etc.) as guest stars, which is normally a dead giveaway that it’s NOT a great album. But here, just about everyone shines.

I bought this record out of desperation because I was low on holiday music, and had set my expectations to…okay. But the sound was clear and bright, the musicianship excellent (and more importantly enthusiastic) and there is a commitment to each performance that rises above professionalism and into joy from all concerned that actually translates into music you want to hear over and over again. It’s got the best version of “Deck the Halls” ever.

A great Christmas album and a great album.

A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
If you’ve seen the TV show, you’ve heard most of this music already, so you already know whether you like it or not. Play it right after everyone’s gone home and you can finally relax. A great example of making something new out of something old. A damned good jazz album, too.


 New Wave Xmas: Just Can't Get Enough
Christmas with electric guitars! Who could ask for more?
The ones you know: “2000 Miles” by the Pretenders and “The Little Drummer Boy” by David Bowie and Bing Crosby.
The one you may know: “Fairy Tale of New York” by the Pogues and Kirsty Macoll, which gets my vote for all time greatest modern Christmas song.
The ones you probably don’t know: “Christmas Time” by the Chris Stamey Group and “Mary Xmess” by Sun 60.
And many more. A real pleasure.


Personal Christmas Music:

“Personal” Christmas music, on the other hand, is the music you happen to hear around the holidays, but that otherwise has no connection to them other than the one you attach to it yourself.

 While OCM may bring back vague recollections of childhood Christmases, the advantage of PCM is that it can bring you back to the specific year in which you first heard it.

Since PCM is deeply subjective, I understand now that while it’s good for me, it probably isn’t good for guests. It’s too much to expect them to enjoy what I happen to be obsessing over at the moment. Maybe they’re already obsessing over something else anyway. And it’s probably an illusion to think that my current obsession is somehow more apt for the holiday season other than that it’s great music. I may have heard a great album in December that you heard in July. So that makes my holiday memories your summer vacation memories.

I should add that it’s not quite enough for my PCM to only be great music. “Daydream Nation” by Sonic Youth is a good album, but it’s loud and harsh, and not a good accompaniment to a Thanksgiving morning preparing hors d’oeuvres and dressing a colicky three month old for a long drive. So, I’ve learned to hedge my bets a little and, when given the choice, pick positive over negative, soothing over intense, emotional over intellectual. This is a no-brainer for people other than me.

And I’ll now admit to what may already be obvious - that I’ve come to “engineer” the whole thing by making sure to visit the record store a few days before Thanksgiving. This is stupid, pathetic, over-determined, non-spontaneous, and worst of all, fallible. But since these words apply equally well to me, I still do it. And when it works – more often than you’d think – it’s magical.

A word about new holiday songs, by which I mean either new songs, or new versions of old ones. If they’re bland or forgettable, they will simply be added to the vast store of Official Christmas music and get recycled for next holiday season. But if they are really good – an old song kept fresh (The Pretenders version of “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas”), or a great new one (ditto, “2,000 Miles”) - you can end up with the best of both worlds - a hybrid of the Official and Personal.

Another great example is “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses, which brings me right back to the moment I first heard it. But this is rare. Most of the time, the song is either one or the other.



OCM vs. PCM

The difference between the OCM and PCM is the difference between what means a lot to the outside world and what means a lot to you. Depending on how much you’re in synch with the outside world, you might be quite satisfied with OCM, and not have a single song to call your own PCM. So score one for Santa.

What it really boils down to, in essence, is this: the difference between OCM and PCM is that OCM reminds you of the good things that have happened while PCM tells you that good things are still possible. This is why I will always need PCM. It’s also why I do this blog.

So I feel compelled to tell you about a couple of my favorite PCM records. They were heard around the holidays, and thus, made those holidays better:

1978-1990
I bought this “best-of, plus rarities” in 1990 during one of my traditional pre Thanksgiving shopping trips because I had heard and loved “Streets of Your Town”. We listened to it (along with the six others I got that day, but I’m better now) on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, while preparing hundred layer dip for the next day’s dinner at mom’s house.

I could tell from the very first listen that this record was going to stick with me, especially when I heard “Bye-bye Pride”, “Second Hand Furniture” and “Right Here”. I’ve hesitated to recommend this record because the G-Bs are like a good bottle of wine in a soda pop world - the first taste is a bit dry but before you know it, you’ve finished the bottle.

So the singing could sometimes be better, or the melody occasionally takes a back seat to the words, but that’s fine because the band always finds the best way to put each song across, whether it’s the slammin’ drummer who just happens to be a lady, the occasional strings and brass, or the guitars - usually one acoustic and one electric – the former never tired, and the latter always reminding you that this is not folk music. Oh, and by the way, the songs are awesome.

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Now playing: The Go-Betweens - Bye Bye Pride
\via FoxyTunes  


Oceans Apart
The G-Bs then went on hiatus for twelve years. The songwriters – Robert Forster and Grant McLennan - released a number of solo albums before getting back together in 2002, and doing three more records. Since then Grant McLennan has passed away.

