Megan Trainor got it right in more ways than one with her double entendre singing the title song of my playlist “All About That Bass.” The upright bass prominently drives the song and lyrics forward with “no treble.”
I do love this cover of the song by Postmodern Jukebox as well:
One of the most iconic bass riff in a song is Pink Floyd’s Money. From a band whose songs are typically dominated by guitar and ethereal electronics, the song marches forward to the beat of the wandering bass.
The songs earlier on the list, similar to some wines being fruit forward, think Shiraz, Zinfandel, or Amarone, are bass forward, think Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Under Pressure,” The Beatles “Come Together,” Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side,” The Temptations “My Girl,” Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” Otis Redding’s “Dock Of The Bay,” and perhaps the most bass forward song Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.” While I like this live video of Stevie, as it keys in on the bassist:
I also just love this video as a snapshot of R&B/Soul music in the 70s:
For many of these songs, the bass line often comes to mind before the melody or lyrics.
Some songs are more subtle and balanced, with bass being a steady driver of the song momentum, but not containing a standout bass intro or solo. Some of my favorites include The Doors “Peace Frog,” Yes “Roundabout” – check out this concert footage, such a great bass line, and so much going on musically, with amazing electric guitar, keyboards, and vocals as well – classic prog rock at its best:
Also The Blues Brothers “Soul Man,” Dobie Gray “Drift Away,” Rush “Digital Man,” Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be,” the last a great example of the bass moving the song along, as often is the case with more bluesy songs:
Other songs have memorable solos, such as Fleetwood Mac’s solo (at 3:04). Perhaps among the most surprising, amazing, complex bass solos is from the oft underappreciated member of one of the greatest bands of all time, Led Zeppelin. Playing bass in the shadows of the best guitarist and drummer of his era in Jimmy Page and John Bonham, John Paul Jones filled in the gaps with solid bass, keyboard, and whatever else needed to be done to fill their sound. But in this song, I think Page and Bonham were tripping on some new drugs, and Jones seized the opportunity to sneak in among the most amazing bass solos ever. Check out Zep’s music bible version of the Gospel according to John 1:27, that is 1 minute and 27 seconds into the playlist song – focus on his sprinting bass work underlying Page’s guitar licks, or on this live version check it out around 2:19 in:
A song with a more subtle but beautiful, integral bass line is perhaps one of the finest, well balanced songs ever recorded, Van Morrison’s “Moondance.” It appears on several of my playlists featuring exceptional instrumentation, including its piano, flute, saxophone, and bass work. Just spectacular.
Paul McCartney, usually remembered primarily for his being half of one of the greatest songwriting duos of all time alongside John Lennon with the Beatles, also produced some memorable bass lines, in addition to the Beatles’ “Come Together,” Wings’ “Silly Love Songs” and one of the coolest bass intros to a song, from the movie Give My Regards To Broadstreet “No More Lonely Nights.”
The bass lines of some songs seem to lend themselves to a second life. Led Zeppelin’s bass line from the 1969 release “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” appears in Chicago’s 1970 release “25 or 6 to 4.” Vanilla Ice’s rip-off of Queen’s “Under Pressure” with “Ice Ice Baby.” And Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” reworks the bass riff for Chic’s “Good Times.”
And some bands became noted for their bassist and prominent bass presence in their music: Geddy Lee of Rush, Chris Squire of Yes, Adam Clayton of U2, Flea (Michael Peter Balzary) of Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sting of The Police.
The Doobie Brothers had some great bass work in their music. Some memorable songs include “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Long Train Runnin’,” “Minute By Minute,” and What A Fool Believes.”
Then there were some very prominent session bassists, including Chuck Rainey, who did some regular work with Steely Dan:
He also provided rhythm for the likes of Jackson Brown, Marvin Gaye, Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, The Young Rascals, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, Rickie Lee Jones, and Roberta Flack. His bass contributions span from Steely Dan to Quincy Jones on the playlist. Perhaps my favorite Chuck Rainey intro is with Rickie Lee Jones in “Woody And Dutch On The Slow Train To Peking.” And some of my Steely Dan faves include “Hey Nineteen,” “Aja,” “Josie,” “Peg,” “Kid Charlemagne,” and “Any Major Dude”. And who knew he provided the delicate bass to complement Joe Cocker’s tender vocals along with beautiful piano and keyboards in “You Are So Beautiful.”
And if Chuck Rainey was among the most prolific bassists, Pino Palladino was like a god walking among mere mortals. Master of the fretless bass, he could be heard backing such an eclectic group of artists, including Paul Young, Don Henley, David Gilmour, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Michael McDonald, B.B. King, Tina Turner, Edie Brickell, Charlotte Church, John Mayer, The Who, Amos Lee, Adele, Nine Inch Nails, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, John Legend, Josh Groban, Ed Sheeran, and Harry Styles.
Sting also champions the fretless bass, as well as the upright bass. Listen to the selections with The Police and solo. One song and bass line I just love is “Shape Of My Heart.” Check out this bass cover playing along with Sting:
Other songs and artists featuring fretless bass beyond Pino and Sting’s work include Jeff Ament’s work with Pearl Jam, many Bad Company offerings, the Rolling Stone’s “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Tumbling Dice,” Pink Floyd’s “Hey You,” Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble,” “Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” Alana Myles’ “Black Velvet,”
Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Let Her Cry,”
Blues Traveler’s “Run-Around,” Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama I’m Coming Home,” and Eric Clapton’s “Tears In Heaven.”
