Under African Skies

 

Yes, as the headline suggests, I’m going to say a few words today about Paul Simon’s album Graceland. In 1986 he had clearly passed his musical peak and had already recorded another successful live album with Art Garfunkel. So it was all the more surprising when, 40 years ago, he took everyone by surprise with an album. He completely turned his style on its head. Inspired by street music from Johannesburg, he set out to record an album with South African musicians.

With this album, he pioneered world music before the term even existed. It’s a complete album that blends pop/rock with African rhythms. Even decades later, the African tribal beats, strummed guitar chords, and harmonized vocals are still well worth listening to. If Simon managed to get even a few listeners to explore African music, such as King Sunny Ade, he achieved more than many others before and after him.

Whistling Thursday

 

After several weeks of whistling, I'm now running out of breath. One last time with artists who have incorporated whistling into their songs. 

Let's start with the most famous song by the great Otis Redding, which is actually a demo and was only recorded on a trial basis. He filled in the missing lines of lyrics with whistling. A final version was never produced because he died in a plane crash.

Paul Simon released this song on his second album and it has roots in his own childhood days in Queens. One of my all time favorites from him.

Professor Longhair is a legend in New Orleans. He played the piano in included many styles in his music that was based on boogie. This is one of his trademarks.

Almost exactly 50 years ago, David Bowie released Golden Years on Station to Station and, sadly, played it far too rarely. 

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Happy New Year, happiness and joy to all who follow this blog, which will continue to provide you with music and thoughts in its 14th year. To start with, I will continue a series that I launched in the middle of last year. Songs that have been in the charts in recent decades or that the writer simply likes will be presented as usual in a completely subjective selection and without comments for your enjoyment. Enjoy.

1966: Sonny and Cher

194: Otis Redding

1967: Cat Stevens

1968: Creedence Clearwater Revival

1976: Al Stewart

1974: Terry Jacks (the first song I had to translate when I was in school)

1987: Bruce Springsteen

1989: Fine Young Cannibals

1976: Paul Simon

1981: David Bowie

1964: The Marketts

1979: Blondie

1983: Huey Lewis & The News

1984: Talk Talk

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Like the weeks before another eclectic mix of hits, failures and simply songs that should be heard again.

Enjoy

1964: The Zombies

1973: Elton John

1982: Culture Club

1966: The Byrds

1994: Weezer

2011: Bon Iver

1194: R.E.M.

1986: Paul Simon

1966: The Supremes

1986: The Bangles

1983: The Romantics

1973: Garland Jeffreys

1968: Jimi Hendrix

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

This week's look back mainly takes us back to the time before punk changed everything, but also includes a Bruce Springsteen track that is one of my favorites of his.

1972: The Hollies

1960: The Shadows

1971: Paul Revere and the Raiders

1973: Elton John

1973: Paul Simon

1978: Bruce Springsteen

1966: The Beach Boys

1975: David Bowie

1979: Talking Heads

1976: Todd Rundgren

Sixty Five

 

Today I turn 65 and another year has passed far too quickly and I reflect on everything that has happened in these years. We are getting older and that is inevitable. And transience is a theme that crops up in every genre of music, from rock n' roll to country and blues. And songs that have dealt with getting older, the past and everything in between. It's impossible to pick a favourite, especially when you consider how much choice is out there. That's why I limited myself to the songs that came to me spontaneously and that have stayed with me over the years.

Tjomme

 

José Gonzalez, a Gothenburg born son of Argentine immigrants is one of those artists that makes a kind of music that is hard to describe. Influenced in his young days by hardcore bands like Black Flag and later by Joy Division (Love Will Tear Us Apart is a regular part of encores in his live appearances) he turned the last years into singer/songwriter genre. During the last years he released some remarkable folk songs torn between Nick Drake and Paul Simon. What make them different from many others is his languorous singing and picked acoustic guitar playing. He released his last album Local Valley a few months ago and now DJ Koze remixed Tjomme (what means dude) and the result is Caribian/Balearic groove. A song to let the sun in.