arabchanter wrote:

DAY 256.
Stevie Wonder.......................................Talking Book   (1972)









Robert Margouleff's iconic photo of Stevie Wonder, clad in an African Robe and crouched in clay, deep in thought, spoke of the solitary vision hie early 1970s trilogy of masterpieces pursued.But the sleeve (featuring sightless Stevie unusually sans sunglasses) also suggested that Talking Book was a confessional album about love, and the loss of it, as befits an artist who has just left his mate (singer Syreeta Wright, who wrote lyrics for two downbeat tracks here). Talking Book was Stevie's heart, and it was talking truthfully.


 

Utterly magnificent Album (imo an all that jazz).

All about opinions an all that pish ...but if you give this one anything less than a glowing ​review then i'm OUT Mr C.


 

DAY 256.
Stevie Wonder.......................................Talking Book   (1972)















Any album that has a track like this on it needs some serious consideration, still only 22 but on his 15th studio album this for me was when the Butterfly shed it's cocoon, in other words started doing what he felt right rather than what Berry Gordy did, and quit the Motown formula, Berry was forced to loosen his grip a little, which worked out well for all concerned.



Great start with "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" then came "Maybe Your Baby" which to be honest seemed a tad long and a bit monotonous, and this is where I feel it just fails for me, I'm not a great ballad listener so "You And I Can Conquer The World"  might have been good enough for the Obama's to use as their wedding song, and I can see the beauty in there but I got bored with it after about a minute, there were also lyrically sad songs but with a funky backbeat which didn't really lighten the songs for me.


Weighing this album up, the trio of "Sunshine Of My Life," "Superstition," and "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" are superb tracks, but most of the rest although well written and arranged just didn't grip me on first hearing, this album wont be added to my collection as yet, but I will be downloading it rather than spending my hard earned, and then I can find out if it's a grower, and may be added it a later date.





Bits & Bobs;


He was born Steveland Hardaway Judkins. His mother was Lula May Hardaway, who was 17 at the time of his birth, and his father was Calvin Judkins, a man who was nearly 30 years her senior. When he was four years old, Stevie, his mother, and his two older brothers moved from Saginaw to Detroit. It was then that Wonder's surname was legally changed to Morris, an old family name, as a preemptive strike against any attempt by Calvin Judkins to cut in on their sudden good fortune. Many say that Morris was Lula's married name, but this is clearly erroneous, as her second husband was a man named Paul Lynch.



 According to his official biography, Wonder was born six weeks premature in a Saginaw Hospital. He was kept alive in an incubator for a month, and during this time, too much oxygen was pumped into the incubator, causing him to develop retrolental fibroplasia, now technically known as retinopathy of prematurity, which caused his blindness. Wonder says he tries to create "Sonic Pictures" with his songs.





Eddie Murphy used to imitate him on Saturday Night Live. Wonder once appeared on the show in a skit with Murphy.



 

Motown Records signed him when he was 11 and released his first album when he was 12. He was billed as "Little" Stevie Wonder, the boy genius. His 1963 album Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius, went to #1. The 'Little' part was only dropped when he hit 6ft.


 
In 1976, Wonder signed what was the biggest record deal ever, for $13 million over 7 years.


 
In 1973, he was in a coma for four days after getting in a car accident (someone else was driving). His vehicle hit a logging truck, and one of the logs went through the windshield and struck Stevie as he was listening to a mix of his Innervisions album. He lost his sense of smell for a while, but it gradually returned, along with the higher consciousness that comes with a near-death experience. "I was definitely in a much better spiritual place that made me aware of a lot of things that concern my life and my future," Wonder said.


 
Stevie took a year off when he was 14 because his voice was changing.


 
He graduated from the Michigan State School For The Blind.


 
He plays most of the instruments on his albums. Wonder is skilled on the keyboard, bass, drums and harmonica. He mastered all four instruments before hitting his teenage years.


 
In 1969, Motown gave him complete control of his recordings. He was one of the first artists to write, produce, arrange, and perform his own songs.


 
In 1968, Stevie Wonder wrote the music to Smokey Robinson's #1 hit, "Tears Of A Clown." Then in 1970, with the help of Lee Garrett, another blind songwriter, Stevie produced and wrote the 1970 hit, "It's A Shame", for a local band in Michigan, The Spinners. Lee Garrett soon became friends with Stevie, and before long, they were songwriting partners.


 
Minnie Riperton and Deniece Williams use to sing backup for Stevie Wonder. After they would both pursue solo careers. Minnie Riperton is most remembered for the song "Lovin' You" and Williams is famous for singing "Let's Hear It For The Boy" on the Footloose Soundtrack. Both were also famous for their use of the whistle register.


 

Motown head Berry Gordy said Wonder was, "The most innovative person that I've ever known. But also unique with his tones and his voice quality."



 
In his early years, Stevie wanted other people in the studio with him when he recorded his vocals so he could feel their presence, which made him more comfortable. There were times when workers and people hanging around the studio were summoned to join Stevie while he tracked his vocals.



 
Wonder doesn't see his blindness as a liability. "Being blind, you don’t judge books by their covers," he said. "You go through things that are relatively insignificant, and you pick out the things that are more important."



 
He never took drugs. "I like my mind the way it is," he said.



 
Stevie Wonder has been married three times. His first wife was the soul and R&B singer Syreeta Wright; their marriage lasted 18 months, from 1970 to 1972. Wonder then exchanged vows with designer Kai Millard in 2001, but they divorced 11 years later. The soul legend tied the knot for the third time on the July 15-16, 2017 weekend, this time with his longtime girlfriend Tomeeka Bracy. Wonder's nine children from five different relationships served as their father and new stepmother's groomsmen and bridesmaids.



Real name Steveland Hardaway Judkins, the young Stevie Wonder was born six weeks premature in Saginaw, Michigan. The stunted growth of blood vessels in the back of his eyes caused his retinas to detach. The oxygen pumped into his incubator exacerbated the condition, leaving the tiny baby permanently blind.






