Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and I hope this week has been treating you kindly so far. As I usually do on this day, I’d like to take a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or haven’t covered at all to date. This time my proposition is a true rock opus: Telegraph Road by Dire Straits.

Penned by the ex-British band’s frontman, lead vocalist and lead guitarist Mark Knopfler, Telegraph Road first appeared on Dire Straits’ fourth studio album Love Over Gold. The epic 14-minute-plus song is the opener of the album that came out in September 1982. A 5-minute edit was also released as a single in 1983, paired with Twisting By the Pool as the B-side.

Mark Knopfler was inspired to write the song while sitting in the front of the band’s tour bus and traveling along the actual Telegraph Road, a major north-south highway in southeastern Michigan. At the time, he was also reading The Growth Of the Soil by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, a novel first published in 1917. Following a Norwegian man who rejects modernity and settles and lives in rural Norway, the work of fiction won the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Dire Straits’ first live performance of Telegraph Road occurred in March 1981 during a tour of Australia and, as such, predated the song’s release by 1.5 years. The track subsequently became a staple of the band’s live set. Knopfler also continued to play it during his solo tours. Here’s a great version from Dire Straits’ first live album Alchemy: Dire Straits Live, which came out in March 1984, captured during the band’s 1983 tour.

Songfacts notes the song about the beginning of the development along Telegraph Road and the changes over the ensuing decades was a metaphor for the development of America and one man’s shattered dreams in the wake of its decline, with a particular on unemployment. Telegraph Road was the band’s final recorded song that featured original drummer Pick Withers, who left Dire Straits after the Love Over Gold sessions and was replaced by Terry Williams. Another track on the album, Industrial Disease, addresses the decline of the British manufacturing industry in the early ’80s, suggesting the societal impact of industrialization was very much on Knopfler’s mind at the time.

The following excerpt from Wikipedia addresses the compositional aspects of Telegraph Road: The song starts out with a quiet crescendo in the key of G minor that lasts almost two minutes, before the song’s main theme starts. After the first verse, the main theme plays again, followed by the second verse. After a guitar solo, a short bridge slows the song down to a quiet keyboard portion similar to the intro, followed by a slow guitar solo. Next, the final two verses play with the main theme in between. The main theme is played one last time, followed by a slightly faster guitar solo lasting about five minutes and eventually fading out.

Here’s a neat live version of the song by Mark Knopfler, which was captured in July 2015 in Seville, Spain during his tour that year. Based on what I could see on Setlist.fm, it’s most recent during which Knopfler performed the magnificent track at select dates. Apparently, it wasn’t part of his regular setlist. This is so good. Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of Knopfler’s guitar playing, so I may be a bit biased here! 🙂

I’m leaving you with the lyrics of this great story-telling song. These words could have been written by Bruce Springsteen, which never occurred to me before – clearly a reminder I should pay closer attention to lyrics more often!

A long time ago came a man on a track
Walking thirty miles with a sack on his back
And he put down his load where he thought it was the best
Made a home in the wilderness

Built a cabin and a winter store
And he plowed up the ground by the cold lake shore
The other travelers came walking down the track
And they never went further, no, they never went back

Then came the churches, then came the schools
Then came the lawyers, then came the rules
Then came the trains and the trucks with their load
And the dirty old track was the Telegraph Road

Then came the mines, then came the ore
Then there was the hard times, then there was a war
Telegraph sang a song about the world outside
Telegraph Road got so deep and so wide
Like a rolling river

And my radio says tonight it’s gonna freeze
People driving home from the factories
Six lanes of traffic, three lanes moving slow

I used to like to go to work but they shut it down
I’ve got a right to go to work but there’s no work here to be found
Yes, and they say we’re gonna have to pay what’s owed
We’re gonna have to reap from some seed that’s been sowed

And the birds up on the wires and the telegraph poles
They can always fly away from this rain and this cold
You can hear them singing out their telegraph code
All the way down the Telegraph Road

I’d sooner forget, but I remember those nights
Yeah, life was just a bet on a race between the lights
You had your head on my shoulder, you had your hand in my hair
Now you act a little colder like you don’t seem to care

But just believe in me, baby, and I’ll take you away
From out of this darkness and into the day
From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain
From the anger that lives on the streets with these names
‘Cause I’ve run every red light on memory lane
I’ve seen desperation explode into flames
And I don’t wanna see it again

From all of these signs saying, “Sorry, but we’re closed”
All the way
Down the Telegraph Road

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Setlist.fm; YouTube

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to my latest weekly look at new music releases. All picks are on albums that came out yesterday (April 12).

Maggie Rogers/So Sick of Dreaming

First up is Maggie Rogers, a singer-songwriter and record producer from Easton, Md., combining folk, dance and pop in her music. By the time she began writing songs in 8th grade, Rogers had picked up the harp, piano and guitar. She gained popularity in 2016 at the age of 22 with Alaska, a song she wrote while attending a master class at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. By that time, Rogers already had released two independent albums. Her first label release Heard It in a Past Life, which came out in January 2019, debuted at no. 2 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200. Off her third and latest album Don’t Forget Me, here’s the pleasant So Sick of Dreaming.

