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Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

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  • FORTY-FIVE REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE #21: Crone Street Challenge

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    JONATHAN EDWARDS  “Sunshine” b/w “Emma” (Capricorn Records #C-8021, 1971)

    I’ve never considered the “One-Hit Wonder” label to be necessarily a bad thing.  Some of my favorite songs fall into that category.  Hell, most of my favorite artists are NO hit wonders, so having any sort of hit at all seems like a miracle in my eyes.  Consider this two-minutes-and-change quickie by little-known folksinger Jonathan Edwards.  He may only be known for this track, but oh what a track it is.  And to think it more-or-less came about by accident.

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    Legend has it that during the 1970 recording sessions for what was to become Edwards’ Atco (later Capricorn) debut LP, one of the tracks got erased, prompting Edwards to fill in the space with a fresh composition.  “Sunshine,” a short ‘n’ catchy ‘Nam protest song, quickly caught fire and spent 12 weeks on the US singles charts, peaking at #4.  I was just a kid at the time, so I didn’t fully comprehend the draft-card-burning sentiment behind the lyric, but the urgency of this track, driven home by Edwards’ pummelling  acoustic guitar and up-close-&-dry vocal,  was so captivating that I played the A-side over & over ’til it hissed.  Of course, it didn’t hurt that my mom liked the song too, so there was plenty of singing along (and no complaining) at my house.

    See a \’74 Olds lip-sync Jonathan Edwards\’ \”Sunshine\” on YouTube

    You gotta love the internet.  I tell ya, I used to search desperately for surreal moments, but now I desperately try to avoid them.  Anyway, you can also catch some quality live footage of Edwards himself performing the track, in both a solo folk-rock rendition from ’06 here, and in a very recent (we’re talkin’ 2009) speed-bluegrass performance here.  Any way you slice it, though, this song is so incredibly powerful that it never loses its steam in any setting, as evidenced by the thousands of cover versions out there.    Even a Jeep ad couldn’t damage its credibility.  If you’re gonna be a one-hit wonder, buddy, THIS is the kind of hit to have, for certain.  And talk about timelessness:  when he hits that last lyric couplet, how current does that feel?!

    Pulled also from the eponymous debut, B-side “Emma” provides a haunting tale of lost romance, possibly with a ghost, in a Gordon Lightfoot-meets-John Denver setting, replete with a pedal steel guitar and Edwards’ high-lonesome tenor front & center.  Not as urgent or anthemic as “Sunshine” (few songs are), this B-side showcases the artist’s versatility, which is, sadly, something few performers carry with them anymore.

    In fact, it’s that versatility that keeps Jonathan Edwards still going to this day.  He’s worked in rock, folk, country, bluegrass, and even Broadway musicals.  His playing chops and gorgeous singing voice remain captivating and stunning as when you first blasted “Sunshine” over your car’s AM radio.  No matter if it was back in ’71, or just yesterday.

    NEXT WEEK: 5 Roman Gods  ride someone’s pony.  Probably yours.

  • The New Music Revue 1/20/09: Mix & Match

    mariahWelcome to the first new release Tuesday of 2009. While most of the country will be fixated on something FAR more important, there’s no reason you can’t duck out of the inaugural festivities to pop into your local pre-recorded music emporium to check out the new releases. Here’s what’s happenin’:

    It’s a good week to be indie and somewhat androgynous, as today brings us new releases from Antony & the Johnsons and Andrew Bird. Jam band lovers will get down to Umphrey’s McGee‘s Mantis, while some of the same indie folks who’ll pick up the Bird and Antony releases will wanna dig in to Animal Collective‘s Merriweather Post Pavilion. Jazz vocalist Jane Monheit graces us with a covers album called The Lovers, The Dreamers & Me (also known as the same title R&B singer Alice Smith gave her album three or so years ago), and AmIdol fanatics will rejoice (or throw up in their mouths) because Sanjaya Malakar makes his debut with an EP only available through amazon.com called Dancing to the Music in My Head.

    With Valentine’s Day approaching, the love songs compilations are going to start arriving fast and furious. Sony Music is unleashing a new ballads-themed series called From the Heart, and the first set of releases in this series come from a wide range of artists including Air Supply, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. Speaking of Miles, a deluxe reissue of Kind of Blue hits stores today, as does a double-disc love songs set from Frank Sinatra. Thom Yorke‘s The Eraser gets the album-length remix treatment today, and finally, Mariah Carey gets her own ballads collection, featuring many of her best known hits-and no rapper cameos!!

    Happy shopping & Happy inauguration day!!

    Oh, get yer full list of new releases here.

  • Get On Your Boots: It’s Time for the New U2 Single!

    3 1/2 years after we last heard from U2, they’re back. Get On Your Boots is the first single from their new album No Line on the Horizon, and you can listen to it here. My initial thoughts? Sounds like the boys are rocking harder than they have in years. Boots sounds a bit like Vertigo, the first single from their last album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, but with a little bit more stank on it. All in all, a solid welcome back for Bono and the boys. Now, what do YOU think?