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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Crooners
From: Art Longmire
2. Re: Worst Rhyme In a Song?
From: S.J. Dibai
3. Re: Duprees on Columbia
From: Mikey
4. Re: Austin Roberts
From: Austin Roberts
5. Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums
From: Art Longmire
6. Chong Bong Mang
From: ~albabe
7. Suspect lyrics
From: Ian Chippett
8. Re: Coke ads @ Musica
From: Rich
9. New member
From: Peter
10. I come not to bury Casey
From: A. Zweig
11. Frankie Vaughan; UK Charts
From: Mike Edwards
12. Re: Paul Hampton
From: Dan Hughes
13. Re: Thanks and other stuff
From: Mark
14. Casey Kasem; Radio formats
From: Mike Edwards
15. Re: Best Line, Worst Rhyme, Austin Roberts
From: Mark
16. Dawn Eden
From: Steve Harvey
17. Monty Babson
From: Austin Powell
18. Playing to Musica: Jerry Ross and more Lollipops!
From: Clark Besch
19. Re: Best line in a song
From: Harold Shackelford
20. Re: Worst Rhymes
From: Jules Normington
21. Re: Snuff Garrett
From: Mark Wirtz
22. Re: Casey Kasem
From: Kevin
23. Re: Puckett / Wexler / more Worst Lyrics
From: Phil Milstein
24. Re: Worst Rhyme In A Song?
From: Rob Stride
25. Re: Folk Rock on PBS
From: S.J. Dibai
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 21:18:22 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Crooners
Country Paul:
> So what constitutes a contemporary "crooner"?
Paul Bryant:
> Exactly - there ain't any.........
Would Clay Aiken constitute a contemporary crooner?
Art
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 21:17:48 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Worst Rhyme In a Song?
Worst rhyme? Even if I exclude everything by ? & the Mysterians, I
can think of quite a few candidates.
Eric Burdon and the Animals, "When I Was Young": "I smoked my first
cigarette at ten/And for girls, I had a bad yen" and "I met my first
love at thirteen/She was brown, and I was pretty green" - give me a
break!
Another one from EB & co, "Good Times": "Instead of fighting/I
should have done the right thing" - which is worse than it needs to
be because it's in the company of lines like "All of that talking/I
could have been walking" and so on like that.
The Beatles, "I Need You": "Said you had a thing or two to tell
me/How was I to know you would upset me" - in what version of English
does that rhyme???
Barry McGuire, "Eve Of Destruction" (PF Sloan): "Take a look at all
the hate there is in Red China/Then take a look around you to Selma,
Alabama" - and this has even been made worse. Jan & Dean's cover on
their "Folk 'n' Roll" album changes "Selma, Alabama" to "Watts,
California," while McGuire's live performance on the PBS
special "This Land Is Your Land" had him singing "Columbine,
Colorado"! Of course, there was The Spokesmen's answer song "Dawn Of
Correction," in which every line in each verse had to end with
"-ation," making for some rather contrived rhyming.
The Ides of March, "Roller Coaster" (1966 version): in which Jim
Peterik admits to singing "unintelligible nonsense" after the
line "One shy boy who is beckoning." I still can't figure out what
he's saying, but it does rhyme!
Chubby Checker, "Hey Bobba Needle" (I don't know who wrote
this): "So I swam across, cross, cross/And I bought a horse, horse,
horse" - which he sings as "I bought a haws, haws, haws" so it sort
of rhymes.
Roy Orbison, "Ill Never Get Over You" - the entire song is a series
of bad rhyming cliches, like "I could find another girl to flirt
with/I could find another girl to hurt with" and "I got over Mary
Lou/I got over Suzie Q/I got over Peggy Sue/I got over losing you to
somebody new/But I'll never get over you." Sheesh!
I'll stop now, I promise.
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 15:45:16 -0500
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Duprees on Columbia
Does anybody have a discography of the Duprees on Columbia?
Was there an LP?
Mikey
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 17:21:28 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Austin Roberts
Orion:
> Mr Roberts, it is so great to see you among us. Thanks for joining
> an already greatly talented group of people (I don't include myself).