Mere blindness wasn’t about to stop Stevie Wonder from pursuing his love of music. A member of his local church choir soon after he could walk, the young singer mastered piano, harmonica, drums and bass before hitting his teens. Auditioning for Motown Records, eleven-year-old Stevie left founder Berry Gordy speechless.





At thirteen, Stevie’s cut of ‘Fingertips’ from the Motortown Revue sailed up the Billboard charts, becoming the first live track to top the Stateside countdown. On drums? A young Marvin Gaye.





Scoring a series of massive hits, Little Stevie was surrounded by some of the finest tutors in the history of pop music. Learning at the feet of Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross, the singer rapidly matured and by 1964 the ‘Little’ misnomer had been ditched. Daring to cover Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’, the single became a remarkable hit, pushing the boundaries of Motown.





Matching global hits with a growing interest in studio technology, Stevie recorded an album of instrumentals in 1968. Using the name ‘Rednow Eivets’ - ‘Stevie Wonder’ backwards - the record slipped out under the radar. An important stepping-stone, it came just a few months after Stevie Wonder jammed with Jimi Hendrix during downtime at the BBC. Uniting two titanic black American talents, the moment was to have a profound impact on Wonder’s career.






Stevie Wonder really came of age in 1972 when he released ‘Music Of My Mind’ and ‘Talking Book’ - arguably two of the finest albums ever made - within months of one another. However the success belied almost two years of arguments with Motown boss Berry Gordy who refused to endorse his star’s embrace of the album format. Stevie Wonder won, and shattered chart records.




Seriously injured in a 1973 car crash, Stevie would permanently lose his sense of smell, and temporarily lose his sense of taste. Which means that he really is just a walking pair of ears.






An early adopter of the Moog synthesiser, Stevie would go on to own the first ever E-mu Emulator - effectively, the first easy-to-afford sampler. Later a staple of the emerging house and techno scenes, Stevie Wonder got there first. Again.



Stevie Wonder has met several United States Presidents. Given a special award by Nixon, he was later to blast the Republican on the track ‘You Ain’t Done Nuthin’. However the Motown star was to enjoy more cordial relationships with Barack Obama, who named Stevie Wonder as his favourite artist of all time.





In 2005 Kanye West reflected on his own success, saying simply: “I’m not trying to compete with what’s out there now. I’m really trying to compete with ‘Innervisions’ and ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’. It sounds musically blasphemous to say something like that, but why not set that as your bar?” Keep trying, Kanye.





"You Are The Sunshine Of My Love"




The sunshine of Stevie Wonder's life when he wrote this song was Syreeta Wright, whom he married in 1970. Wright, who started at Motown Records as a secretary, co-wrote Wonder's hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" that same year, and also all nine songs on Stevie's 1971 album Where I'm Coming From. Wonder produced her debut album Syreeta in 1972 and her next one, Stevie Wonder Presents: Syreeta, in 1974.





Some sources list the couple's divorce as happening in 1972, but Wright, who died in 2004, claimed they were married until 1975. The marriage was difficult, and exasperated by their working relationship, which Wright found stifling. "I was always living in his shadow," she said.




"You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" finds wonder expressing his devotion to Syreeta - it's a husband looking upon his now-familiar wife and remembering why he loves her and always will. It didn't work out for this couple, but the sentiment was irrefutable. The song remains a heartfelt expression of undying love.



 
Wonder recorded this song impromptu at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, which he would keep booked when he was in the area. His band at the time included Ray Parker Jr. on guitar, Scott Edwards on bass, Keith Copeland on drums, and Steve Madaio, Trevor Lawrence and David Sanborn on horns. Edwards told us: "He had been working with the structure by himself. But once he had all of us together, he just started playing it. And then we all joined in and we all could feel that the vibe and the way the tune was going, it was a hit. He was so excited, he said, 'Tonight we're going to the studio and record it.' And that's what we did."





Wonder played many of his own instruments on Talking Book, but the album was one of the first to include musician credits, so we know who made it to wax on this track. The personnel were Edwards on bass, Daniel Ben Zebulon on congas, and Wonder on Fender Rhodes electric piano and drums. The male vocalist who first sings on the track is Jim Gilstrap, and the female singer who follows is Lani Groves - both were backup singers in his band. Stevie is the third singer heard on the track.



 
Marvin Gaye, whose "Mercy Mercy Me (ecology song)" dealt with spirituality and the Earth, cited this song as an example of how the environment impacts songwriting. He told Sounds magazine in 1976: "A lot of the time, they don't even know it as writers, but they're just forced to put Mother Nature into the picture, like in 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life.'"


 
This song won Wonder the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.




"Superstition"



Wonder wrote this about the dangers of believing in superstitions. Some of the bad luck superstitions he alludes to include walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror (said to bring seven years of bad luck), and the number 13.


 
This was intended for Jeff Beck, who was brought in to play some guitar parts on the album in exchange for a song. At one of the sessions, Stevie came up with the riff and wrote some lyrics, and they recorded a rough version of the song that day for Beck. It took Beck a while to record the song, and by the time he released it, Wonder's version had been out for a month and was a huge hit. Beck felt shortchanged, and made some statements in the press that Wonder didn't appreciate. In 1975, Beck released an instrumental version of Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" on his album Blow By Blow. The album was a hit and helped solidify Beck's reputation as an elite guitarist.



 
When Wonder turned 21, he was no longer obligated to Motown Records, and used his clout to sign a deal with the label giving him unprecedented control of his music. He got a large share of royalties and publishing rights, and Motown was not allowed to alter the albums once they were delivered. One thing Motown did control, however, were what songs they released as singles. Knowing Jeff Beck was about to record his version, Motown head Berry Gordy made sure this was the first single and released it before Beck could get his out.



 
Taking a cue from Marvin Gaye, who put musician credits on his album What's Going On, Wonder included credits on Talking Book. On this track, Stevie played Hohner clavinet, drums, and Moog bass. Two of his band members also contributed: Steve Madaio played trumpet and Trevor Lawrence played tenor saxophone.


