When a song is all about the soothing effects of music, it can't help but have a calming quality! Seriously, though, when I need a break from my troubles, this is the song I turn to most often. Like I said, that's primarily due to the message of the lyrics, all about music's power to touch and soothe and comfort. The lyric is also a reminder that, as difficult as sorrow, sadness, and stress can be, that we're not alone. That knowledge can be a great balm for any situation, and I love "Drift Away" for teaching that lesson.
"Get Together" - The Youngbloods
In "Drift Away," the soothing effect came from the lyric. Beyond the chorus and a few other lines, I don't even know what the lyrics to "Get Together" are. Obviously, therefore, it's the music that does the calming this time around. Ever since I was a kid, this '60s hippie anthem has been able to get me into a quiet, introspective mood, and I appreciate the tune for that!
"Touch The Hem Of His Garment" - Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers
I could slot almost any Sam Cooke song onto this list and have it fit. His voice is as smooth as a spoonful of chocolate ice cream, and it's as easy on the ears as ice cream is on the mouth. I love the guy!
So, why did I choose this particular song? Well... I don't want to get preachy, but I am a Christian. My faith and my religion have brought more peace and joy into my life than any other source. Sam Cooke obviously felt the same way; after all, he spent part of his career headlining with the gospel group The Soul Stirrers. "Touch The Hem Of His Garment" is one of my go-to get-ready-for-church songs. This song soothes me on two levels: on a "great song" level, but, more importantly, in a spiritual way.
"Cherish" - Madonna
There's just something about '80s music that soothes my frazzled soul. It's warm and comfortable, like a favorite recliner or a kitchen that smells like turkey on Christmas. It's broken-in, like that old pair of blue jeans or old shirt you can't bring yourself to throw out. This probably sounds corny, but it's all true.
Of all the pop artists that were making hits in the '80s, Madonna has to be my favorite. I just discovered "Cherish" only recently, but it quickly became my favorite of her tunes. Therefore, I am including it here!
"The Times They Are A-Changin" - The Beach Boys
The year: 1965). Brian Wilson, the L.A. studio musician group The Wrecking Crew, and the other Beach Boys are preparing to work on the album that would come to be considered their magnum opus: Pet Sounds. However, the executives at Capitol Records are getting anxious. They want a hit album, and they want one in time for the holiday season. Brian is less than excited to interrupt work on Pet Sounds, but he gives in to demand. The group settled on an album with a party theme, feeling that the vibe of togetherness would jibe with the holidays. In November 1965, Beach Boys' Party! hit record racks. The resulting album is okay, but nothing special.
However, last year, Capitol Records released a re-vamped version of the album, titled Beach Boys Party!: Uncovered and Unplugged. For this new release, Capitol's technical crew went through the album, stripping all the fake party sounds and any chatter not created by the group themselves. The crew also found a wealth of unreleased tracks and included them on the album. The resulting work is spectacular. With all the party accouterments gone, Beach Boys Party! becomes a beautifully simple album, full of loving covers of rock and roll standards. It's a must-listen!
Each of the stripped-down tracks is worth listening to, but "The Times They Are A-Changin" is my favorite. The Beach Boys take a classic Bob Dylan track and give it their own gentle, unplugged spin, even while paying tribute to the original artist. The no-frills style gives the tune a beautifully calming vibe. I love it!
Welcome to Timely Classics, a new series where we review classic films that somehow correlate with the films currently at the multiplexes! This week, with Clint Eastwood's Sully gracing movie screens, we take a look at Eastwood's 1992 Best Picture winner, Unforgiven!
A hot, dusty street in a ramshackle western town. Two men emerge from the surrounding buildings and walk to the middle of the road. They turn to face each other. Both wear guns on their hips. After a few seconds, the men go for their firearms. Half a second later, the action is over. The victor knocks back a whiskey in the saloon, while the loser lies in a pool of his own blood.
...If you're familiar with westerns, the above scene is one that you've seen before. The "showdown in the street" has been a well-loved trope ever since the genre came into being.
However, like most tropes, this scene doesn't paint a complete picture. You see, while the dead man's story has ended, the victor has to go on living. How does a person deal with having killed a man, or many men? How does it affect him psychologically? How does his fame as a shootist affect the way he lives his life?
Clint Eastwood's 1992 film Unforgiven tackles those kind of questions head-on. In so doing, it made itself into a western like none other. While many other westerns deal in white-hatted heroes and black-hatted baddies, Unforgiven's characters are shrouded in shades of gray.
Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and William Munny (Clint Eastwood), two former gunfighters (and our main characters).
The seeds of Unforgiven were planted in 1976, when David Webb Peoples wrote a screenplay titled The Cut-Whore Killings. However, there was no immediate interest in the screenplay.
