Okay, it's time for me to come clean about my relationship with Tom Waits. Yes, he is a cool dude. Yes, he has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes him popular with the literati. Yes, he toes the line of self parody on occasion. And yes, the first time I heard a Tom Waits song was when I saw Shrek.
Now before you get all judgmental about how I could be in my twenties and not have heard a Tom Waits song, remember: There was a time when you didn't know things either. There was a time before we all loved Du Champ and his toilet. There was a time before we all knew Kurosawa directed films, and instead confused his name with a popular Japanese method of suicide. And there was a time when Hari Kiri wasn't eviscerating yourself with a sword, but instead was the Chicago Cubs play-by-play guy that Will Ferrel impersonated from time to time. Now he's dead (Harry Caray, not Will Ferrell), we're all well-cultured, and hopefully you've forgotten about how I came across Tom Waits.
But by the time my dad pulled out this Tom Waits album from 1974 and handed it to me for the site, not only had I heard plenty of Tom Waits, I had become a big fan. Strangely enough, the first album I fell in love with was Swordfishtrombones, perhaps his least-accessible record. His voice on that record was what got me. He took the snarl of Captain Beefheart and deepened it into a bluesy growl, the perfect choice for the malcontents he sang about.
So The Heart of Saturday Night was somewhat surprising. It's still Tom Waits, but was only his second record, and the ten year patina of cigarettes and bourbon hadn't yet accumulated. So the songs sound a little less aggressive, and some are downright beautiful. My favorite is Shiver Me Timbers, a gorgeous gem in which Waits sounds as commercial as Bob Carlisle singing "Christmas Shoes." (I know that disgusts you, and it should, but listen.) The piano playing on Shiver Me Timbers cannot go unnoticed either.
Sure, there are a few misses here (Diamonds On My Windshield seems like it's making fun of itself) but this album's title says it all. You throw this record on this weekend, have some erudite buddies over, and smoke a thousand cigarettes. Eventually, you'll find it - The Heart of Saturday Night.
[ mp3 ]: Tom Waits - Shiver Me Timbers
[ mp3 ]: Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night
-N.W.
Now before you get all judgmental about how I could be in my twenties and not have heard a Tom Waits song, remember: There was a time when you didn't know things either. There was a time before we all loved Du Champ and his toilet. There was a time before we all knew Kurosawa directed films, and instead confused his name with a popular Japanese method of suicide. And there was a time when Hari Kiri wasn't eviscerating yourself with a sword, but instead was the Chicago Cubs play-by-play guy that Will Ferrel impersonated from time to time. Now he's dead (Harry Caray, not Will Ferrell), we're all well-cultured, and hopefully you've forgotten about how I came across Tom Waits.
But by the time my dad pulled out this Tom Waits album from 1974 and handed it to me for the site, not only had I heard plenty of Tom Waits, I had become a big fan. Strangely enough, the first album I fell in love with was Swordfishtrombones, perhaps his least-accessible record. His voice on that record was what got me. He took the snarl of Captain Beefheart and deepened it into a bluesy growl, the perfect choice for the malcontents he sang about.
So The Heart of Saturday Night was somewhat surprising. It's still Tom Waits, but was only his second record, and the ten year patina of cigarettes and bourbon hadn't yet accumulated. So the songs sound a little less aggressive, and some are downright beautiful. My favorite is Shiver Me Timbers, a gorgeous gem in which Waits sounds as commercial as Bob Carlisle singing "Christmas Shoes." (I know that disgusts you, and it should, but listen.) The piano playing on Shiver Me Timbers cannot go unnoticed either.
Sure, there are a few misses here (Diamonds On My Windshield seems like it's making fun of itself) but this album's title says it all. You throw this record on this weekend, have some erudite buddies over, and smoke a thousand cigarettes. Eventually, you'll find it - The Heart of Saturday Night.
[ mp3 ]: Tom Waits - Shiver Me Timbers
[ mp3 ]: Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night
-N.W.
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Dave Mason - Alone Together (1970) 01/11/2010
This is one of the first records my dad selected for me as part of this project. This and David Ackles, I think. So I've had it on my computer, ready to go for quite some time. Thing is, I don't really know what to say about it.
I'm not a big fan of Traffic. I do respect their greatness, but they're just not my shizz. I can't explain it. But I think you know what I mean. That's not to say this Dave Mason album is exactly like Traffic, which he joined and then left before starting his solo career. It's something a bit different, and I think more interesting; imagine Traffic singing John Barleycorn, but with the touchstone being more blues, country, and modern Americana, rather than British folk.
