So, I'm not sure if they just announced this, but Heart posted their summer tour dates on their website. You can see them at http://www.heart-music.com/tourdates.html. I was SO excited to see this, and I am wishing that I still lived in Indiana so that I could see them in Hammond. Oh well... Maybe I will make a special trip out there this summer, because I would absolutely love to see them live. Pat Benatar will be playing somewhat nearby where I am now on April 21st -- so I will have to decide if I can get out to that show (Rhode Island is kind of closeby). Anyway, in honor of Heart, I wanted to share "Barracuda." This is one of my all-time favorite Heart tunes. It is just so terrific. I love the cranking guitar line and Ann Wilson's unbelievably powerful voice. If you read the history behind the song, you'll find out that it is about a man--well, sort of. It's not about some cheating ex-boyfriend or anything like that. No, it's about the dirty, sleazy press and how they tried to make people think that Ann and her sister Nancy were "lovers." Oh please...that is sad, low, pathetic. Yeah, just like a barracuda. Nevertheless, this song could really be about anything. I am SURE that they could put any lyrics to the music and it would be a virtual rock and roll explosion. I've included two versions of the video here--one from 1977 and one from 2002 (live in Seattle). I know the original was from the '70s and not the '80s, but that is alright because Heart has been rockin' through many decades, and I am sure they will for many more. Hope you enjoy "Barracuda."
So, obviously, I am hearing the chorus from A-Ha's "Take On Me" this evening. This song was a HUGE hit in the '80s. It was released in 1985 and had everyone captivated for many reasons, including the cool, catchy synthesizer and super-handsome lead singer. Plus, the group was from Norway, which to kids on this side of the Atlantic was quite the point of interest. That being said, I took a look at the lyrics this evening because I honestly did not know what they were. I only remembered the chorus. Actually, I don't think I could understand the lyrics back then. You know how sometimes you listen to a song and just can't quite determine what the words are? Well, that was the case for me with this song. Sadly, it is still the case! Even after reading the lyrics, I don't quite understand what they mean. Maybe it makes more sense in the Norwegian tongue. I'm not sure. All I know is the the song is catchy and very unique--still quite appealing after all these years. Sadly, the video still scares the daylights out of me, too. Something about that line between fantasy and reality--and fictional characters coming to life... Also, when the lead singer is smashing himself against walls to knock the cartoon out of him, well, that frightens me. Nevertheless, the synthesizer is spectacular, and the lead singer's voice has a lovely, soothing quality. Doesn't hurt that he is quite movie star-esque, too. Hope you enjoy this 1985 classic!
So, this evening I was listening to my favorite radio program. You guessed it--Nights with Alice Cooper. He played "Piece of My Heart" as covered by Big Brother & the Holding Company with Janis Joplin on lead vocals. This is the only version of the song I had heard, but I did a bit of research and found there are many versions. In fact, the song was written in 1967 and first performed by Erma Franklin (Aretha Franklin's younger sister). So, the song has been covered in the 60s. 70s, 80s (Sammy Hagar), 90s (Faith Hill), and 2000s (Joss Stone and Melissa Etheridge). It has also been covered by Bonnie Tyler and a host of others, but the performance in this video with Joss Stone and Melissa Etheridge is just truly amazing. In the YouTube notes, someone commented that they felt Janis Joplin was smiling from above when these ladies performed. It is powerful and passionate. AMAZING. Yeah!!!! "Take another little piece of my heart now baby...break another little piece of my heart now darling..." I cannot think of any other song that really packs as much punch and delivers the message as well as this one. I think we've all had our hearts broken, but when you have really had it ripped out and smashed into a million pieces, this sums up the feelings perfectly! Come on--we've all experienced this, right? If you haven't, well, this tune paints a perfect picture. So, listen and enjoy. This particular performance gives me goosebumps. It is just awesome. I would love to hear Heart perform it sometime. I bet Ann WIlson would change the earth's rotation with her voice on this tune. Nevertheless, Ms. Etheridge and Ms. Stone really tear this one up. BRAVA!!!!!
Best wishes to Steven Tyler today on his 63rd birthday. Earlier this year, he announced his engagement, so it has been very full year for Mr. Tyler so far. In honor of his birthday, I thought I would pick one of my favorite songs, although "Walk This Way" really is my favorite Aerosmith tune. We looked at that song in an earlier post. So, tonight, I've chosen "Rag Doll" in honor of Mr. Tyler. This song simply makes me laugh because the lyrics sound, well, a bit like jibberish. With all due respect to Mr. Tyler and Aerosmith, it is a great song, and the meaning is pretty straightforward..."Rag doll, livin' in a movie, hot tramp, daddy's little cutie, so fine, I never see ya leavin' by the backdoor...man." Yes, she is so fine that she doesn't need to sneak around--the guys are coming to her! Aha! So, she's got it made. Kudos, Rag Doll! I think my other favorite part of the song is the very end, when Tyler does a sort of bluesy/rock/pop skat sequence, and I swear he says, "bibbity bibbity bop...." Just be careful, because if you are watching the video, the very end has an extremely sloppy kiss between Tyler and his rag doll. Look out. Don't say I didn't warn you! Anyway, all kidding aside, many happy returns to the one, the only, the legendary Steven Tyler. Thank you, sir, for the fabulous musical gifts you have given us over the years. May you have many today in return!
