WORDS FOR KURT

KURT COBAIN
February 20, 1967-April 5, 1994

I had not intended to write anything about this particular musical figure and uncompromising artist but something within the four winds pointed me in this direction.

April 5, 2014 marked the 20th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide and like so many of you, I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. In 1994, I was 25 years old, three years out of college and still living somewhat of the campus life as I was working at the University Book Store, located on the campus' beautiful Library Mall, as a sales clerk in the General Book Department. While the location was truly a pinky toe step into the "real world," those years while working at that store were a full dive into the deep end of those "real world waters" as I had graduated from college into a recession and had fund myself alongside other highly educated individuals in a collective of dead end jobs. Over-educated and underemployed indeed. As with my generational brethren (which I still REFUSE to refer to as "Generation X," a media driven term if there ever was one, as well as being just as lazy as it is stupid), I really believe that the 1990's represented a period of intense self-discovery and serious soul searching as we did want to try and find something meaningful to devote our lives to but we didn't necessarily want to tread the same well-worn paths or at least, not in the same way as generations past. But even so, trying to hold onto integrity alone did not pay the bills, so there we were, filled with hopes but an increasing sense of irony and cynicism with the realities of the world around us.

With regards to music, I was extremely in tune with the alternative music explosion of the early 1990's (which I still REFUSE to refer to as the "grunge scene," another media driven term if there ever was one that remains just as lazy as it is stupid as "Generation X") but I still wasn't quite sure if I fully trusted it. That being said, I do remember vividly the very first time that I had heard the music of Nirvana. It was on a very inauspicious night as I was walking home from the Book Store and stopped into a State Street liquor store to purchase a bottle of something or another for my then girlfriend/now wife to imbibe that evening with dinner. I stepped into the store and was practically knocked flat by this intense and gut punch of a wall of sound. Guitars, drums, feedback and snarling vocals were flailing about the store's four walls and I found myself spending more time than necessary looking for a bottle of something or another to purchase and take home.

Now that time musically, circa 1991, was devoted to a flurry of hair metal bands, overly processed pop, increasingly plastic dance music as well as the rock star behemoth known as Guns N' Roses. The time was filled with all manner of flash and pyrotechnics, some successful and entertaining but mostly, so soulless and irritating. What I heard that night in the liquor store had an air of truth and guts and passionate fury that had been so missing for so long that after several songs and knowing full well that I could not spend the full evening just listening to this music, whatever it was, I selected a bottle, approached the counter to make my purchase and then, I asked the clerk what it was that he was listening to.
     "Nirvana," he said.
Hmmm...Nirvana, I thought to myself. Yes...I think had I just read something about them in some music publication recently...and also please note dear readers and listeners, that this moment occurred before their breakthrough album "Nevermind" (released September 24, 1991) had become the SONIC BOOM we all know it to be. The ascent of Nirvana was beginning to build steam, the world was taking notice and on that very first listen, they truly grabbed me by the collar, shook me around and I liked it so much that I knew that I would eventually be back for more someday.

Once that SONIC BOOM did occur and the media appropriated the band, and especially appointed singer/songwriter/guitarist Kurt Cobain as the spokesperson of a full generation, I did become even more skeptical. While the force and power of the music still prevailed certainly, it was all so obscured and swarmed by a legion of new bands that I truly had difficulty differentiating from one to the next, and also especially if these bands were the real deal or just flannel/thrift store wearing wannabes delving in nothing more than feedback and attitude. I was definitely paying attention but I wasn't quite sold.

What began to sway my attention towards appreciating this time period and the great bands of that era was the slow realization that these people were essentially my age. That this was the generation of music fans that are now of the age to which they can be making their own records and so, I found myself gravitating towards the groups and artists that were truly comprised of music fans, rather than corporate constructed falsities. I slowly began to build my love for The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails, the two bands of that generation that I embraced the tightest...and still do. Stone Temple Pilots began to catch my attention when they embraced the glam rock and power pop that obviously inspired them. The ferocious and uncompromising integrity of Pearl Jam spoke for itself even if I hadn't quite latched onto their music yet. These artists, among others during this period, were all unquestionably music fans. That was the draw for me and that is what formed my allegiance to all of them.

And then, there was still Nirvana, the one that broke through and soared to the sun without ever artistically compromising themselves, but I just had this nervous feeling that the weight that was placed upon them, and Cobain in particular, would ultimately undo them. They just didn't seem strong enough to me to shoulder everything that had been attributed to them. Truth be told, I don't think that I was really able to articulate those sentiments to myself back then but I honestly felt nervous. That something abut this band and this man was just too fallible, when everything around them was suggesting or even demanding them to be infallible.

So, on the day that Kurt Cobain ended his life and the news spread through the world. I remember that I was standing at the General Book Information counter with my friends, co-workers and full representatives of my generation and age demographic just cracking wise during one of those lulls anyone in retail will instantly recognize, when the phone rang. It was the girlfriend of a co-worker and she informed him of the horrific news. he hung up the phone and informed all of us standing there that Kurt Cobain had killed himself via a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. He was only 27 years old.

Now unlike so many of you, I wasn't devastated when I heard the news. Don't get me wrong, I was indeed shaken by the tragedy of it all. But I was feeling the way that I was because it all felt to be so sadly inevitable. I do not say this to be flip or to at all denigrate what a tragedy it was and will forever remain. It was just how I felt at the age of 25 having already lost some of my heroes. I lived through John Belushi's drug overdose and I lived through John Lennon's assassination and I had already housed the what ifs had the likes of Jim Morrison and especially Jimi Hendrix had lived. When Kurt Cobain's own drug addictions and struggles with depression, compounded by the onslaught of fame and the intense scrutiny that arrived with that fame, had ailed him severely, I do remember feeling that it was only a matter of time. Friends I had also felt the same. When the news of one overdose hit the media, we felt that sorrowful clock ticking its hands. Then it happened, and I vividly remember one friend/co-worker cynically admitting, "Well... our generation hasn't has its great rock tragedy yet."

And then, we did.