Will Hoge/Good While It Lasted

Will Hoge is an Americana and southern rock singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tenn., who I first featured in July 2020. In 1997, he released an EP with his band at the time Spoonful, but it wasn’t successful and the group disbanded. After self-releasing a live CD and his first studio album Carousel, Hoge managed to get a deal with Atlantic Records in early 2002. While it was short-lived, it resulted in his major label debut Blackbird on a Lonely Wire in March 2003. Good While It Lasted, co-written by Hoge and Hayes Carll, is a song from his new album Tenderhearted Boys.

Nicolette & The Nobodies/Better Days

Ontario, Canada-based Nicolette & The Nobodies win the prize for best band name this week. Glide Magazine noted the group is led by singer-songwriter Nicolette Hoang, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants. Their Bandcamp page describes them as “heavily influenced by the songs and stage presence of 60’s and 70’s country starlets” while retaining “the gritty rough edges of outlaw country.” From their debut album The Long Way, here’s Better Days. The song’s rock vibe immediately grabbed me.

Trummors/I Can Still Make Cheyenne

Trummors are a country rock duo from Taos, N.M., consisting of multi-instrumentalists David Lerner and Anne Cunningham who rely on a rotating cast of musicians. Their AllMusic bio notes they came together in 2010 in Brooklyn, New York and released their debut album Over and Around the Clove in 2012. Off their fifth and latest album, appropriately titled 5, here’s I Can Still Make Cheyenne, a song with a nice country vibe. Like all other tracks on the album, it was written pre-pandemic.

Mark Knopfler/Two Pairs of Hands

After Mark Knopfler quietly dissolved Dire Straits in 1994, the British guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer launched a solo career. The first album under his name, Golden Heart, appeared in March 1996. While not comparable to Dire Straits, Knopfler has continued to enjoy success with his solo albums. Off his 10th and latest, One Deep River, here’s the opener Two Pairs of Hands, written by Knopfler. I’ve always loved his distinct guitar-playing!

Blue Öyster Cult/Don’t Come Running to Me

Rounding out this post are Blue Öyster Cult. Formed in 1967 on Long Island, N.Y., the rock band first entered my radar screen with the great Don’t Fear the Reaper sometime in the late ’70s. Their 15th and latest studio album Ghost Stories is a collection of unreleased tracks they started but didn’t finish between 1978 and 1983, as well as three covers of Animals, Beatles and MC5 songs, Ultimate Classic Rock reported in a review. Here’s Don’t Come Running to Me, a pop rocker that stylistically would have fit on Mirrors, Fire of Unknown Origin or other BÖC albums from the late ’70s/early ’80s.

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Glide Magazine; Nicolette & The Nobodies Bandcamp page; Trummors Bandcamp page; Ultimate Rock; YouTube; Spotify

Catching Up: Short Takes On New Music I Missed

This happened faster than anticipated. The latest Spotify Release Radar playlist made me realize there is additional great new music I missed. Here’s another attempt of catching up – I have a funny feeling it won’t be the last! 🙂

JJ Grey & Mofro/Wonderland

JJ Grey & Mofro are a southern soul and rock band formed as Mofro in 2001 by John Higginbotham, aka JJ Grey, and Daryl Hance who had played music together since the mid-’90s. Since their 2001 debut Blackwater, the group who subsequently adopted their current name have released nine additional albums, including their latest, Olustee, which came out last Friday (February 23). Based on my first impression, the music is fun with a nice dose of soul. Here’s a sample, Wonderland. Featuring an upbeat vibe, great harmony singing, a driving drum beat and neat horn work, this is my kind of music!

John Bramwell/A World Full of Flowers

English singer-songwriter John Bramwell first gained prominence as front man of alternative rock trio I Am Kloot, which he co-founded in Manchester in 1999. After their break-up in 2016, Bramwell resumed his solo career he first had launched in 1989 under the moniker of Johnny Dangerously. Last Friday, he released his new album The Light Fantastic, which his website characterizes as almost a complete U-turn from his Kloot-days. Darker clouds have been banished, there are now strings and four-part harmonies and a dozen gloriously exhilarating, beautifully crafted observed songs about life, humanity, the universe and everything else. Here’s one of them: A World Full of Flowers.

Norah Jones/Staring At the Wall

When singer-songwriter and pianist Norah Jones burst on the scene seemingly out of nowhere in 2002 with her debut album Come Away With Me and the top 40 U.S. single Don’t Know Why, I was immediately hooked with her lounge jazz-oriented music and her cool vocals. Fast-forward 22 years and seven albums to Jones’ new single Staring At the Wall released February 22. Co-written by her and producer Leon Michels, the song is from her upcoming ninth studio album Visions scheduled for March 8. Since her aforementioned debut, Jones’ music has evolved, infusing elements of blues, country, folk and pop, demonstrating she’s not a one-trick pony. I like Staring At the Wall a lot!

Mark Knopfler/Watch Me Gone

I suppose Mark Knopfler doesn’t need much of an introduction. After he quietly dissolved Dire Straits for good in 1995, Knopfler launched a solo career and released the first album under his name, Golden Heart, in March 1996. While not as successful as Dire Straits during their heyday, the British singer-songwriter and guitarist has done pretty well. Knopfler’s latest song, Watch Me Gone, which appeared on February 22, is the second upfront single from his upcoming 10th solo album One Deep River set for release on April 12. Like on his previous post Dire Straits albums, it features ex-Dire Straits keyboarder Guy Fletcher. Still very much sounds like Mark Knopfler!