The highlight is definitely Only You and I Know, the only certifiable chart-topper of Mason's solo career. It's easy to hear why - it starts with an insanely catchy riff, has a great chorus, and the pre-verse stanzas could even be described as 'groovy.' And the rest of the songs, while not big hits, are all expertly crafted. My dad used the word masterpiece when he showed me this record, and it's hard to argue with. It seemed like everything went right for Dave Mason on this one.
Also, he's rocking the Mad Hatter look on the cover, which you've got to respect.
-N.W.
[ mp3 ]: Dave Mason - Only You and I Know
[ mp3 ]: Dave Mason - Just a Song
And the rest of the album:
I'm not a big fan of Traffic. I do respect their greatness, but they're just not my shizz. I can't explain it. But I think you know what I mean. That's not to say this Dave Mason album is exactly like Traffic, which he joined and then left before starting his solo career. It's something a bit different, and I think more interesting; imagine Traffic singing John Barleycorn, but with the touchstone being more blues, country, and modern Americana, rather than British folk.
The highlight is definitely Only You and I Know, the only certifiable chart-topper of Mason's solo career. It's easy to hear why - it starts with an insanely catchy riff, has a great chorus, and the pre-verse stanzas could even be described as 'groovy.' And the rest of the songs, while not big hits, are all expertly crafted. My dad used the word masterpiece when he showed me this record, and it's hard to argue with. It seemed like everything went right for Dave Mason on this one.
Also, he's rocking the Mad Hatter look on the cover, which you've got to respect.
-N.W.
[ mp3 ]: Dave Mason - Only You and I Know
[ mp3 ]: Dave Mason - Just a Song
And the rest of the album:
Randy Newman - 12 Songs (1970) 01/07/2010
Randy Newman is one of those guys you've heard before, but you just don't know it. Seen Toy Story? Ever caught an episode of Monk? Heard this Three Dog Night song a thousand times?
Guess what? You're listening to Randy Newman. Born in New Orleans, but raised in LA, Randy has a fairly impressive musical pedigree. He can count David, Thomas, and Alfred Newman as relatives, all of whom have IMDB pages long enough to keep you from reading them. The Newmans are a family of composers for film and television, and Randy is no exception. Although, he also releases pop records.
This is his second full length record, and while his self-titled debut was by no means a bad album, this is widely considered his first classic. The big 'hit' of the album is Mama Told Me (Not To Come), covered by many, perhaps most famously by Three Dog Night (see above). Here's the Newman version:
[ mp3 ]: Randy Newman - Mama Told Me (Not To Come)
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE....
This is his second full length record, and while his self-titled debut was by no means a bad album, this is widely considered his first classic. The big 'hit' of the album is Mama Told Me (Not To Come), covered by many, perhaps most famously by Three Dog Night (see above). Here's the Newman version:
[ mp3 ]: Randy Newman - Mama Told Me (Not To Come)
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE....
The Sopwith Camel - The Sopwith Camel (1967) 01/06/2010
Remember the Cherry Poppin' Daddies? How about the Squirrel Nut Zippers? Big Bad Voodoo Daddy? Well, if you were around in the late nineties (which I imagine most of you were, since teenagers haven't been told yet what vinyl records were, or how they worked) you'll remember these bands as part of the inexplicable Swing music revival. For a short while, swing music was suddenly part of the pop culture lexicon, prompting a spike in sales for Glenn Miller CDs, convincing film-goers that Swingers was anything more than mediocre, and briefly rekindling the career of Brian Setzer.
Well, in the late sixties, there was a similar movement. The Sopwith Camel, along with Harpers Bizarre and a myriad of others had America flashing back decades before swing - all the way back to Vaudeville. (These bands are often lumped in as second-rate Lovin' Spoonfulls, but I find their sound much more stylized.) For a band out of California in the late sixties, Vaudeville theater may be an odd touchstone, but what I love about Sopwith is how much they embraced the style; from album cover to spoken word in their songs, they really delved into that slice of Americana.
Here's their big hit, Hello, Hello:
[ mp3 ]: The Sopwith Camel - Hello, Hello
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET MORE TRACKS....
