The Amazing Allan Holdsworth

To me, there's no such thing as "background music".  If I'm in a restaurant or bar with my wife or with other friends, and there happens to be music playing, it's really difficult for me to keep 100% focused on the discussion with the people I'm with.  It's a source of frustration for my wife, but being able to concentrate on both music and, really, anything else is tough for me.  If I can hear the music playing enough, even if it's something I've heard hundreds of times, my ear will naturally focus more on the music than pretty much anything else going on.

I've been trying to work on this aspect of my nature, if for no other reason than to not appear rude or removed from whatever social situation I find myself in.  But there are a few artists whose music, to me, can never be relegated to the background and one of them is Allan Holdsworth.  In fact, as I am typing this blog post I'm listening to his "IOU" album on Spotify and I have to pause after typing every other word.  His music is so complex, interesting, outside, and so unique that it demands my full attention (okay, I've paused it now so that I can get through this blog post).

I first got turned on to Holdsworth through Guitar Player magazine.  Back in the mid-80's each issue of Guitar Player would include a plastic insert that you could remove and play on a turntable.  This is where I first heard "Devil Take the Hindmost" from Holdsworth's "Metal Fatigue" album (or at least the first few minutes of it - those plastic inserts didn't have enough room to store an entire track).  I couldn't believe that what I was hearing was coming from a guitar player.  The melody of the tune was made from chords that I had never heard before, strung together in a way that made his playing sound as unlike a guitar as one could get.  I distinctly remember listening to it for the first time, waiting for the guitar player to start playing...only to realize that it's been playing all along!

Holdsworth has a style completely all his own.  Nobody else plays like him, and he doesn't sound like anyone else.  You can't say that about too many guitar players; anyone can pick up a guitar, run it through some distortion pedals and come out sounding like a lot of other guitar players.  But I have yet to hear anyone even come close to duplicating what Holdsworth does with a guitar.  I would go so far to say he's reinvented the instrument - and not many guitarists have done that (we're getting into Les Paul/Jimi Hendrix/John McLaughlin territory here).

The most distinctive aspect of his playing style is his "legato" technique when he solos.  Unlike so many other guitarists who play through a distorted signal, you hardly ever hear Holdsworth strike the notes with a pick; in fact, he doesn't pick a lot of his notes but he lets his left (fretted) hand simulate the striking of most of the notes he plays.  The result is an almost violin effect; a truly legato sound that to me always reminds me of a waterfall - with notes just falling all over the place without any of the percussive sound that a pick normally makes on a distorted guitar.  This is completely unique to Holdsworth.  I've heard other players approximate a legato effect (most notably the late, great, Shawn Lane) but nobody comes close to sounding as clean as Holdsworth in this area.

When he's not soloing, he's equally as amazing to watch/hear the chords he plays.  I've never once seen him play any "standard" chords that I and most other guitar players use.  He comes up with the most incredible inversions and voicings that I've ever heard.  Sometimes they sound so outside that I feel like I missed a whole bunch of music theory lessons because I don't understand how he can get THAT chord to sound so good against THIS bass note.  When you watch him play, his fingers have an incredible reach, so he has a natural advantage that he can physically play chords that most other guitarists couldn't even dream of playing.

His arrangements are equally as complex.  You won't hear any standard II-V-I changes in his music (or if you do, they are so inverted as to make it sound completely alien anyway).  In my experience, you either "get" his music or you don't.  His stuff is not for everyone.  To be honest, some of his stuff is so outside that even a fan like me can get a little bogged down by the complexity.  I tend to be an active listener when it comes to jazz music - I like to figure out the time signatures, analyze the chord changes, pay attention to the solos played over those changes, etc.  I've basically given up trying to do any of this when it comes to Holdsworth's stuff.  I just listen closely and let the sounds wash over me like that waterfall I mentioned earlier.

If you've never heard any of his stuff, here are a couple of clips from YouTube.  This first one is from his "Live at Yoshi's" DVD from a few years ago (I was fortunate enough to be at this show).  Good example of his legato soloing technique:

And here's an older video where he displays some of his unique chord voicings:

Playing in the Pits - Part 2

Over the years I've learned a few things about playing in pit orchestras for musical theater and I wanted to pass these along...these apply mostly to electric guitar players (obviously) but I suppose they can also be applied to electric bass as well.  Remember that playing in a pit band is just that: a "band" - it's not a solo project - so be respectful of those around you who are also there for the job. 

