SONGSTORY

Hazy Jane I - Nick Drake By Tony Bitzionis

Again with the Nick Drake. What can I say? I love the Drake!

In my previous post, the one where Dave made me out to be a pirate for whatever reason[1], we raised an interesting discussion about Drake’s ability to write stirring, soft, simple, ‘dreamy soundscapes’. It’s true; the man had the rare ability to write songs whose sounds surround you, like some kind of surrounding sound thing surrounding you, not unlike the sound of dinosaurs in the forest, coming for you and you know it. I should point out that my only resolution this year is to mention dinosaurs a lot more.

Onward! Hazy Jane I is a gorgeous song that I hold close to my heart [There is a Hazy Jane II, much different and maybe better (in my opinion) than this one, but I’ll be posting that one later].

Everybody knows the feeling of having a song you love made even more special when you associate it with a certain person, event, or place. I first really noticed this song a couple of summers ago when I was in Greece. My cousin, friends, and myself would take a bus every morning from my dad’s village to the beach; about an hour each way. I was listening to this song one day, my mates asleep in the back, and me staring out the bus window, stunned as usual by the rolling hills and mountains. The music fit in perfectly with the early morning sunlight cutting its way through the clouds and into the eyes of the old wrinkled farmers already putting in their fifth or sixth hour of work that day. Then I noticed the lyrics:

“Do you feel like a remnant Of Something that’s past? Do you find things are moving Just a little too fast?”

Now I know this is a song about a girl or maybe drugs, but I just appreciated the way it all fit into that particular moment, which I can’t help but think of every time I hear this song.

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In 1999 Pharoahe Monch released his solo debut album, Internal Affairs, on the now defunct Rawkus record label. The album peaked at #41 on the Billboard Top 200 and #6 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Charts–quite impressive considering that Monch’s previous album while a member of Organized Konfusion peaked at 141 on the Top 200. Internal Affairs was at once both a commercial and critical success, producing club hits such as Simon Says and The Light while at the same time solidifying Monch’s reputation as one of hip hop’s most talented emcees.

Hidden at the end of Internal Affairs is what I consider to be one of the albums forgotten gems, a brilliant collaboration with fellow ‘conscious rappers’ Common and Talib Kwali entitled The Truth. Monch is an absolute technical wizard on Internal Affairs, constantly exhibiting his enormous skill and dexterity–and out of the dust of Monch’s lyrical whirlwind rises The Truth. A harp slowly fades in, and the string-laced production rises effortlessly only to float by in an instant. A track that is in its message unlike any I have ever heard, The Truth is not only about the beauty of truth, but also the difficulty we all have facing it.

Despite Monch’s brilliant work on Internal Affairs it is Common, an emcee know for his insight and thoughtful lyricism who is the highlight of The Truth, delivering what I believe to be one of the most profound verses of his career:

See it everywhere, gotta recognize it Let the truth be told from young souls that become old From days spent in the jungle, where must one go To find it, time is real, we can’t rewind it Out of everybody I met, who told the truth? Time did We find kids speakin cuz it’s naturally in us But the false prophets by tellin us we born sinners Venders of hate, got me battlin my own mind state At a divine rate, I ain’t in this just to rhyme great See the truth in the thighs of a stripper, the eyes of my nigga If it’s only one, then why should it differ So constantly I seek it Wonderin why I gotta drink a six pack to speak it Took a picture of the truth and tried to develop it Had proof, it was only recognized by the intelligent Took the negative and positive, cuz niggas got to live Said I got to get more than I’m given Cuz truth’ll never be heard in religion After searchin the world, on the inside what was hidden It was the truth

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Bad - U2 By Andrew Hawks Bryce

Everybody knows U2, one of the biggest bands currently recording. You’ve got the politically active humanitarian, Bono and the crazy wicked guitarist, The Edge. Then there’s those two other guys. In 1985 at Live Aid (if you don’t know about Live Aid check this out, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid, absolutely crazy event) U2 took the stage as one of the lesser acts. Queen were the headliners and apparently stole the show with their rendition of Radio Ga Ga. Each act was given exactly 18 minutes to perform, no soundcheck, nothing. U2 came out and did Sunday, Bloody Sunday and then followed it up with a 12 minute rendition of Bad. The song was released along with the well known Pride (In the Name of Love) on the album The Unforgettable Fire. This album is noteworthy in terms of U2’s development. It was the first time they worked with the producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, who they also collaborated with on Joshua Tree, a monster of an album.