That changed in the early 1980s, when Francis Ford Coppola (of Godfather fame) became very interested in the story. He began to develop the script under the less-lurid title The William Munny Killings. In fact, Coppola was so interested that he had begun casting considerations, pursuing John Malkovich to portray William Munny. Coppola eventually cooled on the project, though.
However, all hope was not lost! It turned out that Clint Eastwood had also gotten hold of the screenplay, read it, and really liked it. However, Eastwood wasn't as fast on the draw (get it?) as Coppola. Eastwood wanted to make the film, but not in the 1980s; Eastwood decided to hold off until he was old enough to play Munny. By the early 1990s, Eastwood apparently decided he had aged properly.
Unforgiven (as the film eventually came to be known) was released in 1992. It went on to become only the third western (after 1931's Cimarron and 1990's Dances With Wolves) to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
From left to right: dime-novelist W.W. Beauchamp (Saul Rubinek), sadistic sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett (Gene Hackman), and hired assassin English Bob (Richard Harris).
The film begins with a text scroll that introduces us to William Munny. The scroll tells us about Munny's sordid reputation as a cold-blooded assassin, a man who didn't just kill fellow males but also stooped to murdering women and children. However, the scroll informs us that Munny married a Christian woman who helped him reform. It also tells us that Munny settled down as a pig farmer. Once this context is established, we're launched into the film proper.
A quiet evening in Big Whiskey, Wyoming, is shattered when two cowhands assault a young prostitute, repeatedly cutting her face and body. The woman's fellow workers become incensed when "Little Bill" Daggett (Gene Hackman), Big Whiskey's sheriff, lets the cowboys off easily. The prostitutes decide to take matters into their own hands, offering a thousand-dollar reward to any gunslinger who kills the offending cowhands.
Munny is unaware of the job until he's visited by the "Schofield Kid" (Jaimz Woolvett), a cocky young man who boasts of the many men he's killed. Munny is initially reluctant to take the job, but financial issues persuade him to take it. Along the way to Wyoming, Munny visits his old partner, Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), who agrees to ride along.
We're shown just how brutal "Little Bill" can be when English Bob (Richard Harris), an assassin for hire, arrives in Big Whiskey with dime novelist W.W. Beauchamp (Saul Rubinek) in tow. Little Bill proceeds to humiliate Bob, kicking him in the street and taunting him in prison. Eventually, Bob leaves Big Whiskey in disgrace, while Beauchamp stays behind with Little Bill.
Munny, Ned, and the Schofield Kid come across one of the marked cowhands, but Ned can't bring himself to kill again. He sets off for home while Munny and The Kid finish the job. However, when Ned is nabbed by Little Bill's men, Munny knows that he has to go to Big Whiskey.
One of the more reflective moments in the film. Left to right: Clint Eastwood, Jaimz Woolvett.
Unforgiven begins where most westerns end. The killing is over, and Munny, Ned, Little Bill, and Bob have established their reputations. The film draws its uniqueness in showing how a life of violence and death have affected each man. Munny is trying to put his past behind him, but it keeps cropping up. Ned is doing the same, but he's more well-adjusted than Munny. English Bob has parlayed his reputation into a way of life, entertaining dime-novelists and killing Chinese laborers for the railroad company. Little Bill wants to settle down and turn Big Whiskey into a law-abiding town, but his brutal streak and pride have turned him into a dictator. By presenting gunfighters post-battle, Unforgiven is able to show us well-drawn characters of the sort we've rarely seen.
Speaking of characters, one of the most compelling things about Unforgiven is how there are no good or bad guys in this tale. Each of the characters have their good qualities, but they also have a dark side that make them extremely interesting. Little Bill's intentions to settle down and civilize the tough town seem good, but his methods are all wrong. Munny's trying to stay away from killing, but his murderous side is still there, waiting to be awakened. There's nobody who I would feel entirely comfortable rooting for. That's one reason that I think Unforgiven is a great film.
The credit for the aforementioned strengths has to go to David Peoples, the screenwriter. Clint Eastwood is famous for being a writer's director, and, apparently, this film was no exception. Eastwood changed almost nothing in the translation from script to screen, and I'm glad he didn't.
William Munny's farm (and some beautiful cinematography)!
Okay, okay. The film is great on a story level; we've established that. How about the technical aspects? I'm glad you asked, because they're great, too!
If I had to pick one technical category that was the most invaluable, however, it'd be the cinematography. Jack N. Green had worked with Eastwood many a time, so it's probably safe that the two operate on the same wavelength. That unity is obvious in Unforgiven. Green does a great job coordinating lighting and color to the mood of the film. He shoots most of the movie with a washed-out, muted color scheme, which corresponds perfectly with the film's somber vibe. However, Green does vary the visuals to match the tone of specific scenes. For instance, he shoots the final showdown with very little lighting, making the scene look like film noir. The opening and final shots of the film are shot in warmer tones. All the better to ease the audience into and out of the dark story!