Fun to be here and thanx for the welcome.
Austin
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 00:46:09 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums
My brother was showing me his copy of the recent Rolling Stone
magazine's top 500 albums issue. I noticed that Laura Nyro's "New
York Tendaberry" and "Eli and the 13 Confessions" didn't make the
list.
Oh, well. I guess they had to make space for Billy Joel, Boston and
Foreigner.
Art
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 15:02:58 -0800
From: ~albabe
Subject: Chong Bong Mang
Phil Milstein said:
> "Chong Family Values" is at
> http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/02/features-mikulan.php
At least now I know why you are so ding dang funny...(kidding)
Great article!
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:25:53 EST
From: Ian Chippett
Subject: Suspect lyrics
Jules wrote:
> Speaking alternately, of 'bad' song lyrics, Gary Puckett and the Union
> Gap's "Young Girl" takes the prize for the most non-PC, morally
> suspect or perhaps just plain naïve lyrics of all, si?...well of any
> HIT single, that is.
How about "Claire" by Gilbert O'Sullivan? "You get to me in a way I can't
describe"? Probably just as well but at the time I really loved this song.
Can't imagine it ever being released today. But I'm sure someone else must
have noticed this before me.
Ian Chippett
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 16:30:50 EST
From: Rich
Subject: Re: Coke ads @ Musica
Mike, please put me on the list!
Thanks!
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 03:25:39 -0000
From: Peter
Subject: New member
Hi guys.
I just joined up. This is a fascinating group you have here. I'll
look forward to meeting you.
Regards, Peter.
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Message: 10
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 19:46:46 -0500
From: A. Zweig
Subject: I come not to bury Casey
Kevin:
> I was just listening this morning to "The Letter U and the Numeral
> 2" by Negativland, which hilariously documents Casey Kasem's
> ignorance, ill temper and condescension to his audience.
Alan Haber:
> Well, it takes a lot to get me to post (this might be the second or
> third time ever), but this isn't the Casey Kasem I know. I interviewed
> him a few years ago (and subsequently met him a few times) for a major
> radio industry trade paper profile, and found him to be one of the most
> sincere, nicest people in the biz.
Hmmm. I must dissent. Sincere. Nice. Yeah sure. If you want him to
do something that directly benefits him or his career or puts money in
his pocket, then in that case I believe Casey could do a very good job of
appearing sincere or nice. But I have a slightly different standard which
usually involves exhibiting a generosity of spirit even when there is no
direct personal benefit. And I have personal experience to suggest that
Casey does not often reach that standard.
The Negativland thing just confirmed my impression of him. And yeah okay,
people lose their temper. But not everyone does. I've worked in hundreds
of similar situations with stars - bigger than him - and seldom heard an
outburst like he exhibited on that piece. I can handle a "star's" rudeness
- or at least contextualize it - if the star is Buddy Rich (who has a
similar diatribe floating around the web somewhere). Or even Paul Anka.
I don't like it. I don't excuse it. But if they have some talent, I guess
I give them a little extra credit. But Casey.... sorry.no. I think he'd
bring the exact same level of enthusiasm to his intros if he were
introducing different laundry detergents or elixirs to cure your aches and pains. He's a carnival barker and the music is just coincidental.
Maybe this is all off topic. But so many famous people are talking about
other famous people here, it would be nice if folks had to actually earn
their accolades.
Nice is a lukewarm word but I'm still hoping it can be rescued from utter
meaninglessness.
AZ
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 04:30:28 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Frankie Vaughan; UK Charts
Paul Bryant writes:
> Frankie was major up to 1963 then the Beatles did him in & not
> before time.
Not so quick, Paul; let me jump to the defense of a fellow
Lancastrian (Frankie was born in Liverpool) and holder of the OBE.
He survived the onslaught of the more famous sons of his own city by
switching to UK Columbia in the late 60s and had some chart success
with "There Must Be A Way" (# 7 in 1967) and "Nevertheless" (# 29 in
1968).
By the way, Frankie Vaughan's 1962 UK hit, "Hercules" was written by
Mark Barkan and Ben Raleigh. Does any member know if there was an
original US version of this song?
