Get Crackin', Ladies!

I'm fast approaching limited discourse time!

Volume 12 - Responses from the Commissioner

(all do respect to the other commissioner - he of football)

In order, but inevitably mixed and matched. An attempt at a new format, one that I hope leaves everyone feeling satisfied that I did justice to their most excellent comments.

The Intros:

Dan:

Vast amounts of space on the internets could be used up regarding the concept of youthful energy and rock bands. I would argue that it is most often the maturing of these bands that inspires the calls of 'sell out'. (raspy ballads not-withstanding). Is it possible to maintain the vigor of the struggling artist and pissed off youth when one attains a life of ease? There are few if any examples that it is possible, particularly among the 'supergroups'. If you still view the world the same way when your 40 as you did when you were 18, lord help you.

To say I was surprised at your positive reception of this collection would be a significant understatement. It's odd how I remain completely unable to gauge what floats your boat or not. "We All Go Down Together" from Volume 7 was perhaps the biggest surprise, but your zeal for this bunch was completely unexpected also.

Stephen:

For a man of your musical pedigree, or at least what seemed like a pedigree, as the man that introduced us all to Jane's Addiction, you coming late to the party is a surprise. I remember well the album cover of Nothing's Shocking, the disc passing from your hands to mine, and for me the sort of pants peeing Dan experienced at the mention of Zenyatta Mondata. Freaky nude woman on a couch. Ahhggg!

Sychronicity was everywhere, what with just about every song on that album being released as a single. One could not breathe and avoid it. It was ubiquitous. And it was great, though in a way that was very different from that presented here, though with Ghost in the Machine heading in that direction.

Mighty:

Your fear of 'intellectual' music ran deep. Only your hormones released the bond that exposed you to U2, and I suspect that was part of a cathartic period of time that opened your mind to so many bands that you might have avoided otherwise. Thank the hormones. Having only experienced Sychronicity, buying OdA must have been mind-blowing, and an almost unimaginable leap at that point in our collective musical experience. Nice job.

Clog:

With your chosen title, I suspected the worst, but having waded through Clog's accounting, chock full of charts, graphs and pies of every hue and shape, I was glad to discover the net effect was positive. Having you write 'what I like about number 2' leaves me in stitches every time.


The Songs:

Be My Girl - Sally

All generally positive on the novelty of this song. Clog likes it naughty - no surprise there. I agree with Dan that this was probably not really planned out, just an attempt to bring the two disparate bits together. Stephen has tapped into something a little darker (I always saw it as more funny and sad) and I think it adds a little depth to the song that was missing. Is Sally really a doll by the time this is done, or has his perversion driven him to a more sininster place? I could definitely see this fitting somewhere in the Tommy repetoire, perhaps Tommy was lonely before his break out pinball experiences, and clearly he was catastrophically affected by exposure to sexuality.

So Lonely

Short and repetitive is a hallmark of punk. Tight little tunes where verses are repeated all in the course of a song that's lucky to make it north of 3 minutes. This one stretches it out a bit with an extended musical interlude, but strip that away and you've got classic punk, though with that reggae vibe. And yeah, they sound like they were having a blast. If Clog is truly getting into the guitar on this song then god bless him, for it is a subtle guitar, gently wafting through this song while Sting's voice and the drums dominate. A good ear he may develop. It seems like they stretched out the So Lonely-s so they could have more fun with the music.

Can't Stand Losing You

Yes, it was a 'hit' but almost unimaginably so. Like In The Air Tonight by our friend Mr. Collins, it's clearly a lack of listening to the actual lyrics that makes people rush out and buy the singles of these songs. ITAT is much darker, and no theme for a prom, but still, goofing around with suicide. Eek. Great though, and still keeping up the punk repetitiveness which Clog is on the bandwagon of. Since this album was the first CD I ever owned - it was on sale when I bought the Sharp (as you may recall from the intro) - it would not be surprising at all that this was heard around the time of graduation, though I'm pretty sure I didn't buy it for a few weeks after actual graduation - that boombox and this cd were the fruits of graduation spoils. I understand the 80's producer thing generally, though it would have been an early use here, and so I suspect it was more the influence of Andy.

Regatta de Blanc

I don't feel the U2 vibe the way Dan does, perhaps because this song has been on my radar for so long, perhaps because he and I seem to hear music in almost entirely different ways. 1981 was the year the Christopher Cross won Best Song for Sailing. Competition might have been weak all around. Their competitors in the category included Dixie Dregs, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Jean-Luc Ponty, and The Pretenders performing songs I've never heard of except ELP were doing the Peter Gunn Theme. I amazed The Police won over that. For a moment at 1:58 I hear the B-52's harmonies, though as I said the two bands were virtual contemporaries and moved in the same circles (CBGB's et al). I love the image of the 70's audio superstore - everything was big - amplifiers receivers speakers - you name it. Put your hi-fi with quadrophonic sound in your wood panelled basement and rock out mother fuckers!

The Bed's Too Big Without You

Probably the best of the reggae inspirations, really getting the feel of a reggae tune without just being iterative. Once again, the experimental nature of Andy and perhaps also of Stewart comes through. This doesn't feel like a Sting song to me, though he could adapt his lyrics to fit the need, but it's clear when it's a Sting song through and through. This is not that. Clog's a fan to be sure and everyone else seems happy to be along for the ride.

Bring on the Night

I can see the MAW connection, though to my ears it's a consequence of how they recorded the harmonies - probably Sting/Sting and subtle. Definitely a song about more than the end of a particular day and indeed this song was used in a 'vampiry' movie - Brimstone and Treacle (both very sinister) with Sting in the lead and providing some other soundtrack songs, along with The Police and The Go Go's. I don't really feel the ska vibe here, though I do LOVE the guitars in this song. Clog not digging the reggae vibe in a classic case of associating music with experience. Too bad, though the basketball in a lonely gym is definitely the sound the bass drum is giving us. And to Stephen, to me this is definitely a Sting song, with the others doing great things to push it to another level, and possibly marking the beginning of the reign of Sting. A reign that brought the world some great music, but like Caesar crossing the Rubicon to wrest sole power from Pompeii, the empire was never the same again.