 
Jeff Beck finally recorded his own version of this song in December 1972 with bass player Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice. They recorded as Beck, Bogert and Appice, and while their album did well, their version of this song was hardly noticed.


 
This was recorded at Electric Lady Studios, which is where Jimi Hendrix recorded. The studios stayed active after Hendrix' death, with artists like Miles Davis and Deep Purple also recording there.





At the time, Wonder would keep the studio booked so he could record when inspiration hit. Stevie's bass player at the time, Scott Edwards, told us that this was not always convenient for his band. "Because he does not have sight, he's not controlled by daylight," said Scott. "So he may begin his night at midnight. Which is bad, because if they want you to come do an overdub or something, he may call you at 4 a.m. and say, 'Come on in.'"


 
Several artists besides Jeff Beck have covered this. None made much of an impact until Stevie Ray Vaughan released a live version as a single in 1986 on his album Live Alive. His version is still played on Classic Rock radio, and has grown even more popular since Vaughan's death in 1990.



 
This song incorporates many elements of rock music, which helped Wonder extend his appeal to a white audience. Before Talking Book was released, Stevie went on tour with The Rolling Stones, which boosted his credibility in the world of rock. When "Superstition" was released, it was warmly welcomed on the same radio stations that played The Stones, earning Wonder many new fans. It also helped Wonder move past his image as a child star.



 
This was Wonder's second #1 hit in the US. His first was with "Fingertips (part 2)" in 1963, which he recorded as "Little" Stevie Wonder.


 
Wonder performed this song on Sesame Street in 1973 during the show's fourth season. It was recorded at the show's New York studios at a time when Wonder and his band were playing lots of gigs, and they treated the Sesame Street performance just like any other, extending it to nearly 7 minutes, complete with intricate musical shifts directed by Wonder. Video of the performance shows kids and puppets having a blast on the set, but the band remained focused, since getting distracted by a monster would not be a valid excuse for missing a change.




 
The album was called Talking Book because wonder considered the songs akin to chapters in a book that tell a whole story. On the cover is a rare photo of Wonder without his sunglasses on.


  
Wonder appeared in Bud Light commercials that debuted during the Super Bowl in 2013. As part of the "It's only weird if it doesn't work" campaign, which showed superstitious fans acting compulsively in an effort to steer their teams to victory, Wonder appeared as some kind of witch doctor in New Orleans (where the game took place). Asking, "are you looking for a little mojo?," Wonder then transports our hero to the big game, where he has a voodoo doll to help his cause. The song "Superstition" plays throughout.







 

Different opinions, but 'Maybe Your Baby' is every bit as good, for me, as 'You are the Sunshine' and 'Superstition'. Ray Ghostbusters Parker Jr is the only other contributor to the song, with SW doing the backing vocals and all.

But like A/C, I don't particularly enjoy ballads, so some of the album is a bit 'just okay' for me. 

DAY 257.
Stephen Stills.........................Manassas   (1972)









To be honest I've followed this joker from Buffalo Springfield through C,S,N&Y, the Flying Fuckin Burritos, his solo stuff, and  now Manassa, if the author of this book is trying to beat me into submission, think again pal he's still shite, if anything, all this has done is put me off listening to C,S,N&Y who I didn't mind, but now can't think of anything worse than their tightie white-ee harmonies.


The album itself was peppered to a large extent with this close harmony twaddle, there were some tracks that strayed from the norm, but mostly for me on "the Wilderness" which was side 2, if I was forced to listen to a side it would be that one. 


This double album, along with all his other works would be traded in for a balloon from the old rag and bone man with his horse and cart back in the day, and I would believe I ripped him off, this wont come near my postcode.



Bits & Bobs;

Fill your boots on previous posts about this "Ravi" (if you must)

 Manassas came into existence in the wake of Stills touring behind his second album, STEPHEN STILLS 2, which made it into the top 10 of the Billboard 200 but was received far less rapturously by critics than his self-titled debut. Following that tour, however, Stills got in touch with Chris Hillman and Al Perkins of the Flying Burrito Brothers, who he’d met up with on the road –and invited them and fiddler Byron Berline to join him for a studio jam. Also in the mix were members of Stills’ touring band: keyboardist Paul Harris, percussionist Joe Lala, bassist Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels, and drummer Dallas Taylor.


 Several weeks later, the musicians recorded enough songs for a double album, and they had gelled sufficiently to be called a band. That band was called Manassas after they had a photo shoot in – you guessed it – Manassas, Virginia, and the resulting album shared its name with the band.




 It’s also worth noting the album featured at least one high-profile guest musician in the mix, and possibly two, but we’ll get to that. The confirmed participant was Bill Wyman, then of the Rolling Stones, who apparently enjoyed the experience of playing on “The Love Gangster” enough to indicate that he might’ve liked to become a member of the band. (It didn’t happen, though, but you probably already knew that.)



 As for the unconfirmed player… Well, actually, it’s not that it isn’t unconfirmed, it’s that he’s not listed in the credits. In the British ‘zine Swing ’51, Jerry Garcia said of MANASSAS, "There are a couple of tunes on there where I play pedal steel and maybe even guitar on one, but there's at least two that I'm not credited on. But I did the sessions and it's me playing." He did not, however, indicate the tunes on which he played. That said, the suspicion is that Garcia played on “Jesus Gave Love Away for Free” and “So Begins the Task.” Then again, maybe he didn’t. (You should probably give both tracks another spin to see if you can tell one way or the other.)



 When MANASSAS was released, it was a success, making its way to #4 on the Billboard 200, and it’s looked back on by most critics as being among the greatest achievements in Stills’ career. Unfortunately, the band’s second album would prove to be their swan song, and it failed to capture the same magic as its predecessor, but on their debut album, Manassas well and truly delivered the goods.