On my most recent pre-Thanksgiving music trip, I decided to give this, their last record, a try. I am happy to report that our 2007 holiday season has already been indelibly marked by this marvelous record. Robert Forster’s “Darlinghurst Nights” is a high point, and Grant McLennan may have been saving his best for last. “Finding You”, “Boundary Rider” and “The Statue” are among the best songs he’s ever done. So long live Grant McLennan.

This band consistently made music that achieved the very rare balance of beauty and resilience. Autumnal. Quirky. Proud. Long live the Go-Betweens.

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Now playing: The Go-Betweens - Boundary Rider
via FoxyTunes


And The Winner Is…

I can’t expect anyone to believe that these two records mean more to me than all the Christmas music I’ve ever heard. So I guess that means that Santa Claus wins. But let’s face it, he had help from Jesus.

But that leads me to this question – What would Jesus listen to? That’s easy. The Go-Betweens.

Happy Holidays.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

The Old Fogey's Guide to R.E.M.

R.E.M. came along when most reasonable people my age were growing up and getting married. I latched onto them in 1984 after I heard that their first album, “Murmur” very nearly beat out “Thriller” for top album of the year in a major critic’s poll in 1983. Back then, they were even able to get some airplay for “Radio Free Europe”, because they, along with U2, were cult favorites of AOR radio stations. That probably wouldn’t happen now.
The difference between the two bands was that Bono could swallow a stadium whole when he sang, whereas Michael Stipe preferred to go hide in the corner. I could relate a lot better to the latter, so I went with R.E.M.. The wife chose U2, but we worked through it.
No artist who has been around for nearly thirty years can expect their fans to get their every record. After all, there are other artists, too, not to mention baby formula to buy.
If you have nothing by them, I suppose it would make some sense to pick up one of their best-ofs, but such collections rarely give me the satisfaction that I get from the original albums of any good artist.
I can reasonably cover the 1982 – 1997 period, and have summarized the high points below. I work my way down from what I think you might like best, to their less accessible, but very worthy work:

Automatic for the People
This one seems to please the most people and I can understand why. I don’t think it’s quite their best but it is right up there. You already know the hits – “Man on the Moon”, “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” and “Everybody Hurts”, but you may not have heard “Nightswimming”, “Find a River” or “Sweetness Follows”, which are at least as good.

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Now playing: R.E.M. - Nightswimming
via FoxyTunes

Out of Time
Out of Time (1991):
There is so much beauty on this record (“Near Wild Heaven”, “Texarkana”, “Belong”) it’s nearly unbearable. The only reason I don’t rate this one higher is that it you might find it too pretty, or you may not like the rap on “Radio Song”. or the brooding “Low” (which to me is merely the deep breath before the rush to follow, which itself doesn’t stop until the Neil Young-like “Country Feedback”). Okay, that’s everything you could possibly find wrong with this record. The rest of it is absolutely joyous. Oh yeah, it’s got “Losing My Religion” and “Happy, Shiny People”, too. It finishes off with “Me in Honey”, which, thanks to Kate Pierson, is one of the best songs of the decade.

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Now playing: R.E.M. - Me in Honey
via FoxyTunes

Murmur 
Murmur (1983):
My personal favorite, on principle really, since I heard it first. But I’m having trouble justifying it since “Out of Time” came out. While it’s arty and obscure (it’s been called “Mumble” by some detractors) I hear it as classic rock coming from the room down the hall. I’ve gotten it as a present for at least a few people, and their initial look of puzzlement eventually gives way to a grudging acknowledgement that this is a really good album. It’s probably the album of the 80s, too.

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Now playing: Pearl Jam - Talk About the Passion
via FoxyTunes


Chronic Town 
Chronic Town (1982):
This EP is their first splash, and it practically trips over itself in its rush to hit you with words, drums, guitars. Fast, tuneful and strange. And I would love for someone to do a more commercial version of “1,000,000” or “Gardening at Night”. It’s also available as part of the B-side/rarity oriented “Dead Letter Office”.


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Now playing: R.E.M. - Gardening At Night
via FoxyTunes


Document 
Document (1987):
This one is loud and fierce. It’s got “The One I Love” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”. It’s also got the great “Finest Worksong”. Great line: “Standing on the shoulders of giants, leaves me cold…”

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Now playing: R.E.M. - Finest Worksong
via FoxyTunes


 New Adventures in Hi Fi
A little too long, but with a lot of variety. And “Electrolite” is one of their best ever. And the rock and roll is actually stronger than “Monster”.
The records I’ve skipped over ("Reckoning", "Fables of the Reconstruction", "Life's Rich Pageant", "Green", "Monster") are good but not great. They have many fine moments but seem to be halfway points or commercial compromises. Someone could make a great mix CD from them. But if you start from the top down here, you’ll know what all the fuss is about.

