Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

MacArthur Park (is melting in the dark?)

I have been thinking about music for the past few days... not that music isn't regularly on my mind, but this is different. I have been thinking about sad songs, and songs that, no matter what, I simply cannot grasp. I plan to spend the next few days writing about music, not as a critic, but as a consumer. I wanted to start with my thoughts on a particular Beatle's song, but another song has pushed it's way to the forefront of my tiny little brain and won't go away. That song is MacArthur Park.

You know that one, don't you? If you aren't old enough to remember British actor Richard Harris' original recording from 1968, you might remember the more popular version recorded by Donna Summer in 1978. Anyway, the song has been covered by a long list of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Waylon Jennings, The Four Tops, Maynard Ferguson, Percy Faith, and Sammy Davis, Jr... even Maureen McGovern recorded the song (don't lie, you know that you know who Maureen McGovern is/was... Torn Between Two Lovers.... right?).

They say that if you want to know how great a song is, all you have to do is see how many different artists have covered it, and how many different genres of music it has been arranged for. If that truly is the test, and I beleive that it is, then MacArthur Park has to qualifiy as a true giant in musical history, and full credit must be given to Jimmy Webb for having written it.

Now to the point of this post: Here is the thing... I am old enough to remember both of the most popular versions of this song, and as much as I love the musicality, it still makes no sense to me. Now, I know that there are strong feelings about it, but let's be reasonable, no matter what Mr. Webb was trying to say with his lyrics, he cearly failed since most people still can't grasp his point without a study guide. Now, you talk about genius.... this guy writes a song that makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER and it is an unqualified hit by any measurement you care to use.

If you are a fairly young person and have to go to iTunes to hear this song for the first time, that's OK... go listen and come back, you'll like it, I promise you, but her are the lyrics for your perusal... tell me if any of this makes sense to you.

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed,
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

CHORUS
MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down...
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

If someonw were to ask me, and of course nobody gives a crap about what I think, this song MIGHT be interpreted as being about the loss of innocence, or virginity... or baby birds, or.... hell, I don't know.

What do you think?

"I Like Guns!"

I like guns, I like the way they look
I like the shiny steel and the polished wood
I don't care if they're big or small
If they're for sale; hell, I want 'em all

I like guns
I like guns
I like guns

I really like my .22 Mag
.45 lever with a Winchester tag
I like my double barrel, had it most my life,
the .357 was a present from my wife

I like guns, I like the way they look
I like the shiny steel and the polished wood
I don't care if they're big or small
If they're for sale; hell, I want 'em all

I like guns
I like guns
I like guns

 


So, I don't really get all the fuss
Why they're trying to take our guns off of us
'Cause I ain't gonna shoot at anyone
And no-one shoots at me, 'cause I got a gun!

 


I like guns, I like the way they look
I like the shiny steel and the polished wood
I don't care if they're big or small
If they're for sale; hell, I want 'em all

I like guns
I like guns
I like guns

 

God made the animals and God made the trees
God made you and, hell, he even made me
He gave me this voice, so I could be a singer
So you tell me why I've got a trigger finger

I like guns, I like the way they look
I like the shiny steel and the polished wood
I don't care if they're big or small
If they're for sale; hell, I want 'em all

I like guns
I like guns
I like guns

I like guns
I like guns
I like guns

 

**NOTE** This song, "I Like Guns" has become a viral hit because of Itunes and You Tube.  Australian singer Steve Lee has made quite a splash here in the U.S. as well.

CD Review: Charleston, SC 1966

I haven’t reviewed any music in a while and that is mainly because it has been a while since I have a new CD that I thought was worth writing about… until now.

 

Last Friday I bought Darius Rucker’s second country CD, called:  Charleston, SC 1966.  Before I review this recording, I must offer this quasi-disclaimer:  I have been a fan of this singer since he fronted Hootie & The Blowfish, 15 or so years ago, so you might think that I am predisposed to give this guy a pass.  Well, that isn’t true.  If Rucker wasn’t a great singer, I would tell you so.  If Rucker’s music was saccharine, I would tell you.  If Rucker’s new CD wasn’t great, I would tell you.  The good news is that none of those things are true.

 

This is CD is really good from start to finish.  Starting with folksy and warming This to the bluesy Southern State of Mind, and Love Will Do That, Rucker proves that he really has the chops to make it as a solo country act.  The songs are well written, and not overly twangy (which would really have put the kibosh on it for me), and of course, Rucker’s amazingly soulful voice, make this potentially the best CD that I have purchased all year.