Well, in the late sixties, there was a similar movement. The Sopwith Camel, along with Harpers Bizarre and a myriad of others had America flashing back decades before swing - all the way back to Vaudeville. (These bands are often lumped in as second-rate Lovin' Spoonfulls, but I find their sound much more stylized.) For a band out of California in the late sixties, Vaudeville theater may be an odd touchstone, but what I love about Sopwith is how much they embraced the style; from album cover to spoken word in their songs, they really delved into that slice of Americana.
Here's their big hit, Hello, Hello:
[ mp3 ]: The Sopwith Camel - Hello, Hello
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET MORE TRACKS....
Spooky Tooth - Spooky Two (1969) 01/04/2010
It's been a while since I've been floored by a song, but when I was home for Christmas and my dad played me "Evil Woman" from Spooky Tooth's masterpiece, Spooky Two, I was completely and utterly blown away. This song rocked so hard, it made me sad. Sad that this song wasn't a part of my life sooner.
If you've never heard of Spooky Tooth, count yourself among the millions. They were a blues rock band based out of England in the late sixties through the seventies. Most all of their members found greater success elsewhere. Bassist Greg Ridley left the group to join Humble Pie, guitarist Luther Grosvenor left to join Stealer's Wheel (while changing his name to Ariel Bender), and lead singer/keyboardist Gary Wright is probably most famous for penning "Dream Weaver" in 1976.
But in 1969 they released Spooky Two, their sophomore album, and their masterpiece. My dad picked this one out for me, and I was pretty sure he hadn't listened to this record in at least twenty years. It had that clean vinyl sheen. We threw on Evil Woman, and wow. Just wow.
[ mp3 ]: Spooky Tooth - Evil Woman
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
If you've never heard of Spooky Tooth, count yourself among the millions. They were a blues rock band based out of England in the late sixties through the seventies. Most all of their members found greater success elsewhere. Bassist Greg Ridley left the group to join Humble Pie, guitarist Luther Grosvenor left to join Stealer's Wheel (while changing his name to Ariel Bender), and lead singer/keyboardist Gary Wright is probably most famous for penning "Dream Weaver" in 1976.
But in 1969 they released Spooky Two, their sophomore album, and their masterpiece. My dad picked this one out for me, and I was pretty sure he hadn't listened to this record in at least twenty years. It had that clean vinyl sheen. We threw on Evil Woman, and wow. Just wow.
[ mp3 ]: Spooky Tooth - Evil Woman
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
Best of 2009 - For Your Dad... 12/18/2009
Dad's Records is all about my Dad enriching my musical world with suggestions from the past. But of course, it's a two-way street. A few times a year, and always at Christmas, I give my dad a CD of what I think he'll most enjoy from the current music scene. So for every The Sopwich Camel, there has to be a corresponding A.A. Bondy.
So here's a preview of what I'll be giving my dad this Christmas. Consider this my...
So here's a preview of what I'll be giving my dad this Christmas. Consider this my...
Best of 2009...For Your Dad
[ mp3 ]: Wilco - You And I
It seems you can't make a mix for your dad without putting at least one Wilco song on there. Dads love Wilco. It's a law of nature. Like gravity. Or girls liking Glee.
This song is one of my favorites of this year's Wilco (The Album). If any of you have seen these guys live, you know they're the most musically skillful band out there. They make it look so easy. And this song sure is easy on the ears.
It seems you can't make a mix for your dad without putting at least one Wilco song on there. Dads love Wilco. It's a law of nature. Like gravity. Or girls liking Glee.
This song is one of my favorites of this year's Wilco (The Album). If any of you have seen these guys live, you know they're the most musically skillful band out there. They make it look so easy. And this song sure is easy on the ears.
[ mp3 ]: Real Estate - Beach Comber
I'll admit it. I found these guys in the blogosphere. It's not my most favorite way of discovering music, but as soon as I heard them, I wasn't ashamed. I like to think of them as a band you'd find gathered around a bonfire on the beach somewhere south of San Francisco. I don't where they're from, but that's what they sound like to me. Imagine a sunnier Built to Spill.
I'll admit it. I found these guys in the blogosphere. It's not my most favorite way of discovering music, but as soon as I heard them, I wasn't ashamed. I like to think of them as a band you'd find gathered around a bonfire on the beach somewhere south of San Francisco. I don't where they're from, but that's what they sound like to me. Imagine a sunnier Built to Spill.
[ mp3 ]: Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Well, there's not much more that can be said about this one. From Pitchfork, to NPR, to every blog every in the world ever created ever, this is almost unanimously the song of the year. I think I first fell in love with it after watching the trippy video. Does anyone else think there's something Swedish about these guys' voices? They remind me of Jens Lekman, or Sondre Lerche. Nice work, fellows.
