No Summer for Old Men

"Heatwave" by Martha and the Vandellas is a real snappy number, but the word itself no longer has the same attraction. It's just too damn oppressive to be very sexy.

The message of "Summer in the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful - maybe the greatest summer song ever - is that despite the heat, it'll be all right.

And "Summer Breeze"? No! Seriously, f*ck its overplayed ass.

It would be nice to still, as we did as youngsters, think of summer as a three-month preview of heaven.  Most of us not living in temperate (meaning, not yet impacted by climate change) areas don't see it as a time to relax, have fun and get a tan. It's a ninety-three-day ordeal of humidity, sirens, explosions we hope are fireworks, and PEOPLE WHO TALK TOO LOUD. (No, not "loudly". LOUD.) And, worst of all, pale old white men in cargo shorts.

So I can't wait for autumn. That dry, cooler (but still sunny) calm idyll, when you have to wear a light jacket, which just happens to hide your gut.

This is all to explain why - aside from hearing these records during the summer, I am hearing these records as being "summer music" in both the best and worst senses. 

Bob Marley and the Wailers: Burnin' (1973)

Why summer music? As I learned on my honeymoon - when I finally got it - reggae goes well with hot weather. It's slow because it's too friggin hot to play (or dance) any faster. 

Lucky for me (if not the planet) I've had more than enough hot sticky summers to catch up.

This one didn't immediately grab me the way Catch a Fire did. This one does have its share of classics but is more laid back. And the production is not as clean or immediate. But once I gave it half a chance the songs rose up to meet my ears. And each one sticks.

I play it a lot in the mornings before the A/C kicks in.

A-

"Get Up, Stand Up"

St. Etienne: Smash the System: Singles and More (2001)

A sort of greatest hits collection by this British trio is largely  - but not exclusively - dance music. It's light, quick, and playful, so, on the surface, it's "fun". Like what summer is supposed to be. But it's also a little sad, like what summer too often is. 

It starts with heresy - a dance version of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" - which turns out to be pretty damn good. And then it goes on balancing dance arrangements with good tunes.

It may be too much of a good thing, though. Two filled-to-the-brim CDs add up to two and a half hours of music. It can't help but get a bit repetitive. In other words, a perfect fit for those looooooonng summer afternoons.

B+

"Kiss and Make Up"

Yo La Tengo: Fade (2013)

YLT can rival reggae in its languor. Despite their potential for the guitar freakout so beloved by the younger set, it's downright admirable how often YLT just chills, which as time goes by is more and more beloved by me. 

Their ability to pull off either is reminiscent of the Velvet Underground. And their pinnacle - I Can Hear the Heart Beat as One -  is the perfect balance of both styles.

On this one, they favor the chill. Out of ten songs, there are only two outright rockers. The rest are either folkish or light pop bordering-on-Easy Listening, often sung in a whisper a la "Girl From Impanema".  

Thank god husband and wife team Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley write such simple beautiful songs, and apply the most subtle harmonies to bring out the best of them, that you sometimes can't believe it's an original and not a cover.

So what may at first seem like a deliberate dare for you to dismiss them turns out to be evidence of YLT's great faith in their listeners to stick around. I definitely will. From the midtempo rockish opener to the wistful horns fade out at the very end. 

It's the sound of the end of a good day when the temperature drops a wee bit and there's a hint of a breeze.

A-

"Before We Run"

Japanese Breakfast: Jubilee (2021)

Just a young woman singing her songs, with nary a guitar, bass, or drums in sight (although the pictures indicate otherwise). And not dance music either. Just sweet mid-tempo pop music.

Mrs. Jaybee always guesses this one correctly when I put it on. And sometimes actually requests it! Now that is saying something. 

Short, sweet, and wistful, you fear it might just waft away. In fact, it's so single-mindedly tuneful (if not exactly hooky) that it never does. One after another the songs unfurl, each one as good as the last.

A guitar does poke its head out at the end, in just the right place.

The sound of a now rare great summer day. 

Maybe the young people can save us after all.

A-

"Posing for Cars"