Paul also writes:
> But in the British charts there was a steady stream of often
> ghastly "old-fashioned" ballads which clogged up the charts up to
> the early 70s (no doubt helping to keep the Association out of the
> top 20). I shan't bore you with a list of dreadful records, but
> Englebert Humperdinck is probably the chief malefactor.
I made this point in an earlier message calling it the "Moms And Dads
effect". And it continues as my daughter tells me the stuff I listen
to is termed "Dadrock". I guess we should bear in mind that the UK
charts, unlike those in the US, did not have an adult contemporary
category in the 60s – everything was dropped into one chart. In the US,
a song such as "Cold" by John Gary got to # 1 on the adult contemporary
chart in 1967 without showing up on the Hot 100, thus leaving room for
the likes of the Association.
Mike
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:46:25 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Paul Hampton
Michael Edwards writes (of Paul Hampton):
> I love this guy's stuff.
> Do you know anything more about him? Like what's he doing now.
I have two of Paul Hampton's albums (perhaps his only two?)
Rest Home For Children (Crested Butte) and Beautiful Beginnings
(Barnaby). He is a surprising versatile fellow - here's his bio
from the IMDB:
"An actor, singer, composer, lyricist, and writer, Paul Hampton is
listed as one of the one hundred major architects of American rock
and roll, in the British rock journal, "Footsoldiers and Kings". He
attended Dartmouth college, where by his sophomore year he was
simultaneously signed by Columbia Records and Columbia Pictures to
write music with Hal David and Burt Bacharach. He has written songs
which have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Gene Pitney, Elvis Presley,
Rick Nelson, Merle Haggard, Tom Jones, Eddy Arnold, Bette Midler,
and Sammy Davis Jr. He has also written lyrics, composed music, and
collaborated on the book for a musical, "Love is a Crime". It's a
culmination of years of songwriting, based on a concept and an idea
he has had for a long time, of wanting to put "Love" on trial,
theatrically and musically."
And here's the rest of the listing:
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0359035/
Don't know if you've seen his photo; he's a ringer for Robert Redford.
And now you know about as much as I do.
---Dan
http://members.soltec.net/~dan (spiffy home page)
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 05:39:45 GMT
From: Mark
Subject: Re: Thanks and other stuff
Hey Guys!
Running behind as always! First off, I'd like to thank those of you
who responded to my last inquiries (both on and off list) regarding
Wild Man Fischer, the 45s on CD disc and Tommy James. You guys are
the BEST!! :)
Kurt - I too saw Simon and Garfunkel. I bought the ticket the second
day they went on sale (wasn't gonna miss this for ANYTHING!) and went
to the show in early November.
This was one fantastic show. I heard almost everything I wanted to
hear (didn't hear "Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall" or "Dangling
Conversation", but what the hey, you can't have everything!) and even
stuff I didn't expect to hear ("Kathy's Tune", "Leaves That Are Green",
and two of Paul's solo tunes done up as S&G duets). Seeing the Everly
Brothers (another of my fave acts that I had never seen live before)
just added to my pleasure, and I was in Seventh Heaven seeing Don and
Phil joined by Paul and Art for "Bye Bye Love". If anyone was debating
whether or not to go to this show, let me say that you missed out on
something really special.
Leonardo - my Dynovoice discog in Stak-O-Wax shows the 13th Power being
released on Dynovoice 227. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the info,
though.
Fred - you mentioned a second LP by the Cuff Links. What is the name of
this album? I wasn't aware that there was a second album.
Re. the shortest track of all time: I don't recall anyone mentioning the
track on Sly and the Family Stone's "There's a Riot Going On" LP that
is timed at 0:00 (can't remember the name of the track off-hand).
Re. Gazette Records: I have a factory sleeve for this label (no 45,
though - I took the sleeve off whatever Gazette release it was on and
put it on a Jimmy Buffett promo 45 on Barnaby; found these items in a
thrift store). I'll get it scanned ASAP (have too, too many items I need
to get scanned and will visit Kinko's when I have a chance) and put up
in the files section.