I guess I always had a slight sense of conflict with the band. In regards to the praise that "Nirvana changed music," I emphatically disagreed. Again, that is not designed to be flip or denigrate their legacy. My feelings are rooted in the reality that everything Nirvana achieved musically was completely rooted in all of the music that came before them. Remember they were music fans and it showed in the art they created. They were not copycats at all, but the roots of what they wrote and recorded are all present in a variety of forms which are easily discernible. Nirvana was not a band that re-invented the wheel, so to speak, as The Beatles eventually did. Or even artists like David Bowie, The Velvet Underground or James Brown among others. I could hear all of the artists of the 190's and 1980's alternative music scene from punk to New Wave in their intent, approach and attack. Cobain himself claimed how the Pixies were a massive influence upon his songwriting as well. So, in those respects, I never felt that they changed music itself, per se. And had they continued, maybe they would have been one of those bands to completely re-invent the wheel but of course, we will never know.

But now, as I think of Kurt Cobain 20 years on, perhaps he and Nirvana did in fact re-invent the wheel.

What Kurt Cobain and Nirvana always represented to me was a sense of truth that had been sorely missing in music for quite a lengthy spell during that time. A sense of that grit and teeth and the feeling that we are hearing a musical voice in a way that we had not heard in far too long. One that was earnest and unwavering in its passion, uncompromising in its volume and heart. That we are hearing that blood and fire in the tracks that tells the listener that what we are hearing is the sound of individuals who are indeed laying their lives in these grooves. Not for the pursuit of fame and fortune but because this is the one and only way they know how to communicate and leave a mark upon the world. That level of honesty was something that was just not heard so forcefully in rock music during those years at the dawn of the 1990's and for me, that unconventional purity spoke to me powerfully.

Music during that time was so prefabricated and homogenized that music functioned less as art and more as some sort of accessory. Nirvana and Kurt Cobain as a songwriter re-invented the wheel in how we all listen to music by forcing all of us to not treat music as an accessory but as art to become as passionate about as the performers. Yes, there will always be people like myself who are music fanatics that hang onto every single note but for the masses, the general public, Nirvana changed how we reacted to music, how we felt about music and therefore, how we connected to music and furthermore, how we connected to the artists and each other through the music. If that is not re-inventing the wheel, then I am not certain what else could be I feel that right now in 2014, we have reached that point again where music is just not something to be passionate about as the artistry of the album has faded, the single format has risen to prominence and artists have given way more to a more producer driven culture. Music has become a plastic accessory once again and I cannot help but to wonder who just may re-invent that wheel to remind us that music is art. Yet, 20 years ago, Kurt Cobain did just that.

20 years ago, I also bristled as the comparisons between Kurt Cobain to John Lennon as I just felt them to be unfair as Lennon, by the time of his death, had truly changed how we saw the world through his music, artistry, opinions, and intensely brutal journey of self-discovery within his art for over a nearly 20 year period. Kurt Cobain, on the other hand, had only had a fraction of that time. Now, 20 years on, I realize what a mistake I made with that assessment because if time was to be the sole factor in how an artist could change how we see the world, then what would that make of Jimi Hendrix's legacy, for instance, a musical existence that was over and done in just three to four years? Time is irrelevant as well as being an illusion. The impact is all that matters and nobody can deny the impact Kurt Cobain had upon us, no matter how much actual time he had to be in the world.

And to be even more empathetic to the younger fans whose worlds fell apart when Kurt Cobain passed, I was not a teenager who loved the band and I now understand that the day the horrible news broke for them was exactly like how hearing the news of John Lennon's death was for me.

More truthfully, as I now understand, my conflict in regards to Nirvana and Kurt Cobain rested within the media reaction towards the band and how those reactions and perceptions reflected themselves upon the band and Cobain in particular, something Nirvana had conflict with themselves and therefore no control. With those John Lennon comparisons  for instance, why couldn't the media just allow Kurt Cobain to exist and be treated as his own man and not in the shadow of someone else?

When I arrived back at my apartment on the day Kurt Cobain died, I clicked on MTV to catch any stories that they would inevitably be reporting and I was greeted with the sight of the channel's "Walter Cronkite" figure, music journalist/writer Kurt Loder, a figure who was indeed knowledgeable but did often come off as one who was not above pandering to the "industry of cool," as Writer/Director Cameron Crowe wrote about so brilliantly in his outstanding film, "Almost Famous" (2000). In reporting the news abut Cobain's suicide, Loder was his most pompously and unctuously repugnant as he wore a black arm band and instructed the viewers at home to race out and buy all four of Nirvana's releases at that time. Loder was an agent for the machine at that point and I could feel Cobain retching in eternity at the completely disingenuous display.

I used to think that Nirvana didn't really change music but they changed the music business but now after 20 years, I see the music business is just the same as it ever was. Kurt Cobain was perfectly built for the art of music. Yet, I do not think that he was built for the business of music. If he had lived, I do wonder how he would have lasted anyway. Despite all of his thrashing and fury, Kurt Cobain displayed a fragile soul, perhaps too fragile to survive in this business which was already threatening to swallow him and his band whole. If he had lived, I wonder if he would have found a way to continue making music like Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden or Billy Corgan or former bandmate Dave Grohl have each accomplished. But was his skin too thin for something so ravenous? We'll never know...

I have four Nirvana releases within my music collection, yet I don't listen to them very often now and truthfully, I didn't at the time. Mostly because the grandeur of Billy Corgan and Trent Reznor's music speaks to my spirit in a much greater fashion. But now that 20 years have passed, there is something about Kurt Cobain's particular musical spirit that has called to me and has driven me to re-acquaint myself with this music. In doing so, I am struck once again at what attracted me initially back in that liquor store in 1991.

I am hearing and basking myself in his legacy, his beauty, his poetry, his fury and rancor, his grace and tranquility, a legacy that will continue for as long as there are those who treasure truth in art are are seduced the power of a soul merged with music. Unmatched and unequaled, we will never see the likes of someone quite like him again.

And how much better we are for having had him when we did.

R.I.P. Kurt. R.I.P.

