Going Deep With Leonard Cohen

Even those of you casual radio listeners who know Leonard Cohen probably have only heard his song Suzanne. Here are a few more selections from the "musical poet."

Leonard Cohen has long been considered more of a poet than a singer. His lyrics are haunting but oblique and his use of words is exquisite. However, to ignore his music and singing is to do him an injustice. He has an incredibly deep voice and you almost get a catch in your throat listening to him. His melodies are beautiful though most of his songs are, admittedly, like dirges. He sings these slow, deep, drawling songs that just suck you in with their weight.

Here are a few songs that are more upbeat than the typical Leonard Cohen. Everybody Knows has a nice, almost rollicking feel to it (yes, for Leonard Cohen, this is "rollicking"). The second selection, I'm Your Man is one of his bigger hits and also has a slight dance-y lilt to it. I was going to add a third selection, but decided that you should just buy some Leonard Cohen to get a good sense of his music.

These songs were taken from an excellent compilation of Leonard Cohen songs called The Essential Leonard Cohen. This 2-CD set is available relatively inexpensively on Amazon here. If you like this (and most of you will), you can find the rest of his discography on Amazon here.

You can read his wikipedia entry about his career as a singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist here.

1. Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows (5.14 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man (4.05 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Sniffling On a Train

I apologize for this silent week. On Monday evening, I started sniffling and sneezing and it blew up into a full-fledged cold/flu episode that had me huddled shivering under a blanket each evening and in no mood to find, write, and post any MP3s. Not sure if anyone missed me this week.

But, I'm back anyway. I have some chest congestion and a cough that sounds worse than it feels, but I'm back with some classic rock.

Blackfoot was a brand with some impressive links to the rock world. A quick read of the Wikipedia stub here will show you that Blackfoot is closely linked with such legendary bands as Uriah Heep and Lynyrd Skynyrd. A great group with a great sound that somehow never lived up to its potential. The song featured here is probably one of their greatest hits - Train Train. The rhythmic beat that starts the song and the strong vocals should give you an idea of the capabilities of this band.

I strongly recommend this Greatest Hits album here. Find the rest of their discography here.

1. Blackfoot - Train Train (4.1 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Get A Dose of "Hinglish"

One sub-genre of Indipop is those belonging to "remixes." This often involves taking a well known classic song and then "remixing" it with new beats and grooves.

I guess we could regard the Bombay Vikings as a sort of "remix" group. The group was formed in Stockholm, Sweden by a group of Swedes (one of whom was of Indian origin) who loved Indian music. Although they struggled with the hindi lyrics, they hit upon the idea of mixing some of the hindi lyrics with english lyrics and "modernizing" the music with dance beats and euro grooves. This interspersing of hindi phrases and english phrases is very common in India and has been referred to as "hinglish."

Here are a couple of examples. Both the songs featured here, are well known classic bollywood tunes from the sixties that have been re-imagined by the Bombay Vikings. The first is a tune called Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye (which roughly translates to Flying in the Wind) is a version of a tune from a motion picture called "Barsaat" (rain). The second, Woh Chali, Woh Chali (roughly translated into She Went, She Went) which in its original incarnation was from a film called "Padosan" (neighbors), has also been performed in true Bombay Vikings style.

Enjoy ...

1. Bombay Vikings - Hawa Mein Udati Jaaye (3.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Bombay Vikings - Woh Chali, Woh Chali (4.11 MB; 128kbps MP3)

[PS: Sorry for the delayed post - I was unable to upload the files to the server yesterday because of a technical problem]

A Song In One Breath

Let me return to some "Indipop" music now. Indipop is the term given to Indian pop music that has exploded in popularity in India over the last ten or fifteen years. I had an earlier post highlighting the Colonial Cousins.

In that same vein, here's an intriguing song by Shankar Mahadevan called Breathless. This song was a huge hit for Shankar several years ago. Through some excellent editing, it appears that Shankar sings the entire song in a single breath. It is a fascinating exercise to listen to this song (you don't have to understand a word). For me, I can actually experience some interesting physiological symptoms when listening to the song. I mean, you almost hold your breath while listening to it. It is unnerving to listen to a singer who apparently is not taking a breath during the song. At the end of the song, you feel a little breathless, almost wishing that he had paused a little during verses.

Shankar is trained in both south indian and north indian classical music. He is a computer engineer who had a successful career with Lotus and Oracle before he turned to singing. He has composed several songs for films and is an ardent fan of jazz. He performs frequently with the Swedish group Mynta.

Fascinating stuff in terms of the music as well as your reaction to it as a listener. Tell me if you reacted in any way physiologically to this song as you listened to it.

If you'd like to watch the MTV video of this song, try YouTube here.

1. Shankar Mahadevan - Breathless (2.82 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Memories of Alma Cogan

When I was a kid, I distinctly remember listening to some old 78 rpm records on our record player. Even thinking about this makes me feel old. But, this was in the early seventies and not as far back as some of you may think. This was in India and we had a collection of 78 rpm records that I used to love to hear whenever my parents would pull out the turntable.

One of these songs was called Sugartime by a British artist called Alma Cogan. There were a few other Alma Cogan songs that we had. If I remember right, Sugartime was backed with Mambo Italiano, but I can't be completely sure. But, I do remember listening to these songs many times. It is amazing how limited our media options were back then.

I found that Alma Cogan was a socialite in 1950s London and apparently carried on an affair with John Lennon. She was known to be close to the Beatles and even recorded an entire album of Beatles covers. She died at the young age of 34 of cancer. More on Wikipedia here. There's a very preliminary web site for her fan club here.

Some years ago, I found an Alma Cogan CD Box Set on Amazon.co.uk and I couldn't resist buying it. Of course that box set is now available on Amazon in the US cheaper here. Look for the Alma Cogan discography on Amazon here.

