John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

During John Coltrane’s high years, he reveled as an unmatched musician that was on a whole different playing field. Even when he matched up with artists of similar ilk, like even Miles Davis, he outshined because his skill was something extraordinary. Ears unlike many others, skills that matched his impeccable ears and this silvery, smooth delivery, he was the best of the best. So during the early 60s Coltrane was just catching steam when he teamed with vocalist Johnny Hartman for what many consider a true jazz classic in balladry.

Make no qualms about it, Coltrane’s list of albums is deep and this is just one of a sample collection that further showcases his ear for melody. On this album he would take a backseat almost to Hartman’s singing as the two recorded the entire album in one day. Legend has it that Hartman went to one of Coltrane’s shows where he stayed until he finished and the two performed together and felt the fire. Agreeing to make an album together, they supposedly had their set list picked before they heard Nat King Cole singing “Lush Life” on the radio. Suddenly, the duo felt compelled to record their own definitive version of it. Here you can definitely tell that Coltrane allowed Hartman to take over, his voice sounds clear and very mellow, subdued almost by Coltrane’s serene style. You can hear his soft sax as it creeps into the song at about the two minute mark, always staying right underneath. Personally, yes to me, the sax is the star but you gotta love the way Coltrane allowed another star to reach high as well. The song’s lyrics were written by Billy Strayhorn who once said, “all music is beautiful,” agree or not, this is definitely just that, beautiful.

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And then there is “My One and Only Love,” where Coltrane takes the lead from the beginning with a melodically linear line. His saxophone renders half breaths where he dips notes, he takes the melody and adds the 7^th just to make it that much brighter and the piano is nothing more than decoration to Coltrane’s undeniably sweet saxophone skills. Just six songs short, this piece closes the first side of the record with a distant calling of love and although reminiscent, it sounds happy to have loved. Now, I’m not getting romantic or anything but this has to be the kind of music one would love to play at their wedding. The bright and sprinkling drums signal Hartman’s singing as he calls out with his singing heart. It’s timeless and the utter presentation of romanticism at its best. Even if they only paired up once and all we got was these six songs, it was obviously well worth it. – Bryan

The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love

The hazards of love. Sort of like a modern day Wagner opera in the form of a full-length album – some would simply call it a concept album. The Hazards of Love was the album that followed the heavily loved by maaaaannnymany people, The Crane Wife, and it’s almost a near opposite of its predecessor. It’s a lot to take in, 17 songs long and an all-encompassing album, it’s very much invested in a strong story line that is almost symphonic in its presentation. Recurring melodies, themes, modes that parallel the mood, it was highly ambitious and for many it didn’t stick. I’d say it’s very great, just not as great as the two before it but gee, I can come back with more details another time, for now we can check out the four different hazards of love that they featured here.

The first part, The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone, is basically the introduction to the story and precursor to what your ears will be mostly presented with. The very first song is this massive instrumental and then this song appears with the singer’s moodily beautiful voice and the dripping guitar line. It sounds like a blend of Fleet Foxes and it’s just an adorning song, a light affair before the meaty substance hits.

The second part is a smooth, bossa nova almost, tender lullaby that starts off solemn, picks up some steam, rolls over and back to smooth again. This is Wager Again, where the guitar sparkles and the ultimate feel of the song is what pulls me in. It's compelling and sweet, the guitar sounds easy but its challenging and his lyrics of "take my hand and cradle it in yours" are unabashed. In between this second and the first were just two songs but they were far more intense, and here is just a small cry to the initial melody and storyline again. The hazards of love live here in a burning heart and the story is just picking up.

This part three, called Revenge!, really does a lot to the entirety of the song before it, it sort of lulls you in and then you get the same refrain from before at the very start of the revenge. Those same crashing drums and keyboards, and the melody from before about the waves coming in, suddenly, there’s a children’s choir singing the hazards of love. By this point you're fifteen songs in, very much indebted to the investment and there’s a children’s choir backed by at first a harpsichord-like keyboard, the second part that shrills with some strings and way more atmosphere, and a third part that thumps and rattles. The kids sing about death, love, poison, beating, religion, every other thing you wish your kids didn’t talk about. But there’s about ten songs that are before this hazard and so a lot has happened, including death and love and poison and well you know the rest. And Hell what do I know about kids, they just sound really awesome here.

