Review of The Shawshank Redemption (Note: contains spoilers)

(Submitted on March 14, 2017)

On February 25^th, I finally watched the film The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. I feel like I might have been the last person on earth who wanted to see it but hadn’t! And I’m happy to report that it was 142 minutes completely well spent. This a film that, simply put, moves you. It is a story of hope, of friendship, and of overcoming adversity by reaching into your deepest self and holding on to your spirit.

Released in 1994, Shawshank stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and is adapted from Stephen King’s novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. In 1947, banker Andy Dufresne (Robbins), despite his claims of innocence, is sentenced to life without parole in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover. The film follows Andy’s time in prison, during which he befriends inmate Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Freeman), a contraband dealer serving a life sentence. Andy’s indomitable spirit wins him the respect of Red and other inmates. By virtue of his financial expertise and professional demeanor, he is given work managing the finances of prison employees, and later is used by the warden in a money-laundering operation, receiving protection from the guards in the process. It also emerges that he may well be innocent. After approximately twenty years at Shawshank, Andy escapes through a tunnel he had dug over his time there, and heads south to Mexico. Sometime later, Red receives parole after forty years behind bars, and reunites with his friend on a Mexican beach at the film’s conclusion.

Shawshank was the feature film directorial debut of Frank Darabont, who wrote the screenplay as well. Darabont is also known for writing and directing The Green Mile, and developing and executive producing the first season and part of the second season of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Although it took in $58 million on a $25 million budget, the film faded quickly at the box office. Possible reasons include the difficulty of marketing a prison drama to potential female viewers, as well as the challenge of selling to men a story of true friendship between two men. Shawshank is also perceived to be particularly slow-moving. One critic, Desson Thomson, wrote in the Washington Post that “it wanders down subplots at every opportunity and ignores an abundance of narrative exit points before settling on its finale.”

However, the film for the most part received critical acclaim, and was nominated for seven Oscars at the 67^th Academy Awards: Best Picture (won by Forrest Gump), Best Actor (for Freeman), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Mixing, of which it unfortunately won none. Despite its lack of box-office success, it would gain in popularity through airings on cable television, in addition to VHS, DVD and Blu-ray.

While it is safe to say that Shawshank moves quite slowly, I believe that this is not to its detriment. The pacing is deliberate; it is intended to reflect how slowly time moves in a prison. Naturally, as a result of this, the plot does not unfold quickly. The film is noted for its use of narration (provided by Freeman) to illustrate the passage of time.

But perhaps unusually, considering that Shawshank is not fast-paced, it always holds one’s interest. Yes, there are subplots, but they never feel superfluous, are all done with great attention to detail, and they all become intertwined. I can confidently say that this film always knows where it is heading. And the tedium of time passing in prison provides vivid contrast to the rush of adrenaline one feels at the story’s climax.

The performances of Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are excellent and, of course, Freeman’s voice alone is a treat to listen to (Side note: I still remember in high school coming across a Facebook group titled “I want Morgan Freeman to narrate my life”). They are surrounded by a fine supporting cast, including James Whitmore as Brooks, an elderly man who has spent so much of his life in prison that, once free, he doesn’t know how to adjust to the outside world – a fear shared by Red.

Andy, as played by Robbins, is notably different from the other inmates in that he is able to hold onto hope even within the confines of Shawshank. He has an unyielding belief in the human spirit. A theme that develops is the importance of music to Andy – his playing of Mozart in his head while in solitary confinement, his gift of a harmonica to Red and, most significantly, his playing of opera over the prison loud speakers – which leads Red to say that the beauty of it dissolved the walls of the prison and made the inmates feel free, even if just for a short time. For Andy, it is music that reminds him of the outside world and gives him a place within himself that can’t be locked away.

Freeman’s portrayal of Red is a fascinating one. Red is, by his own admission, guilty of the crime for which he is incarcerated. Until his friendship with Andy, he seemed a man without hope, simply gaming the system as best as he could. There has been no glimmer of optimism in Red about life beyond Shawshank. The gradually developing friendship between him and Andy is at the heart of the story. In addition, I believe that the decision to have Red narrate, considering he is not an innocent man and is in fact a criminal, brings empathy to the prisoners and shows the audience their humanity.

The cinematography in Shawshank is outstanding. The foreboding appearance of the prison, with the use of blue, brown and gray within its walls, contrasts especially with the brightness of the Mexican beach seen at the film’s conclusion. The camera work is in a classic style – there are no jarring angles or panning techniques. It perfectly exudes the slowness and drudgery of life in prison.

I would suspect that many reviews of Shawshank have ended like this, but I will do it anyway. If you have not seen it, I recommend that you do so immediately. For, in the oft-quoted words of Andy, one must “get busy living or get busy dying.”

 

 

The Agony of Cutting with Scissors

(Submitted on February 28,  2017)

Before I sat down to write this story I gave myself a test. I took a piece of paper and a pair of scissors and tried to cut a circle. The end result was the roughest-looking wonky eye shape that you could imagine. My scissor skills have not improved with age, and I will always be  an adult who can’t cut. Nor can I tie shoelaces properly, or fix stuck zippers, or negotiate combination locks, or perform any number of other “non-verbal” tasks requiring hand-eye coordination. But let’s stick with scissors for now because this isn’t about coming up with a laundry list of my flaws and it was a lack of cutting skills that caused me one of the most frustrating years of my life – the year my parents remember as the one I almost failed kindergarten.

It was 1996 and I launched into kindergarten in a happy, even great, mood. I had had a fantastic year of pre-kindergarten, being coddled and nurtured by Mrs. Cecile Legaspi, a woman who was genuinely kind and unquestionably understood me. She indulged my desire to read incessantly, did not get mad when I corrected other students’ spelling, and sympathized with all of my foibles (of which there were many, even at the age of four). She gave me confidence that I had something to offer. I was full of hope, until I ran into Mrs. Karen Elliott.

By all accounts, Mrs. Elliott was a first-rate kindergarten teacher and she was well loved by both children and their parents. I recall her as having a soft voice and a calm demeanor but, to me, underneath that gentle Midwestern façade was a wolf in sheep’s clothing – a woman of steel; a woman who was determined that I would meet her expectations for a kindergartner. And it turns out that there are many items on the checklist for what makes an acceptable kindergartner and most of these items required skills that I did not possess. First and foremost on this list was, apparently, cutting with scissors.

I had pictured kindergarten as consisting of hours playing happily, if clumsily, at the incredible Lego building station which was shared by our “cluster” of classes. Oh, how my eyes had lit up when I’d first seen that Lego collection! I’d figured on spending the rest of my time in the “reading nook” choosing chapter books from a large, rotating stand that most of the other kids ignored. It appeared that those books were all for me.

What I hadn’t pictured was hours upon hours spent doing tedious craft projects, cutting, gluing, shaping pipe cleaners into people or animals, fixing googly eyes to Halloween decorations or painting Christmas ornaments. Every project seemed to be a bigger, more daunting challenge than the one before. And all of them, at some point, required the use of scissors. And I simply could not cut.

My reaction to these projects – one that from my point of view was totally reasonable – was to get up and remove myself from the stress of it all by heading to the Lego table or the reading nook. And then I’d hear the gentle, but insistent, voice of Mrs. Elliott “suggesting” that I return to my work desk immediately and continue with whatever project was being worked on. As much as Mrs. Legaspi “got me”, Mrs. Elliott did not, or did not want to, or maybe felt that she had a higher calling – that being to complete her instruction in the use of scissors.

My parents were unaware of my frequent run-ins with Mrs. Elliott. No notes were sent home. There were no phone calls. Their help was never enlisted. It appears that my teacher felt that it was her job alone to drill into me the finer skills of craft-making. Thus, my mother was quite unprepared for the mid-year parent-teacher conference. She trotted off happily, hoping to hear that her son was doing just fine. After all, this was kindergarten. And he could read and spell and do arithmetic.

Yet somehow Mrs. Elliott almost reduced the poor woman to tears with her criticism of my scissor skills.

My mother has always said that not a single mention was made of the fact that I was reading at what was probably a third or fourth-grade level. To digress a little, I must admit that I was a precocious reader. Quick story – when I was barely two years old and living in New York, I would read out the names on the manufacturer labels of apartment building air conditioning units from my stroller as my parents and I passed by. It was a slightly strange thing to do, but I’ve mentioned that I have foibles. My precociousness did not really extend beyond reading. And it certainly did not extend to any non-verbal skills such as scissor cutting, an ability that I never developed, even with the constant prodding of Mrs. Elliott.

At any rate, back to the parent-teacher conference, where zero mention was made of my reading skills, and the entire time was allocated to discussing the inadequacy of my craft-making and cutting expertise. At one point my mother, searching for a little affirmation, interjected “But he can read well, can’t he?” A stony-faced Mrs. Elliott, however, immediately circled back to further condemnation of my capacity to cut, glue, and paint.

My parents purchased home arts and crafts kits (we probably still have reams of construction paper and thousands of unused Popsicle sticks stored someplace), but to no avail. Any attempts at piquing my interest or developing my skills proved futile. Thankfully, I was allowed to move on in school, and as years progressed there was less need to produce and use scissors in class.

As it turns out, Mrs. Elliott had tapped into a real, and important issue in my life. My inability to cut with scissors was found to be symptomatic of a person with a non-verbal learning disorder. What she did not realize was that neither encouragement nor threat of punishment was ever going to make much difference in my mastery of non-verbal skills. My non-verbal inadequacies have caused me a lot of anxiety and heartache over the years. That I still can’t cut with scissors doesn’t matter in the scheme of life, but the wider problem that it represents will be with me forever.

 

The Aberdeen Marina Club, a.k.a. Heaven on Earth

(Submitted on May 2, 2017)

I was very young, but still remember well the day that my family first toured the Aberdeen Marina Club in Sham Wan, Hong Kong. We had recently relocated to that magnificent city for my father’s job and were all adjusting to the unique experience – really a step back in time – of life as “expats”. For my father, who would travel constantly throughout Asia for five years, this meant acquiring a bazillion frequent flyer points and being treated with an absurd degree of deference which he had never known before and has not known since. For my mother, it meant coming to terms with the idea of having a “domestic helper,” a concept which she initially opposed (as many expats do), being a modern woman who frowned on such things, but to which she finally succumbed (as all expats do).  For my brother and I it meant taking in all the marvels of the Aberdeen Marina Club.

