music Archives - Page 24 of 258 - Ramblin' with Roger

Sunday Stealing: most important

West Side Story

1. What is most important to you?

Holding the door open for someone. I mean that literally, sure, but I also mean it metaphorically. In the law of the conservation of energy, it “can neither be created nor destroyed – only converted from one form of energy to another.” So if the door is already open, it doesn’t require additional energy to keep it open and let others in.

2. Your best trait.

I observe. Then I do stuff to make a situation better, or more often, less bad.

3. A movie that makes you happy.

I haven’t watched it in a very long time, but Young Frankenstein (1974). “Pardon me, boy, is this the Transylvania station?”

4. Something that excites you.

Music excites me because, shockingly often, I play something that I had listened to dozens of times yet I hear something new. Then there are the bits that almost always excite me.

5. Something that worries you.

As a librarian, it’s the proliferation of false information that is becoming less discernable, from AI-generated photos to other deep fakes.

6. Actions you admire.

There are a lot. I’ll pick this fact: The Tony Awards & Carnegie Mellon University Present The 2024 Excellence In Theatre Education Award To CJay Philip Of Baltimore, daughter of my buddy Nell Stokes of Albany.

Annus mirabilis

7. What year has been your best so far?

Maybe in 2023, when I went to France and Las Vegas. Perhaps in 2019, when I quit my job; I mean, retired.

8. Who do you trust?

A few people I met in 1958, 1968, and 1971. There are others.

9. A Song from Your Childhood.

Here are the end credits for the movie West Side Story (1961). When I was a kid and heard that bit at about 4:30, it made me weep. And it still does.

10. What you wore today?

I wear essentially the same thing every day, a shirt, and pants, usually black or navy blue. A hat or cap, depending on the season. Even this past Sunday, when the choir wore T-shirts, I wore a long-sleeved T-shirt underneath to cover my arms, which has splotchiness from vitiligo.

11. A book you are currently reading

The Undertow: Scenes From A Slow Civil War by Jeff Sharlet. After I heard him and others speak in Albany one evening in November 2023, he and I had breakfast the next morning.

12. What do you want less of?

Stupid social media stuff posing as “news.” On CBS Mornings this month, one of their Talk Of The Table segments was of a woman on a social media platform ranting that she would NOT be returning her shopping cart to a collection area because she thought someone would go to her car and snatch her children. My thought: so she doesn’t bring it back. So what? Why should I care and why is CBS spending three minutes on a non-story?

Orange you wondering?

13. A question that needs to be asked.

Is the presumptive Republican candidate for President unhinged? At a rally this month in Las Vegas, he talked about being aboard a hypothetical electric-powered boat. “He posits that the battery would be so heavy that it would cause the craft to sink, and he relates his purported conversation with a knowledgeable mariner about this scenario.”

“I say, ‘What would happen if the boat sank from its weight, and you’re in the boat, and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery’s now underwater, and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there?’

“By the way, a lot of shark attacks lately, do you notice that? Lot of sharks. I watched some guys justifying it today: ‘Well they weren’t really that angry, they bit off the young lady’s leg because of the fact that they were not hungry but they misunderstood who she was.’ These people are crazy. He said, ‘There’s no problem with sharks, they just didn’t really understand a young woman swimming.’ No, really got decimated, and other people, too, a lot of shark attacks.

“So I said, ‘There’s a shark 10 yards away from the boat, 10 yards, or here. Do I get electrocuted if the boat is sinking, water goes over the battery, the boat is sinking? Do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted, or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted?’ Because I will tell you, he didn’t know the answer.

“He said, ‘You know, nobody’s ever asked me that question.’ I said, ‘I think it’s a good question. I think there’s a lot of electric current coming through that water.’ But you know what I’d do if there was a shark or you get electrocuted? I’ll take electrocution every single time. I’m not getting near the shark. So we’re going to end that, we’re going to end it for boats, we’re going to end it for trucks.”

WHAT? And he’s told a variation on this story before.