Some of the most important things I've learned should sound rather basic but you'd be surprised at how many people don't even learn the basics.  Pretty much all of these points can be boiled down to one general rule: have some respect for each other in the pit.  Master that, and all of these points should be a natural consequence.

1) Show up on time.  Whether it's an orchestra run-through, a sing-through with the cast, or (especially) a performance call - be there on time or preferably early.  Depending on where you are sitting physically in the pit, it may be difficult to get in and out if you're late and you have to step over everyone else to get to your spot.  But it's really frustrating (and stressful) for the Musical Director if they are unsure if you're going to be there or not. Save yourself and others the grief and just prepare to leave a little sooner when possible, so that you can arrive early, set up, tune, and be ready to play.

2) Line up your subs.  Life happens, and you never know what might keep you from being able to show up at a gig (sickness, accidents, prior plans).  It's a good idea to have at least one or two names of other players you can trust to show up in case you need to miss a service.  And don't think "well, it's just a rehearsal; they won't need a sub for that" - wrong - any one part that's missing will make the rest of the orchestra sound incomplete.  In fact, part of the rehearsal process is not only for the cast to get comfortable learning to run the show with the musicians, but it's also for the sound people to get the levels correct, for the MD to hear how everything sounds together, and for the rest of the orchestra to hear how the pit will sound.  So if you know in advance you will miss one or more service, be sure to have a sub lined up.

3) If you get the music ahead of time, know your parts!  Don't show up to the first rehearsal having never cracked open your book.  Unless you're a killer sight-reader and nothing fazes you, or if you've played the show a dozen times before and know the book by heart, put in enough time ahead of your first rehearsal to learn your part.  If you have access to a recording of the show, mark up your music to know when to switch patches or effects pedals.  I like to use my Boss GT-8 and program the whole show as much as possible based on what I hear on the CD, and then I'll just make patch change notes in the music when I need to switch to a different sound...but I'll do all of that ahead of time whenever possible.  It's not just a matter of learning the notes but also knowing when the patch changes are coming.

4) Practice quietly in the pit.  I've been in a few pits that sound like you're walking into your local Guitar Center - the guitar player has his amp at full volume and is trying to impress with his Yngwie Malmsteen shred techniques, or the bass player is trying to show off his hot funk grooves so that you can hear every slap and pop (or the drummer is trying to do his best John Bonham impersonation).  Trust me: you're impressing nobody.  Worse yet, you're coming off as arrogant and rude to the other musicians around you who are just there to play the gig.  I understand sometimes you do need to test your levels - fine, turn up and test your levels for a few chords but then turn right back down again. Practice at very low amp levels; others around you should still be able to carry on a conversation while they're waiting for the show to start.  I've even seen some guys wear headphones while they are practicing; I'm sure that helps them concentrate better anyway.  Just be mindful of the others in the pit when you need to warm up or practice a particularly difficult part of your music.

5) Don't clutter your area.  This might be difficult if you have lots of floor pedals that you need to rig up or if you need lots of axes to switch throughout the show.  But whenever possible, don't try and claim a huge space for yourself.  Chances are the pit you will be playing in will be small and you'll be pretty cramped with other musicians who need their own space as well.  Use as little room as possible while still making sure you have all of your gear accounted for.  Sometimes you might need to apologize up front to your neighbors: "Sorry, I have a lot of gear here but I'm trying to not get in your way" is usually a good sign of a conscientious player.  Also, when you bring in your gear to each performance, get rid of the cases as soon as possible.  Others will be trying to set up as well and they don't want to have to climb over or work around your instrument cases to do so.  I like to bring my guitars in one by one, put the guitar on a stand and then take the case out to store outside the pit...then repeat for each instrument I am using.  Keep your area tidy.  For stomp boxes or pedals, try and keep your setup compact as much as you can while still making them usable (nothing is worse than hitting the wrong effect or stepping on multiple boxes at a time because they're too close together).  Invest in an all-in-one board (like the units made by Line6 or Boss), if you can afford it.

