The Jester Bod Dylan

James Miller summed Bob Dylan up Best when he said the "He could irritate, and engage. He could provoke an argument, cause a furor, polarize a tight knit subculture like the folk community while making music an art form that demanded for its sincere reception something like the shock of conversion." I find that a perfect summation of Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan to me cannot be categorized or pigeonholed within a single genre or ideology. He is his own in every sense of the word and whatever that is it doesn't matter. I've always been fascinated by what happened when Dylan played his electric guitar and the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 accompanied by an on stage band. When he began to sing Maggie's Farm the crowd goes hostile shouting jeers such as "Sellout,"and "Play Folk" music. Pete Seeger becomes so incensed he threatens to pull the electrical wiring out of the wall, while srceaming and shouting. All this because he decided to play in a way that didn't fit into the "folk" ideology of its time. Dylan was inspired by Woddy Guthie, and fell into the folk music scene, touting songs that were expansive lyrical poems. But I've always felt that Dylan played songs for himself first and foremost and it was the people who listened to them that extracted meaning out of them and interpreted them in their own way regardless of what Dylan meant, consciously or not. But at his heart Dylan was still a musician, where as Pete Seeger only used  music to promote a Utopian folk lifestyle. That's why Seeger was outraged that Dylan didn't play the humble folk guitar and wear the customary work shirt and blue jeans of the working man as a show for solidarity. Because it threatened what he was trying to create for himself and his followers. Its hard  to understand now because their is virtually no mainstream music that has any ideology other than to sell records. And if an artists establishes themselves through one genre of music, then abandons it, like lets say Taylor Swift did with country or whoever they are embraced as reinventing themselves. And that's what Dylan did, he continued to do what he wanted and play what he wanted, regardless of whatever genre it was and if he hadn't, he would have  be a footnote in folk music history, like Peter, Paul, and Mary, or The Kingston Trio. Because the ideology of folk music could only sustain itself for so long before becoming  tired and played out.And ultimately that's why Dylan was able to sustain his creativity through the late 60's and  70's and beyond making in my opinion some of his best work, Buckets of Rain, Knocking on Heavens Door, Lay Lady Lay, Hurricane and my personal favorite from Wonder Boys, Things Have Changed, and the great stuff he did with The Traveling Wilburys etc. Music that transcends genres.
   I think one reason why I like Bob Dylan so much is how he evokes emotion in his music. His voice although instantly recognizable, doesn't have a masterful vocal range, but  he is able to pronounce and emphasize words, that gives them meaning, beyond what other artists can do. Like James Miller points out in how Like a Rolling Stone on the page is a song that just lays their, but how Dylan drags out and pronounces "How do you FEEEEL" it turns the question into an insult." So for me every time I listen to his songs I notice and interpret things differently than I did when I heard them the first time. Its like rereading a good book, or re-watching a movie and discovering  more than you realize.  His songs give you more to think about, whether its about life, or love, or politics or all of it and I cant say that about much of the music I hear on the radio right now.