Home

14. The best idea you’ve had this week.

I decided NOT to go on a trip next weekend. I’ll be able to see a barbershop quartet this Friday at my church, then to visit with a friend I’ve only known since 1958 on Sunday or Monday.

15. How are you creative?

I was at a choir party this week, and I apparently know the bass vocal to Good Night, Sweetheart by The Spaniels.

Apple Music 100 Best Albums

Express Yourself

I checked out the Apple Music 100 Best Albums list. Often, I’m fascinated by various musical rosters, but not as a gauge of their “rightness.”It’s rather interesting in terms of how I align with the gestalt of the times, or more likely, fail to. Let others kvetch how Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall belonged on the list rather than some 21st-century album I don’t recall.

31 albums were released since 2000, sending some folks into a tizzy. Whatever. I own but two of them, #8, Back To Black by Amy Winehouse (2006) and #15, 21 by Adele (2011). A handful of the others, including Arctic Monkeys and, of course, Taylor Swift, are familiar.

Of the 23 albums from the 1990s, I own five. There’s #1, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (1998); #9, Nevermind by Nirvana (1991); #12, OK Computer by Radiohead (1997); #31, Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette (1995); and #58, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory by Oasis (1995).

The 1970s are represented by 18 albums, 17 of which I own. Only #71, Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk is not in my collection.

I don’t have three of the ten albums from the 1960s. Not in the collection: #54, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane (1965); #60, the eponymous The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967); and #88, I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone (1965), though I have at least four of her albums.

I own all one of the albums from the 1950s, #25, Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis.

1980s

This leaves the 1980s, which is closest to 50/50. And I figure I’ll pick a song from each one.

#2, Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982), YES. I believe it was constitutionally mandated that we own this album in the day. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’

#4, Purple Rain by Prince (1984), YES, and I saw the movie at the time. I Would Die 4 U

#34 It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy (1989), YES. Bring The Noise

#42 Control by Janet Jackson (1986), YES, and I saw Janet live in 2018 at SPAC. What Have You Done For Me Lately

#43 Remain In Light by Talking Heads (1980), YES, and I saw the group live in 1983 at SPAC. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)

#48, Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys (1989), NO. Shadrach

#49, The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987), YES. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

#50, Hounds of Love – Kate Bush (1985), NO. Or I don’t think so. When some of my friends were getting rid of their vinyl, they’d give some of it to me, and I have a vague recollection of this entering my collection. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) which went #3 pop on the 2022 Billboard chart.

And more

#51, Sign o’ the Times by Prince (1987), YES. Starfish and Coffee, which I watched Prince sing on The Muppet Show.

#52, Appetite for Destruction by Guns ‘N’ Roses (1987), NO. Sweet Child O’ Mine

#56, Disintegration by The Cure (1989), NO. Pictures Of You

#65, 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989), NO. Me Myself and I

#66, The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths (1986). NO. I Know It’s Over

#69, Master Of Puppets, Metallica (1986), NO. Master Of Puppets

#70, Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A. (1988), NO. Express Yourself, which borrows heavily from Express Yourself by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd. Street Rhythm Band (1970)

#77, Like A Prayer by Madonna (1989), YES. Express Yourself

#90, Back In Black (1980), YES. Back In Black

So that’s 9 (or 10) out of 17 in the 1980s, and 41 (or 42) out of the 100. BTW, I own some other Kate Bush, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Cure, and De La Soul albums, as well as two by Morrissey of The Smiths.

#1 hits of 1954: rock and roll is coming

The voice of Tony the Tiger

Here are the #1 hits of 1954. Even though I was an infant when these came out, some of them are familiar because they got heavily played on oldies stations.

Sidebar: one of the rare times I REALLY feel old is when I hear music of the 1990s described as “oldies.”

All of these songs were gold records except This Ole House. There are 65 weeks of #1 songs because of competing Billboard charts.

