I feel like I’ve been remiss in not touting Curtis Mayfield enough. My early exposure to soul when I was around 9 or 10 was mainly from Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and Aretha. Oh yes, Al Green a little later.
But I recollect I loved the song ‘People Get Ready,’ an overt religious gospel piece that Rolling Stone ranks as the 24th of the 500 best songs that shaped rock music.
And Superfly is one jammin’ soundtrack, with a message for the ‘man.’
And at about the same time Marvin Gaye (another favorite) started becoming socially conscious in songs such as ‘What Going On?.’
Superfly, the soundtrack from the movie was in that vein. Mayfield with his ever-present falsetto sang about the junkies, the pimps, the violence, injustice from the street level.
Song was punctuated with: Trying to get over — Superfly.
Besides being a great songwriter and singer, Curtis could play some guitar.
The album is funky fun from 1 to 9 cuts with standouts such as the title song, Pusherman, Freddie’s Dead and Little Child Runnin’ Wild.
I’m not sure why they called movies like Superfly blaxploitation films. Shaft was another favorite of mine by Isaac Hayes. Do they call ‘Rambo’ a whitesploitation film?
NOTE: This is a preamble of sorts to another observation about connections I hope to finish up today.
Musicians jamming on a song get into a groove. They are altogether connecting in a series of reactions. Smiles, eye contact: They play off the sounds of the instruments — off each other.
The mix is elevated beyond the contribution of any single player.
Elevated improvisation within a structure. Its kind of what I’m doing here. And, it would be appropriate at this time to ask the question: What’s the point? The point these connections, these relationships shouldn’t be taken lightly. The brain is a buzzing slab of electro-excitability that needs its connections, its synapses and neurons to be firing.
I have Lewy body dementia where the connections get snowed in; the neurons get caught in a sticky pile of excess proteins. I get that I have a lot of storage capacity but every day a little is being chipped away. Lewy body dementia robs people the ability to make those connections.
Please join us July 20 for a fund raiser basketball tournament to raise money to fight this horrible disease. I didn’t ask to be the poster boy in this, but I am so happy to be involved. We have raised a total of $25,000 in two years and are looking to do much more.
If basketball isn’t your thing, we have an after party at TrimTab brewery open and free to all. We’ll have Karaoke, purple T-shirts for sale and I hear there may be some dunking going on.
Relationships can be tricky. A misperceived comment; fumbled attempts to help. We listen but aren’t really listening. We make assumptions that aren’t true and build with those assumptions our own wrong-headed case for action – the wrong action.
From the archives today, we have something I wrote about 18 months ago. I believe I meant it as a warning that like a gentle rose, relationships need nurturing to keep the connections alive.
What is more fragile than a relationship?
A day too old rose waiting for one touch to send petals spinning to the ground.
The stability of a family facing a future with too many ifs.
The conviction that doing right is always right. Or always doing right is right.
The profundity of a well educated person.
The joy of sleeping when really really worn out.
The reality you see right now.
The love you can’t define but know it’s true.
The knowledge that the straight trail is better than the switchback.
The theory that a theory is not truth.
The laugh between old friends you may not see again.
The idea that your decisions don’t affect the world.
The notion that there are things that are impossible.
Caring, love as I rearrange everything
What is rare as a loving relationship?
DId you find that yellow bird?
Reach Mike Oliver at moliver@al.com and read his blog at myvinylcountdown.com
Wow, look at that cover on this album by a band named Malo.
When I first saw it, I thought of the cover art on Abraxas, Santana’s great second album. Obviously different covers in color and all — but similar in other striking ways, attention to detail, beautiful people from another time and place. Maybe it was the same painter?
I put it on the turntable and what did I hear. A jamming rhythmic Latin-tinged, multi-piece band with trumpets, electric guitar and lots of shake rattle and roll. Man it sounded like early Santana led by Carlos Santana.
So not surprisingly as I checked out the names of musicians, I noticed Jorge Santana. He is, I found out, Carlos’ brother. As an early Santana fan, I couldn’t believe I never heard that. As a decade long dweller in Marin County, California, where Carlos lives and is frequently spotted driving around in his convertible(s) I never knew he had a brother in a band or that I had never heard of the band. Of course I believe, the band no longer existed by the time I got there in 2001. They had a Top 20 hit with Suavecito but you don’t see this album around at least not on the east coast.