The fourth part, The Drowned, is this utter slice of heaven. A sort of blissful country shuffle that sounds eerily familiar – like if I know a song from somewhere else about it – but it mostly rolls up and down the nearly six minutes it departs and it is just sublime. It’s really good because it maintains some of the refrain with the hazards of love calling out at the end, but it's this stone cold beast of a song where the country twang, the bass and then the strings all culminate for a very blissful release. The whole album plays out like a very dramatic, theatrical opera – and not so much like a cohesive album always – but it only gets better with each listen and it begs to be heard from front to end. And so it’s fitting to end with this song: it closes out the dramatics with a beautiful exposure of sounds. – Bryan

Willie Hutch "The Mack"

So the other night I was on my daily run around 10 pm, and needless to say it was pretty damn dark between lamp posts. Out of the darkness I see a silhouette of what looks like a small dog. As I quickly approach from behind, the dog turns around and lunges at me and I realize it's a decent size pit bull! My heart skips about 3 beats until I realize this dog is in no way malicious, and is actually glad to see me. She jumps all over me, licking me, rubbing her head aggressively on my side. I look for a tag, but nothing. She obviously had been on the streets for a while by the malnourished look of her rib cage being very visible. Long story short, this dog followed me 4 miles home. And as it sank in that I would be fostering this sweet dog, I kept thinking of the Willie Hutch song, "I Choose You". The idea that you don't choose your dog, that in fact they choose you just seemed resonate in my head. Which brings me to the that song and the wonderful soundtrack it appears on. "The Mack", a blaxploitation flick released in 1973 tells the tale of a former drug dealer turned pimp in Oakland, California. With more social commentary on the black condition than other "blaxploitation" films of that era, the plot plays out as more of a Greek tragedy than simply the sex and violence audience were used to seeing from these kinds of movies. Oddly enough the soundtracks of these films always seemed to have plenty more social commentary and consciousnesses than the films they accompanied. Artists like Isaac Hayes' preeminent "Shaft" soundtrack and Curtis Mayfield's critically acclaimed score for "Superfly", both which have greatly outlived the actual films they were written for.

"I Choose You", a sweet soulful almost ballad like tune has Hutch crooning over a woman whom he has finally found that he considers dropping everything for. Not exactly the same sentiment of the song, here's a clip from "The Mack" where someone gets chosen. Again, not exactly what Hutch was singing about, but entertaining non the less! Oh yeah, Richard Pryor is up in this flick too! Since I haven't posted in a while, lets keep it going! UGK, along with a host of other hip hop artists have sampled Hutch's "I Choose You", however UGK's rendition featuring Outkast is in my opinion the best out there. In their version Andre 3000's verse starts off the track as he professes his love for a woman he has chosen for his wife. After Andre, the bass drops and Pimp C, Bun B and Big Boi each throw their own take on marriage and monogamy, which are slightly contrasting to those if Mr. 3000! Another great track that was also sampled from Willie Hutch's soundtrack is "Brothers Gonna Work it Out". A soulful disco vibed out tune speaking to the complicated relationship of the main character Goldie, and his black nationalist brother who doesn't approve of his brothers lifestyle of pimping and drug dealing in the black community. Oddly enough I heard the sampled version The Chemical Brothers made many years ago. Oddly enough the sample not only uses the song but an audio clip from the film. It took a good 5 years to finally figure out where the audio for the sample came from. Anyways, check it out. And finally The Chemical Brothers version, which though interesting, doesn't stray too far from the og version.