The Beatles: A New Appreciation

  Growing up I was always a little ambivalent about the Beatles. I always liked their music, I had the obligatory Beatles CD of their number one hits, but that was about it. I had friends in High School who lived and breathed the Beatles and immersed themselves in them. And they would talk about the Beatles first movie A Hard Days Night, and I would talk about The Wall. It wasn't until recently that I revisited The Beatles, their music and A Hard Days Night that I finally got it. Reading about the cultural phenomenon of Beatlemania from Flowers in the Dustbin was a revelation.  I had never realized that The Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan show in Feb 1964 came just a couple months after president Kennedy was killed and America was needing something new to embrace. Something different, wonderful and wholly original than what America had at that moment to offer. Seeing their press conference leading up to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show it is evident how they appealed to the youth culture of America. Whereas Elvis was something mystical and unattainable, these four lads, where youthfully comic, honest and authentic. They might have been a little cocky  but not pretentious. And watching them I could understand how relate-able they were, you could identify yourself within them. To quote Kenneth Womak and Todd Davis's Beatles on Film article each one had their own attributes, "John, was the one with the sarcastic intelligence, Ringo had the affable personality, and good natured humor, George was quiet and reserved and Paul had the boyish charm and good looks."
 Those personalities were suited to be filmed, and A Hard Days Night is a wonderful expression of themselves as "personalities." It was inevitable that they would make a film, but that the film would stand alone as a good film that embraced the mythology of the Beatles without succumbing to the later expectations of what the Beatles were was pretty remarkable. Credit must be given to The Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who realized that film was a great way to expose the Beatles in new markets. From United Artists perspective they signed on to release the film "for the express purpose of having a soundtrack album." Of course the focus for a soundtrack album usually laid bare any notion of a good film, the best example being Elvis whose films were in large part no equal to the man himself. I think A Hard Days Night succeeds on the merit of the director Richard Lester. His bold vision to create a cinema verite' style film shot in black and white still manages to to endearing, honest, and genuinely funny in a subtle way. Its an impressionistic look at fame and the trials and absurdity of it. The film at its heart is a "pop musical that splices micronaratives about each band member together," And on top of that it creates the musical sub genre of getting the band together and to the show in time. Which  has been duplicated and copied many times in many other films. Ultimately what A Hard Days Night did in the end was cement the Beatles mythology, according to Womak and Davis. "Mythology finds its roots in our desires to tell stories about ourselves." And that's what the film did while integrating six new songs into it. I must say that  I Should Have Known Better is the best song in the movie, but what do I know. In the end the Beatles would make three more feature films Help, Let it Bet, and Yellow Submarine. Those films reflect a different Beatles, a band that had with each new album adapted and changed both in  their musical style, their personal lives and in their general outlook on life and fame. The Beatles are so ingrained in the culture it is easy to take them for granted but sometimes to re-discover and appreciate its necessary to start at the begining. Thats what I did.

Thank God For Bandstand

My mom always said thank god for American Bandstand because she hated the Hit Parade. The Hit Parade was on from 1950 to 59 and featured a whole host of clean cut kids singing bad renditions of the most popular hit songs of the day. It was like today's Kidz Bop. But In 1957 when Dick Clark's American Bandstand came on you were finally able to see who was singing your favorite songs everyday after school, and that was a wonderful thing. It was like hanging out with your favorite friends daily.  By today's standards American Bandstand seems an easy sell, but its not until I read more into the history of Bandstand from James Millers Flowers in the Dustbin that I now have an even greater appreciation for what Dick Clark achieved. The analyzing of teenagers in 1957 was incredible to me. The teen of the 50's was a "generation of teenagers to never have know an non prosperous world." They had not experienced the Depression and they were to young to know the horrors of World War 2. They had money to spend and were psychologically free to spend it on leisure items that their parents could not."Of course this included the freedom of expression to enjoy music and for that, the teenagers  needed a moderator, a gentle master of ceremonies to the music and Dick Clark was just the man. He realized that the young people of the country was a powerful element that had not been properly reached, or acknowledged. Now Dick Clark was above all else a shrewd business man and he approached the music industry from a business perspective, He wasn't a music enthusiast but in a sense that's what was needed for the show to work. Those who had a supreme passion for the music above all else were the ones who failed. Alan Freed cared more about the music itself and disregarded the rules, and ultimately lost. Dewey Phillips did the same thing and failed. So its no surprise that Dick Clark looked at those failures and set up a controlled format that left no room for scandal, or failure. The show was filled of course with regular white teenage dancers from 14 to 18 dancing to the music which anchored the show down. Strict clothing requirements made sure the censors were pleased. Boys had  ties and jackets, Girls had simple skirts and blouses tight sweaters and slacks were forbidden. The performers lip synced to their own songs. But by doing that it guaranteed it always sounded perfect and eliminated any room for error. By doing this Dick Clark minimized Rock and Roll as a negativism, and made it accessible to mainstream America. If Rock and Roll could be viewed in the capacity of a nice wholesome show, showcasing the popular music of its time then somehow that's ok and theirs nothing to fear in that. Racially speaking the dancers were a majority of Caucasian kids who were normal everyday kids which connected with the everyday kids at home. The network allowed no more than nine Negros on dancing on the show at a time, in the shows beginnings. Ironically the dances displayed on the show by the main dancers were dances developed by black kids, granted they were cleaned up, but the show did expose the country to the dances themselves. Dances like The Stroll, and The Twist. Dick Clark's hands might have been tied but by having his dancers display and slowly erode the physicality of this black intimate dances he was striking a blow for civil rights.  Dick Clark single handily turned Philly into a music mecca and in doing so he gave every performer a chance to fulfill their dreams. Acts who would have never been seen or heard gained instant celebrity. From The Ronetts, to Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons, to Frankie Avalon, and Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, all the way to the television debut of Madonna the list goes on and on till 1989. American Bandstand went for 32 years. Which is absolutely incredible, for a man who didn't have an ear for music, he did more for music and exposing it to the country than anyone. Long live the eternal teenager Dick Clark.

