Handsome Moon

Random Grammy Thoughts

Best Moment:  Seeing two of my idols, Patrice Rushen and Nile Rodgers, playing together during the all-star tribute to Sly. 

Biggest Surprise:  Sly showed up!

Best Acceptance Speech:  Kanye West... anyone who can make fun of themselves is alright with me.

Worst Acceptance Speech:  Kelly Clarkson's blubbering, high pitched first speech.  Joy is one thing, but bring it down an octave... that sh*t hurts human ears.

Best Live Performances:  Sly tribute (except for the fact Joss Stone still has not learned how to sing with others - flashback to when Melissa Etheridge schooled her). Keith Urban/Faith Hill (relaxed, confident, in tune).  Kanye West's Revival of the MC Hammer entourage (entertaining, clever, humourous, visually interesting).  Herbie Hancock/Christina Aguilera (kinda jazzy and very classy).  Sugarland (looked like they were having the most fun on stage).  New Orleans tribute (I loved seeing Miss Irma Thomas up there).

Worst Live Performance:  Ciara, sweetie, please promise never to sing "live" again... yikes!  HIDEOUSLY bad.  Lip-syncing is your career friend.  Being a size 2, however, will continue to get you far.

Most Educational Moment:  After performing on stage with the legendary Sly, Ciara confessed she thought Arrested Development had written one of Sly's signature tunes, "Everyday People."  Again, she is a size 2... and pretty... did I mention she is really, really pretty? 

Okay, Now The "I Really Am Dumping On Ciara" Moment:  How the hell does she win a Grammy and Amerie doesn't?  Then again, it was for a video.  Size 2, people, size 2... and pretty.

The "Is It Just Me?" Award:  Was that the first Madonna performance on the Grammys that did not completely suck.  I almost enjoyed it.

Most Surprising Win:  U2, Album of the Year.  Great artist.  Excellent album.  I assumed equally deserving records from Mariah or Kanye would have won this prize.

Most Disappointing Win:  Aretha, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "A House is Not a Home."  Because of my utmost and lifelong regard for Aretha, I will say no more than I absolutely disagree. 

The "Maybe Next Time" Award:  Fantasia, see above. 

The "Where They At?" Award":  No gospel (I don't count Mariah's spectacle), jazz, or classical performances.

Worst Non-Performance Decisions:  Why not allow those who won Lifetime Achievement awards to perform?  Specifically, the marvelous and vital Jessye Norman.

Oddest Non-Nomination:  Kanye really should have been nominated in the Producer of the Year category given his own nominations plus the strong work he did with John Legend, Common, and Mariah.

Overall, not an awful show, but nothing special either.  Other than the Sly tribute, nothing else worth really savouring from the way too long show.  It was not the best way to spend three and a half hours.

Life Makes No Sense Without Them, Part 2

The Top 10:

10.  Madonna, Ray of Light (The Power of Good-Bye, Frozen, Swim, Little Star, Nothing Really Matters).  I have a very special affection for Madonna.  While other female artists may have better voices, sold more records, and won more awards, none have consistently given me more pleasant surprises than the chameleonic Material Girl.  Ray of Light explores electronica and techno influenced beats, yet retains a warmth that makes it easy to embrace.  Songs like "Swim," "Frozen," and "Little Star" sound personal and honest.  "Nothing Really Matters" and the title cut are toe tappers that warrant multiple listens.  "The Power of Good-Bye" is one of my favourite "let it go, dammit" songs.  It is a song that reminds me that life is too short to cling to things or people that are not good for you (or to you).  That alone makes this album dear to me.

9.  Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation 1814 (State of the World, Lonely, Alright, Escapade, Livin' In A World (They Didn't Make), Rhythm Nation).  Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis still do not get the credit they deserve for kick starting Janet's musical career.  Personally, I think they saved it... but that is another discussion.  Control turned Janet into a superstar, but Rhythm Nation 1814 showed that she was a star with lasting power.  If Control was a declaration of independence, then this album was about what one does after making such a declaration.  Over some slammin' grooves (including a fantastic reworking of Sly Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" on the title cut) Janet reveals an awareness of the world around her.  Jam and Lewis presented her as a conscious and compassionate soul who could still shake it with the best of 'em.  Every song sounds like a hit record (and 7 of them were).  Kick-ass cuts like "State of the World" and "The Knowledge" could have easily been released as singles.  "Lonely" is a great song that blurs the friends/lovers divide that we sometimes have with special people.  The classical guitar that gives this cut a distinctive flavour is another testimony to the brilliance of Jam and Lewis. 