 

DAY 258.
T.Rex...........................................Slider   (1972)








This was never a favourite of mine back in '72 (my brother had it) even the two singles off the album were by far the least favourite chart releases, in fact the track I liked best on the album was "Baby Strange" mainly for the intro that just about sums up Mr Bolan's lyricism;

[Intro]
One and two and bubbly-bubbly-boo-boo yeah



Don't get me wrong, T.Rex were a pretty decent band, but for me listening to them now doesn't have the same effect as it did forty odd years ago. it's like going back to a pub/disco/clubby you hadn't been to for years, it's ok but when the nostalgia wears off, you can't wait for yer taxi to show up to get you to fuck and back to the real world.


This album wont be going into my collection (as mentioned previously, my other half has a load of T.Rex cd's so well covered if I feel the need to travel back in time.)



Bits & Bobs;


Already posted about Bolan in post 944 (if interested)



"Buick MacKaine"


Lead singer Marc Bolan described this as his "Zep Rex" experiment, meaning it was inspired by Led Zeppelin. Bolan was actually ahead of Zeppelin in using a car as a sexual metaphor, as Led Zep's "Trampled Underfoot" wasn't released until 1975.


 
This hard rocker had lyrics that were typical of Marc Bolan, who was the group's songwriter. The words are sexually tinged but nonsensical, with "Buick MacKane" apparently being the name of a girl. Perhaps the best synopsis came in the New York Times review of the album, where Loraine Alterman wrote: "Bolan does have a certain fey charm that in the end defies analysis."


 
Guns N' Roses recorded this song for their 1993 covers album The Spaghetti Incident?. Their rhythm guitarist at the time, Gilby Clarke, made it clear that he wanted to do a T. Rex cover. "Back then I was wearing a T. Rex T-shirt, like, every single day," he told us. "Matt [Sorum] used to joke, 'Okay, we got it, we got it.'"




The Guns N' Roses cover features a rare backup vocal from their lead guitarist, Slash.




"Metal Guru"



Lead singer Marc Bolan: "It's a festival of life song. I relate Metal Guru to all gods around - someone special, a godhead. I thought how God would be, he'd be all alone without a telephone."




"Telegram Sam"


T-Rex leader Marc Bolan wrote this as an ode to his manager, Tony Secunda. "Telegram Sam" was Bolan's affectionate nickname for his Secunda. Other people who show up in the song: "Jungle-face Jake" was Sid Walker, Secunda's black assistant, and "Bobby" is Bob Dylan.


 
When Bolan referred to Secunda as his "Main Man," it brought the phrase into popular culture.


 
This was the first single released on Marc Bolan's own T Rex Wax Co label.


 
The Goth-Rock group Bauhaus covered this song In 1980.


 
In 1977, on the "Dandy in the Underworld" tour, Marc Bolan sang "Third vision and the David Bowie blues" instead of "3D vision and the California blues" - hinting at David Bowie's depressive tendencies.

Last edited by arabchanter (25/4/2018 11:29 pm)

DAY 260
The Eagles................................Eagles   (1972)











"Take It Easy" "Witchy Woman" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" were all U.S top 30 hits, and the album was certified gold, the band soon became a strong live attraction, and were one of the biggest acts in the world five years later.



Started thon "American Gothic" but couldn't finish it, will sort the both off these out tonight.

 

DAY 260
The Eagles................................Eagles   (1972)












I really like this album, but after this one not so much, can't make up my mind if I like them or not, but anyways back to the album, we had this album in my house but think it was bought nearer '76 than '72, did albums last longer in the charts back then? or was this one of those albums that was bought after hearing someonelse's copy? I really can't remember.



"Take It Easy" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" are two tracks that bring back great memories of sing-songs at smokers and on "the last bus hame" everybody new the words and would join in, the rest of the album was much of the same , well honed country rock that unfortunately seemed to me got lost in over production as the got bigger, whether it's just sentiment or just plain old good music, this album will be going into my collection




Bits & Bobs;



They started out as Linda Ronstadt's backup band in 1971.


 
Their Greatest Hits album is the best selling album of all time.


 


They were the first band to charge over $100 for arena shows. They did it on their 1994 Hell Freezes Over tour, and when fans paid the price, other acts like The Rolling Stones followed suit.


 
Henley, Frey and Felder were the three official owners of the band, which existed as a corporate entity called Eagles, Ltd. Felder claims that after the band reunited in 1994, he was cut out of most of the decisions, and was fired in 2001 for asking too many questions. He sued Henley and Frey, which resulted in an out-of-court settlement they are not allowed to discuss.


 
They sued the American Eagle Foundation, a charity dedicated to saving the birds, for using the domain name eagles.org and the phone number 1-800-2EAGLES. The case was dismissed when the band couldn't make court appearances.



 
Their concert in 2001 was the first event ever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Good tickets were reselling for about $1,500.



 
Frey was in a short-lived TV show called South of Sunset. It was canceled after one episode.


 
Henley was in a band called Shiloh, which recorded an album produced by Kenny Rogers. Recording for the same record label was Longbranch Pennywhistle, a band featuring Frey and J.D. Souther, who would later co-write many Eagles songs.


 


Leadon was in many groups before the Eagles, including Hearts and Flowers, the Dillard-Clark Expedition, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.


 
Although The Eagles are usually identified with the West Coast music scene, only Schmit was born in California.


 
Walsh can be seen as a prisoner in the final scene of the movie The Blues Brothers.


 
When Henley married Sharon Summerall in 1995, performers at the wedding included Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sting, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, and Sheryl Crow.


 

Bernie Leadon went on to form RUN C&W, a band that plays Motown in a Bluegrass Style. They released two albums.


 
Joe Walsh was asked to join in 1976 when Bernie Leadon left. He had previously played in the hard rock band The James Gang who had released four albums, two of which who went gold. He added a harder edge to the Eagles' sound and helped write the hits "Hotel California" and "The Long Run."


 

Meisner was in the group Poco before joining the Eagles. Poco replaced Randy with Timothy B. Schmit, who replaced Randy when he left the Eagles.


 
The Eagles got back together after the Country tribute album A Common Thread sold very well. Travis Tritt said he would sing a song on the album only if some members of the Eagles sang back up. After they saw how popular they still where, they reunited.