 

If you are a fan of country music, this CD should be a no-brainer, must have for you.  If you don’t consider yourself a big country music fan, I would advise you to give this CD a try.  Not only might you discover a love for a genre of music that you don’t normally listen to, you might also find an appreciation of an artist that you really should be paying attention to, no matter what he is singing.

 

Grade:  “A” for Awesome!

Glee: The Britney Spears Episode

I have always been secure enough to admit to anyone, when the subject of television arises, that I have been a fan of Glee since the early days. I enjoyed the first half of the first season immensely, and when that show went on its Olympics-induced hiatus, I couldn't wait to see the second half, and even purchased the first half of the season on DVD. Yes, I know, it's a little much when you examine my personality, but there you go, I am a man of many parts.

One of the things I enjoyed about the show was the music. The youthful, energetic, well-arranged covers of such perennial favorites like "Don't Stop Believin'", "Somebody to Love", and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" were enough to make sure that an old guy like me could enjoy a show about hormonal teenaged misfits. Making the show even better was the fact that they weren't afraid to venture into music that isn't necessarily the province of white-bread suburbia. Singing songs like "Gold Digger", "Give up the Funk", and "Tell Me Something Good" indicated that the show's producers weren't afraid of doing something different. I enjoyed the music so much, that I can easily confess to having nearly thirty of the shows selection on my IPod (I am listening to "Rehab" as I type this).

By now you should have gotten the idea that I enjoy the music… but I also enjoy the cast. The show is well-written, and not terribly overwrought. The cast is good (almost great), and who doesn't enjoy Jane Lynch's character, Coach Sue Sylvester?

Like millions of other Americans (and people in other countries as well, I am sure), I eagerly waited for the beginning of the new season, and when the first episode arrived I was happy. I enjoyed the season opener, not because it was the best the cast or the producers have ever done, but because of the return of characters and plotlines that I enjoyed. I was also pleased about the introduction of new cast members and the prospects of interesting plots that were projected for the season. Here is where it falls apart.

Glee has become so popular, darn near every A-list (and B & C list) musical performer has been trying to get on the show. Sometimes those guests have been great additions, sometimes not-so-much. Josh Groban made for good laughs, and Neil Patrick Harris was alright, but I have to tell you, "The Madonna Episode" left me cold, as did "The lady Gaga episode". Now in the second week of the second season, I have to say oops, they did it again, with the "Britney Spears Episode". I suppose the fact that I really don't enjoy those particular artists has a lot to do with it, but really, they were lame.

Madonna, I can blow off, because I see her as someone who is a total fame whore who would sell her children into slavery if she thought it would get her name in the papers, and I see Lady Gaga as just a Madonna clone… the only real difference being that Gaga is younger and doesn't have any children yet. Now, the Britney episode… look I know that Spears is (was?) popular, but really, to make her out as a cultural icon is a bit much, isn't it? Maybe the writers were trying to be ironic, but I have to tell you that I thought the music in this episode was awful. Maybe it is my age. Maybe I am just being grumpy. Maybe I'm plain ol' wrong… but I doubt it. The only shining spot in this particular episode was the emergence of Glee Club member Brittany, who had more speaking lines in this episode than she had in the entire first season. I hope that the trend continues.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the show, and I will continue to watch, but here is good ol' Gunfighter keepin' it real, telling the producers that this episode really stunk up the room.

Music Monday: Merry Clayton



Do you know this lady is?  I’ll bet you don’t.  In fact, I am almost certain of it.  The thing is, even though you don’t know who she is, almost all of you have heard her voice.



 

 

Her name is Merry Clayton.

 

Still nothing?  Well, it isn’t surprising.  Until a few months ago, I didn’t know who she was either.  I had no clue to this woman’s identity until after I saw the Rock & Roll hall of fame concert on Home Box Office some time ago.  No, she wasn’t on the show… but she should have been.

 

During the show Mick Jagger performed the classic Rolling Stones hit “Gimme Shelter” backed up by Fergie, U-2, and Will.i.am.  Of course, with a lineup like that, they really rocked that song, which has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid.  Jagger and Bono did fine on the vocals, but truly, Fergie was excellent.  Her vocals were as strong as always, and watching her perform made me think.  Watching made me wonder about who had actually done the backing vocals in the priginal recording, mainly because I think that if the backing vocal hadn’t been so strong, that song would have been ok… but it wouldn’t have been the classic that it became.

 

Which leads me to where I am today.