Man In a Suitcase

To Dan, it would certainly depend on the rock musician, though generally no. And yes, this is Sting really learning to bend words to his will. There are some phrases that work in this song that most would be too timid to bring together (bird in flying cage....hotel room's a prison cell) is some evocative great writing. They weren't overproduced at this point and their sound is crisp crisp crisp, like the fall evening outside as I write.

Canary in a Coalmine

Way more ska for me than Mighty's thoughts on BotN with the accelerated lyrics and skippy guitars. Seems the most ska to me. The piano Dan mentions may be in fact the producer's phallus in this case, for it seems entirely out of place from any of these guys. Interesting to have been 'haunted' by this song. See here on related thoughts about The Police's brain versus Van Halen's brawn. Again, Sting definitely sowing his lyrical oats. And CLOG! Damn man! If you can't get jazzed about the vibe in this song than your dancin' boots must need some polishing.

Secret Journey

It was from this blind man that Sting was introduced to Tantric Sex. Or something. Yes, we've launched into the Reign of Sting in full force on this album. Both Dan and Stephen definitely feel the same as I do relative to this song being out of context. It fits nicely in with SITMW and Invisible Sun as part of a very moody album, perhaps a mood inspired by the beginnings of the band's disintegration, or perhaps because Sting thought it sounded more serious. Or both. But it's tough following the exuberance of the last two. Clog digs it the most, and so probably he would like Ghost in the Machine the best of all the albums here presented. He may want to seek it out - it's probably gettable for $6.

Hungry For You

Dan's pretty much got it. Hopefully Andy and Stewart weren't too miserable at this point, with another whole album to get through and a shit load of touring. Good paycheck though.

The Wraps

Dan:

Surprised and glad that you got so much out of this collection. Their first three albums are pretty damn solid all the way through and would be well worth adding to the long and winding queue. Excellent batch of comments as well.

Stephen:

The newby, and so far so good. Welcome and keep up the good work. I eagerly await what lies in the far off frozen January.

Mighty:

Comments excellent and uniquely from the mind of MT as usual.

Clog:

Glad to be keeping you entertained and enlightened. Don't give up on the poor Canary however. He needs your love and support.


With a plurality of votes, So Lonely seems to have won in the BS category with Bed's Too Big Without You and Bring on the Night coming in a close tie for second.

Thanks to all and bring on the Countrypolidan.

CMC Volume 13: Countrypolidan

Countrypolitan; aka "The Nashville Sound." This is the point at which cowboys moved in from the outer fringes of society and gussied up for mass consumption by pop-loving audiences that liked to watch variety shows on new-fangled television sets. Wearing clean shirts, while backed by lush arrangements including often strings and/or The Jordainaires, pioneers of this style (Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, and Faron Young, et. al) and their very involved producers crafted a new style of music and crooned their way simultaneously into both pop and country charts.

The era generally lasted from the 60s through the beginning of the 80s; though, as you will see from this collection, artists of today will still both create some new works in this style and pay homage to the greats. However, it is always an earlier time that is called to mind when I hear the Countrypolitan Sound, which I love.

I have many, many other thoughts & ruminations, but I'll let them come up in and amidst the individual songs. I just can't wait to get started - pull up a chair and put on your headphones, 'cause here we go!

1. You're Stronger Than Me: Patsy Cline
You will never know how I suffered over this first song! Suffered and deliberated, going back and forth as to whether to include it or not. As you will see, the rest of the songs on the collection (particularly from #3, on) are from a somewhat more modern era of Countrypolitan (hereafter CP). Aesthetically, does it stand out? Seem out of place? Eventually, my drive to include it won out (obviously). In the same way that NBA pundits are desperate to find "the next Michael Jordan" and astronauts, "the next Neil Armstrong," Patsy Cline is the gold standard against which every new generation of country vocalist is judged. Which is perplexing, considering the divergent and sucky path the majority of popular country has taken in the past 20 years or so (if the style is so beloved, bring it back!!!); but which is also a compelling case for a lead off to "Countrypolidan." And though I may think that talented artists' "genre tributes" can sometimes be among the the greatest a genre has to offer (as I certainly think is the case, here), I really wanted to get the origin out there for you. We all know of Patsy, and are probably all familiar with, at least, "I Fall to Pieces," or her version of Willie's "Crazy." I wanted something a little more off the beaten path that still showcased her amazing voice and singing style. Quite simply put, nobody can or has ever sung quite like that. The dynamics, heart-rending sustain on her vowels, and almost subtle yodel-sort of break on her voice on certain phrases. Notice, backing her, the rich arrangement with tremolo-laden electric guitar (certainly different than earlier types of country) and the "walking bass" (kind of a continual up and down scale that kind of makes a song move and skip along when done well-a type of bass used in a lot of CP). Notice, also, the Jordainaires. Finally, notice the "slip-note" country of the great Floyd Cramer (the plinky plank kind where two close but different notes are hit almost at the same time, but not quite; possibly also called "gracenote" in non-country circles). I love it all. I love this song. I love Patsy. I will mention, however, that I feel like I'm battling an age-old demon and taking a risk here, since I have a disagreement about Patsy Cline going back with PGibby at least 13 years. He never liked her-he always claimed that her unique singing style sounded like she was clinically insane. I think it had more to do with his perception of her after seeing pictures where it was obvious she was not your typical bodacious pop hussy. I'll be interested to see what he thinks as a captive audience member in this instance, hearing her again after all these years.

2. I Know One: Jim Reeves
While Patsy Cline died in a plane accident only about a year before Jim Reeves died in a plane accident, I think this particular song was recorded nearly 10 years after song #1 (sometime around 1964) . And it sounds even newer than that; mainly due to the the warm baritone of Reeves' voice. I think he had about the best and most beautiful pure vocal quality I've ever heard from the male of our species. I always loved what the liner notes in my Jim Reeves' retrospective CD wrote about his singing style; about how, in an era where (especially in pop circles, where his songs were making crossovers) singers were really rockin' and rollin', he had the boldness to get right up on the microphone and sing close with "...an almost embarassing intimacy." Rich, pure voice. What a funny little juxtaposition with the little bouncy background music and hi-pitched backup ladies behind his low voice, sounding like all the world like they could be backup up Jim Neighbors on a Christmas album! And how about the ladies "tadicut tadicut tadicut?" Bold idea, and it works! I love the song, but I love the performance even more. Where he really, really shines, I think, is where he does the little waver & down thing, like on "yo-ou" at his first "...how many fools would have yo-ou, I know one..."

