Oklahoma Underground Music

The Beatles: From Serious to Lethal

Dean — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:06:58 +0000

The Beatles’ Revolver (1966) opens with George Harrison’s delightful “Taxman,” a simple rocker criticizing relentless taxation. Even stronger is the song that follows: McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby,” one of the Beatles’ best. Fast but sombre, it’s all about isolation and the absence of community. John Lennon, too, was showing real sophistication with “I’m Only Sleeping” and (perhaps) “Tomorrow Never Knows” and . . .

Are we drifting into the region of drug abuse yet?

Sgt. Pepper (1967), of course, was the drug album. The Beatles got serious with Revolver, not to mention “Norwegian Wood,” then got lethal with I’d love to turn you on, “Lucy in the Sky”, ‘With a Little Help From My Friends,” and so forth. Naturally the album was often brilliant but, well, it was unsavory too. Pro-drug is pro-drug. If it was such a great idea, guys, why didn’t you do it with the White Album?

By the way, McCartney has announced, at age 69, that he is finally giving up pot.

When Donna Summer Ceased to Wander

Dean — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:52:07 +0000

It was in 1979 that Donna Summer had another Top 40 hit with “Fujiyama Mama.” No, wait a minute: that was Wanda Jackson. Donna Summer had a hit with “Hot Love.” I got confused because both women were pleasure-seeking pop stars who eventually turned to Jesus Christ, albeit in Donna’s case it was only her public image that was pleasure-seeking (and sex-lovin’). From the porno song “Love to Love You Baby” to The Wanderer with its “I Believe in Jesus” cut–this constituted Disco Gal’s journey. Summer did a duet with Streisand called “No More Tears.” With The Wanderer (1980), it was No More Hedonism.

Technically not a Christian album, The Wanderer nonetheless offers “I Believe in Jesus” amid the optimistic “Looking Up” and songs about failed love. It has its spiritual dimension, in addition to being very entertaining. For all the no-account lyrics, almost every tune on it is catchy–and blessed with Summer’s powerful but unmannered vocals. Her voice is The Instrument here, that’s for sure.

I don’t know how meritorious Donna’s following albums were, but there have certainly been some strong individual songs, such as “Unconditional Love”, except for the line “Give me your unconditional love . . . / The kind of love I deserve.” The kind of love I DESERVE?

Mendelssohn at Seventeen!

Dean — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:14:36 +0000

Most of the music Felix Mendelssohn composed for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream I have not heard. But if one has enjoyed the Scherzo and the ageless “Wedding March”, which I have heard, even more, surely, will he or she relish the overture the German master wrote for the play–and wrote when he was only seventeen.

Extraordinary music, this. Eleven minutes long, it is all youthful elan as it darts and gallops. It is now comic, now majestic, and perfect in structure. The Berlin Philharmonic’s performance is the one I’ve heard, many times.

Little-Known Ballads

Dean — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:16:12 +0000

Here are some worthy pop ballads which scores of people have never heard, either because they were never released as singles or they never get played on the radio or performed. People drawn to ballads (and who isn’t?) will like them as much as any McCartney or Jim Webb softie.

A steel guitar introduces “Joanne” (1971) by Mike Nesmith & The First National Band. Nesmith’s voice is melancholy, the music is achingly enticing, and the lyrics are smart and curious. What else can you say about “Joanne and the man and the time that made them both wrong”? (Both words and music by Nesmith.)

Well, Neil Young wrote “Already One” (1978) so Neil Young gets to sing it, despite his inadequate voice. The show’s sort of turned over to backup singer Nicolette Larson, anyway, in this breezy track from the dandy Comes a Time album. It, too, features a steel guitar and deals with a couple no longer together but made “already one” through the birth of a child.

Then there’s “Something So Right” by Mr. Insecure himself–Paul Simon. Check out the lyrics. A pretty guitar gives way to a lovely orchestra, and something agreeably sensitive (that’s right, agreeably sensitive) pops up. To further demonstrate that I’m writing about Seventies material, Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Why Oh Why Oh Why” has one “why” too many in its title, but is another notable ballad. A harp precedes O’Sullivan’s blunt, recognizable singing, and the words–about a marriage, it seems–are certainly sadder than those in the Simon song. They’re essentially pessimistic. But what beauty!

A Comment on Clarkson

Dean — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:20:03 +0000

The Kelly Clarkson hit, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” was criticized for being a reworking of the song, “Since U Been Gone,” also by Clarkson.

Okay, but unless it’s Nerina Pallot’s “Real Late Starter,” you won’t be getting anything better. ‘Life” is more tuneful and gripping than the other Top 40 stuff we hear, albeit, granted, it didn’t take a genius to write it. It’s practically a commercial tour de force, though.

The album it’s from–All I Ever Wanted (2009)–I found enjoyable. Critics tried to use “My Life Would Suck” to score points against the album, but . . . to me, no sale. Sure, “Already Gone” is a piece of junk, but Clarkson didn’t want it on the finished product. The record company did.