6) After the gig, don't try and be the first one out of the pit.  If you know ahead of time that you need to run as soon as the last note is played, tell those around you that you have a special circumstance and will need to bail quickly - they'll be understanding and will have appreciated the heads-up.  What they won't appreciate is you jumping out of your seat and climbing over everyone to be the first person out without any warning.

7) Don't call any other player out regarding their part.  This should be obvious, but surprisingly that's not always the case.  Unless you are a section leader and you might have some helpful suggestions to the other players in your section, it's best to leave that stuff to the MD.  I played in one pit where a brass player kept pointing out the mistakes made by a violinist. He was really being an asshole about this.  After a few instances of this, the string player turned around and yelled at the brass player to mind his own parts...and things just got a little tense after that.  If you're not the MD, it's not your place to say anything about anyone else's playing.  If the MD doesn't like what that player is doing, they will let them know.  Just stick to your own part.

8) Be mindful of other people's instruments.  You might be playing a cheap acoustic guitar for this show, or you might be using a road warrior bass (you know, the cheap one that you don't mind if it gets dinged-up a little).  But keep in mind that some of the other players in your pit might have paid a whole lot more for their instruments.  Some of them might cost the same as the car you drove to get to the gig.  So be careful of other people's property!  If you carelessly walk through the pit and knock over someone's beautiful bassoon or trombone...well, I wouldn't want to be you in that situation.

9) Watch for cues!  It's happened to a lot of us - you are vamping the same chords for a few minutes while the action is developing on stage and your mind wanders and you don't watch for the cut-off cue - and you end up playing a solo when everyone else has already stopped.   Embarrassing.  Awkward.  Don't do this; if necessary, put a big symbol on your music to watch for the cues so you'll know to pay attention.  And don't automatically assume "each night this vamp usually plays for about 10 measures" - it's live theater.  You never know when you might need to cut off from one night to the next.  Save yourself the embarrassment - just pay attention to the person with the baton.  It's not hard.

10) Watch your volume.  This not only applies to while you're playing, but just as importantly this applies to watching it in between songs.  When the song ends and the applause dies down, be sure your volume pedal is silent or your volume control is all the way down BEFORE you take the guitar off and put it back on its stand.  Nobody in the audience (or in the pit) wants to hear your open strings resonating at full volume because you forgot to turn down.  They don't even want to hear your hands brush the strings.  Once the music stops, the audience shouldn't even know you're down there, so keep silent and pay attention to your volume or pedal settings in between songs.

Again, most of these things should be self-evident to any mindful musician but these are the things I've seen in pits that can make things difficult for you and others. 

If anyone has any other tips they'd like to pass along, I would love to hear them - leave them in the comments so others can see them too.

Playing in the Pits - Part 1

For about ten years now, I've been playing guitar in various orchestra pits for musical theater.  This is a great way for a guitar player to really hone your chops - sight-reading-wise especially - but it's definitely different from any other venue you may be used to playing.

You really have to learn how to be able to follow your written music while at the same time following the conductor, who will be establishing the tempo, managing dynamics, and bringing the orchestra in or cutting you off depending on what's happening on-stage.  For people who have been used to playing in orchestras or marching bands since school, that may all be second-nature...but it was a totally new world for me as a guitarist who would either lead my own bands or play with others in a more relaxed atmosphere.

I know a lot of guitar players may not read standard music notation, but this is a must for musical theater gigs.  Too many young players these days rely on chord charts or (worse) tablature to navigate through a written piece of music.  This won't cut it in the orchestra pit - there's no two ways about it.  You have to learn how to sight-read, and learn it well.  Sometimes you'll get the written part in advance so you can practice and learn the show you're going to play; but you need to be ready for anything.  I've taught guitar to students (usually younger kids) who tended to nod off when we got around to the sight-reading part of the lesson - they just wanted to "rawk" - but I always tried to impress upon them how useful this ability can be.