Michael Jackson – Thriller

No idea how there is not one post about this man here. To be honest, I’ve tried before but everything I started to type feels so not special, so unnecessary and mostly, lame – kind of like this. But after I pulled out this album and another Kanye West album and noticed I have Yeezy at eight (!) posts to MJ’s zero (soon to be one!), the guilt was too much. My sister and brother-in-law say they have footage of me going nuts, dancing at their wedding to Mr Michael Jackson – I’m hoping that never, ever leaks.  

Quick sidenote: I was in California the day he passed. We were at Sea World in San Diego when I got the message and a part of me wishes I would’ve driven to Los Angeles, an hour or so away, to be with all the fans there. Simply an admission of a serious oversight.

This album here, Thriller, is what many would declare as a perfect album. Sure, it showcases Jackson’s skill at optimum quality – every single song is a masterful classic – but it captures a moment of sheer musical genius during Jackson’s golden years. He made really great music before and after it, but Thriller is simply the pinnacle, by far his magnus opus – unless we’re counting movies, then it’s easily The Wiz! *By the way, MJ owned one of the E.T. puppets.* I used to be part of some forums where all I’d discuss is music: subjects like your favorite albums of the moment, arguing about which album by so and so artist is better, finding new music to explore, discussing the best albums of the year and talking about how reviewing sites have no idea, reading others’ opinions on the same music opinions you have since you don’t know anyone as crazy to listen to it all, etc. And an immediate discussion I noticed, I posted a nomination to one of the ‘best opening song on an album’ and how “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” was worthy of such merits, then I found another discussion about “best three songs in a row on an album” where obviously four thru six here (the self titled beast, the obvious one 1 (Beat It) and the obvious one 2 (Billie Jean)) are jam-packed with style, flair and utter brilliance. Three songs in a row that completely compel you and hey what do ya know, they’re three of the best songs of all time! So I surely had to raise my voice in these occasions.

Naturally, there was a discussion on bookends and what were the best ones, and here is where a small debate surely arose. You take the aforementioned “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” and “The Lady in My Life” and you have an easy argument. But many felt the latter left something to desire. My take is obvious: it’s an unabashed heartfelt song that maybe sounds dated when you listen to it brand new today, but it’s definitely showcasing Michael in strong fashion. His voice simply melts away at the end and the finely layered synths and beats make for a song that is dynamically deep and exceptionally stunning. In my opinion, the way the album flows, from the beginning stomps, the easygoing nature until the triple header and then bona fide classics again with “Human Nature” and my personal fave, “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”, to end it with a rousing closer like the aforesaid is definitely perfection at its finest. Nine songs necessary, nothing else needed or required, this is definitely an album of albums. Here’s those last two songs, to really present some balance and above all else, the greatest ever. – Bryan

The Beach Boys – Smile AKA The Smile Sessions

Back after he’d practically created, all by himself, the flawless sounds on Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson was definitely reaching for the stars even further with the ideas for Smile. Continually fueled by whatever it was The Beatles were doing at the time (it was Rubber Soul that had inspired Pet Sounds, it was followed by Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles in the same year! And Brian was feeling very very unsure about his skill), while still trying to create his own wall of sound, he was a fully realized artist, simply trying to find his way. After he had perfected his own style of production and vocalizing, the heavy realization that the follow up to Pet Sounds had to be utterly amazing set deeply in. Fortunately for all us, it ended up being just that, it just never received the proper release and fanfare it deserved.

Part of the dissolution fueled from the fact that Brian wanted to work with the famed Van Dyke Parks. Yes, the same one I mentioned from the Ys post, here Brian wanted to work with Parks so he could be his ultimate lyricist. Van Dyke Parks can deliver flourishing arrangements and music like he provided for Joanna Newsom in 2006 and also the trippy, inspiring lyrics to match Brian’s music in the late 60s. The Beach Boys were still a band though and if you ask me, they probably weren’t too fond of Brian working exclusively with this Parks’ character. They probably pressured the situation, they probably vented frustration, they probably made it very hard for Smile to have a fluid release. And eventually, instead of truly breaking up the band by taking Brian with him and running off in the sunset to make beautiful music together, Parks left the project and Brian eventually shelved Smile.