Buddy Holly: Not Fade Away

This week marks the 56th anniversary of the day the music died, the plane crash in Clear Creek Iowa, that claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly. The event has been immortalized for so long. La Bamba came out when I was a kid, I remember watching it and somehow hoping the ending of the film never came. You listen to American Pie, your reminded vividly of what it must have been like that day. But it seems to me that the advent of their death has overshadowed their actual contribution to the history of Rock and Roll music.Knowing the music is what makes them live forever not just knowing how they died.  J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson gets overlooked completely, in regards to his musical contributions. Few know that he helped write with George Jones, and wrote his hit "White Lighting." He also wrote   Johhny Prestons #1 hit song "Running Bear" which wasn't released until after the Boppers death, but still shot up the charts. And of Course his own hit song Chantilly Lace, which he is most known for. At 17 when Ritchie Valens died he had done more for the Latino Rock community than any other Hispanic person at that time. Everyone knows La Bamba, but Come On Lets Go and Donna which went to #2 are wonderful signature songs as well. And finally Buddy Holly. I knew Buddy Holly's music the most. Theirs not a film soundtrack that takes place in and around the 50's and 60's that doesn't have a least one Buddy Holly song on it.Think Stand by Me etc All his hits songs are interchangeable and instantly recognized in the Rock and Roll canon. But he was the one I didn't know as much about specifically. It wasn't until I read Jonathan Cotts article simply titled Buddy Holly, that I found an even greater appreciation for him. Between 1957, to 1958, Buddy Holly had 7 top forty hits in the United States is a remarkable feat when considering that by todays standard one hit song by an artist usually defines their entire album. And he did this all before he was 22. Which makes me realize that I have accomplished nothing. It is amazing to consider that Buddy Holly and the Crickets, where the first white rock stars to play their own material. Not covers, but their own songs. They were the first white group to feature lead-rhythm bass drum lineups. Buddy was the first to double track his voice and guitar. He single handily popularized the Fender Stratocaster, and used strings on a rock and roll album. He was the first to popularize wearing glasses onstage. Paul McCartney admitted that Buddy Holly and the Crickets were the inspiration for the Beatles themselves. Both as a self contained musical unit and inspiration for some of their hits songs, like Here comes the Sun, and Every Little Thing.
     Its also easy to overlook Buddy Holly's songs and style as well.Like Jonathan Cott points out, Holly presented himself as "playfully ironic with a certain childlike quality that defined his personal style." He wasn't trying to present himself as a crooner, or sex symbol because if he had it would have felt false. Yet his songs are about the "invertible expectation of someday finding love." Songs like "Words of Love" "True Love Ways" He  communicated this by incorporating simple sentence structures, reduplicating symbols, speaking  in singsong, and incorporating his signature "hiccup" going from deep bass to falsetto. And of all the songs that have been written about women Peggy Sue stands alone as a "true rock and roll" heroine where the listener invisions what Peggy Sue looks like, a first of its kind compared to the other songs about women, and girlfriends. When you listen to Buddy Holly you get a crisp polished sound that was always ahead of its time. It tools his death and the death of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper to realize this.  Lets hope we keep on listening in the future and "Not let it Fade Away"