3. Crazy Arms: Ray Price
OK, now we're moving more into what I'd consider the modern era. Countrypolitan (as you may be beginning to gather after the first two songs) is about the vocalist as much as the arrangement. Many of the singers in these songs have such unique, wonderful vocal qualities that they simply add something to a song that make it special and great in a way that no other singer could do. Many of these songs, this one included, have been done by a multitude of artists. Each of "the greats" kind of take their own shot at it and pass it along. Not entirely unlike "The Aristocrats" joke; it becomes less important whether you wrote a particular song yourself, but in how you interpret it. That said, "Crazy Arms," is by Ray Price. I might well have brought in Willie Nelson's version, or Charley Pride's, or even Jerry Lee Lewis'; but I like the way Ray Price does it. From the moment that two-string fiddle hit kicks it off, I also just love the way this song moves. Great example of the walking bass-I wish there were more songs like it. And when that harmony comes in at the chorus? A-gooooosh! Great voice for this song, Price; though I can picture him looking kind of awkward as he performs it on stage, kind of tapping his booted toe a little off rhythm and bending over slightly to accomodate his bad back. The way the steel guitar and fiddle trade off on doing a sort of "responsoral" phrasing to every line he sings-that's CP done right. Notice to musicians: amazing how a song can move along with such a simple rhythm section, eh?

4. Raindrops Falling In a River: Johnny Bush
Oh......Johnny Bush, Johnny Bush, Johnny Bush. In his youth, one of the rising stars of country music, then afflicted with a rare throat disease that cost him his upper vocal range, and almost his entire voice. He rehabilitated himself over decades in order to be able to sing again (albeit in a different style) but then, right as he is about to conclude a Bob Wills tribute album he is recording at Willie Nelson's house, the IRS comes in and confiscates the tapes. It ends up taking him another two years till he can get them back and finish them. Crimney! Anyway, this song is off that album. A lot to like here: some fine walking bass; weepy, emotive fiddle; fiddle harmony (something that always sounds neat); and some mariachi parts which, while brief, sound quite neat. If a person said they couldn't get past his voice, I guess I could maybe understand; though I like it. Truly doing the best with what he has left. The slightly trailing harmonies he recorded sound really nice. I think his sort of rough, low vocal timbre is kind of funny (though good) when he sustains a longish vibrato; particularly at moments like "riverrrrrr" at 2:21, where he sounds like of like the Boubin Bear.

5. Success: Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello??? Yes, that's right, folks. This CMC superstar is back and being a credit to yet another genre. As I mentioned-"tribute" ventures by artists can be among the best a genre has to offer, because the recordings are done out of love, and they often contain a life's worth of fascination and passion poured into a single offering. This is off a CP album by Costello called "Almost Blue." (I provide the link so you can see the awesome cover art). What great piano, throughout. And what a great interpretation of this song by Costello. I have an awesome harmony for this song (Sharon & I actually performed it at our gig last December), but alas; I was about 20 years too late to get into the studio with EC when he recorded this. Great musical moment: the sort of "talkie" steel guitar phrase following his line of "...if we could spend an evening now and then" at about 1:32. How fun would playing steel guitar be?

6. Long Walk Back to San Antone: Junior Brown
Various members of the CMC may have heard me rave about Brown a bit. I'm not ashamed to say I bought an album based on this song alone: just about a perfect damned CP song. What I found on the album (Long Walk Home), was a somewhat confoundingly intermittant collection of truly amazing throwback-type songs like this interspersed amidst a collection of somewhat annoying rockabilly songs. I also discovered that this may be one of the greatest technical virtuosos on electric guitar in the world. He actually "invented" a guitar that combines a steel guitar & regular electric guitar (c'mon, nobody else has done that!?), between which he freely switches within songs and even solos. I remember (God, don't ask me why) something Mixxy said, back in high school while watching part of the video for Van Halen's "Right Now" (don't ask either of us why). Eddie Van Halen was playing some solo and some other guy in the band was holding up a sign that said, "Right now, Ed's got his hands full," to which Mix replied, "Ed could play that solo standing on his head." I really, really don't know why that stuck with me. But it's kind of how I feel about the guitar in this song. Based on some of the stuff I heard on this album, Junior Brown could have played the solo in this song (while a complex, great one) with his dink. But I digress. This song is great! Funny (in that special way "woe is me" country lyrics can be), and great! And with all the attention on JB's guitar, I've never seen mention of his amazing vocal talent. Low, rich, and sugary. Man, I wish I could sing that clearly in that low range-that "San Antoooone." And how about those guitar solos? Kind of belies the newness. And you can just feel the restrained, pent-up ability, playing so far within his abilities, he's almost bubbling out over the top. A man who can move to the next note how he wants to the same way we move from the first to the second letter when we sign our names. How blessed we are to get to hear playing like that! Great stuff, here.

7. Worst of All: Mike Ireland
From baritone to tenor. This is a guy that a number of you may have heard me mention, as well. The song is from my favorite country album recorded in the past couple of decades. That's saying a lot. And it was released off the tiny, alternative Sub-Pop label, and sold only a few thousand copies, which was/is a crying shame. I think he just plays small clubs around Kansas City currently, something I've been meaning mention to Gibbs' brother, if he's moved on from his NBA aspirations and into this style of music. Why did Ireland not get more popular? The long-time hatred of the Irish by the cowboys? Ireland's bald head and seven-inch sideburns? Sub-pop's lack of inroads into the CP market? Whatever the reason, a crying shame. Mike Ireland, thoughout the album (including this song), crafts great, unique twists on old "tears in your beer" sort of down-on-your-luck country themes into the most wonderful lyrics; and melds them seamlessly into traditional CP arrangements. In this song, he's so paranoid that is wife is cheating by the very proof that she is not, it's destroying their relationship. I think he has a lovely voice, and he's from Missouri, so that twang is probably real. Mike has the ability to really escalate his songs towards the end in a real crescendo-his voices works really well to that effect; listen for it if you can. I love the almost over-the-top strings, and the piano (listen to the little plinky descent through the phrase "...please don't try to tell me why I needn't worry" beginning at 2:23: beautiful!), which uses that slip-note style of playing. Just a grand song. Beautifully written, wonderfully executed.

