Been listening to Eric Barao´s fantastic album all day long. Made me realise that this is gonna be one great, great year – starting today, if not earlier!
The soundtrack to another great year, is this fab Grays song Very Best Years, below in a rarely seen video.
So let´s all cheer for the summer of 2013!
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Here´s a brand new WTF podcast interview by Mark Maron with power pop renaissance man Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Tinted Windows fame – as well as the winner of Emmy, Grammy and ASCAP Pop Music awards nominee for Oscar, Tony, and Golden Globe awards!
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http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_348_-_adam_schlesinger
When Pet Sounds was released in May 1966, Beach Boys had already released ten previous albums. Still, no one of the gave a real hint of what was to come.
The background story is history by now. Brian Wilson quit touring with the band in order to concentrate on writing and recording. He was helped out by advertising copywriter Tony Asher, whom he not worked with before.
Asher has described the couple´s co-working methods: “The general tenor of the lyrics was often Brian’s, however the actual choice of words was usually mine. I was really just his interpreter.” In the end the two co-wrote eight songs on the album. The musicians assembled for the recordings consisted of the famous Wrecking Crew, though it´s now debated whether they actually were called that at the times. In any case, they all had vast experience from working with big names such as Phil Spector and the creation of his walls of sounds.
Below is a link to a BBC revisit to the album – fab!
Enjoy!
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1974 was a great year for pop music and the pop song. It was the year of Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks, Benny And The Jets by Elton John and the marvellous When Will I See You Again by the Three Degrees, one of my all time favourites. But it was also the year when 10cc released their second album Sheet Music, an album that is a very evident leap forward compared to their self titled debut album from the previous year.
Sheet music was recorded at Strawberry Recording Studios in Stockport Cheshire, simultaneously with Mike McGear´s album McGear, produced by his well known brother Paul McCartney and the same drum kit was actually used for both recordings.
Billboard concluded that the album had “some of the most innovative vocal techniques and instrumental arrangements around” and that is maybe most evident from the first single, the stiff but equally marvellous The Worst Band In The World. It´s fabulous to see how the band uses small, small means to create great and stunning effects – just listen to those bass lines!
Even though the single was a great failure, it´s one of the 10cc songs that has best stood the test of time. And those flares…
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One of my all time favourite songs is Take It Easy by Eagles , elegantly written by Jackson Browne And Glenn Frey. It´s all quality, from the jangly guitars in the beginning to the silky vocals later on.
I can fully understand why Eagles today often are mentioned with contempt – their later output is often too cheesy and speculative. But had they only recorded one or two albums, they would be looked upon as mere gods by now. I tried to give Gram Parsons yet another chance the other day but – no, his music doesn´t do anything to me. Early Eagles, on the other hand, now that´s something else.
The recording below is from Central Park in 1972 – even though the screen is dark for a while in the beginning, your wait will be rewarded. Splendid!
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In the midst of Wilco´s health issues, let´s again get excited by the most exciting guitar player ever. In the clip, Wilco guests american poodle rocker Joe Ely and his slick crew, who try to rock it away – their way. But then comes Wilco…It doesn´t take a rocket scientist to decide who comes out on top!
The clip also reminds us all of all the fun Wilco generously has provided us with through the years.
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The Tor Guides
The Tor Guides - three minutes in Popland 