ELVIS Reborn

When describing Elvis and his indelible aura as an American Icon, words somehow cannot properly encapsulate the man, the myth, the legend. You either get it or you don't and if you don't that's your loss. Reading Greil Marcus's article Elvis: Presliad was a wonderful reminder of what made Elvis Presley just "Elvis." And its the passage detailing what would be known as Elvis 1968 comeback special that was absolutely riveting  A couple years ago when they released the Elvis miniseries, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers it coincided with the remastered release of the Elvis 68' special and Elvis Aloha from Hawaii TV special from the70's both of which my family  had to have, which were absolutely wonderful. But knowing the magnitude of pressure that was on Elvis in 68' makes re watching that specific special truly magical. Knowing how utterly controlling Col Tom Parker was and his iron clad grip on Elvis's career makes knowing how difficult it was for Elvis and television producer Steve Binder to say "no" and steer the show away from a hackneyed Christmas special. Marcus outlines how much truly was at stake for Elvis at this time in his life, The ten year absence from performing live, the  endless parade of maudlin films, and how with this one show he was "putting everything on the line, risking his comforts, and trying to start over." Elvis himself realized that he had become a parody of himself, a bad joke, and that if this show failed, it would be the end of his career. The very notion of so much hanging on one show, is something that will never happen for any performer again. Not in the age of infinite media outlets, cable, Internet, etc. No single performer could ever rise above it all and single handily resurrect their career in such a spectacular fashion. It will never happen again. What Marcus so eloquently points out is how that special humanized Elvis. Siting in the round with his band mates, playing stripped down raw versions of  of his songs, Elvis was able to talk joke, and let years worth of "resentments pour out." Poignant is Elvis's recollection of how in 1955, in Florida he was forced to sing without moving, so as not to rile up the teenagers. So he sang moving only  his little finger, and even though he joked about it, you could see in his eyes the pain and sorrow it caused him. Never before have I seen anything on TV or otherwise that comes close to presenting a celebrity in such an honest, unpretentious manner.

Another high point in the article is Marcus acknowledging the one Christmas song Elvis did sing which wasn't a standard by any convention which was Blue Christmas. "Elvis sings low and throaty, snapping the strings on his guitar, until one of his pals cries out "Play it Dirty,." Playing it dirty on a Christmas song. Only Elvis could do that and get away with it.

    By the end of the special Elvis comes out wearing white, and he begins to sing If I Can Dream. For myself I interrupted this as Elvis essentially being reborn. Wearing black leather Elvis took the viewer on a rough and tumble journey of his past, only to come out purged of his past, embracing the realities of the future and acknowledging the most tumultuous year in Americas history as well. And through the course of him singing you feel that he was coming to terms with himself and his own legend, in a perfect moment in time where whatever happened in the past or whatever would happen in the future didn't matter. And by the end you realize that you were witness to something perfect in sense.