THE SOUND OF GRACE: "BREATHE" THE NEW SINGLE BY JEN HANNAH

"BREATHE"
Music and Lyrics by Jen Hannah

Jen Hannah: All Vocals, Drum Programming
with
Andreas Schuld: Guitars, Drum Programming, Engineering
Finn Manniche: Cello
John Hegner: Piano

Produced by Jen Hannah

Music will always find you. Even when you may not be ready for it, it is always ready for you.

Dear readers and listeners, I have to admit that I was more than a little anxious and even trepidacious about the song that I am preparing to describe to you. But first, I have to give you the backstory...

Nearly two and a half years ago, I wrote about an artist named Jen Hannah. I received a copy of her 2011 debut album "Grateful" (as profiled in the April 2011 section of this blogsite) as a series of digital files and slowly, I began to find myself emotionally taken with the album's quiet power as conveyed through Hannah's deceptively simple songwriting and lyricism and most definitely, through the rich and enveloping warmth of her actual singing voice, which truly evokes the solemn and seductive pull of singers like Karen Carpenter and Dido.

Sometime in late January or possibly very early February of this year, I found a brand new digital file waiting for me inside of my in-box, a file described as the Master recording of Jen Hannah's new, and as of yet unreleased single, entitled "Breathe." Under normal circumstances, any new piece of music, especially one directly delivered to me, would've propelled me to click open my computer's media player to begin listening immediately. But this time, I paused. Not because of any issues pertaining to lack of time or the hour being too late in the evening to delve into something new. I was honestly trepidacious as to what I would potentially hear. I was actually quite nervously apprehensive as I was envisioning the song would provide the very type of undertaking that I just did not want to deal with yet. And still, there it was. Silently, patiently waiting for me.

To explain even further, the song "Breathe" arrived to me during a tumultuous period within my life. First of all, and as with so many of you, I was forging ahead through an unprecedented, brutally unforgiving and seemingly endless Winter, starring not one but two appearances of what would be known as the "Polar Vortex," plus the seemingly constant snowfalls, shoveling, ice storms and all of the stresses that accompanied them in regards to travelling and driving around my city. It was more than enough to place my spirit into a dark mood.

Secondly, and without going into any extensive details, my life as a preschool teacher this year has proven to be one of my most challenging years, as it has been confounding, distressing, defeating and saddening for myself and my co-teachers as we have been faced with a roomful of family crises that none of us have ever dealt with before, thus placing us in the position of being social workers attempting to hold 20 young lives together rather than performing the actual act of "teaching."  

In addition to that, there was the passing of my Grandmother, who made her transition near the end of January at the age of 93. At that time, I had just traveled from Wisconsin to Illinois for her funeral, at which I was a pall bearer, a task which I know I will one day be asked to take on again and will also dread every second of it. It was an experience that I accept as a fact of life, as well as a fact of her own blessedly lengthy life, but as she seemed to be so immortal, I guess the reality of her not being in the world in any physical form remains unfathomable to me.

All of those issues combined and then compounded with grief, mourning and dealing with the fact that despite what one is feeling, life continues onwards, was more than enough to make me want to just roll up and hibernate for the remainder of Winter to escape the overwhelming sadness that I was trying to keep at bay. Seeing that actual hibernation was not an option, perhaps I could at least drown out the stresses and the sadness with all manner of distractions, including music--and the louder the guitars and drums, the better.

And then, "Breathe" appeared.  

Somehow, I knew what would be there waiting for me within the song and I just couldn't face it. Jen Hannah's voice is so supremely natural, so beautiful and pure, so unaffected and sublime, that the unencumbered qualities of it are so entirely disarming, that it just feels...naked. And therefore, your reaction to her voice is equally naked in turn. I think in the precise moments, it feels as if whatever walls you have erected have tumbled down, all forms of irony and cynicism have been eroded and your nerve endings are exposed. At least, when I hear Jen Hannah's voice, I can say that is exactly what happens to me.

So, one night as I sat at my computer, there was the digital file, still waiting for me to play it and I just could not make myself click on the proper button. I sat there and just looked at that digital file for what seemed like hours, even though it was less than even one minute, as I felt prepared yet so unprepared for what feelings I may encounter upon hearing this music. I just didn't feel ready but I had to try it and give it a chance, didn't I? If I could not just devote 5 minutes and 15 seconds of my life to something that was sent to me as a gift, then what would that say or suggest? I finally forced myself to click the "PLAY" button on the screen and I began to listen...

The first sounds of the song "Breathe" is a guitar, delicately performed by Andreas Schuld. Slow, quiet, slightly lulling and tender. Mere moments after this acoustic introduction, Hannah begins to sing the following words...

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in...again..."

I clicked the song off right then and there, mentally saying to myself, "I can't do this now."

What stopped me in my tracks was the very quality that draws me to Jen Hannah's music the most. Hannah's voice, simultaneously Maternal and lushly comforting, entirely and instantly upended me and I was immediately faced with the feeling that the floodgates I had been holding back would potentially flow without warning and then, be unable to cease. I just couldn't do it. I could not listen to that voice at that moment, even though it was sent to me in kindness, support and healing.

And so it sat in silence for many more weeks...

In the interim, I continued to listen to a large amount of music of course, including "Morning Phase," the latest album from Beck, and one I profiled just last month  Within that posting, I included a quotation from comedian Louis CK concerning our need as human beings (especially in our overly technological age and dependency) to be able to find the beauty in being alone and without distractions and when we find ourselves in those times, we should not retreat from oncoming waves of sadness but to just allow ourselves to be steamrolled by those emotions. To ride that wave of melancholy to its fullest and then experience what occurs on the other side of that wave. I included that quotation as it described the feelings I went through as I listened to and loved that particular album. And even still, I kept Jen Hannah's song at a distance. Because, I rationalized, Beck's album did contain a certain window dressing that I could hang myself onto, from the production to the stunning string arrangements and so on. For all of its lush beauty, Beck's album was not something that I could consider to be as naked as Jen Hannah's material.

Finally feeling a sense of bravery, as well as frustration with myself at my behavior towards an unheard song, near the end of March, I finally made myself burn the digital file to CD, so I could at last listen to the entire song in the car in solitude...and if I fell apart, then so be it.

