My husband Bill and I didn’t go out on Valentine’s Day last week. By the time Bill thought to make reservations somewhere, most of the tables at the better restaurants in San Antonio were booked. We could have gone to Dick’s Last Resort and that might have been a lot of fun, but somehow it seemed wrong to celebrate Valentine’s Day at a place with the word “Dick” in its name, even if Dick is a person and not a thing. I didn’t have anything decent to wear, anyway.
The other night, I asked Facebook friends if I should buy a red dress. I got a lot of affirmative answers. One person reminded me of a song that was very popular in the 1980s and later used in commercials…
Yes, it’s Chris De Burgh singing “The Lady In Red”. I have to admit, I really like this live version.
Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of this song. In fact, back in 1986, when it was a very popular number, I actually disliked “The Lady In Red” because it was always on the radio. But I remembered the breathtaking mood of Chris DeBurgh’s now classic song and decided to buy the dress, which arrived yesterday. The dress I bought was recently modeled by a college friend who has lost a lot of weight and inspires others to follow her lead. It looks really great on her.
The same dress is now hanging in my closet. I tried it on last night, thinking the color was a little brighter than I would prefer. I’m not one to call a lot of attention to myself by what I’m wearing. I try to get attention with my larger than life personality. My husband likes it, but I’m not sure how often I’ll wear it. It’s pretty daring for someone like me.
I’m not exactly 80s era Kelly LeBrock, though this song by Stevie Wonder is more to my liking than “The Lady In Red” is.
Ultimately, I decided to buy my new red dress because most of the dresses I have for nights on the town are black. They are comfortable and practical, especially since they can be washed at home. They don’t wrinkle and show off my décolletage, which is probably the best part of my figure. I usually pair my black dresses with a pretty silk shawl. I decided my wardrobe could use more color. I needed “something in red”.
I sort of identified with Lorrie Morgan’s song, “Something in Red”.
Of course, I can’t think of red dresses without also thinking of Reba McEntire’s classic hit from 1990, “Fancy”…
My new dress is red, but it’s not a “satin dancing dress with a split clean up to my hip”.
But even when I was 18, I wasn’t one for wearing flashy red dresses. I have never “been nice to the gentlemen” for the sake of propelling myself into high society, either. If that were the case, I would probably be a lady who lunches rather than one who writes on music blogs and rarely wears makeup, let alone bright red dresses.
I just decided I wanted a new red dress in my closet, complete with new red shoes. I’m glad I bought it, too. At least next year on Valentine’s Day, I’ll be prepared for a night out on the town, hopefully not at Dick’s Last Resort. On the other hand, maybe Dick’s Last Resort really is the perfect place for me.
Back when I was in the Peace Corps, a few of my colleagues were upset about a local kiosk owner ripping us off. A friend of mine said, “C’mon Jenny, fight the “green shack” power!
Lately, I’ve been feeling like protesting. Ever since our move in late July, I have had to deal with several companies that seem ill inclined to either do what they are being paid to do or correct their mistakes. I don’t want to get too much into my personal issues because if I start writing about them here, I will likely get carried away and never get around to writing about music. But I will say that these recent issues, which seriously, in the grand scheme of things are probably pretty minor, have made me feel kind of feisty. No one likes to feel like they’re being ripped off or cheated. No one likes to feel oppressed by “the man”. No one likes to pay for services not received. Those feelings have led to some great songs.
Fight The Power by The Isley Brothers
I was first introduced to this song by my friend, Weird Wilbur, who had used it as background music for one of his videos on YouTube. There’s something about this funky groove that makes me want to fight the power.
Fight The Power by Public Enemy
Years later, Public Enemy had their own hit called “Fight The Power”. It was used as the theme for Spike Lee’s film, Do The Right Thing, and includes samples from James Brown’s “Hot Pants”. Granted, both “Fight The Powers” are about racial oppression, but in the end, we all hate being screwed.
Cash In Your Face by Stevie Wonder
“Cash In Your Face” is a great song by Stevie Wonder addressing racial discrimination. The lyrics are heartbreaking; Stevie adopts a flat voice as he plays the man in charge denying housing or employment to people of color.
Backstabbers by The O’Jays
“What they doin’?” Smiling in your face, right? While they smile at you, they screw you over. This song is about dishonest “friends” trying to steal the singer’s woman. Personally, I don’t think it’s possible for people to steal other peoples’ significant others. However, the “smiling in your face” motif definitely comes into play when you’re dealing with politicians and customer service people. They bullshit you into thinking they’re helping you, when in fact you’re about to get it.
Fucked Up, Fucked Over, and Hungry by Weird Wilbur
Here’s a song by Weird Wilbur about a guy who gets screwed over when trying to launch a record deal because he fell for bullshit promises.
If I Had The Copyright (The F Word Song) by Carla Ulbrich
This song isn’t so much about being screwed by the man. It’s more about someone imagining being one of the wealthy making money off others. For some reason, this song skips at the end. Other versions are on YouTube, but they’re bleeped and I’m in the mood for profanity. I must warn you that the above song is not work or kid friendly.
Anyway, I know I should write letters, make phone calls, and complain a lot. But despite appearances, I don’t enjoy complaining and I hate being on the phone with people who are both unsympathetic and uninformed. Anyway, I hope to be in a better mood by Friday.