One of the rites of passage for expats in the big cities of Asia seems to be joining a “Club”. I guess that many of the families that relocate are leaving behind suburban living and houses with grassy yards, and the move into the high-rise, congested lifestyle of a city like Hong Kong must be sweetened with promises of a place that will offer the comforts of home. Only better. And more luxurious. And not even remotely like the local Y. For my family, no such enticement was actually necessary as we were moving from a dark, cramped apartment on the Upper West Side of New York. We had the ground floor of a brownstone and did, in fact, have access to the rear “garden,” a brick courtyard that my parents had thought might be a good place to put a sandbox for me.  Unfortunately the sandbox was rarely used, other than possibly by rats, thanks to some neighbors in the building next door who used our little garden as their personal trash can. They used to toss all of their leftover food straight out the kitchen window. Chicken bones, half-eaten baked potatoes. Charming. But I digress.

Club membership was part of my dad’s employment package and neither of my parents were going to turn that down. As I’ve said, I was very young when we made our first trip to the Marina Club but I feel absolutely certain that, from the minute we stepped through the doors, we looked like those families one sees in ads for a Disney cruise –  our eyes opened wide and our jaws dropped. Perhaps I’m reminded of those ads because the main entrance and lobby area did have somewhat of a cruise ship feel. To my eyes, it was absolutely stunning. To my mother’s eyes, it veered perhaps towards gaudy. But who cared? We signed in and commenced a tour through the floors of restaurants and game rooms and finally to the outside terrace from where we could see “paradise”. The Tropical Pool. A huge meandering swimming pool surrounded by palm trees and exotic plants, complete with an island, a waterfall and the most perfect water slide ever created. Beyond the pool one could see a boating marina and the “Jumbo” floating restaurants. I now think of the restaurants as a tourist trap, but back then, they seemed like the holy grail of dining out, huge and ornate and, I repeat, floating.

The wonders of the Marina Club unfolded to me over the next five years.  It turned out that there was another large swimming pool that was covered with a “bubble” and heated during the winter months and it was here that I learned to swim. For children there was every conceivable activity on offer from martial arts classes to gymnastics to badminton, golf and tennis. There was a bowling alley, a movie theater, a candy store that offered goodies from all over the world and a games and adventure room that had to be seen to be believed. There was even an ice skating rink, which was very much a novelty for Hong Kong in those days.

Unsurprisingly, the Marina Club was the “go-to” place for birthday parties and my brother and I spent countless hours enjoying all the amenities that the club had to offer. It was where we all learned the expression “put it on the tab,” a phrase that has literally disappeared from my lexicon in the years since leaving Hong Kong.  It was indeed a luxurious, and by that I mean totally “over-the-top” experience that would leave any out-of-town visitor questioning, while slightly envious of, the opulence. For young children, it seemed quite literally to be heaven on earth.

When my family left Hong Kong and returned to the U.S. and life in the suburbs, we left behind the Aberdeen Marina Club and the lavish lifestyle of the “expat” that it represented. And, while we all loved living in Asia with the opportunities it afforded us, I don’t think that any of us felt worse off for not being surrounded by such luxury. But it was fun while it lasted.

Portrait – My Grandfather

(Submitted on February 23, 2017)

It’s late afternoon in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia and at the D’Arcy Arms, an old-time Irish pub, small groups are congregating at the bar. Surfers is a tourist town, but it’s mostly locals and retirees on their annual pilgrimage “up north” who frequent this establishment, and the atmosphere is convivial. An elderly gentleman using a walker slowly makes his way up a ramp and into the main bar area. The other patrons all offer him welcoming greetings and clear a path leading to the one empty stool waiting for him at the end of the bar.  The man parks his walker and, with help, climbs onto the stool. It’s five o’clock and Ian Hamilton, my grandfather, has taken his daily place at the D’Arcy. For the next hour he will basically “hold court”, chatting with people from all walks of life on any number of topics.  I’ve accompanied him to this bar a number of times and each time have been amazed and proud of his popularity and the ease with which he interacts with the people around him. It seems impossible that a person like me, so timid and fearful and tongue-tied, could be related to him.  I have often asked myself just what it is about him that makes him seem so comfortable and well-loved.

*   *   *

Ian Hamilton was born in 1928 in Adelaide, South Australia, a descendant of some of the country’s earliest settlers. My grandfather would admit that while his ancestors were not convicts, they were only “one step ahead of the law”, so Australia was probably the right place for them to end up. He spent most of his childhood in Perth, Western Australia, leading what he knew to be a very lucky life. He was too young to enlist for World War II and spent his teenage years studying and playing sports. He went on to study law at university, hitchhiked through Europe and the U.K. and eventually worked in Toronto where he met the love of his life.  They moved to Sydney, worked hard, had one child (my mother) and lived a simple and contented life. My grandfather has always been a happy and optimistic man, although he was sorely tested with the too-early death of his beloved wife.

*   *   *

Those days at the D’Arcy are over now and my grandfather, who will be ninety next January, lives in a nursing home where he spends his days watching TV and charming the caregivers. His television viewing habits actually encapsulate one of his best qualities. Every day he bounces between the news (including financial and political), sports (literally all sports!), concerts and ballet, random episodes of old sitcoms, Judge Judy and The Bold and the Beautiful. The point is, he’s interested in everything! High-brow, low-brow and all that’s in between. Not only does he watch avidly, but he also has opinions on every subject and favorite teams for every sport. Add to that an incredible long-term memory and you have the recipe for a great conversationalist. Even at nearly ninety.

*   *   *

When my grandfather was still able to travel he would visit my family in the U.S. every summer. On his way back to Australia he would always spend a few weeks in Hawaii, a place for which he had developed a great affection when he vacationed there with my grandmother. Each trip brought a new batch of friends into his life, and these friendships were the subject of some consternation for my mother. He’d arrive to stay with us at the end of May and would then start planning side-trips all over America to visit friends both old and new. The conversations typically went along the following lines:

“Just who are you going to see in Dayton, Ohio?” – my mother would ask.

“A dental hygienist who I met at the Halekulani bar last October. She was there for a conference and she and her husband said that I should visit them in Dayton” – my grandfather would reply.

“But Dad, are you sure she REALLY meant it – maybe she was just being polite?”

“Of course she meant it or she wouldn’t have asked.”

“And then you’re going to Syracuse?”

“Yes, to visit Syd, the lawyer I met on my bus tour of Italy – a nice old guy.”

“And Portland, Maine?”

“Yes, don’t you remember the woman and her daughter who we met in that hotel lobby in San Francisco in 1968? You were with your mother and me on that trip.”

“Dad, I was 9 years old.”

“Well, you know we’ve stayed in touch over the years and Priscilla has invited me to her summer house in Maine.”

And my mother would sigh and off he would go. She tells me that these days, when she visits him at his nursing home, she never ceases to be amazed at the mail that he receives, and every item reminds her that he was right all along. The people that he met and chatted with and laughed with over the years did indeed want him to visit and be part of their lives. He possesses bundles of letters and cards and photos sent by friends all over the world. And this mail keeps coming years after his last trip and years after he’s been able to write back.

*   *   *

My grandfather is very important to my life. He truly is just about the nicest guy on the planet and we talk often. He’s learned only one use of modern technology, but it’s a good one – FaceTime – and we chat frequently, typically about sports. He inspires me with his ability to develop friendships and put people at ease.  What makes him so special? I think ultimately it’s the fact that he takes a genuine interest in people and in life.  Not only does he tell great stories, but he also truly listens and appreciates the stories that others tell him.  I think that being a great listener is a rare quality and my grandfather certainly has it.  Whether he’s chatting about cricket with a Sikh taxi driver or politics with a bartender or gardening with one of the residents at his nursing home, he pays attention and fully engages in the conversation. What starts as small-talk will often go deeper because people can tell that the man with whom they are talking is sincerely interested in what they are saying. This ability is remarkable to me.

*   *   *

I ask my mother whether my grandfather has always been this way. I wonder if his appreciation of people and of life stems from the fact that, over the last thirty years, he has survived many illnesses and has learned to find joy in each day. “Overcoming illness may have enhanced his zest,” my mother replies. “But in general, this is just who your grandfather is, an optimist with a kind heart and really just a great guy to have in your life. We can all learn from him.”

I agree.

Elissa

(Submitted on May 9, 2017)

The story that follows is a sad one. There is no happy ending. But it is a story of courage and will reveal a character of such honor, integrity and perseverance that the word hero will, to me, be correctly used.

Elissa Hyman is a 58-year-old woman who, until last year, was living a tough, but satisfying, life in New York. What to say about Elissa? First, the simple facts. She grew up in New Jersey and attended Rutgers University, her dream to work in health and fitness. After graduating, she moved into the city and landed a job as an aerobics instructor at a popular studio on the Upper West Side. This was the era of Flashdance and for those who might have seen that movie, young Elissa bore a strong resemblance to its star, Jennifer Beals, complete with curly hair and those 1980s legwarmers.

Her childhood had not been an easy one. Her father was demanding and quick to berate Elissa and her brother, and her mother did little to advocate for them. Elissa’s decision to work in fitness did not please her parents and she received basically no encouragement and no financial assistance from them, even as she struggled to further her education and start her own business.  She pushed on though, eventually earning a master’s degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University. In the 1990s she opened her own small gym, Elissa’s Personal Best in the basement of a residential building on East 79^th Street and rented a tiny studio apartment next to it.

Years passed. Her parents retired to Florida and her relationship with them became cordial, but never close. Tragically, her brother died of brain cancer, leaving a gaping hole in her life. She dated and had a few serious relationships along the way, but she never married. Her weeks were long and filled with work. There is no doubt that being a female entrepreneur in New York is not for the faint of heart and working as a personal trainer is particularly tough. It’s a competitive field and one where youth reigns supreme. To be at the top of her game Elissa maintained a grueling schedule, and, when she wasn’t training others, she was working out herself. She would admit to being an overly sensitive person, prone to self-doubt and somewhat hyper in temperament. She’d probably say that her job and her strict regimen kept her sane. She earned enough to support herself, but lived pretty much month to month. Her lifestyle was frugal, although she would splurge on two things: Broadway shows and, like a true Jersey girl, Bruce Springsteen concerts.