8. Blue: LeAnn Rimes
OK-this one is out of the blue, so to speak. As God is my witness, the first time I ever heard this song was on a classic country station in Austin last spring. I had no idea who it was, but assumed it was some sort of old Tammy Wynette track or other that had slipped by my radar through the years. But I was immediately smitten, and actually searched the web upon my return home, trying to track down the song. When I saw it listed in conjuncion with Rimes, I assumed, naturally, that it was a remake. Having known almost nothing about this particular singer, I didn't realize that this song, was in fact, part of her whole emergence as a young country phenom. There's a little story behind it. Remember what I said about the whole ongoing fixation with "the next Patsy Cline" in country circles? Well, apparently, there was this producer guy (in the mold of Maurice Starr of New Kids on the Block, I imagine), who came out with this story that he had written a song that was intended for Patsy Cline, but she was killed in that plane crash before she could record it. Well, he sat on the song for 35 years, waiting until he came across another singer worthy of it: until LeAnn Rimes. Well, apparently, the story is bullshit. But the song is a damned good one, to be sure; and carried off in the manner it was, it was certainly a believable tale which was perfectly timed. And the mind-blower: LeAnn Rimes was 13 when she recorded it. 13. There's a part of me that wants to cry out and go, "OK...wait...13-year olds can't have loved & lost, can't have lived the kind of experiences to warrant genuine expression like that in songs like this! It's hokey!" But then I think about Young Michael Jackson. I'm not much of a believer in re-incarnation, but if there's some element where a spark brings forth the -for lack of a better term - knowing sort of expression, mature and rich beyond her years that seems so clear in a song like this, that's about the best evidence I've seen. There's no reason why a kid should be able to sing like that, but she can. The rest of the arrangement is not life-alteringly amazing, but it does exactly what it needs to do to carry off this amazing "tribute" of sorts. I'm not even sure what L.a.R did after this, but I fear that, having made this entrance, she may have ditched this "homage" style and begun recording crap. If anyone knows though, pass it along. Anyway, whatever else this song is, represents, or was the motivated by, I think it's a great one.

9. Lock Stock & Teardrops: k.d. Lang
OK, I've talked about a couple of things perplexing to me in country music. Well, perplexing to traditional country music fans in the late 80s was that perhaps the most beautiful female voice since... well, you-know-who, happened along. Only problem was, it came out of this oddly androgynous character who had an Elvis haircut and a penchant for attending "Meat Stinks" rallies. Knowing a little about her as an artist, and what she had attempted to do (working with a famous CP producer from the 50s & 60s, Owen Bradley), I took a chance and bought "Shadowlands," sight unseen. Well, I can still remember my first pass through the album. This song (track two) had just finished playing as I was heading into the Lowry Tunnel on my way into work. At that point, I was sweating slightly and palpitating. I could only utter "Holy...shit," believing I may have heard one of the most stirring vocal performances of my life. I can only hope you share that sentiment in some small fraction of the amount I do. The steel guitars, backing vocal stack (with a loooow bass), piano, and general arrangement are all great, but they simply pale in comparison to Lang's alternately soaring and soft, completely dynamic, passionate voice. I also offer this song, a Roger Miller composition, as contrary evidence to anyone who may have a faulty impression of (genius) Miller as only a "novelty act."

10. I Can See You Lovin' Me Again: Johnny Paycheck
Boy...of all the hard-living country artists of the 70s; if there was one that really, I mean really should have died as a result of alcohol poisoning or violence, this was the guy. Even though he didn't, he was kind of the prototypical guy that sort of chronicled his up-and-down battle with various sickeness and the law via the succession of songs in his career. Anyone remember a great 80s-era Saturday Night Live skit with John Laroquette as a country music star? That was Johnny Paycheck. From the celebratory (I drank) "Fifteen Beers" to "Me and the I.R.S." to (in prison for) "11 Months and 29 Days" to (I'm back on top of) "Barstool Mountain," this guy sang it like it was, to a fault and then some. I do find him a bit of a compelling character, as is any person, I suppose, where you sort of have a "what could he have done with that potential if he wasn't battling so many demons?" Of course, then you can get into the circular "maybe his demons made him who he was." But regardless, it's a bit of a shame that, 90%+ of the people who know of him, I'd guess, really only think of "Take This Job and Shove It;" a kind of silly little call to arms for blue collar drunkard yahoos in early 80s. If the fools had only listened more closely to the lyrics and heard how he precedes every instance of the chorus with "If I had the guts to say..." they would have realized what a hopeless, sad cry for help the song really was; and so many sawmill, foundry, and car assembly laborers wouldn't have thrown away their jobs so needlessly. But back to the potential and the talent: I was trying get Lucy to listen to him, and she just started to laugh, saying, "Listen to that silly man!" So maybe his (again, unique - a theme amongst these CP stars) voice isn't for everyone, but I think it can be quite beautiful at times. And it also makes for a particularly compelling song, here. The gentleness and downright submissive, "my life in your hands" attitude in this song seems a far cry from the guy who sang "I'm thinin' of cranking the raggety old truck up and heading myself into town/I'm thinkin' of raisin' so damn much hell, that I'll die before I live it down" and once actually shot a man in the stomach in a bar fight. Just a sad, sad character. I almost see some parallels with the restraint of the raging alcoholic within the soft, slow pace of this ballad and the restraint I spoke of in Junior Brown's guitar solo in song six. What I'm trying to say is: Whatever else he was: 10-time loser, anger-management failure, alternatingly ex- or current con; I think he delivered a passionate, beautiful vocal performance here. Great, stirring harmonies; and smoky, emotive drop-note piano "responsorals" (don't really know what to call that) add to the overall affect of this song on me. The piano and the pedal steel; pay extra special attention to them in this song, because they do such an amazing job of just riding the feel and emphasizing his vocal phrasing, the previously unheralded session musicians involved deserve an extra special shout out, as well as a special listen all the way through by each of you ONLY to hear the piano and steel guitar. It'll be worth it. It's really a pretty buried little song - I don't think I've ever heard it, except on the retrospective CD that I own. Worth noting on the side: The song title officially has the contraction "lovin'," however he actually sings the entire word "loving," with the final "g" ennunciated quite distinctly. Perhaps the first and only time in the history of popular music where that occurs (usually, of course, it would be the reverse).

