Hey there! Been a while since I posted anything, and it’s certainly not that I haven’t been listening to lots of different music. But this posting isn’t about Los Super Seven’s Heard It On The X (a great recollection of a Tex-Mex border AM station), and it’s not about the seminal 1920’s jazz sounds of Fletcher Henderson or Luis Russell, and it’s not about the V-Disc collection, Louis Prima: The War Years (even though “Felicia no Capecia” definitely deserves to be mentioned), and it’s not even about Paul Simon’s new release, Surprise, which is a pleasant but not earthshaking one. It’s about 70’s pop.
Today I spent my ear-time with Three Dog Night (“Best of”) and ABBA (“Gold”), two pop group masters of their era – and no scoffing. Sure, I know that pop is the perky cousin of slouchy rock; the bowl of sugary peanuts to rock’s beer and a shot; the smiley face to rock’s raised middle finger. But sometimes it’s just plain fun, and when good musicians do it, it’s better than that.
Yes, I said good musicians (and good producers). Three Dog Night was primarily a cover band, and their tastes are far beyond the Archies or the New Christy Minstrels. They covered people like Randy Newman (“Momma Told Me Not To Come”) and Laura Nyro (“Eli’s Comin’”) and Harry Nilsson (“One”) and Hoyt Axton (“Joy To The World” – although there was a time I would have happily sautéed Jeremiah’s legs in garlic and oil with a sprinkling of fresh parsley). These are not the common herd of writers, and the covers are excellent ones, catching the spirit of the songs in sparkly, harmonized pop settings. They work, and work well.
And then there’s ABBA, who was not a cover act. Their songs, primarily written by the two B’s (Bjorg and Benny), are great pop: terrific hooks, cleverly written lyrics (go ahead: challenge me) , solid harmonies – particularly the two A’s (Anni and Agnetha), and synthesizer-driven 70’s dance-style production. There’s not nearly as much discobeat as you might think, and songs like “Fernando” and “Waterloo” and “Take A Chance On Me” (jangling around my brain all afternoon) still catch you up and make you smile.
If you’re in the mood for indulging, the two sets mentioned above (Best of Three Dog Night (MCA, 1983) and ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits (Polygram, 1993) offer excellent overviews of the two groups. So go ahead – pour yourself a Harvey Wallbanger and just let the music happen.
2 Comments:
Personally, my favorite Abba song was and is "Super Trouper." As far as I know, the only song ever written about the lighting rig. Okay, I know it's really just another "life on the road" song, but still, for a brief shining moment there, the crew got some recognition. For the uninitiated, Super Troupers are one brand of the big giant spotlights that reside way in the back of the hall and create the circles of light that follow the performers around the stage.
http://www.strongint.com/products/Strong_Follow_Spots/STLong/
Love "Super Trouper" - an archetypal ABBA song (though aren't they all?).
And now for the implicit challenge: songs about lighting rigs. Well, to the best of my knowledge, there aren't any others that reference gizmo esoterica like Super Troupers BUT...
First and foremost, there are a host of songs entitled simply "Spotlight" performed by folks including Madonna, Eric Carmen (Raspberries, anyone?), David Crosby, and lest we forget, the Waifs. A spotlight is generic - sure - but it's part of a lighting rig, right?
And then there are songs that reference lighting in one way or another, ranging from Billy Joel's reference to those fancy Times Square displays - you're familiar with them as I recall - in "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" to Ethel Merman's stage directions in "Everything's Coming Up Roses" ("Curtain up! Light the lights!") to the opposing stage direction from The Doors - "When The Music's Over (Turn Out The Lights)".
And finally, there's the rigger's nightmare soundtrack from Richard and Linda Thompson: "Shoot Out The Lights"!
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