I met Elissa in 2014. My mother would go to Elissa’s gym and, at times I guess, would talk with her about me, and the struggles that I was having.  I was extremely depressed at the time, was severely overweight, and was reluctant to ever leave our apartment. Elissa, who’s a great talker by the way, felt sympathetic to what I was going through and offered to go bike riding with me. She felt that it would get me outside and moving and it was an activity where we could chat, or not, depending on my mood. She offered to do this free of charge – she just wanted to help.  We rode a few times and her warm and generous nature shone through. I just wasn’t up for it very much at the time, I’m sad to say.

Elissa’s life fell apart in 2016. There is no easy way to put all that happened to her into words. She lost her leases, both for the little gym and her studio. Rents in New York, as we all know, are crazy and she was unable to find another location within her budget. She resigned herself to closing up shop and working freelance out of another gym. She found a place to live, even smaller than the space she had called home for 20 years, and prepared to move on. Her ailing, now very old, parents in Florida went into full “we told you so” mode despite the fact that she had successfully looked after herself for close to 40 years. Yet she remained upbeat and forward looking.

And then tragedy struck on Saturday, June 25^th. Elissa woke up with very little feeling in her legs. She was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital, where they performed back surgery, believing the problem to be a compressed nerve. This was a huge and costly mistake as it did not resolve the situation, and quite possibly worsened it. Weeks of diagnosis finally revealed the cause to be transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder. While many who suffer from transverse myelitis recover, at least partially, in Elissa’s case the paralysis in her legs became total and spread up to her chest.

It’s been nearly a year now and Elissa remains paralyzed. Her gym in gone, her dog and cat have been given away and she is living in a rehabilitation residence in Manhasset, Long Island. It’s not too far out of the city – but it’s a costly trip for friends who want to visit her and at times it feels a million miles away from her life in Manhattan.

What is the mark of a hero? I believe that heroic traits can be seen in how we respond to and cope with the trials that life throws at us. And we all do have something thrown at us sooner or later. But imagine this woman, on her own with no family support mechanism and her livelihood gone. She’s only 58 yet facing life in a high-care facility. Right now, she shares a room with a 90-year-old who likes the television loud and the heat set to sweltering. She faces a constant battle with insurance providers who are trying to deny her access to physio and occupational therapy. She has now developed pressure sores that she can neither see nor feel (and this must surely be negligence on the part of the staff?) and that may take up to a year to heal. She is constantly in danger of developing infections that could imperil her life and has been in and out of hospital to deal with ongoing issues. She is Medicaid-pending and her long-term options are severely limited.

And yet, throughout this ordeal she has remained her kind, warm, generous self. I hear her FaceTiming with my mother and their conversation reveals the courage and tenacity that she is showing on a daily basis. Most of us would have fallen in a heap from which recovery was all but impossible, but not Elissa. If she feels self-pity, which she surely must at times, she doesn’t let it show. It seems that she lifts the spirits of those around her who feel angry and sad and despairing on her behalf. I have overheard her ask my mother how I’m doing, a gesture that seems entirely stunning to me given what she is going through. She emails and texts her old clients, for no reason other than to encourage them to stick with their fitness goals and she develops workout programs for them if they are unable to afford the pricey city trainers.  I gather, and it doesn’t surprise me at all, that she is well-loved by all those she comes into contact with at the rehab center.

Clearly, when one thinks of “heroes” there are certain people, and groups of people, who come to mind. The men and women who have served our country and our cities to keep us safe and free, those who fight for improved conditions on a global scale and those whose brilliance transforms our world in so many positive ways. But then there are those people who simply show true grit and determination in the face of extreme adversity. People who respond to tragedy with grace, dignity and courage and who inspire us to have the strength that would help us through our own difficult times. Elissa Hyman is one such person, and she is a hero.

 

Outrage over Cultural Appropriation – Has it Gone Too Far?

(Submitted on March 21, 2017)

At Pitzer College in California, there is a wall on the side of a dormitory devoted to unmoderated free speech through art, often in the form of murals. Recently, a group of Latina female students spray-painted “White Girl, Take OFF your hoops!!!”, a message directed at white girls on campus, ordering them to remove hoop earrings they might be wearing. One of those responsible, Alegria Martinez, in an email to the student body, accused white girls of cultural appropriation, saying, “The culture actually comes from a historical background of oppression and exclusion. White people have actually exploited the culture and made it into fashion.” Her email “went viral” and its release prompted considerable backlash, causing Pitzer president Melvin L. Oliver to, in turn, write an email condemning hate speech on campus.

In recent years, there have been a number of news stories emanating from college campuses about cultural appropriation. At Oberlin College, poorly prepared Japanese sushi – the rice was soggy – led to calls for more culturally sensitive menus to be implemented. At a college in Ontario, Canada, yoga classes were pulled from the extracurricular schedule due to fears that the practice of yoga has been appropriated from those who “have experienced oppression, cultural genocide and diasporas due to colonialism and western supremacy.” I must admit that I have not given stories such as these much thought. I’m a simple person, not prone to heavy analytical thinking, and I’ve tended to wave such issues off as inconsequential or lacking in common sense. However, the hoop earring story seems like one step too far and it has caused me to contemplate these types of transgressions.

Reading this email detailing how the wearing of hoop earrings is an act of resistance by women of color that should not be emulated was, for me, somewhat mind-numbing. While I understand that Martinez and some other students are upset, their outrage is something that strikes me as perhaps youthful and naïve. The world has been turning for a long, long time. The fact is, hoop earrings are simply not a creation of this generation or of this era. The Brooklyn Museum has, in its collection, a pair of Sumerian hoop earrings from around 2500 B.C.E and there are many examples of such earrings from ancient Greece and ancient Rome. These gold trinkets were a sign of luxury and were typically found in the tombs of rulers. Thousands of years ago it was written that “there is nothing new under the sun” and hoop earrings are an incredibly small but classic example of that. Pirates wore a hoop, even Shakespeare is thought to have worn a hoop, and over the last century hoop earrings have been worn by women throughout much of the world.

It seems that in this world, we have a tendency to take some things, such as the notion of cultural appropriation, so far that the entire meaning becomes confused and diluted. We have all seen stories regarding the appropriation of sacred artifacts, rituals and traditions. Whether they have been copied thoughtlessly, or worse, with the intention to mock, we all cringe when we read of such insensitivity. The idea of people wearing blackface today correctly makes us feel shame and embarrassment. When Boy Scouts dress as Native Americans and perform ceremonies and dances, no matter their intent, we understand that they should be called out for gross appropriation of Native American culture. But when we reach the point of discussing things such as hoop earrings, I believe that we have crossed over into “nonsensical” territory. In my view, we need to think more rationally about what falls into the basket of cultural appropriation. If we don’t, we run the risk of diminishing the whole issue. If everything is open to the idea of cultural appropriation, then real instances of wrongdoing become obscured.

I distinguish between what could be considered offensive and what is simply the melding of cultures that America is renowned for. I like the America that I see at home when my sister (born in Hong Kong to Australian parents) invites her closest friends over. Here are some of the descriptions that one would apply to them. Nigerian immigrant born to Nigerian parents. Chinese-born adopted by American parents. American born to an Italian father and Dominican mother. American born to an Irish-American mother and Italian father. These teenage girls are truly a diverse group and are reflective of many such friendships in 2017 America. The family of each girl brings a very different historical perspective to the raising of their daughters and each girl carries a rich cultural history of customs, fashions and food. Yet they don’t see these things as frozen in time. They copy, they learn, they create together and, when they do imitate, it is definitely the sincerest form of flattery. The influence that they have on each other is symbiotic and the positive outcome is part of what makes America special.

I strongly feel that the time has come to draw the line and that, while we must respect free speech, we should stop encouraging young people to find offence where none exists. College administrations would be better served to stop apologizing for every minor upset that is caused to a student or a group of students. Perhaps Oberlin, rather than issuing apologies for its insensitive food preparation, could have brought more common sense to the table, no pun intended, and reminded students that there are greater issues to be concerned with than soggy rice in a college cafeteria. To do otherwise invites derisive backlash that can cause escalation of tension between students and in the wider community. Commentary regarding the hoop earrings issue, for example, has gotten extremely nasty. One commenter on the Claremont Independent website suggested that black or Latino people not be allowed to use popular items invented by white Americans or white Europeans. This is obviously an insane line of thinking, and yet it dominated many comment streams and flowed through to the mainstream media.

When it comes to these problems of cultural appropriation, we need to teach people about proportionality. We have a tendency to lump true, large-scale, fully justified controversies (such as appropriating sacred objects or mocking a culture) with clutter and smaller issues. In doing so, we do a disservice to the major ones, and we divide people unnecessarily.

Post-Punk/Garage Rock Revival in the 21st Century

(Submitted on November 14, 2017)

The story of the music that I have most enjoyed thus far in the 21^st century begins in the suburban garages of the 1960s where rebellious teens, inspired by their musical idols, were thrashing around on guitars and drums, hoping, in part, to drive their parents crazy. In the early days of the “garage rock” or “garage punk” movement, these young musicians looked to R&B music for their sound, but the British Invasion caused a shift in style as countless bands formed attempting to emulate the music (and success) of bands such as the Beatles. The garage phenomenon was largely unlabeled at the time, but it took place worldwide and produced very strong local and regional music scenes.

These were the days of smaller, independent record labels and local radio stations, both of which allowed many young bands to record and get airplay at the local level. While this is where the career trajectory ended for most, some bands, such as the Sonics of Tacoma, Washington, broke through and achieved national and international success. Of course, not all of the bands which would come to collectively be described as garage bands were created by suburban teens. Urban groups, often including seasoned professional musicians, were also drawn to the sparse, raw stylings of the genre that combined aggressive, sometimes shouted vocals with basic chords played on guitars, keyboards (often organs) and drums. The music had a primal quality, which was emphasized through production techniques that made even studio recordings sound like a garage practice session. Boom, the second studio album of the Sonics, is a notable example of this stripped-down rock. In New York, garage punk had a different, more avant-garde edge to it with lyrics from bands such as the Fugs and the Velvet Underground that were at times more philosophical, political and poetic.  The Velvet Underground, led by Lou Reed, was not particularly successful from a commercial standpoint, but is widely recognized as being hugely influential across a number of subsequent musical genres including punk, new wave and alternative rock. Certainly, they are the band most commonly referenced by the artists whose work I will discuss below.