Unforgiven was the film that permanently placed Clint Eastwood on the all-time list of important filmmakers. And... what can I say? Eastwood deserves to be on the list, even if for Unforgiven alone. This is a fantastic film, and it deserves all the praise it gets. See it, if you haven't already!
Welcome to The Friday Five! Each week, participants are given a topic and asked to choose five songs fitting that topic. This week, in honor of Father's Day, the topic is songs about fathers!
"My Father's Gun" - Elton John
When people talk about Elton John, the conversation usually turns to either (1) pop tunes like "Tiny Dancer" or "Crocodile Rock," (2) his stirring rewrite of "Candle In The Wind" for Princess Diana's funeral, or (3) his work for Disney with The Lion King. Those are all worthy subjects, but, unfortunately, that means that John's 1971 country album Tumbleweed Connection gets lost in the shuffle. That's a real shame, because it contains gems like "My Father's Gun."
"My Father's Gun" discusses the most important gift a father can bestow: his legacy. The song is sung from the point of view of a young man who's just lost his father, a Confederate soldier. At the funeral, the young man is given the gift of his father's gun. To the boy, the gun symbolizes everything his father stood for: Southern pride and a fighting spirit. The gun and what it represents prompts the boy to put on his own Confederate uniform and go on fighting, making sure his dad's death was worth something. In that way, the father continues to touch his son's life.
"A Boy Named Sue" - Johnny Cash
"A Boy Named Sue" is a song that you probably all know, so I won't write about its conception or its recording. It's probably my favorite song about fathers, and, in the next paragraph, I'd like to tell you why!
Absent fathers can leave as much of an impact on their children's lives than dads who are always there. Can that impact ever be positive, though? "A Boy Named Sue" is a song that argues, "Yes, it can!" Before the title character's dad leaves his mom, he bestows his son with one gift: the name Sue. The name becomes the bane of Sue's existence; it's a GIRL'S NAME, AFTER ALL! However, the constant torment helps Sue learn to defend himself and become self-reliant. However, Sue still hates the name, and when he finally meets his father one night, he lets dear old dad know. However, after a chat, Sue comes away with "a different point of view." Maybe ol' dad wasn't so bad after all!
"Papa Was A Rolling Stone" - The Temptations
Unfortunately, unlike Sue and his dad, a lot of children never reconcile with their absent fathers. Generally, all most children from such families know about their dads are nasty stories from family members and townsfolk and moms who cry themselves to sleep. It's not a way of life I would wish on anyone. In a way, however, even those kind of broken relationships can have a positive impact on a child in the long run. In its own subtle way, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" is talking about just that.
It's the third of September, and an unnamed absent father has just died. Over the next couple days, the children in the family begin to ask their mom questions about their dad. They've heard hearsay about their dad: that he was a con man, a thief, a lazy bum, and a bigamist. All their mother will tell her tender children is:
"Papa was a rolling stone,
wherever he lay his hat was his home,
and when he died,
all he left us was alone."
The answer doesn't directly answer the children's questions, but the answer is implicit: all the accusations are true. The children are disappointed, but they also know that what their father did wasn't right. Again, it isn't explicitly stated, but the song implies that the children come away determined not to live as their father did. And that, in its way, is a legacy all its own.
"Walk Like A Man" - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Okay, enough about bad fathers. Let's talk about some good ones!
When I think about all the wonderful things my father has done for me, the thing that stands out most brightly is the advice my father has given. From how to pack a backpack for a camping trip to how to change a tire to how to treat people with respect, my dad has shaped so much of who I am. However, my dad has always given me the greatest advice about romance. My pop has always been quite the ladies' man (having had his first kiss - with Callie Cheadle - when he was eight years old) and he's been invaluable to me as I navigate my way through the dating world. One of the finest pieces of advice he's given me on the matter is the very one the father imparts in "Walk Like A Man!"
In "Walk Like A Man," the singer has just had his heart broken by his flaky girlfriend; she's been "telling dirty lies to [his] friends" and making his life miserable. The singer wants to try to make things work, but his father knows better. He gives the PERFECT advice to his son. It's the same advice my dad gave to me and the same advice I've given to others since! And it all comes from dear ol' dad!
"Color Him Father" - The Winstons
I want to end this list with a tribute to stepdads, guardians, foster fathers, and all other non-biological dads. Stepparents tend to get a bad rap in pop culture: what with Cinderella and all, steps are often seen as cruel, merciless, evil beings. What I love about The Winstons' "Color Him Father" is the fact that the stepfather in the tune is just as wonderful as the biological dad.
A young father is killed in the Vietnam War. Initially, the mother doesn't think she'll ever be able to love again, but, eventually, she marries another man. As it turns out, she chose an EXCELLENT man. The stepfather immediately takes the children under his wings, treating them with the love, care, and respect that he would have given his own children. The children come to love their stepfather immediately.