Little Things Mean A Lot – Kitty Kallen (Decca), nine weeks at #1

Sh-Boom – The Crew Cuts (Mercury), nine weeks at #1. The Crew Cuts was a white Canadian group. From A Century of Pop Music by Joel Whitburn: Sh-Boom was originally “a song by the R&B group The Chords.” The Chords’ version (Cat) went to #5 pop and #2 for two weeks RB that year. “The subsequent influx of R&B songs covered by white artists such as Pat Boone and Gale Storm introduced R&B to the mass audience and left white teens hungry for more.” I’ve heard both versions.

Wanted – Perry Como with Hugo Winterhalter’s orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor), eight weeks at #1

Oh! My Papa (O Mein Papa) – Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter’s orchestra and chorus (RCA Victor), eight weeks at #1. I remember this song, which I found schmaltzy.

Make Love To Me! – Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his orchestra (Columbia), seven weeks at #1

Mr. Sandman – The Chordettes (Cadence), seven weeks at #1. The “yes?” is spoken by Archie Bleyer, Cadence’s founder and the orchestra leader on the recording. It’s a song I already linked to this year. A Reddit post says it’s “the best unintentionally creepy song,” which I’m not feeling.

George Clooney’s aunt

Hey There – Rosemary Clooney with Buddy Cole and his orchestra (Columbia), six weeks at #1. The song is from the Broadway musical The Pajama Game. I remember that first line after the intro.

Secret Love– Doris Day with the orchestra conducted by Ray Heindorf (Columbia), four weeks at #1. From the Warner Brothers picture, Calamity Jane, in which she starred. The IMDb states she recorded the song in one take.

This Ole House – Rosemary Clooney with Buddy Cole and his orchestra (Columbia), three weeks at #1. I always liked this song, especially the featured bass vocals by the wonderful Thurl Ravenscroft.

I Need You Now – Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter’s orchestra (RCA Victor), three weeks at #1

Three Coins In The Fountain – Four Aces featuring Al Alberts (Decca), one week at #1. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn wrote the title song from the 20th Century film.

May rambling: medical bill

the Kremlin’s most useful idiots

I’m a Former Surgeon General and I Couldn’t Believe My $10k Medical Bill — Everyone must be able to access necessary care without fear of financial ruin by Jerome Adams, MD, MPH (well, of course)

FTC chair: AI models could violate antitrust laws

Opioid Settlements and Corn: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Moscow Tools. As Vladimir Putin continues his gritty reboot of the Soviet Union, he’s getting a surprising amount of help from the party once led by Reagan. In this new special, Klepper speaks to foreign affairs experts, possible Russian assets, and the Prime Minister of Russia’s neighbor, Estonia, to find out whether Republicans have become the Kremlin’s most useful idiots.

Ron DeSantis rings in ‘Freedom Summer’ by banning rainbows

Dabney Coleman, Who Built a Career Out of Playing Jerks, Dies at 92. I was a fan of 9 to 5; Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman; Tootsie; and especially Buffalo Bill

Richard Sherman, Oscar-winning songwriter of ‘Mary Poppins,’ Dies at 95

Bill Walton, UCLA and Hall of Fame NBA Player, and self-described Luckiest Guy in the World, Who Became a Star Broadcaster, Dies at 71 from cancer

Morgan Spurlock, Director of ‘Super Size Me,’ Dies at 53 from cancer

America’s Most Trusted News Anchors Are…

Mayday: The race to find four children who survived a plane crash deep in the Amazon

Me, My Wife, and 3 Amigos, who happen to be former Presidents

Italian teenage computer wizard set to become the first saint of the Millennial generation

Definition: mamihlapinatapai, Yahgan for “a look that without words is shared by two people who want to initiate something, but that neither will start”

Now I Know

How One of America’s Largest Malls Avoids Scary Utility Bills and When the Coca-Cola Company Failed Math and History and Another Brick In (?) The Road and The Mystery of Pia Farrenkopf and Why it May Be Okay to Drop Beavers from Airplanes and Gone in Sixty Seconds and Stars And Stripes and Run For Your Lives

Telephonic irritation

Beverwyck is an independent living facility in a suburb of Albany, NY. Several folks from my church live there, as does my MIL. It’s a nice enough place.