8.  James Felix, White As Snow (Open Up, I Don't Want Much, I Really Love You, He Is Coming Back Again).  Who?  Back in the 70s, before there was Kirk Franklin and even before there were the Winans, there was Andrae Crouch.  He had a group called the Disciples, who were incredibly talented singers that were featured throughout his albums.  Danniebelle Hall probably went on to have the greatest solo success, but it was James Felix' lone solo effort that resonated me.  Felix' vocal style is cool in a Michael McDonald kind of way.  His music, while rooted in gospel, had a mellow feel that was a great change of pace to the more high energy, choir driven gospel music I liked at the time.  "Open Up" has a piano solo worthy of Joe Sample and a jazzy arrangement that spotlights vocals by Felix and the very talented McCrarys (remember their hit "You"?) and Kristle Murden.  His emotive delivery on "I Don't Want Much" still stops me in my tracks... especially at the end where the McCrarys and Murden are singing the chorus and he starts to ad lib... on a live record, they would have gone to church at that point.  Unfortunately, like Felix' solo career, the record fades out just as he is getting started. 

7.  Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Peace Beyond Passion (Who Is He and What Is He To You, The Way, Leviticus: Faggot, Deuteronomy: Niggerman).   To say Me'Shell Ndegeocello is talented is like saying Bill Gates has a few dollars.  An amazing artist who has shown she can do just about anything... including mainstream pop (like the song she did with John Mellencamp).  But her specialty is that she shares her truth.  Peace Beyond Passion is simply amazing from start to finish.  Guest musicians Joshua Redman, Wendy Melvoin, Billy Preston, et al, more than keep up with her own superb playing.  Underrated producer David Gamson (check out his work on Chaka's "Love You All My Lifetime") perfectly balances everything to create a flawless sound.  I saw her in concert with a very religious (read "Christian") friend of mine when she was promoting this record.  He admired her talent, but was deeply offended and accused her of dumping on his religion.  All I could say is that she pointed the spotlight back at those who claim to know "The Way" but don't live like it.  And that is her gift.  Her music is a light into the human soul.  It ain't always pretty, but there is amazing beauty and complexity in its midst.

6.  Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Every Ghetto Every City, Doo Wop (That Thing), Superstar, Nothing Even Matters).  With all due respect to Wyclef and Pras, I wanted the Fugees to split up so they would get out of her way.  Lauryn needed them about as much as Beyonce needed LaTavia and LaToya.  Some talents are too great to blend into a group context.  Her versatility as a performer is highlighted throughout this disc.  "Every Ghetto, Every City" takes me back to the church picnics, family outings at local parks, cookouts in the neighborhood, and all the other gatherings that my parents use to take us to. "Nothing Even Matters" (with D'Angelo) is still a delight... romantic, sensual, and warm.  The joy in "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is as palpable as the love in "To Zion."  For me, she seems to capture the perfect emotional pitch for whatever song she sings.  It is like she is one with the song.  Some more technically gifted singers like to show off their chops at the cost of the lyrical and emotional tone of the song.  This lady joins the song and conveys a sincerity that is stunning in both its beauty and its rawness.

5.  Steely Dan, Aja (Deacon Blues, Black Cow, Peg, Josie, Aja).  A masterpiece.  A rock album, that was also a soulful pop album which incorporates some amazing jazz elements (and talents).  Hip, cool, popular, deep, and timeless.  Songs from this album could be played on just about any radio station in the late 70s (except for maybe country stations).  Becker and Fagen were touched by genius when constructing this record.  "Deacon Blues" is poignant and clever.  "Black Cow" breezes and bounces.  "Peg," "Josie," and "Aja" paints three detailed musical pictures of three separate elements some men want in a woman.  "Peg" is the beauty queen.  The fun and light arrangement captures the eye-candy sparkle his woman possesses.  "Josie" is the good-time party girl.  Lyrical descriptions of Josie as "a raw flame" and "a live wire" are echoed in the feel good intensity of the instrumentation.  "Aja" is the one you come home to.  Deep and lasting.  This song has long sweeping swells and some gorgeous piano playing.  Nearly 30 years later, this collection is a fresh as the day it was released.  Great music has a timeless quality.  Aja is great music.