So that's pretty much it. What can I say after all that. I've said enough, and it's quite late. I hope you love it.

T-Clog is Sentenced to Life in Prision!

Volume #12: Undercover (Mixdorf, September, 2006)

When giving an overall grade to each song I use this: Best song EVER! = 10,
Loved it = 9, Liked it =8, Not bad = 7, Could take it or leave it = 6,
Uninspiring/boring = 5, Didn’t like it = 4, Hated it = 3, Worst song EVER! = 2,
You’re an idiot for putting this on a CD = 1.

0. Number of new songs to me on this album. Undercover

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Song number 1’s lyrical grade. Be My Girl -- Sally

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Song number 1’s musical grade.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Overall grade for song number 1.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. What do like about song number 1?

I really liked the naughty lyrics of this song. It was very bizarre and unusual. The line I pop up for to the most is: “And when I am feeling naughty, I blow her up with air.” I also enjoy the fast tempo at the beginning and end of the track. The British accent made the story that much more creepy. Now don’t think that I don’t like creepy, the fact is that I really do like this creepy song.

1. What do you dislike about song number 1?

I was disappointed the first time I heard this track, but after listening to it for a month I grew to appreciate it as a novelty.

1. Additional comments for song number 1:

The screaming at the very end of the song was a nice addition. It reminds me of the screaming monster in the video Dan, Pat, and I made at camp a few years ago. I believe that Jason was suppose to be the monster. Do you remember the red glowing globe thing that spins?

2. Song number 2’s lyrical grade.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 So Lonely

2. Song number 2’s musical grade.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Overall grade for song number 2.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. What do like about song number 2?

I really like the chorus. Sting has a very distinct voice and it is a welcomed sound to my ears who have been in a Sting drought for a number of years. I use to listen to Every Breath You Take – The Singles by the Police exclusively, but in college I bought a number of Sting’s albums through BMG. My favorite Sting album hands down is Ten Summoner’s Tales.

At about the 2:28 mark, there is a nice bit of guitar work going on. I am becoming a big fan of the electric guitar and the sound of them is touching a place in my ear that has never been touched before. The electric guitar highlights (solos) are seducing my inner ear. In high school and college I never liked a lot of electric guitar. I guess things change. If you listen close enough I think that you will even hear a harmonica. Always welcome the harmonica is!

2. What do you dislike about song number 2?

I can’t pick out anything to criticize in this song. I think that it was a good pick to put on this album.

3. Song number 3’s lyrical grade. Can’t Stand Losing You

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. Song number 3’s musical grade.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. Overall grade for song number 3.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. What do like about song number 3?

I love the little UUHH at the 1:41 mark. What was that? I think the lyrics are good and the beat goes a long way at keeping this song moving forward. The Police seem to repeat the hell out of words in their chorus. Is anyone else noticing this? It works for them and the songs that they sing. I chalk it up to one of the things that I like about the Police.

3. What do you dislike about song number 3?

There is nothing that I don’t like about this song. Another good pick Methuen.

3. Additional comments for song number 3:

I actually own this song already. It is on the Every Breath You Take – The Singles album. After the song Every Breath You Take, the second most played song on that album for me is Can’t Stand Losing You. This song really dates itself with the following line: “..and my LP records and they’re all scratched.”

4. Song number 4’s lyrical grade. Regatta de Blanc

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4. Song number 4’s musical grade.

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4. Overall grade for song number 4.

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4. What do you like about song number 4?

I like the fact that this song was a change of pace. It didn’t break pace with repeating, but it threw in a bit of world language. Is the title of the song French? I heard them say, “Areba” early in the song. Is that Spanish? It has a great beat and the musical aspects make this a highly energetic song for me. I caught myself bobbing my head a few times and tapping my foot too.

4. What do you dislike about song number 4?

I was not taken this song. Please read me correctly because I want you to understand that it is not a bad song. It just didn’t do a whole lot for me. Thus, an overall score of seven.

5. Song number 5’s lyrical grade. The Bed’s Too Big Without You

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5. Song number 5’s musical grade.

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5. Overall grade for song number 5.

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5. What do like about song number 5?

I love the music. The drums and the other instruments are busting it out well to create a fabulous melody. It is hypnotic. I think that I hear a shaker in the background. It adds just the right spice to this delicious tune. This song maybe my favorite.

5. What do you dislike about song number 5?

Thought it was awesome!

6. Song number 6’s lyrical grade. Bring On The Night

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6. Song number 6’s musical grade.

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6. Overall grade for song number 6.

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6. What do like about song number 6?

I greatly dig the big booms. Is sounds like a basketball in a lonely gymnasium.

6. What do you dislike about song number 6?

This song was too boring for me. It seems that another song about the night was just what I didn’t need. It lost me almost instantly. It is hard to say what exactly throws me for a loop. I will take a break and come back to it later…… After spending about an hour thinking about it, I think that I might have a clue now. It has a reggae feel. I greatly dislike reggae music and I can’t dig Bob Marley at all. It reminds me of this asshole I worked with at Philmont in 1993. He listened to Bob Marley all of the time and our personalities always created heated situations when we worked near each other.

7. Song number 7’s lyrical grade. Man in a Suitcase

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7. Song number 7’s musical grade.

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7. Overall grade for song number 7.

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7. What do like about song number 7?

I think that it was cool of them to have a woman talking on the intercom in the background. They are trying to give you a feeling that they are in an airport. Once again a repeating moment for the band. It is truly a trademark of theirs. I like the line where they say, “I would invite you back to my place.” “ Is it me the man with a stranger’s face?” is an example of creative writing. The lyrics are simple but very creative. Reminds me of the Three Trolls how they can write about the oddest things with such success. Good stuff here.

7. What do you dislike about song number 7?

Nothing that I didn’t like. Mixdorf has put together another hit album. Way to go you brilliant bastard!

7. Additional comments for song number 7:

Has anyone ever seen the album cover on Ghost In The Machine? After starring at it for a few minutes it fianally hit me that the red digital design is actually an abstract drawing of Sting, Andy, and Stewart. It was like looking at one of those hidden 3-D pictures. The image just pops out at you after a while of looking hard.