As much as I love the parts from the kids' point of view, I'm particularly moved by the parts that talk about the mom. The love that the mother has for her new husband is palpable; it's obvious that she loves him not only for what she's done for her children, but for making her life happy again. It's implied that her nights of crying are over! It's for that reason that this part of the lyric always makes me tear up:
My mother loves him, and I can tell
by the way she looks at him
when he holds my little sister Nell;
I heard her say just the other day
that if it hadn't been for him,
she couldn't have found her way
That, friends, is what being a father is all about.
A double-0 number. Licensed to kill. A vodka martini: shaken, not stirred. A Walther PBK. A beautiful goddess on one well-dressed arm.
Even if you hadn't read the title of this article or seen the poster above, you probably would have known that I was describing James Bond. Few fictional characters have become as iconic as 007. Bond's name means something: suave sophistication, high-tech gadgetry, smoldering charm, and cool violence.
Ian Fleming's original novels had a fairly large fan base (including John F. Kennedy), and they are important; after all, they introduced James Bond to the world. However, it's the movies that turned the character into an icon. It's hard to imagine that there was ever a time that Bond movies weren't being made; the franchise has been around for over fifty years. The series has proven to be incredibly resilient, surviving rotating actors and jarring changes in tone. On top of all that, let's not forget that the Bond franchise is the most successful in movie history, having earned over 13 billion dollars for MGM, United Artists, and Eon Productions, the company that produces the series.
What has made the Bond film franchise so iconic? We'll find out in this series! We'll take each Bond film, one by one, and dissect them, looking at each element and seeing what makes them tick. In this article, we'll delve into the film that started it all: 1962's Dr. No!
The Story
MI6's John Strangways (Timothy Moxon), just before his death.
The place: Kingston, Jamaica. John Strangways, the station chief of British Intelligence's Jamaican branch, leaves his bridge game at the Queens Club so he can make his radio appointment with his London officials. He never makes it to his meeting: he's murdered in the Queens Club parking lot by the Three Blind Mice, a team of assassins. The same assassins go to Strangways's house, where they murder Strangways's secretary. The men break into the house and go to Strangways's study. They open the file cabinet and remove two files: one marked Crab Key and the other Doctor No. (Cue dramatic music!)
Back in London, MI6 is going nuts over Strangways's disappearance. You see, Strangways was collaborating with American CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord) on a major case. The U.S.'s Cape Canaveral rockets are being toppled after launch by a mysterious radio signal. Said signal seems to be coming from Jamaica. MI6 needs to find out what Strangways knew. There's only one man for such a dangerous mission...
"Bond. James Bond."
After receiving a message during his baccarat game, Bond (the great Sean Connery) leaves to report to his superior, M (Bernard Lee). (Not before he trounces and flirts with his beautiful opponent, though!) Bond leaves on the next flight to Kingston, where he's immediately placed in danger. Within seconds of his plane landed, a shady photographer snaps his photo and a mysterious chauffeur offers to give him a ride, even though no car was sent by Jamaican officials. 007 gets the drop on the chauffeur, but the chauffeur would rather commit suicide with a cyanide-laced cigarette than face his angry boss.
While searching Strangways's house, Bond discovers a photo of the dead agent posing with Quarrel (John Kitzmiller), a local charter-boat captain. 007 initially thinks Quarrel is an enemy, but it turns out that he's actually an ally; he had been collaborating with Felix Leiter and Strangways as they investigated the island of Crab Key and its mysterious owner, Dr. Julius No. Leiter, Quarrel, and Bond team up to continue the investigation.
The tremendous trio: Felix Leiter (Jack Lord), James Bond (Sean Connery), and Quarrel (John Kitzmiller).
Unfortunately, Bond's life becomes more endangered the longer he hangs around Kingston. The attempts on his life come quick on each other's heels: poisonous spiders in his bed, almost being run off a cliff-side road, and good, old-fashioned shootings. Eventually, 007 becomes tired of being a sitting duck and decides to embark for Crab Key to confront Dr. No directly. Quarrel joins him.
The morning after their arrival, Bond and Quarrel meet Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), the first-ever Bond Girl. Whoa, Nellie.
Honey Ryder is an innocent bystander, a seashell-hunter who happened to come to Crab Key on a VERY bad day. Luckily, she's no shrinking violet; rather, she's a smart, resourceful young lady who helps lead Bond and Quarrel to Dr. No's hideout. Unfortunately, they're pursued by Dr. No's stooges. Said stooges are determined to grab the intruders and deliver them to their evil leader (Joseph Wiseman). They do. And that's where I leave you to watch the rest of the film for yourself.
The Script
Richard Maibaum, the writer who created "Movie Bond."