4.  Teena Marie, Emerald City (Emerald City, Lips To Find You, Shangri-La, Sunny Skies).  After the success of 1984's Starchild (and the monster pop hit "Lovergirl"), Teena was in a position to do whatever she wanted.  She decided to make an album for the art of it, not the sales potential.  Hence, 1986's Emerald City was not filled with the standard R&B fans were accustomed to hearing.  Instead, the ballads are jazzier, the jams more sophisticated, the instrumentation featured Caribbean and Indian influences, as well as some of touches of heavy metal.  The collective indifference that greeted this album has resulted in Teena no longer performing songs off this set in her live shows.  That is too bad because it runs circles around any album she has recorded before or after.  From Bootsy Collins' opening lines on the title cut to start the album to the final notes of Branford Marsalis' mournful tenor on the closing "Sunny Skies," Emerald City is a journey into the deep well of her talent and imagination.  She effortlessly incorporates various cultural influences without ever losing the soulfulness that is her calling card.  It is a musical feast that is worthy of the next artist....

3.  Kate Bush, Hounds of Love(Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Cloudbusting, Under Ice, Hounds of Love, The Big Sky).  A Kate Bush album, any Kate Bush album, is a musical buffet that can make ones head spin.  You can play almost any one of her songs 10 times in a row and hear something new every time... even after several years and hundreds of listenings.  Some artists have moments of genius.  This lady personifies it.  She is an artist and music is her limitless canvas.  Hounds of Love was my first Kate Bush album.  When I first heard "Running Up That Hill" (RUTH), I literally stopped what I was doing (it is a good thing I was not in the car!).  I was working a menial front desk job on a grave yard shift when RUTH came on the radio.  That rhythmic opening and the hauntingly provocative first lines would change the way I listened to music.  It was like hearing Coltrane or Aretha for the first time.  I knew this would be an artist I was likely to love for a lifetime.  Hiroshima's "The Golden Age" may be my favourite song, but RUTH is probably the best recording I've ever heard.  But this is not the only highlight here.  "Cloudbusting," another amazing record, effectively uses strings as a percussive instrument.  "Hello Earth" and "Under Ice" also have haunting (albeit, a little creepy) elements.  "The Big Sky" and the title cut are also outstanding tracks.

2.  Chic, Risque (My Forbidden Lover, Good Times, What About Me, A Warm Summer Night, My Feet Keep Dancing).  I was too young to go to the clubs during Chic's heyday.  So, years later, when a DJ mixed "Good Times" into his set, I got to live out one of my teenage musical fantasies.  No doubt, I love the uptempo stuff on here, but not because of the beat.  Chic's rhythm section is as brilliant as ever, but on Risque, it was all about the strings.  "My Forbidden Lover" and the under-appreciated "What About Me" are held together by the wonderful Chic Strings.  The ladies were playing their behinds off on those cuts.  Throw in "Good Times" (one of the most influential, and hence important, pop records of all-time) and the contagious "My Feet Keep Dancing" and you have a solid dance album.  But it does not stop there.  "Can't Stand to Love You" gives Risque a slightly dark (S&M) rock-influenced edge that mirrors the violent scene on the cover.  Yet, this list is driven by personal attachments and as a youngster discovering my own biological inclinations (sex, y'all), the languid "A Warm Summer Night" will forever be connected to my first love and my first, uh, uh, well... anyway, it is a very fond memory.