Here are those two songs from my childhood.

1. Alma Cogan - Sugartime (1.67 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Alma Cogan - Mambo Italiano (2.2 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Wine and History with Al Stewart

Most of you probably know Al Stewart as a one hit wonder. Unless you're a fan, you probably haven't heard much beyond his hit Year of the Cat. As you might expect, Al continued to have a productive and fascinating musical career well past the 1970s. He is intelligent folk-rock singer with most of his songs drawn from his deep interest in history and world events (and now, wine).

Several years ago, he released an album only to fan club members that included songs that he recorded as demos but never released on any commercial album as well as several unreleased live gems. The album was called Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time and contained a number of astonishingly melodic and sophisticated songs. One of those songs is featured here - Soho (Needless To Say) a great recording of the song that originally appeared on Past, Present, and Future. In 2001 (or so), he released an album that highlights his love of wine. Down In The Cellar is a fantastic collection of Al Stewart melodies with clever and intelligent lyrics. The song featured here from that album is Turning It Into Water. Apparently some legal problems prevented the album from being released in the US until now. The album is scheduled to be released in the USA on August 28.

I urge you to revisit the Al Stewart catalog. If you have only heard Year of the Cat, you're in for many pleasant surprises as you listen to all his albums. You can find a nice greatest hits collection here. Past, Present and Future is here and Down In The Cellar is available for pre-order here. An import version is available here. Find other Al Stewart gems here.

1. Al Stewart - Soho (Needless To Say) (3.68 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Al Stewart - Turning It Into Water (4.23 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Elvis Blues - Extended

Yes, I know Elvis week is over. But indulge me for ONE extra day.

I had an email from someone tell me that they weren't familiar with Elvis' Reconsider Baby - the great raw, pure blues performance. I found that unacceptable.

If you like the blues, it is unforgivable for you not to have heard Elvis singing Reconsider Baby.

So, here goes ...

1. Elvis Presley - Reconsider Baby (3.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Don't Cry Daddy

My bonus post here to end Elvis week on this blog is a little self-serving.

Several years ago, I took a class at NYU on digital video film making. I have always been an audio and video enthusiast and since I had the time and money, I decided to take this intensive class. On the first day of class, I was surprised to find that we had to develop a screenplay, define a storyboard, and film the script. I had no idea where to even start.

I asked the instructor if it would be okay if I made my own music video (thus saving me the trouble of writing a script). He agreed. I had always considered Elvis Presley's Don't Cry Daddy to be a perfect "story song." I had also watched Toy Story 2 recently and there's this "music video" right in the middle of the movie as the cowgirl tells of her story and how she was forgotten as the kid grew up. If you haven't seen it, it's hard to explain, but it leaves a lump in your throat. I was amazed at the incredible use of video to manipulate emptions and wanted to see whether I could do that too.

So, I managed to find a couple of friends who agreed to act, recruited my son (who was all of seven years old then), and even found a cameo role for my wife (who agreed very reluctantly). We then stole into a local graveyard to film some scenes and then headed to our home in Highland, NY to finish the indoor scenes. The next two days were spent editing this video.

I was very proud of the finished product - as a first attempt from a complete amateur director (me!) It was a single camera shoot. So EVERY scene change required a different take that then had to be edited together so it didn't look like different takes. This is a lot trickier than it sounds. If you don't get the cuts exactly right, there is a tiny little "jerk" that makes the motion appear unnatural (e.g., the guy swigging the whiskey from the coffee cup and setting it down on the counter are two completely separate takes; the guy sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing his forehead and then getting up to leave the bedroom are two separate takes that need to appear like one fluid motion). Frankly, I thought my editing job was one of the best in the class. All in all, it was a busy, intense, but extremely enjoyable week in that class.

So, in honor of Elvis week here, I'm presenting the result of that film making class. You can find the video directly on YouTube here. Or just click on the image below to have it play right within this blog post. Feel free to post a comment either here on this blog or on YouTube.

Elvis Variety (Country, Hip Hop, Rock)

I don't think I've managed to exactly put my finger (yet) on what makes Elvis' legacy so enduring. I mean, we usually evaluate musical talent in terms of stunning ability to play an instrument or the ability to write songs or melodies that touch people. Elvis was never considered a prodigy when it cames to any instrument. Nor is he considered to be a genius in writing music or lyrics. Sure he had an amazing voice, but so do thousands of other people. There are so many people with astonishingly good voices who haven't had close to the staying power of Elvis.

Some people say Elvis' success could be attributed to timing. He came along at just the right time and exploded on the stage at a time when the nation was in transition. But that sounds much more like a fad and not something that would lead to a phenomenon where thousands of people gather at his home thirty years after his death. There are all these "Tribute Albums" that highlight Elvis' music (even though most of them were just covers of other peoples' songs). Why is it that thousands of musicians a lot more talented than Elvis are willing to contribute to these tribute albums, singing songs that someone else wrote and Elvis just sang during his career.

He certainly had charisma. But attributing his musical legacy and astonishing staying power to just his charisma seems unsatisfying. So, he didn't write great music, never wrote a profound lyric, and was never a social activist in a public sense. Yet, here we are , THIRTY YEARS after his death still talking about him, listening to his music, watching his movies, and buying new tribute albums of "his" music. Strange.

Here is just a small sampling of the range of Elvis versions out there. From pure country (Faith Hill's version of Trying To Get To You from the It's Now Or Never tribute album) to hard rock (Robert Plant's version of Let's Have a Party from The Last Temptation of Elvis collection which includes Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney) and even a House/Hip Hop (no idea what the difference is between the two) remix of All Shook Up by Rick Lenzi from an album called Love Me Tender: 21 House & Hip Hop Remixes.