And so, very early before sunrise and on my way to work, I finally listened to "Breathe" in its entirety...

As before, "Breathe" greeted me with the soft, gentle guitar notes and the solemn warmth of Jen Hannah's instructions, which soothingly concludes with her melodic humming. Then, the lyrics arrive...

"In the still of night/I am called," she begins quietly and accompanied by Finn Manniche's subtle, empathetic and non-intrusive cello. "And even though fears arise/I will walk the road ahead," Hannah continues as the song gradually builds towards the first verse's climax in which she sings, "I will walk/for Life is wise." What struck me about this moment in the song, the point in which we return to the chorus and our ears are met with the rise of a cymbal wash, is how Hannah essentially tricked me. That rise in her voice and the arrival of that cymbal wash, seemed to signal that "Breathe" was ready to begin taking off in that standard fashion, the standard that lets the listener know that we will be ascending towards some musical peak where the singer will soon find themselves in what sounds to be a near operatic aria. But, in this case, it is not to be...and frankly, I was happily surprised that it didn't.

"Breathe" continues on its muted yet graceful path in a most soulful way as the instrumentation, now including John Hegner's piano and very tasteful drum programming by Hannah and Schuld, begins a purposefully slow march forwards...and a march is precisely what this song happens to be. Hannah sings, "Even though I don’t know/What lies ahead/And doubts arise/I will follow one step at a time/I will follow as Spirit guides." Those words, while some might feel to be indirectly religious or at least hymnal and possibly so, truly struck a chord within me as they superbly echoed some of the most spiritual music that I tend to listen to normally. Take Pete Townshend's more meditative and overtly spiritual musical prayers like 1972's "Parvardigar" or 1982's "The Sea Refuses No River," for instance. Or even my beloved Todd Rundgren's defiantly individualistic lyrics from his 1975 prog rock/fusion track "Initiation" when he sings, "Where my spirit says to go/you know that's were I must go." It became clear to me and my ears that Jen Hannah is cut from the very same cloth as these musical figures that have heroically enriched my life for so much of my life.

Skillfully, Hannah switches the perspective of "Breathe"' which began as a set of gentle, persistent instructions to the listener to simultaneously becoming an inner dialogue to herself, and still, keeping every sound in elegant control and not spiraling off into histrionics. In this age of such excess, it is truly a gift to hear an artist who truly understands that to covey strength and some sort of musical approximation of the human spirit, that sometimes the strongest actions occur when we are at our most fragile.

The song arrives at its mid-section, as she sings "Step by step/And breath by breath/Here I am/I surrender." You can hear the tentativeness in the the song's rhythm, which moves then pauses and moves again, yet Hannah's voice flows through without interruption. And then, there is that notion of "surrender." Much like that aforementioned Louis CK quotation, "Breathe" taps effortlessly into the emotional wellspring that suggests strongly that sometimes, we need to fall apart just in order to pull ourselves back together and move forwards again. To ride that emotional wave and find ourselves transformed on the other side. Feeling as if we cannot move even one pace yet somehow finding the impetus to make even one step at all is fully acknowledging a tenacity of the human spirit that is capable but sometimes, or often, so difficult to locate and summon. But, for so many of us, we still do.

From here, "Breathe" returns to its chorus and makes its way to its conclusion, which finds Hannah's sweet hums caressing our ears wonderfully into the song's fade out. For a song this delicate, one may find "Breathe" to be ethereal but trust me, do not let the calmness of the song fool you, for I felt turbulence within the words and the feeling that the lyrics were not a collection of easy sentiments but something lived in and therefore, learned and now shared. Jen Hannah's "Breathe" is a song that is firmly and powerfully grounded.

What amazes me about Jen Hannah's songwriting, production, and arrangements is that she never allows any sonic treatments to get in the way of her lyrics and her voice. Like her album "Grateful," it feels as if every sound is designed to be built in support of her words and voice, making a foundation so strong that if her words and voice were not on the track, then the music would just float away. As I also stated in my posting about "Grateful," this is indeed not the sort of music that I would typically gravitate towards. But, when I hear it, she does make me think of someone like Joni Mitchell (you may also even hear traces of Sarah McLachlan) as Hannah somehow gives the song space to..ahem..breathe. Hannah finds the music not only within the music itself but in the spaces between the notes, making the silences as essential as the notes that are played and sung. It is such a gifted quality she possesses and she utilizes a certain economy of her musical language to create a world of emotions with so seemingly little.

The same could equally be said for her lyrics. If you just had the lyric sheet in front of you, you may feel that her words are fairly simplistic. Well, they are simplistic but in the best possible fashion as she clearly does not need to say any more than she does, so why waste words trying to fabricate an elegance that already exists so exquisitely? For "Breathe," Jen Hannah also, and oddly enough, reminded me very much of the children's book author/illustrator and novelist (as well as Madison resident and native) Kevin Henkes, who created cherished picture books like Chrysanthemum, Owen, and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, plus the beautifully empathetic young adult novels Words Of Stone, Protecting Marie, and Bird Lake Moon among others. Henkes is a writer who also finds a tremendous amount of grace through a strict economy of words that expresses all that could ever be expressed but as simply as possible. Jen Hannah finds the perfect words for the perfect moments thus making a song that will floor you without being sonically overwhelming or in that overwrought way that clutters radio stations and television singing competition programs.

And so, having heard the song, did I fall apart upon first listen? Well...no, actually. I didn't. I was undeniably moved but no tears fell on that first listen. Or the second. Or the third, fourth, eighth, or twentieth. I have listened to "Breathe" with incredible frequency lately, having heard it more times than I have heard her album "Grateful." Its richness keep surprising me and I am just struck with how the song's pull grabs me so instantly and just as sharply as that first time.

And then, without warning one day, it indeed happened. "Breathe" hit me in that inexplicable place where I could do nothing but cry. And cry...and cry....and what did I do?

I pulled into a parking lot and rode that wave until I emerged on the other side. And then, I did as the song said. I breathed in. I breathed out. I breathed in again and moved forwards once again.

