SONGSTORY

This song, Best Friend, reminds me of dance parties with my best friends around the time that Musiq Soulchild’s first album came out.  That’s probably because this song sounds exactly like a Musiq Soulchild song.  But I’m a sucker for the sound of Musiq’s first album.  Best Friend is by a new neo-soul artist named V.  His name sucks, and I’m not sure what the V stands for–you’re all welcome to venture a guess.  V’s debut album is entitled “The Revolution Is Now Televised,” which is also a really crappy, non-sensical name.  Nonetheless, this song makes me happy.  I’m pretty sure the rapper at the end is Kev Brown, and I would then assume he did the production work as well. 

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Natty Dread Taking Over is off Culture’s landmark album “Two Seven Clash”. Lead singer Joseph Hill and his cousins Albert Walker and Kenneth Lloyd Dayes harmonize beautifully overtop of one of Jamaica’s most famous backing bands–”The Revolutionaries”–who not only featured now legendary drum and bass duo Sly & Robbie but also received occasional contributions from a guy named Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace.

I dedicate this song to the crazy woman in the park who feeds the squirrels.

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“Come sit beside me…that will do for now” sings 66 year old Solomon Burke on Flesh and Blood–a haunting, reflective song off Burke’s 2002 release “Don’t Give Up On Me.”  Flesh and Blood, written by the albums producer Joe Henry is a beautiful showcase of Burke’s impressive vocal range, power, and phrasing atop weeping, minimalist instrumentation.  All the more impressive that Henry’s composition can stand out on an album that received song writing contributions from such icons as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello.

I dedicate this song to the old man flasher I saw on Saturday night.  Sorry for getting you arrested.

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This is a song called Your Mess off British Neo-Soul artist Omar’s most recent album.  The album, entitled “Sing (If you want it)” boasts many notable featured artists, including Stevie Wonder.  Heres a snippet from an article posted on Omar’s myspace page:

“Stevie has been a fan of Omar’s music since he first heard Theres Nothing Like This back in 1992–the same year he promised to write Omar his first number one. The 14-year wait turned out to be well worth it when, one day, Stevie called Omar out of the blue and told him he was in London and had just what had promised. A jam session later and the irrepressibly funky and melodic Feeling You, with Stevie on vocals and keyboards, was born.”

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I really can’t understand what Leadbelly is saying in this song.  Its called Ox Drivin’ Blues.  This is what I can make out of the chorus and first verse:

Oh back bobcat deeb on the lamb Who made a bad bad cut in half Oh back bobcat jeeb on the lamb Uh made it back back whoa GODDAMN Oh buckin jeeba lamb Who made it back back whoa GODDAMN

In May was drivin 20 o’clock And he was a long way from home And he looked down the road Looked like he could see his wife And he get a holla at the oola GUYA!  Whoa yeah boy, backup Oh buckin jeeba lamb Who made a bad bad wool GODDAMN!

I’m not sure what any of that has to do with Ox Drivin’, in fact I don’t know what Ox Drivin’ is in the first place.  One of the most beautiful things about the blues is that you can be effected by the music even if you have no idea what they’re talking about.  Blues oozes with emotion.

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This song is off the Charles Earland composed score for the 1973 Blaxploitation film “The Dynamite Brothers.”  It kind of reminds me of the music in that Tim Hortons commercial where the guy is relaxing with an iced capp whilst a fish attached to his fishing rod pulls his boat around the lake.  The first time I heard it though it reminded me of a boat chase scene from Danger Bay.  Allmusic.com describes it as something “you might have heard from a band warming up a crowd for a Miles Davis concert of the time.”

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Holy crap.  I made a post and now its gone!  All thats left is the song.  The point of my missing post was to say, listen to this song!  So listen, I guarantee you’ll love it.  GUARANTEED!

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