8. Song number 8’s lyrical grade. Canary in a Coalmine

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8. Song number 8’s musical grade.

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8. Overall grade for song number 8.

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8. What do like about song number 8?

I like the line about getting a case of influenza.

8. What do you dislike about song number 8?

The music just was a stick in the mud for me. The lyrics other than what I liked, see above, are ungood (I know it is not a wordJ). Sorry to be so hard on this song, but it is like drinking diet Mt. Dew when you love regular Mt. Dew. This is obviously my least favorite song. I would have included Invisible Sun in the number eight spot instead of this track.

9. Song number 9’s lyrical grade. Secret Journey

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9. Song number 9’s musical grade.

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9. Overall grade for song number 9.

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9. What do like about song number 9?

I love the Myst like beginning to the song. It is ambient and it sets the stage nicely for the secret journey. There are some power ups that sound to me to be some type of spaceship getting ready to warp into the unknown sectors of deep space. The dinging of the bell takes you to another level. It says, “Hey stop all engines! What was that?” I thought that it was awesome to just stop the song and to add a secret element. Nice touch Police. This song is one of my favorites on this album. Great find brother.

9. What do you dislike about song number 9?

I like the whole song!

10. Song number 10’s lyrical grade. Hungry For You

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10. Song number 10’s musical grade.

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10. Overall grade for song number 10.

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10. What do like about song number 10?

The song was just alright for me. Man there was a lot of good songs on this album, but this was not one of them. Not good, but not bad either.

10. What do you dislike about song number 10?

I can do without the French. I welcomed it earlier in the album, but it is too much now. It reminds me of Jason Bartlett and his desire to ride in the Tour de France. The horns don’t really do it for me right now. Normally I like to hear the horns, but it sounds to Scrooged to me. It has a familiar sound and that’s why I believe that I am not too excited about this song. I wish that there were a better Police song to end the album with. Overall, Methuen did a great job. I don’t think that I could have done a better job. My hat is off to the great Bostonianish man in Methuen.

Final Grade for: Undercover

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In Da Mail, Suckas!

While we're waiting on Clogger to post his comments, any guesses as to what my offering is?

(ooo, I love this!)

Mighty Tom Gladly Turns Himself In - Volume 12 - The Police - Undercover

Mighty Tom Gladly Turns Himself In – Volume 12 – The Police - Undercover


Weird Al Yankovic. I was, and continue to be, a fan. In 1984, I was finishing up 8th grade.

One year out from Rocky Raccoon blowing my mind, Zenith experiences in the back porch. Broken Legs and Michael Jackson. Bed Pans and the Pipes of Peace. Nuclear War and Calculators. Tutors with fleas and a president with a disease.

“King of Suede” was out there. I knew all about “Eat It” and “Beat It” and videos in general were considered important and entertaining, but “King of Suede” touched on something a bit deeper. The Police were a popular band that I was aware of, but kept at some distance, content at that time with my exploration of the Beatles and forcing myself to choke down some Van Halen in an effort to assimilate more fully into the community. Synchronicity was the biggest album that I didn’t really know about. The songs were everywhere. The videos were fascinating. I love love Sting jumping around the candles, revealing Mephistopheles with bare feet. And the song “Synchronicity” itself was intense, Mad Max uniforms and passionate posturing. Whoa! An intellectual brand of pop music that was definitley intriguing, even if I didn’t fully understand it at the time, I was a bit drawn to it, but not to the point of buying their albums, although I think it was by chance that I did not own a copy of Synchronicity. Perhaps I was scared. “King of Suede” was out there.

The melody of Weird Al’s song haunted me and it took some time before I actually made the connection, that this was indeed a parody of “King of Pain” by the Police. Beyond the humorous words and sounds, the power of the Police came through. Synchronicity, Weird Al, and the Videos would become my first experience of note with the Police. I went on to buy, on tape, Sting’s The Dream of the Blue Turtles and The Police compilation, Every Breath You Take – The Singles.

This was my Pre-Mixdorfian experience of the Police. I was a fan, but based on the band’s hits, not their albums.

How appropriate then, that we are presented with Undercover, Volume 12. I love it! For several reasons. One, it reminds of my Mixdorfian experience of the Police, which I’ll get to in a moment. Two, what great timing – just seems like a great time for some Police. Three, although I have all the albums on cassette (all but one taped from our Eastern Friend), my iPod was without Police protection. In a shuffle, you can be sure that Lauper continues her attempt to get into trouble.

During the last year in High School and into college I can remember at least talking about The Police with Mixdorf and Dan. Dan had the Singles on CD and I can remember being struck by his ability to analylise some of the musical moments in some of the songs. I have a store bought cassette of Outlandos d’Amour – I seem to remember having bought it while in High School, but I am reasonably sure I would not have bought it until after contact with Mixdorf. The other albums were taped from CDs, in college, utilizing the technology of the greatest boom box ever – the aforementioned Sharp. Listening to the tapes fascinated and entertained me. And now, this visit to the past, has been a pure joy. Such power in the CMC – to bring again, remember, introduce, experience once more – music from our past. Bridging the cassette to the CD. Teens to thirties. Virgins to sex fiends.

Sure U2 may remind you of our EF, but digging deeper, you will find a civilization that was thriving. Just looking at the covers of the Police albums reminds me of this time. Sacrafices of Pizza to the Sharp sitting on an altar high above a basketball rim, the cool breeze of a summer night playing with our young minds.

Sting once claimed that “the Beatles are probably why I am a musician today.” Well many people did, but the reason I mention this, is that, like the Beatles, they were such a tight, simple, passionate, original band. Beyond the words or their respective legends or the famous break-ups or storied solo careers or their place in Pop/Rock history, they began with a firm musical style. While the Beatles in their day were back-beating away driving hardcore Rock’n’Roll, the Police were hard at work riding the end of Punk right into Alternative Rock with ska reggae rock, warming up colleges for REMs and U2s, which Mixdorf alluded to with his “baton.” And as Mixdorf, at this point, lettuce move on to the songs.



Be My Girl-Sally

Love this song. A great, bold beginning to Volume 12, nicely bookended with “Hungry For You.” This song really sparked my imagination in college. Still does today. I love Andy’s Monty Pythonish voice and both the intro and ending are so catchy, love the harmony and the way it works itself up to fruition. And yes, the wailing voice is eerily similar to one of the Synchronicitys. I love the playfulness and purity of their craft. Sting would revisit this idea on a song from “Soul Cages.”