Should you read Ian Fleming's original novels, you'll find that "Book Bond" is very different than "Movie Bond." Book Bond isn't particularly handsome. He's doesn't strike out with the women, but he's not Casanova. He's a perfectly nondescript man. So where did Movie Bond come from? Well, a lot of people contributed to Movie Bond's birth, but none were more influential than writer Richard Maibaum. Maibaum wrote or co-wrote 13 of the 16 Bond films released from 1962 to 1989, creating the character and his persona in the process
Obviously, Maibaum hadn't written a Bond script before Dr. No. It shows; 007's character is still vague in a lot of ways. Bond likes women, but he's not really a womanizer yet. He doesn't use any gadgets besides his gun. However, all the elements that would define Movie Bond are there in a germinal form. Think of Dr. No's 007 as proto-Movie Bond, and you'll have the right idea!
The Dr. No screenplay sticks to Fleming's novel very closely, something that would become a rarity as Maibaum tailored Movie Bond. Maybe it's lucky, however, that Maibaum stuck to Fleming's novel so closely. The movie stuck so closely to the novel that it convinced Fleming that his novels were in good hands!
The Acting
Ah, Sean Connery as James Bond. For many people (including myself), he's the definitive 007. No other Bond actor has been able to combine the womanizing and the jokes with the cool, violent side of 007 better than Connery. In Dr. No, Connery feels particularly dangerous. Sure, the charm is still there, but there's always an undercurrent of deadliness to Connery's performance. From the first moment you see him, you KNOW that 007 is a man who will not hesitate to kill all the villains he meets. And you're right.
Joseph Wiseman (with his unconvincing metal hands) as our villain, Dr. Julius No.
Unfortunately, the two other marquee performances aren't as well-executed as Connery's. Joseph Wiseman is particularly stiff as the title character, Dr. Julius No. Granted, Wiseman appears in a mere two scenes, and one of them gives him a boring, exposition-filled monologue. However, Wiseman doesn't do the material any favors with his bored performance; he sounds as if he's reading his dialogue straight off the page. Ursula Andress isn't much better as Honey Ryder, but I'm inclined to cut her a little more slack; this was only her first English-language feature film and fourth feature film overall.
Really, the best acting in the film comes from the supporting actors, particularly Jack Lord as Felix Leiter and John Kitzmiller as Quarrel. Jack Lord plays the CIA agent with just a touch of swagger and confidence; it forms a subtle undercurrent that authentically establishes the character as American. (I'm an American, so I can say that.) John Kitzmiller is EXCELLENT as Quarrel; he almost steals the show out from under Connery, and that's saying a lot! He brings a lot of Jamaican local color and amiability to the role, and it goes a long way!
The Music
Dr. No's music is different than most Bond soundtracks in that there are more songs than there is score. That may be a good or a bad thing, depending on how much you like calypso music. I happen to love it, so the soundtrack is heavenly to me! Above, you'll find my favorite song from the film.
Interestingly, Dr. No's score was NOT written by John Barry, the famous composer who created most of the Bond soundtracks. Barry did serve as arranger, but the music was written by Monty Newman, a friend of producer Albert R. Broccoli. Most of the score is unremarkable; it just doesn't have the brassy, over-the-top vibe that Barry's Bond music would boast. The sole exception is the famous "James Bond Theme," which you can find below! (You've probably heard it before, but it's always worth listening to again!)
Final Thoughts & Rating
It's difficult to look at Dr. No objectively, especially after seeing all that the James Bond franchise would become. It's obvious that the filmmakers weren't sure how to handle the character; he was more violent and more blatantly sexual than any movie hero had been before, so the crew was treading carefully.
I find this film a lot rougher than the Bond films to come. I don't know about you, but when I think of a 007 flick, I think of something slick and glossy, luxurious and glamorous. Dr. No isn't any of those things, and I like it for being different! 007 feels a little more deadly here, the world feels more real, and the emotional scenes are more visceral.
Is Dr. No my favorite Bond film? No, but I love it for what it is and for what it started. If you haven't seen it, please do so!
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
James Bond Will Return In 'Installment #2: From Russia With Love'
Welcome to THE FRIDAY FIVE! Each week, participants are given a topic and assigned to come up with five songs fitting that topic. This week, the topic is five songs by one artist. I chose to focus on one of my favorite groups, one that hasn't come up in my Friday Fives as of yet. That group is the fantastic Motown group The Temptations!
"My Girl"
Let me be upfront about this: "My Girl" is my all-time favorite Temptations song. In fact, it's probably one of my top 10 favorite songs of all time. It's one of the few songs that I consider absolutely PERFECT in every way. It may seem unconventional to kick things off with my all-time favorite Temptations song, but to heck with conventional wisdom!
From the moment you hear those opening base notes and guitar hook, you know you're in for something special. There's something so clean and pure about this song, and much of the credit for that has to go to Smokey Robinson's writing and production prowess. The arrangement is uncluttered, leaving plenty of room for David Ruffin's passionate lead vocal and the rest of the group's perfect harmonies. Robinson adds just a touch of echo to the music, giving the song "the same ozone-intoxicated feeling as the air just after a summer thunder shower" (to quote famed rock critic Dave Marsh). The lyrics flow off the tongue so smoothly that it's hard to believe that they were written; they're so perfect that it feels like they should have just existed, created by God. And, of course, there's the sweetly romantic vibe that the song discusses!