This evening Alice Cooper wasn't on, so I listened to some Pandora radio. Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" came on, and I thought it would be a great song to write about. So, I did some research and found out that the bass line was inspired by the bass line to "Good Times" by Chic. Turns out that the bass player from Queen and the bass player from Chic spent some time together in the studio. There was a bit of controversy in the press, too, because the press claimed that Chic "ripped off" the bass line from Queen, when in actuality Chic's song came first. "Good Times" was released in 1979, and "Another One Bites the Dust" was released in 1980. Nevertheless, both are terrific tunes. I may eventually talk about some Queen songs later on, because they are really, really artful and amazing. Freddie Mercury had a voice like none other.
Clams on the halfshell
...and roller skates
So, back to Chic. Nile Rodgers is one of the most recognizable names in music. He went on to have an extremely fruitful career as a record producer, working with Madonna, Diana Ross, David Bowie, and Duran Duran to name a few. He and bassist Bernard Edwards formed the group Chic back in the 70s. Supposedly, this song is about the happier times of the 1970s and its roller disco days. Turns out that the bass line of "Good Times" was sampled in tons of songs. There is a huge list on songfacts.com--check it out. In the meantime, I can't help but groove to this song no matter what the decade. That is what happens when you pair an awesome bass line with lyrics that exclaim, "Good times! These-are-the-good times! Leave-your-cares-behind! These-are-the-good times!" Woo! Yeah! This song has to make you feel like getting up and dancing, or roller skating, or just bustin' whatever kind of move you want. I still have no idea what "clams on the half shell and roller skates" means...
In an earlier post, I looked at the song "Don't You Want Me" by Jody Watley, but there is another very popular song by the same title from much earlier in the decade. "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League was released in 1981 and is a completely different tune. Story line is simple--guy finds waitress at a cocktail bar, turns her into a star, they have a five year love affair, and boom--she doesn't want him anymore. It's that simple. Makes for an interesting story, but the funny thing is that the actual song is very upbeat, uptempo, and has that kind of synthesized "happy pop" feel to it. Pretty neat considering the song's lyrics seem a bit sad--and kind of desperate. "Don't...don't you want me? You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me...Don't...Don't you want me? You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me..." It's alright, though, because the video will put you in trance with the stone cold faces of the singers, which are really mesmerizing. I forgot that back in the day men and women wore makeup -- well, men in rock bands like The Cure and many, many other groups from the U.K. The other thing that I forgot about was how cool it was for kids in the U.S. to watch the video and see cars with the steering wheel on the right side. AMAZING. I know--it didn't take much to entertain us back then.
Now I am an adult, so it takes a bit more to make me laugh...but not much. I happened to find an "orchestral version" of this song on YouTube. There are several of these videos, which are completely man-made and rather hysterical. I especially love reading the comments when they say "Hey--they're not really playing this. This is fake. This is so dumb!" Well, yes, they are not really playing "this," and that is why it's so funny. This particular video is a mash-up of parts of the San Francisco Symphony performing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (the composer's names are misspelled in the YouTube notes, unfortunately). Anyway, for classical music geeks like myself, it is amazingly funny. Michael Tilson Thomas is one of the greatest conductors out there, which makes it even funnier. So, I hope you will enjoy this clip. I've added the original Human League video and the "orchestral version."
Foreigner released the song "Urgent" in 1981, and I never realized until today that it has a huge sax solo in it! In fact, it's really more than a sax solo. The saxophone (tenor by the way) is really an integral part of the song, which is great, because...well... How can I saw this politely? I think we all know what "Urgent" is about, and if you're not sure, take a look at the lyrics. I admit that I not only failed to remember the saxophone part, but I had no idea about the lyrics. All I remembered from the 80s about this song was, "urgent, urgent--emergency." Although the lyrics are incredibly clear and straightforward in terms of their meaning, they are also extremely well-written. Almost paints a picture of someone who is all over the place, which can make the listener feel frantic. Actually, I think that frantic feeling equals urgency! And, we are back to square one. Awesome song with a totally kickin' tenor saxophone part that (thankfully) is not cheesy or "smooth jazz" sounding in the list. No, folks, it is not a "careless whisper" solo in the least. It is a rock saxophone solo. Excellent. Hope you enjoy this song. Don't wait--listen now! IT"S URGENT, URGENT! EMERGENCY!