1. Faith Hill - Trying To Get To You (2.12MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Robert Plant - Let's Have a Party (3.39MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. Rick Lenzi - All Shook Up (Candy Remix Edit) (3.5MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Elvis Gospel

When I initially became an Elvis fan (growing up in India), I wasn't even sure what gospel music was. I knew Elvis as a Rock n' Roll star and the first few gospel songs I heard did nothing to dispel that image. I'm not sure I even recognized them as "gospel" songs. I figured all Americans sang about Jesus no matter what their genre of music.

As a result, I became a fan of Elvis' gospel works. He had this great ability to turn these gospel songs into raucous, rocking, wildly enthusiastic songs that conveyed joy and happiness without appearing (to me) to be preachy. I'm not sure if I set people wondering about me in India as I walked around the house singing (in a loud voice), "I'm gonna walk, walk dem golden stairs, 'cause I know my Jesus, answers all my prayers ..." I also loved the great contributions of the Jordanaires in the background that made these almost seem like doowop songs. Great harmonies!

Here are two examples of what I mean - Swing Down Sweet Chariot and I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs. You don't have to be religious or a gospel fan to enjoy these songs. Just snap your fingers and smile as you listen to these.

If you're interested in Elvis gospel singing, I would strongly recommend this set Amazing Grace (buy the album here). It has been beautifully remastered and contains gospel songs to suit all tastes in music (okay, maybe not punk, rap, or heavy metal). There is also a newer compilation (which I don't own) which packs a single disc, called Elvis - Ultimate Gospel (available cheap here). Interestingly, both these songs are from his famous His Hand In Mine album, which was my first Elvis gospel album. You can buy this "rockin'" album here. Find other Elvis gospel albums with this link.

RIP, Elvis.

1. Elvis Presley - Swing Down Sweet Chariot (2.35MB; 128kbps)
2. Elvis Presley - I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs (1.71MB; 128kbps)

Elvis Pop

This blog has been overwhelmingly favoring catchy pop music. I would be remiss if I didn't focus on Elvis' fantastic pop repertoire.

Here are a couple of fantastic examples. Nothing profound in the lyrics ("You say you wanna hold me and stick to me like glue ...") but a great rhythm, simple and entertaining lyrics, fun backing vocals, and a catchy tune. That's all there is to it. Less than two minutes of foot tapping that'll put a smile on your face.

Both these selections are coincidentally from the same album Elvis Is Back! The lyrics to both these songs are by songwriting legends (Otis Blackwell & Leiber/Stoller). Dirty, Dirty, Feeling showcases Elvis' great voice and ability to actually infuse his voice with the "fun" that the song is supposed to convey. Make Me Know It is another great fun "throwaway" ditty that while not profound is a lot of fun and great excuse to get off your feet. I'm also going to throw in another song from these same sessions that is in exactly the same vein. I Gotta Know follows the same formula. There's something simple, beautiful, and naive about these songs. The recording sessions took place in early 1960 and we seem to be caught on the edge the musical drift from the innocent Ricky Nelson days (e.g., Lonesome Town) which is reflected in these recordings to the harder revolutionary music that was to come a few years later.

I have also selected to highlight Take 1 from the recording sessions. If you have any knowledge and experience with recording sessions, you may recognize how astonishing it is to have the artist run off relatively polished and complete versions of new songs on the first take. Elvis biographers have often commented about Elvis' incredible level of preparation at recording sessions and his uncanny ability to listen to a song once or twice and then sing it almost perfectly immediately. Now, you don't have to take biographers' word for this and experience Elvis' fantastic ability to record fantastic versions of songs on the first take. Do you believe that the final master used in the released version of I Gotta Know is Take 2 (included here along with Take 1)?

Both these selections were taken from the FTD release of Elvis Is Back! As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this is BMG's collector's label that legally releases studio outtakes and live recordings. I'll say it again, if you're even minimally interested in Elvis's recording career and "behind the scenes" views of Elvis in the studio, these collections are incredible. I personally prefer the studio outtakes to the live shows as Elvis seemed to have a pretty standard concert repertoire that didn't vary a great deal. FTD also has been re-releasing some classic Elvis albums in their unique style. For example, the Elvis Is Back! album was released in this 2-CD version that includes the complete album (beautifully remastered) as well as numerous outtakes from the album's recording sessions. Well worth the money. This album is available for a high price on Amazon here. Other FTD albums are available cheaper on http://www.shopelvis.com/. If you're looking for other FTD releases that are not available on ShopElvis, try this link to Amazon.

1. Elvis Presley - Dirty, Dirty Feeling, Take 1 (1.55 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Elvis Presley - Make Me Know It, Take 1 (2.41 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
3. Elvis Presley - I Gotta Know, Take 1+ (2.73 MB; 128kbps)

Elvis Does the Blues

Elvis actually was a great blues singer. In addition to the astonishing range of his voice, he could really get down and dirty with some powerful blues songs.

You've all probably heard his hit Reconsider Baby. Here are a couple of slightly lesser known blues numbers from the King. In 1969, Elvis went into the American Studios in Memphis with Chips Moman producing. The day Elvis showed up at the studio, he had a cold (that later worsened) and the rough early studio takes highlighted here definitely show the hoarseness in Elvis' voice. Still, these sessions were fantastic and yielded Elvis' first number one hot since the early sixties (Suspicious Minds)

The first song is Stranger In My Own Hometown a nice bluesy number. Here, I have featured the undubbed master which obviously sounds much rougher and unpolished than the final released version. The second is a beautiful country-blues number called Long Black Limousine with really nice "story" lyrics that end with a nice twist. This again, is an early take (Take 6) that shows Elvis having some trouble with his voice. Still, these sound fantastic. If you happen to be familiar with the released versions, you'll notice two problems. First, the artificially added echo (missing in the takes here) drowned out Elvis' powerful voice. Second, the addition of overdubs and strings changed the tone of some of the songs from raw blues to more syrupy ballads. Enjoy these rare gems here.