Thank you, Jen. For having something I needed before I even knew that I needed it.

CODA:
Dear readers, maybe this is something you will need, and fall in love with too. I strongly invite all of you to visit Jen Hannah's website at http://jenhannahsings.com/ for information all about her, her album "Grateful," her upcoming projects and of course, watch for "Breathe" once it arrives!!!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY TO SYNESTHESIA!

"The artist is like a secretary, whether he is a writer, a musician or a painter: He keeps records of his time."
-Max Roach

"When you live your life through records, the records are a record of your life."
-Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson

Leave it to the drummers to perfectly encapsulate what Synesthesia is all about.

Dear readers and listeners, I am humbled beyond measure at this time as I am here to THANK YOU ALL so endlessly and profusely for your support and enthusiasm over Synesthesia as this site has now reached the milestone of existing in the world for one full year!!! Just a tad over a year ago when I first began thinking about creating a companion blogsite to Savage Cinema, I was so extremely nervous yet excitedly anxious about the possibilities of what a celebratory virtual home to music could look like. Writing, as I am certain that you can tell by now, is truly a lifelong passion for me and while all writing contains its share of difficulties, as I think the process is akin to piecing together a puzzle, where the puzzle pieces just happen to be words, writing about music just felt to be daunting to an unprecedented degree. I mean--how does one write about music? It's almost like finding a way to write about air! But, even so, I really wanted to try.

With Synesthesia, I wanted to build a blogsite where I could try to express and explain to you just how important music has been and will always be to me throughout my lifetime, which I do sincerely hope is a long one as I wish to hear every piece of music that I am able. I wanted to try my very best and write about what I was listening to, hoping that my words could just maybe summon the colors that swirl in my brain when I do actually listen to music every day, and through the writing  maybe you could see what I see when I hear what I hear. I wish for all of you to know that I have never felt that anything I have written to exist as forms of music criticism.as I have never wanted this site to be about criticism. Synesthesia is celebration. No more, no less. And I hope that particular spirit has come across to you if you have veer chosen to read anything that I have written. Just taking the time to read anything that I have written means more to me than I could ever find words for and I could never thank you enough for taking any time whatsoever out of your lives to spend time reading about mine. Because with Synesthesia, when you are reading about the music you are indeed reading about me.

Now this journey has not always been an easy one and not just because of the elusive nature of the subject matter. In some ways, and at some times, I have felt that Synesthesia is sort of like the under-appreciated younger sibling to Savage Cinema, as that site has built up a small but steady readership over its four years of existence. With a few exceptions, readership on Synesthesia has existed at a very distant second to Savage Cinema rather than as its equal, and because of that reality, my most sensitive and very thin-skinned spirit has occasionally wondered just what the purpose of going through this writing process actually was, especially if it seemed as if I was writing inside of a tunnel. At my most melancholic moments, I even quickly tossed around the suggestion to myself to close Synesthesia down altogether, a suggestion that I would just as quickly bat away from my thoughts because it was in those moments when I would remind myself of why I even wanted to do this in the first place.

I did not begin Synesthesia to build an on-line readership. I began Synesthesia to celebrate music and write all about this form of art that has meant absolutely everything to me ever since I could even begin to recognize exactly what music was. Of course, I wanted people to read what I have written and respond positively to it but that was not the point of it all. I wanted to play tribute to the artists, musicians, performers, singers and songwriters who have touched my life so powerfully, and through this experience I discovered that I was also tracing the events of my life and emotions, as they related to the music, in the process. I now see that Synesthesia is a version of a diary, albeit one set to the soundtrack of my life.

I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed what you have seen on this site and I promise to do my very best to continue and grow with what I have begun. I want to keep showcasing the new music I am listening to, the favorites that have shaped me, and of course, continue the "playlists" that occur each month, the songs that compile everything I "play" on WSPC. Also, and as with Savage Cinema, I am trying to begin a dialogue with all of you as I truly want to know about the music that you hold dearest and ho wit has played a role in your lives. Both Savage Cinema and Synesthesia are extensions of myself with the hopes to find out more about all of you and I sincerely hope that you will take the journey with me.

Year one is now done! Upwards and onwards to Year 2!! And for now, I leave you with more words from one of the greatest drummers to ever hold two sticks, words that even further encapsulate what the journey of Synesthesia means to me.

"Every time I have sat down to play my instrument or write or do anything else, I have given everything I had and knew at that time. To me everything I did was the best I could do...I hope that day by day and year by year, I grow and learn more."
-Max Roach

I hope you continue to join me...

WSPC SESSION NOTES FOR APRIL 2014: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORE

FROM THE DJ'S STUDIO DESK:

"Record stores can't save your life. But they can give you a better one."-Nick Hornby

Like the title of this posting emphatically implores of all of you: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORE!!! I do not mean any box store establishment or nationwide coffee store emporium that happens to also sell music. I mean, an authentic brick and mortar record store. I do realize that such places are sadly less prevalent than in the past but they do still exist and they will only continue to exist if we choose to frequent them, support them and cherish them as essential members of our communities, our interpersonal, face-to-face, human-to-human communities that is.

On April 19, 2014, the seventh official Record Store Day, the nationwide annual event which celebrates the culture and (again) community of independent record stores will occur once again. This day will feature a plethora of EXCLUSIVE items that recording artists and record labels will make available solely on that day--a list of items that you can easily peruse on the official Record Store Day website (www.recordstoreday.com)--and it is an event that has inspired legions of music fans to physically fill up record stores across the country, gathering together in that joy of discovery and unabashed love of music.

For me, it is a day that truly fills my heart. While I have to admit that those aforementioned EXCLUSIVE items are the draw and also quite expensive in some cases, I just love visiting a few records stores in my city on that day just to see these establishments filled from one end to the other with actual, bonafide people, some of whom have arrived as early as 7:00 A.M. to partake. It is a sight that especially warms me so tremendously as I strongly feel that the record store is truly one of the last public places we have that inspires a sense of togetherness, conversation and communication between friends and most importantly, strangers.  I make that statement without any sense of hyperbole. Yes, of course we have restaurants and coffee shops but even those places have gradually become locations where we have become increasingly isolated within the virtual worlds of our own making. And while movie theaters and sports stadiums are designed for everyone to jointly experience a collective event together yet separately, I do wonder if records stores are representative of the final bastions of physical, interpersonal communication and public inter-connectivity. Whether they are or not, I just know that, for me, records stores are unlike any other places I have ever visited in my lifetime. They are sanctuaries to me. They are as sacred as art museums. They are the places where my life has changed over and over and over again.

