web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Blog

  • In Defense of…Boston??

    boston

    Hey folks. If you remember a couple of weeks back, my buddy Pat posted a piece about why he kinda sorta digs Nickelback (and I second that emotion). Now, he’s back, defending the indefensible once again. While everyone can get behind Boston’s smash debut and its’ hit single “More Than a Feeling”, it’s a bit more difficult to come out in support of the band’s third album, “Third Stage”. For those of you having trouble remembering the album, it’s the one with “Amanda” on it. Unfortunately (for Pat, I guess), I can’t get behind this one, since I remember “Amanda” as being perhaps one of the worst power ballads of the decade. Ah well, we’ll always have “More Than a Feeling”. And hey, different strokes for different folks, right?

    Take it away Pat…

    One of the joys of the music website Pandora is not only the ability to listen to your favorite types of music, but the chance to discover, or in my case rediscover, songs that you’re not as familiar with.

    In case you’re not a Pandora fan, the process is simple: type in the name of a band or singer, and the site will pull music from that genre into your own little commercial-free radio station. While you’ll usually hear music you’re familiar with, there’s a good chance you’re going to discover something new and exciting for your listening pleasure.

    Such was the case when I decided to build a station around the band Boston. Any classic rock aficionado most likely has Boston’s hugely recognizable debut album, appropriately titled “Boston”, in their music collection. If you’re a big fan of the band, you most likely have their extremely successful follow-up, “Don’t Look Back”, in there as well, but that could be where your Boston tunes end. It would be a shame, because as I’ve discovered, Boston’s third album, titled “Third Stage”, belongs in there as well.

    It’s easy to think why “Third Stage” wouldn’t sound recognizable. “Third Stage” was released in 1986, a whopping 8 years after “Don’t Look Back” and 10 after “Boston”. Many reasons plagued the long delayed album: band member changes, lawsuits, and record label shifts. But at the time when other 70s rock bands such as Heart and Fleetwood Mac were finding new success in the pop-power ballad movement of the time, Boston sounds as if it never missed a beat from its mid-70s success. It’s no surprise to learn that Boston founder Tom Scholz worked for years through all the difficulty the band was experiencing to produce this album.

    And what an album it is. Starting off with the immediate Boston classic “Amanda” and following with another Boston staple, “Get Ready,” the album shows a continual growth and confidence from its earlier work. “The Launch” and “Cool the Engines” fire off a journey of looking ahead, not worrying about the difficulties that have plagued your past. They show their tender side with “To Be a Man” and “Can’tcha Say (You Believe in Me)” before closing out with “Hollyann,” a song that bookends the album with the opener “Amanda.” As “Amanda” seems to be all about looking forward, “Hollyann” is a quiet reflection of one’s past with that special someone.

    It wasn’t until listening to “Third Stage” that I really felt sadness about lead singer Brad Delp’s suicide. While a success, this album didn’t achieve near the popularity of the band’s previous two. Regardless, even though it’s 23 years later, it is worth a listen.

  • Infatueighties: “You’re a Friend of Mine”

    So…remember I was doing a countdown of the 100 Greatest Songs of the Eighties? Well, funny thing. I accidentally deleted the playlist from my iTunes, and that’s the only place I had it. Yes, I’m stupid. So, instead of reconstructing the entire list, I’ve decided to forgo it and make Infatueighties a regular column spotlighting some of the best songs, albums and artists of my favorite decade of music. By the way, the #1 song was “Billie Jean”. Just in case you were wondering.

    Anyway, has anyone else been watching VH-1’s Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s show this week? I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for these kinds of lists, and seeing clips of these songs is giving me a serious nostalgia jones. Right at #100 was this little ditty, a duet that became the first and only solo hit from E Street Band Clarence Clemons.

    After the “Born in the U.S.A” tour had made its’ rounds, Clemons decided to step into the studio and see if some of that leftover Bruce magic could rub off on him, and for one great song, it did. While “You’re a Friend of Mine” is a little more lightweight (and significantly more cheery) than the average E-Street fare, the sax sound and the song’s bounce were enough to make even casual fans recognize it as a Bruce offshoot.

    Why do I like this song? Because I was 9 when it came out and still clung to romantic notions of what friendship was all about. Come to think of it, I still do. It’s a simple song of devotion between two men, and…OK, I’ll stop.

    Clemons never had another hit, but considering his other gig, I don’t think he minded too much. I also (somewhat embarrassingly) admit that this is the only song featuring Jackson Browne (except for “Doctor My Eyes”, which I only know because the Jackson 5 covered it…oh, and “Somebody’s Baby”) that I could recognize within 30 seconds of it coming on.

    And isn’t it nice that Daryl Hannah showed up to do background vocals and appear in the video?

  • Remembering Marvin

    marvinToday would have been Marvin Gaye’s 70th birthday.

    Yesterday marked 25 years since the soul legend’s murder at the hands of his own father.

    Although I was only 7, I distinctly remember sitting at home on April 1st, 1984, when the news came on the radio that Marvin had been killed. Up until that point, I only really knew “Sexual Healing”, and at the time I was more confused about why someone would kill their own son than I was lamenting the death of one of the greatest soul singers of our time.

    With a quarter-century’s perspective, obviously things have changed. While I still can’t fathom a father killing his own child, I’ve long since discovered Marvin’s music, from the anguished, socio-political “What’s Going On” to the bittersweet divorce drama “Here, My Dear” (my personal favorite-you guys should check out the 2-disc reissue of it that came out last year). I hate to resort to cliche, but damn if I wouldn’t sit down and listen to Marvin sing the phone book. The man was certainly one of the most consistent artists of the Seventies. Every album he released during that decade is a keeper, and although he lost a step in the Eighties, “In Our Lifetime” and “Midnight Love” are worthy additions to any R&B fans catalog.

    In addition, the man sang about sex more passionately than any singer before or since (with the possible exception of pre-Jehovah era Prince). Unlike singers like R. Kelly (who unjustly gets compared to Marvin when he doesn’t have a tenth of MArvin’s talent), he doesn’t make it sound crass or one-sided. You can tell from his delivery that it’s just as important for the other party (or parties, given that Marvin was kind of a freak) to be satisfied as it is for him to be satisfied.

    Listening to Marvin Gaye sing brings you back to a time when singers could articulate emotions. The man could do anguish, festive, contemplative, horny…no matter what he was feeling, it was expressed through his music. It’s another cliche, but they just don’t make ’em like that anymore.

    Anyway, I’ll leave you with video of the man singing our national anthem. If you haven’t heard this one before, be prepared to be blown away.

    Happy birthday, Marvin. Hope you’re relaxing (and freaking) in paradise.