Music
Memphis Blues by Cyndi Lauper
by Oscar on Aug.22, 2010, under Music
Lauper Singing The Blues? Yes, And Quite Well, Thank You!
Most music these days is purchased by people in their teens and early twenties, so what chance is there that they have even heard of Cyndi Lauper or could identify any of her past hits? “True Colors” comes immediately to mind, as does “Time After Time”, and who can forget her iconic “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”? But despite her invisible presence in popular music today Cyndi has always shown that she has a voice that is capable of producing some very good performances, so maybe her latest attempt, “Memphis Blues”, is just a logical progression in her career to prove that she still has the stuff to make people want to listen.
For those of us who are fans of the genre “Memphis Blues” will not cause us to jump online and purchase it, but it DOES have some very fine moments worth the time to listen to. Part of what makes this recording is the guest artists that lend their talents, AND their cred, to the overall collection. The great B.B. King on guitar and vocals, Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica, Johnny Lang on guitar, Allen Toussaint playing blues piano, and Memphis soul singer Ann Peebles. As I said earlier, this is not a “must have” for Blues fans, but there are definitely three cuts that induced me to spend a few bucks to purchase.
The set begins with a barroom classic in Little Walter Jacobs’ “Just Your Fool” with Musselwhite’s muscular harmonica juxtaposed against her vocal The song is playful and energetic with Lauper using her personality to carry her through till the end. A few months ago she performed this song on “Celebrity Apprentice”, and here’s the vid of that broadcast: As you can see, she has not changed much performance-wise, but her looks and her voice make me think of a demented Dolly Parton on a “bad hair” day. I just loved her brashness and her playfulness in front of The Donald. What a hoot!
On a much slower note there is “Romance in the Dark”, one of three cuts by Lauper and her band, without any cameos, which works wonderfully. Its slow, nocturnal, languidly sexy feel underscores her strengths as a singer in both phrasing and tone. She definitely won’t remind you of Billie Holiday or Dinah Washington, but she does well enough to sell the song’s credibility.
Probably the best of the set is Louis Jordan’s “Early in the Morning”, with King and Toussaint. The interplay between the latter’s rumbling New Orleans R&B piano and the former’s sparse but mean lead guitar works well with Lauper’s vocal, especially with the tune’s humorous lyrics; it really jumps. Again, if you have heard other versions of this song done by veteran Bluesmen then you won’t be impressed, but taken on its own this cut is worth having.
Of the remaining offerings “Rollin’ And Tumblin’” begins with promise featuring just Cyndi’s voice accompanied by a single droning guitar note, but then breaks the haunting spell by breaking out into a full band performance that quickly devolves into a generic performance. Equally disappointing is a redoing of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads”, a song that should be put on a “DO NOT RECORD” list for the next dozen years till someone can re-imagine it in some new way. Cyndi seems to be trying to emulate a female singer from the forties but the overall vibe of the arrangement just isn’t consistent enough to ring true.
For a quick review of the cuts check out this vid:
ALL IN ALL, A DECENT OFFERING, BUT I RATE IT ONLY
Seasick Steve Roots Music As Raw As It Gets
by Oscar on Jul.08, 2010, under Music
Mississippi Bluesman An Instant Success At 67 Years Of Age
I can’t say that I’m any kind of a musical critic, and I really don’t stay current with the latest trends, but I DO know what I like. So how does one discover NEW music given the horrible state of music radio today? For ME it is my subscription to Napster that allows me to sample whatever strikes my fancy. For less than $100 a year Napster allows me to sample anything on their catalog using their music player and even lets me create my own radio station. Thank heavens for the internet!
One day, while checking out the Blues listings, I saw the name “Seasick Steve” and was intrigued. I’d never heard of him, who was he, and what style of Blues did he play? What I was afraid of was that he just might be a “gimmick” artist, a “flash in the pan”, a “one hit wonder”, but what I discovered was something much different.
“Seasick Steve” Wold was born into a musical family and at 13 years of age left home to avoid abuse at the hands of his step father. Wandering around the country, hopping freight trains and sleeping under bridges Steve made ends meet by playing his guitar for spare change and by picking up odd jobs here and there. By the early seventies he traveled to Europe, as did a whole generation of young wanderers, and continued his wandering, busking in the subways and on street corners, honing his skills and stretching his imagination.
Never really forsaking his gypsy ways, Wold worked as a sound technician, recording engineer and session musician, bouncing from place to place and, according to his first wife, moving at least 59 times. By this time he had become content with what life had given him, never thinking that fame would come upon him, but after moving back to Europe Steve recorded his first album and that is when things changed with an invitation to play on the British Jools Holland Show.
Seasick Steve Wold became an overnight sensation, attracting a rabid following and gathering numerous invitations to music festivals and various gigs around the Island. Soon he found himself performing across the continent, amused and pleased that at the age when most Americans would be thinking of retirement Steve finally enjoying fame.
How does he handle this newfound fame? Just check out the following video:
Admittedly, there is nothing very original in his style, consisting of echoes of Howlin’ Wolf, a little Robert Johnson, and even That Little Ol’ Band From Texas, ZZ Top. But what attracts people to Steve and his music is the genuine nature of his personality, his original lyrics drawn from his life experience, along with a humility that is too seldom seen in today’s music scene.And lest you think that Steve’s style is just boogie blues check the following video and see his softer side.
There’s plenty more that can be found on the internet, but it would be best to start with his website,www.seasicksteve.com for news, forums and itinerary.
SEASICK STEVE, Check Out His Music!
A Bit Of Distraction On A Saturday Morning
by Oscar on Jun.26, 2010, under Music
9AM AND THE HOUSE IS STILL QUIET
Kid Grouch is still in bed, recovering from a night of dancing at a club, and the Grouchmate refuses to get up before 10AM, so I get plenty of time to quietly peruse the web, drink my coffee, two cups on weekend mornings, and participate in the few forums that I habituate. And while checking out one of my favorite blogs, “The Internet Monk”, I came across this video parody of Carrie Underwood’s smash hit, “Jesus Take The Wheel”, and I found it to be so irreverent that I just thought I’d share it here. SO watch and enjoy, and take advantage of the quiet moments before the day begins…
The Original. Keep a hanky in hand…