You also have to be very comfortable - if not fluent - with all styles of music.  During any one show, you may have to play songs in various styles: rock, country, latin, funk, jazz, and anything in-between.  You need to be able to pull this off, regardless of how well you can read the notes; you can't fake good funk comping or jazz phrasing.  It really helps if you are familiar with all of these styles so that when the score calls for it you can pull it off.  I've heard players who think they can fake their way through these styles and it doesn't sound right.  Start listening to some classic jazz players (Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, George Benson, Charlie Christian, Freddie Green), funk masters (Prince, any of the Tower of Power players, Jesse Johnson, etc), as well as the rock gods...but more importantly than listening to just the guitarists, listen to the bands they play in and how the players interact with each other.  You'll start to pick up on specific phrasing or grooves that may come in handy when you need to start swinging through a jazz chart in a pit, for example.

I'm not the best at playing country music; can't stand listening to it, actually, but lots of scores call for some country-western tunes at some point.  This is one area where I can use a little more work, admittedly...thankfully, only a couple of shows that I've played so far really call for that style of playing (and one show had everything written out so as long as I could dial-up a decent country patch on my effects board, I was able to slog through it - but I knew even as I was playing it that this was not my preferred style and I could tell it showed in my playing).

The gear you may use in a pit is going to be different than what you normally play through.  No need to haul your cabinets and stacks around for this type of gig.  A small amp is usually sufficient, as you will most likely be miked from the pit - and you shouldn't play too loud in the pit anyway (I'll write another time about some basic pit etiquette that I've picked up over the years).  I usually bring a Strat, an effects board and my JC-120 amp, though I may downsize the amp soon (that sucker is heavy to haul around).  Depending on the requirements of the show you might have to also play an acoustic, a banjo, a mandolin, etc., and switch between them a lot during the show...sometimes during the same song!

It helps also to generally have an understanding of how the orchestra adds to and supports the show you are playing and the best way to learn this is to just listen to (or go see!) some musicals.  I've always loved musical theater ever since I was a kid and was able to play my parent's records of shows they loved (Sound of Music, Gigi, Camelot, My Fair Lady) - of course, none of these shows have a guitar part, but this is my point - I was exposed to lots of different musicals when I was younger and I could hear how the orchestra supported the singing on-stage and how the music set the mood or followed the action of a show in general.  If you don't have a lot of experience with this, it helps to check out some musicals to hear this for yourself.  Check out shows like West Side Story, Ragtime, Seussical or even Rent to hear how the music supports the action on stage or can set certain moods - a lot like the score of a movie can set the mood for certain scenes.  Believe it or not, this will affect the way you play so that you're playing less as a soloist and more as a part of an ensemble.

Like I said earlier, playing in this environment is a different world than what you may be used to - but it's rewarding and will really make you a better overall player. Plus, it's a blast! It's fun to be able to contribute to the production of a live show.  It's not always easy to get into these types of gigs - a lot of it depends on who you know - but if you're lucky enough to be a good, well-rounded player with some connections, I'd definitely suggest getting into the pits.

Fishbone is Red Hot!

I just finished watching the new documentary about Fishbone ("Everyday Sunshine"). If you're a fan, I recommend it. The film chronicles the history of the band and does a pretty good job hypothesizing why they never hit the big time. This was a band that influenced the Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, and tons of other acts - some of which went on to become multi-millionaires - but Fishbone still struggles to fill small clubs to this day.

That's something I just can't wrap my head around, because Fishbone was probably the most amazing live act I've ever seen - and I've seen a few. The first time I saw them was around 1987 when they opened for the Beastie Boys. I was there to see the Beasties and didn't even know who Fishbone was. But I left that show a fan and have remained so to this day. I saw them several times over the next few years and was more blown away by their live act than each time before.

First, visually they were high-energy - before the first song in their set was done they probably did 3 stage dives, joined the mosh pit, and worked up a major sweat. They never stopped moving, jumping, climbing the lighting rigs, bouncing off each other on stage...all while singing, playing and keeping the groove going. To this day I've never seen a live act with as much energy as those guys put out.

And then their music was something I hadn't heard before: a mixture of ska, funk, rock, punk, and just about any other style you could think of adding. Their songs ranged from all-out party anthems ("Party at Ground Zero") to the more serious ("Ma and Pa", "Change")...and everything in between.