Both these outtakes are from the FTD release Memphis Sessions. If you are even slightly an Elvis collector, I very strongly recommend these releases. FTD (Follow That Dream) is a legal Elvis collector's label run by Sony/BMG. The contain rare and unreleased studio and live material that is meant for collectors. The CD runs tend to be smaller than commercial releases, but contain high quality, beautifully remastered rarities. I think this is a model for how music companies should treat fans. If you can provide fans with carefully researched, high quality rarities, why would I ever be interested in a bootleg?

You can find the album on Amazon here. Most of the other FTD releases are also available on Amazon here. Although Memphis Sessions is not available, you should also look for FTD releases on http://www.shopelvis.com/ as they're cheaper than Amazon.

1. Elvis Presley - Stranger In My Own Hometown (4.5 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Elvis Presley - Long Black Limousine (3.93 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Blues for Elvis

Perhaps spending all weekend baking in the sun at the Bayfront Blues Festival has me in the mood for blues this week. Or, it could be that it has been an amazing 30 years since Elvis Presley died (no, I don't believe he's working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo!)

Let's start with a real Blues King doing Elvis. In 1970, blues legend Albert King released an album called blues for Elvis that contained bluesy versions of Elvis hots. I have always liked cover versions of songs that were different from the original and so I loved this album. It appears to be available on Amazon in two versions. The one here is the one I have and is really an excellent collection of blues covers of Elvis. The version here appears to contain the same album, but has a different cover and is half the price. Go figure!

Anyway, here is a great rendition of the Elvis classic, Hound Dog done in a style quite unlike Elvis' own. Tomorrow, I'll prove to you that Elvis was a pretty good blues singer in his own right. Wouldn''t it have been great to have him headlining the Bayfront Blues Festival?

1. Albert King - Hound Dog (3.7 MB; 128kbps MP3)

You CAN Mock This Music

Instead of making you wait until Monday for Elvis week to begin, I thought I'd do an unusual "Sunday Post" to kick off the week.

Mexican singing artist El Vez has released several albums in his zany "Weird Al Yankovic" style of music. The "Mexican Elvis" takes (for the most part) recognizable songs (everything from Elvis to David Bowie and BTO) and rewrites the lyrics to fit the Mexican-American experience. I really think "Mexican Weird Al" is a more appropriate moniker for him than "Mexican Elvis." But wikipedia will tell you more here.

Here are a couple of songs from his album G.I. Ay, Ay! Blues. The first is his version of Viva Las Vegas and the second is the Mexican remake of American Trilogy. A cheap used copy of this album can be found here. You'll find many more fun El Vez albums here. Even just the album cover art is worth pursuing.

1. El Vez - Viva La Raza (2.8 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. El Vez - Mexican-American Trilogy (3.52 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Don't Mock This Music

Let's end the week with another of the power pop CDs in my collection. Here are The Mockers who sound like a cross between Squeeze and Elvis Costello with The Turtles thrown into the mix. Like yesterday's group, this is foot-tapping music that is instantly likable. No deep understanding of musical styles is necessary to appreciate this fun guitar-based music. This is sixties music with a 21st century sound.

From yesterday's west-coast group, we travel across the country to the east coast where The Mockers are (were?) based. The selections featured here are from their 2001 album, Living In The Holland Tunnel. Their other albums are available from their web site or from Amazon here.

Next week is Elvis week on this blog. Can you believe it's been 30 years since he died?

1. The Mockers - Coronation (3.53 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. The Mockers - Comes As No Surprise (3.55 MB; 128kbps)

Wonderminty Power Pop

I'm going to end this week by featuring some pure guitar power pop groups. A friend of mine (probably one of the few regular readers of this blog), sent me a whole series of CDs from different power pop groups that I had never heard of a couple of years ago. They all have exactly the clean, melodic pop with excellent harmonies that I seem to enjoy so much.

Today's featured group is an L.A. group called The Wondermints consisting of Darian Sahanaja, Nick Walusko, and Mike D'Amico. The sound is reminiscent of The Beatles, The Beach Boys and ELO. If you like that sound, you won't be disappointed. This is another of those albums that is consistently strong from beginning to end, making the choice of songs to feature here difficult. Their MySpace page is here. Some info can also be found on Wikipedia.

The songs featured here are from their fourth album (2002) called Mind If We Make Love To You. Absolutely classic power pop. The rest of their oustanding catalog can be found on Amazon here.

1. The Wondermints - Time Has You (2.83 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. The Wondermints - Project 11 (3.38 MB; 128kbps MP3)

All We Are Saying, Is Give Opera A Chance

Now here's a change of pace. As I have said in my introduction, I have eclectic tastes in music, but have never been a huge fan of opera. All that changed when I was visiting Milan a few weeks ago and attended a performance of La Traviata at the famed La Scala opera house. Fortunately, my brother gave me a recording with a one-hour introduction to this opera. The recording provided some backgrouond and historical context for the opera, some information about Verdi, a summary of the story, and then some detailed analyses of certain scenes in terms of how the music relates to the emotional turns in the tale. It was all very fascinating and I went to the show with a much greater appreciation for what I was supposed to be listening for.

I am now the proud owner of two different recordings of La Traviata. Like anything else, a little knowledge can lead to much greater appreciation of the art form. Plus, La Traviata is possibly more accessible and familiar than many other operas.

The Preludio featured here first is what starts the opera. It is supposed to introduce you to the themes of the opera that is to follow. It starts in an almost haunting manner that foreshadows the death of the main protagonist (Violetta) before heading to the more sprightly tone showing the other carefree party life she leads. It is true that the music conveys the mood of the scenes.