 
They have never done an endorsement deal or let their music be used for commercial use.


 
Dan Fogelberg is good friends with the band and opened for them for about two years.




A bit I found QI about their documentary;

They may have sold as many records as The Beatles, and shagged as many groupies as Led Zeppelin, and done as many drugs as The Stones, but the Eagles just can’t get no respect. Since 1972, when renowned rock critic Robert Christgau proclaimed “I hate them” in a review of their first album, they’ve inspired scorn and mockery and certainly cried about it all the way to the bank. Country rock Godfather Gram Parsons reportedly called their music a “plastic dry fuck.” Their suckitude was one of the running gags in the Coen Brothers 1998 cult favorite The Big Lebowski Hell, founding member Glenn Frey DIED last January, and people wrote articles about how much they hated them and what an asshole he was; so much for “speak no ill of the dead.”


 Maybe it’s because they were too successful, too talented and too good looking. Maybe it’s because they were too polished sounding and all too comfortably, and confidently, played the music business game. Or maybe it’s because they were kind of dicks. At least that’s what I came away with, after sitting through the marathon 3 hour and 7 minute 2013 documentary History Of The Eagles. To be fair, they don’t all seem like dicks. But Glenn Frey? Kind of a dick. And by the end of it, Don Henley seems like a dick, too.


According to History of the Eagles, the story of the band is the story of Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Ironically, that’s also what ultimately broke up the band. While there’s no doubt that the pair sang and co-wrote the majority of the band’s material (along with being instrumental in guiding their career), their insistence on being first among equals alienated one successive member after another. Frey was a motor-mouthed guitarist from the Motor City of Detroit, while drummer Henley was a thoughtful —though no-less driven— Texan. They chased their rock n’ roll dreams to Southern California, landing smack-dab in the middle of the late ‘60s country rock boom.

 Frey and Henley first teamed up as members of Linda Ronstadt’s backing group, but bonded over a shared desire to start their own band. They pinched bassist Randy Meisner from local also-rans Poco, and on Ronstadt’s recommendation recruited guitarist Bernie Leadon, formerly of country rock pioneers The Flying Burrito Brothers. Everyone in the band could sing, and each had a distinct voice – the smoky and soulful Henley, the strident Frey, and Meisner able to hit the high notes. And when they sang together in four-part harmony the clouds parted, angels rained down on Earth and sorority girls got weak in the knees.


 Things moved fast for the Eagles. Thanks to friend Jackson Browne, they hooked up with David Geffen’s Asylum Records, and nabbed British super producer Glyn Johns to helm the recording of their first album. Their self-titled debut featured three Top 40 singles, including their signature song “Take It Easy,” and smoothed out country rock’s rough edges. It was the right sound at the right time; laid-back and melodic music for baby boomers trying to put the tumult of the ’60s behind them, as they entered the ’70s as young adults.


 Though big things were expected of their follow-up, the Western outlaw concept album Desperado; it failed to match the success of the debut. This began to sour relations with Johns and, to a lesser extent, Leadon. The Eagles wanted to rock and felt constrained by Johns’ production and Leadon’s country guitar stylings. It’s almost cute to hear the band talk about how they wanted to move in a heavier direction, as few bands are as synonymous with the term “soft rock” as the Eagles. Enter fleet-fingered lead guitarist Don Felder, and manager Irving Azoff, who brought with him Bill Szymczyk, the band’s producer through the end of the decade. Everything coalesced by the time of 1975’s One of These Nights, their first number one album.


 This set the stage for 1976’s landmark Hotel California album. Azoff also managed hard rocking guitar hero Joe Walsh, so when Leadon quit the Eagles – famously pouring a beer over Glenn Frey’s head – Walsh replaced him. It almost seemed like a corporate merger, adding a genuine solo star with a portfolio of hits and actual hard rock credibility. Walsh, however, was a wild card, having been mentored in the fine art of hotel destruction by legendary Who drummer Keith Moon; initially, this was also seen as a plus, giving the band a rock n’ roll bad boy edge.



 The band was already successful, but Hotel California put them in another league. It was their second number one album in a row, generating three Top 20 singles, including the epic title track, and eventually sold nearly 50 million copies worldwide. However, it also sealed the group’s fate. By now Frey and Henley were resolute in their position as the band’s executive committee, but success emboldened the other members who saw their contributions shortchanged for whatever Frey and Henley deemed was “good for the Eagles.” The stakes were high and so was the band. In one of the movies’ most cringe-inducing scenes, Frey brags about bullying the soft-spoken Meisner backstage after he refused to sing his hit song “Take It To The Limit,” out of fear his voice would crack. The bassist would quit before the recording of the band’s final original album, 1979’s The Long Run. He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who oddly had replaced Meisner in Poco. Likewise, the band’s final show almost ended in a fistfight between Frey and Felder, again, Frey bragging about verbally abusing his band-mate and threatening him onstage.


 Fortunately for everyone’s bank account, classic rock radio kept the band’s music alive. The ’80s were initially pretty kind to both Frey and Henley, who both had solo hits. Walsh? He got a little whacked out. Fortunately, the band’s 1994 reunion precipitated him getting sober, as in, “get sober or you’re not going on this reunion tour that’s going to make a lot of money.” Thankfully for Walsh, it stuck.


 Frey says at one point, “In talking with Irving about putting the Eagles back together in 1994, I said, ‘Irving I’m not going to do it unless Don (Henley) and I make more money than the other guys’.” Frey justifies this by saying that his and Henley’s solo careers are what kept the Eagles legend alive, but by the early ’90s, no one was really interested in the new Glenn Frey or Don Henley solo album. Unsurprisingly, not everyone was happy with arrangement, particularly Don Felder, who Frey dismisses as “The only asshole in the Eagles.” I guarantee you, no one watching the documentary is thinking Felder is the asshole in that moment. Felder was later fired and subsequently sued the band.