The right music can be life-altering. Here are six artists whose music changed my life in some way…
Pat Benatar Crimes of Passion (1980)
Picture it. It’s 1981. I’m nine years old and there is still one older sister out of three living at home with me. My older sister is seventeen and has a stereo that plays vinyl. Every night, I hear her playing songs by Hall & Oates, Rose Royce, The Eagles and Pat Benatar. I am especially attracted to Pat Benatar’s voice. It’s huge, clear, and powerful. The album my sister plays is Crimes of Passion. I remember seeing the cover of it; tiny Pat is wearing a sparkly black leotard and is backed up to a barre. Her brown hair is permed and curly and she’s wearing a lot of makeup. Even though the big hit on that album is “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, I’m attracted to deeper cuts– “Prisoner of Love” and a song called “Out-A-Touch”. I also love what Pat’s done with Kate Bush’s song, “Wuthering Heights”. At that time in my life, I had not yet been exposed to Kate Bush. I didn’t realize that the original was a lot better than Pat’s remake. I wanted my own copy of that album.
Remember, it was 1981. That was before people were so concerned about kidnappers or other dangers. My parents were very underprotective by today’s standards. I was allowed to walk to the store by myself. This was permitted even though getting to the store involved walking along a busy major highway and crossing four lanes of traffic to get to the shopping center. The shopping center had a Murphy’s Mart, which was a discount store kind of akin to K-Mart. I remember scrimping and saving up about eight dollars so I could buy my own vinyl copy of Crimes of Passion. I remember the pride I felt in that accomplishment. It was my very first music purchase.
Pat Benatar sings “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”.
Years later, I still own a copy of that album, though now it’s in a digital format. I still really admire Pat Benatar’s talent. I love a lot of her early rock performances, though I was even more impressed when in 1991, she released True Love, an album that showcases her jazz and blues chops. I wish she’d do another album like that one.
Kate Bush The Dreaming (1982)
A couple of years after I purchased my own copy of Crimes of Passion, I was hanging out with another sister; this one is eleven years my senior. This sister is also a music lover, but her tastes are definitely more artistic and rock oriented than the other sister’s. We share a room in my parents’ house, because this sister is only home on breaks and frankly she and the other sister would be at each other’s throats if they had to share a room. This sister also has a stack of vinyl records and a stereo. And one day, she’s playing music that, to me, was both foreign and wonderful.
I asked her who the singer was. My sister explained that it was Kate Bush, a British singer who had just come out with a new album called, The Dreaming. My sister had seen Kate Bush perform on Top Of The Pops when we lived in England a few years prior. She was impressed, so when she saw Kate Bush had a new album out, she took a chance and bought it. I remember being completely enchanted by songs from that album, particularly “Night Of The Swallow”, which stuck in my head for years until I finally purchased my own copy of The Dreaming on cassette.
“Night of the Swallow”
After I bought that album in 1989, I became a full-fledged Kate Bush fanatic…
James Taylor Flag (1979)
I could write an ode to just about all of James Taylor’s albums. They have all meant a lot to me. It was 1979’s Flag, though, that really got me hooked on his music. The same sister who was into Kate Bush had a copy of Flag on vinyl and I remember hearing her play “Up On The Roof”, Taylor’s gorgeous cover of a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. I remember being affected by the warmth of James Taylor’s vocals. There was something about his voice that was so comforting and moving to me. I also loved the arrangement, which made use of strings and piano.
James Taylor sings “Up On The Roof”.
I bought my own copy of Flag in 1990 and remember listening to it a lot in college, especially during my freshman year. It consoled me through a lot of tough days.
Alison Krauss and Union Station New Favorite (2001)
Alison Krauss is one of those artists I used to hear a lot about when I was growing up, but I never bothered to sit down and listen to her music. Until the last fifteen years or so, she was primarily known in bluegrass circles for playing fiddle and having a beautiful, pure voice. Of course, now she’s a huge star who’s even recorded with Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin’s legendary front man. I think I’d heard her sing with Lyle Lovett on his 1998 double album, Step Inside This House and was impressed. So in 2002, when I still had a membership to Columbia House and had some free CDs coming, I purchased her solo album Forget About It and her 2001 album with her band, Union Station, New Favorite. I loved both of the CDs and quickly started adding to my Alison Krauss collection. I think I have just about all of her stuff, now. But it was New Favorite that got me there.
Alison Krauss and Union Station sing “The Lucky One”.
Lyle Lovett Joshua Judges Ruth (1992)
I remember the very first time I heard Lyle Lovett sing. It was in 1996 and I was in Yerevan, Armenia at a gathering of fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. The married couple who was hosting the get-together had turned on some music. I wasn’t paying too much attention to it, until my ears caught the chorus of Lyle Lovett’s song, “Since The Last Time”. The song starts off kind of slow, then builds into an upbeat number with bluesy harmonies and lyrics about losing touch with loved ones… until the last time somebody died. When I got back to the United States in 1997, I started buying Lyle Lovett’s music so I could find that song. As I recall, I had bought most of his available albums when I finally stumbled across Joshua Judges Ruth. Since then, I’ve found plenty of songs by Lyle Lovett that I love… but this one was the very first.
Lyle Lovett and “Since The Last Time”.
Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key of Life (1976)
Anybody who was around in the 70s and 80s knows Stevie Wonder. He was everywhere during that time period. I discovered his album, Songs In The Key of Life in the late 1990s. It was my oldest sister who introduced it to me when I heard his beautiful song, “As” playing on the radio. I had heard the song many times, but that was the first time I’d ever really listened to the lyrics closely. I started buying all his early albums until I finally found Songs In The Key of Life, a magnificent two volume set with songs that had healing lyrics. I can honestly say that Stevie Wonder’s music helped save me from clinical depression. If that’s not life changing, I don’t know what is.
Stevie Wonder sings “As”.
Of course, I can think of plenty of other songs and artists who have changed my life in some way. The six artists profiled in this article are the ones who have been pivotal to me… at least today as I sit here thinking about it. These are the artists who actually inspired an obsession… I was compelled to buy their music and I still love what they do years later. Can you think of any artists or albums that changed your life? Leave a comment.
