Song of the Week: Easy Lover

Last Friday my favorite 1985 album, No Jacket Required by Phil Collins, was reissued with remastered tracks and bonus material including live recordings. One hit which was played live but not included in the original album was "Easy Lover", which Collins sang alongside Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind & Fire on the studio release. Encountering this was a most enjoyable listening experience, and though I can't find the right live version I figured I'd just link the original music video in all its 80's glory.

"Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins

She's the kind of girl you dream of,

Kelvin

Guest Post by Patrick Bateman

Those familiar with the psychological thriller / slasher film American Psycho (based on the novel of the same name) will recognize Patrick Bateman as the sociopathic yuppie protagonist of the story who tries so desperately to fit into high society but finds it increasingly difficult to control his baser tendencies. As part of this mask he puts on to seem normal, he frequently entertains guests at his home with very detailed monologues centered about popular 80s musicians and their more well-known songs. Although the content of his dissertations are more shallow than they are insightful, these monologues provide an unexpected comedic respite in the midst of a macabre plot. So without further ado, here are Mr. Bateman's takes on three pop artists and their "hits".

Huey Lewis and the News

Do you like Huey Lewis and the News? [...]

Their early work was a little too 'new-wave' for my taste, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own - commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. [...]

In '87, Huey released this, Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square", a song so catchy most people probably don't listen to the lyrics - but they should! Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself!

De Ae-T's

Happy New Year! There's been a surge of 80's revivalism in the mainstream in recent years, but I bet that even the know-it-all hipsters don't know what makes their scene so unoriginal. But this post isn't about that or Sixteen Candles or the Human League. It's about the albums that make you realize that the 80's was like no other decade before or after.

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1980 - Pete Townshend - Empty Glass

One Sunday evening in early December 2010, I was driving home with the radio tuned to Wind-FM. It was broadcasting a weekly special called Off the Record, where influential artists are interviewed by Joe Benson about their lives and recordings. That week's featured rock group: The Who. I listened for about 5-10 minutes and caught Pete Townshend discussing his solo debut, Empty Glass, and specifically the song "A Little is Enough":

Townshend [Paraphrase]: "When I left The Who, there were a lot of trials occuring in my life. Aside from bouts of musician's writer's block, I was sieving through financial burdens and a rift in my marraige. One day, I asked my wife if she loved me. She took a moment to think about it... and when she responded she said, 'I guess I love you a little.'

"I was significantly distraught at this answer, and went to my personal Sufi master for guidance. When I told him of the trouble I had with my wife, he said, 'So what's the problem? She said she loves you a little. Shouldn't that be enough? Don't you know that all love comes from God, and that His love is infinite? Whether one person loves another a lot or a little is relative, because any love we are capable of expressing is simply a drop in the vast ocean that is God's love. And given its origin, that drop of love is infinite in of itself.' From this conversation, I would eventually write 'A Little is Enough.'"

"A Little is Enough" by Pete Townshend

Feeling replaced

So I just got my hands on some personal live performances that I'd like to upload, and I thought I'd let the masses know here. I'm just posting one video here, but you should check out the blog's YouTube channel for more.

Just the other night (Thursday) I performed at a quaint and chic open mic. I started off with one of my all-time favorite songs: "Left of the Dial" by The Replacements. The song itself is a heartfelt ode to college radio and life on the road. I've grown to have a personal attachment to the tune, as it has played a significant role on various occasions as the backing soundtrack to various life-changing moments in the past few months.

"Left of the Dial (Cover)" by Kelvin

Listen to the original here.
Listen to a 1989 live performance here.
Listen to a 1993 live performance here.
Listen to a 1996 live performance here.

The Feast of St. Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

Unfortunately, I have an exam this evening that I am diligently studying for, but I still wanted to pass on my favorite song about the season: "Valentine" by The Replacements. There are several recorded versions of this song out there: the original studio, a rough mix on Boink!!!, countless live bootlegs...

My favorite version happens to be the studio demo on the 2008 reissue of Pleased to Meet Me. If you're musically inclined, you can try to learn how to play this song (more or less) and serenade that special someone on this special day.

But hurry!!! There's less than 20 hours left!!!

Picking valentines,
Kelvin

A Priest is what Judas really needed

Classes got the best of me this week, but they gave me some time to think about the metal I do know. Although I'm not well versed in entire discographies of bands like Slayer (nor do I really want to be), there is an album or two of which I'm fond of.

I'd like to start with Judas Priest, a band whom I believe has several associated misconceptions. Judas Priest formed in the late-60's in Birmingham, England. Initially having a blues-rock and psychedelic influence (Cream, The Yardbirds), even their name came from the Bob Dylan song "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest." They moved towards hard rock and eventually became precursors of heavy metal. They debuted Rocka Rolla in 1974, which included their first single (also "Rocka Rolla").

Good Clean Fun, rated T for teen

Last Friday, I went with a group of friends to my first club in Gainesville. I won't go into detail about the experience (because it has nothing to do with music), but I would like to mention an interesting little tidbit. Before entering the club, they checked my ID and saw I was under 21 (not that I was hiding the fact, or anything). Because of that, they Sharpied a big "X" on the back of both my hands. At that moment, I thought to myself, "This is so straight edge!"

Out with the old, in with...

... The Replacements! The Replacements formed in late-70's Minneapolis, Minnesota. Switching from hard rock to punk rock, they released a demo in mid-1980. Twin/Tone liked their sound and agreed to sign them; they released Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash in 1981. This and the Stink EP were hardcore punk-influenced, but their second album Hootenanny (1983) showed a progression towards more mature songwriting.

Let's get happy!

Norah: This is amazing. You are literally like my musical soul mate! It's unbelievable. Except for all The Cure.
Nick: What's wrong with The Cure?
Norah: There's nothing wrong with The Cure, actually, but just the name. You know, The Cure? What are they The Curing? Get it? They should be called The Cause, right?!?

A joy divided against itself cannot band

Depending on who you talk to, Joy Division is either a band that nobody has heard about or that everybody has heard about. A major force in the underground music scene, Joy Division first formed under the name Warsaw in 1976 and were gig-hoppers in Manchester before getting the attention of bigger names. To avoid legal issues with the band Warsaw, they renamed themselves Joy Division in 1978 after the prostitution wing of a Nazi concentration camp.