Navigating the end of the playlist, songs from The Police collection and Sting to Eric Clapton “Tears In Heaven” feature fretless bass. And from Paul Young up to Jaco Pastorius feature more fretless bass all from Pino Palladino. And the last 2 selections are by Jaco, one of the most accomplished jazz bassists who I felt worth a quick listen. However, I did not include jazz, blues, or country as a whole in the playlist, which is eternally long enough as it is at just a little over 24 hours, a full day’s worth of music.
When listening to the playlist, which obviously will need to be in sessions due to its length, try to focus more on listening to the backing bass, rather than our typical attraction to the melody or lead guitar. It will open up new horizons in appreciating this music. I also separated out a few bass sub-playlists, including bass heroes (such as Geddy Lee, Sting, John Paul Jones, Adam Clayton, as well as the Doobies, Steely Dan, Donald Fagan, and KC & The Sunshine Band being represented), as well as more extensive Chuck Rainey and Pino Palladino playlists for those interested.
All About That Bass:
Bass Heroes:
Chuck Rainey:
Pino Palladino:
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life.
While not exactly my wheelhouse for music, my being more a product of classic rock and pop of the 70’s and 80’s (though I will say Stevie Ray Vaughan, British blues have been among my favorites for years, and Joe Bonamassa and Keb’ Mo’ more recently), I thought I’d get a bit of the blues. This will not be a comprehensive coverage of the history of the blues, or even modern blues artists, but more a review of one of the most spectacular music events I have had the pleasure of experiencing, the music on board the Norwegian Jade out of Athens, Greece on its sailing for Keeping the Blues Alive Mediterranean II, heretofore called the Blues Cruise.
Blues is a musical genre and form originating in the Deep South of the US in the 1860s by African Americans with roots in African-American work songs and spirituals. Subgenres include country blues such as Delta blues and Piedmont blues, as well as urban blues styles such as Chicago blues and West Coast blues, evolving to blues rock, with influences over the years on rock, southern rock, and R&B (Rhythm & Blues). Delta blues, named for the Mississippi Delta, dominated by guitar, especially slide guitar, harmonica, and soulful vocals, perhaps best exemplified by Robert Johnson, and eventually Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and more recently Keb’ Mo’. Piedmont Blues, named for the Southeast region from Richmond, VA to Atlanta, GA, is characterized by a guitar fingerpicking approach in which a regular, alternating thumb bass string rhythmic pattern supporting a syncopated melody picked with the forefinger and other fingers. The sound is almost ragtime in style, popularized by Blind Boy Fuller, Guy Davis, Ry Cooder, Doc Watson, Keb’ Mo’ as well.
More urban, modern blues is characterized by Electric blues, with electrified instruments, often electric (instead of upright) bass, keyboards, electric guitar, often with distortion, including Chicago blues, with champions Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, and Buddy Guy. West Coast often have strong piano-dominated sounds with jazzy guitar solos, originated from Texas blues players who relocated to California in the 1940, perhaps best exemplified by T Bone Walker. Strongly influenced by early Electric blues were the cadre of British blues acolytes, including acts such as John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Animals. Such acts paved the way for the likes of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Vaughan/Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, influenced Southern Rock such as the Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Jeff Healey, and more recently acts like White Stripes, Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa, and now the young phenom Toby Lee.
B.B. King is perhaps the face of American blues, with a career spanning 8 decades. He introduced a style of guitar soloing with fluid string bending, vibrato, and staccato picking that influenced many later blues electric guitar players, like Joe Bonamassa, who opened for B.B. at the age of 12.
Joe’s tribute to B.B. King:
Joe Bonamassa performing at just the age of 12:
Joe has taken on the mantle of Blues guitar in the U.S., not only being perhaps the best blues guitarist on the face of the planet, but also establishing his Keeping the Blues Alive foundation, with a mission:
Our mission is to conserve the art of music in schools by funding projects, scholarships, and grants that preserve music education for the next generation. Every week, we donate to a school in need of instruments, sheet music, supplies and more in the effort to uphold the rich culture and history of the Blues as a true American art form
KTBA Foundation
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One of their fundraisers for the foundation includes his Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea cruises, with 6 Caribbean (with a 7th upcoming 03/23, embarking from Miami porting in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) and now 2 Mediterranean cruises. Arranged and coordinated by Sixthman, an organization that creates memorable music festival experiences on sea and sand, cruise popular acts have included John Hiatt, Blues Traveler, Bruce Hornsby, Eric Gale, Los Lobos, Monte Montgomery, Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, and Peter Frampton. But if our cruise is any indicator, the less popular acts are equally fantastic.