By the end of the 60s the first wave of garage rock ultimately fell victim to changing tastes, the growing popularity of more sophisticated production values and a more complex musical sound. However, in the years to come, the demand by true lovers of rock for fast-paced, adrenaline-producing, raw, energetic music never actually died, and by the mid-70s a movement (later referred to as “proto-punk”) was taking shape led by bands such as the Velvet Underground, MC5 and the Stooges, led by Iggy Pop. Their work inspired the punk music genre, which became a fully blown response to the “over-produced” music that now dominated radio. Punk music and the subculture that emerged alongside it (most famously in Great Britain) offered an outlet for rebellious youth who wanted to express their anti-establishment views. In New York, bands such as the Ramones and the Cramps, and in London groups including the Clash and the Sex Pistols, “paid open homage to 60s garage rock” (Heller) while, at the same time, creating a very unique movement.

The 80s and 90s continued to produce garage rock and garage punk bands, proving that there was a continued niche for a more “lo-fi” style of music. Bands formed in the 80s, including Chesterfield Kings, Plasticland and the Fuzztones, were the first of the garage rock “revivalists” and they brought a “somewhat less raw approach” adding “a neater, at times janglier set of sounds to the garage-rock toolbox.” (Heller) Together with the Cynics, from Pittsburgh, these bands resurrected a more “subversively psychedelic image” (Heller) that harkened back to the 60s. The 90s brought bands including The Gories, The Mummies, The Devil Dogs and New Bomb Turks that were well known to garage rock enthusiasts, but real commercial success for the revival genres ebbed. Towards the end of the 80s, in cities like New York, excitement was building for new forms of music, most importantly hip hop, which was innovative and on its way to becoming the best-selling music genre of the 90s. The center of the alternative rock scene shifted to the west coast, to cities like Seattle and Los Angeles, where grunge bands such as Nirvana and funk metal bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers had great success and paved the way for the nu-metal genre (think Korn, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park) of the late 90s. (Goodman)

All of which brings us to the 21^st century when, as Jason Heller wrote, “no one could have predicted how hard the [garage rock] genre would come roaring back.” Even more unlikely, New York was at the forefront of this revival which also came to be known as “post-punk revival.” In her book titled Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001- 2011, Lizzy Goodman describes the pull of New York at the very end of the 90s when young musicians, and their followers, again felt drawn to the innate tension of the city. She describes young bands such as the Strokes and Interpol as not “real bands” but “coconspirators, comrades in the pursuit of ‘youth and abandon.’” She goes on to write:

“We were all – every kid in the crowd and every person on stage – chasing the same thing: a feeling of rebellion, of possibility, of promise of chaos. We had to find it so we could figure out how to be ourselves, and we couldn’t locate it without each other. We were chasing something…that was synthesized for our generation by Nick [Valensi]’s guitar when he let it scream for a while before the Strokes crash-landed into the opening of ‘New York City Cops’ and by Karen O [of the Yeah,Yeah, Yeahs]’s primal yowl on ‘Our Time’ and James Murphy [of LCD Soundsystem]’s comic despair on ‘Losing My Edge.’ We were all chasing New York City.”

In a short space of time a group of New York bands, led by the Strokes and Interpol, went from virtual obscurity to being considered at the forefront of a movement. They were not alone though and Detroit also produced a significant number of artists, most notably the White Stripes, the Von Bondies and the Detroit Cobras, who helped open the floodgates for the first wave of the garage rock/garage punk/post-punk revival stars.  International acts including the Hives from Sweden and the Vines from Australia also broke through and, when the dust settled, these two bands, together with the Strokes and the White Stripes, were generally seen as the “big four” who brought garage revival a level of global recognition that had not been enjoyed by garage rock bands of the past. (Morris) Here, then, are profiles of these four influential “first wave” bands:

The Strokes

Ian Youngs, writing some short takes for the BBC in 2002, said of the Strokes – who are arguably the most famous, but the least true to genre of the four bands – that they were “the first to discover that the leather jackets and scratchy riffs of the 70s New York scene are the perfect antidotes to nu-metal and melancholic mainstream rock.” The Strokes formed in the late 90s, with vocalist Julian Casablancas, lead guitarist Nick Valensi, rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti, all of whom have been members since the band’s inception.  With the exception of Hammond, they met at school on the Upper West Side of New York, where Casablancas, their songwriter, became familiar with the music of the Velvet Underground and they were all exposed to, and inspired by, artists such as the Doors, Talking Heads and the Ramones as well as an Ohio band called Guided by Voices. (Phares, “The Strokes”) The band started performing at local parties and then hit the Manhattan club scene but, interestingly, their first commercial success came in the UK. The release of their first EP, The Modern Age, on Britain’s independent Rough Trade Records in early 2001 created a bidding war among record labels; the band would soon be signed by RCA. Their debut studio album, Is This It, was released in July 2001 to nearly universal critical acclaim. They toured that summer in the UK and Europe and, from the get-go, received effusive praise from the music journalists who covered them. The hype appears to have been enormous. Eric Ducker wrote their first cover story for The Fader magazine in London that summer. About their concert, Ducker wrote, “If you’ve ever seen a good rock show, I’ll spare you the details, but man, the Strokes are fun. You should see them, a mix of controlled mayhem and boogie-oogie-woogie.” That doesn’t sound over the top, but he also noted that “Following the fuzzy logic of phenom-based journalism, there are already more articles about the Strokes that cover them being hyped than there are ones that hype them…[but that] without hearing any music, The Fader knew months ago we were going to feature the Strokes the second photographer Leslie Lyons showed us the publicity photo she took of them.” An interview by James Oldham in the same year in the UK weekly NME magazine, which put them on the cover twice in the lead up to the release of their first album, said “It’s certainly true that magazines have lost their minds for the Strokes. Not just NME, but style mags, fashion mags, guitar mags, everyone.” Musically, the band were greeted as the “saviors of edgy guitar rock” and an article by Jay McInerney in New York magazine from 2006 summed up my attitude to their work well saying that:

“Listening to the Strokes was like listening to an underground, highly selective classic-rock station playing tunes with which you knew you were familiar but that you couldn’t quite identify. The Strokes’ sound seemed both brilliantly distinctive and hugely derivative. You couldn’t necessarily point to any one riff or vocal phrase and say, that’s the Velvet Underground, or Blondie, or the Cars, or Nirvana, or even Tom Petty.”

Valensi, quoted in that same article, attributed the success of the Strokes’ first album to the fact that it was “kind of New Wave, kind of retro” and that “no one was doing that music then – the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, the Cars. That music never went out of style, but no one was playing it. We were filling some kind of void in music.”  This is a recurring theme in interviews with the top bands of the post-punk revival era – that there is always a place for the adrenaline-fueled, highly energetic rock sounds that those bands epitomize. It should also be noted that the music produced by these bands, while holding enormous appeal for garage rock enthusiasts, was quite individual in style leading some to take issue with how the bands were labelled. Jason Heller gave voice to this, writing of the Strokes that they “are routinely lumped in with the White Stripes, but they shouldn’t be. Calling the Strokes a garage rock band is like calling Duran Duran a punk band. Nothing against either the Strokes or Duran Duran, but still.”

Is This It was named the best album of that year by Billboard, CMJ, Entertainment Weekly, NME, Playlouder, and Time and it is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential albums of the 21^st century. The band has gone on to release four more studio albums but writers Philip Cosores and Collin Brennan possibly summed up their situation when they offered an opinion on why they have never been nominated for a Grammy Award. They remarked that “if the Strokes were ever going to be nominated, it should have happened with their legendary debut record, which was likely just a little too cool for Grammy voters at the time. Their work since has consistently reached a smaller audience and dipped in quality, keeping them on the outside looking in.”

The White Stripes

The White Stripes formed in the late 90s with members Jack White (guitar/piano/vocals) and Meg White (drums/vocals), a musical style that blended garage rock, punk, and blues, and a distinctive red-and-white wardrobe. They released a total of six studio albums between 1999 and 2007, receiving widespread critical acclaim in the process, before a lengthy hiatus turned into the split of the duo (who claimed to be siblings but in reality were actually married for a time early in their careers) in 2011. Their third album White Blood Cells (2001) established them as stars, while Elephant (2003), Get Behind Me Satan (2005), and Icky Thump (2007) each won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. (Leahey, “The White Stripes”) Their greatest mainstream success was the single “Seven Nation Army,” known for one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of the 21^st century as well as for achieving significant popularity as a “sports anthem.” Charles Klosterman of Spin magazine interviewed Jack and Meg White in October 2002 and took a look at what made the White Stripes “America’s most frothed-over rock group” of the time. He concluded that their mixture of “junk punk and tangled roots music” did what great rock bands are supposed to do – they “reinvented the blues with contemporary instincts.” In Klosterman’s words, “Everything is raw and unrehearsed and imperfect. And that’s why it’s so fucking good… Audiences hear something in their music that’s so fundamental, it almost feels alien.” The interview quoted Jack, who insisted that “We have to go back…the last twenty years have been filled with digital, technological crap that’s taken the soul out of music.” “The point,” Meg added, “is being a live band.” The simple, direct catharsis of garage rock lay at the heart of the earlier work of the White Stripes and, while they departed somewhat from it in Get Behind Me Satan, they returned to their garage, punk, and blues roots for Icky Thump.