While I do not remember the very first time I ever set foot within a record store, my life within record stores began during my childhood as I would occasionally venture into them with my Father when he made purchases for himself. By the later 1970's, perhaps by the time I was eight or nine years old, and propelled by my developing obsession with The Beatles, I began to buy my own records with the allowance money I received from household chores.

Throughout my formative years, from childhood all the way through adolescence, my primary record store experiences were centered around two locations. Mostly, I found myself happily wandering around JR's Music Shop, located inside Evergreen Plaza, a shopping mall near my home and also at times, at Rose Records which was located just shy of the deafening L train tracks in downtown Chicago.

What I remember being transfixed by the most were the walls of albums, with their cover artwork vividly displayed like paintings from one end of the store to the other. And like paintings in those aforementioned art museums, those album covers elicited a world of emotional responses from me as certain album covers instantly attracted my attention, like the giant multi-colored spaceship that adorned albums by Electric Light Orchestra's "Out Of The Blue" (released October 3, 1977),  or even terrified me, like the horrifying and downright evil looking green face from "Alice Cooper Goes To Hell" (released June 25, 1976).

 

While I always was ready to find my musical heroes and even superheroes like Queen's "The Game"(released June 27, 1980) and KISS' "Destroyer" (released March 15, 1976)...

 

...there were the ones that challenged me so deeply that I was truly unsure of what to think about them at all. The purple shaded and sinister robotic form of Grace Jones on "Nightclubbing" (released May 11, 1981), for instance.

Or there was the frighteningly alien David Bowie on the frighteningly titled "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" (released September 12, 1980) and the abstract science fiction of Rush's "Hemispheres" (released October 29, 1978).

 

No matter how safe or dangerous the album covers seemed to be, they were all there for me to regard, completely without judgement or any pre-conceived opinions. The imagery altered my perceptions by not only how I was just beginning to look at the world but also with how the images would suggest to me what the music itself could possibly sound like. And soon, as I found myself pouring through the categories, record bins, and walls of cassettes, I realized that this particular place was precisely the place for someone like me.

Over the years and to this day, the world of the record store became a place of invention and most importantly, the joy of discovery. That sense of discovery always occurred when I was hoping and wishing to find a desired title, and subsequently feeling that tremendous sense of striking gold when said item was ready and waiting for me to take it home. Even better are the times when I have absolutely no idea whats over of what I am looking for but I will always just know it when I find it. That sense of discovery is exactly how Badfinger came into my life. It was how Big Star and even The Police entered my life as well. The band Real Estate, as I stated last month, was completely foreign to me until I entered Strictly Discs on Monroe Street with the intent of purchasing a completely different title and finding myself completely mesmerized by what I was hearing over the store speakers so completely that I purchased that album as well on the spot.

Inside the record store, I have always loved the full tactile experience of feeling the weight of the records in my hands, turning the package over and over studying song titles and album credits, and eventually making the discovery that every piece of the record store experience contributed crucially to the actual musical experience. So many memories I have when listening to certain albums are due to the circumstances in which I purchased those albums from the record store.

I vividly remember Tuesday, March 9, 1987. I was 18 years old and during a free period from school and just some time before I was set to take a class field trip to who knows where, I ventured several blocks from campus to the record store (whose name escapes me) that was located on 53rd street in Hyde Park and bought a cassette copy of U2's "The Joshua Tree" which was released that very day. I popped the cassette into my Walkman and headed back to school with "Where The Streets Have No Name" blaring between my ears and "With Or Without You" pounding along with my heart as I stepped onto the yellow school bus and sat along with my friends.

At that very same record store, I actually had the audacity to purchase a copy of Tangerine Dream's "Force Majeure" (released February 1979) with mostly...pennies!!

Of course, the increasingly angry clerks had to count every single penny despite my claims to my honesty and yes, as the sale was finally completed, I was sternly instructed to NEVER do that again. Message received. But you know, when I have to have my music, I'll get it however I am able!

That it essentially how my album collection and record store visits increased over my teenage years. I had my allowance money and I also had my wages from my part time job working in my high school library--a job I attained solely to be in the presence of a college girl who also worked at the library! When I was surprised to actually receive a paycheck, my first thought was "Now I can buy more records!"

When I arrived in Madison in the late summer of 1987, I had found my record store "Mecca" as State Street contained not only a Rose Records, but also a Discount Records (where I would briefly work shortly after my college graduation), a classical music store, the Exclusive Company, the legendary B-Side Records and a variety of used record stores including the resilient Sugar Shack. It was during this time that the entire culture of the record store community began to reveal itself to me. I slowly began to make friends at each store, aside from B-Side, which was a place that seriously intimidated me as that store's staff suffered absolutely no musical fools lightly at all. Each store possessed its own character and identity and yet they were all filled with somewhat similar and decidedly left of center individuals who truly and passionately loved music and spoke of artists and bands the way some kids would speak of sports players and the stats found on baseball cards. It didn't matter what the musical format was especially as my four years of college saw the music industry weathering the sea change from vinyl to compact discs. The music was all that mattered and the record store was the place in which to congregate.

With the rise of the internet community and the sea change from physical releases to digital releases and downloading, the record store has become a ore obsolete environment. My beloved State Street "Mecca" is gone as Discount Records, Rose Records, and the Exclusive Company have all folded. The classical music store is long gone. And only the mighty B-Side Records, my personal record store of choice, remains standing on that street to this day.