Maybe they should have re-thought the band’s name. Malo in Spanish means ‘Bad.’
The Malo album cover is from a painting by Mexican painter Jesus Helguera.
The Abraxis cover was from a painting called Annunciation by German-French painter Mati Klarwein.
I got this record around my junior or senior year in high school in Athens, Ga., and Steve Martin was taking off.
From writing for sketches on TV on shows such as the Smothers Brothers, he moved quickly to being an on-air comedian. His Saturday Night Live appearances boosted audiences by the hundreds of thousands. His ‘Excuse Me’ and “We’re just two wild and crazy guys’ became national catch-phrases. Then he went to movies. Some good ones Father of the Bride, All of Me; Some not so good, Dead Men Don’t Wore Plaid, Pennies from Heaven.
The Jerk in 1979 is along with Airplane, Dumb and Dumber and Ace Ventura Pet Detective, among the best lowbrow comedies of an era, punctuated with pratfalls and bathos.
Martin, Robin Williams and especially Jim Carrey drew heavily on the physical comedy of Jerry Lewis. But took that style to new and different levels.
But Martin was no lowbrow draw. Inspired by his philosophy classes, Martin considered becoming a professor instead of an actor–comedian, Martin’s Wikipedia page says..
“It changed what I believe and what I think about everything. I majored in philosophy. Something about non-sequiturs appealed to me. In philosophy, I started studying logic and they were talking about cause and effect, and you start to realize, ‘Hey, there is no cause and effect! There is no logic! There is no anything!’ Then it gets real easy to write this stuff because all you have to do is twist everything hard—you twist the punch line, you twist the non-sequitur so hard away from the things that set it up.”
That comedy was on full display on the ‘Let’s Get Small’ album.
On ‘One way to leave your lover’ he starts a lament about his girlfriend whome he lost one tragic night. I feel responsible Martin tells the audience. We were at a party and she had too much to drink. She snatched the keys from my hands. I told her no don’t go but she wouldn’t listen. Then Martin pauses and says: “So I shot her.” The audience doesn’t know whether to laugh or what. He waits and then adds: “With a shotgun.” Martin is chuckling a sinister chuckle. Non sequitur delivered.
The comedy is good and the record is inexpensive. Should have no trouble finding for under $5.
ME: (To man on the street. Waiting for the light to change.) You know I’ve never done this before.
MAN: Done what? (Looks me up and down with a mixture of confusion and hostility).
ME: Oh, I can’t tell you yet, I’m not sure if I’ve been authorized. But, (I lean a little closer) it involves dunking.
MAN: Oh hoops. You gonna try to dunk (slight smile on face as he sizes me up again. Yes this is a balding 59-year-old white man, he confirms). You? Dunk? No way. (Man was laughing now).
ME: Yes way. OK, I can tell you it will happen after the MikeMadness Basketball Tournament. You heard of that?
MAN: Well now that you mention it, I saw a poster about that. Gonna be at UAB?
ME: Yes, UAB Recreation Center, July 20, 8 a.m. You should get three buddies and sign up. It costs $150 a team and it’s for a good cause, to raise money for Lewy body dementia. It’s a fatal brain disease and I have it. I’m Mike of MikeMadness.
ME: (Laughing) No no, it’s not contagious. I’ve had it for three years and I’m still working, playing basketball and now this dunking. Oops don’t repeat that.
MAN: You telling me you are going to be dunking?
ME: Well, it involves me and it involves dunking. That’s all I can say now. Except it also involves some celebrity types like a certain Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist will be going for a dunk.
MAN: Where is this going to be?
ME: The after party and dunking will be after the tournament, starting at 1 p.m., at TrimTab brewery. It’s at 2721 5th Ave South in Birmingham.
MAN: And that Pulitzer Prize guy, you aren’t talking about John Archibald are you?
ME: Yes but don’t tell anybody, I’m not authorized yet. There’ll probably be other celebrities like disc jockeys and athletes. Last year Trent Richardson and Buck Johnson showed up.
MAN: You mean Archibald is gonna dunk? (Now laughing harder).
ME: Let’s just say, me and John will be called the ‘Splash Brothers.”
MAN: Well, let’s go then!