The Hives

The Hives formed as teenagers in Fagersta, Sweden and they are still performing today. (Phares, “The Hives”) Original members Per and Niklas Almqvist, Mikael Karlsson, Christian Grahn and Mattias Bernvall got together with one thing in common – they neither understood nor cared for the grunge phenomenon and wanted to rebel against it. Mark Spitz interviewed them for Spin magazine in 2004, in an article titled “Sharp Dressed Manskap,” and they discussed the importance of their visual look, which was “a reaction to the moth-eaten-flannel and dirty-denim grunge movement.” Musically, Spitz noted that “they were a hardcore band that dressed like a new-wave band and secretly loved power pop.” In a true throwback to the early days of garage rock, they honed their skills in “Hive Manor” A.K.A. the Bernvall family basement. Their earliest performances were at local dances and clubs where they would play original music and “accelerated 60s covers.” They released their debut studio album Barely Legal in Sweden in 1997, but first achieved recognition with 2000’s Veni Vidi Vicious and singles “Hate to Say I Told You So” and “Main Offender,” all of which were released in the UK and subsequently in the US by recording executives looking to take advantage of the wave which “spirited and poppy” garage punk was riding. The hype surrounding the Hives was huge and, in an effort to make sure it was justified, the band applied enormous discipline to developing a persona and a stage act that would electrify audiences. They became known for dressing exclusively in black and white, and their energetic live performances have always earned them accolades from reviewers. They have released a total of five studio albums, the most recent, Lex Hives, in 2012. In fact, it is a review of this album, in NME magazine in 2012, that provides a most apt description of the music of the Hives. The reviewer notes that the band is fashion and fad-resistant and that “they believe in the redemptive power of loud, dumb, fun, witty, sarcastic, life-affirming scream-along, strut ‘n’ roll and not a lot else.” (“The Hives – Lex Hives”) The reviewer goes on to assume that the Hives will continue making great records like Lex Hives “until they drop dead,” but on this he may be wrong, as right now they have no albums in the works, being unable to agree on their future musical direction.

The Vines

The Vines formed in Sydney, Australia in 1994 and were composed of Craig Nicholls (lead guitar/vocals), Patrick Matthews (bass/backing vocals) and David Oliffe (drums).  The band still exists today although only Nicholls remains from the original lineup. AllMusic described them as having found inspiration “particularly in the grungy craft of Nirvana and the melodic, psychedelic appeal of vintage British pop.” (Leahy, “The Vines”) The release of their debut single, “Factory,” in November 2001 spurred their popularity in Europe and their debut studio album, 2002’s Highly Evolved, went platinum in Australia and gold in the US and UK. The British press immediately touted them as the best band since Nirvana and in September 2002 they appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, accompanied by the headline “Rock Is Back: Meet the Vines.” In the Rolling Stone article, writer Rob Sheffield grouped the band with the Strokes, the White Stripes and the Hives, the four being acclaimed “as leaders of a new modern-rock sound that blows away the bloated Kornclone clichés of the past few years.” Sheffield then makes a point with which I agree entirely, stating:

“In truth, none of these bands really has much in common with one another, but they all get lumped together because they show how rock fans across the world are starved for some new excitement and adrenaline, punk-rock style.”

The Vines’ high-energy style has always come, in part, from the frenetic and often controversial behavior of Craig Nicholls. Nicholls has always been ambitious for the band and his belief in the “mind-altering, life-affirming power of music” (Sheffield) has been behind that drive. Inspired by the music of Nirvana, Beck and Pavement, he was happy to be grouped with bands like the Strokes and the White Stripes, saying “I don’t think it’s a movement. It’s just real rock music.” (Sheffield) The Vines have both benefitted and suffered from the unpredictability of Nicholls on stage and in the studio but, in general, reviewers have not felt that their material post-Highly Evolved has ever matched its standard. NME magazine, reviewing 2008’s Melodia, went as far as to apologize profusely for its earlier proclamations regarding Nicholls as the “savior” of rock ‘n’ roll.  (“The Vines – Melodia”)

The first thread that runs through the stories of the four bands above is that they were all playing music which spoke to a generation of music lovers who were frustrated with the rock music of the 80s and 90s and who yearned for live, raw, energized, stripped-down rock. The second thread is the degree to which all of these bands were hyped by the music industry and music journalists, all of them at some point being referred to as the “saviors” of rock and the leaders of the “New Rock Revolution,” a term coined by NME. However, concerns were being raised almost immediately that their music sales were not in line with the hype and, while successful, the bands were never quite able to take on the superstar status that had been predicted for them. Mark Spitz wrote an article for Spin magazine in 2010 titled “The New Rock Revolution Fizzles” saying that the “back-to-basics, turn-of-the-millennium bands went from…blazing to smoldering in half the time.” Spitz, who had been a “true believer in 2001,” admitted that he was “caught up in the excitement of rock feeling sexy again,” but by 2005 he knew that the movement had not exploded, but rather had “popped” like a “roman candle.”  He questioned why bands such as the Strokes never realized their dreams on a mass level, and suggested that (in the words of Malcolm Gladwell) perhaps “The act of discovering what’s cool is what causes cool to move on.”

One important aspect of the music of these “first wave” garage revivalists was the influence that it had on nascent bands and on new bands forming. Simon Reynolds, in The Guardian, referred to the bands that followed as an “avalanche” and noted that he gradually came to acknowledge the music of “second wave” bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys as “REALLY good,” adding that he was swayed by their “combination of rhythmic force and big, bold vocal presence.” The “avalanche” included many bands from the UK, which makes sense as it was the epicenter of post-punk revival hype, and bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, and the Fratellis all released albums which had been influenced by garage and post-punk revival music. In the US, the existing band Yeah Yeah Yeahs signed a major contract, and the Killers released their debut album in 2004. In Australia, Jet released their debut album in 2003 and it too achieved success with a garage rock sound. Following are profiles of three of these “second wave” bands whose music I have enjoyed over the years.

Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys formed in Sheffield, England, where they began recording demos shortly after they started performing; this collection of songs was burned on to CDs which were given away for free at gigs. Their popularity began to grow over 2004 and 2005, largely through sharing of their music on fansites and word of mouth, as opposed to marketing or advertising. They signed with independent label Domino in 2005. Their first two singles went straight to #1 on the UK charts, and they released their debut album in early 2006. That album, titled Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, is still the fastest-selling debut album in the history of the UK charts. (Leahy, “Arctic Monkeys”) Writing in a 2006 article on the band for The Guardian, Alex Kumi stated that “their rough and energetic album, which features tales of working-class life, alcopops and prostitution, has drawn comparisons with The Clash and Oasis,” but it is generally recognized that the Strokes’ Is This It was the “chief catalyzing influence” on the group’s early work. Frontman Alex Turner told NME in 2011, “I remember I used to play (Is This It) in (high school) all the time, when our band was first starting…I remember consciously trying not to sound like the Strokes, deliberately taking bits out of songs that sounded too much like them, but I still loved that album…As much as they probably hate hearing this as well, they were the band that encouraged me to rip the knees of my jeans and write on them in marker pen.” (“Alex Turner”) All five Arctic Monkeys studio albums reached #1 on the UK charts, the most recent of which was released in 2013. After a several-year hiatus, their next album is on track to be released in 2018.

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand formed in Glasgow, Scotland, and signed with Domino in 2003. They were inspired by the post-punk movement and bands like Talking Heads and Gang of Four and their music has a catchy feel designed for dancing. Their frontman, Alex Kapranos, told Alexis Petridis in an interview for GQ that they were reacting to some elitist trends they saw in alternative music and added that “it seemed like the most rebellious thing we could do was to play a really catchy song.” According to AllMusic, the release of their first EP in the fall of that year led some to dub them the “Scottish Interpol.” The band released their eponymous debut album in 2004 to much critical acclaim. They have released four studio albums in total, with a fifth due to be released in 2018. (Phares, “Franz Ferdinand”) The band has enjoyed recognition at the Brit Awards and NME Awards in the UK, along with several Grammy nominations stateside. They are best known for the single “Take Me Out,” released in early 2004. It is recognized as their “signature song” as well as one of the top “indie anthems” of the 21st century, and also achieved attention for its music video which became an MTV staple.

The Killers

The Killers, one of the most successful rock bands of the 21st century, formed in Las Vegas in 2002, and started out by playing clubs in their hometown. A local reviewer, Mike Prevatt, had the opportunity to listen to a demo they made and commented that they were different from other local bands marrying “pop styles of British music with the lo-fi fuzz of modern indie rock.” Of “Mr. Brightside,” which subsequently became an international hit, Prevatt wrote, “it’s energetic, New Wave, garage, a feel-good Strokes-esque anthem.” The Killers caught the attention of a UK representative for Warner Bros., who gave their demo to London independent label Lizard King. The band generated buzz in the UK and, by fall 2003, in the US as well. They signed a deal with Island Records and released their hugely successful debut album Hot Fuss in 2004, “a mix of 80s-styled synth pop and fashionista charm” according to AllMusic. It featured worldwide hits “Mr. Brightside,” “Somebody Told Me,” “All These Things That I’ve Done,” and “Smile Like You Mean It.” The Killers have now released a total of five studio albums, the most recent of which, Wonderful Wonderful, is currently topping the charts. It is important to note that their musical repertoire has expanded over the years to incorporate genres as varied as Bruce Springsteen-esque Americana/heartland rock and, as AllMusic described it, “sleek, oddball dance-rock.”

Now here we are in 2017 and, while most of the bands that I’ve discussed are still active, playing music festivals and occasionally producing albums, I consider that it is fair to say that the post-punk/garage revival genre had well and truly faded by 2010. Even the “second wave” artists, who had so vigorously emulated bands such as the Strokes in their early recordings, began fairly quickly to infuse their music with a broader range of musical influences including electronic and new wave, among others.  And to date there has been no “third wave” achieving commercial success. So, was the early popularity of the post-punk revival bands “the last gasp of rock and roll” as some have suggested?  I choose to believe not. Crowds swarm concerts and festivals in 2017 to watch performances that consist of nothing but a DJ on a stage who mixes tracks or plays what may be pre-recorded sets, designed to coordinate with pyrotechnic displays. There must be many music lovers who, like me, do not understand the appeal of this art form and who are happier in local venues watching live performances and waiting for the next big breakthrough of raw “garage” sounds. There will always be rising generations of young musicians who want to rebel against the mainstream, and rock, including basic garage rock, will again have its day.