The first "song" in the opera is also a relatively familiar one. Many of you may have heard Brindisi which is sung by an admirer of Violetta at the party that opens Act I. He is a relatively shy admirer of this girl and he is egged on by the folks at the party to sing a toast to Violetta. He launches into this drinking song that extols the virtue of wine and partying (something college students should be able to relate to) - "Libiamo."

The one question I used to ask before I was "initiated" into the opera brotherhood is why these women have to screech at such a high pitch during opera. I discovered the answer is very simple - that's because it is the nature of that form of music. It is like asking "why do they have to distort guitars in heavy metal music?" Well, that is the nature of that musical style. So, don't judge on the basis of just some high pitched excerpts you have heard. Accept that this is the style of operatic music and start to appreciate the incredible vocal prowess needed to pull off these performances. While singing at that pitch, these sopranos have to maintain astonishing control over their voices. The role of Violetta is famously considered to be a very difficult role to pull off given that Violetta is on stage for almost the entire show.

The performance I am including here is from a 1960 recording featuring Anna Moffo as Violetta and Richard Tucker as her admirer Alfredo Germont. You can find it on Amazon here.

1. La Traviata - Preludio (3.53 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. La Traviata - Brindisi (2.68 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Irresistible Pacific Music

I hate to do this as it seems like I'm "buying time" by featuring an album on two separate posts to this blog. I swear that isn't the case. Yesterday, I featured Don McGlashan's Naming Number Two soundtrack. I also mentioned how difficult it was to find my favorite songs on this blog.

After listening to the album a couple of more times, I just cannot get the songs of this album out of my head. While I featured some of the more traditional songs on this album, giving the "pacific islander music" just a brief mention, I think it does this album a disservice.

Here's another great song from the album that highlights why pacific island music is so irresistible. Enjoy Mila with Eddie Lund and His Tahitians singing Chulu Chululu from the same album.

1. Mila with Eddie Lund and his Tahitians - Chulu Chululu (2.44 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

McGlashan & Smith Bathe In The River

If you followed the instructions in the Crowded House post here, you are now the proud owner of their new album Time On Earth. If you took the next step and bothered reading the liner notes on the album, you would have noticed that one of the artists appearing on the album (euphonium and backing vocals) is Don McGlashan. Don is a very well known New Zealand artist. Crowded House fans probably know him from his band The Mutton Birds (discography here).

Don has composed the soundtrack for a new movie called Naming Number Two (German import DVD available here) and I was sent a promo version of the album. If you like music from the pacific islands (like the Hawaiian music I posted here), there are some delights on this album. There's also a beautiful and haunting vocal by Hollie Smith (Bathe In The River) that alone makes this album worthwhile. Her smoky voice will make your hair stand on end.

I must admit I am prejudiced against most rap music (I just haven't learned to appreciate it yet) and so the opening track (by Samoan rapper Tha Feelstyle) was a turn off. but if you can get past the two rap songs, there's much to like on this album. Some snippets of music from the soundtrack are interesting (e.g., Nanna's entrance) but not impactful without having seen the music in the context of the film.

I was tempted to feature the Fijian Festival Performers "Wai Ni Bu Ni Ovalau" on this blog too, but I ran into the interesting problem of having too much that's worth introducing to you. Don McGlashan's "Sai Levuka Ga" is also an interesting experience that reminded me of the Andy White-Liam O'Manlai-Tim Finn collaboration ALT. It sounds like some friends sitting around a campfire singing folk songs. On the other hand, you have the pure operatic experience of Shaun Dixon's Core'ngrato. To have rap, opera, jazz, folk and more on the same album lends itself to a unique and enriching experience. If you truly consider yourself to have eclectic tasts in music, this album is for you.

On the blog, I have featured the unforgettable Bathe In The River as well as Che Fu's Hold Tight. You can find more information about the movie and the album at http://www.myspace.com/namingnumber2/. The movie won the "audience choice award" at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The soundtrack is available on iTunes.

UPDATE (5/17/2010): Although these MP3s were placed here at the request of the music publisher (who sent me a CD to review), I have been told it violates the DMCA and been asked to remove the MP3s. These two MP3s have therefore been DELETED.

1. Mt. Raskil Preservation Society feat. Hollie Smith - Bathe In The River (5.1 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Che Fu - Hold Tight (4.34 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Musical Complexity - Take Another Listen

It was recently reinforced to me how your appreciation of music is based on context and mood. I also was reminded that it is important not to judge music with any degree of finality in one listen. As a Neil Finn fan, I've always found that some of his music tends to "grow on you."

Recently, I was sent a CD by a band called Astronaut Down that I decided to feature on this blog. I made the mistake of putting the CD in and listening to it with the express objective of writing a post about it on this blog. Because I was working at the time, I didn't read too much about the band or bother to think about what kind of music it was. While it was certainly not jarring in any way, I came away from the listen not super excited about the sound. The vocals were average and the sound seemed to range from heavy rock with distorted guitars to more melodic jangling guitar sounds.

Then, I decided to wait a couple of days and listen again - this time focused more on what I was listening to. Immediately there was a difference. This is not a saccharine pop band, but one that I would classify as serious prog rock. The first thing that struck me on the second listen is that the music was a lot more complex in structure from the standard pop melody. The rhythms and time signatures were not formulaic, but exhibited a sophistication that does not lend itself to toe-tapping and head-bobbing on first contact. The moment I classified it in my mind as a "prog rock band," my appreciation for the album suddenly changed. Instead of wondering why I wasn't tapping my toes at every song and singing along to a catchy chorus, I started to appreciate the complexity of the music. It reminded me of my first real introduction to modern prog rock at the NearFest many, many years ago. There, I fell in love with a band called Djam Karet which had a similar sound.