Well, there's not much more that can be said about this one. From Pitchfork, to NPR, to every blog every in the world ever created ever, this is almost unanimously the song of the year. I think I first fell in love with it after watching the trippy video. Does anyone else think there's something Swedish about these guys' voices? They remind me of Jens Lekman, or Sondre Lerche. Nice work, fellows.
To see the next seven...click here!
Neil Young - Comes a Time (1978) 12/16/2009
I know I just skipped eleven years by jumping all the way to Neil's 1978 classic Comes a Time. And those were some pretty great years - Harvest, Tonight's the Night, On the Beach, Zuma - those are some of Neil's strongest records. Harvest was a cultural touchstone, while Zuma contains one of my favorite tracks of all time, Cortez the Killer.
But if Neil could ever be accused of having an underrated album, I think this would be it.
Comes a Time was precursed (and pre-cursed) by American Stars 'N Bars, a bizzare record in which Neil's attitude is best illustrated by his pose on the album cover - I rest my case. Needless to say, it was not well received. So when Comes a Time was released in '78, everyone was thrilled that Neil had returned to the tone he nailed with Harvest. Countrified rock with senitmental lyrics, a worldliness with a sense of weariness, vintage Neil Young.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET SOME TRACKS....
But if Neil could ever be accused of having an underrated album, I think this would be it.
Comes a Time was precursed (and pre-cursed) by American Stars 'N Bars, a bizzare record in which Neil's attitude is best illustrated by his pose on the album cover - I rest my case. Needless to say, it was not well received. So when Comes a Time was released in '78, everyone was thrilled that Neil had returned to the tone he nailed with Harvest. Countrified rock with senitmental lyrics, a worldliness with a sense of weariness, vintage Neil Young.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET SOME TRACKS....
Christmas with my family has many traditions; going to church Christmas Eve, hanging our stockings, opening gifts, and eating tons of cinnamon rolls. Our dad still reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to us every year, as we gather around a fire with several dachshunds on our laps.
And the past few years, I've noticed that every Christmas, Neil Young is there. Last year I got my dad tickets to go see Neil in New York City, when he played at the United Palace. The year before I got my dad the Jonathan Demme documentary Heart of Gold. Even when there isn't a gift that was specifically created by Neil Young, my dad and I spend at least one afternoon listening to his music.
So forgive me for doing two posts in a row about Neil Young, but for me, Christmas time means home, and home is me, my dad, and a Neil Young album. (and the aforementioned dachshunds)
Neil Young's self-titled debut in 1969 was good, but his second solo record and his first with long-time backing group Crazy Horse was where he really defined himself as a rock'n'roll force. The songs on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere are more loose, raw, and powerful; for many, this really is the first Neil Young record.
The album starts with Cinnamon Girl, a heavy rocker that for my money may be the best lead-off track on any album ever.
[ mp3 ]: Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET MORE TRACKS...
And the past few years, I've noticed that every Christmas, Neil Young is there. Last year I got my dad tickets to go see Neil in New York City, when he played at the United Palace. The year before I got my dad the Jonathan Demme documentary Heart of Gold. Even when there isn't a gift that was specifically created by Neil Young, my dad and I spend at least one afternoon listening to his music.
So forgive me for doing two posts in a row about Neil Young, but for me, Christmas time means home, and home is me, my dad, and a Neil Young album. (and the aforementioned dachshunds)
Neil Young's self-titled debut in 1969 was good, but his second solo record and his first with long-time backing group Crazy Horse was where he really defined himself as a rock'n'roll force. The songs on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere are more loose, raw, and powerful; for many, this really is the first Neil Young record.
The album starts with Cinnamon Girl, a heavy rocker that for my money may be the best lead-off track on any album ever.
[ mp3 ]: Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET MORE TRACKS...
Neil Young - After the Goldrush (1970) 12/10/2009
When I was growing up, the only thing that saved all my friends from becoming hip-hop aficionados (not that tragic) was Nirvana, and what saved me from being a Nirvana aficionado (more tragic) was this album. Now, Neil Young is my dad's favorite artist. Hands down, no contest. He is my favorite now, too. But for a while, growing up, I thought his voice was too 'weird.' How could a professional musician have a voice that was so uncool? Silly, stupid, young Nelson.
