{"id":581,"date":"2007-05-21T07:47:23","date_gmt":"2007-05-21T11:47:23","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2008-12-10T22:42:03","modified_gmt":"2008-12-10T22:42:03","slug":"thrifty-music-vol-5-odds-and-ends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/thrifty-music-vol-5-odds-and-ends\/","title":{"rendered":"Thrifty Music, Vol. 6: Odds and Ends"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s that time again, people<\/em> — time to don our white robes, shave our heads, and go wandering through the dusty record bins of our favorite neighborhood thrift stores, in the hope that our wayward paths will intersect with interesting new music.<\/p>\n

Actually, the last few weeks have provided an abundance of riches in the Thrifty Music department — so much so that I’ve decided I need to really get picky for a change, selecting only the tracks that have really rocked my world for 25 cents<\/strong>. And note that I’m pushing these tracks out the door in anticipation of the Great Thrifty Music Score Listening Party<\/strong>, wherein Townsman Christian<\/strong> and I will select some seriously amazing traxx from a wonderful haul I made a week or two ago — a haul remarkable enough to even get E Pluribus<\/strong> to nod his head in sage approval.<\/p>\n

Anyhow, on to the matter at hand. Up for your consideration this fine day:<\/p>\n

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The Stylistics, “People Make the World Go Round”<\/a><\/strong> — there’s a story floating around out there that Dionne Warwick once placed an urgent call to Burt Bacharach upon hearing Thom Bell<\/strong>‘s work with the Stylistics, basically to tell him that there was a black cat out there that was one-upping Burt’s sophisticated pop thang, with a whole new groove. I can believe it. This track, from the Stylistics’ first album (by the way, is that a great cover, or what? I love velour suits as much as the next guy, but seeing the Stylistics kickin’ back in the grass, hippie-stylee, makes me all happy for some reason) — sorry, as I say, from their first album, is a total “In your face, Burt!”<\/em> from the composer\/arranger for whom I may have the biggest Kentonite boner, Thom Bell. And dig the coda at the end… in 9\/8 time! Wowsers!<\/p>\n

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Next up, Betty Everett<\/strong>, delivering the first (and clearly best) version of “You’re No Good”<\/a><\/strong>. Wotta great production! I read recently that one of the reasons this single sounds so slammin’ is because of a studio fluke: The Dells<\/strong> were listening to the playback in the VeeJay control room, tapping\/stomping their feet in unison with the groove. Mr. Producer stopped tape, ran things back, and added a track of the Dells’ feet-stompery, knowing a great thing when he heard one. Instant hit!
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Next, a palate cleanser, a country music amuse-bouche, if you will; “Song For the Life”, by Rodney Crowell<\/a><\/strong>. This is from a fairly ordinary album that fans of Townes Van Zant<\/strong> and such rave about. I must admit I really fell in love with this number. And talk about star power in the backing band! That’s James Burton<\/strong>, Albert Lee, Hal Blaine<\/strong>, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris plunkin’, thumpin’ and sangin’ behind ol’ Rodney.<\/p>\n

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Do you wanna dance? How could you not, with Bobby Freeman exhorting you to SWIM!<\/a><\/strong> This one was a pleasant surprise for me, as I was already a big fan of The Woggles<\/strong>‘ version and had no idea it was a cover. Both rock, for different reasons. <\/p>\n

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Lastly, my favorite recent thrifty discovery, by far: “Without You In My Life,” by Tyrone Davis<\/a><\/strong>. God, where do I begin listing the reasons why this song kicks such major ass? It’s a perfect integration of music and voice, lyric and melody, simplicity and depth. Damn! Tasteful arrangement, sensitive without being cloying… and listen to the way Tyrone says “wish” — like “wush<\/em>.” So cool! Man, I used to say that if I could be steal the mojo from any male entertainment personality, it would be Gene Kelly<\/strong>; I may officially change to a Tyrone Davis wannabe, if all his songs are as beautifully manly as this one.<\/p>\n

As always, in order to fully understand the music I offer, some thoughtful contemplation is in order. In order to assist you, I offer the following inspirational questions:<\/p>\n

1. Which single artist, band or composer\/arranger satisfies your deepest Kentonite<\/strong> yearnings?<\/p>\n

2. Other than up-skirt shots of her panties, or those Rolling Stone<\/em> magazine shots of her frolicking in a pink teddy, has Linda Ronstadt<\/strong> ever contributed anything of value to the history of popular music? Extra demerits to anybody who makes any excuses for her collaborations with Nelson Riddle or those mariachis she was hanging out with for a while.<\/p>\n

3. Townes Van Zant<\/strong> or Gram Parsons<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

4. Bobby Freeman does an excellent job urging us to lose our inhibitions and SWIM! Any other songs worth listening to that ask or show us how to execute specific dances?<\/em> Have any of us ever actually performed these steps or gyrations in public?<\/p>\n

5. Men: name the popular musical artist who best captures, in song and\/or performance, the essence of The Man You Wish You Were<\/strong>. No ironic references to Mandom<\/a><\/strong> here — I want you to look deep inside your soul and tell us who you really wannabe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s that time again, people — time to don our white robes, shave our heads, and go wandering through the dusty record bins of our favorite neighborhood thrift stores, in the hope that our wayward paths will intersect with interesting new music. Actually, the last few weeks have provided an abundance of riches in the […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[342],"tags":[71],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}