Maybe this is one reason they never caught on as much as their contemporaries: they were impossible to pigeon-hole or label. In the documentary, George Clinton put it best, saying effectively that they were too black for white audiences and too white for black audiences. Today I don't know if that would have been as much of an issue but 20+ years ago I think that mattered more.

But even more than that I think that after a certain point their music lost direction and it was even harder to nail them down. I really liked their first 4 albums but then they started getting more experimental and they sounded less like they were writing complete songs at a certain point...and that's kind of when they lost me, even as much as I loved their earlier stuff.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers lost me, too, when they went much more mainstream and commercial - I enjoyed the Chilis' earlier albums much more. Even though the Chilis ripped Fishbone off, what I liked about both bands was the way they fused multiple styles together on their earlier albums - but at some point their styles really diverged: Fishbone got more unpredictable and lost some of their audience while the Chilis got mroe radio-friendly and became millionaires.

But even as fans we can't expect these guys to remain the same for such a long career and I totally understand their desire to branch off and try new directions. Art has to grow and change to survive. And artists have to be true to themselves while somehow keeping the business of music in mind as well - and this is where I think Fishbone lost their direction. They were dropped by the major label that supported them for their early albums and the film makes it look like they struggled to find their footing after that. And they're still struggling with that to this day. They just recently put out a new album that I haven't yet heard, though after watching the film I'm more interested to check it out.

The film kind of leaves their future up in the air but in a way that's appropriate, since that's how their career has been for some time. I hope this movie gives Fishbone a little more of the attention they deserve and increases their fan base, kind of like how the "Anvil" movie did for that band. I'm glad I was around to see them as much as I did years ago - they were something else entirely.

Here's a link to the movie trailer.

We're Going Digital, Folks

An article I recently read online noted that digital music sales surpassed physical CD sales for the first time in 2011. Probably the only thing that surprises me about that is that it didn't happen sooner. According to the article, digital purchases accounted for 50.3% of music purchases - just slightly edging out physical CD sales.

Is this a good development? I have mixed feelings about the trend towards an all-digital music world, and I have no doubt that this is where we're headed - there are fewer and fewer places where you can go and shop for CDs these days. Some people will say that digital tracks don't sound as good as their CD counterparts (and some real die-hards still claim that CDs never sounded as good as vinyl)...but I'm not in that camp. Maybe it's because I've been to too many rock concerts in my day and my hearing isn't what it used to be any more, but I can't really tell the difference sound-wise.

For me, I still like the experience of buying a CD and having something to unwrap, open up and explore. I like reading the liner notes and seeing where it was recorded, who produced and mixed the tracks, who played on which tracks, who they were written by, and if there are lyrics and photos included, all the better. In the digital world, I have seen and purchased a few online albums that did include a digital booklet download - but I'd like to see more of that...in fact, I think a digitial booklet should be an option to download with every digital album. I hope that trend continues. This would be especially welcome for digital classical/opera albums where the translation (libretto) is important to have available.

That's another thing: "albums"...do we still call them albums in the digital world? The iTunes store calls them albums, as does the Amazon MP3 store...but that doesn't ring right to me somehow. When I think of an "album", I always think of a large vinyl disc with a little hole in the middle, stuffed into a slightly larger cardboard sleeve. Even CDs, which are at least another tangible medium, to me were never really "albums" - they were always called "CDs" to me. But in an all-digital world, the idea of calling a collection of binary files on a hard drive an "album" seems a little silly. But I don't want to run the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man so I'll get with the program and will agree to call them "albums" still - even though they're not.

My biggest gripe about an all-digital music world is that the concept of an album loses its meaning when tracks can be purchased individually and listened to in any order you choose. Musicians devote a lot of time and energy deciding on the ordering of tracks on an album. When tracks are downloaded individually or listened to out of their intended order, you lose a lot of the intended effect of the album.

As an example, the other day I was working in the kitchen and I had my iPod (on random mode) playing through some speakers. The first track of "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came on, and just after "So let me introduce to you/the one and only Billy Shears/Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the iPod switched right away to another random song, because that's how the Sgt Pepper CD had the tracks divided. It just didn't sound right to not hear "With a Little Help From my Friends" right after...just like it wouldn't sound right to not hear "Living Loving Maid" right after "Heartbreaker" from the Led Zeppelin II album. The tracks were ordered that way for a reason but we lose that with the randomness of the digital music experience.