David Coyle: you mentioned the Sundowners. One of my recent thrift shop
finds was a single by the Sundowners on Filmways (the label was a
division of the famous '60s TV production house). Is this the same group
as the one you mentioned?
Mike Edwards: Showaddywaddy, from what I understand, was the British
version of Sha Na Na, so I gather we weren't missing too much there.
Larry Lapka: To be more precise, Mel Torme is of Russian and Jewish
descent. The correct pronunciation of his last name is "TOR-mee"; he
changed the pronunciation to the more exotic-sounding "Tor-MAY" when
he became successful.
Hannukah songs: Most of the ones I know of are novelty songs. In
addition to the Sandler song that was mentioned, there's also the
Dr. Demento fave "Hannukah Rocks" by Gefilte Joe and the Fish and
"The Lonely Jew at Christmas" as sung by Kyle on the cartoon South
Park.
Art Longmire: you mentioned that Jim Pepper was a member of Everything
is Everything. I'm not so sure about that - my understanding is that
there were two versions of "Witchi-Tai-To" that competed for audience
attention. One was by Everything is Everything (on the Vanguard
Apostolic label), the other by Jim Pepper's Pow-Wow (on the Atlantic
subsid Embryo).
Mick Patrick - the unissued Delicates stuff sounds interesting. Could you
play it to musica, please, if you haven't done so already?
Best,
Mark
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 05:26:48 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Casey Kasem; Radio formats
Rob Stride writes:
> As a Brit I've only seen Casey once or twice. But his died black
> hair and woolly jumpers puzzled me as he was some sort of Pop Guru.
> He looked like a great uncle on Speed.
Interesting observation and one that could probably be applied to
Dick Clark as well. It's my understanding that their radio shows are
financed by advertisers and shipped to whatever radio stations want
them (with the advertisements included) at no cost to the stations.
Their formats are very consistent and therefore appealing to
advertisers.
So if you're a program director at a radio station and you have to
chose between Casey in his woolly jumper or a local jock striving to
break into the radio business (and who cannot yet afford such a
jumper), who ya gonna chose?
I'm not really complaining, as I've been the beneficiary of a lot of
of vinyl being dumped by radio stations as they turned to pre-
packaged formats.
Also as Ryan Seacrest from the "American Idol" TV show takes over
the "American Top 40" radio show in January, we won't have Casey
Kasem to kick around any more.
All of which leads me to be thankful that musica at Spectropop offers
us an alternative.
Mike
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Message: 15
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 05:53:51 GMT
From: Mark
Subject: Re: Best Line, Worst Rhyme, Austin Roberts
Hello again!
Re the best line in a song: the first thing that comes into my
head is Graham Parker from a few years back, from the song "She
Wants So Many Things": "She's a living example of God's bad taste".
Being a major fan of such geniuses as Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello,
I'm sure there are many great lines in their respective songwriting
canons.
Re the worst rhyme in a song: this one is like kicking a dog, but
Wild Man Fischer has to take the honors for "The Taster" from the LP
"An Evening With Wild Man Fischer": "Come on, let's do the Taster/
When my love was so grayster (?)" and from later in the song: "I know
a doctor, just-a one certain doctor/who goes around putting things in
everyone's octers" and if you can stand it, one more, and at least
this one uses words that ARE in the dictionary: "I know a cow, a-just-
a one certain cow/Who'd give his life, oh just to be an owl"
With those lines in mind, is it any wonder that no record executives
took him seriously (that is, until he met up with Frank Zappa, of
course)?
Finally, I'd like to welcome Austin Roberts to the list. I've always
enjoyed the songs you co-wrote for the Partridge Family and also your
hits "Something's Wrong With Me" and "Rocky".
I was quite surprised some time ago when the local country station at
the time, WHK-AM, played a song by a group called the Shoppe called "Why
Doesn't Anybody Get High on Love Anymore?", and I saw the song in the
record store and noticed the writer creds on this tune: Johnny Cymbal
and Austin Roberts! It wasn't that bad of a tune, and I'm kicking myself
for not picking it up at the time.
Best,
Mark
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Message: 16
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:23:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Dawn Eden
Mikey:
> ...I'm an old friend od Dawn Eden. Could you shoot me her
> email address so that I can say hi? Thanks.