In the 2000s the pressure to release the album mounted, and rather than re-opening that vault, Brian recorded SMiLE with Parks for a 2004 release that was easily one of the best of that year. Finally, in 2011, Smile saw its release as The Beach Boys collected all the music together and released it. I just very recently got this vinyl version as an xmas present and wow, vinyl is the way to go! And while there are so many other details to cover about its story(ies), it’s best to let the music do its talking. Beginning with “Our Prayer,” here was a pure choral arrangement, a beautiful chorus of angels that are simply singing directly from heaven if there is one. All of the Beach Boys’ voices are present and the melody and harmonies are downright impeccable: a solemn, minute of bliss, perfection to start. Then it’s a minute of the chugging “Gee,” it sounds like the car getting ready to take off, before they finally sing, “how I love my girl” and the small introduction to “Heroes and Villains.” Here their voices sound unified and full of life, if only they saw it all the way through. And the actual “Heroes and Villains” song is a ravishing tale of love lost, drunken nights and the same old ‘bad guys/good guys’ story. Supposedly this song was written very quickly as Brian and Parks capitalized on their chemistry: legend says that Parks came up with the words after hearing Brian’s melody the very first time. It changes styles to accompany the vocals and the directly fast-paced style introduced a terrifically towering new style to The Beach Boys, not likely heard on Pet Sounds.

One of the other songs they created in timely fashion was “Surf’s Up,” and honestly, that has to be one of the finest songs on Smile. There’s this fanfare from the trumpet at the beginning, as Brian sings words about feeling lost and definitely like everything is moving away. The other voices are playing a feature in the background and the pensive feel of the song allows for the emotion to really come through. The first part is much more atmospheric, the second part showcases the piano and the voices even more. The tiny adjustments in dynamics and how it just speeds up and slows down, all controlled by the piano, is masterful: and singing about a “broken man, too tough to cry.” It changes into perhaps a last section, where the “surf’s up” is finally sung and while it’s now very clear that the star of the show on this song is Brian’s voice as it supports the piano line, the culmination at the end is justified. These are just a couple of the songs off this amazing album that at least finally did get released. – Bryan

Joanna Newsom - Ys

So I decided to post that classical bit, for the first time in a long time, and I only briefly researched what the Debussy piece, The Sunken Cathedral, meant. That’s where I found the picture I used, which is the Wikipedia image for Ys. Basically, it’s a myth where a cathedral is sunk underwater, near the island of Ys (a mythicaly city that was swallowed by the ocean) and it just so happens that Joanna Newsom (who I’ve written about three times already but never about this album) made an album in 2006 titled, Ys. In turn, this is an equally, amazingly classical slice of life, in it of itself.

 

I knew nothing of this woman until the winter of 2006 when this remarkable album came out.* Some kind of fusion of classical music, by way of Newsom’s tremendous harp skill and the way she blends it with the orchestrations Van Dyke Parks (the guy who helped Brian Wilson write the lyrics to the majority of Smile [i.e. The Smile Sessions/SMiLE]) has crafted, it’s one magical dream of truly classical music. There are clarinets, flutes, plenty of strings; they all flourish together and her harp acts as the meter to it all, while her voice? Her voice is a mixture of far too many to even do it justice. Needless to say, it’s certainly an instrument all its own: it bounces from measure to measure, she reaches through octaves rather easily and wondering “how it could possibly go with anything else but the beautiful compositions that are happening around her?” it makes Ys something truly exceptional. All of this happens on “Monkey & Bear” and "Cosmia," 40% of the entire music here:  the way the dynamics really measure up to each other – the dipping fortes, the delicate pianos, the way her voice is always the star of the show – and on top of this, still to behold, are these richly decorated stories that she’s telling. 