Sources: Wikipedia; John Bramwell website; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday! In case you’ve been celebrating the holidays and perhaps feel a bit exhausted between indulging in food and drink and gatherings with family and friends, I’d like to offer you a great remedy just in time before the new year: Come and join me for the final music time travel trip of 2023! If none of the aforementioned applies to you, hop on board of the magical music time machine anyway. We’re gonna have a lot of fun!

The Charles Owens Trio/Best Part

This time, our little excursion starts in the present with contemporary jazz by The Charles Owens Trio. His web bio notes Owens is a master tenor saxophonist, composer, band leader, recording artist, and educator and has been performing, composing, and teaching for over 25 years…He has made 9 albums as a leader and appeared and continues to appear on a plethora of recordings as a hired soloist. He’s performed with such jazz luminaries as Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, Omer Avital, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brian Blade, Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Ari Hoenig, Alexander Claffy, Jeff Watts, and Joel Frahm among many others. Off his latest album Here It Is, released earlier this month on Dec 8, here’s Best Part. Owens is backed by Andrew Jay Randazzo (hybrid guitar) and DJHarrison RVA (drums).

Bob Dylan/Man of Peace

After what may have been a smoother opening than what you anticipated based on the slightly creepy album cover, let’s pay a visit to Bob Dylan. To borrow from a famous mid-’90s movie, the brilliant master is like a box of chocolate – you never know what you gonna get! After Dylan’s conversion to Christianity and three evangelical records, he returned to secular music on his brilliant 22nd studio album Infidels, which came out in October 1993. The album, co-produced by Dylan and then-Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, who also played guitar on it, was well received by fans and critics alike. Other musicians on Infidels included Dire Straits’ Alan Clark (keyboards), Mick Taylor (guitar), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Robbie Shakespeare (bass) and his Sly and Robbie partner Sly Dunbar – that’s what I call a neat backing band! Here’s Man of Peace.

The Everly Brothers/Wake Up Little Susie

Our next stop takes us back to Sep 1957 and the second big hit by The Everly Brothers. Wake Up Little Susie was penned by husband and wife songwriting team Felice Bryant and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant. They also gave the duo of Don Everly and his younger brother Phil Everly their first big hit with Bye Bye Love. Wake Up Little Susie, first released as a single, did even better, topping the pop charts in the U.S., Canada and Australia and surging to no. 2 in the UK. Both songs were also included on The Everly Brothers’ eponymous debut album released in January 1958. Amazing harmony singing and a captivating groove make for my kind kind of combo!

Pretenders/I’ll Stand By You

Time to pay a visit to the ’90s with a great song by Pretenders: I’ll Stand By You, off their sixth studio album Last of the Independents, which appeared in May 1994. At that time, the English-American rock band already had seen significant changes, leaving frontwoman Chrissie Hynde (guitar, vocals) and Martin Chambers (drums) as the only remaining original members. Adam Seymour (guitar) and Andy Hobson (bass) were still new to the group. Notably, the entire line-up only recorded one song, while for the remaining tracks Hynde relied on Seymour and a rotating series of musicians on bass and drums. There’s no doubt who ran that band and still fearlessly does to this day! I’ll Stand By You was written by Hynde, along with songwriting partners Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Not only does this ballad sound beautiful, but Hynde once again proves what an outstanding vocalist she is!

Iron Butterfly/In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

For our next stop, take a deep breath for a psychedelic rock tour de force from June 1968. That’s when American group Iron Butterfly released their sophomore album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Peaking at no. 4 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200, the album sold an incredible more than 8 million copies within just its first year of release – outselling every record in the history of recorded music to that time! Eventually, it would rake up worldwide sales of more than 30 million. Here’s the epic title track, which at 17:05 minutes occupied all of side two. It was written by co-founder Doug Ingle (Vox Continental organ, vocals). The strange title reportedly came to be when Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy misinterpreted the words “In the Garden of Eden” when writing down the lyrics for Ingle who was drunk and slurred the words as he sang the song to Bushy. Well, it was the late ’60s!

Gram Parsons/Ooh Las Vegas

After all that brilliant weirdness, I hope you’re still with me! If yes, congratulations, we’re getting to the final stop of today’s trip. For this, let’s set the time controls of the magical music machine to January 1974, which saw the release of the second and final studio album by Gram Parsons. Sadly, by the time it came out, Parsons already had died from an overdose of morphine and alcohol. He was only 26! Grievous Angel was compiled from recording sessions that had taken place in the summer of 1973. They prominently featured his singing partner Emmylou Harris and other prominent guests, such as Linda Ronstadt and Bernie Leadon, co-founder of the Eagles. Here’s the incredible Ooh Las Vegas.

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist featuring the above tracks. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank of all my readers for reading and commenting and wish everybody a Happy New Year! If you’re out there celebrating, please be safe. Peace and Love!

Sources: Wikipedia; Charles Owens website; YouTube; Spotify

Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and I’d like to welcome you to another installment of my midweek feature that is taking a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or haven’t covered at all to date. My pick for today is Boulder to Birmingham by Emmylou Harris.

While I had known of the country and Americana-focused singer-songwriter for decades, it wasn’t until July 2017 that Harris really entered my radar screen. That month, I saw her live in Philadelphia, sharing the bill with John Mellencamp and Carlene Carter, and was truly impressed by her performance.

Boulder to Birmingham was co-written by Harris and Bill Danoff, a singer and songwriter who penned John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, among other hits. Inspired by Harris’ grief over the death of her friend and mentor Gram Parsons, it’s the only original track she recorded for her second studio album Pieces of the Sky, released in February 1975.