While I still think that the band could benefit from an upgrade to the power of the vocals, I liked the album enough to give it a third listen (and then a fourth on my home system). Imagine my delight (and soaring self-confidence as a music reviewer) when I went to their web site and found that they consider themselves to be a prog rock band! You can find them at http://www.astronautdown.com/ and buy this album directly from that site for $10 plus shipping. Four of the songs from their album are also available for download on their MySpace page here: http://www.myspace.com/astronautdown

If you're looking for simple pop melodies, you can give this album a miss. If you're looking for excellent musicianship and complex prog rock/metal sound that will bear repeated listenings, this band's for you. Here is one of their compositions from their album God's Eye.

1. Astronaut Down - Dawn (5.48 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Yo Frankie!

Most people only remember Dion as the 60's singer with the hits Runaround Sue and The Wanderer. The true Rock 'n' Roll fans may remember that he was the one who escaped death in the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper because he couldn't afford the $36 fare.

Most people are not familiar with his work from the 80's and 90s. One of my favorite albums was the 1989 album Yo Frankie! It is a very mature piece of work with some outstanding tunes. The songs featured here are Always In The Rain and Written on The Subway Wall with Paul Simon. The entire album is spectacular and well worth your money. You can find it on Amazon for less than 5 bucks. His other 80s-90s-00s albums are also excellent and well worth checking out here.

Here are a couple of songs from the album. Because they're encoded at 192kbps, they're larger-than-usual files. I apologize.

1. Dion - Always In The Rain (5.96 MB; 192kbps MP3)

2. Dion - Written On The Subway Wall (5.38 MB; 192kbps MP3)

Back to Poland

Oops! I ran out of time to get a post in today. Although I want to keep this blog going with as few interruptions as possible, life keeps getting in the way.

So today's post will be a continuation of an old post on a Polish group called Blue Cafe.

Here's another great song from their album Ovosho. It gives you a little glimpse into a different , but equally attractive side of the group.

1. Blue Cafe - My Road (3.65 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Wish I Had Said This Earlier

One of my favorite musicians is J.J. Cale and it amazes me that he is not more widely known by mainstream music fans. Most lay people probably know him as a songwriter, writing Eric Clapton's mega hits Cocaine and After Midnight, and Skynyrd's Call Me The Breeze. However, he is an accomplished musician with a great voice and a knack for melody.

One of the first albums I owned by J.J. Cale was Shades which is probably why it remains my favorite album. Here are a couple of cuts from that album. Although I would be remiss in not including his fun hit Mama Don't from the album, I'm going to resist and instead feature the equally upbeat Carry On. I also want to feature another cut that I think portrays his sensitive side. His ability to hit you in the gut with his lyrics and music is quite astounding.

For some reason, Amazon only carries Shades as an import. You can find it here. Although the Anthology collection is my favorite, the track listing on Definitive Best also seems like a great starting point (and at a lower price). It is definitely worth buying some Cale (if you don't already have some in your collection. You can find other albums here.

1. J.J. Cale - Wish I Had Not Said That (3.1 MB; 128 kbps)

2. J.J. Cale - Carry On (2.14 MB; 128kbps)

Rare Crowded House

I'll end Crowded House week with a couple of rarities off one of the fan club compilation albums in my collection. The Crowded House Fan Club is a great community of Finn fans and they have been able to put together some great rare and live collections that are then sold exclusively to fans through the club. One of these collections of rarities is the Homebrew album. It has numerous live delights.

The first song featured below is Walk Tall, a Crowded House song that never made it on to any album. It actually is quite a fun and catchy song and I'm surprised it hasn't made it on to any compilation album. It was recorded at The Brighton Centre in the UK on June 3, 1994.

The CD also featured a "hidden" track with exceptional version of The Chicken Song by Crowded House, which I've also added here as a bonus.

Have you bought the new Crowded House album yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get it at Amazon here. It's a good album at a good price.

See ya next week!

1. Crowded House - Walk Tall (2.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Crowded House - The Chicken Song (0.5 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Leading You Into Temptation

As you've seen in this blog, I love listening to covers of songs I'm familiar with. I think it gives me an excuse to re-listen to my favorite songs without getting bored.

Today, I have an interesting Crowded House cover for you. Then, a song from Paul Hester whose suicide death recently was instrumental in getting the group back together. Plus, as a Split Enz fan, I'm adding a cover of a spectacularly beautiful Split Enz song.

I enjoy international language versions of well known songs. I started this CH week with an Italian cover of Don't Dream It's Over. Today, I have a Dutch language cover of Crowded House's Into Temptation from Dutch artist Rob de Nijs. The second song, Get It On is typically zany Paul Hester. It is a simple and beautiful good night lullaby, but with a Paul Hester twist: "Sleep, baby, sleep. Mum and dad might just get it on ..." Finally, 80's popster Belinda Carlisle had a sensitive cover version of Split Enz's spectacular Stuff and Nonsense. Enjoy.

You can find the CD catalog of the artists featured in this post by clicking on their names above.

1. Rob de Nijs - In De Verleiding (6.81 MB; 192kbps MP3)
2. Paul Hester - Get It On (3 MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. Belinda Carlisle - Stuff and Nonsense (6.31 MB; 192kbps MP3)

Can You Hear Neil Finn?

I'll continue my Crowded House week with a somewhat rarity from frontman Neil Finn. I have always assumed that almost any video clip you could ever imagine is available on YouTube. So, imagine my surprise when I thought I'd link to this video of Can You Hear Us by Neil Finn and was unable to find it on YouTube. I just uploaded a copy and hope it is within fair use guidelines. Otherwise you'll find this video not working and this post pointless.