I’m tempted to compare the KTBA-MII Blues Cruise to other music festivals I have attended, including Live Aid – Philadelphia ’85, as well as the serveral SoulFest Christian music festivals I attended in New Hampshire. While Live Aid was the concert of the decade in the 80’s, if not of the century, Woodstock notwithstanding, featuring everyone who was anyone in the 80’s, as a 15 hour concert in the heat of an open stadium at RFK, it wasn’t as relaxing, comfortable, and intimate as the Blues Cruise. And roughing it in the mountains of New Hampshire was always a much anticipated event with my boys and their friends and other youth from our church, it wasn’t exactly cruise ship accommodations, and beyond the headliners there was a much more significant drop-off in talent, though we did always manage to find some lesser known gems. While headliners on the Blues Cruise, such as Joe Bonamassa, Keb’ Mo’, and Tommy Emmanuel may be what brought many of us on the ship, though there were those well acquainted with the likes of Samantha Fish, King King, Walter Trout, Terry Reid, and Marc Broussard, the talent of even lesser known acts was just unbelievable.
The combination of cruise ship accommodations, cuisine, ports, and multiple atmospheres in which to listen to music made it an unparalleled event. Music on the Norwegian Jade (the same ship I had cruised on 6 years prior from Venice to Split and Dobrovnik, Croatia, and Athens and Santorini, Greece) could be heard in a larger environ on the main stage on the Pool Deck, somewhat of a dance party at sea, as well as in the cruise ship Stardust Theater, or for a more intimate environment the Spinnaker Lounge, Bliss Lounge, Magnum’s Champagne and Wine Bar, or even the cruise ship Atrium. But even the Stardust Theater became an intimate venue with a late night Campfire Session, among my favorite concerts of the trip.
Though our cruise embarked from Athens, Greece, we went on a pre-cruise adventure in Crete. Our stay at the Casa Delfino, a boutique hotel in the Old Port of Chania, was the perfect luxurious spa atmosphere to relax before the cruise. The staff insured that our stay was exceptional, including the concierge saving the day helping us secure a rental car and planning our day exploring the northwest countryside of Crete. A hotel not to be missed.
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Casa Delfino courtyardview of the Old Port from the Casa Delfino rooftop barSunset over the Old Port lighthouse in Chania, Crete
Lamb chops were an almost daily staple, as the lamb was so delicious, so expertly grilled. The mussels were the best I ever had. And I came to enjoy the after dinner digestive, though I much preferred raki to ouzo. Raki, also called tsicoudia, is a distilled liquor made from the fermented remnants of grapes pressed in winemaking. It is similar to Italian grappa, and reminiscent of brandy, cognac, or even bourbon in taste.
Chania cuisine – the best lamb chops and mussels under the sun
And I came to enjoy the after dinner digestive, though I much preferred raki to ouzo. Raki, also called tsicoudia, is a distilled liquor made from the fermented remnants of grapes pressed in winemaking. It is similar to Italian grappa, and reminiscent of brandy, cognac, or even bourbon in taste.
Our view of Chania Old Town and the Old Port at dinner
We ventured to an olive oil tasting at Biolea Astrikas Estates and did the sommelier experience – so worth it! Crete is home to 400 MILLION olive trees, with olive tree cultivation dating back 6000 years. Residents of Crete consume more olive oil than anywhere on the planet, well above runners up Spain and Italy. At 35 liters per person per year, it is roughly the equivalent of weekly consuming olive oil in an amount equal to a bottle of wine. Not only did we sample the best olive oil there, but wine and a 5 course meal beyond compare!!
Biolea single estate stone milled cold pressed olive oilBruschetta [subsequent courses: Greek tomato, onion, olive, caper, feta salad; sweet potato soup with feta cheese, carob crisps; and fried eggs with Staka (Cretan goat milk cream), almonds, parmesan crisps]Goat cheese Cretan cheesecake with carob crisp, fresh apricot jam, and basilOlive groves of Biolea
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The azure blue water at the beaches and the surrounding rocks were stunning. And I couldn’t pass up a swim in the Mediterranean.
Falasarna Beach, Crete
We then ventured to Agia Triada Monastery, which was breathtaking:
I was even a wedding crasher at a Greek Orthodox Church!
Wedding at Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church – Chania, Crete
And found a gorgeous little Catholic Church in a small alleyway across from the Greek Orthodox Church. And there was a synagogue behind that!
Catholic Church of the Assumption – Chania, Crete
Then we headed back to Athens, with a spectacular view of the Acropolis from the Areopagus, where the apostle Paul preached conversion to the Greeks.
View of the Acropolis from the Areopagus.My fine feathered friend on the Areopagus.
We stayed at another boutique hotel, B4b Athens Signature Hotel, that not only had a spectacular rooftop view of the Acropolis, but had local cell phones for guests to take and use for the duration of their stay with unlimited call, text and data – what a great idea!
Rooftop bar, the night before our KTBA-MII cruise.
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From there we embarked on the most amazing musical adventure. Artists on the Blues Cruise included blues and guitar standouts Joe Bonamassa, Keb’ Mo’, and Tommy Emmanuel. But new discoveries included the likes of Ana Popovic, King King, Toby Lee, Selwyn Birchwood, Jade Macrae, Elles Bailey, Marc Broussard, and Cold Stares.
But of course, Joe was the headliner – just so amazingly good:
Joe Bonamassa jamming on the pool deck main stage with an All Star band.