Works Cited

“Alex Turner – Why I Love the Strokes’ ‘Is This It.’” NME Blog, NME, 28 Jul. 2011 http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/alex-turner-why-i-love-the-strokes-is-this-it-7945  Accessed 2 Nov. 2017

Consores, Philip and Collin Brennan. “The 30 Worst Grammy Snubs of Active Artists.” Consequence of Sound, 8 Feb. 2017, consequenceofsound.net/2017/02/30-active-artists-to-never-win-grammys/   Accessed 1 Nov. 2017

Ducker, Eric. “This 2001 Story Of The Strokes’ Rise To Fame Is A Rock & Roll Time Capsule.” The Fader, No. 9, Fall 2001, http://www.thefader.com/2015/09/15/the-strokes-cover-story-issue-9  Accessed 30 Oct. 2017

Goodman, Lizzy. Meet Me In The Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001- 2011.  Dey Street Books, 2017. Kindle edition

Heller, Jason.  “Where to Start with the Primal Sound of Garage Rock.” 30 March 2015, The A.V. Club, http://www.music.avclub.com/where-to-start-with-the-primal-sound-of-garage-rock-1798278168   Accessed 28 Oct. 2017

Klosterman, Chuck. “Back to the Garage.” Spin, Oct. 2002, pp. 64-68. books.google.com/books?id=EiUGaclNKKQC&pg=PA7&source=gbs_toc&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false   Accessed 1 Nov. 2017

Kumi, Alex. “Arctic Monkeys Make UK Chart History.” The Guardian, 30 Jan. 2006,  www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/jan/30/arts.artsnews  Accessed 2 Nov. 2017

Leahey, Andrew. “Arctic Monkeys – Artist Biography.” Allmusic.com, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/arctic-monkeys-mn0000325357/biography   Accessed 26 Oct. 2017

Leahey, Andrew. “The Killers – Artist Biography.” Allmusic.com, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-killers-mn0000670226/biography   Accessed 26 Oct. 2017

Leahey, Andrew. “The Vines – Artist Biography.” Allmusic.com, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-vines-mn0000582463/biography   Accessed 26 Oct. 2017

Leahey, Andrew. “The White Stripes – Artist Biography” Allmusic.com,   www.allmusic.com/artist/the-white-stripes-mn0000921710/biography   Accessed 28 Oct. 2017

McInerney, Jay. “Group Therapy” New York Magazine, 16 Jan. 2006, nymag.com/nymetro/news/culture/features/15495/    Accessed 29 Oct. 2017

Morris, Chris. “Are New Rockers Earning the Buzz?” Billboard, 21 Dec. 2002, pp. 1 & 67.  books.google.com/books?id=YQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4&source=gbs_toc&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false   Accessed 29 Oct. 2017

Oldham, James. “The Strokes: Why New York’s Finest Will Change Your Life – Forever.” NME, June 2001, transcribed at She’s Fixing Her Hair: The Strokes Fansite, http://www.shesfixingherhair.co.uk/blog/interviews/interviews-nme-may-2001  Accessed 28 Oct. 2017

Petridis, Alexis. “Franz Ferdinand.” GQ, 2004, republished 29 Aug. 2013, http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/franz-ferdinand-interview-new-album  Accessed 4 Nov. 2017

Phares, Heather. “Franz Ferdinand – Artist Biography.” Allmusic.com, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/franz-ferdinand-mn0000172582/biography  Accessed 26 Oct. 2017

Phares, Heather. “The Strokes – Artist Biography.” Allmusic.com, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-strokes-mn0000568137/biography   Accessed 26 Oct. 2017

Phares, Heather. “The Hives – Artist Biography.” Allmusic.com,  www.allmusic.com/artist/the-hives-mn0000074520/biography   Accessed 26 Oct. 2017

Prevatt, Mike. “The Killers” Las Vegas City Life, archived from the original 29 Dec. 2002  web.archive.org/web/20021229002808/http://www.lvlocalmusicscene.com/band_detail.cfm?BandName=The+Killers&Genre=Alternative  Accessed 4 Nov. 2017

Reynolds, Simon. “Notes On the Noughties: Clearing Up the Indie Landfill.” The Guardian, 4 Jan. 2010, http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/jan/04/clearing-up-indie-landfill   Accessed 1 Nov. 2017

Sheffield, Rob. “Interview: The Vines.” Rolling Stone, 19 Sept. 2002,   http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-vines-20020919   Accessed 1 Nov. 2017

Spitz, Marc. “Sharp Dressed Manskap.” Spin, Aug, 2004, pp. 62-68. books.google.com/books?id=dVuFuZEeUX0C&pg=PA9&source=gbs_toc&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false   Accessed 3 Nov. 2017

Spitz, The New Rock Revolution Fizzles.” Spin, May, 2010, p. 95. books.google.com/books?id=yqmlNOuYQdEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false, i  Accessed 4 Nov. 2017

“The Hives – Lex Hives.” NME, 1 Jun. 2012,  www.nme.com/reviews/album/reviews-the-hives-2-13267   Accessed 3 Nov. 2017

“The Vines – Melodia.” NME, 8 Aug. 2008,  http://www.nme.com/reviews/album/reviews-the-vines-9836   Accessed 1. Nov 2017

Youngs, Ian . “Entertainment | New bands race for rock stardom.” BBC News, BBC, 22 Oct. 2002,  news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2346791.stm   Accessed 29 Oct. 2017

 

 

 

 

 

Reggae

(Submitted on October 24, 2017)

Up until now my knowledge of reggae music has read more like a word association game. When I hear the word reggae, what comes to mind? Jamaica, Bob Marley, Rastafarianism, marijuana, and, for me, happy memories of sitting at Skinny Legs bar on the island of St. John in the USVI with “One Love” playing in the background. Even though I have really enjoyed any reggae music that I’ve heard, I’ve always thought of it as a sort of “vacation” music, something to be left behind in the islands when you return to winter in New York. So until now, I’ve never taken the time to try and understand the genre from either a musical or cultural perspective. However, I’ve recently completed a course in modern Caribbean history and learning about Jamaican independence, Pan-Africanism, and the rise of the Black Power movement has given me the push that I needed to look more deeply at reggae music.

Let’s start with a song that most people have heard. Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) was first released by Harry Belafonte, an American singer of Jamaican descent, in 1956. The song has been covered numerous times, and often by children’s entertainers such as Raffi, which is one reason why it is familiar to so many of us. The song is an example of Mento, a style of Jamaican folk music that grew from the music created by slaves brought to Jamaica from West Africa. Mento is a vibrant form of music, performed using acoustic instruments and with lyrics that, while they may touch on social issues, are generally light-hearted. Mento music was crucial to the development of genres which came after it including ska, followed by rocksteady and then reggae.

Ska is typically traced to the late 1950s when musicians in Jamaica, who had become interested in the American R&B and jazz genres, fused elements of them with the sounds of mento creating, most notably, ska’s offbeat rhythms. Artists such as Prince Buster, The Skatalites, and Desmond Dekker made ska the most popular style of music in Jamaica in the early 60s. Ska went on to influence a number of future genres, including 2Tone, in which it was combined with punk elements in Britain, but in Jamaica its most direct impact was on rocksteady which had a brief but dominating run at the top of the charts from 1966-68. Rocksteady slowed the tempo of ska and paved the way for reggae, the style’s name being traceable to the song “Do The Reggay” released by Toots and the Maytals in 1968.

To truly understand reggae, it is useful to understand a little of the history of Jamaica and of the political and cultural climate during the 1960s and 70s. Jamaica was a British colony and its former slave and immigrant populations suffered enormous oppression over many years. Independence movements gathered steam in the late 1930s, a period of labor unrest that culminated in violence in 1938, and local political parties gradually developed. Another group denouncing oppression and the status quo was the Rastafari religious movement, which developed in impoverished Jamaican communities as a reaction to British rule. Inspired by proponents of Pan-Africanism such as Jamaican Marcus Garvey, who promoted ideas of social and economic independence for the African diaspora (and who created a longing by many for an African exodus back to the homeland), and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, to whom they looked as a messiah, the Rastafari condemned authorities and became militant agitators for those in poverty. Rituals of the Rasta movement included music and, famously, the spiritual use of ganja, or marijuana.

Jamaica finally gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962 and although it was a time of great celebration, the massive inequality which pervaded the island meant that contentment was short lived. Leaders of the independence movements became the political leaders and they faced unrest and renewed calls for change from Rastafari and others. This was a time when the Black Power movement was growing in the US and its messages of pride and resistance were picked up in places like Jamaica. The Rastafari movement gained the support of musicians, including Bob Marley, and Rasta “chants, language, motifs, and social critiques” began to be incorporated into Jamaican music, most specifically reggae music.

Reggae gave voice to the oppressed and Jimmy Cliff, one of Jamaica’s most successful-ever reggae musicians, said of it: “Reggae music is the cry of the people… a cry for recognition, identity, respect, love.”

Reggae music is harmonically simple, often comprising no more than one or two chords. These simple chord progressions give a purposefully meditative feel to the music. Drumbeats may fall entirely on the third beat of the bar (called one drop) and the first beat of the bar may be left completely empty, by both the drum and the bass. In reggae, the bass, in which lower frequencies are emphasized to give a “thick and heavy” feel, is at the forefront of the music and the drum and bass line form what is called the “riddim.” Lead guitar, rhythm guitar and a piano, or often Hammond organ, add to the distinctive style and horns and other percussion instruments are also typically used. The most recognizable reggae music is “roots reggae” which thrived from the early 1970s through the 80s. Roots reggae refers particularly to the message of the music, with its themes of poverty and resistance to oppression. Artists such as Wailers members Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as well as others including Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Culture and The Abyssinians brought reggae to audiences worldwide and covers such as Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” originally written by Bob Marley, further broadened its appeal. Marley is generally considered to be “the embodiment of reggae music” both because of his musical and songwriting talent, and because of the Rastafarian and social messages with which his songs were imbued.