Harris knew Parsons early in her career. She toured with him and sang on his January 1973 solo debut album GP. She can also be heard on Grievous Angel, Parsons’ second and final solo album that appeared in January 1974, four months after his untimely death at the age of 26 from a morphine and alcohol overdose.

When Harris first met Parsons, she was a struggling artist playing bars in the Washington, D.C. area, with a debut album that had gone nowhere. They became good friends and had great chemistry on their recordings and during live performances. When Harris learned Parsons had died, she was devastated and reportedly said she felt “like falling off a mountain.” Here’s a great live version of Boulder to Birmingham with Mark Knopfler in June 2006, captured in Los Angeles for the concert film Real Live Roadrunning.

Co-writer Bill Danoff also recorded the song with his group, Starland Vocal Band, for their eponymous debut album, which appeared in July 1976. It became the opener – beautiful rendition and, gosh, it’s definitely a bit of a tearjerker!

Listening to the words of the song it’s hard to escape the notion Harris’ feelings for Parsons likely went beyond admiration of the mentorship he offered. Harris did not revisit his death in such an outspoken manner until The Road, a song off her 26th studio album Hard Bargain, which came out in April 2011.

Following are additional insights from Songfacts:

Emmylou Harris cowrote this song with Bill Danoff after the death of Gram Parsons. The song has become famous for its heart-rending chorus:

I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I would hold my life in his saving grace
I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face

The song is specifically about Parsons, but the song became a source of comfort for many people who could relate to the sentiment of losing someone close.

Harris wrote about half of the songs on her 1969 debut album, but this was the only one she had a hand in writing for her second album, Pieces of the Sky. She wrote the lyrics to the song, and Bill Danoff composed the music...

…Danoff and his wife Taffy Nivert were well known in the DC music scene; they had co-written the John Denver hits “Take Me Home Country Roads” and “Friends With You.” The year after Harris released Pieces of the Sky, Danoff had a huge hit with his group the Starland Vocal Band in “Afternoon Delight,” which is titled after the appetizer menu at a DC restaurant/bar called Clyde’s Of Georgetown. Harris had a regular gig there in the early ’70s.

After Gram Parsons died, two of his friends stole his body and set it on fire in the Mohave desert, which they claimed was Parsons’ directive. The line in this song “I was in the wilderness and the canyon was on fire,” is often interpreted to be about this burning, but it was actually a reference to 1974 wildfires in the Coldwater Canyon section of Los Angeles, which is where Harris recorded the album.

Brian Ahern, who had previously worked with Anne Murray, produced the Pieces of the Sky album. This song is a great example of his production strategy, which was to focus on the voice. There are no background vocals and the various instruments – including acoustic and pedal steel guitar – are carefully mixed to accentuate the singing.

Ahern stayed on as Harris’ producer and the two formed a romantic relationship. They married in 1977 the same month Harris’ third Ahern-produced album, Luxury Liner, was released. They divorced in 1984.

The Hollies recorded this for their 1976 album Write On.

A cover by the Alternative Rock band The Fray appears as a bonus track on the iTunes deluxe version of their third album Scars & Stories. They persuaded Harris to appear on their version but nearly fell out with the Nashville legend when working on the song with her. “We met and sat down with Emmylou,” singer Isaac Slade recalled to Jam! Music. “She showed us the ropes. She scolded me a little bit and put me in my place because I was getting a little rock star and giving Emmylou advice, which is something you don’t do. You listen and don’t talk. And we just did it in one afternoon.”

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

The Queen of Rock & Roll Has Left, But Her Music Will Reign Forever

By now it’s safe to assume folks have heard of Tina Turner’s passing yesterday (April 24) at age 83 at her home near Zurich, Switzerland. While neither a notification on Turner’s Facebook page nor a statement by her publicist provided the cause, she had been in poor health in recent years. Based on concerts in Germany and the U.S. in 1985 and 1993, respectively, the Queen of Rock & Roll was among the most energetic performers I’ve seen to date, together with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and U2.

This post is all about celebrating Tina Turner’s music, which will stay with us. In case you are looking for a traditional obituary, you have plenty of other choices, such as The New York Times, CNN or Rolling Stone. My focus will be on six tunes from Turner’s 40-year-plus performing career, followed by a Spotify playlist of these and some additional songs.

River Deep – Mountain High (1966)

River Deep – Mountain High is one of my favorite tunes Tina Turner recorded with her then-husband Ike Turner as Ike & Tina Turner. Written by producer Phil Spector, together with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, River Deep – Mountain High was first released as a single in May 1966 as the title track of a studio album by Ike & Tina Turner. That album first appeared in the UK in September 1966 and three years later was also issued in the U.S.

Private Dancer (1984)

Private Dancer is the title track of Turner’s fifth solo and comeback album released in May 1984. The tune, penned by then-Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, was one of multiple hit singles from what became Turner’s best-selling album with more than 12 million copies sold worldwide. It catapulted her to international stardom as a solo artist – eight years after she had fled from her abusive husband with just 36 cents and a Mobil card.

Proud Mary (1971)

Ike & Tina Turner’s version of Proud Mary is one of the best remakes I can think of. The song was written by John Fogerty who first recorded it with his band Creedence Clearwater Revival for their second studio album Bayou Country, released in January 1969. The tune also appeared as a single at the same time and became one of CCR’s biggest hits, climbing to no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ike and Tina Turner’s version, which was included on their 1970 studio album Workin’ Together, did nearly as well, peaking at no. 4 on the U.S. pop chart. Unlike CCR, it also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1972.