The Rise of the Top 40

John Morthlands The Rise of The Top Forty is a fascinating chronicle of the birth of Rock and Roll Radio and the advent of its master of ceremonies: the DJ. I had always assumed that the birth of Television was the death knell for radio, but it only signified the beginning of the end of radio serials,  dramatic soaps, and action shows which shifted to television. The empty space was then filled by Disc Jockeys, who became the outlet for those  interested in the "Music" above all else.  The idea of independent radio stations using disc jockeys to "explore what music their local audiences liked" and letting them freely expose their listeners to it, makes radio that much more personal. And that's the idea that resonates with myself, the personal aspect of radio, listening to it in the confines of your private room, not in the communal living room where the TV resides, and your parents but in your own space. Its no wonder to me that the personal aspect of radio thus created a personality suitable to expose it. I understand now especially after seeing the documentary on Allen Freed, why he became so popular. I liken it to having a friend whose speaking directly to you and  who secretly knows what you are felling and wanting, regardless of the color of the skin of the person whose singing the songs you want to hear. How progressive were the teenagers in the fifties who accepted the racial equality of music unlike many of their parents or gatekeepers of their time.  For the advent of Rock and Roll radio to have not just one but many different disc jockeys speaking directly to you and exposing you to new and wonderful sounds must have been a magical experience.
  I loved reading about Wolfman Jack, who my parents grew up listening to on the radio. I was only exposed to him through the film American Graffiti and the soundtrack which kept his interludes on it which was great. Reading about Wolfman Jack and how he "worked for a pirate radio station across the Mexican border from Del Rio Texas" created the perfect image for me of him howling through the midnight hour blasting music through the suburban void of America, on the fringes of society unafraid to express himself. That's what is so disheartening for me is then learning about the corporatization of radio. The introduction of chain radio stations operating from a specific business model, where music is now ordered, and packaged. How sad that the dick jokey essentially had his power stripped away. Eye opening for me is how "heavily researched popularity charts" now determined what songs where to be played and how often. So my question is, whoever is researching the popularity charts to determine and decide what gets played? And how is that notion any less transparent and honest than payola? Is it more ethical for large music companies to determine the market than mere individuals? And on top of that how sad that the disc jokey was then relegated to endeavor embarrassing theatrics of show, like broadcasting atop a flag pole, or going down a river, when their profession centered around them not being seen.
  For me growing up I loved listening to the radio, stations like KOOL 105 back when they played actual Rock and Roll from the 50 and 60's, and every Sunday night they would play Doo-Wop which was nostalgic fun. And they still had DJ's on the air who I felt remembered a time before they just introduced the play list, and maybe it wasn't like it used to be for them but it was still nice hearing a live human voice on the radio.

Juvenile Delinquency of the 50's.

I found it incredibly interesting reading and learning more about the juvenile delinquency problems of the 50's with the onset of Rock and Roll and Blackboard Jungle. Reading the article "Rock Around the Clock" Bill Randal is quoted as saying "Rock and Roll doesn't cause delinquency it reflects it." couple this with "sexually aggressive lyrics coated in euphemisms it becomes a total breakdown about sex." I always felt music itself is polarizing especially when the establishment is challenged. I remember asking my mom about that. She had four other sisters, so naturally they were all consumed by the new sounds coming from the subsequent  heartthrobs of their time, Bill Haley excluded. Mom would always tell me that at home Perry Como was always playing in the background while  Grandma  watched Lawrence Welk. Years later mom and I were watching Lawrence Welk on TV on PBS and she looked over at me and said "Now I'm an old lady, because I'm watching Lawrence Welk which I swore I would never do." I told her "this show was hilarious because you don't get to see people play the accordion on TV very often." Anyways I asked her if the music caused any problems at home growing up. she said, "not really." She said Blackboard Jungle came out the same year the Mickey Mouse club debut. So we listened to Rock Around the Clock, on record in our rooms then watched Annette Funicello. I asked her if the lyrics ever seemed racy, she said she was to naive to assume Great Balls of Fire meant anything than just that. She did add that being that my Grandparents were Italian growing up in Welby Colorado which was all Italians she was insulated from the problems that arose across the country, "my parents didn't mind us all listening to race records, but when my aunt Bernice dated a black guy....well then that was a different story." But I digress. Mom always told me that in high school "we dressed up to go to the movies, riots never broke out, we went to the sock hops to dance,  but since it was an all Catholic school they never played rock and roll music, they couldn't even wear patent leather shoes, cause the boys could see up the dress of the girls, but on our own and  on the radio was when we got to listen to our music, she told me. Then she pulled out an old 45 of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers from 1956, the title I'm
Not a Juvenile Delinquent.