Something that gets me hard (musically speaking) is when an awesome classic song is covered by a capable contemporary artist and brought back to life like the phoenix. Now I don't think there's anything wrong with the originals of course, but hearing a new energized and youthful version of a song that was already fantastic can be magical. Examples of artists who do this well are Prince and Muse.
Anyone who knows me remotely well knows that oldies music is my kryptonite. I love lots of music I hear from the 50s and 60s. Not the respectable music snob stuff like Jazz, but the more forgettable forms of music from those time periods. The stuff that is less respected among musical circles and is glossed over. I'm talking about stuff like "Doo-Wop." I am a "Doo-Wop" FIEND. The sorrow, the haunting vocal melodies and harmonies, the fact that most of them use the same chord progression (okay, that annoys me).
But here are some songs from those wonderful decades that I think could use some Rock-vamping (Rock-vamping as I define it is giving a song a new feel and making it become re-energized by spreucing up the arrangement and giving it a little youthful spark and shimmer. It doesn't mean shit, really.)
But here are some songs from those wonderful decades that I think could use some Rock-vamping (Rock-vamping as I define it is giving a song a new feel and making it become re-energized by spreucing up the arrangement and giving it a little youthful spark and shimmer. It doesn't mean shit, really.)
5. Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes!
This song is charming, quirky, and has the badboy streak that made Lou
This song is charming, quirky, and has the badboy streak that made Lou
Christie famous in his time. I would love to hear the song given a bit more
of that rebellious attitude, and hear the vocals take a little bit of a rougher
approach, sung in mid-range more (the falsetto is awesome but a little bit
silly and cheesy). This song shouldn't take itself too seriously but maybe
it could present itself with a little bit more badassitude.
4. Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
Now my boy Rivers Cuomo did a fantastic cover of this song on his "Alone II" album,
a compilation of unreleased recordings featuring the boyish Weezer frontman. He
did the song right, but aside from a rockin' guitar solo, he didn't really revision it
as much as he paid homage to it. Now there's nothing wrong with that but I'd like to
hear a bit more emotion and less "pep" on the whole track... I mean, he can't be
sure that this girl will stay with him just because she says "Don't worry, baby..."
a more rock-tastic version could express the subject's insecurity a bit more.
3. Nat King Cole - Unforgettable
Perfect little romantic ballad. But why couldn't it be more? That bridge is begging
to be sung more evocatively and emotionally with a great rock vocalist. Not "rawk" like
Dave Grohl of course, but by a great, moody band like Muse or maybe Radiohead.
Someone like that. And yes, I was influenced by this song's inclusion in the Watchmen
soundtrack. Suck it.
2. Little Anthony & The Imperials - Goin' Out of My Head
One of my all-time favorite love songs, but I feel like this song is missing a Princely
guitar solo. I mean, it builds and builds and the tension is practically unbearable
and there is no release. It's musical and emotional blue-balls for me every time.
Throw in a guitar solo and some more distraught wailing and- BAM, you've just
been rocked out of your head.
1. Lou Christie - Two Faces Have I
I know I already put Lou Christie on here but this one is a dead ringer and
deserves to be #1. I see the sorrow inherent in that vocal line and wish a
version of it could be made that doesn't belong in crappy diners.And
listen to that bridge, man. There is real beauty there, sabotaged by the song's
cheesy, hokey nature. Just imagine that vocal line without the cheeky falsetto...
this song could make a real emotional impact if it put itself out there. Maybe
someone can save it from itself one day.
Not like it matters because I love these songs anyways... no matter how cheesy
or "gay" they might be. But wouldn't it be something to hear them revitalized by
younger performers? Thanks for reading.
3/22/09
Yes, you read that title right. Creating a balanced, flowing mix cd is an art-form; One that requires patience, a dash of perfectionism, and a love of music. Here are some tips on how to make an awesome mix CD, be it for your friend or a bird you really fancy.
- Choose a fitting opening song
- Switch things up
- Don't add songs just because you can
- If you like the person you're making this mix for, don't spell it out
- Throw some The Shins on there!
- But seriously... don't expect the world
You should always try to start a cd off on the right foot. If you open with a less-than-stellar song, you're going to be giving anyone who listens to your mix a one-way ticket to skipsville. Maybe choose a song that opens up an album really well or a song that really keeps your attention and builds anticipation and adrenaline.