Toby Lee, English guitarist from Oxfordshire, England, posted a tribute video to BB King when he was 10 years old that went viral, Lee played with Joe Bonamassa at the Royal Albert Hall at 14 years old.
And here Toby pays tribute to B.B.’s passing. You just have to love those onesies:
Toby has been somewhat mentored by Joe Bonamassa, playing with him at the Royal Albert Hall at just 14. Here he is before meeting Joe at just the age of 11 covering his “Sloe Gin”:
Here’s just a glimpse of Toby from the cruise – just 17? Ridiculous!:
Keb’ Mo’, an American blues musician, oft described as the “living link to the Delta blues”. His bluesy voice and guitar make him among my favorites. I just love listening to Keb’, and was happy to finally see him perform live.
Ana Popovic, a Serbian blues singer and guitarist, a new discovery for us, again one of our favorites, so much so we have tickets to her show in Savannah, GA in December.
Ana Popovic on the Pool Deck main stage, with Joe Bonamassa (guitar) and Tommy Emmanuel (drums)
King King, one of the hottest British blues rock band, backed by Alan and Stevie Nimmo. While this clip is a cover of one of my all-time favorite Clapton songs, “Old Love” (especially the Unplugged version), they more than do it justice. And their originals are great rocking blues.
King King covering “Old Love” at the Spinnaker Lounge
And Selwyn Birchwood was so amazing, with his gravely deep voice and Piedmont and Delta blues. Our introduction was in the Atrium, just Selwyn and his guitar, but he was equally great with his band at Magnums.
Selwyn covering “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” popularized by Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith
Jade Macrae, a backup singer in Joe Bonamassa’s band, is venturing out on a career of her own. She has some amazing pipes, with a sultry sound reminiscent at times of Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross. In a turn of roles, with Joe Bonamassa backing her up, she’s trading vocal phrases with Joe’s guitar:
Hailing from Bristol, U.K., Elles Bailey provided some smooth, soulful blues. Check out her touching tribute to Janis Joplin “Girl That Owned The Blues” on the playlist. So beautiful. Here she covers John Prine/Bonnie Raitt with “Angel From Montgomery”:
Jackie Venson, with her funky soul-filled blues has been compared to Joss Stone, though I hear more Tracey Chapman and Joan Armatrading in her vocals and musical style:
Jackie Venson with some percussive help by Keb’ Mo’, Samantha Fish, and Tommy Emmanuel
Samantha Fish was quite the blues rocker, her voice at times shades of Amy Winehouse, here playing some great slide guitar.
Samantha Fish accompanied by Jackie Venson, Keb’ Mo’, and Tommy Emmanuel
While we got rained out mid-cruise at our Mykonos port, our subsequent stop at Kusadasi and Ephesus, Turkey did not disappoint.
The library of Ephesus, second largest of the Ancient world, surpassed only to its counterpart in Rhodes (the latter was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, since destroyed)The small amphitheater from which Paul preached in EphesusPaul was imprisoned overlooking Ephesus, for where he wrote some of the epistles to the Corinthians.
The juxtaposition of Ancient World sightseeing and listening to modern blues was a bit surreal. Nonetheless, back on the Jade, Cold Stares provided some great Blues rock:
The Suffers sound is R&B style blues oft described as Gulf Coast soul. Their lead singer Kam Franklin invokes shades of Aretha and Tina. No one on the ship seemed to have more fun and joy in performing than the Suffers!:
Marc Broussard, an American singer, songwriter, has a style, per Wikipedia, “best described as Bayou Soul, with a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matches with disctinctive Southern roots.” I guess that about covers it all. His sound is a mix of Huey Lewis, Sam Cook, and Otis Redding, the latter of which I commented on to my wife while he was performing. No sooner had I said that he broke into singing “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” one of my favorite Otis songs. I guess I was pretty spot-on.
Marc Broussard on the pool deck main stage with Joe Bonamassa and Jimmy Vivino accompanying
Tommy Emmanuel is an acoustic guitarist without parallel. Until the cruise I hadn’t realized how the guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela has adopted much of Tommy’s style with flamenco type flourishes and significant percussion of the guitar body (check out “Cantina Senese” on the playlist). From down-under Australia, he is an entertainer extraordinaire. Check out his cover of Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” on the playlist. Here he offers the most delicate finger tapping and styling with “Secret Love”:
Lakota John is cut more from the folk blues mold, sang and played with his dad, who both sang and accommpanied Lakota on harmonica. Lakota has a few songs that are so special, the first about his grandmother, not available on Spotify – I wish I had recorded the song in its entirety:
Lakota John with “She’s Grand”
And here the lyrics to “Good Notes,” which is included in my Spotify playlist. Such a beautiful song.
Good Notes
My body has slowed just as time has found her wings my back is now bowed my heart soars and it sings shrouded by the cloak of what they thought of me not bound by those chains I’m who I’m meant to be
I listen to the good notes the bad ones lost in time here on this journey living ’till i die
My friends have now passed their time has reached its end heaven chose to leave me here my second wind spoken words i once swallowed throughout the years, rules I once followed living life with no more fear
Don’t sing like i used to can’t hit the higher range voice don’t travel far no more old songs find their new way memories music brings one more way to pray fingers slower on the strings while living every note I play
I listen to the good notes the bad ones lost in time here on this journey living ’till I die
Lakota John
For more videos from the cruise, check out my YouTube channel Keeping the Blues Alive Mediterranean II folder:
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From the cruise we headed back to Athens for one last day of holiday after the cruise.