What You Get Is What You See (1986)

When it comes to Tina Turner’s solo career, I tend to favor her rock over her more pop-oriented songs. One tune in this context is What You Get Is What You See, off her sixth solo studio album Break Every Rule, which came out in September 1986. Turner’s follow-on to Private Dancer was another major internal chart and commercial success. What You Get Is What You See, co-written by Terry Bitten and Graham Lyle and produced by Bitten, also became the album’s third single in February 1987.

Acid Queen (1975)

Turner recorded Acid Queen as the title track of her second solo album released in August 1975. The tune was written by Pete Townshend and first appeared as The Acid Queen on The Who’s rock opera album Tommy from May 1969. A different recording of the song was also included on the March 1975 soundtrack album to the 1975 film Tommy, in which Turner starred as the Acid Queen. Her second solo album was inspired by that performance.

Nutbush City Limits (live) (1988)

The last track I’d like to highlight is a killer live version of Nutbush City Limits that was included on Turner’s first live solo album Tina Live in Europe. Notably, part of that album was recorded at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany on April 14, 1985 – one of the above-mentioned Tina Turner shows I attended! Written by Tina Turner, the semi-autobiographical tune about her rural hometown of Nutbush, Tenn. was the title track of a 1973 studio album by Ike & Tina Turner. It also became the duo’s most successful single and one of the last hits they released together.

Here’s the aforementioned Spotify playlist of the above and some additional tunes. The Queen of Rock & Roll sadly has left us, but her music will continue to reign!

Sources: Wikipedia; Tina Turner Facebook page; YouTube; Spotify

First Time’s the Charm

This post originally appeared on A Sound Day by Dave as part of the most recent round of his great recurring feature Turntable Talk, for which he invites fellow blogger to provide their thoughts on a topic he suggests. In Dave’s words: This month, our topic is First Time’s The Charm. We’ve asked our guests to pick a debut record by an artist that really impressed them…and maybe let us know if they feel the artist kept up the quality and momentum with subsequent works.

Following is my submission, which I reformatted to fit the template of my blog. I also added the Spotify link to the album at the end.

Thanks, Dave, for fearlessly continuing your fun series Turntable Talk and, of course, for inviting me back to share some additional thoughts.

When I saw the topic for this round, I immediately had an idea which debut album that really impressed me I would cover. Then, as oftentimes happens once I start reflecting on stuff, I had second thoughts, so I decided to get inspired by Mr. Google.

One of the first hits I got was Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time, published on July 1, 2022. While the list includes fine debuts, such as The Beatles’ Please Please Me (1963), The Doors’ The Doors (1967), Pink Floyd’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Are You Experienced? (1967), Lynyrd Skynyrd’s (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) (1973) and Pretenders’ Pretenders (1979), it excludes gems like Jackson Browne’s Jackson Browne (1972), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1976) and Joe Jackson’s Look Sharp! (1979).

Of course, no list can be perfect. When I realized Rolling Stone also didn’t feature the album that had come to my mind first I thought, ‘screw it, I go with my initial pick’ – The eponymous debut album by Dire Straits, released in June 1978!

When I first heard Sultans of Swing as a teenager in the late ‘70s, I was immediately hooked on the British group and Mark Knopfler’s cool sound he got out of his Fender Stratocaster. Since German radio would always fade out the song, which drove me nuts, I needed to own that tune myself. So I bought the vinyl album that includes Sultans of Swing, not realizing I could have gotten the single instead. I’m glad I did what I did since I would have missed out on great music otherwise, at least at the time!

Sultans of Swing, the album’s best-known tune, is the first song on the B-side. The single was first released in the UK in May 1978. In the U.S., it came out in January 1979. It climbed all the way up to no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached no. 8 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart. But there’s definitely more to the album than Sultans of Swing.

Let’s start with side A and the great opener Down to the Waterline. Like Sultans of Swing and all other tracks on the album, it was penned by Mark Knopfler. Mark’s brother David Knopfler, the band’s first rhythm guitarist, has said the song was based on Mark’s teenage memories walking along a river at night under the lights with his girlfriend.

Another tune on side A I’ve always liked is Water of Love, which also became the album’s second single. Knopfler created a cool sound on that song, playing a so-called resonator guitar. Some critics noted the song’s style is reminiscent of J.J. Cale’s blues approach. I think that’s fair. I also don’t have a problem at all that Knopfler was inspired by another great guitarist. In fact, I would argue great musicians getting inspiration from other great musicians happens all the time!

Moving on to side B, I’m skipping the above-mentioned Sultans of Swing and go right to Into the Gallery. Sure, you could say Knopfler’s electric guitar sound is more of the same. I just happen to love it, so I don’t mind getting more of it!

Let’s do one more: Wild West End. Songfacts explains the title refers to an area in London (West End) where Knopfler enjoyed walking around, “always with an eye on the ladies”. Apparently, this particular tune recalls “a particularly attractive young woman in Shaftesbury Avenue.” Interestingly, the official video only shows the band performing the song on a stage and doesn’t include any footage of the West End.