Neil wrote this as an anthem for the New Zealand rugby team the All Blacks. This song was written in 1999 when the All Blacks were headed for the World Cup (or something like that - I know nothing about rugby). I don't think it has appeared on any album and remains somewhat of a rarity even though it is a really beautiful song. Enjoy the video ...



Here are the lyrics:

CAN YOU HEAR US?

(Neil Finn)

We're right where we belong
Where mountains meet the ocean
Beneath the Southern Cross
A symbol of our devotion

Can you hear us
We'll never let go
Can you hear us
And carry our hopes
Can you hear us
We'll never let go

The fire is coming back
There's magic in your touch
Silver fern on black
Somehow it means so much
The time is running down
The shadows getting longer
But don't you hang your head
‘Cos brother it's not over

[Chorus]

And the final moment in your hands
You feel the power from the stands
And it's like thunder coming to fill the silence

[Chorus]

Can you hear us...Aotearoa.....hear us....Aotearoa

Enjoy Your Time On Earth

So, the new Crowded House album is out after a break of over ten years. As would be expected, the album has been subject to much speculation and discussion.

Is it really a Crowded House album or a Neil Finn solo album superficially packaged to make it a "band" album? Can Crowded House really be Crowded House without Paul Hester? The album started as a Neil Finn solo package and ended up as a Crowded House album after Neil decided to get the band back together. I think discussions of the "band" versus "solo" sound are bound to be pointless. I am not sure there is a distinct "band" sound that can be distinguished from a Neil Finn "solo" album sound.

Neil is a master of catchy melodies and pop hooks. There are several standouts on this album even though I just received it today and have listened to it a few times. The most accessible and catchy tune has to be the one I have featured below. You'll be amazed at how Neil takes a rather dark and somber lyric (of lost love) and turns it into almost a "happy" song.

This is a depressing lyric set to an upbeat rhythm and melody. The song is called She Called Up and is classic Crowded House (or should I say, Neil Finn).

The album is available at a VERY reasonable price on Amazon ($9.99 only). So, please buy it here. You won't be disappointed. You can also buy the Crowded House back catalog here.

1. Crowded House - She Called Up (2.65 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Don't Dream The Italian Trip Is Over

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am a big fan of Crowded House (and the various source/spin-off groups like Split Enz, Finn Brothers, etc.) So, I will spend this week celebrating the release of the newest Crowded House album, Time on Earth.

But first, let me bridge the Crowded House theme for the week with my trip to Italy which led this blog to be dormant for two weeks. I had assumed that I would have regular and easy access to the Internet in my hotel and was surprised to find no WiFi in my hotel room. So that led to my putting the blog on hold for a bit.

Well, I'm back. Probably one of the most recognizable Crowded House songs in the USA is Don't Dream It's Over. The song was a huge hit for the group in the eighties and even showed up on an MTV album of "One Hit Wonders." To me, labeling Crowded House a "one hit wonder" is an outrageous injustice.

While in Italy, I happened to hear the familiar strains of Don't Dream It's Over, but sung to Italian lyrics. I discovered that an Italian superstar, Antonello Venditti had rewritten the lyrics to the song and released it in Italy as Alta Marea. I found it unique, interesting, and well done enough to buy the CD in Milan and present it here as my first offering during Crowded House Week here on Underheard Music. As usual, the album (the 3-disc special edition) is available via Amazon.com at a price considerably lower than the price I paid in Italy. Go figure!

1. Antonella Venditti - Alta Marea (4.83 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

This blog is NOT dead

I promise to get back to this blog soon. I am in Milan, Italy and my hotel room does not have Internet access. Since I usually do this blog thing late at night, that poses a problem. Plus, I have been getting back to my room well after 1 AM each day, so it has not been conducive to blogging.

I promise I'll be back soon. A week at the most!

Bombay Dreams - Andrew Lloyd Webber in Bollywood

As a long time Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, I was delighted to hear that he was producing a show inspired by Bollywood movies. Even better, he had snagged the person considered to be a genius on the scale of Mozart to compose the music - A.R. Rahman. For those of you not connected with Indian popular music, A.R. Rahman is a young composer who has an astonishing talent with an ability to blend influences from western classical, pop, south and north Indian music.

I bought the CD some time ago and listened to it several times and liked it a lot. Then, all of a sudden my wife and kids happened to put the CD on again upstairs on the boom box and the house has never been the same. They all seemed to get obsessed. The CD played several times every day until I actually took the CD away and hid it. Finally, my wife asked for a copy that she could play in the car when I wasn't around. Very bizarre!

I have no choice but to put Shakalaka Baby on here as it is the one song that gets all the kids dancing wildly in the living room. Then, to slow things down, I'm going to feature The Journey Home which is just a beautiful melody. Unfortunately, despite some success at London's West End, I heard it flopped on Broadway. I never got to see the show and would be very happy if they released a DVD of the show. I have the Salaam Bombay Dreams documentary on the making of the show, but not the entire show.

You can buy the CD on Amazon here. They also have the Salaam Bombay Dreams documentary, which is a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary on the creation of a huge musical production. The CD is well worth the money. Enjoy the songs, but don't blame me if you get addicted!

1. Bombay Dreams - Shakalaka Baby (3.9 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Bombay Dreams - The Journey Home (3.98 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Roger Waters Opera - Polish Performance

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to go for the Roger Waters concert in St. Paul, Minnesota with a friend who had fortunately just broken up with his girlfriend (so he had an extra ticket!)

The concert was fantastic show. Roger performed numerous Pink Floyd classics and the entire Dark Side of the Moon album. The show was spectacular, with great props and massive high definition screens.