As insincere as it seems, there are still moments of clarity on Ys, where everything is so crystal clear the mind is left to just get lost – in utter awe of what a creative mind is capable of: multifaceted stories, moving and gripping music, encompassing themes of life and adventure, the uniquely stellar quality of a blisteringly gorgeous voice – and knowing how to present it. It was the true depiction of what a bold artist is supposed to create in music: BOOM, here’s my album, in full-glory and it’s perfect, all myriad of sounds inside. It’s five songs long, but a hearty fifty-five minutes of substantially expansive music. Yeah fifty five minutes of bliss – it sounds so nice on headphones, with the vinyl, as loud as possible: you can hear her voice quiver as she breathes, the voice is simply amplified and it shrieks so sweetly – if that makes sense.There’s times where the harp is just chugging along, while the wind instruments bellow behind her, as a drum pounds away, and her voice is recounting this story of the old times – that there’s justice in taking it all in with a book of the lyrics.

*I just remember in early December looking for the newest music and I was reading comments about how the newfound critics were gushing about this new album by Newsom. The cover was shocking sure, it’s easily one of the best in retrospect. And for some reason, people seemed conflicted as to whether they purely loved it or confusingly despised it. That was enough for me to check it out, in entirety, and mind blown is lame for sure but it still sounds fitting when it comes to this album. (I think back in 2006 I was so head over heels for BH&R that this one still maybe wasn’t the top choice (pretty sure it was 2 w/ a bullet) it might still be there now in retrospect, maybe tied for the top. Who knows, for now just classical bliss in the new  age (i.e. six/seven years old).) – Bryan 

Debussy and Eastwood

I didn’t even wanna check to see just how little classical music I’ve actually posted on this blog – because it’s probably very, very few and far in between all else. And yet, I find myself admitting that classical music is definitely one of the best genres ever. Maybe not as amazing as jazz will ever be, but that’s a different argument for another day.

Claude Debussy was a French composer that is definitely my favorite ‘impressionist music’ composer. To say he was an impressionist simply maintains that he made music that focused on the atmosphere of the composition, as opposed to maybe having a strong story. Following Romanticism, Debussy, along with other European composers, created music that was richly beautiful and still melodically strong, but indebted to the atmospheric touches music could prevail with. Still, it’s not really too important but more so, a label, we’ve come to use to easily identify with. I especially love Debussy’s actual style of these moving passages, that all follow the tonality with deep chords that are often parallel.

My radio has been acting up in my car lately, so sometimes I will turn it on to play my CDs and the radio wont play them. So I switch it to the radio and play whatever is on NPR at the time. Last week they played Debussy’s Préludes and I turned it on just as the first one was being introduced. I hadn’t heard them in many many years – I wanna say at least six, seven years – and I immediately realized why I fell in love with Debussy so many years ago. This particular piece is a piano piece that focuses on his parallel chord structure (basically meaning that his chords move together, in parallel fashion, instead of slicing in and out of the lines, like some perpendicular structure) and it’s a slow building piece that follows the piano on its linear path. Debussy himself was opposed to the ‘impressionist’ tag everyone gave him but what’s important was that it’s a label of complimentary measure: that the music is so gorgeous and moving, it’s atmospheric and needs something else to describe it. Whatever it is, here is “Préludes I - 10. La cathédrale engloutie (1909-1910)” (The Sunken Cathedral)

And as I sat there, on my way to mundane work, and listened to that aforementioned piece, I began to realize just how much it reminded me of the original score to Mystic River. When I first saw this film, I immediately loved the acting, the story, the directing and the music paired with it was just so moving. I still feel angry it lost out best picture that year (very deserving for the LoTR trilogy but the best movie is and always was the second one), nonetheless, it’s a great movie. The composer to that score is actually Clint Eastwood, who happens to make a lot of movies too. Built around a simple melody that is recurring, here is where a 20^th century, modern-day composer if you will, can take an influence like Debussy and make it something brand new. I don’t know for sure if Debussy is a direct influence to Eastwood, but I can’t see why not. Especially when you hear the piano at the end (last minute or so) play the same melody the strings did earlier, it’s obviously using the same parallel harmony, only this time with even more accompanying sounds and yes, more atmosphere. It’s beautiful music in my opinion, hopefully you all can enjoy both. – Bryan.