ME: Heck yeah, let’s go. (I reach out for a fist bump).
MAN: No, I mean the light has changed, time to cross.
THE FINE PRINT:Sign up now on the link above or go to mikemadness.org The tournament is free to watch July 20 from 8 am to about noon. Teams consist of three or four (if you want a substitute, most do) and team entry fee is $150. Sure to be collectible T-shirts, for $15 each, and are purple this year in honor of Prince who was, we hear, a great basketball player in his day. New this year will will be a 3-point contest. Entry fee is $20. I’m looking forward to seeing who will come in second place. The after party at TrimTab is at 1 p.m. and it’s free. The brewery will donate 10 percent of its proceeds during this time. Remember this is all about raising money for Lewy body dementia a killer brain disease which I have. Last two years we raised $25,000 combined. I’m looking to match that two-year-total this year with $25,000 bringing the total to $50K in three years. Ambitious yes? But important. Money raised will be going to Lewy body research at UAB and the Lewy Body Dementia Association. For more on my living with the disease plus music, check out www.myvinylcountdown.com
The five key shapers of my love of music are all men. I say that only because I just noticed it as I began writing this. The father of three daughters I don’t feel sexist in this regard, but maybe I am.
My five key shapers are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Wilson Picket/Otis Redding, Prince and Bob Marley.
Hank Williams Sr. barely missed the cut.
I cheated I know with Redding Pickett, but they were big soul belters that startled this skinny kid in Georgia when I first heard them and fell in love with their songs. (Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You by Pickett hooked me from the radio.)
Prince was my James Brown, Little Richard altogether as those guys were before my time. And Prince channeled these guys (Sly Stone and MJ as well) into some of the most dynamic music of the 80s and 90s.)
British invaders, The Rolling Stones, some might say is too much like the Beatles but that’s not true. They are very different. At first it was the Beatles creating everything a rock band would be, good vocals, good songwriting, good musicians, genius production and engineering. The Stones came along and deconstructed all of that. Raw, simpler, looser. Black music for white kids who wanted the guitars turned up on blues-based rock. A lot of my friends were one or another: Beatles or Stones.
Then came Marley. Jammin’ with an aromatic cloud overhead. I didn’t expect to like him, but grew to love his music which could be rebellious, politically aware and sweet and kind.
Songs like ‘No Woman No Cry’ and ‘Redemption Song’ and ‘Is This Love’ and ‘Stir It Up.’ If you haven’t tried Marley start with this one, a compilation of ‘hits’ called ‘Legend.’ Another favorite I used to have on vinyl but is MIA was ‘Natty Dread.’
‘Babylon by Bus’ is a good two-record live album.
From Natty Dread’s No Woman no Cry
No, woman no cry No, woman no cry No, woman no cry Said, said, said I remember when we used to sit In the government yard in Trenchtown Ob-observing the hypocrites As they would mingle with the good people we meet (meet) Good friends we have, oh, good friends we’ve lost Along the way (way) In this great future, you can’t forget your past So dry your tears, I say
And no, woman, no cry.
Speaking of women. I swear I have lots of women, on record that is. My beloved Catherine introduced to me to Carole King and Carly Simon.
I have Heart, Janis Joplin, the Bangles, Diana Ross, the Marvelettes, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, an all-female hard rock group called Fanny, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynettte, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Nancy Griffith, Indigo Girls, the Shirelles, Melanie, Joan Baez, and many other ‘mixed’ groups like B-52’s, the Crams, Mamas and Papas, Sly and Family Stone, the Staple Singers, a Group called Smith, Eurythmics and so on.
While I enjoy much of those none were pivotal to me in transforming or greatly expanding my musical tastes. Janis and Aretha were close. But by then I was softened up to listen to them. Mavis Staples of the Staple Singers BTW has one of my favorite soulful voices.
NOTE: After I published this I realized I did not mention Dolly Parton. I watched her show with Porter Wagoner on black and white TV, probably in the late 1960s, early 70s. Sunday mornings. Been a fan ever since.
My hands are in the hunt and peck mode now. Time to stop, shake them out and look for that ‘November Rain,’ I mean June Rain, out the window.
But first ..