This gives me an excuse to present to you a (somewhat) rare selection today. When I was in Poland last month, I saw a CD on the shelves which claimed to be an opera by Roger Waters called Ça Ira. Frankly, I had not heard of this opera, but since it was a recording of the opera performed during its first full production in Poznan, Poland on August 25, 2006. The back of the CD dedicated it "To all my Polish friends." You can read more about the opera here.

The Roger Waters catalog is available on Amazon here. You can also get a reasonably priced 2-CD set of Ça Ira from Amazon. They also have a special version that is a hybrid SACD with a "making of" DVD here that seems like a slightly better deal overall. I have not been able to easily find the Polish performance that is featured on this blog.

Even though I'm not a huge opera fan (I don't mind it sometimes), I enjoyed this opera. Here, I present the overture from the opera and a song from the third act that is very slightly reminiscent of The Wall (probably because of the youth choir). So, here are songs from the Polish performance of Roger Waters' Ça Ira.

1. Roger Waters - Ça Ira Overture (3.76 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Roger Waters - To Take Your Hat Off (2.45 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Happy July 4th!

As a special departure from the primary theme of this blog, I'm going to put something on here that is not particularly unusual or "underheard." In fact, if most of you have not heard these songs, I'd be surprised.

First is, in my opinion, the most perfect rendition of the American national anthem I have heard. I have heard many versions of the anthem, and this is the one that consistently sends chills up my spine no matter how many times I hear it. It is the Star Spangled Banner as sung by LeAnn Rimes. There is no instrumentation, just her soaring voice and a boatload of echo. Still, the resonance created by the echo is an instrument in itself. Truly, this is the version I listened to over and over again after 9/11.

Second is another beautiful rendition of God Bless America by LeAnn Rimes. I think these majestic, soraing, patriotic songs are perfectly suited to her voice. Even though you've heard these before, it's worth another listen. Just spectacular.

You'll find both these songs on LeAnn's album You Light Up My Life which is available quite cheap on Amazon here.

1. LeAnn Rimes - Star Spangled Banner (1.82 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. LeAnn Rimes - God Bless America (2.84 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Duluth Music In A Blue Haze

I've got another local (Duluth, MN) artist for you today. Also a friend of mine and also someone I met through my kids.

Some months ago, there was some "culture day" or something like that at my kids' school and I was invited (along with numerous other parents) to make a brief presentation in my daughter's class on my Indian heritage. One of the other parents there brought a guitar and performed some great folk songs.

Later I found out that Greg Tiburzi has released a couple of CDs locally and I recently bought his latest CD release. The songs here are taken from his newest album, In a Blue Haze. These are delightfully simple folk songs that will have you hummin' and enjoying the lyrics.

As usual, I had a hard time selecting a couple of songs to feature. I really liked How You Gonna Get Up? and almost picked Blue Feelin' as my second song. At the last moment, I switched to the Musquetor Two-Step because I had to laugh out loud when listening to it. Anyone who has spent any time in Minnesota during the summer will be able to relate to this song. If you haven't spent any time enjoying the state bird of Minnesota during the summer (the "musquetor"), consider yourself lucky!

You can read a brief review of the CD here. The easiest way to buy a copy of the CD is by emailing Greg at gregtiburzi@yahoo.com. The CD costs a mere $12.

1. Greg Tiburzi - How You Gonna Get Up? (3.3 MB; 128kbps MP3)

2. Greg Tiburzi - Musquetor Two-Step (4.48 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Soaring Multi-Octave Vocals & My Return

Okay, I have been VERY neglectful of this blog. It really is unforgivable. I set out to keep this blog as uninterrupted as possible, but failed recently as work overwhelmed me. Usually, I'm able to build up a few posts on nights and weekends, but I have had relatives visiting since last week and so have neglected this posting.

I was inspired today by Mr. Tibbs (see recent comment) to jump back into this. Frankly, I had no idea anyone was even reading this blog (except a few of my family), so it was invigorating to get that message. Hey, Mr. Tibbs, you aren't some relative of mine using a pseudonym, are you? So, let this be a lesson to you. If you find me slacking off, just add a comment and it will drive me back to action immediately!

Anyway, I will have a few local treats for you this week. There are a couple of local (Duluth, Minnesota) musician friends of mine who I think have some fantastic offerings.

Today, I'll focus on Billy Q. Effinger who I met through my very young kids. Two of my kids (aged 6 and 5) were cast in a local playhouse production of Carousel as the "Snow Kids." Mr. Snow in the play was played by Billy Effinger and I met him at a cast party and he told me of his CD as I was praising his singing in the play. He has written, composed, and performed several songs and this first self-produced CD of his is a combination of original songs and covers. I am going to focus on the originals here, frankly because I think they are really standouts. Oddly, I would recommend the album for the originals and not the covers! Billy Effinger has an incredible vocal range and most of his original songs are written to take advantage of his soaring, multi-octave singing range.

The first song featured here highlights his incredible range. Willie The Warlock is an original song that conjures up incredible images of jesters and unicorns and magical fantasies, all with a very positive tone. The tune is incredibly catchy and almost everyone I've played it for has liked it on the first listen and got seriously hooked on it after the second listen. The second song, Blue Boy (Judy's Song), written by Billy in honor of Judy Garland (she's from this area, if you didn't know) also is a beautiful song with great lyrics and a catchy hook. I loved both these songs and am quite sure you will too.

You should consider buying the CD here. For only $8.88, you can't go wrong. If you drop Billy an email at bestqualityenter@aol.com, tell him you heard his songs here. You'll enjoy the covers too, but the originals are worth the price of this CD alone. This is my kind of music in the sense you don't need to be in any abstruse, elevated state of mind to "get it." Just great music and great singing.

1. Billy Q. Effinger - Willie The Warlock (4.1 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Billy Q. Effinger - Blue Boy (Judy's Song) (5.41 MB; 128kbps MP3)