"It's Growing"
Smokey Robinson wrote the lyrics for "It's Growing" for The Temptations, trying to recapture the success the team had with 1964's "My Girl" (more on that song later). Robinson's skill really shows; this is just as much his song as it is David Ruffin's or any of the other Temptations'. Robinson was famous for clever wordplay and a keen sense of rhythm in his lyrics, and those skills really carry "It's Growing" to greatness.
In "It's Growing," David Ruffin takes the lead vocal, tackling Robinson's intricate lyric lines. Each verse takes the feeling of growing affection and romance and uses long, elaborate similes to describe the feeling. This makes for some lines look unwieldy when read. When they're sung, however, the rhythm makes itself known, and the song transforms into a romantic little gem. David Ruffin nails each line perfectly. It's his vocals and Robinson's writing that make this song special!
"Get Ready"
"Get Ready" is a major hinge point in Temptations history, for this is the final time that the group collaborated with Smokey Robinson. You see, there was this young teen named Norman Whitfield who wanted to be a writer/producer. He began hanging out around Hitsville, USA (Motown Records's famous headquarters), doing odd jobs and making himself known. Motown president/founder Berry Gordy, Jr. came to like the kid and gave Whitfield jobs in Motown Records' quality control department and songwriting pool. Whitfield wanted to be a producer, though, and let Gordy know about his wishes. Gordy made a deal with Whitfield: if The Temptations' upcoming single, "Get Ready," under-performed, then Gordy would release Robinson as The Temptations' lead producer and give Whitfield the job.
"Get Ready" only reached #29 on the Billboard charts, far below what Gordy was anticipating. True to his word, Gordy released Smokey Robinson from his position with the Temptations and filled it with Norman Whitfield. The Temptations would never sound the same again!
The above story really has no bearing on "Get Ready" itself; it's just an interesting tidbit. The behind-the-scenes dealing doesn't change the fact that "Get Ready" is a fun, fast-paced, well-written rocker of a love song. To hear it is to love it!
"I Can't Get Next To You"
Upon his arrival, Norman Whitfield immediately began taking The Temptations to bolder, funkier places. Where Smokey Robinson would tenderly touch nerves with his light, frothy lyrics, Whitfield would go directly to the heart with his extremely emotional ballads and gritty, funky uptempo numbers. The Temptations' work suddenly became dirtier and more down-to-earth, and music lovers responded positively; the group's records continued to sell well, and the Temptations became even bigger stars. Unfortunately, this led to the loss of David Ruffin; his cocaine habit and primadonna-like demands became too much for the group to take, and Ruffin was canned. To replace Ruffin, Whitfield brought in a new singer, Dennis Edwards.
Edwards turned out to be the magic ingredient that completed the Temptations' transformation. His voice has a tough, gritty, from-the-streets quality that Ruffin's voice lacked, allowing the group to tackle songs with more bravado and swagger. This is especially apparent in songs like "I Can't Get Next To You!" The lyrics revolve around a guy who can do just about anything he wants: he can travel back in time; he can make the seasons change with a wave of his hand; heck, he can even give himself immortality! He can't get with the girl he loves, though, and it's KILLING HIM! Edwards gives this song the macho swagger it needs to play well, and, brother, it DOES play well!
"Just My Imagination"
Like "Get Ready," "Just My Imagination" is another hinge point in Temptations history. While the group was appreciative of the success that Norman Whitfield had brought with his new sound, they were beginning to get tired of psychedelic, gritty numbers. Several members of the group went to Whitfield, saying that they wanted to record another romantic ballad. Whitfield initially resisted, but, eventually, he acquiesced, co-writing "Just My Imagination" with Barrett Strong. As it turned out, the song sat on the shelf several years until 1971, when Whitfield finally pulled it down. Sadly, however, this would be the final time Eddie Kendricks would lend his perfect falsetto to a Temptations release; he left the group soon after recording this tune. Just more interesting tidbits!
"Just My Imagination" isn't my favorite Temptations song (as you know), but it is the one I relate to most. The song revolves a young man who admires his crush from afar. His daydreams about her are extremely vivid, so much so that they almost seem real. The young man is very much aware that they're not, however, and it pains him. This was the story of my romantic life through my high school years, and, in some ways, it still is. This song speaks to me on a very personal level, and that's why I love it!
Welcome to The Friday Five! This is a series in which, each week, participants are given a topic and assigned to choose five songs related to said topic. This week, the topic is SONGS WITH A PERSON'S NAME IN THE TITLE!