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Now playing: R.E.M. - Electrolite
via FoxyTunes

Monday, November 12, 2007

Music to be Trapped in a Van With - Badly Drawn Boy's "The Hour of Bewilderbeast"

The Hour of BewilderbeastI had the pleasure of inflicting this record on a captive audience on a long drive home from Thanksgiving dinner. I should really have known better - this usually turns out to be a disaster, for everyone but me, that is. But for once, it was a hit.
His name is Damon Gough. He’s a Scottish singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist who goes under the name of Badly Drawn Boy. You may know him from the soundtrack to “About a Boy”, but this is the one that put him on the map. What map, you ask? Okay, that’s a fair question, so just work with me on this…
If you’re going to have a strange name, maybe you should play it safe with the title of your debut album. So maybe calling it “The Hour of Bewilderbeast” isn’t the way to go. It gives the overall impression that the music will be... challenging. You know the kind I mean - the sometimes painful, but ultimately enriching type. In other words, it’s work - something that will make you a better person. No fun.
Well, not to worry. This is one of the most enjoyable albums of the decade. Tuneful from the get go, it’s an hour very well spent indeed. The songwriting is consistently excellent, and the instrumentation and pace are varied enough to keep any boredom from setting in. In case that’s not enough, he throws in sound effects between the songs, abruptly ends them, or even starts new ones right in the middle of others, just to keep you on your toes.
Things start off gently, with the cello, French horn and acoustic guitar of “The Shining” - a beautiful ballad. But before you can say wimp, the drums and guitar of “Everybody’s Stalking” kick in. BDB takes us from the contemplative to the rousing and then back again. “Magic in the Air” reminds me of Burt Bacharach. “Pissing in the Wind” (yup, you heard me) is full of heart and soul, “Disillusion” sounds like a hit from the 70s. Even the theme tune is great.
BDB plays most of the instruments on the record, and if you find the last two songs to be a little slow, it’s probably because he’s ready to drop from exhaustion. Damon counts Bruce Springsteen amongst his influences, but I hear the Beatles, circa the White Album. Damon’s not quite in that league, but then again, there’s only one of him.
This record will always remind me of that Thanksgiving drive home. After a rough year, “Bewilderbeast” music gave everyone in the van an hour of great pleasure, and many more after that.


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Now playing: Badly Drawn Boy - Magic in the Air
via FoxyTunes

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Cool Music to Play for Company - Coldplay and the Chills

Friends are coming over for dinner, and you're wondering what music you should put on. The same old crap yet again? I don’t think so. Try these instead:

 A Rush Of Blood To The Head
You have to hand it to these guys. They are right up there with emo (the genre, not the comedian) when it comes to the male sensitivity sweepstakes. And while I’m not crazy about their third album, and have only heard a little of their first, this one - their second- is quite good. Kind of like a U2, but more emphasis on the melo than on the drama.
Let’s skip over “Clocks”. You know the song – the one with the pretty piano. You’ve heard it. You like it. Let’s move on.
There’s the other one that’s slower – “The Scientist” - which you may have heard, too. Not bad.
My biggest problem with this record is that their lyrics get a little sappy. Chris Martin likes to sing about women saving him, and I’m sure he knows the ladies just eat that stuff up. Yet, I have to admit, these lyrics are attached to two of my favorite songs here – “Warning Sign” and “Amsterdam”. So basically they fake sincerity real well.
And they’re good at throwing in unexpected chords or textures that add more depth to a song. On their third record, “X&Y”, Chris Martin spends too much time singing way up there in a higher register (I guess this time the woman saved him by grabbing him by the balls.) and his voice isn’t strong enough for that. On “A Rush…”, his singing is in the middle range, simply filling in the spaces left by the other instruments, where it’s much more effective.
Other highlights are “Daylight” and “God Put a Smile On Your Face”.
It’s one of those rare CDs that won’t irritate normal people, but also won’t bore those of us who prefer to not be anesthetized.
It’s a hard album to dislike. God knows, I tried.

Submarine Bells
If you’ve read any previous posts, you’ve noticed that I have the habit, while recommending an album, of trying to inoculate the recommendee against what might be annoying about it. Well, try as I might, I can’t think anything about “Submarine Bells” that falls into that category, except perhaps its preoccupation with mortality. Well, you’re probably a little more pre-occupied with that now, too. And besides, the Chills wrap it up in music that can’t fail to stir you.
They are a guitar based pop band that occasionally revs things up loud. But for the most part they occupy a more subdued middle ground that keeps things from getting too out of hand.
“Heavenly Pop Hit” is exactly that, except for the hit part. And it goes on from there. “Don’t Be - Memory”, tucked away on the second half, is the great one here, but I didn’t come to that conclusion until about the twentieth listen. There were too many other songs that came close. And besides, the wife disagrees – her vote is for “Singing in My Sleep”. It’s hard to argue with her (in general).
The Chills hail out of New Zealand, which experienced a bit of a pop renaissance the late 80s. They released several records before ”Submarine Bells”, and only managed one more afterwards before breaking up.
It's a great “lost” (that is, if anything is ever lost anymore in this digital age) album of the 90s.
This is the music from which great memories are made.


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Now playing: Coldplay - Warning Sign
via FoxyTunes


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Now playing: The Chills - Tied Up in Chain
via FoxyTunes