 The History of the Eagles is well done and brave in how unflinching it is, showing the ugly side of the band and their mercenary take on the music business. And you do have to respect Frey and Henley being so forthright about what dicks they are, even if their staged interviews seem scripted to back up their contention that it was their band all along. With that in mind, it’s interesting to consider how many of their biggest hits were co-written with others, be it “Take It Easy” (Jackson Browne), “Hotel California” (music by Don Felder), “Take It To The Limit” (sung and co-written by Randy Meisner), “Witchy Woman” (music by Leadon) or “Life In The Fast Lane” (based on a Joe Walsh guitar riff). If you didn’t like the Eagles before, watching History of the Eagles won’t make you a fan. And I’m sure the guys in the band are fine with that. Like I said, they can cry about it all the way to the bank. Except for Glenn Frey. He’s dead.
 

PatReilly wrote:

..............Gary Glitter.    Wonder what happened to him?

I seen him twice, years before his fall from grace and have to say he was absolutely brilliant, tongue in cheek.sending himself up and non stop hits, a really great performer who didn't take himself seriously.


Now here's the quandray, because he turned out to be a nonce should I not say I enjoyed it? or think to myself take it as it was then, you can't airbrush history, and don't feel guilty 'cause you and your mates had a bloody good laugh on these nights?

I'll choose the latter, I don't think you can change good memories because of what we learn in future years, I despise what he has done, and deplore the vile life he led, but don't think I should feel guilty/dirty for enjoying it at the time.


Also, who the fuck new he wore a "syrup" I always thought it was his own "Barnet"
 

Last edited by arabchanter (27/4/2018 3:22 pm)

DAY 262.
Nick Drake........................................Pink Moon   (1972)









After his glorious second album Bryter Layter attracted a paucity of reviews, Nick Drake retreated to his sparcely furnished home in London. Pink Moon was to be devoid of the orchestral flourishes that gave Bryter Layter and Five Leaves Left their emotive sway.


REM's Peter Buck once asked producer John Wood how he had achieved the intimacy of the sound on Pink Moon, Wood explained that Drake simply sat down in front of a microphone at the studio and played, any atmosphere created came from the unadorned power of Drake's guitar and haunting vocals, filled with tremulous emotion.





"A record of quiet desperation, the sound of someone hanging on by their fingernails"


Joe Boyd  1978.



will double up tonight.

DAY 262.
Nick Drake........................................Pink Moon   (1972)









Like the last post, this is also the third offering from Nick Drake in this book, but in this case that's where the similarities end.


Nick Drake seems to write and sing his songs from a place I hope I never have the misfortune to visit, but with his haunting vocals that you feel can break/snap at anytime, his works for the best part I find absolutely beautiful bordering on hypnotic, which considering the content is normally not my bag.



The title track was his only kinda publicly recognised song,as this was used in in a 1999 commercial for the Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible. If pushed I would have to say "Parasite" was the track I enjoyed most.




Although I thoroughly enjoyed this album, I'll just be downloading it rather than buying the vinyl version,and as I am deffo having "Five Leaves Left" (once I can find an original that wont break the bank) I'll be happy enough with having that Nick Drake album in my collection.




Bits & Bobs;

Have wrote about Nick Drake in posts  #587 &  #767 (if interested)








Roughly one year after Nick Drake released his second album, Bryter Layter, he began recording a new album. Thing is, his label, Island Records, wasn't expecting another album from him. They didn't particularly want one, either.




Drake's two previous records were stunning works, but they didn't sell well. Meanwhile, Island was growing weary of the baggage that came with Drake. He didn't promote his albums, became reclusive as he fell into a downward spiral of depression, and began mixing drugs with his antidepressants. In short, he was a train wreck.




Nonetheless, he went into the studio with producer John Wood and cranked out the album in a mere two days. It was short, clocking in at under 30 minutes. It was stripped-down in comparison to his two previous album, veering heavily toward bare-bones folk music. It was also a masterpiece. Island gave the okay to release the unplanned album.




Island brought in Keith Morris - photographer for Drake's previous albums, among many other notable albums from the era - to handle the album cover. Problem is, the photo shoots didn't go well. The effects of isolation, depression and drug use left Drake looking, shall we say, less than photogenic. Morris' photos were unusable for the cover and any promotional material.





Island was forced to come up with a new plan for the Pink Moon artwork. A Surrealist painting by Michael Trevithick was used for the cover instead. At the center of the cover is a sun/moon floating over a lake at sunrise. It is surrounded by a bunch of random images, such as rope, a teacup and a seashell. The full jacket for the vinyl release opens to reveal even more random images.

 



My favorite part of the cover art is the white "face" on the far right corner. With its sad eyes and mouth, its expression symbolizes the mood of the album, which is bleak and down, matching the darkness in Drake's personal life when he recorded the album.




Pink Moon was somewhat overlooked at the time of its release, but is now universally regarded as a classic. Similarly, Michael Trevithick never became a big name in art world, but his Salvador-Dali-inspired painting is now regarded as an exceptional piece of art.




The two unexpected works are now a part of art and rock history.




"Pink Moon"


The cryptic 2-minute title track of Nick Drake's third album, he got the name of this song from the Dictionary Of Folklore. It represents the blood-red color of the moon during eclipses.


 
Drake never had anything resembling a hit in America, but "Pink Moon" has become his most popular song in that country. This is due in no small part to its use in a 1999 commercial for the Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible, which show four young people driving under the moonlight. When they reach their destination - a party - they tacitly agree to keep driving. The ad, which was created by the agency Arnold Worldwide, sparked a resurgence of interest in the song and in Nick Drake.




The commercial was titled "Milky Way," and this song was not the first choice - "Under the Milky Way" by The Church was what they originally had in mind.
 

This song contains just Drake's voice, piano and acoustic guitar. These three elements are all that is heard on the entire album, as there were no outside musicians involved. In fact, the only man who seemed to know that Drake was even making an album was his producer/engineer John Wood, who recorded it.