In(n) Athens Boutique Hotel courtyard
We had the fortune at the port of meeting the most wonderful taxi driver Cristos, who made our day absolutely the best finale of a most memorable vacation.
Cristos’ business card – use him if in Athens, he’ll insure your stay is memorable!
He offered his services to introduce us and our friends to more of ancient Greece, including the Temple of Poseidon:
Temple of Poseidon
Crossing the isthmus and Corinth Canal to the Peloponnesus:
Corinth Canal – we had no takers in our group on bungee jumping from the bridge over the canal
Then on to Ancient Corinth:
Continuing in Apostle Paul’s footsteps to Ancient Corinth, to whom he wrote his letters to the CorinthiansThe area where Paul was tried for preaching “illegal” religious beliefs, prior to his moving on to EphesusStatue in Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth, so realistic, hard to believe it’s stone
Our sightseeing was followed by lunch in a village in the mountains of the Peloponnesus, highlighted by a spicy tzatziki, the meal a wonderful and delicious culmination of the most fantastic trip.
And without further ado the playlist. It is a sampling of songs from the artists on the cruise, by no means comprehensive, but just some of the songs I like by the artists. There are a few duplicate songs, with one version a stripped down acoustic, and the other electric with significant band accompaniment. In these instances they were different enough that I felt both worthy of inclusion. Explore more songs by these artists on your own. I think you’ll appreciate the variety of styles of these great artists. I can see why Joe invited them to participate in the cruise – just fantastic.
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life.
The inspiration for this playlist was my neighbor, who casually commented on one of my blog posts that she only knew folk music. As my “about me” blog entry states “I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” (Albert Einstein), I of course thought what a great idea for a new playlist!
American folk music encompasses several musical genres. Songs tend to be traditional, often sung for generations, many tracing root back to Great Britain, mainland Europe, or Africa. Non-electrified instruments are the norm in folk music, including acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, harmonica, and hand percussion. Mike Seeger, folk musician and half-brother to perhaps the most famous folk musician Pete Seeger, offered that American folk music is “all the music that fits between the cracks.”
In Folk Music, the earth sings, the mountains sing, the rivers flow, the crops sing.
Gandhi
I think American folk music can be described by paraphrasing US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous 1964 quote to describe his threshold test for obscenity “I know it when I see it.” I can’t fully define the parameters that define folk music, but “I know it when I hear it.”
American folk music is a broad musical genre drawn from a wide array of musical traditions from populations and ethnic groups. It includes several genres and themes, such as Appalachian music, bluegrass, railroad songs, protest songs, cowboy songs, and sea shanties.
Rising to popularity first in the 1930s thanks to the Carter Family, with songs such as “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” In the 1960s, folk music became a part of pop culture, with themes including the Civil Rights Movement as well as countercultural influences. Popular folk singers included Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Denver, Arlo Guthrie. Also popular were The Kingston Trio, The Serendipity Singers, The Journeyman, The New Christy Minstrel, The Seekers, The Brothers Four, The Limelighters, and The Rooftop Singers. Some folk blues and folk country artists appear, including Lead Belly, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson, and Roy Acuff. And even more mainstream folk and pop artists included Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Youngbloods, Crosby Stills & Nash, The Mamas & The Papas. The Singer-Songwriters of the 70’s and 80’s, think Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Carole King, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin, Don McLean, Dan Fogelberg, Tracy Chapman, often had folk offerings, though with a bit more of a pop sound, as part of their repertoire. The folk tradition is being carried on by some current artists, including the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Old Crow Medicine Show, Nickel Creek, Dave Rawlings, Sean Rowe, and Gillian Welch.
Since my initial posting, in my music listening I stumbled upon one of my favorite artists of all time that I forgot to include in this blog. As he has evolved in his career, he has becoming much more folk, and much less rock and pop in his style. How I left him off, I don’t know – Mark Knopfler, of Dire Straits fame.
Music Themes include:
Spirituals, originating with white ministers setting European folk melodies to religious lyrics, as well as African American adaptations with themes including slavery and emancipation, such as “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” and “We Shall Overcome,”
Work Songs, including Cowboy Songs and Sea Shanties which functioned to lighten the burden of work and keep rhythm as a team, such as “Blow The Man Down” and “Shenandoah,” as well as Railroad Songs, such as “The Ballad of John Henry” and “Frieght Train.”
Protest songs were prominent in the 60s, with the very popular songs “If I Had A Hammer,” “Blowin’ In The Wind,” “The Times They Are A Changin,” and “Where Have All The Flowers Gone.”
Appalachian Music, such as “Wabash Cannonball” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, with popular artists including the Carter Family and Doc Watson, influencing country artists such as Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, as well as Folk and Rock artists Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, all included in this playlist.