Reggae has gone on to inspire more recent genres of music. One of those is “dub” which involves stripping down existing recordings, often removing the vocals, and remixing and reshaping them. Dub is found across many genres of music these days, but it was pioneered by Jamaican music producers and sound engineers including Lee “Scratch” Perry and Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock as early as the late 60s. Dancehall music also grew from roots reggae. It is characterized by a “deejay” singing and rapping over riddim track instrumentals. The music is generally more melodic than that of the rap style in the US and the vocals incorporate much Jamaican patois. Dancehall has faced criticism for not being socially relevant in the way that roots reggae had been in Jamaica, as well as for incorporating themes such as materialism and homophobia that many have found offensive. Consequently, a new generation of artists is now turning back to the some of the messaging that had been such an integral part of the original rise of reggae. Well-known dancehall artists include Sizzla, Garnett Silk, Sanchez, Sean Paul, Buju Banton and Capleton.

To see how the rhythm of reggae evolved, I would suggest this short video by reggae guitarist Steve Golding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y9VqtWzUf0

 

 

 

Under the Table and Dreaming

(Submitted on December 1, 2017)

I spent my early childhood years, up until the age of eight, living in Hong Kong. Turn on the car radio and there was nothing but Cantopop; syrupy love songs which sounded tedious and entirely interchangeable, particularly to two rambunctious little boys.  My mother had a collection of CDs to play while we were driving, most of which I don’t remember, as her taste (no offense Mum) is pretty bland. I do recall listening to a lot of songs by “The Wiggles,” who were well-loved by most of the Australian expat families’ toddlers, and who were on their way to worldwide stardom.

But then, in 1995, a new CD appeared, one that was captivating and created in both my brother and me an interest in music that continues to this day. My parents had been on a trip to New York and my mother had heard a song playing. It somehow “spoke” to her; she found it fresh and upbeat, and she tracked down the name of it. Before heading to the airport to return home, she rushed out and bought the album from which it came. That album was Under the Table and Dreaming, the debut studio record by the Dave Matthews Band, released by RCA in September 1994.

The song she had heard was “The Best of What’s Around” and it, plus the other 11 songs on the album, became staples of our driving music for a long time to come. We were all happy listening to DMB, a band that had formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, comprising guitarist, lead vocalist, and main songwriter Dave Matthews, Stefan Lessard (bass), Carter Beauford (drums and backing vocals), LeRoi Moore (saxophone) and Boyd Tinsley (violin). Beauford and Moore in particular had roots in jazz music but the sound that DMB developed was very much a fusion of pop, jazz, folk, funk and some rock. They had been playing for several years around Charlottesville before Under the Table and Dreaming was released and had built a significant college campus following. In fact, almost a year before their first studio album came out, the band released an indie album, Remember Two Things, which contained mostly live tracks and which performed well on college radio stations. They followed this up with an EP, Recently, released early in 1994, which also contained live tracks including several songs which subsequently appeared on Under the Table and Dreaming, as well as a cover version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.”

With Under the Table and Dreaming, DMB achieved major commercial success. The record, produced by Steve Lillywhite, is an eclectic mix of generally upbeat songs that are doused with some virtuoso instrumentals. From the harmonica, played by John Popper of Blues Traveler, on “What Would You Say,” to the flute on “Typical Situation,” to the southern fiddle-style violin on “Ants Marching,” to the laid-back sounds of “Jimi Thing,” the music delighted us, as it did many others. Reviews of the album were mixed, although even negative reviews conceded that the band members were talented musicians, and some reviews were glowing. I submit this one from Rolling Stone which said: “With an arsenal that includes reeds and violin backing Matthews’ gorgeous vocals, they’ve got chops to kill. But it’s the complex harmonies and subtle rhythmic shifts of songs like “Satellite” and “The Best of What’s Around” that really slay. Almost unclassifiable, the Dave Matthews Band sound like four or five groups in one.”

Of course, none of what was said or written about the band was of even remote concern to us in Hong Kong. My brother and I didn’t understand the lyrics, some of which (on songs such as “What Would You Say,” the album’s lead single) really had no meaning. Any reference to drugs, or themes such as conformity, personal choice and freedom went entirely over our heads, as did the fact that the lyrics were at times darker than the music to which they were set. For us, it was simply that the music was different to anything that we had heard, that it was interesting and fun to listen to, and that somehow we could sing along (particularly to “Ants Marching”) even if we didn’t really know the words. We used to really belt out the “hey-la’s” on “The Best of What’s Around”! Their music introduced us to new instruments, new rhythms and gave us a starting point for listening to music as we got older.

Interestingly, in our remaining years in Hong Kong, my mother never sought out more DMB albums and we moved on to other artists and styles. It wasn’t until over a decade later that we all seemed to remember the band, and at the very end of my high school years, we again listened to “Dave”, playing songs that were old already, but new to us.  We learned about the DMB concert phenomenon and turned our attention to live versions of the songs we enjoyed. I know that many people associate DMB with “bro” culture and find it worthy of disdain. It’s not considered cool to say that you like their music. But I, for one, do like it and will readily admit it. I am always happy to listen to their live albums, such as The Central Park Concert (2003) for example, and songs like “Jimi Thing” will always make me smile, both for the pleasure of hearing them and for the many happy memories they evoke.

 

A British Space Invasion

(Submitted on September 23, 2017)

My response to the question “What eight songs would you send into space?”

The rocket I’m launching is carrying eight songs which I believe are representative of some of the finest music of the last 60 years, songs from artists who have captivated large swaths of the world population. Artists whose work is creative, innovative, experimental, daring and has the ability to cut through language and cultural barriers. Artists who are British. From the earliest stirrings of R&B-influenced performances in the underground clubs of England in the early 1960s, Great Britain has punched above its weight in terms of the production of great music. Perhaps this can be traced in part to the diversity of culture that existed in Britain, due to its (waning) position as a colonial power. It might also be traced to the influence on British musicians of some of the best music that had come from the US, including jazz, blues and rock and roll. At first derivative, British bands and solo artists gradually found their own distinctive voices, creating music that came to dominate music charts around the world. The eight songs that I have selected do not come exclusively from “British Invasion” lists, which limit themselves to defined time periods, but they are definitely my idea of “the Best of British,” the work of artists who definitely invaded our world of music, and might be most capable of invading the universe.

 

The Beatles – “A Day in the Life” – written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNsCeOV4GM

The final track on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was the Beatles’ eighth studio album and released in 1967. Sgt. Pepper marked a turning point for the Beatles. They had retired from touring in 1966 and had been contemplating an album reflecting on their youth. (In fact, the song fragment that McCartney contributed to the middle section of “A Day in the Life” may have come from work that he was doing for that album.) However, they changed course and decided to produce an album that would represent a performance by the fictional Sgt. Pepper band. The creation of this alter-ego allowed them unlimited opportunities to experiment with song form, recording techniques and orchestration. The album that resulted incorporates a huge range of influences and has been praised by critics over the years. It won the Grammy for Album of the Year and to this day tops lists of the most important rock albums ever produced.

“A Day in the Life” is frequently cited as the best-ever song by the Beatles, including by Rolling Stone magazine which declared it to be “a masterwork” and “the ultimate Lennon-McCartney” collaboration. The lyrics of the verses, written by John Lennon, pull from articles which he found juxtaposed in a local newspaper, upon which he provides commentary. McCartney’s middle section provides first-person narration about the morning of an ordinary man. Interspersed through the song are references to drugs, including the line, “I want to turn you on,” which caused the song to be banned from radio in the UK until 1972. The musical arrangement of the song is innovative in the way in which it joins the distinct elements of the verses and the middle section. The band opted to use a 40-piece orchestra and their aim, which was fully realized, was to produce a “musical orgasm” using avant-garde techniques. Each musician was assigned to play 24 bars, starting at the lowest possible note for his or her instrument and gradually rising to the highest note near a chord of E major giving a glissando effect. The final chord of the song is in itself famous for its creativity. It lasts a stunning 43 seconds and was recorded using several pianos and a harmonium all playing an E chord with the recording level increasing as the vibration faded out so that the chord sounds bright all the way through. Nicholas Dawidoff summed the song up well for The Atlantic declaring it a perfect song, saying “It is the epitome of The Beatles’ master building, of fitting stone upon stone, each section troweled together with such ingenuity and care that upon completion the whole thing feels seamless, a structure not built at all, but a whole that simply was.”

 

The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy for the Devil” – written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBecM3CQVD8

The opening track from the 1968 album Beggars Banquet, a record which saw the band retreat from their foray into psychedelic pop and return to “roots rock”. The album was a commercial success and was immediately declared to be their strongest musical showing. The band had brought individuality and originality to their blues roots and in doing so had stirred a revival for rock music. The Chicago Sun-Times noted that “The Stones have unleashed their rawest, rudest, most arrogant, most savage record yet. And it’s beautiful.” Written in the first-person narrative from the point of view of Satan, the song “Sympathy for the Devil” recounts notable atrocities of human history. It was first conceived as a folksong, but as Richards worked on the backing for the lyrics he struggled to find the right arrangement, saying he was “unsure whether it should be a samba or a goddam folk song”. By all accounts, the band tried numerous options but finally settled on giving the song a Latin jazz feel, complete with maracas and congas.

To me, “Sympathy for the Devil” is one of the defining songs of the Rolling Stones’ “Golden Age” (1968-72). While some of their earlier recordings such as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – my runner-up – are fantastic, and stand the test of time, other songs from their earlier albums are either covers or are derivative and cannot compare to the brilliance of the music they started producing in the late 1960s. Mick Jagger has the perfect voice and swagger to portray a very seductive Satan and his menacing lyrics speak to evil in our world. The samba rhythms of the music, which Jagger described as having a “hypnotic groove” and providing a “primitive undercurrent” reflect the ability of the band to create something wholly original from the strands of music that influenced them. David Marchese, in appraising the complete works of the Rolling Stones said of this song: “And what other rock band could’ve so seamlessly stitched together Latin jazz, gospel piano, and sizzling lead guitar — the latter played by Keith, his finest-ever soloing on a Stones tune.”

 

Led Zeppelin – “Kashmir” – written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (with contributions from John Bonham)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsaFBNvhceA

“Kashmir” was featured on Led Zeppelin’s 1975 double album Physical Graffiti, sometimes considered to be the group’s magnum opus. David Lewis wrote of Physical Graffiti that it was “a finely balanced embarrassment of riches” that “proved to be the definitive summary of their studio work… [mirroring] every facet of the Zeppelin repertoire.” The album was an immediate commercial success and encompassed an array of musical styles including that of eastern-influenced orchestral rock which lies at the heart of “Kashmir.” Both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have gone on record saying that Physical Graffiti represented the height of their musical achievement and that “Kashmir” in particular was the “pride of Led Zeppelin.” The song was created over three years, with lyrics by Plant written following a trip in Southern Morocco in 1973.