It just makes me so sad to witness this erosion of something that has meant the world to me at the expense of advancing technology, as I feel that the two could very easily co-exist. They serve different purposes for different people and different needs but to extinguish one in favor of another is just something I cannot reconcile within myself.  Please be assured that I am not some sort of Luddite as I am not against technology. I download music just like you, I do occasionally purchase music online and I do love how more artists have taken control over their own careers by making the connections between themselves and fans more direct. And furthermore, the internet has become a wonderful way to discover new artists as well. And hey, I do have this blogsite, don't I? But, for me, there is just no other place in the world like a record store, for the environments, for the physicality and most importantly of all, the people and the connections we all make in the same space together.

This year's Ambassador of the Record Store Day celebration is none other than the inimitable Chuck D. of Public Enemy, who in a statement, expressed the following:

"I don't go one single day without emphasizing that the genre of hip-hop is spawned from DJ culture. The founding members of Public Enemy were, and still are, DJs. The tool and fuel for DJs has forever been recordings. And where these recordings have long connected, with pros and fans alike, has simply been The Record Store, the connection point of listener and the recording."

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

I cannot imagine what my life would have been like if record stores did not exist and were not a tremendously huge part in shaping the individual I am. It is entirely due to that endless gratitude that I will always step through the doors of a record store for as long as they are able to exist...and I sincerely wish that they are able to exist long after my own lifetime for any individuals out there who need to find a place to call their own and find others like themselves as well, all the while discovering great music along the way.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORE on April 19th...and for each and every day thereafter.

WSPC PLAYLIST MARCH 2014

March 1, 2014
"Camouflage" performed by Youngblood Brass Band
"When Problems Arise" performed by Fishbone
"Flashbulb Eyes" performed by Arcade Fire
"Voodoo Child" performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

"Wouldn't It Be Good" performed by Nik Kershaw
"Imagine A Man" performed The Who
"Turn The World" performed by Harry Belafonte

"He Used To Cut Grass" performed by Frank Zappa

March 2, 2014
"Act Naturally" performed by The Beatles
"Everyone's Gone To The Movies" performed by Steely Dan
"Dirty Movies" performed by Van Halen
"Cracked Actor" performed by David Bowie
"Bad Little Actress" performed by Utopia
"Groovy Movies" performed by The Kinks
"Bette Davis Eyes" performed by Kim Carnes

March 3, 2014
"I'll Stick With You" performed by The Primitives
"The Hardest Walk" performed by The Jesus And Mary Chain
"Gangster" performed by Electronic
"Lake Shore Drive" performed by The Innocence Mission
"Bizarre Love Triangle" performed by Frente!
"Go Jetsetter" performed by The Postmakrs
"Moth To A Flame" performed by The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger-WSPC PREMIERE

March 4, 2014
"The Bend" performed by Real Estate-WSPC PREMIERE
"Whatever Happened To The Times" performed by Bobby Womack
"I'm Running" performed by Yes
"Heartsong" performed by Zwan
"Lonely Press Play" performed by Damon Albarn-WSPC PREMIERE

March 5, 2014
"No More Drama" performed by Mary J. Blige
"Dragon Days" performed by Alicia Keys
"Strange Little Girl" performed by Tori Amos
"Bone Chaos In The Castle" performed by Kaki King
"Orange Moon" performed by Erykah Badu

March 6, 2014
"FUNKNROLL" performed by Prince and 3rd Eye Girl-WSPC PREMIERE
"Ethiopia" performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Enemy Lines" performed by DJ Shadow
"Money" performed by Pink Floyd
"The English Roses performed by The Pretenders

WSPC CARTOON BREAK: "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History-Ludwig Von Beethoven"
and "Fractured Fairy Tales-Son Of Rumplestilskin"

"You're All I've Got Tonight" performed by The Cars
"One Bad Stud" performed by The Blasters
"Little By Little" performed by Robert Plant
"Homeward Bound" performed by Fleetwood Mac

"Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" performed by The Killers
"Listen Like Thieves" performed by INXS
"Planet Earth" performed by Duran Duran
"State Of The Nation" performed by New Order
"Deeper And Deeper" performed by The Fixx

March 8, 2014
"The Way I Feel Inside" performed by The Zombies
"Opportunity" performed by The Charlatans UK
"Vibes And Stuff" performed by A Tribe Called Quest
"Diamond In The Rough" performed by Ernie Isley
"I Need You Tonight" performed by Peter Wolf

"Wave" performed by Beck-WSPC PREMIERE
"Unknown Caller" performed by U2
"Almost Blue" performed by Elvis Costello
"Randy Scouse Git" performed by The Monkees
"Mary" performed by Supergrass

"Let's Go Crazy" (live in London-February 2014)" performed by Prince and 3rd Eye Girl-WSPC PREMIERE

March 9, 2014

FEATURED ALBUM "ORANGES & LEMONS" XTC (1989)
"Garden Of Earthy Delights"
"Poor Skeleton Steps Out"
"Cynical Days"
"The Mayor Of Simpleton"
"The Loving"

"I Don't Sleep, I Dream" performed by R.E.M.
"Hung Up And Hanging Out To Dry" performed by Julian Cope
"Good To Your Earhole" performed by Funkadelic
"My Brother's A Basehead" performed by De La Soul
"Spin It On" performed by Paul McCartney and Wings

"Time Has Come Today" performed by The Chambers Brothers
"No Time" performed by The Guess Who
"No Time" performed by The Monkees
"Time" performed by Pink Floyd
"Time Shift" performed by Jimmy Chamberlin Complex

March 10, 2014
"Hitch A Ride" performed by Boston
"Little Miss S" performed by Edie Brckell and the New Bohemians
"Promiscuous" performed by Nelly Furtado with Timbaland
"99 Problems" performed by Jay-Z
"Animal" performed by Pearl Jam

March 11, 2014
"I Do" performed by Lisa Loeb
"Baby's Coming Back" performed by Jellyfish
"Playboy After Dark" performed by Imperial Drag
"Perfect World" performed by Broken Bells-WSPC PREMIERE
"Small Time Blues" performed by Pete Drodge

March 13, 2014
"Stranger In Moscow" performed by Tame Impala-WSPC PREMIERE
"Jennings Farm Blues" performed by Led Zeppelin-WSPC PREMIERE
"FALLINLOVE2NITE" performed by Prince with Zooey Deschanel-WSPC PREMIERE