Even then, Drake was being called "the great silent enigma of our time." His record company, Island, claimed that they had lost track of him, and only knew about the album when Drake walked into the office and delivered it.




Pink Moon would be Drake's last album; two years later he died after overdosing on antidepressant drugs in what was possibly a suicide. The singer was battling depression when he made this music, which is both melancholy and wondrous, providing an insight into his state of mind.

The lyric is very simple, with the same verse repeated twice:

Saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all


What Drake meant by this is a mystery; he did some press to promote the album, but gave no insights on his thought process. Based on his mental state, the song can be seen as apocalyptic, or possibly Drake foretelling his own death.




"Road"



This is a rare upbeat track from the legendary troubadour of haunting despair. While all his work seems to have deeper meaning than listeners will ever grasp - themes and ideas he took to his grave in 1974 - on the surface this one is about diverging points of view and the goal of mutual respect.




"Things Behind The Sun"

Featuring Nick Drake on guitar and vocals, it was at first considered one of two songs that even deserved any critical praise, with music critic Jerry Gilbert claiming that “the songs are not sufficiently strong to stand up without any embroidery at all. ‘Things Behind The Sun’ makes it, so does ‘Parasite’ – but maybe it’s time Mr. Drake stopped acting so mysteriously and started getting something properly organised for himself.”



 “Things Behind the Sun” draws up some ominous imagery. Behind the shining orb of light, what kind of darkness exists? Is is the moon? Is it something more sinister? And even if one knew what actually lay behind the sun – who would listen?




"Parasite"

 
In this song on the already bleak Pink Moon, Nick Drake paints a lonesome picture of himself by describing daily activities, but from the view of a parasite, which he compares himself to- just crawling around on the ground, noticed by no one.



"From The Morning"


This is one of the last songs Nick Drake wrote in his short lifetime before he either committed suicide or had an accidental overdose of antidepressants. His depression is evident in this song: "I can't think of words. I feel no emotion about anything. I don't want to laugh or cry. I'm numb-dead inside."


 
A line from this song is inscribed on Nick Drake's tombstone: "Now we rise and we are every where." This was one of his mother's favourite songs.

DAY 263.
Paul Simon....................................Paul Simon   (1972)













Whether he truly yearned for different styles of music, or he just didn't want to be pidgeon-holed as the other half o' thon Simon & Garfunkel, mind them boys wi the bra' harmonies? this for me was where his wanderlust began.


This album is one of those albums that you can hang your hat on being, polished, produced and arranged to the highest degree and wordsmithing of the highest order, yet sometimes for me as I have probably said about Paul Simon in previous posts, it's just too nice, and too sterile to listen and enjoy all the way through an album, in my humbles.



The instrumental with Stephan Grappelli was decent enough and "The Mother And Child Reunion" is a great tune as is "Me And Julio Down By The School Yard," the latter never fails to give me a feelgood tingle as soon as it starts up, such a happy musical arrangement that fair gets my feet tapping, (as an aside I heard the Japs in the POW camps used to nail our brave Scots soldiers feet to the floorboards and then play Jimmy Shand records....Bastards, that must have been a right cunt trying no to tap yer feet eh?)



Anyways although this is a well crafted and not forgetting we had tracks that didn't go on till the Dundee Fortnight, it wont be going in my collection because it's one I really can't afford to buy on the strength of a couple of songs, will probably download it right enough, it's easy to shuffle then.



Bits & Bobs;


Simon married the singer Edie Brickell in 1992. He was previously married to the actress Carrie Fisher from 1982-1983 and to Peggy Harper from 1969-1975.


 
Simon made a cameo as a Record Producer in the 1977 Woody Allen movie Annie Hall.


 
After his first Simon and Garfunkel album Wednesday Morning, 3 AM Simon left for England and established himself as a folk artist. In 1966 he was called back to the US when his song "The Sound of Silence" was released with electric instruments overdubbed over the original acoustics, and hit #1 in the US. Afterward, he created four more albums with Garfunkel: The Sounds of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Water.


 
He is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a solo artist and as a member of Simon and Garfunkel.


 
After high school, he studied English literature at Queens College. He wrote and recorded many songs during this time.


 
He was very upset by the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. So much so, that he left the country to live in England for a while.


 
By 2009, he had released three times as many solo albums (15) as Simon & Garfunkel albums (5).


 
Simon got his start in the music industry working for a song publishing company called E.B. Marks, where his job was to sell songs to record companies. When he got frustrated and left the company, he decided to self-publish any songs he wrote - a move that turned out to be very lucrative.


 
Simon has never written a memoir or participated in a biography. In 2016, Peter Carlin released a comprehensive novel about his life called Homeward Bound that was years in the making. Carlin said "You don't have to listen to much Paul Simon music to understand that they are the work of a complicated and sometimes troubled soul. Sometimes he does things that remind us of his darkness, but he has also created music and lyrics that remind us that no matter how dark things can seem, there's a beauty and generosity that exists around us, too."


 
He hosted the second-ever episode of Saturday Night Live, in which he staged a reunion with Art Garfunkel. Simon also starred in a taped comedy bit playing basketball against NBA great Connie Hawkins. The SNL cast, including John Belushi, got very little screentime and were not pleased with Simon, but the show went over very well and producer Lorne Michaels had him back on many times. He met his future wife Edie Brickell when she performed on the show in 1988.



A small review I found QI.

Paul Simons self-titled 1972 album wasn't really his solo debut. But it might as well have been.Following his split from Art Garfunkel in 1970, Simon spent part of the following year teaching songwriting at New York University. The course made him re-evaluate his own work, which Simon had grown more introspective toward since Simon & Garfunkel's breakup.


 It wasn't the first time the duo called it quits. Following the release of their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3AM, in 1964, and its failure to excite record buyers, Simon moved to England and soon considered giving up music altogether. By early the next year, he reconsidered and, while touring England as a solo artist, recorded The Paul Simon Songbook – essentially a collection of demos that would end up on later Simon & Garfunkel albums after they got back together.