My Spotify folk playlist “This Land Is Your Land” is organized (if you have the premium version of Spotify) as follows:
Standout folk songs: a collection of my favorites, by great folk artists
Female folk songs: a very “easy listening” style of folk
Wow, Mama Cass, Joni Mitchell – singing “Both Sides Now” and Mary Travers all in one room together:
And the same song from the Apple TV Academy Award winning movie CODA:
Pop/mainstream folk song: very pop styling, by the likes of The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, and CSN (though a very limited selection of CSN songs on Spotify since Neil Young withdrew most of his music in protest of Spotify COVID misinformation podcasts)
Holy 60’s, Batman, check out The Byrds version of “The Times They Are A Changin’”
Guys & Gals folk songs: often lamenting lost love, unrequited love, bad blokes, or just songs in celebration of men and women. Some of these are lots of fun, such as “Old Dan Tucker,” “Buffalo Gals,” “Cotton Eyed Joe,” “Clementine,” “Oh, Suzannah,” “Tom Dooley,” and “Mr. Bojangles.”
What a cool duet by James Taylor and Johnny Cash of “Oh, Susannah”:
Location folk songs: often invoking the countryside or wilderness, though sometimes cities, including “Angel From Montgomery,” “Coming Into Los Angeles,” “Cumberland Gap,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and “Yellow Rose of Texas.”
And who can forget Bonnie Raitt’s version of “Angel From Montgomery” from the No Nukes concert:
Railroad folk songs: with images of the railway or travel, such as “500 Miles,” “Freight Train,” and “Hobo’s Lullaby.”
And this version of “500 Miles” shocked me, performed by Justin Timberlake (really!):
Water and Sea folk songs: with images of sailing, the ocean or rivers, with “Calypso,” “Blow The Man Down,” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
I haven’t seen this Netflix series yet, but the cast sure does a great job singing “Blow The Man Down.” You can see how these functioned as work songs:
Spiritual folk songs: including “Michael Row The Boat Ashore,” “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” “I Saw The Light,” and “We Shall Overcome.”
Yet another movie I need to see, about Hank Williams, “I Saw The Light” (song clip at the end):
Assorted folk songs: more great folk songs by a variety of artists
“It Ain’t Me Babe” – Johnny Cash (covered by Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line)
Singer-songwriter folk songs: 70s and 80s singer-songwriters sang folk style and themed songs in their repertoire, such as James Taylor, Jim Croce, Don McLean, Harry Chapin, Dan Fogelberg, Carole King, and Tracy Chapman.
Kind of a cool video with a historical perspective of Dan Fogelberg’s “Sutter’s Mill.” Again a true folk theme:
Modern folk songs: 21st century folk songs by contemporary artists including Bruce Springsteen, The Old Crow Medicine Show, Nickel Creek, Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch and Sean Rowe.
I love Darius Rucker’s version of “Wagon Wheel” just as much as Old Crow Medicine Show’s. From his video, you can see how well its theme fits into the folk genre.
I hope you have as much fun exploring this folk music as I have.
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life.
Out of the blue, on December 28, 1989, my younger brother Bob and one of his friends died tragically in a house fire. Today is thus the 32 anniversary of that awful, life-changing day. My younger brother lived life loud and large. He was a mid to late 80’s hair metal music fan, and got me listening to the likes of Motley Crue, Ratt, Cinderella, Tesla, Dokken, and even Ygwie Malmsteen.
He also liked a range of artists in other genres, such as Elton John’s pop, Duran Duran’s techno-pop, Van Halen and Bon Jovi’s hard rock. He actually went to Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985 with me, my brother, and my Uncle Joey, who had attended Woodstock when just 16, which I think helped give him a bigger appreciation of some of the bands of the 70’s and 80’s that were perhaps a bit before his time.
Uncle Joey & Bob awaiting entry to Live Aid ’85
As I have previously related in my blog (see October 6, 2021 blog “Dance With My Father & Big Bad John – Tribute to Dad”) music has the ability to comfort, console, and heal. I had previously shared a playlist of music that reminded me of my dad or helped me process my grief after his death. Again I will cite Albert Einstein, “I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” So it is not surprising that after my brother died, I found it therapeutic to make a mixed tape (pre-music streaming or even CD burning) of music that he liked and/or somehow seemed fitting for dying unexpectedly at a young age in a house fire.
I titled the cassette “Out Of The Blue” after the David Gilmour song of the same name. The first 22 songs of this now 130+ song playlist comprised the original cassette tape offerings. The rest of the songs were added to the Spotify playlist as popular songs by many of his favorite artists. “Out Of The Blue” summarized my grief and emotions soon after the fire and loss of my brother:
“Out of the blue on the wings of a dove A messenger comes, with the beating of drums It’s not a message of love
Our children are born, and we keep them warm They must have the right, to live in the light To be safe from the storm
Out of the blue, with wings on his heels A messenger comes, bearing regrets For the time that he steals
But steal it he will, my children’s and mine Against our desires, against all our needs Our blood spilled like wine Over and over we call, no one hears And further and further and further we fall And though we pray that we soon will awake It is clear, that it’s no dream at all Our lives are at stake
I cannot believe, nor even pretend That the thunder I hear, will just disappear And the nightmare will end
So hold back the fire, because this music is true When all’s said and done, the ending will come From out of the blue”
And with losing him to a house fire, Bon Jovi’s “Silent Night” was too hauntingly familiar:
“After the smoke clears When it’s down to you and I When the sun appears And there’s nothing left but good-byes We’ll just turn and walk away How could we let it end like this Just turn and walk away Should we seal it with a kiss”
Also fitting was a song he had quoted in some of his writings, YngwieMalmsteen’s “Dreaming (Tell Me):
“Shades of night, fall upon my eyes Lonely world fades away Misty light, shadows start to rise Lonely world fades away.