Nowhere is the ordering of tracks more important than on a "concept album". These are albums that might tell a story across all of their songs, or develop an idea throughout the duration of the album. To me, the best examples of concept albums could be found in Pink Floyd's discography: "The Wall". "Animals", "Dark Side of the Moon" - all of these albums explored themes and concepts that could only be fully realized by listening through the entire albums in the order they were intended. Other examples of good concept albums were "2112" (side A) by Rush, "Scenes From a Memory" by Dream Theater, and even the Beatles' "Sgt Pepper". There was no randomness in the way the songs for these albums were meant to be laid out - but if you were to only download one track off the digital versions of these albums, you would lose the whole concept of the album - or if you chose to listen to all the tracks in some random order, it would be like skipping through a book and reading random chapters out of order. Not the same experience. Not 100% bad, but not the same.

The only exception to this that I've seen in the digital world is the "Lovesexy" album by Prince. If you try to buy that album in iTunes or Amazon MP3, you can't buy individual tracks - you can only purchase the full album. There are no separate tracks - it's just one large file containing all of the songs in their original album order. That's a gutsy move in the digital world; not making each track available separately might cost Prince some album sales (not that he'd be too hurt financially), but at least it's an attempt to keep the songs in the order he intended. Odd choice, in my opinion...I don't remember the songs on "Lovesexy" having a lot to do with each other like a real "concept" album (I owned the cassette back when it came out) but I admire the effort.

On the other hand, there's a lot about the digital world that I like. I love the convenience of owning digital albums and not having to find extra shelf space in my house to store them. I live in a small house, so space is a premium. Even if I buy some new books to read I feel guilty if I don't give some older ones away to make room. I have piles of CDs all over my computer room as well as on shelves and there's just not a lot of room for new ones...having them all on my hard drive (and synced to my iPod as well as backed up to the cloud) is a nice convenience. I like to be able to sample tracks before I buy them, and having an entire store at my fingertips is great.

So I guess that I can live with the minor complaints I have about digital music (hopefully we'll see digital liner notes or lyric booklets become more available in the future), in exchange for the conveniences that the new world offers. As digital music sales continue to beat physical CD sales, it's not like I have much of a choice.

Grunge: when I started "getting old"

Full disclosure up front...I have never been a fan of the Seattle music scene that blossomed in the early 90's, and to which the marketing gurus of the record companies have since applied the label "grunge". I found that music in general to be boring, directionless and sloppy, and the lyrics too whiny for my taste. The only bands from that era that I could stand to listen to at all were Stone Temple Pilots and a little bit of early Pearl Jam.

So when I saw that Netflix had the documentary "Pearl Jam 20" available for viewing, I checked it out last night. Watching it just reaffirmed why I never fully got into them or that entire scene in the first place. In fact, I think I like Pearl Jam even less now than I thought I did before I watched the film.

They were a band that became extremely successful but always appeared to be uncomfortable with their success. Whether this unease with success was geniune or something just put on for the benefit of their fans, I don't know. I do know that they shunned whatever accolades were bestowed on them and were proud to do so. I guess my gut reaction to all that is: so why are you continuing doing something that is bringing you all of this success when you're clearly uncomfortable or unhappy with that success? This makes me think they were being a little disingenuous with their shtick, or that it was just to show their fan base that they don't really care about the trappings of fame and success. To me, it comes across as a little too self-centered and petulant.

I don't like to speak ill of the deceased but Curt Kobain was probably the worst case of this. If you can't deal with success...then quit your band and go into some other profession, and please - stop whining so much! If you can't deal with being an overnight millionaire, then I suggest you give your money away to charity (somehow I guess they were never that uncomfortable with success). Pearl Jam's singer, Eddie Vedder, also strikes me as being more than a little whiny about his success. In fact, he comes across in this documentary as being whiny about almost everything, which to some, I guess, comes across as uber-cool and above it all. It made me just want to reach out and slap him.