"Help Me, Rhonda" - The Beach Boys
In 1965, The Beach Boys released The Beach Boys Today! Many Beach Boys fans consider it to be their greatest album, and I'm one of those fans! You may argue with me, touting the greatness of Pet Sounds, and I will respect your opinion. (Heck, I like Pet Sounds, too!) However, I feel that there are times when Pet Sounds sounds a touch too self-conscious to me, like Brian Wilson was a little too solemn about it all. The Beach Boys Today! is a more balanced album in that it mixes introspective, serious songs ("When I Grow Up To Be A Man;" "Kiss Me, Baby") with fun, get-up-and-dance tunes ("Dance, Dance, Dance," "Do You Wanna Dance?"). It's one of those rare albums that manages to be both breezy and serious. I love it!
One of the songs on that epic album was "Help Me, Ronda." The band initially didn't put too much effort into the tune, giving it a sparse arrangement and tossing it onto the track list as filler. Radio DJs liked the track, however, and began to include it in their playlists. Brian Wilson was struck by the song's success, so much so that he decided that the band would re-record the song with a more lush arrangement. The Boys did so (with a little help from The Wrecking Crew, those wonderful L.A. studio musicans), and it's that revamped version that I love!
"Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" is musical proof that every breakup has a silver lining! You see, during high school, Don Everly suffered a messy breakup with a girlfriend named Cathy. Eventually, the bad times came to an end, and Don moved on, forming The Everly Brothers with his brother Phil. Flash forward to 1960. Don and Phil had just signed with Warner Bros. Records, and their new bosses wanted a hit to get things off on the right foot. It was then that Don's mind went back to Cathy. Don took pen in hand and banged out "Cathy's Clown" in record time. The song went on to top the charts both in the USA and in the UK!
On behalf of all us music lovers, I'd like to say thanks, Cathy, for inspiring such a timeless song! "Cathy's Clown" is a real showcase for Don's lyrical skills; the lines roll over each other with a wonderful sense of rhyme, meter, and wordplay. The masterful words are what make the song a favorite of mine, but there are tons of things to love about this song, like the firing-squad drums, the stand-up-for-yourself message, and the Everlys' signature vocal harmonies!
"Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner" - Warren Zevon
In 1975, Warren Zevon was living in The Dubliners' Bar, a small dive about 20 miles outside of Barcelona, Spain. Zevon was flat broke, so David Lindell, the bar's owner, allowed Zevon to exchange nightly bar concerts for room and board. One night, Lindell revealed in a conversation that, before becoming a bar owner, he had been a mercenary in South Africa. This fascinated Zevon, so Lindell started telling stories of his days as a soldier for hire. One day, Zevon suggested that he and Lindell collaborate on a song, marrying Lindell's mercenary adventures with Zevon's musical skill. The result was "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner."
"Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner" features a heady mix of old-fashioned folk tales, Rudyard Kipling short stories, and "The Legend Of The Sleepy Hollow," only souped up with machine-gun fire and dropped in the middle of 1960s Africa. It is a very dark story of revenge from beyond the grave, but Zevon's evocative voice and the spare arrangement really draw the listener in. I close my eyes and I can picture myself sitting at a campfire, a roasted marshmallow, forgotten, falling into the flame as I listen to Zevon, at the other side of the fire, telling this tale of blood and vengeance.
"Donna" - Ritchie Valens
As with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, it's impossible to hear any Ritchie Valens song without feeling a touch of sadness. Naturally, we shouldn't remember someone solely for how they died, but knowing that Valens's life was cut short on "The Day The Music Died" has a way of hanging over the mind. However, I'm convinced that Valens's work would have lived on forever, even without the tragedy at the end of his life. "La Bamba?" "Come On, Let's Go?" "We Belong Together?" All wonderful!
"Donna" was Valens's tribute to his girlfriend of the same name. Interestingly enough, although this is a breakup song, Ritchie Valens and Donna Ludwig never broke things off; they were together until Ritchie died in 1959. In that way, perhaps this song is eerily prescient; Ritchie would be leaving Donna before the year was out; maybe not in the same way, but just as tragically. Anyway, let's put the history aside. Regardless of what this song's backstory is, it's a wonderfully sad song about a teen lamenting his lost girlfriend. Makes me almost cry every time!
"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" - Bruce Springsteen
One of my favorite things about rock music is the sense of vitality and hope it can evoke. Rock songs are the sorts of tunes we tend to love as teenagers, and don't most young musicians dream of being rock stars? There's something about those dreams that I love, and I can't think of any song that captures those feelings better than Bruce Springsteen's "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)."
"Rosalita" tells the almost-autobiographical story of Springsteen's first record deal, but the song's not really about that. The song's more about the vitality of young love and the faith that somehow, some way, things are going to work out! This song comes at the euphoric moment when everything clicks together, when you can stand before the girlfriend's dad and say with confidence that, yes, you CAN provide for his daughter! Or, as some of my favorite lyrics in ANY song say:
Now, I know how your mama, she don't like me
'cause I play in a rock n' roll band
And I know your daddy, he don't dig me
but he never did understand
Someday, we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny
But now you're sad, your mama's mad
And your papa says he knows that I don't have any money
Okay, so Wendy's technically not a mother. But The Lost Boys considered her one. I'm counting that.