To me and I guess to most other Dire Straits fans, most of the band’s appeal came from Mark Knopfler and his melodic and sparing way to play the guitar. An important aspect of his technique is the use of his fingers on the strumming hand instead of a pick, which creates a very transparent and distinct sound. Knopfler was a pretty good writer as well, which would become more obvious on the group’s later works, especially Making Movies, their third studio album released in October 1980.

While it is fair to say that Mark Knopfler was Dire Straits’ dominant force, a band is never just one guy. So this post wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the other musicians on the album: Mark’s aforementioned brother David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, vocals), John Illsley (bass, vocals) and Pick Withers (drums).

Undoubtedly, Dire Straits are best remembered for their 1985 studio album  Brothers in Arms and the mega hit single Money For Nothing. While I won’t deny it’s a good album, I will always prefer their 1978 debut, along with Making Movies. Thanks to fellow blogger Graham from Aphoristic Album Reviews, I’ve also gained new appreciation for Love Over Gold, the September 1982 predecessor to Brothers in Arms.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday and welcome to another mini-excursion into the great world of music, six tunes at a time. Most of the U.S. including my neck of the woods fell back to standard time overnight. If this affects you as well, don’t forget to adjust your watch – if you didn’t and believe you must head out for an activity that starts at a specific time, relax, you have an additional hour! This means you may have time to join me on today’s music trip! Even if you turned back your clocks by an hour, hop on anyway!

Ornette Coleman/Lonely Woman

Let’s start today’s journey in November 1969 with American jazz great Ornette Coleman. The saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer is known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1961 album Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation. Coleman who hailed from Fort Worth, Texas, began playing R&B and bebop in the late ’40s before joining Silas Green from New Orleans, a traveling show that was part revue, part musicomedy, part minstrel show. Later on, he became part of the band of R&B, blues guitarist and vocalist Pee Wee Crayton. He ended up in California, assembled his own band and recorded his debut album Something Else!!!! By the time his sophomore release Tomorrow Is the Question! had come out, Coleman had shaken up the jazz world with his “alien” music. Apparently, some jazz musicians went as far as calling him a fraud. None other than conductor Leonard Bernstein disagreed, praising him. Lonely Woman, composed by Coleman, is a track from his third album confidently titled The Shape of Jazz to Come, which was released in November 1959. Coleman (alto saxophone) is backed by Don Cherry (cornet), Charlie Haden (double bass) and Billy Higgins (drums).

Steve Earle/You’re Still Standin’ There

Our next stop takes us to March 1996 and a tune by roots-oriented singer-songwriter Steve Earle, which was love at first listen: You’re Still Standin’ There, off his six studio album I Feel Alright. And that is safe to assume he did after he had overcome his drug addiction to cocaine and heroin in the fall of 1994. Like all other tracks on the album, You’re Still Standin’ There was penned by Earle. Lucinda Williams, another artist I’ve come to dig, joined him on vocals for this great Dylan-esque tune. I can also hear some Springsteen in here! After playing music for nearly 55 years and a recording career of more than 35 years, Earle is still going strong. His most recent album with his longtime backing band The Dukes, Jerry Jeff, came out on May 27 this year.

Cream/Politician

Time to hop to the ’60s, coz why not! Politician is one of my absolute favorites by British power trio Cream. I love that super cool guitar riff. With important midterm elections coming up in America, which could significantly impact the direction of the county, I also have to admit the song choice isn’t entirely coincidental. To the extent possible, I’d like to keep this blog uplifting and free of politics, which has become so toxic. All I will say is this: Never take anything for granted. The right to vote is a privilege. If you have it, exercise it! Politician, co-written by Cream bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce and English poet, lyricist, and singer Pete Brown, appears on Cream’s third album Wheels of Fire, a part studio, part live double LP that first came out in the U.S. in June 1968, followed by the UK in August of the same year.

Dire Straits/Tunnel of Love

Fellow blogger Bruce from Vinyl Connection had a great post earlier this week about Love Over Gold, the excellent fourth studio album by Dire Straits, for which I’ve gained new appreciation. That’s why I’m featuring a song from the British rock band’s predecessor Making Movies, which came out in October 1980! 🙂 Joking aside, both of these albums rank among my top three Dire Straits releases, together with their eponymous debut that features this great signature Fender Stratocaster sound by Mark Knopfler. While that album and the similar-sounding sophomore Communiqué were great, Making Movies represented a leap in Knopfler’s songwriting. Here’s the excellent opener Tunnel of Love.

The Rolling Stones/Dead Flowers

Recently, I participated in another round of Turntable Talk, a fun recurring feature by Dave from A Sound Day, for which he invites fellow bloggers to provide their thoughts on a topic he suggests. This time, he asked contributors to write about their favorite year in music. The submissions were amazing (not talking about mine, though “my” year obviously was the best! 🙂 ). One key takeaway from this latest installment is how much great music appeared, especially in the 1965-1975 timeframe. A close second to my choice, 1969, was 1971, though frankly, I pretty much could have picked any other year during the above period. Longwinded way of bringing me to Sticky Fingers, my favorite album by The Rolling Stones released in April 1971 and a tune I absolutely love: Dead Flowers. Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the country-oriented song was influenced by Richards’ friendship with Gram Parsons. I just don’t get tired of the great honky tonk guitar fill-ins by Richards and the amazing Mick Taylor. Did somebody say they don’t like country?