 

I did some searching and between Google and Wikipedia, I learned quite a bit abiut Ms. Clayton.  One of the first interesting things that I found out her was why she had a name like Merry.  As it turns out, she was born on December 25th... a Christmas baby!

 

Anyway, Clayton, like so many others,  began singing in the church, and was fourteen when she began recording in 1962.  Over the next thirty-plus years, Clayton recorded with some of the biggest names in the music business including:  Neil Young, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Pearl Bailey, Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, and Carole King.  Clayton, notably sang the original backing vocals when Lynrd Skynrd recorded "Sweet Home Alabama".

 

Along with recording backing vocals with some of the biggest acts around, Merry Clayton was also a songwriter and recording artist in her own right, having originally rcorded "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) the year before it became a hit for another artist.  She recorded "Gimme Shelter" as a solo single, and co-writing "Sho 'Nuff" with Billy Preston in 1971. 

 

With all of the things that she has done, unless you are a really deep music fan, Ms. Clayton will only be known to most people for the powerful vocals she provided in what was essentially a duet with Mick Jagger when they recorded "Gimme Shelter"... and as luck would have it, there is a really cool story to go with it.

 

As it turns out, Clayton was not originally supposed to record that song.  Another singer, the talented Bonnie Bramlett was supposed to have done the song with Jagger, but was either ill or otherwise unavailable (as the story goes).

 

So, there you have it.  Merry Clayton.  The next time you are listening to classic rock on the radio, and "Gimme Shelter" comes blasting out of the speakers, you will have a cool story to tell.

 

 

Morning Music

I seldom listen to the radio when I drive.  I prefer to have the music that I have loaded onto my iPod.  My musical tastes are fairly broad, so I bounce from genre to genre.  For example, yesterday I listened to the following on my drive to work:

• What is hip - Tower of Power
• Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone
• Soul Finger - The Bar-Karys
• Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) - Sly & The Family Stone
• Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone
• You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat, & Teears
• Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
• The Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes
• Summer Breeze - The Isely Brothers
• Who's That Lady? - The Isely Brothers
• Bustin' loose - Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers

Today's music was something else entirely:

• Start of Something New
• What I've Been Looking For
• Get'cha Head in The Game
• Stick To The Status Quo
• Breaking Free
• What Time is It?
• Work This Out
• You are The Music in Me

All of which are from the Hish School Musical movies. 

I would talk more about all of this, but Ihave to go teach a class on the best way to shoot people at close quarters.

Ciao

Mel Torme: Comin' Home, Baby!

This is one of the coolest songs ever recorded.  It was/is so good, that people are still recording it, in many genres, nearly 50 years after Mel did it.

Now, if you took the time to watch this little video montage of Mel Torme's version, take a look at some of these more contemporary versions! This is Melvin Taylor with a funky instrumental! ...and finally, the New York University Cleftomaniacs, a really cool acapella group... which all of you GLEE fans should enjoy. This was recorded on my 45th birthday... not that they have any idea who the heck I am!

My Vacation: "Official Music"

You know how it goes, right?  A song gets in your head, and the next thing you know, it represents a place or a time that will always be identified with just that tune.  What do you mean that doesn't happen to you?  You people are strange... it happens to me all the time.

I'll give you an example:  Every summer, before we go on vacation, some particular song winds up becoming our official" vacation song.  In years past it has been "I'm Gonna Be" by The Proclaimers, in 2008, it was the song "What Time Is It?" from the soundtrack of High School Musical 2 (go ahead, make a wiseass remark), and this year it was "Waking Up In Vegas", by Katy Perry... you know who she is, right?  I think that she is the chick who kissed a girl and liked it.

Well, all of these songs are still on my iPod, and they immediately remind me of driving around certain places in either Orlando, Florida, or St. Simons Island, Georgia (or places in-between).

I wonder what it will be next year?

Transported By Music

Music is an important part of my life.   It's probably important to you, too.

In my world, music is important to me on so many levels, it's hard for me to describe.  On one level, I enjoy music just to hear sounds that are pleasing to my ears, and on the level music holds an equal place with laughter, bells, and the sound of automatic weapons (the sound of machine guns make me smile, again, don't judge). 

On another level, music moves me emotionally, whether the music is inspirational in my faith, or it is a sad ballad, or a song about the joys of love, music has the ability to make me feel things that don't generally come out of the white noise in my head. 