1.  Slave, Show Time (Wait For Me, Party Lites, Spice of Life, Steal Your Heart).  Mark L. Adams' talking bass-line and Steve Arrington's jubilant vocals provided the core to a funk dynamo that only existed for about 3 years, but produced unforgettable records.  The apex was 1981's Show Time where both were on top of their games.  My best friend bought the album before me and gleefully declared "Every song sounds like 'Watching You'!!!"  As soon as I had $8.00 saved up, I went out and bought it on cassette.  Over the years, I've gone through 3 copies on cassette and 2 lps before it was finally released on CD last year.  It is a great dance-funk album.  The grooves are killer, but not monotonous.  Lyrics are primarily limited to the admiration of females or partying, but hey, I was a teenage boy when it came out so it was right up my alley.  Now, as a mature adult male, well, I guess things ain't changed that much after all.  :-) "Spice of Life" has a cool rock guitar lick.  "Party Lites" was a club favourite that should have been a radio hit.  The gimmicky "Snap Shot" was the biggest radio hit, but "Wait For Me" is my favourite track.  The strings, Arrington's earnest vocals including the infectious ad-libs to close the song, and an irresistible keyboard hook (which is accentuated on the slightly remixed 45-single version) makes "Wait For Me" one of my all-time favourite songs and the centerpiece of my favourite album.

Life Makes No Sense Without Them, Part 1

Lately I've been reading a lot of wonderful blogs listing the best songs and CDs of 2005.  They got me to thinking about not only my favourite music of the past twelve months, but also the music that I return to year after year.  I thought it might be fun to put together a list of my all-time favourite CDs.  Since I'm new to blogging, I thought this might be a way to help introduce myself through the music I love.

After going quickly through my CD collection, I had a stack of about 50 discs on my living room floor and realized I'd better come up with some criteria.  So the rules for my list were simple:  no compilations (i.e. boxed sets, greatest hits, soundtracks, etc) and nothing released after 1999.  Not including some of the newer releases was hard, but I wanted to focus on the artists and albums that have stayed with me for at least 5 years.  In a sense, these CDs are like old friends so I wanted those that have been long-time companions.

The final list contains 15 titles.  Before we get to them (in 2 parts), there were also 10 other discs that I really wanted to include in the final list and had a hard time trying to exclude them.

One final disclaimer.  I do not consider these the best albums, just the ones that mean the most to me.

Honorable mention (favourite cuts in parentheses):

Anita Baker, Rapture (Caught Up In the Rapture, You Bring Me Joy, No One in the World, Sweet Love).  This album is like a warm blanket.

Black Box, Dreamland (Everybody Everybody, Ride on Time, Open Your Eyes, I Don't Know Anybody Else).  Used to dance all night to some of these cuts.

Foreigner, 4 (Urgent, Break it Up, Waiting For a Girl Like You, Girl on the Moon).  Love Lou Gramm's voice.

George Michael, Faith (One More Try, Hard Day, Kissing a Fool, Monkey, Hand to Mouth).  Strong collection of songs.

Donny Hathaway, In Performance (Sack Full of Dreams, To Be Young Gifted and Black, A Song For You, I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know).  This was the first Donny Hathaway album I ever purchased (shortly after his death) and it still remains my favourite.  The man just breaks your heart when he sings.

Maxwell, Embrya (Luxury:Cococure, Gravity:Pushing to Pull, Each Hour Each Second Each Minute Each Day: Of My Life).  Simply, hypnotic and seductive.

Alexander O'Neal, Hearsay (The Lovers, Never Knew Love Like This, (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me, Crying Overtime).  Sophomore effort exceeded his brilliant debut.  Party and romance without having to change the record.  :-)

Sting, The Dream of the Blue Turtles (We Work the Black Seam, Fortress Around Your Heart, If You Love Somebody Set Them Free).  Stunning solo debut by one of the best songwriters of his generation.

Stevie Wonder, Hotter Than July (Lately, Rocket Love, All I Do, I Ain't Gonna Stand for It).  Even when life is wonderful, I can't listen to "Lately" or "Rocket Love" without getting teary.  Stevie writes songs with amazing emotional resonance.

Luther Vandross, Never Too Much (She's A Super Lady, A House is Not a Home, Never Too Much). In my opinion, "She's A Super Lady" might be his finest vocal performance.  He sings with a freedom that he rarely captured again on record.

The List: #11 to #15

15.  Culture Club, Colour By Numbers (It's A Miracle, Miss Me Blind, Church of the Poison Mind, Black Money, Storm Keepers, Victims).  The novelty that fueled their first album was replaced by a surprising maturity in both the songwriting and George's vocals.  Yeah, the silliness of "Karma Chameleon" and the pop confection of "It's A Miracle" and "Miss Me Blind" might make it easy for some to dismiss this album, but the poignancy of "Victims" and the raw emotion of "Black Money" pulls me back to this set.  Culture Club might have been the most talented of all the New Wave bands that emerged in the early 80s.  Unfortunately, their self-destructive tendencies were fueled by the massive success of this album.  Lost in all of their drama was the fact that this was just a damn good record.

