I think I should pipe up in defense of easy listening music.
I gotta agree that much of the old bachelor pad/cocktail party music is
pretty awful, but some of it I really do like & not just for the kitsch
appeal. Yeah - I've had martini music playing at martini parties at
my house, but I also like to listen to that same music while I'm cleaning
the living room or paying bills or doing dishes. Lots of times thats
the soundtrack to my life, as we say. Burt Bacharach (I know I'm
butchering the spelling) is my favorite man and Dionne Warwick can bring
tears to my eyes. That qualifies as easy listening, even though it
has vocals, doesn't it?
We have a lot of thrift store vinyl finds at home & the only thing that
really gets on my nerves are the old stereo experimental records. Are
those the Perspectives in Percussion records? It is so wacky..
A couple people have asked what the rest of us think about the new Greyboy
release "Land of the Lost" & I think this is a good place to toss in
my opinion. (NOTE - I'm not unbiased. Greyboy's a friend and my store
in San Diego is going to be distributing his label.) I love it & I listen
to it the same way I listen to easy listening records. It's clearly not
supposed to be the new dancefloor hit but it's perfect music to play in
your car on a warm spring day. Or at home on your stereo while you smoke a
cigarette (or something) & drink a martini.
> Someone comented earlier
> that Greyboy shows seem to be attracting a dead head following. Well,
> Medeski Martin + Wood attracted a noticable number of dead heads as well.
> What cha think?
>
I think if we took a poll right now on the list (please don't - I'm
just supposing) we'd find a huge number of ex-deadhead subscribers. The
Greyboy Allstars east coast tour was completely engineered by an ex-
deadhead fan, Eric Newson, who does it just for his love of the band.
He barely takes enough of a cut to cover his touring expenses with them.
Jazz is the new big (& old) thing for the hippies. The connection is
historic. The Filmore East and West were known for having musicians
like Grateful Dead and Miles Davis play together. I'm pulling that
combo out of a hat, but upstairs at the F. West they've got all of
the posters of all of the gigs ever and there are some truly unnatural
opening and headlining band mixtures. I wish my memory were better...
My soon-to-be cousin-in-law has one of the best vinyl jazz collections
around & he used to tour with the Dead. Although he's probably never
heard a Public Enemy or De La Soul record in his life.
I just heard that The Blues Travellers (read "hippie band") are
collaborating with Medeski Martin & Wood to be part of a John Coltrane
tribute record. Here's another trivia note: Aretha Franklin said the
best audience she ever had was at the Fillmore West in San Francisco
in the 70's. It was her revival tour & she was wary of playing to that
audience but she was blown away by their enthusiasm and obvious musical
knowledge. That show was recorded, by the way, and is one of the best
live concert records out there - it's the one where she spots Ray
Charles in the audience and makes him come on stage and sing with her.
enough, I hope most of that was relevant. I realize I didn't say a
word about Incognito or US3.
-Teresa in San Diego