4 Comments

1. David Axelrod on January 8, 2021 at 5:32 pm

   Some notes on the two songs I submitted:

   “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock — I can remember exactly when I heard this song for the first time. I don’t even really know if I was into music that much, when as a 8 year old I stepped onto a big yellow school bus and sat down next to an older Black kid. At some point he handed me his Walkman with the grey foam earpieces and said “You outta listen to this…” –and he played “Rockit.” I couldn’t believe what was echoing through my brain then, and I think it changed my ears forever.
   The song still holds up (kindof). Besides being dated (in his autobiography, Hancock claims to have ‘invented’ record scratching on this album), the groove still works. If you listen to it once, I bet you’ll hear it in your mind in a month (or wake up at 2 AM with it scratching around in your ears, like I do).
   I also thought this was an important song because of the BLM movement and George Floyd’s murder. I didn’t have any Black friends in school, and can only imagine how segregation in 1980s Boston made all of our lives worse. This song also has an interesting race history — Hancock made a music video but could not appear on camera because MTV wouldn’t run it. So he is seen on the TV screen in the video rather than as a musician. (Note that twitter is all ablaze this first week of January 2021 recalling how David Bowie dressed down MTV for only featuring white musicians: https://twitter.com/MorganJerkins/status/1345925843084840960?s=20).

   “Shameika” by Fiona Apple — Holy sh*t, this album (Fetch the Bolt Cutters) and this song. I think Fiona is pretty badass, and I immediately loved this song for the poetic lyrics and the touching story from her childhood. I also played it because I find that most artists in my music collection are men, and that it’d be interesting to share a song from a woman with three other guys. I knew I wouldn’t need to, but was prepared to defend the choice (“It’s the only album this decade to get a perfect 10 from pitchfork media….”). It went over pretty well, I think, and I still love this song — even more now that I’ve read the follow up story about Fiona, Shameika, their grade school teacher, and their recent collaboration (https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/meet-shameika-stepney-inspiration-fiona-050000033.html). That story left me sending crazed, middle-of-the-night texts to a few friends: “THEY FU*%ING FOUND SHAMEIKA!!!” (Sorry for the 3 am wake-up, Damon).

   Reply
2. Damon Ferrara on January 10, 2021 at 10:34 pm

   XTC was a seminal British new wave/post punk whose popularity peaked in the 1980s. I can’t say that I have a deep knowledge of their catalog, but the song “Dear God” has always resonated with me and I thought it was the perfect first song to share during this session with a few close college friends with whom I hadn’t spoken to in years. I can’t think of a song with lyrics that present a more straightforward challenge to the ‘God’ that many of us grew up being told that we were to believe in. It is a brilliant song.
   ‘Dear God, hope you got the letter and I pray you can make it better down here. I don’t mean a big reduction in the price of beer. But all the people that you made in your image. See them starving on their feat ’cause they don’t get enough to ear from God. I can’t believe in you.’

   Reply
3. Damon Ferrara on January 10, 2021 at 11:02 pm

   Muse’s music has always had a cinematic quality to it and often carries an intense energy that gives the feeling that all of civilization is at risk and that it is our job to rise up and save humanity. Not surprisingly, I find myself listening to them at times in my life when I need to be inspired or energized to overcome some challenge. Our family has dealt with a lot of sickness, death, and uncertainty over the last couple of years. I found myself leaning on Muse’s “Butterflies and Hurricanes” to get me through a lot of anxious times.
   It helped me view the greatest challenges in my life as opportunities to demonstrate courage and strength.
   ‘Don’t let yourself down. Don’t let yourself go. Your last chance has arrived. Best, you’ve got to be the best. You’ve got to change the world. And use this chance to be heard. Your time is now.’

   Reply
4. Brent Laffoon on January 14, 2021 at 10:58 am

   “Love is All” by The Tallest Man on Earth. I love everything about this song. The raspy vocals, the uplifting fingerstyle guitar juxtaposed with the weirdly dark lyrics. Something about it just hits me in a deep place, as all the best songs do.

   “Spanish Pipedream” by John Prine. Who doesn’t love a little humor mixed with down home sentiments expressed cleverly though playful lyrics and a simple chord progression? Maybe not everyone, but I sure do!

   Reply