Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Petra Haden & The Who.

petra whowho sell out
Petra Haden >I Can See For Miles
The Who >I Can See For Miles

When she was in the record business, my wife loved working with Petra Haden in That Dog. She also loves The Who. I've known Petra's dad Charlie for years, and his work during the 90s has been even greater than his work for the 30 years before (I posted some with Hank Jones and Pat Metheny earlier). And I love hit records, so I Can See For Miles is probably my favorite song by far on The Who Sell Out.

Petra Haden >I Can See For Miles
The Who >I Can See For Miles

Friday, June 17, 2005

Ray Charles, Gordon McCrae.

ray charlesoklahoma
Ray Charles >Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
Gordon McCrae >Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Before I heard Ray Charles do this song in 1981, Oh, What A Beautiful Morning was just another corny song from a musical. His version made it one of my favorite songs, showed me how Rodgers and Hammerstein could perfected match some words with a melody.

Last week was my 10 year old's end of the year school performance. His grade sang Oh, What a Beautiful Morning and it reminded me of Ray, so I played it for him afterward. Being the kind of kid he is, he wanted to hear the original. Even if I don't, he likes it better.

Ray Charles >Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
Gordon McCrae >Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Jimmy Webb, Glen Campbell, & Philip Glass.

jimmy webbglen campbellphillip glass
Jimmy Webb >Worst That Could Happen
Glen Campbell >By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Philip Glass >Music with Changing Parts (this is a huge file: 56.5MB)

My musical friends are generally the hippest of the hipsters. Out jazz, Middle Eastern pop, the trippiest hop. One of the reasons they like me is that I can be pretty sharp with my taste too --after all, I did start my career producing Cecil Taylor records-- but they look very sad for me when I try to convince them to enjoy a genuine hit song.

So it's probably fitting that the two times I've gone to see live music in the last couple (!) of years (both in the last two weeks, by the way), the perfomances have spanned my complete horizon.

Our friend Jon Kane took a couple of years off from his day job as an amazing director to become one of the editors in the famous avant-garde Qatsi film triology by Godfrey Reggio (Koyaanisqatsi, Powwaqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi) with equally famous music by Philip Glass. Jon wanted some more art in his life, and his sheer talent caused Godfrey to promote him to lead editor and -- unprecedented in his pictures-- creative director. Jon was nice enough to invite Robin and I to the world premiere of Powwaqatsi with a live, synchronized performance by the Philip Glass Ensemble, and we were excited because neither of us had seen Philip live in decades. It reminded me how much interest I had lost in his music starting with Einstein on the Beach, but also how thrilled I was with his early pieces like Music in Similar Motion and Music with Changing Parts. Love the minimalism, but also using those rock'n'roll organs in such formal works.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, only my friend Roy would call to see if we wanted to see a cabaret performance of Jimmy Webb, featuring Glen Campbell. Having never given Jimmy Webb a second serious thought until about five years ago (when I discovered his solo piano and voice album Ten Easy Pieces; I'm a sucker for a composer singing his/her own songs, even if he/she can barely sing), we were intrigued, especially because Robin has always loved Glen Campbell (I suppose she needed a break from her work with Motley Crue). I had a great awakening to Glen's talent when I shot a playing/singing commercial with him about 25 years ago (he might be a jerk, but he is intensely gifted), so I was completely up for the show. It was underrehearsed and pretty ragged, but listening in a living room style set up at Feinstein's at the Regency made it a wonderful, unusal musical experience in a city where you sometimes get the feeling there's nothing fresh under the sun.

This track from the aforementioned Ten Easy Pieces was my great Webb revelation. Originally done in a overwrought Top 10 hit by the Brooklyn Bridge (with Johnny Maestro from the Crests) I must admit I absolutely adore the song in any version I've ever heard. (this is a huge file: 56.5MB)

OK, so I'm not such a hipster.

Philip Glass >Music with Changing Parts (this is a huge file: 56.5MB)
Glen Campbell >
By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Jimmy Webb >Worst That Could Happen