Write her via her blogsite: Dawn Patrol or her Gates (Gaits?)
of Eden.
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Message: 17
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 10:13:13 -0000
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Monty Babson
Paul Bryant wrote:
> I never heard of Monty Babson!
You can be forgiven for never having come across Monty Babson, but
he did a huge amount of recording for labels like RCA, Palette, and
(UK) Columbia - he was even signed to New York's Jubilee label in
the late fifties...but he also owned Morgan Studios in London where
Blue Mink were "born".....In fact Babson owned all the Blue Mink
masters and also ran the short-lived Morgan Blue Town label whose
output was recently chronicled on "House Of Many Windows" (Sanctuary/
Castle CMRCD 659)...
To the best of my knowledge, MB still lives in North London.
Austin
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Message: 18
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 06:50:40 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Playing to Musica: Jerry Ross and more Lollipops!
Hi, since there was space on Musica and we've been discussing
producers some recently, I put a short interview bit on from Jerry
Ross. I'm sure some of you experts can elaborate on Jerry's career.
James Holvay certainly can, since Jerry produced the Mob records of
the 70s on Colossus. In fact, when I hear this, I think that if all
these songs had been in a similar bit done about a year later, Jerry
would have had comments on these hits and then, for a new hit pick,
would likely have talked about his new group out of Chicago (altho'
they'd been together for half a decade or more), the Mob and "I Dig
Everything About You", right Mr. Holvay?? Any comments on Jerry
welcome.
Altho' Jerry's comments are certainly made in the 60s text it
came from, he comes across as a very nice guy. Certainly, all these
hits including the Mob are very different in styling, so he certainly
had a good ear. Sorry about cutting the Cherry People so much, but I
didn't think I had room for it on Musica in full length.
One of his non-hitmakers of the mid-60s were the Rondels of which
he produced a great single. They would soon be signed by Brian
Epstein and dubbed the Cyrkle. I believe Jerry also did "The 81" by
Candy & Kisses. Many more too, that I can't think of right now.
Many of his great productions can be found on his CD "Yo!
Philadelphia", which is now out of print, I think.
Also, it's been awhile since we talked about the Lollipops, but
thought I'd add one item I have. I didn't know who the Lollipops
were until I read about them on Spectropop and checked my
collection. I had mentioned that I'd play "Freight Train to Boston"
to Musica, but found a cooler song, "I Feel the Sun Up There" from
fall, 1968. Do they have a domestic CD? Did they release their 45s
in the U.S.? What label were they on? They might have sounded like
the Beatles a little, but this '68 cut would have to be more like
Beatles' "Words of Love" sounding period of '65. Anyway, I will keep
these up for a short time, so as to not tie up Musica. So much great
stuff, so little space! Y'know?
Take care,
Clark
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Message: 19
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 21:59:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Harold Shackelford
Subject: Re: Best line in a song
This whole song by Tom T. Hall is one great line but I'll
cut to the chase:
"Ain't but three things in this world that's worth a solitary dime,
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine."
Aloha, Shack.
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Message: 20
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 21:05:27 +1100
From: Jules Normington
Subject: Re: Worst Rhymes
Speaking of rhymes and imagination, as we appear to be, I always
thought that for going the extra yard the prize would have to go
to those way-off-list laureates of early Brit metal, Black Sabbath,
for their opening couplet to "War Pigs":
"Generals gathered in their masses,
Just like witches at black masses"
...hard to go past that for safety, wouldn't you say?
Cheers, Jules
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Message: 21
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 21:54:26 -0000
From: Mark Wirtz
Subject: Re: Snuff Garrett
Bob:
> James, Snuff hasn't been in Phoenix for quite some time. He had a
> stroke several years ago when he was still in LA but has completely
> recovered. As I mentioned in a previous post, he lives in Sonoita,
> New Mexico.
James:
> Bob - Thanks for clarifying that. He was one of my idols (producers).