Like any good teenager, I LOVED the Seattle grunge scene. I wore flannel, played my music loud, I even bought Stone Temple Pilots records, not realizing back then that they were really faking it. When Pearl Jam made Mirrorball with Neil Young, calling him the godfather of grunge, worlds collided. Suddenly, my dad's love for Neil was more than just a quirky obsession - it was Eddie Vedder-approved!
So I went back into the Neil catalog, and of course, one of my first stops was Southern Man, the song that got Lynyrd Skynyrd's panties in a twist (...i hope Neil Young will remember...southern man don't need him 'round, anyhow...) Southern Man is actually an indictment of racism in the south; so, way to read the subtext, Skynyrd.
[ mp3 ]: Neil Young - Southern Man
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND LISTEN TO THE FULL ALBUM...
Like any good teenager, I LOVED the Seattle grunge scene. I wore flannel, played my music loud, I even bought Stone Temple Pilots records, not realizing back then that they were really faking it. When Pearl Jam made Mirrorball with Neil Young, calling him the godfather of grunge, worlds collided. Suddenly, my dad's love for Neil was more than just a quirky obsession - it was Eddie Vedder-approved!
So I went back into the Neil catalog, and of course, one of my first stops was Southern Man, the song that got Lynyrd Skynyrd's panties in a twist (...i hope Neil Young will remember...southern man don't need him 'round, anyhow...) Southern Man is actually an indictment of racism in the south; so, way to read the subtext, Skynyrd.
[ mp3 ]: Neil Young - Southern Man
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND LISTEN TO THE FULL ALBUM...
Mark Knopfler - Local Hero Soundtrack (1983) 12/07/2009
Mark Knopfler will always hold a special place in my heart. That place is right next to where John Hiatt lives, and both plots are pretty small, but only because Neil Young's got all the acreage.
When I first heard Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms, I was in my dad's Volkswagen, probably on the way to some baseball card show in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. We did that a lot back then - at least once a month we'd find a baseball card show advertised in the Morning Call's sports pages, my dad would drive us, and then my brother and I would blow all our lawn-mowing cash on completing the 1993 Upper Deck full set, or collecting all of Ricky Bottalico's rookie cards. These were simpler times.
Anyway, when I first heard Knopfler's voice, I asked my dad if we were listening to Bob Dylan. There was something about Sultans of Swing that struck me as Dylan-esque, in my tweenage ignorance. Little did I know I had just discovered a guitar and voice that I would enjoy much more than Dylan in the next decade. On the porch, in the car, during emotional adolescent soul-searching in my bedroom; the rolling, liquid reverberations of Knopfler's guitar were so often the perfect accompaniment.
I didn't find this oft-overlooked soundtrack until years later. It's bright yellow binding jumped out of my dad's collection, and while the album is mostly instrumental, the themes and hooks Knopfler injects make it unmistakingly his. Each track adds theme on top of theme, until the last track layers them all together, in a gorgeous slow build:
[ mp3 ]: Mark Knopfler - Going Home (Theme of Local Hero)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET MORE TRACKS (INCLUDING ONE THAT INVOLVES GERRY RAFFERTY!
When I first heard Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms, I was in my dad's Volkswagen, probably on the way to some baseball card show in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. We did that a lot back then - at least once a month we'd find a baseball card show advertised in the Morning Call's sports pages, my dad would drive us, and then my brother and I would blow all our lawn-mowing cash on completing the 1993 Upper Deck full set, or collecting all of Ricky Bottalico's rookie cards. These were simpler times.
Anyway, when I first heard Knopfler's voice, I asked my dad if we were listening to Bob Dylan. There was something about Sultans of Swing that struck me as Dylan-esque, in my tweenage ignorance. Little did I know I had just discovered a guitar and voice that I would enjoy much more than Dylan in the next decade. On the porch, in the car, during emotional adolescent soul-searching in my bedroom; the rolling, liquid reverberations of Knopfler's guitar were so often the perfect accompaniment.
I didn't find this oft-overlooked soundtrack until years later. It's bright yellow binding jumped out of my dad's collection, and while the album is mostly instrumental, the themes and hooks Knopfler injects make it unmistakingly his. Each track adds theme on top of theme, until the last track layers them all together, in a gorgeous slow build:
[ mp3 ]: Mark Knopfler - Going Home (Theme of Local Hero)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND GET MORE TRACKS (INCLUDING ONE THAT INVOLVES GERRY RAFFERTY!