Giovannie and the Hired Guns/Can’t Answer Why

For the final tune of this installment of The Sunday Six, we’re going all the way to the present with a great tune by Giovannie and the Hired Guns, a rock band from Texas I recently featured as part of my Best of What’s New music revue series. The group from Stephenville around frontman Giovannie Yanez, which also includes guitarists Carlos Villa and Jerrod Flusche, bassist Alex Trejo and Milton Toles on drums, taps into a variety of genres, such as Southern rock, country, stoner metal, musica norteña and even Latin hip-hop. Here’s Can’t Answer Why, credited to Yanez and the band, off their third and latest full-length album Tejano Punk Boyz. Great melodic rock!

‘So where’s the Spotify playlist featuring the above tunes’, you might wonder. Ask you shall receive. As always, thanks for reading and listening, and hope there’s something you dig!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Musings of the Past

Featuring Dire Straits in my most recent Sunday Six installment reminded me of Making Movies, which next to their eponymous debut is my favorite album by the British rock band. I also recalled a dedicated post from December 2017 and thought it would be worthy to republish. Here is a slightly edited version that features an added Spotify link.

What I’ve Been Listening To: Dire Straits/Making Movies

Dire Straits’ third studio album is crown jewel of their catalog

This week’s official announcement that Dire Straits are among the 2018 inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame reminded me of their great music. While the British rock band is best remembered for their 1985 masterpiece  Brothers In Arms, I’ve always been more drawn to their earlier work.

I think Dire Straits’ eponymous first studio album was a great debut. The standout Sultans Of Swing remains one of my all-time favorite guitar-driven rock songs to this day. Communiqué was a fine sophomore release that largely mirrored the sound of its predecessor, for which the band was criticized. And then in October 1980 came what in my opinion is one of their best records:  Making Movies.

The album kicks off with Tunnel Of Love. From the beginning, this tune has a very different feel compared to previous Dire Straits songs. Instead of Mark Knopfler’s signature Fender Stratocaster, the tune opens with E Street Band keyboarder Roy Bittan playing a part of Carousel Waltz from Carousel, a 1945 musical by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein (book and lyrics). The instrumental then blends into a short piano bridge before Knopfler comes in on guitar, together with the rest of the band.

The sound and Knopfler’s singing are more dynamic throughout the record than on the previous two albums. Clocking in at 8:11 minutes, the tune is the band’s longest to date. Its ups and downs further add to the dynamic. The track ends with a great extended melodic guitar solo that blends into a gentle piano outro. It’s just beautifully executed. But enough already with the words, here’s a clip.

Next up is Romeo And Juliet, another highlight on the album. One of the song’s key characteristics is the 1937 National Style “O” resonator guitar Knopfler plays. The same guitar is featured on the front cover of the Brothers In Arms album. Like in the opener, Bittan’s piano adds beautiful texture.

According to Wikipedia, the lyrics were inspired by Knopfler’s failed romance with Holly Vincent who led the American punk pop band Holly and The Italians. Apparently, the song has been covered by a wide range of artists including Indigo Girls and The Killers. Who knew?

Skateaway, the third track on the album, is another musical standout. The song’s chorus includes the lines from which the album’s title is derived: She gets rock n roll a rock n roll station/And a rock n roll dream/She’s making movies on location…The tune’s accompanying video, which featured musician Jayzik Azikiwe (1958-2008) as Rollergirl, became popular on MTV. Rollergirl, don’t worry, DJ, play the movies all night long.

For the last tune I’d like to call out let’s go to Side two (speaking in vinyl terms): Solid Rock. It’s an uptempo rocker with a great groove. I wish the honky tonk style piano one can hear in the beginning would also be prominent in other parts of the song. It’s easy to see why the track became a staple during Dire Straits’ live shows.

Making Movies was recorded at the Power Station in New York between June and August 1980. The album was co-produced by Knopfler and Jimmy Iovine, who had a major impact on the record’s sound. Knopfler reached out to Iovine after he had listened to his production of Because The Night by Patti Smith, a co-write with Bruce Springsteen. Iovine had also worked on Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Springsteen’s third and fourth studio records from 1975 and 1978, respectively. In addition, he brought in Bittan who enriched the sound of the recordings.

At the time of the album’s release, Dire Straits’ members in addition to Mark Knopfler included John Illsley (bass, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums, backing vocals). Mark’s younger brother David Knopfler left the band during the recording sessions. His guitar tracks, which had almost been completed, were re-recorded by Mark, and David was not credited on the album. The sessions continued with Sid McGinnis on rhythm guitar. Shortly before the record’s release, Hal Lindes (guitar) and Alan Clark (keyboards) joined Dire Straits as permanent members.

During an interview with Rolling Stone for their 100 Best Albums of the Eighties, which ranks Making Movies at 52, Iovine said, “I think he [Knopfler] wanted to take Dire Straits to that next step, especially in terms of the songs, and to have the album really make sense all together, which I think it does. It’s a really cohesive album. He stunned me, as far as his songwriting talents. The songs on that album are almost classical in nature.”

Commenting on the recording sessions for Making Movies, Bitton told Rolling Stone, “We went in and really took time to capture the emotion and paint the picture…They were not very straightforward songs. The subtleties of emotion that he was trying to capture was something real special — it reminded me of Bruce, you know?”

Making Movies was a success, especially in Europe, where it peaked at no. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and topped the albums charts in Italy and Norway. In the U.S., it climbed to No. 19 on the Billboard 200. Eventually, the album reached platinum certification in the U.S. and double-platinum in the UK.