On still another level, music can sometimes be something that is neither spiritual, emotional, or just pleasing to the ears.  Sometimes music just makes me want to move my body... whether it is just tapping my foot, dancing, or headbanging with an intensity that would make Angus Young proud.  I don't want to talk about any of those things today.

No. 

 

I want to talk about being transported by music.  Transported to a time and place in your life that is significant to a particular song.  I have many of them, as you probably do.  One of my "transportational" songs is the old Motown classic "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" by Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell.  Some of you may remember the song... it is one of the quintessential songs of the Motownera.  For me, the song reminds me of the time immediately prior to my parent's divorce.  Released in 1968, when I was only 5, the song always brings me to riding in the back of our station wagon, when my dad was stations at Hamilton Air Force Base, California.

 

I am chronologically certain my parent's marriage was already in the toilet at that point, but I was a little boy... and the song always reminds me that we were an intact family in those days.  It makes me happy and sad at the same time.   It makes me happy because of the warm feeling of togetherness, however illusory... and it makes me sad because it's is the only "happy family" feeling I have of my childhood, and it is intensely fleeting.  When people say that divorce doesn't have long-term effects, tell them to come and talk to me, I'll call bullshit right to their faces.

 

Another song that transports me to a particular time and place is the song "Magic To Do" from the Broadway play "Pippin".  I have this song on my ipod, on my "Movie Music" play-list, and while I was on my way to work this morning, driving through the hated Springfield Interchange, I listened to it and enjoyed the fact that it took me back to 1977, when I went, with my Junior High School music class, to see the play in New York city.  I don't remember much of the play... to tell you the truth, beyond two songs, I don't remember any of it, other than the fact that Ben Vereen was in the cast when we went.

The songs that I mentioned aren't the only ones that take me places, but they stood out the other day when I decided to blog about this... I'll bet you have songs like this.

 

What are they?, and where do they take you?

CD Review: KISS - Sonic Boom

A new KISS album?  After all this time?  Oh HELL YEAH!

Let me tell you the story.  I was filing some paperwork in the office yesterday, and listening to one of Washington DC's last rock & roll radio stations when I heard it announced the KISS would be playing a concert at the Verizon Center.  I immediately announced to one of my colleagues that I was going... which made him laugh "Really Bill?  a KISS concert?  I suppose you'll be going to WalMart to get their new album tonight".  The truth is, I had no idea that KISS had released a new album.  I seldom listen to the radio and I pay little attention to music industry news, so I hadn't heard anything about the concert or the album.

As soon as I was finished shuffling paper, I called Mrs. Gunfighter and asked if she wanted to go to the concert and got the response I expected:  A laugh followed by "um... NO!"  Not to be put off, I decided that she would get 24 hrs to change her mind before I bought a ticket to go ALONE (I hope you are feeling guilty, sweetheart.... sending me off to Rock  Roll All Nite... by myself).  As I write this, she has about 4 hours to recant.

Anyway, feeling good about myself, I went home in the afternoon, got a haircut, picked up soccergirl from swimming, got her home to finish her homework, gave her a snack, an was about to whisk her off to Girl Scouts, when Mrs. GF came home.  The Mrs. decided to come to Scouts with us, so after dropping SG at the meeting, we decided to kill an hour at WalMart, where I immediately snapped up the new KISS album; Sonic Boom.

A lengthy intro, I know... but I'm not just an aging KISS fan, I'm also a middle-aged suburban dad who blogs, what do you want?

When I got in my car to head into work on this fine morning, I loaded the new CD into the player, to rock out while I made the I-95 trek with the other Lemmings.  Let me tell you, I got no surprises.

Look, KISS is a party band... a stadium band.  They play rock and roll right out of the 1970's because that's where their roots are... and that's where most of their fans are from.  They didn't disappoint me.  Now, I don't think that this effort is going to garner them any timeless gems like "Calling Dr. Love" (which I am listening to as I write this)or the anthemic "Rock & Roll All Nite", but that doesn't mean that the album is no good.  Quite the contrary, it is good.  The music is good, lyrics are good, and the vocals are good... this is classic KISS, and I love it.

I suppose it is easy to believe that I would give the album a glowing review just because I was in my teens at the height of KISS's success... that I would give them a pass for nostalgia's sake in some sort of pathetic grasp at my youth, but I hope you know me better than that.  The bottom line is that, if you are a KISS fan, or ever were a KISS fan, this album won't disappoint you.  If you've never listened to a KISS album before, this is good a place as any to start.

NOTE:  I would have included an image but the new Typepad image up-loader is still in Beta, and it really sucks!