14. Prince, 1999 (Lady Cab Driver, 1999, Little Red Corvette, D.M.S.R.).  When I was a teenager, I could not play this album around my parents or my younger siblings.  My, how things have changed.  I blush at the things my (now grown) siblings listen to and my mom has Prince in her CD changer.  What hasn't changed is that Prince's body of work is one of the richest and deepest in the history of recorded music.  1999, while a precursor to some of his most respected work (Purple Rain, Sign O' the Times), is the recording that opened the doors for him to become a household name.  His audacity to release a double-album during a recession and a post-disco record sales slump showed moxie.  That pop radio embraced it during a time when so few Black artists were getting played on pop stations is a testimony to universal appeal of the songs.  While the hits are well known, for me,it was the seductive and sexy "Lady Cab Driver" that made this an instant favourite.  It is as sexy as anything one could find on his brilliantly raunchy Dirty Mind album, yet sophisticated enough to incorporate a spiritual element into the lovemaking.  Who would have thought a song about getting it on in the backseat of a cab could invoke God and the stars... and makes sense doing it?

13.  Hiroshima, East (The Golden Age, Living in America, Thousand Cranes, Tabo, East).  Hiroshima, for one album, made a slightly unexpected shift.  They added an element of political consciousness that was never there before (and never really appeared again afterward). The anger on "Living in America," sadness and grief on "Thousand Cranes," and an almost desperate plea on "The Golden Age" left a lasting impression on me.  If I had to pick a single favourite song of all-time, "The Golden Age" would be the leading candidate.  In a sense, it is a prayer asking humanity to consider what it is doing to itself and the earth.  Lead vocalist Machun (now Machan) assumed a worried and innocent vocal character (contrast it to the angry tones she infuses into "Living in America") that gave the song an unexpected urgency.  Combine that with poetic lyrics and a buoyant arrangement and you have a record that spoke to me on a very personal level.  I don't know if anyone else will dial in to it the way that I did, but that is what makes music so amazing.  Each song is a very personal experience.  Of the thousands of songs I've heard and loved, "The Golden Age" speaks to me like no other.

12.  Sister Sledge, We Are Family (Thinking of You, Easier to Love, He's the Greatest Dancer, We Are Family).  While most people remember the two monster hits ("He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family") and the more savvy listeners also remember the minor hit ("Lost in Music"), it is the two "should have been hits" that makes this album one of my favourites.  "Thinking of You" and "Easier to Love" still leave me wondering why record companies and radio programmers have so much influence on what gets played.  Frankly, they had to be deaf not to think people would not want to hear those two songs.  Thankfully, there were enough independent DJs in Southern California back in the late 70s who had the good sense to play those records.  As a kid growing up in a poor family, I could not just buy any record I wanted so I had to tape songs off the radio.  Recording "Thinking of You" off the air inspired me to borrow that album from a friend who had it.  I hated having to give that album back.  :-)  I think of that friend whenever I hear those songs.  To this day, both songs are still very special to me.

11.  Patrice Rushen, Straight From the Heart (Forget Me Nots, Remind Me, I Was Tired of Being Alone).  If I had to build a perfect record, "Forget Me Nots" would be the template.  The tempo is just right for dancing, chillin', screwing (oops!  Did I really just write that?), driving, working out, and walking.  The musicianship is flawless.  Every note is perfectly placed.  The lyrics are clever, yet accessible.  Poignant, yet hopeful.  In a single day, you could play this song when you wake up to get you going, while at work for cool background music, driving home to re-energize you during rush hour, use it to accompany dinner with your wife (you can even dedicate it to her as a reminder of your ongoing love), dance to it later at the club (where you get in trouble for staring a little too long at someone else), dedicate it again to her as a plea for forgiveness for what happened at the club, then use it to help you make up with her when you get home.  It is a very versatile record that spearheads Rushen's most successful album.

To be continued....