On the other hand, I have to give them some credit when Pearl Jam went up against Ticketmaster and that company's policy of gouging ticket-buyers in the form of their "convenience fees", and even went so far as to tour in venues where Ticketmaster couldn't do their business. I think that was admirable, as it most likely cost them some income...of course, by that time Pearl Jam had already made their millions and built a huge fan base. So it was easy for them to lose a few large bookings at that point. Would they have been brave enough to buck Ticketmaster early on their career when they were struggling? I wonder about that.

As far as their music - I liked a few of their early songs but thought they were repetetive and bland as their career went on (at least, what I heard on the radio). I thought their playing was sloppy and lifeless, and that applied to just about all of the bands that were getting airplay in the early 90's. Frankly, I couldn't tell one grunge band from the other. It seemed as if they were all trying to sound like Nirvana or Pearl Jam, even down to the mumbling style of singing.

I don't know, but maybe I can point to the early 90's when all of this was happening and could say that this is when I started "getting old", since this was the first movement in popular music that I could point to and say "I don't get it". There have been plenty others since then, too (each year I try to watch the grammy awards show and more and more I find myself saying "who the hell is that"?). I say this because obviously I'm in the minority with these opinions - Pearl Jam has a huge fan base after all these years and the documentary gives camera time to many of those fans saying how much Pearl Jam has changed their lives. Still, I have to say congratulations to any band that has been popular for 20+ years. They're touching some nerve out there, even if it's not one I was born with.

Songs in the Key of Life

My friend Larry recently posted to his Facebook wall: "Dusted off the ol' Songs in the Key of Life album today...how can an album be any better?" My answer is that it can't get much better than that.

I think it was Christmas of 1976 when I was given Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" album as a gift. I was eight years old and was laid up in a body cast after having been hit by a car while playing ball in the street with my friends. An eight-year old boy in a body cast tends to receive a lot of gifts but this was my most memorable. Songs in the Key of Life is now considered to be the pinnacle of Stevie's recorded output, but even as an eight-year old kid hearing it for the first time, I knew this album was something special.

Even the packaging was something I'd never seen before: it was a double-album, but when you opened the gatefold you saw an extra 45 inside a pocket that was cut into the inside of the packaging. The album artwork, as I recall, was such that it appeared you were staring down into caverns and the 45 was at the center of it (man, I miss album artwork). There was a lyric booklet included which contained at least one full page (in a tiny font) of names that Stevie listed as influences and people to thank. The lyric booklet was done very artfully using a beautiful font throughout and was a pleasure to read through while listening to the music.

Oh, and the music...the album opened with a choir of voices (which upon closer listening is just Stevie singing all of the voice parts) leading into "Love's in Need of Love Today", a soulful, almost gospel-like plea for peace in the world that set the tone for the rest of the album - I remember being hooked as soon as I heard that song.

"Have a Talk With God" is somewhat preachy but set against a 12-bar blues/funk groove that still makes it cool.

"Village Ghetto Land" - another serious message song about the plight of the ghettos. No instrumentation to speak of except for Stevie's synthesized strings. To this point, the album sounds like it's going to be 4+ sides of "Serious news to pass on to everybody", until...

"Contusion" - Bam! This one hits you right between the eyes. Especially coming off the quiet strings of the previous track, Stevie lets his band throw down in an instrumental fusion masterpiece. Excellent guitar work on this track by Michael Sembello. This leads right into...

"Sir Duke" - probably the most popular track off the album. While this has been overplayed to death it still remains a hook-filled tribute to some of the early heroes of jazz. This track was my personal introduction to the greats mentioned in this song: Basie, Miller, Satchmo, Ella and Duke - and most likely led to my own exploration of jazz over the years.

...and that was all just Side 1!

The rest of the album remains just as strong - there's really not a weak track on the entire collection. Even the extra 45 (included in the package as "A Something's Extra") contains 4 very strong tracks. To say that Stevie was prolific is an understatement - everything about this album, including the lyric booklet, is epic. This album capped a very successfull period in Stevie's musical career - many agree that the 70's was his most creative decade - he just couldn't do wrong with the albums he released during this time. But with Songs in the Key of Life, he hit it out of the park and reached musical heights that few can only dream about.

I don't remember who it was that gave me that album 35 years ago, but it still sticks with me to this day and hasn't lost a bit of its vitality. If you're unfamiliar with this one, I can't recommend it enough.