I am intrigued by the dichotomy of the personality on display in this song. Sting’s voice and voices represent the manic deisres of a frustrated man. He desperately wants Sally, but in the real world Sally does not want him – all he can do do is call out his request in his head, “won’t you be my girl.” Only in the privacy of his own home does Andy’s voice take over – confident, sophisticated, but completely delusional. The refrain returns as he wavers between realities. The wail is likely the frustrated and anguished moans of the man as he realizes that once again, he doesn’t really have Sally. Great song.



So Lonely

A great little song. Simple and I agree with Mixdorf – a great standard to demonstrate how good the individual players are. I love the harmonies and am always amazed at how high Sting could/can sing. I wonder when he discovered that. Almost squeaky at times, but very high and raspy. He has an excellent understanding of harmony and vocal arrangement. Possibly most amazing, a comparison made often by Dan and I – his ability to play bass and sing at the same time like Paul McCartney. Amazing. I know there are others that could/can do it – but both their bass styles greatly added melodically to the song, not just rhytmically – adding to the difficulty of playing and singing simultaneously– at least to me. Dan, I’m sure could add a whole lot more to that.

The drummer and the famous singer overshadowed Andy’s guitar, but he quietly provided solid rock guitar and explorations into the wildly experimental. I love the bluesy inflection at 43 seconds. And yes, Stewart, a master of the hi-hat and an extraordinarily tight drummer.

A telling line, “In this theatre that I call MY soul, I always play the STARRING role.” This, in 1979, but a look into the future to Sting’s solo career. Look world, I So Lonely – LOOK it’s ME, forget these other guys – DON’T see them. SEE ME. See, So Lonely!



Can’t Stand Losing You

Easily the most popular song on Vol. 12, due largely to its inclusion on the Singles compilation. A great, bouncy little number that was easily accessible – lyric wise. And whoa, he’s talking about 6 feet 10 (Men at Work would try this a little later) and LP records – well wait a second, I know what that means. Excellent words that were surprisingly concrete. And for Police fans and Sting fans, big words too. Who else was rhyming with a word like “confidence?” By the way, I love the drop out in stereo at 1:10, it lasts about two seconds, much like Day Tripper. A little “oh” before the big goodbye, provides one of those wonderful comical moments that can only be found in music.



Regatta de Blanc

It’s funny and weird and GREAT!! I love the build up to the chas and then the dramatic e ohs. The whole song keeps building up on itself. It’s silly, but dramatic. A coexistence that must have befuddled the voters – they had NO choice but to give this song an award. They’d be scared not to. At the time, it was simply too wild. And they weren’t sure where they were coming from-- “white reggae?” Well, the whities in control couldn’t keep that down.



The Bed’s Too Big Without You

A fun song. A warning to potential cheaters. One mistake may be the end. A whiny song with great bass and drum arrangements. The star of this song is the guitar. I love it, great great sound. Fluid and seemingly free, but amazingly tight. The guitar is the woman, and when it disappears, we know exactly how Sting is feeling – fortunately, at least, we have the memory. Is it enough? – perhaps, but only to get by.



Bring On The Night

A great great song. The guitars in the verses are wonderful. A fantastic flavoring of sounds and rhythms. I love the slip into the choruses and the guitar exclamations at the end of the song. The Police at their most ska–like. I wondered if No Doubt ever listened to the Police. I wonder too, if this marks the beginning of Sting’s Vampire tendencies. God saying goodbye, the future is unknown, I couldn’t stand another hour of daylight – I am not suggesting that this is how the song makes me feel – in fact it doesn’t at all, but lyrically, and knowing Sting down the road, I believe the case could be made that this may be an early Vampire song. Or maybe it’s just October….Scary….I love October…I love the fall…..the fall of Sting from a god loving mortal man????? To a creature of the night….or just a nightly romancer…seduction around each and every corner.

However Sting’s intention, I do believe it is more than simply wanting a particular day to be done, I do think it has more to do with at least flirting with the darker side of existence.



Man in a Suitcase

I love this song. I can remember loving this song from the Mixdorf tapes. So catchy and fun. I also like the use of airport noise – nice touch. And yes, now that you mention it – IT DOES sound like the Jane’s Addiction voice at the beginning of “Stop.”

There have been many songs singing the woes of life on the road. Poor Rock Star, having to travel all over the world. This song steps out of the emotional appeal for pity, thankfully, and is quite funny…you know rock stars with suit cases…don’t they usually HAVE somebody to carry their luggage and prepare their rooms. Stings early dance with the perfect English gentleman – a soul he will marry in his later solo albums.



Canary in a Coalmine

More evidence of intelligence in Rock, at least back in the early eighties. Oh..canaries..cause they are used to test for poisonous gases in the deep places of the earth…what a use for a creature…wow…intelligent…influenza ---oh a bigger word for the flu….BIRD FLU…wow he was forecasting our current problem…intelligent….

But really…I think Sting and the Police took some crap fro being intelligent, they kinda were the first, that became popular and the ways in which fans dealt with that were wide and varied – and sometimes hostile. Is it nerdy? Is it highbrow? Is it NOT cool? We didn’t know the answers, because ALT Rock hadn’t really come into being yet. This was a pop band, not Van Halen. Can we smoke to it? What do we do. Well, you listen to it, and if that’s all you do, than so be it. A great song with a serious ska vibe going. A swift song that is full of bounce and interesting arrangements.



Secret Journey

I can see Mixdorf’s “Wrapped Around Your Finger” connection. I do wonder what exactly Sting was getting at with this one. Be your own religion. Know your own faith (and yes we all know that Mixdorf knows his own Faith). A much more serious song – introduced with and wrapped up with the scary synths of spiritual travels. I like the song, but to a point. It is no “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” or some of the other songs on the album. It’s kinda preachy, isn’t it? And I am not exactly sure what he is trying to convey. Maybe it is simply urging folks to go on their own spiritual journeys to discover their true faith – and maybe that’s it? Maybe the scary end of the worldish music is making me think that it is more or that there is something else to it. I guess it is simply to find your own religion with an anti-establishment angle. Fellow Englishman John Milton would agree, and maybe Sting is keeping that connection alive through the ages, while cementing his own English identity, again, a theme he will carefully explore through-out his solo career.