A FUN SNAKE FACT: I read a story today about snakes, saying they aren’t aggressive and don’t attack, usually. It said when a snake bites a human, alcohol was involved 40 percent* of the time.
I say if nearly half our snakes are drunk, we better be even more careful.
* (update 40 percent, not 70 and that’s referencing humans not the snakes.)
Perfect harmonies. Big bold singing voices. Mama Cass. California Dreamin.’
These are the things I think of when I think of this singing group.
And during their prime, they really were larger than life.
California Dreamin’ is such a perfect ‘state’ song. It made me wonder what the best song about a state is? That one has to be near the top.
Well there’s ‘Georgia on My Mind’ as sung by the great Ray Charles. Of course ‘Sweet Home Alabama. Sweet Virginia by the Stones. Yellow Rose of Texas a traditional folk song but Hoyt Axton is known for his version. Private Idaho by my hometown band B-52s . This could go on forever but don’t forget this one: “The Moon is Bigger in Alabama.”
This greatest hits album also has Creeque Alley, kinda of a here’s-how-we- got-here song that has the memorable line: And the only one getting fat is Mama Cass.
Their song ‘Monday Monday’ could also start a list-sickle song like the state songs. ‘Manic Monday’ by the Bangles via Prince; Tuesday’s Gone by Skynyrd; Friday on my Mind by the Easybeats; I Dont like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats.
There’s more. Hit the comments if you want to add more. Because there are many, but I’ve got to go, trying to make that Midnight Train to Georgia.
Mike Oliver is an opinion columnist who is using music and his writings to raise awareness to Lewy body dementia on his blog myvinylcountdown.com and AL.com.
As you all may have figured out, I enjoy music. (Understatement).
I believe it is therapeutic for anyone, not just those like myself who have a degenerative brain disease.
Now, news out of Switzerland on the effects of music on premature babies adds more substance to my, admittedly anecdotal reports of music’s healing properties
“Among very premature babies, some of whom were almost born four months ahead of schedule, those who were given daily doses of music written just for them had brain functions that appeared to be developing better than those who weren’t exposed to the music, ” according to ScienceAlert.com., citing several studies.
Yes! I knew I was on to something. Tiny babies rocking out, shaking their booties, doing the funky chicken are helping their brains.
Well not so fast.
Turns out they weren’t exactly rocking out.
The music (which the babies had no say in choosing) is basically elevator music.
The preemies received “eight minutes of soothing background musi c (Click to hear it), bells, harp, and the Indian snake charmer’s flute five times a week.
Incidentally, the snake charmer’s flute was the most soothing sound to newborns,” ScienceAlert.com reported.
Bells, flute, snake charmer’s flute? Are they trying to teach them to slither out of the crib?
I have a friend, Jill in California, who suffers great physical and mental pain upon hearing the harp.
Did the researchers consider any Iron Maiden or old school Black Sabbath. I find a little ‘Crazy Train’ gets my blood pumping in the morning. That’s the goal here, right? Get the healing power of blood circulation in the brain.
If the experts believe that hard rock may be too much at this age, or encourage head-banging, maybe they can start them off with a power ballad by the Scorpions. Or going to another genre, how about the soothing tones of Barry White? Or Smokey Robinson and the Miracles? Or the Rev. Al Green?
I listened to some of the music they used on these little ones and, frankly, it sounds like what we called New Age music. You know , Kitaro. There were no lyrics. I say get them started on words. Old school hip hop like Run DMC or Kurtis Blow.
May want to avoid the Police doing (De do do do de da da da). That, and Janis Joplin singing ‘Cry Baby.’
I think the babies would enjoy the whole catalog of the ‘The Mamas and Papas.’
While this is fun, I’d like to take serious note that the best way to solve this problem is to reduce the number of premature babies. Unfortunately many women lack access to good neonatal health care, and sex education. AL.com’s Anna Claire Vollers is spending the year investigating these and other serious issues facing moms in Alabama .
Sciencealert.com says the music was aimed at different parts of the babies’ day, such as feeding time or waking: “Headphones were placed on all babies during the trial when they were waking or noticed to be awake.”
I can see it, Lil’ Man, Lil’ Woman with the head phones on, maybe some shades, chillin’ to Bob Marley.
“We jammin’ we jammin,’ babies nodding their heads in unison, “we hope you like jammin’ too.”