In my dreams your face is all I see Through the night you share your love with me.
Dreaming visions of you Feeling all the love I never knew.”
As a teen who turned his life around, deciding to put effort into his repeating senior year of high school, improving from failing most classes to strait A’s, this song, by Led Zep drummer John Bonham’s son Jason’s band Bonham seemed fitting:
“Walking down that road Of no tomorrows Spend up my time Living for today Well, I got a long way to go And I know it ain’t easy But that’s okay
Lookin’ at my dreams Oh so near To where I want to be once again I’m gonna hold on with all the rest I’m givin’ in Oh, you gotta fight to win
Oh, doncha think about it What you could What you could do with your life Oh, you must think about it Sometimes, sometimes
Keep it up Up so high Reach for the sky Never give up Keep it up Up so high Reach for the sky Never give up”
Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” maintained the sorrowful mood:
“Every rose has its thorn Just like every night has its dawn Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song Every rose has its thorn
Though it’s been a while now I can still feel so much pain Like a knife that cuts you the wound heals But the scar, that scar remains”
And a verse of “I Won’t Forget You” seemed appropriate as well:
“… Late at night I close my eyes And think of how things could have been And when I look back I remember some words you had said to me
… It’s better to have lost at love Then never to have loved at all
… I won’t forget you baby (I won’t forget you)”
A few lines of Cinderella’s “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Till It’s Gone)” again seemed fitting.
“I can’t feel the things that cause you pain I can’t clear my heart of your love, it falls like rain Ain’t the same
I hear you calling far away Tearing through my soul, I just can’t take another day”
“Nobody’s Fool” is yet another of their great power ballads:
Rounding out the mid-80’s hair band of Poison and Cinderella were Motley Crue (video further below) and Ratt, with their video “Round And Round” featuring old-school comedian Milton Berle. The song has been featured in the series “Supernatural” and “Stranger Things,” and video games Grand Theft Auto and Guitar Hero.
He introduced me to Yngwie Malmsteen, whose neoclassical playing style in heavy metal. Be sure to give a listen to “Arpeggios From Hell” on the Spotify playlist. His “Rising Force” video is spectacular. And “Heaven Tonight” is probably Yngwie’s most popular song (I had embedded a few Yngwie videos but he took them down – I guess he’s one of those artists who doesn’t want someone to gain an audience from his music, though I see it as free advertising for him, trying to draw him a bigger audience – se la vi…)
And from Breakfast Club, Simple Minds‘ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” seemed appropriate.
Bon Jovi‘s “Wanted, Dead or Alive”:
Queen‘s “Who Wants To Live Forever” from Highlander, such a good cult movie of the 80’s, a must watch if you haven’t seen it.
Def Leppard‘s “Rock Of Ages”, which is, interestingly enough, quoted in “Highlander” when the gorgon says “I’ve got something to say – it’s better to burn out than fade away”:
My older brother and I along with some friends took Bob when he was around 10 years old to see “American Werewolf in London.” He was so terrified that he was in tears, and I had to take him to the lobby of Vernon Cine and call home on a pay phone (well before the time of cell phones) and have my mom and dad come pick him up.
Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” is prominently featured in the movie, as well as CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising”:
Fast forward a few years, and he couldn’t get enough of scary and even slasher movies. Halloween became his favorite holiday (even once dressing as a street walker), followed closely by Christmas.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was an early favorite of his (he even had a MJ phase of dressing for a bit!):
Then zombie movies (or dressing like a zombie, above), featured in BillyIdol’s “Dancing With Myself”:
And eventually even Freddie Kruger couldn’t scare him. He not only liked the movie, but also the band Dokken, who’s song “Dream Warriors” was prominently featured:
After his dog “Skippy” died when he was younger, he found solace in EltonJohn’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” which featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica. He also liked Elton’s “Sad Songs Say So Much” on the follow-up album a few years later:
He also loved Duran Duran. The “Hungry Like The Wolf” video was filmed in Sri Lanka, with a distinctively “Raiders of the Lost Ark” vibe, and won the very first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984:
Bob also had an attraction to girls, and vice versa. He was a true chick magnet. He loved girl videos, part of the decade of excess misogynistic 80’s. Such videos included:
Motley Crue‘s “Girls, Girls, Girls”:
ZZ Top‘s “Legs” (I remember him asking me to guess who was singing “Rough Boy”, and it blew me away that it was ZZ Top, not their characteristic southern rock/blues sound):
Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher”, a video which almost every teen guy in the 80’s couldn’t get enough of. David Lee Roth was debauched, but made it seem so lighthearted and funny and innocent that he got away with his sexist, irreverent humor, probably wouldn’t be able to this day in age:
David Lee Roth with his solo offering “California Girls”, a remake of the Beach Boys classic:
I will be seeing David Lee Roth for his last hurrah, his last concerts at House Of Blues in Las Vegas New Years Eve. I heard that the last Van Halen tour, before Eddie died, that the band and Sammy Hagar was great, but David was awful, usually drunk, forgetting the lyrics, a big mess. I am hopeful that he realizes that he needs to leave on a high note, and Mandalay Bay and House of Blues will try to keep him in line and sober to wow the audience on his last go-round. I’ll update the blog post after the concert.