I had the great pleasure of being associated with Mr. Garrett for a spell during my partnership with Jimmy Bowen - not with SG the producer, but publisher, would you believe. Not only was SG a gentleman in a far from
gentle town, with a great sense of humor, but one of the few survivors
of a fast dieing breed: the passionate music man and record maker that
had an instictive nose for talent and shot from the hip. The kind that
didn't need market research or stats and specs and committees to do his
listening and decision making for him... The kind that made records for
the people, not the industry. Happy to hear Snuff is alive and kicking!
Here's lifting a glass to you, old timer, in grateful and respectful
salute to being one of the pioneers that led the way for so many of us!!
Mark Wirtz
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Message: 22
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 14:01:05 -0800 (PST)
From: Kevin
Subject: Re: Casey Kasem
Alan Haber says:
> ...this isn't the Casey Kasem I know.
To me, Casey will always be the perpetually stoned
Shaggy from SCOOBY-DOO. That's the Casey Kasem I know.
kjm in la
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Message: 23
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 15:59:44 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Puckett / Wexler / more Worst Lyrics
Jules Normington wrote:
> Speaking alternately, of 'bad' song lyrics, Gary Puckett and the Union
> Gap's "Young Girl" takes the prize for the most non-PC, morally
> suspect or perhaps just plain naïve lyrics of all, si?...well of any
> HIT single, that is.
And at the time it scarcely raised an eyebrow. Times they sure do change.
Art Longmire wrote:
> ... He gave a
> very articulate and sober assesment of his career with all its ups
> and downs (and rip-offs by the music industry in his early years). It
> was also good hearing from Jerry Wexler.
I enjoyed Wexler's comment that singing is a combination of both vocal
and dramatic abilities (in the context of saying that King Solomon was a
master at both). It's so rewarding to get these Old Masters on the
record while they can, as well as adequately depicted in the public eye.
My nomination for Worst Lyrics Ever goes to any of several by Jim "Poet
Laureate of Rocknroll" Morrison. The worst of a bad lot has to be
"Riders On The Storm," a lyric you cannot convince me took him more than
five minutes to complete:
Riders on the storm
Into this house we're born
Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out alone
Riders on the storm
There's a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin' like a toad ...
... and it doesn't get much better from there. Another lyricist who's
lucky to even have a job, let alone all the success he's had, is Bernie
"Coattails" Taupin. (Which is why my favorite Elton John song is
"Funeral For A Friend.") While it's far from his worst overall, "Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road" does toss up a few choice cookies:
So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I’m going back to my plough
Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road
The moral of this story is that if you want to write a good song lyric,
be sure to leave dogs and toads out of it.
Hoo-oo yeah,
--Phil M.
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Message: 24
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:18:25 -0000
From: Rob Stride
Subject: Re: Worst Rhyme In A Song?
Simon:
> Not wanting to be toooo contentious, but has anyone ever really taken
> the lyrics of David "Oooh that rhymes, I'll use it" Bowie seriously?
Yes Simon, I take a lot of Bowie's lyrics seriously as do MILLIONS of
others. The fact that he was sometimes artistically creative in his
approach to how he put together a lyric is really nothing to be sneered
at. History is littered with artists whose new ideas and ground breaking
approaches were mocked and dismissed.
regards
Rob Stride
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Message: 25
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 21:44:43 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Folk Rock on PBS
AZ,
I saw most of this program, if not all of it. When the Lovin'
Spoonful were on, I was thinking, "These guys aren't bad, but who
the hell ARE they?" Obviously, John Sebastian wasn't there and Zal
Yanovsky couldn't have been there. So which, if any, original
members were there???
I thought Spanky and Our Gang were quite disappointing. Spanky's
voice is about two octaves lower than it used to be, which is not
necessarily bad, but at the same time, she sang like some kind of
lounge lizard. And the harmonic balance was way off.
I did enjoy seeing and hearing The Seekers, who were quite good.
Scott MacKenzie sounded very different than he used to, but he was
very enjoyable. Trini Lopez was the same old Trini - not a great
singer, but someone who can put a song over and clearly has a lot of
fun doing it. He had a lot of great energy and enthusiasm and was
the highlight of the show for me. The "Calfornia Dreamin'" singalong
was nice, too, though the flute player looked and played like he was
stoned.
S.J. Dibai
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