   The album was released only in the U.K., and didn't receive a proper issue in Simon's homeland until years later. But Simon never considered that a solo work as much as he saw it as a vessel for his latest batch of songs, including "I Am a Rock" and "The Sound of Silence."


 So, when Paul Simon arrived in January 1972, it marked the true start of the solo career for Simon & Garfunkel's songwriter and mastermind. Thematically and musically, it didn't sound all that different than the duo's final album, Bridge Over Troubled Water. In fact, it sounded like the next step in Simon's evolving career as one of his generation's greatest voices.


 
He began recording the album the previous January with producer Roy Halee, who helped shape the textures and patterns found on Simon & Garfunkel's best work, like Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Water. And like the Grammy-winning Bridge, Simon's self-titled record jumped continents stylistically -- physically too: parts of the album were recorded in Kingston and Paris -- and showed a maturity in both Simon's songwriting and musical restlessness.



 "Mother and Child Reunion," the album's first single, was recorded in Jamaica with Jimmy Cliff's backing group, as well as members of reggae greats Toots & the Maytals. Simon later added his vocals to the core musical foundation, one of the first times reggae music found its way into the mainstream. The song reached the Top 5, no doubt encouraging Simon – who played around with Peruvian folk on Bridge Over Troubled Water's "El Condor Pasa" and later used South African rhythms to guide his classic Graceland  album – to pursue further world-music ventures.


 The album's second single, "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," similarly found inspiration outside of pop music's usual boundaries. Hitched to Brazilian influences and instruments that Simon and Halee explored more in depth on Graceland's 1990 follow-up, The Rythm Of The Saints the song instantly became part of Simon's growing catalog of hits.


 There was jazz, blues and the softer side of pop music on there too. Elsewhere, Paul Simon covered more familiar territory, like on "Duncan," an old-school slice of folk storytelling that would have fit snugly on any of Simon & Garfunkel's essential albums. It proved Simon wasn't entirely breaking free from his past. How could he? Those songs were his, and his progression over the years – from the shaky beginning to the confidence that's carried through to the 2010s – was nowhere near slowing down.


 In a sense, the album marked Simon's independence, even if its release was eclipsed five months later by Simon & Garfunkel's hit Greatest Hits album. Paul Simon hit No. 4, and was followed 16 months later by There Goes Rhymin' Simon a sequel of sorts to his de facto debut.



"The Mother Child Reunion"

 
Simon wrote this in response to the Jimmy Cliff song "Vietnam," where a mother receives a letter about her son's death on the battlefield. Simon recorded "Mother and Child Reunion" in Jamaica using Cliff's musicians, hence the very authentic sound. Simon said of the song that it "became the first reggae hit by a non-Jamaican white guy outside Jamaica."



 
Simon came up with the title after seeing a chicken and egg dish called "Mother and Child Reunion" on the menu at 456 Restaurant in Chinatown, New York.


 
This was Simon's first single as a solo artist.



 
Paul Simon was ahead of the trend when he released this reggae-infused song: Johnny Nash went to #1 US later in 1972 with "I Can See Clearly Now" and Eric Clapton topped the chart with "I Shot The Sheriff" (a Bob Marley cover) in 1974.




"Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard"

 
  When asked what "Mama Pajama" saw that made her so distraught in this song, Paul Simon has said that he's not exactly sure, but he assumed it was something sexual. Simon made up a crazy little story for the song, and named the main character Julio because it sounded like a typical New York neighborhood kid (Simon grew up in Queens). What Paul didn't realize until years later was the impact the song had on Spanish-speaking listeners who were thrilled to hear a song coming out of America with a Latin name in the title.


 


Paul Simon was Simon's first solo album after he broke up with Art Garfunkel.


 
Simon made a video for this song in 1988 that showed him playing basketball with some school kids on a playground. The video had a rap intro by Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane, and a cameo by baseball legend Mickey Mantle, who lip-synchs the chorus. At the end of the video, NFL Hall-of-Famer John Madden is shown giving tips to the young players.


 
The BBC refused to play this song because of the reference to Newsweek, which is an American magazine. The BBC had a strict policy against product mentions in the songs they played.


 
Simon played this song on a Season 8 episode where he sings it on a stoop as a small group of children watch. One of the kids interjects her own lyrics from time to time, clearly having fun with it. Simon was one of the first big-name musical acts to appear on the show, which was filmed in his New York City stomping grounds. Once a generation of musicians who grew up watching Sesame Street came of age, the show had no trouble getting famous acts to appear.


 
The song makes full use of the stereo spectrum, with an acoustic guitar dominating the left channel, and lighter sounding guitar on the right. According to producer Phil Ramone, this right-channel guitar was an electric that was unplugged, with its strings dampened. Simon and David Spinozza played the guitars.


 
The odd squiggly sound throughout the song was created with a cuica, which is a kind of percussion instrument. It was played by the Brazilian musician Airto Moreira.


 Simon does the whistling solo on this song. In concert, the whistling was sometimes replaced with a saxophone solo.

 

DAY 264.
Roxy Music.......................................Roxy Music   (1972)









Recorded in 19 days, Roxy Music's debut still stands as one of the most exciting and innovative debuts ever.


Leaving Newcastle R&B band Gasboard, vocalist Bryan Ferry and bassist Graham Simpson relocated to London forming Roxy Music with guitarist Phil Manzanera, saxophonist Andy Mackay and synthesizer genuis Brian Eno.


Roxy Music's clash of Fifties rock, barking sax, and space age electronics was inspired by Ferry's interest in Pop Art.


About the album cover;


Cornwall-born Kari-Ann Muller was a former Bond girl (she appeared in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) paid a scant £20 to appear on the cover of Roxy Music – a steal for the then unknown band, whose debut album would go on to define 70s art-rock.

Evoking classic glamour shoots of the 40s and 50s, the Roxy Music artwork set the template for all future Roxy Music album covers, though Muller would retire from modelling in order to become a yoga teacher. She retains ties to the rock world, however, as she married Chris Jagger, whose brother has fronted a popular beat combo since the 60s.