Welcome to The Friday Five! In this weekly series, participants are given a topic and assigned to choose five songs related to that topic. This week, in honor of Mother's Day, the topic is FAVORITE SONGS ABOUT MOTHERS!
"Your Mother And Mine" - Kathryn Beaumont (From Peter Pan (1953))
If you've been following my Friday Five articles, you'll know that I seldom pass up the chance to include a Disney song! That isn't the only reason "Your Mother And Mine" is included in this list, though. Along with having a superb writing team behind it (Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain), the lyrics paint a perfect portrait of what a mother's role entails. I love how the song emphasizes the selfless love that mothers feel for their children. Above all, that's what makes moms special, and it's a common thread that runs through all my picks this week.
"Mama Tried" - Merle Haggard
In 1957, Merle Haggard found himself in prison for attempted robbery. After an escape attempt, he was transferred to San Quentin State Prison, where he saw Johnny Cash give one of his famous prison performances. Haggard left the show a changed man with a new goal: carve out a career in country music. After his release in 1960, Haggard began his recording career. Before the decade was out, he was one of the biggest names in country music.
Despite his success, however, Merle Haggard carried a lot of guilt for having caused his mother so much anguish by being incarcerated. Haggard did something constructive with that guilt, channeling it into the semi-autobiographical "Mama Tried." The lyrics do a wonderful job capturing the shame the singer feels as he describes his sainted mother and his constant refusals to follow her counsel. In the narrator's case, his defiance eventually lands him in prison, "doin' life without parole." The song is a country-music standard and a wonderful song about harried moms!
"Coat Of Many Colors" - Dolly Parton
One of a mother's most important roles is to help shape a child's outlook on life. One such important lesson is that the quality of one's life is dependent on one's attitude. Dolly Parton's lovely "Coat Of Many Colors" tells the story of how one mother taught that lesson. In the song, Parton paints a vivid picture of her childhood in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. During one harsh winter, Parton finds herself without a coat. In response to this need, Parton's mother stitches the multi-colored coat of the title with rags given to the family. Parton is thrilled with the coat, largely due to the love her mother puts into making it. However, when Parton's childhood friends make fun of the coat, she stands up and teaches them what it REALLY means to be "poor."
I love story songs, and "Coat Of Many Colors" is a prime example of why I love them so much. The simple guitar melody, the strong lyric, and Dolly's angelic voice combine wonderfully to drive home the emotion and the message behind the story. Delivering lessons like the one in this song are just one of many things that mothers are specially equipped to do!
"Fancy" - Bobbie Gentry
Like "Coat Of Many Colors," "Fancy" is a story song about a poverty-stricken mother who provides for her daughter. However, "Fancy" is a little grittier and a little dirtier than Dolly Parton's tale. In "Fancy," a sick, abandoned, broke mother realizes that she can no longer provide for both her baby and her teenage daughter, Fancy. One day, she takes Fancy aside, makes her a very unique red dress, gives her a locket inscribed "To Thine Own Self Be True," and tells her daughter to get herself uptown and start making her own living. The mother leaves Fancy with one last bit of advice: "Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy, and they'll be nice to you." Fancy goes out, plies her new trade, and goes on to make a good living for herself. In Fancy's own words, "I ain't done bad."
You could make an argument that Fancy's mother isn't Mom Of The Year; after all, she teaches her daughter a trade that isn't exactly legal. That's a valid point, but I would say that it misses the point of the song. Fancy isn't complaining about how her mom kicked her out; rather, she sings her mother's praises for helping set her on the path to her comfortable life. I would say that Fancy's mom is just as fine as Dolly Parton's mom, albeit more unconventional. After all, who wants to be one of those "self-righteous hypocrites" that Fancy sneers at in the masterful final verse?
"Is There Life Out There?" - Reba McEntire
One struggle that every mother encounters is to maintain a balance between caring for her kids and taking care of herself. It's a struggle that I think most of us take for granted when we're young. As we grow older, though, and our understanding becomes more full, I think it behooves all of us to thank our moms for all the sacrifices they've made for us. Personally, I think no song depicts the struggle and sacrifice better than Reba McEntire's "Is There Life Out There?"
I would tell you what the song's about, but the video does a much finer job than I ever could. (If you can get through it without tearing up, you're stronger than me!) All I can say is that Reba's character in this song might be my favorite mom in all of music. She's human, she's loving, she's flawed, she feels like a real mom. This song is a real masterpiece!
(And, as a sidenote, Huey Lewis does an excellent job portraying the considerate, supportive, loving husband that every man should be. Fellow guys, take note!)
What about you? What are your favorite songs about mothers?