I saw Pearl Jam in September 2005 and U2 were in the audience having just played a show at the ACC. The PJ show was full of short U2 musical references, and Eddie sang snippets of U2 lyrics during some of the jam sessions. For the encore Bono came on stage and joined Pearl Jam for a rendition of Neil’s Rockin in the Free World, it was magical. Nonetheless, introducing a PJ song called Habit Eddie played the opening lick to Bad to loud cheers from the crowd. He stopped and said, “that’s one of the best songs ever written about addiction, but this is the one we wrote, it’s called Habit.” Stories aside, I can’t believe I didn’t know this U2 song, I’ve been a fan for years, and it’s not like U2 has lots of hard to find, rarely heard material. If this is nothing new to you and know what’s coming, my apologies, but if you don’t know it, save the drama for ya mama and prepare to be stunned. I also highly recommend checking this out if you’re into the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPyhYczii8I&mode=related&search=. Au Revoir.

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My friend Joell is a very special guy. He can sing, he can dance like a male stripper, and he can do math. Only special people have lots of nicknames, and Joell’s got a shitload: Joey, Joey Junk, Fat Joey Crack, Rufio, Poto, Tina, James Brown, Hoopert, Brokeback and Greekysmirk just to name a few.

Joell is a musicmanicforsure. His tastes are wide, varried, diverse, and further synonyms for wide. He loves his music like I loves my Club Soda with Lime, and you know I loves me some Club Soda with Lime.

Joell doesn’t do sleeves, or cops, but he does do Songstory submissions. However this might be the only time–something tells me he doesn’t have the patience for these kinds of things.

4% Pantomime - The Band By: Joell Spiros Ikonomou

This is my first posting and probably my last. I really don’t have the patience for these kinds of things. I figured since this would probably be my only chance to spread some of my musical tastes I might as well share a couple of my favourites.

About five years ago I was having a typical vancity moment, chillin inside on another wet day toking on some chron at my crummy apartment, when my roommate brycester suggested we check out this concert video his moms had picked up for him. I figured what the hell. The Last Waltz, which was the last concert The Band ever played together. Of course they had a whole slew of friends playing with them including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Muddy Waters, and many more well established rock stars. I instantly became a fan of The Band. Actually I remember the exact momment when I thought to myself this band is tight. Ophelia. The horns just about gave me an orgasm. Anyway, at one point this awkward bald man wearing a tight velvet suit came out and gave a performance that left a huge imprint on my CD wallet. Not to mention my desire to learn karate. Of course i knew a few of his classics, but it took both Brycester and I a few minutes to realize who this man was. Actually I don’t think we realized it until he leaves the stage and Robbie Robertson turns to the audience and simply says “Van the Man”. I’d have to say that since that performance my favourtie artist has been Van Morrison. No doubt about it, and thats for sure. And although it didnt happen quite as instantaniously, as much as i dont want to admit it, The Band replaced Boyz II Men as my favourite band.

Richard Manuel and Van the Man became instant friends when the latter joined the Woodstock party following the release of Moondance. The two apparently enjoyed the bottle and interestingly enough this is a song about two musicians who are stranded in L.A. with nothing but a bottle of Johnny Walker Red. The song is by no means a classic, but the two feed off each other really well and the vocals are great. I hope you all enjoy.

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Happy Holidays and New Year and all that to everyone. I haven’t posted anything on Songstory for a while now, and I apologize if there’s anyone out there who has been disappointed by that. My plan was to post an extravagent collection of material on James Brown’s life and legacy, but that’s not quite ready yet. In the mean time I received an excellent submission from my friend Harlene who features a song by Canadian indie rock-pop-folk artist Feist. Harlene really breaks it down. Leave it up to a intelligent woman to elegantly explain the emotional impact of a heartwrenching ballad. Ok, I will.

Inside & Out - Feist By Harlene Weijs

It has been many, many, many moons since a song has managed to pull at the heartstrings in the way this one has.

I discovered the original “inside & out” in it’s disco form on Feist’s first album and it caught me then as a catchy number with pretty clever lyrics and besides, I love disco. Many months later this live acoustic version discovered me and not only am I caught, I am tangled.

In my books there is nothing that can beat the archetypal brave and lonesome singer/songwriter on stage with their instrument. When they are good they can shake the melancholy loose in even the most unsentimental of people. When they are great, their voices and their style haunt you forever.

Feist’s sweet longing in her simple and pure lyrics lay bare those raw love moments of awe, fear, struggle, vulnerability, doubt, power, relentlessness and truth.

“You figure it’s the love that keeps you warm let this moment be forever we won’t ever feel the storm.”

Inside & Out is not only a ballad of the resilience of the heart, it is a tribute to the passionate intensity of love’s sickness. It is about the naivety, or shall I say invincibility we wear like armor when we charge into love. It’s for those happily in love, trapped by love, longing to love, longing to be loved, and for the ambiguity within it all.

Whether we are enmeshed in a relationship or cocooned in the idea of one it is the very preciousness of this affection for another that keeps us fearing the question she askes in this song: “what are we gonna do if we loose that fire?”

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