– End –

The original post, which was published on December 17, 2017, ended here. Nothing more to add except a Spotify link to the album:

Sources: Wikipedia; Rolling Stone; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

Welcome to another Sunday Six to celebrate the beauty of music in different flavors, six tunes at a time. Before getting to that, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge today’s 21st anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks on the U.S. One thing that came out of the unspeakable horror that day was a strong sense of solidarity to come together. I feel we could badly need some of that spirit today. Back to what this blog aims to be, a “happy destination” that leaves any troubles you may have behind, at least while you’re here!

Dave Stewart/Lily Was Here (feat. Candy Dulfer)

The first stop on today’s musical excursion is the year 1989 and a beautiful smooth jazz track I was reminded of the other day. English musician, songwriter and producer Dave Stewart is best known for being one half of Eurythmics, the British pop duo he launched with Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox in 1980. Candy Dulfer is a Dutch jazz and pop saxophonist. The daughter of Dutch tenor saxophonist Hans Dulfer began playing the drums as a five-year-old before discovering the saxophone a year later. Since the age of seven, she has focused on the tenor saxophone. By the time she was 11, Dulfer made her first recordings for her father’s jazz band De Perikels (the perils). Three years later, she opened up two European concerts for Madonna with her own band Funky Stuff. In 1989, Stewart invited Dulfer to play sax on Lily Was Here, an instrumental he had composed for the soundtrack of a Dutch movie of the same name. The single became a no. 1 in The Netherlands and a top 20 in several other European countries, Australia and the U.S. It encouraged Dulfer to launch a solo career, which continues to this day. Hard-core jazz aficionados may consider the track to be “on the light side,” but I absolutely love it, mainly because of Dulfer’s amazing saxophone part!

Dire Straits/Once Upon a Time In the West

For this next track, we’re going to jump back 1o years to June 1979, which saw the release of Dire Straits’ sophomore album Communiqué. After the British rock band had received favorable reviews for their eponymous debut that had come out the year before, critics were generally lukewarm about the follow-up. Many felt it sounded too similar to Dire Straits. While that is not an unfair observation, I still like Communiqué and especially this tune, Once Upon a Time In the West. Written by Mark Knopfler, it also became a U.S. single in October of the same year. Unlike the internationally successful Sultans of Swing, Once Upon a Time In the West missed the charts altogether. In my opinion, that’s unfortunate – I just love that Mark Knopfler signature Fender Stratocaster guitar sound!

Lucinda Williams/Metal Firecracker

Since I saw Lucinda Williams open up for Bonnie Raitt in Philadelphia back in June, I’ve been planning to explore the catalog of the American singer-songwriter. While I featured her in a Sunday Six installment in August with a tune from her ninth studio album Little Honey from October 2008, I haven’t made much progress to date – too much great music, too little time! Metal Firecracker, penned by Williams, is from Car Wheels On a Gravel Road. Her fifth studio album, released in June 1998, marked her commercial breakthrough. Nine additional studio albums have since appeared. Luckily, Williams largely recovered from a debilitating stroke she suffered in November 2020 and was able to resume performing. I love this tune – check out this neat electric guitar sound! Based on the credits listed underneath the YouTube clip, it appears that part was played by Gurf Morlix who was a member of Williams’ backing band from 1985 until 1996 and co-produced her 1988 eponymous studio album and the 1992 follow-on Sweet Old World.

Creedence Clearwater Revival/Green River

Okay, we’re four stops into this trip, so don’t you agree it’s time for some ’60s music? I trust Creedence Clearwater Revival don’t need much if any introduction. The American rock band led by singer-songwriter John Fogerty (lead guitar, vocals) was active under that name between 1967 and 1972. Initially, the members of the group, who also included John’s brother Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitar), Stu Cook (bass) and Doug Clifford (drums), had performed as The Blue Velvets (1959-1964) and The Golliwogs (1964-1967). For some reason, that latter name always reminds me of the Gremlins! Green River, written by John Fogerty, was the great title track of CCR’s third studio album that appeared in August 1969. It also became the record’s second single in July that year, one month ahead of the group’s performance at the Woodstock music festival.

Robert Plant/Turnaround

Let’s travel to the current century. The year is 2006. The month is November. That’s when Robert Plant released a box set titled Nine Lives. It features remastered and expanded editions of nine albums the ex-Led Zeppelin vocalist released post-Zep between 1982 and 2005, both under his name and The Honeydrippers. Turnaround was first recorded during the sessions for Plant’s sophomore solo album The Principle of Moments released in July 1983, but the tune didn’t make the album. In addition to being featured on this box set, the tune is included as a bonus track on a 2007 remastered version of the aforementioned second solo effort by Plant.

Buddy Guy/We Go Back (feat. Mavis Staples)

And once again, we’ve reached the point to wrap up another Sunday Six, and I have a real goodie: We Go Back, the second single from Buddy Guy’s upcoming new album The Blues Don’t Lie. The 86-year-old blues guitar legend’s 34th record is scheduled for September 30. The release date marks the 65th anniversary of Guy’s arrival in Chicago from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This ambassador of the blues is just incredible! On the nostalgic We Go Back, released on September 2nd and co-written by Richard Fleming and Guy’s longtime collaborator, drummer and producer Tom Hambridge, Guy is joined by none other than Mavis Staples. What an amazing duo and tune – really looking forward to that album!

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist featuring the above tunes. Hope there’s something you dig!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify