January 31: Daily Guru, "Gurucast #109"

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One hour of amazing music and commentary from "The Guru" himself.

Tracklist (all links are to MY review of that artist, song, or album):
1. AC/DC, "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"  Back In Black
2. Tom Waits, "New Coat Of Paint"  The Heart Of Saturday Night
3. The Clash, "King Of The Road (outtake)"  DOA
4. Dinosaur Jr, "I Don't Think So"  Without A Sound
5. Johnny Hartman, "Charade"  I Just Dropped By To Say Hello
6. The Sound, "Jeopardy"  The BBC Recordings
7. Tori Amos, "Blood Roses"  Boys For Pele
8. REM, "Crush With Eyeliner"  Monster
9. Aretha Franklin, "Ain't No Way"  Lady Soul
10. Wirepony, "Untitled"  Tour EP One
11. Neil Young, "Don't Let It Bring You Down"  Live At Massey Hall, 1971
12. Steve Poltz, "Killin Myself (To Be With You)"  2011/03/27, Beachland Tavern
13. Leadbelly, "In The Pines"  Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
14. Minutemen, "Corona"  Double Nickels On The Dime
15. Dire Straits, "Sultans Of Swing (Original Demo Version)"
16. King Khan And The Shrines, "I Wanna Be A Girl"  The Supreme Genius Of King Khan And The Shrines

January 30: Daily Guru, "Something Old, Something New #47"

It’s Monday, and that means another edition of “Something Old, Something New.” Share and enjoy.

January 29: The Vaselines, "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam"

Artist: The Vaselines
Song: "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam"
Album: Dying For It (EP)
Year: 1988


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Though it is one of the most difficult and outright rare occurrences within the entire history of recorded music, when nothing more than the mention of a song title can bring to mind a very specific moment in history, it is clear that the song in question holds a place that defies description.  When this occurs, and it is due to the efforts of a band that did not write the song, one must delve deeper into the realities surrounding the recording to properly understand just how the song attained such a status.  While many cover songs have outshone their original versions, there are a number of cases where the original is superior, and yet due to the rather fickle nature of the world of music, it remains comparatively unknown.  This has rarely been more obvious than in the case of the Scottish quartet known as The Vaselines, as their rather unique musical approach garnered them the adoration of a somewhat unlikely music icon.  During the late 1980's, The Vaselines released a handful of EP's, highlighting their unique approach to the post-punk sound, as they gave far more concentration to melody and atmosphere than almost any other band at the time, and the group consistently create some of the most wonderfully sublime moods found anywhere.  While there is not a song in their catalog that is not worth hearing, there may be no better representation of the group as a whole than The Vaselines' 1988 song, "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam."

The fact that "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" is supposedly based around the childrens' hymn, "I'll Be A Sunbeam" is quickly apparent, as there is a rather large presence to the orchestration of the song.  Within the comparatively quiet tone, there is a great deal of energy and emotion, and it is the balance between these that makes the song so quickly captivating.  Much of this comes from the viola of Sophie Pragnell, as the inclusion of her instrument gives the song a somber drone that sways strangely with the rest of the band.  The way that the guitars from Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee create a rhythm all their own is in many ways the most clear precursor to the entire "alternative" sound that would explode a few years later.  It is also the way that bassist James Seenan and drummer Charlie Kelly bring a somewhat buried, rather dry sound to the song, and it is the placement of the drums within the overall mix that makes "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" sound completely unlike anything else being done at the time.  When one looks deeper into the music that The Vaselines create here, there are clear elements of everything from psychedelic to punk to the odd blend found in the works of groups like Joy Division and The Jesus And Mary Chain; yet at the same time, there is no question that their overall approach is completely unique.

Along with creating this rather distinctive sound, the vocals of Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee pull the listener even deeper into the song.  For a majority of "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam," it is Kelly that handles the leads, and yet when McKee offers small harmonies, it adds a level of depth that is far beyond what is expected by the listener.  However, it is also the fact that Kelly takes such a straightforward, almost detached vocal approach that makes the track so intriguing, as while there is no question that he can sing quite well, he seems rather disinterested in it during the verses.  Truth be told, one can hear influences from this approach across a wide range of later bands, and yet few do it as naturally and authentically as one finds here.  However, while the singing on "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" cannot be overlooked, it is the absolutely stunning lyrics to the song that easily remain the most enduring aspect.  Though many artists have attempted to paint pictures of alienation from life and religion, there is something particularly moving about these words, and though short, there may not be another lyric with a similar power to the opening lines of, "...Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam, 'cause sunbeams are not made like me..."  On many levels, one can see these lines as the embodiment of disillusioned youth, and it is largely due to the blunt nature of the lyrics that the song has been able to endure over the years without losing any of its impact.

However, one would be remiss to ignore the fact that both the song and The Vaselines in general were not all that well known until the unexpected presence of their songs within the catalog of Nirvana.  Truth be told, Kurt Cobain often cited the Dying For It EP as one of this all-time favorite records, and both this song and "Molly's Lips" were often covered by the band at live shows.  Yet nothing could have prepared the world for the rendition of "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" that occurred during Nirvana's now-infamous "Unplugged In New York" performance in 1993, though both the television network and Geffen Records incorrectly titled the song, "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam."  Regardless of the error in titling, when Cobain mentioned the origins of the song, it led to a number of people seeking out the original, and in the process, The Vaselines were given a rather unexpected surge in popularity.  While the rendition Nirvana brought at that performance was certainly moving for a number of reasons, it was lifted almost verbatim from the original, and after experiencing the recording from The Vaselines, one can properly understand the pain and frustration that the song should evoke within the listener.  To this day, few songs have been able to so accurately capture these feelings, and that fact, combined with the moving orchestration that accompanies it, is what makes The Vaselines 1988 song, "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam," one of the most uniquely fantastic recordings in all of music history.

January 28: Leonard Cohen, "Songs Of Leonard Cohen"

Artist: Leonard Cohen
Album: Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Year: 1967
Label: Columbia


Perhaps due to the massive amount of changes as now-legendary artists that emerged within the period, many of the most important performers of the 1960's seem to take a back seat to those of lesser importance on a far too regular basis.  Though not to disparage any artist in particular, the reality is that there were a number of blues-based rock bands from the U.K. that were making extremely similar music, and in the United States, one can see a similar trend within the world of folk and the singer-songwriter style of performance.  Due to these realities, one must look to the performers outside of this trend to find those individuals that were truly essential to the development of music during that time, and in this, few can hold their own against the work and impact of Leonard Cohen.  On almost every level, Cohen completely defies the norms within music, whether it is due to his background, his overall sound or the way that his career progressed; and one can argue that it is because of this completely unique set of circumstances that his music has been able to endure far better than nearly any other performer from his era.  Having already established himself as one of the most well-respected writers and poets on the planet, in the late 1960's, Leonard Cohen began to again pursue his love of music, and his 1967 debut, Songs Of Leonard Cohen, stands as one of the most distinctive and outright groundbreaking records in history.

Musically, the entire Songs Of Leonard Cohen album is a sharp diversion from what was going on in other genres at the time, as it is musically closer to the folk sound, and yet there is an element within the music that remains completely unique.  It is the sparse, almost dark nature that comes through on these songs which places it so far from the "standard" folk sound, and one can argue that it is within the music of Leonard Cohen where the difference between "folk" and "singer-songwriter" styles of music can be properly experienced.  Rarely using anything more than his guitar for instrumentation, it is the energy with which he plays that makes each song so completely captivating.  In many ways, it is the economy with which he uses notes that becomes so stunning, as perhaps even more than the later punk rock movement, there is not a note on any of these songs that is not completely necessary to the overall sound.  The purposeful absence of drums not only ensures that the mood stays intact, but it allows the lone guitar to provide a somewhat chilling rhythm to the song, and each track has a sway that is unlike anything else in music history.  Furthermore, it is the fact that Cohen is able to find so much range and diversity within the rather simple musical arrangement which vaults this record into a category all its own.

Though one can argue that the music throughout Songs Of Leonard Cohen certainly provides an ample amount of mood, it is the way that Leonard Cohen's voice adds to this overall tone which makes it impossible to ever forget any of these recordings.  His strong, deep voice helps to capture and push forward the setting of being on along the river in Montreal, and his direct, clear singing helps to paint some of the finest musical pictures in history.  It is the almost sparse and open nature of his singing which adds to the overall allure of each song, and yet there is a slight diversity within his singing that enables the overall album to gain a great deal of depth.  However, few will argue that there is an aspect of the music of Leonard Cohen that is more engaging than his lyrics; and this is not very surprising due to the fact that at the time of this recording, he was already an internationally recognized poet of the highest regard.  Whether it is the somber, slightly haunting way that Cohen conveys "Suzanne," or the similarly moving "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye," it is the straightforward manner with which he sings that is the key to the impact of each song.  Yet while many of the songs may seem to suggest otherwise, the reality is that Cohen manages to speak about human relationships, yet never about love; and it is this small difference that shows his work in a completely different light, opening new avenues to countless artists that followed.

While Leonard Cohen has certainly been given credit for his presence within the music of the late 1960's, one can easily make the case that he is still seen as a "secondary" artist when compared to many of his peers.  This is outright wrong, as Cohen remains completely unique within the overall world of music, as no other artist has been able to create songs with a similar tone or emotion, leaving him in a category all his own.  Furthermore, the fact that each of his songs is still able to hold up without any caveats more than four decades later places him into the most elite musical company, and this fact also serves as a testament to the extraordinary accomplishment that is Songs Of Leonard Cohen.  Nearly every song on this album has been covered over the years, and it is within the range of artists that have created their own versions of his songs where one can fully understand just how significant his contributions remain.  From Roberta Flack to R.E.M. to Judy Collins to The Lemonheads, Cohen's music has touched nearly every style of music, and the band Sisters Of Mercy took their name from the song found on this record.  Yet it almost goes without saying that none of these later covers come even close to the tension and spirit found on the originals, and due to this, and the overall perfection found within, there is no other album in history quite like Leonard Cohen's brilliant 1967 debut, Songs Of Leonard Cohen.

January 27: Daily Guru, "Something Old, Something New #46"

It’s Friday, and that means another dose of “Something Old, Something New” with The Daily Guru. Share and enjoy.

January 26: Alan Lomax

Within the modern era of music, the idea of a sound or artist being "lost" is almost unthinkable, as technology has made the processes of recording and preservation very simple and affordable to people across the globe.  However, both of these realities are relatively new when one looks at the entire history of recorded music, and during the first half of the last century, there were countless artists that will never be heard due to the limited range that music could travel.  In fact, during the early 1930's, the reality that entire genres appeared to be fading away moved the U.S. government to seek out ways to preserve their musical history.  This led to The Library of Congress taking a far more proactive role in "saving" the music of the country, and it was this that would lead to the first "field recordings" that have received widespread circulation.  Once the government purchased this then-state-of-the-art recorder, they sought out an individual to scour the countryside and document the amazing music that was being created, concentrating on the more roots-based music of the era.  To this end, The Library of Congress hired a man and his son to do the job, and over a four month period in 1932, the pair covered more than eighteen thousand miles, capturing recordings of some of the most important figures in music history.  It is due to his presence on this trip, as well as his continued quest to preserve music for generations to come that makes Alan Lomax one of the most important figures in all of music history.

During this first trip in documenting the music of America, Lomax focused on mostly folk and blues acts, and the latter of these led to many recordings and prisons across the Southern part of the country.  It was during one of these sessions that Lomax came across a prisoner named Huddie Ledbetter, and Lomax would soon head up a small team that would work for his release from prison so he could bring his songs to the masses.  Ledbetter remains today one of the biggest figures in the history of blues music, but during his journeys, Lomax also recorded the likes of Robert Pete Williams, Aunt Molly Jackson, and a young man who went by the name Muddy Waters.  The recordings that Lomax made were all placed into the Library of Congress, and in later years, they would be released in various forms, allowing the entire world to experience these moving, raw performances.  Yet Lomax made similar inroads within the world of folk music; as it was this style that presented the musical compliment to the sound of the blues.  Much as he did in the case of Ledbetter, Alan Lomax is also responsible for the first recordings of the man who may very well be the most important figure in all of music history: Woody Guthrie.  These early sessions remain today as some of the finest in the Guthrie catalog, and as these songs reached the rest of the country, it became the catalyst for massive cultural changes.

As the years progressed, Alan Lomax shifted his efforts to the world of jazz music and many other styles as they developed, and due to his presence and work over the years, one can easily make the case that the remains the most important historian and field-taper in the entire history of music.  In fact, in the late 1930's, Lomax began delivering his efforts via a different medium, as he played many of his recordings on a series of radio programs that would run over the next few years.  As his radio shows continued over the years, it would be his presence and sound that would lead to both the folk and blues revivals that occurred during the 1950's and 1960's, making his early recordings all the more valuable, as well as pointing the spotlight on many artists that had been believed to be "lost."  Yet Lomax also did a great deal of work within the same realm, but on an international level, as he was one of the key editors in the groundbreaking eighteen-volume Columbia World Library Of Folk And Primitive Music, which was released in the U.K. in the 1950's, taking advantage of a new technology: the LP record.  Even today, the Lomax recordings for The Library of Congress can still easily hold their own in terms of quality, and are far beyond anything else in terms of historical importance, and there is no arguing any other person in history as having an even remotely similar level of importance to the development and appreciation of music than Alan Lomax.

January 25: Daily Guru, "Ask The Guru #02"

Today brings another edition of "Ask The Guru." Share and enjoy.