Hungry For You

Love the song. Love our EF and his “Sting getting his France on.” You can hear Homer Simpson attempting to sing this song. The chorus always catches me and makes me smile. Love the sax and sex.


Closing

I love love this collection. Bringing it into the digital age. I love the simplicity of the cover and the choices of song. Weird Al would agree that The Police are one of the greatest Pop bands of OUR time and certainly of the early MTV video age. It is about time that the Police invades me iPod and I will likely be buying Synchronicity quite soon. The listens to the Mixdorf tapes in the Red Escort are in need of an upgrade. I have loved these songs and love again these songs. Great Compilation! And Thank You for sending it along.


BS: Bring On The Night – three or four others were also candidates

SIWHI: Rehumanize Yourself

Stephen's "Undercover" comments.

As much as I wish I could write about my knowledge of The Police prior to listening to this mix, I can’t. Like most, I didn’t join this party until “Synchronicity.” There were the multiple hit singles off that, then the Police ceased to be. Sting’s debut solo album sold a zillion copies, and everyone forgot about the other two members. I remember seeing Stewart Copeland playing on David Letterman in 1990 with his group Animal Logic, but that’s the last I saw of him.

“Synchronicity” was everywhere, so it’s a wonder I can listen to the album now and not think of that time period so closely. “Synchronicity” fed the early music video age, so… well, the album was huge, is what I’m saying. But I’m still a fan of “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, so I use that as a point of comparison for this compilation.

“Be My Girl – Sally”: A nice guitar introduction, a driving pop hook, a simple repetitive lyric, and then—what kind of psychotic little tune is this? At first the spoken-word middle section struck me as simply juvenile and something a bit of a throw-away (a bit of business about marrying a sex doll?). The end of the song includes a disturbing female howl, like somebody screeching from the basement. So, lyrically, a bit of a disturbing bookend, given the driving guitars and vocals. It got my attention: this song would work well as a Side 1/Track 1 on a regular album release.

“So Lonely”: I wonder what a early-adaptor Police fan expected in the late ‘70s.This one finds the group smack in the middle in that ska/reggae mode that seemed to represent the sound they were going for at the time. The song is uptempo (and ‘driving’ again, like the first song), but it builds up to that energy. I’m a huge fan of this song’s intro, the opening drum tap and Sting falling right into a bluesy wail about an empty “theater of my soul”. A bit of jamming on the guitar, the bass rolling along. Someone snuck in a harmonica. As much as these guys hated each other towards the end, they sound like they’re having a great time here.

“Can’t Stand Losing You”: A bit of disclosure: I first heard this song the night I graduated from high school in 1989. I swear, it was Pat who put this on and I distinctly recall him singing along to it. I swear that’s how I heard it the first time.

I have always thought of this song as the kind of “fuck you” that any guy may feel towards his partner during a break-up. A particularly nasty, co-dependent break-up. Hey, I’ve been there, felt that. The threat of suicide is as straight-forward and blatant as I’ve ever heard in a pop song. Not that the threat comes off as real, just the feeling behind it. The lyrics have the same undertone that carries through “Every Breath You Take”, a scary song about possessing and dominating your partner. “Losing You” is that guy, younger, already struggling. I agree with Pat, I love how the bass works us into the song.

“Regatta de Blanc”: This song reminds me of FM radio. Or the test record you hear at the high-end stereo dealership. My dad would take us to “look at stuff” at Audio America, and this is one of those songs they’d wind up playing to show off the new speakers. The guitar part soars and dips over the drums for all of this song’s short duration, and the wordless lyrics (Spanish, I guess, but really meaningless) accompany and then wind up leading the song out. All very “sonic”, except instead of Pink Floyd-like wooziness the song keeps picking up speed. Again, I can’t get past the feeling I’m sitting in an audio room in the late 70s while the dealer cranks this up to 11. It does make me want to buy new speakers. Differential: I see a bunch of kinds getting stoned in a wood-paneled basement and discovering MTV. Either way, the speakers are big.

“The Bed’s Too Big Without You”: The rhythm, that little bit of reggae where the guitar part speeds up above the base, is my favorite part of this song. Then the echo of the “thud” of the drum in the song’s break close to the end. Love that, too. Of all the songs on this disc that represent that heavy reggae thing The Police seemed to be about at the time, this is my favorite one. Sting’s lyrics are sweet and fun, but sort of erasable.

“Bring on the Night”: Sting takes control. Of course, I’m just guessing that, since Sting used this song as the title and lead-office of a two-disc live album in 1986. So, in my head, this song is married to Sting. The atmosphere here is more subdued and mature, the strings creating a real “night with starry sky” imagery.

“Man in a Suitcase”: I don’t know if I ever got the sense from the later stuff, but early Police had a notably ‘live’ sound. I think about how the ‘80s bred a tolerance for electronic percussion (almost any Rolling Stones album from that decade is an example). Here these guys sound all together, in one place, and it’s tight. Another thing I take for granted is the brief pop song; this one clocks at 2:20, while…

“Canary in a Coalmine”:… comes in at just two-and-a-half minutes. Both these songs play well together, maintaining that live effortlessness. I do like the lyrics here. I’m waiting to call someone a canary in a coalmine now.

“Secret Journey”: And so, the ‘live’ feel gives way to studio-augmented expansion. I remember “Spirits in the Material World” when it was on the radio, and this song fits with that. I like the movement towards something new and different, and the message here is more thoughtful. But I’m less excited about this song as it stands on its own. Perhaps this song suffers from the most, away from the context of it’s home album.

“Hungry for You”: I think this is a great closing choice as a “deep cuts” chronicle retrospective. We know what happens from here. Perhaps Sting may never have thought he’d be in ads for luxury cars and women’s underwear, but it kind of makes sense now. I good closer, if not the collection’s best by a long shot.

Overall: What, I’m invited to this group and I’m gonna trash the first disc I get? Actually, I couldn’t in this case. The Police catalog may be easy pickings, but this 10-song mix tells a pretty good story.

Best song: “So Lonely”. The best of the early stuff, so the best here, in my opinion. As a sidenote, I feel equipped to see the new Police documentary now.