The last few songs on the list seemed to fit the theme of the tribute, though they were released a year or two after he died, including Poison’s “Something To Believe In,” Ozzy’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” and Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity.” I know they are songs my brother would have loved.
I do worry about the burden the fire has placed on my older brother John, and Bob’s friends Craig and Justin, narrowly escaping the ravages of the fire, and unable to aid Bob and Michael despite their efforts. I fear it weighs heavily on their hearts, though it was not their fault. It was out of their control. Yet they likely carry the weight and trauma of the tragedy with them still. This scene from the Netflix series “Daredevil”, where Matt states “God’s plan is like a beautiful tapestry, and the tragedy of being human is that we only get to see it from the back, with all the ragged threads and muddy colors. We only get a hint of the true beauty that would be revealed if we could see the whole pattern on the other side as God does” can help us make sense of such tragedies in life.
I miss him, and think of him often. I sometimes wonder what he’d be doing had he lived. While we didn’t always see eye to eye, toward the end we appreciated each others’ talents and gifts. He was large (over 6’ 1”, to my 5’ 4”), loud, obnoxious, funny, caring, and troubled, but he was changing, evolving, excelling, and finding direction, just in time for dying an untimely death. He lived life to its fullest, cramming a lot into his 19 years of life. It was as though he knew he didn’t have a full lifetime to live. As the cars processed from the church to the cemetery for his funeral, half the procession took a wrong turn. I think he had the last laugh.
And now for the playlist – pretty killer of hair-band songs and then some from the 80’s. Here to lots of great memories of a larger than life personality, my younger brother Bob.
For today’s blog playlist entries, I thought I’d focus on a sub-genre of 80’s New Wave music. New Wave was popularized in the late 70’s and 80’s as a post-punk rock catch-all for almost anything that wasn’t classic rock, progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal, or punk. Techno-pop, also known as Synth-pop, short for synthesizer pop is a subgenre of new wave of that era as well. Less guitar oriented in nature, it featured synthesizer as the most dominant musical instrument. Synthesizer use had become more common in progressive rock with bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, and Yes, as well as in disco. It later gave way to true Techno and House Music in the late 80’s. But not before creating some incredible, memorable music that was part of the fabric of the 80’s. Who can forget stepping into the storybook to “Take On Me”:
“I Feel Love” by Donna Summer included in this playlist, would be a major influence on the later sound of Techno-pop. David Bowie’s sound of the late 70’s adopted was also influential. Early acts including Kraftwerk, Ultravox, and Gary Numan paved the way for later groups such as Flock of Seagulls, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, with many New Wave bands such as The Cars, Duran Duran, The Fixx, INXS, Talking Heads, and Tears for Fears incorporating synth sound in a more accessible rock or pop presentation. It was an international phenomenon, though dominated by Western Europe, with Kraftwerk, Alphaville (German), Telex (Belgian), Yello (Switzerland), A-Ha (Norwegian), Blancmange, Bronski Beat, Erasure, Flock of Seagulls, OMD, Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, Thompson Twins, Ultravox (British), Howard Jones (Welsh), with fewer popular North American counterparts such as Men Without Hats (Canadian) and Devo (American).
Of course several of these acts performed at Live Aid, including Duran Duran, Howard Jones, Spandau Ballet, Thompson Twins, and Ultravox. When it comes to Techno-pop, perhaps I just can’t get enough!
Also included today is a compilation of some 80’s moody new wave faves of mine from college, that likely defies classification as a true genre, but is perhaps more an expansion of John Hughes’ “Pretty In Pink” Soundtrack, if you will, somewhat of an 80’s post-punk mood music. It includes a bands with intriguing names, especially “The The,” reportedly decided upon to have a name even more detached than “The Band” (Robbie Robertson’s band that started out and gained fame as Bob Dylan’s backup band, feeling most band names childish, and choosing what most fans called them when backing Dylan – the band, pretty anonymous…). “This Is The Day” even spawned an M&M Commercial in 2007:
Interesting band names perhaps should be the theme, with “Boomtown Rats” (a gang from Woody Guthrie’s fictionalized autobiography “Bound for Glory”), “The Church” (shortened from “The Church of Men”), “Echo & The Bunnymen” (just a name “as stupid as the rest” of the suggestions by one of their mates), “The Psychedelic Furs” (from The Velvet Underground song “Venus in Furs”). I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.
Comments are not only welcomed but encouraged. Let’s dialogue about great music.
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life.