THE RIGHT WAY: Track 1 - Billy Joel - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
THE WRONG WAY: Track 1 - Metallica - Shoot Me Again
Make sure your mix has a lot of dynamics and range. Don't just choose hard-rocking fun songs. Throw a few ballads on there. Choose songs with different tempos, energy levels, and styles. It really makes your mix more interesting for the listener and you'll feel cool for having all this different on one disk. You'll think to yourself: "Wow, it's like Lil Wayne and Foo Fighters had a jam session and I was invited!"
THE RIGHT WAY: After a couple fast songs, slowing things down with a more thought-provoking piece.
THE WRONG WAY: No deviation. This mix needs to stay funk-rock driven and that's final!
Simple really. You don't have to make a mix 80 minutes just because that is the limit of a CD-R. Bottom line: Maybe it's best to stick with A+ plus songs on only and end up with a nice 60 minute mix. But maybe if the chick you're making this mix for really digs your musical style, you can get away with a bloated mix. Use caution.
THE RIGHT WAY: Wow, there is no filler on here at all. A nice compact collection of my favorite songs!
THE WRONG WAY: Hmm, I still have 8 minutes left on this piece. I'll throw on some Limp Bizkit songs.
Now I may not know much about women (what the Hell is a labia, anyways?)... but I do know a lot about sucessfully serenading a woman via a mix cd. Don't be too forward and add that Boyz II Men song "Want To Sex Ya (Right Now)" no matter how much it expresses your true feelings. Honestly, being too straightforward in that manner with someone you are getting to know will come off as creepy and makes you look very sketchy.
THE RIGHT WAY: Beach Boys songs are cute and unthreatening but show you really like this chica.
THE WRONG WAY: Prince - Do Me, Baby
If Garden State taught us anything, it's that New Slang will win you the affections of any girl (if you're into that sort of thing).
THE RIGHT WAY: Any "Shins" song.
THE WRONG WAY: A song that is not by The Shins
What I mean by that is... don't expect people to rant and rave to you about how amazing your cd is. There is a good chance that people won't even give your compilations a real shot and spin it a couple of times. So why do we do it? Why do we create these playlists of perfection for an undeserving, fickle public?
Because when people do appreciate your mixes, it's really worth it. There is nothing like listening to a mix you made with someone and seeing how much they enjoy it. It's a very cool thing to do for someone and if you enjoy your mix more than the recipient you can always save the playlist for yourself. ;) Don't just do this for someone else... you should enjoy your mix cds too.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Dear Rivers Cuomo,
You are more to me than just the lead singer and guitarist of the highly acclaimed 90's rock outfit Weezer. You are the composer of the soundtrack of my life; my first viewing of Buddy Holly on MTV is one of the most cherished memories from my childhood. You are an inspiration that shines out of every note of music I play and every pore in my body. You are the light of my life. But not in a gay way.
I know we've had our little tiffs. Do the words "The Red Album" ring any bells for you, Ace? How about the way you totally about-faced me and released the impersonal, robotic The Green Album after the soul-crushingly personal masterwork that is Pinkerton? But the more I think about it, the more I realize the good things that came from those conflict-ridden times in our relationship. The Red Album has "Dreamin'" and "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" (I'm referring to the song, not you Riv!) And even the cold, unfeeling Green Album has "O Girlfriend," possibly your dopiest and heart-pullingest love song post-pinkerton. And "Hash Pipe." Can't forget that, man. Possibly the most testosterone-driven, balls to the wall rocker in the Weezer catalog.
For every ying there is a wang-, I mean yang... in your songbook. For every "Beverly Hills" there is an "Across The Sea." For every "This Is The Way" there is a "This is Such a Pity." I guess what I'm trying to say is I really admire your... let's call it "imperfect symmetry." I admire it in a strictly heterosexual sense.
Your lead guitar work is what draws me to you most though RC (anyone ever call you that before? thought so). In the guitar solos you play in songs like "Susanne" or "Pink Triangle," I feel pure unadulterated sorrow and power tugging at my very essence. It is what makes me realize that the connection we have is special. Not weird special but platonic special.
Your lead guitar work is what draws me to you most though RC (anyone ever call you that before? thought so). In the guitar solos you play in songs like "Susanne" or "Pink Triangle," I feel pure unadulterated sorrow and power tugging at my very essence. It is what makes me realize that the connection we have is special. Not weird special but platonic special.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say to you is even if you keep making songs like "Everybody Get Dangerous" or "Cold Dark World", I will always think of you as I did when you first entered my life. You'll always look like Buddy Holly to me no matter how big and bushy your mustache gets.
Take control,
Michael
3/20/09
Analyze Thy Self
and You Shall Know Thy Self
An essay about self-discovery, re-awakening and 90's pop-rock.
By Michael Rowland
My brain is working overtime, I need something to ease my mind
'Cause as my thoughts go manic, I reel and start to panic
And there's no place to hide behind
- My Brain, Rivers Cuomo
Let me start by saying this: Sometimes the process of breaking away from my inner critic is the hardest part about writing. I've had to re-write that first sentence about 8 times and, truth be told, I am still not close to being satisfied with it. Allow me to change that: breaking through my inner critic is the hardest part about doing anything in my life. If I was hired to pen my own dirge (funeral hymn), it would take me well into my afterlife before it was completed.
One of the most destructive recurring statements that I've told myself for a long time is that whenever I am attempting to express myself artistically I am "pretending." That I am not doing anything worthwhile or meaningful when I create. I mean, there is some degree of truth to the fact that I am only "pretending" to be a film-maker or a musician but when I am telling myself that I am "pretending to be a writer" that is both counter-productive and hurtful.
What's ironic is that while my psyche' encourages me to tell myself I am "pretending," it discourages any sort of dreaming. As soon as I catch myself feeling hopeful for my future and drifting off into a positive landscape, that is shot down by a damning shout from my consciousness: "Oh, be realistic here! That'll never happen!" It's okay to have the occasional naysayer in your life, that can oftentimes be inspirational and a great source of strength (in a more negative way than most)... but to be your own worst enemy only leads to conflicting emotions and self-doubt. And this has lead to a huge revelation over the course of the last few days. While a music critic's complaints do not directly alter the album they are listening to, my inner critic has drastically thrown my whole world out of balance.
"Damn my psyche'"
- John Michael Dorian, Scrubs - My Last Words
I find myself wishing I could become a more active player in my own life. A few days ago, a friend of mine invited me to go to his frat and meet some new people. Honestly, I had wanted to hang out with someone that entire day and I had felt isolation's prickly cactus-fingers tightly wound around my heel. However, the thought of meeting new people and being slightly out of my element frightened me and my reaction was "No! I will just be awkward and embarrass myself!" I decided that instead of hanging out with one of my best friends I would stay home and drown my loneliness out with Weezer's Pinkerton.
I pondered why I did this over the course of the next couple of days. Do I just have low self-esteem? No, I feel pretty good about myself. Am I depressed? I was, but I haven't been for a long time. Do I need to grow up? And I paused upon that statement for a while. Who is ready to honestly answer that question?
At first I found myself habitually leaning towards yes, feeling that my desire to be alone and pout (well, not pout) was because of the fact that I was a bit of a manchild; but it dawned on me that I have taken strides towards being a more mature individual and becoming a "man" (whatever that means) for a year... and if I really think about it, I am still well on my way to achieving that goal. I realized that the problem wasn't that I needed to grow up. I realized this during the course of an AIM conversation, of all things.
"You're such an old man sometimes," Aaron Isaacs tells me. I tell him to fuck off. But a simple comment I took in passing really showed me what had been driving me crazy for nearly a week: I haven't been acting like a spoiled little boy... I've been acting like an old hermit. The fact that I could listen to the lonely and isolated Pinkerton and 'The Good Life's' chorus in particular (I don't wanna be an old man anymore / it's been a year or two since I was out on the floor) and not feel irony stabbing me in the gut truly is a credit to my ignorance. I've finally seen the dawn: I realize that I need to live young now while I can and stop holing myself up in my basement. I value the people in my life and I need to spend time with them while I still can. I am so grateful to even exist and what do I do with my existence but listen to others' work?
"In the days of my youth
I was told what it means to be a man
Now I've reached that age
I've tried to do all those things the best I can"
- Led Zeppelin, Good Times, Bad Times
How did it come to this? I'm not going to be that kid who blames his parents for all of his personality flaws because I think I'm old enough to shape who I am for myself. And I'm not gonna be the optimist who glamorizes and glosses over them by saying "This is who I am." Because while this is the way I am right now... it really doesn't have to be. I am sick of shooting myself in the foot before my thoughts are even fully fleshed out.
Today, as I was attempting to "perfect" a song I had recently written (perform it without any mistakes and make its structure flawless), I blocked out all the voices in my head and just cut loose, attempting something I don't usually do: Soloing with my right hand while my left hand played the rhythm part of the song. In short: I was jamming. Was it perfect? No. Was it liberating? Yes. Before I would have heard "Don't fool yourself. Focus on doing what you're good at. Stop pretending to be able to play the piano." All I hear now are descending chords and slightly out-of-tune keys from my vintage grand piano.
I don't know why I put off trying to get rid of that negative voice. Maybe it's because I liked pretending that it wasn't a problem.
3/19/09
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