When I receive a phone call from there, the caller ID usually says Trinity Health. That’s a little weird, though they are related.

What’s problematic, however, is when I telephone a Beverwyck unit, as often as not, I reach the automated switchboard, with no way to reach who I was trying to call. This has been going on for months, at least.

This became an issue when one of my MIL’s relatives tried to call her, got the recording, and feared something was wrong. They texted me and I assured them that, yes, it’s just their stupid phone system.

If I HAD to reach my MIL, I could call the Beverwyck security office. That seems a drastic response just to say hi. Beverwyck, PLEASE fix the damn phone system.

MUSIC

FORTY-FIVE!– A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Coverville 1488: Going Black and Blue with The Black Keys and Weezer’s First Album and 1489: Cover Stories for Jewel and The Smiths

Black Coffee – Peggy Lee

Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II

Shark-Shark – John Cale

For What It’s Worth – Hootie & The Blowfish (2024)

Delphinium Blue – Cassandra Jenkins

Willow soundtrack suite by James Horner

Dreadlock Holiday – 10CC

Pull the Rope – Ibibio Sound Machine

Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin visit Oscar on Sesame Street…

I Want To Hold Your Hand – MonaLisa Twins

Wildflowers– Tom Petty

Get Smart – Melbourne Ska Orchestra

Java Jive – the Ink Spots

Little Green – Peter Sprague featuring Aubrey Johnson

Dancing Queen – ABBA

Tighten Up – Archie Bell & The Drells. Its placement here concerns our choir director tightening up a music stand.

‘My songs spread like herpes’: why did satirical genius Tom Lehrer swap worldwide fame for obscurity?

Play my compact discs

World Development Information Day

Way back in 2007, I posted how I play my compact discs. In general, they’re tied to an artist’s birthday, or in the case of classical albums, composer’s natal day.

By the way, when I am refiling my CDs, I don’t bother with details such as chronology. So next time I play my Beatles, it might be Sgt. Pepper, followed by Help, Abbey Road, and A Hard Day’s Night.

But what about those other albums, compilations, and the like? Some are by genre, others by record label. I have a system. But now, because I FORGET, I need to codify it.

JANUARY: Cadence Records because Julius LaRosa’s birthday was the 2nd, and Arthur Godfrey fired him for being not grateful enough

FEBRUARY: soul, rhythm and blues, rap for Black History Month, including the Atlantic R&B, but excluding Motown and Stax

Movie soundtracks if Oscars are in the month; otherwise, in March

Buddah Records, because the late Melanie Safka’s birthday was the 3rd, and I LOVE Lay Down

Louisiana/New Orleans music, two weeks before Ash Wednesday because of Mardi Gras

MARCH: Baseball, on Opening Day

APRIL -Jazz because it’s Jazz Appreciation Month. Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Ella, and the Duke were all born that month. I need to remember the Atlantic jazz albums

MAY: bluegrass for Worldwide Bluegrass Music Month.

JUNE: Original cast albums, Broadway, and others in honor of the Tony Awards. The original Jesus Christ Superstar album I play then

Blues, including Atlantic and Alligator, for African American Music Appreciation Month

Apple -Paul McCartney’s birthday is the 18th

The second half

JULY: Stax Records. Jim Stewart, born on the 29th, was the label’s co-founder. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but shamefully, his sister and co-founder, Estelle Axton, is not

SEPTEMBER: folk music in honor of my father, whose birthday was the 26th

OCTOBER: reggae in honor of Peter Tosh’s birthday, which was the 19th

World music for United Nations Day and World Development Information Day, both of which are on the 24th

NOVEMBER: Motown. Label founder Berry Gordy’s birthday is the 28th

DECEMBER: Christmas albums; I’m now willing to start on Thanksgiving, but NO EARLIER

Red, Hot, and Blue – the original album was released on December 1

If I’m going to own all of this physical music, I need a methodology for playing them.