It is hard not to concur with the members of the band when they themselves categorize “Kashmir” as the definitive Led Zeppelin song, placing it above contenders such as “Stairway to Heaven” and “Whole Lotta Love.” The song is compelling from its opening and its positive lyrics speaking of “Shangri-La beneath the moon” and “stars to fill my dreams” are a joy to listen to. They combine, with the hypnotic riff provided by Jimmy Page, to transport the listener to an exotic place. Page had been experimenting with different styles of guitar tuning, creating something that had a sound akin to a sitar and this added to the beauty of the Eastern feel of the song. Page and Plant had worked with Indian musicians in Bombay and brought their experience to the production of the orchestration. Robert Plant discussed what made “Kashmir” so special and concluded “It’s the quest, the travels and explorations that Page and I went on to far climes well off the beaten track…. That, really to me is the Zeppelin feel.”

 

Elton John – “Tiny Dancer” – written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBWfUc5jKiM

“Tiny Dancer” appeared on Elton John’s fourth album, Madman Across the Water, in 1971 and was released as a single in 1972. The album was not particularly successful relative to his other works, although it sold well in countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, Italy and Japan. John’s main chart success to date had been “Your Song” – my runner-up – which had appeared on his self-titled second album in 1970. As a single “Tiny Dancer” achieved some moderate success in Australia and Canada but peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was not released as a single in the UK. One of the interesting things about the song is that it has grown in popularity over the years, to the point that a 2012 Rolling Stone readers’ poll declared it the most popular Elton John song of all time.

How to choose an Elton John song? The first criteria for me was that it be a John/Bernie Taupin collaboration, because I feel they represent a songwriting “dream team.” The second criteria was that the song be truly representative of John’s strengths – beautiful melody and a song that you can’t help but sing along to. A song that you never get tired of. A song that you feel better for hearing. For me, “Tiny Dancer” is such a song. Taupin has described at length his inspiration for the lyrics, saying that he was trying to capture the free-spirited, ethereal women he met in California in 1970 – women who wanted to be part of the band scene and would “sew patches on your jeans…. They would mother you and sleep with you – it was the perfect oedipal complex.”  The music is a perfect fit for the lyrics, starting with just a piano and then adding a pedal steel guitar which evokes the California spirit and then adding strings as the song builds. It is no wonder to me that it was used in a memorable scene in the film Almost Famous, about a band in the early 1970s. In the scene, John’s version of the song is playing while the band and their crew are on a bus, and they gradually all start singing along. Almost Famous is credited with giving “Tiny Dancer” the second life that it so richly deserved.

 

Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody” – written by Freddie Mercury

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPbbfmILrQo

“Bohemian Rhapsody” appeared on Queen’s fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera, released in 1975. It is notable for its structure, which lacks a chorus, but ventures from an intro section to ballad, opera, hard rock, and finally an ending coda. The song was recorded in sections over a three-week period, with all band members but Freddie Mercury uncertain as to what the final product would be. Some sources claimed that, at the time, it was the most expensive single ever made. A massive commercial success, even though it was twice as long as most singles of the era, it went on to become the UK’s third best-selling single of all time. While critical reception was indifferent upon its release, “Bohemian Rhapsody” has since come to be viewed as one of the greatest songs ever written in any genre. An innovative promotional video complemented the song, considered to be an early example of the music video.

The creativity and originality of “Bohemian Rhapsody” have ensured it a place on my list. I will admit to having little understanding of the real meaning of the lyrics and that is how Mercury wanted it, saying that the song “didn’t just come out of thin air. I did a bit of research, although it was tongue-in-cheek and it was a mock opera. Why not?” He also said, “I think people should just listen to it, think about it, and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them.” The BBC produced a glossary of terms: “Scaramouche is a stock character from the Italian clown tradition commedia dell’arte. He’s a fool, but adept at getting himself out of trouble. A fandango is a Spanish flamenco dance. Galileo was a Florentine astronomer, the inclusion of whom may be a nod to noted stargazer Brian May. Figaro is, of course, taken from Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville. Bismillah means ‘in the name of Allah’ and is the first word in The Quran, and ‘Mamma Mia!’ is an Italian exclamation of incredulity or surprise, referring to the Virgin Mary.” The simple fact that these words would all appear in a song which climbed quickly to the top (or near the top) of charts internationally speaks well of listeners in the 1970s! I love how “Bohemian Rhapsody” is split into several distinct parts musically speaking, including ballad, opera, and hard rock and that the transitions from one stage to the next are surprising and sudden. One would not think this arrangement would work but it does. The song is a glorious adventure from beginning to end.

 

David Bowie – “Heroes” – written by David Bowie and Brian Eno

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzAzpuCW02k

This song is the title track of Bowie’s 1977 album Heroes, considered part of the artist’s “Berlin period.” Bowie’s approach at this time was to “build layered tracks that would inspire lyrics and melody” and he experimented with the ambient music style which gives priority to tone and feel of a song rather than focusing on musical structure. After the music, which Brian Eno described as having a “grand and heroic” feel, was completed it sat waiting for Bowie to find the right inspiration for lyrics. He eventually found this after seeing Tony Visconti, his producer and engineer, embracing his girlfriend by the Berlin Wall. “‘Heroes’” tells the story of lovers whose affair is doomed, and the lyrics have an “us against them” theme. While not a hit in either the UK or US at the time, it is now viewed as one of the essential Bowie songs. Regularly featured in popular media, it has made numerous “best of” lists and is Bowie’s second-most covered song after “Rebel Rebel.”

This is an epic love song which I consider to be wonderfully representative of Bowie’s unique style. His vocal performance is fantastic and the emotion with which he wails so gut-wrenchingly throughout the second half of the song is powerful. The song gradually builds and the listener is swept along. The song also feels reflective of the cold war era to me (the Berlin Wall is directly referenced in the song) and is of particular interest for Bowie’s memorable performance of it in Berlin, at the Platz der Republik Festival, in 1987. “I’ll never forget that,” he recalls. “It was one of the most emotional performances I’ve ever done. I was in tears. They’d backed up the stage to the Wall itself so that it was acting as our backdrop. We kind of heard that a few of the East Berliners might actually get the chance to hear the thing, but we didn’t realize in what numbers they would. And there were thousands on the other side that had come close to the wall. So it was like a double concert, where the Wall was the division. And we would hear them cheering and singing along from the other side. God, even now I get choked up. It was breaking my heart. I’d never done anything like that in my life. And I guess I never will again. When we did ‘Heroes’ it really felt anthemic, almost like a prayer.” Music scholar David Buckley, who focuses primarily on Bowie’s work, wrote that it “is perhaps pop’s definitive statement of the potential triumph of the human spirit over adversity.”

 

George Michael – “Father Figure” – written by George Michael

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyig2O4qeCA

“Father Figure” appeared on George Michael’s 1987 debut solo album, Faith. It was released as a single early in 1988, topping the charts in the US and peaking at number 11 in the UK. The album Faith was a huge success internationally and, propelled by its six singles, became the top US selling album of 1988. It was also the first album by a white solo artist to reach number 1 on the US R&B charts, an achievement of which George Michael was particularly proud. The album marked a real change in direction from Michael’s days in Wham!, and he not only wrote but also played on, and produced, almost all tracks. “Father Figure” was originally intended as an upbeat dance number, but Michael ended up preferring the sound of it as a mid-tempo R&B ballad.

George Michael’s talent as a singer and songwriter is undeniable and is remarkably showcased in “Father Figure” with its gospel and R&B sound. The lyrics, about the yearning of an all-consuming, obsessive love are sensitive (although considered by some to be rather disturbing). The music, in Michael’s own words has a “dreamy” quality and the song became “the most original-sounding thing on the album.” In a 2011 review of a remastered edition of Faith, Mike Duquette wrote: “The idea that one single artist could grab multiple genders, races, cliques and generations by the shoulders with his or her music is all but impossible today, but the man born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou did just that.” The album has many great songs but, for me, “Father Figure” is the highlight.

 

Amy Winehouse – “Rehab” – written by Amy Winehouse

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUqPR1oIKeg

“Rehab” appeared on Amy Winehouse’s second and final studio album, Back to Black, released in 2006, and was its lead single. This soulful song with its Motown vibe was a top-10 hit in both the UK and US, and would be her only song to reach the top-10 in America. The Mark Ronson-produced song was critically acclaimed, and “Rehab” would go on to earn three Grammy Awards (including Song, and Record of the Year) and become recognized as Winehouse’s most iconic song. The autobiographical lyrics refer to an occasion when Winehouse, whose problems with drug and alcohol addiction were well documented in the media, refused to enter a rehabilitation clinic. The irony of the song and its subject matter received new attention following Winehouse’s death from alcohol poisoning in 2011, through which she joined the infamous “27 Club.”

“Rehab” is simply a fantastic song. It draws from the rhythm-and-blues era and harkens back to the girl-group sound of the 1960s, yet sounds original and inspired in part thanks to its irreverent lyrics which seem wholly appropriate to today. Winehouse’s voice, which Billboard magazine described as “Shirley Bassey-meets-Ella Fitzgerald” is instantly recognizable and perfectly suited to the style of song. To a generation of young listeners, unfamiliar with the great female R&B and jazz singers of the past, the husky alto voice of Amy Winehouse was a revelation and offered a sound unlike anything else being played. As for the music, Mark Ronson brought in the Dap-Kings, a rhythm and horn revivalist group from Brooklyn whose mission was to “recreate the sound and feel of vintage R&B records.” Ronson’s work with them managed to create an “old-school” effect that is perfectly refreshing. Some critics have questioned the originality of the song, but I side with Joe Queenan of The Guardian on this issue. He believes that Winehouse “teaches an old dog some new tricks” with “Rehab”. He goes on to say that she drew on numerous influences in writing the song, and used the production values of “a bygone era,” but concludes that she was really “standing on the shoulders of giants” and brought “something startlingly new to the table.”