March 14, 2013
"Pi" performed by Kate Bush
"Sky Blue" performed by Peter Gabriel
"Wartime Prayers" performed by Paul Simon
"Sky Saw" performed by Brian Eno
"No One Can Tell" performed by Skysaw

"Paraphernalia" performed by Miles Davis-WSPC PREMERE

March 16, 2014
"911 Is A Joke" performed by Public Enemy
"Felt" performed by Garbage
"Blood And Fire" performed by Van Halen
"Barracuda" performed by Heart

March 17, 2014

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO BILLY CORGAN
All tracks performed by The Smashing Pumpkins except where indicated...
"Siva"
"The Everlasting Gaze"
"Hello Kitty Kat"
"Quasar"
"Pug"
"Sunkissed"
"Pinwheels"
"El Sol" performed by Zwan
"A100" performed by Billy Corgan
"Thru The Eyes Of Ruby"

"Cash Car Star"
"Bury Me"
"Violet Rays"
"Glass and the Ghost Children"
"Desire" performed by Zwan

"To Love You" performed by The Djali Zwan
"For Your Love" performed by The Djali Zwan
"Love Lies In Ruin" performed by The Djali Zwan
"Friends As Lovers" performed by The Djali Zwan
"99 Floors"

March 18, 2014
"Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" performed by Bobby "Blue" Bland
"Charlie's Theme" performed by The Jimi Entley Sound
"Girma's Lament" performed by Karl Hector and the Malcouns
"Is It Because I'm Black" performed by Syl Johnson
"I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" performed by Ann Peebles
"I'm In Love" performed by Wilson Pickett

March 19, 2014
"I'm Mandy Fly Me" performed by 10cc
"The Eagle Will Rise Again" performed by The Alan Parsons Project
"The Prophet's Song" performed by Queen
"Love Of My Life" performed by Queen
"Mission (A New World's Record)" performed by Electric Light Orchestra

March 20, 2014
"Here Comes The Sun" performed by The Beatles
"Tout Les Palmiers" performed by Beau Dommage
"Warm Ways" performed by Fleetwood Mac
"Blackbird Chain" performed by Beck-WSPC PREMIERE
"Spring Rain" performed by The Go-Betweens
"Good Morning Starshine" from the motion picture "Hair"

March 22, 2014
"Reach The Beach" performed by The Fixx
"The Formula" performed by Thinkman
"Mystery Disease" performed by MGMT
"Nothing Like This" performed J Dilla
"Sharkey's Day" performed by Laurie Anderson

HAPPY 55TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO MOE BERG
All tracks performed by The Pursuit Of Happiness
"Hard To Laugh"
"Consciousness Raising As A Social Tool"
"New Language"
"I'm Ashamed Of Myself"
"Heavy Metal Tears"
"Something Physical"
"She Kiss Away"
"Tree Of Knowledge"
"Gretsky Rocks"
"I'm An Adult Now"

March 23, 2014

HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO RIC OCASEK
All tracks performed by Ric Ocasek except where indicated
"Something To Grab For"
"Don't Tell Me No" performed by The Cars
"Not Shocked"
"Look In Your Eyes"
"Night Spots" performed by The Cars
"Since You're Gone" performed by The Cars
"Heartbeat City" performed by The Cars
"This Side Of Paradise"

"Life In One Day" performed by Howard Jones
"Fool's Paradise" performed by Rufus with Chaka Khan
"Rhinestone Eyes" performed by Gorillaz
"Beautiful Girls" performed by Van Halen

March 24, 2014
"Dark Sunglasses" performed by Chrissie Hynde-WSPC PREMIERE 

"So It Goes" performed by Nick Lowe
"Girls Talk" performed by Dave Edmunds
"Driver's Seat" performed by Sniff N' The Tears
"This Beat Goes On/Switch Into Glide" performed by The Kings

"Fever" performed by The Black Keys-WSPC PREMIERE

March 25, 2014
"The Bitch Is Back" performed by Elton John
"Rock Steady" performed by Aretha Franklin
"Maybe Your Baby" performed by Stevie Wonder
"One More Chance" performed by Fairport Convention
"Frozen Love" performed by Buckingham Nicks

"Vocabulary Spills" performed by De La Soul and produced by J Dilla-WSPC PREMIERE
"Snakes" performed by Pixies-WSPC PREMIERE

March 26, 2014

HAPPY 46TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO JAMES IHA
All tracks performed by James Iha except where indicated
"Messing With My Head" performed by Tinted Windows
"The Noose" (live) performed by A Perfect Circle
"Go" performed by The Smashing Pumpkins
"Never Ever"
Music from the film "Linda, Linda, Linda"
"New Year's Day"

"Shortberry Strawcake" performed by Shelia E.
"A Love Bizarre" performed by Shelia E. and Prince
"American Woman" (live) performed by Lenny Kravitz and Prince
"Let's Go Crazy"(live in London February 2014) performed by Prince and 3rd Eye Girl
"She's Always In My Hair" performed by Prince and 3rd Eye Girl

March 27, 2014
"Duke's Travels/Duke's End" performed by Genesis

"Stranger In My Own House" performed by Foreigner
"Calling Dr. Love" performed by KISS
"Foxy And Free" performed by Ace Frehley
"And The Cradle Will Rock" performed by Van Halen
"Lonely Is The Night" performed by Billy Squier
"I Hate Myself For Loving You" performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"TNT" performed by AC/DC

"Viscera Eyes" performed by The Mars Volta
"Calypso Frelimo" performed by Miles Davis

March 28, 2014
"Beauty Of A Dream" performed by Thomas Dolby
"Grow Old With Me" performed by John Lennon
"Maybe I'm Amazed" performed by Paul McCartney

"Trouble's Lament" performed by Tori Amos-WSPC PREMIERE
"Man Of Our Times" performed by  Genesis
"Natural Science" performed by Rush
"The Ocean" performed by Led Zeppelin

"My Love Is Winter" performed by The Smashing Pumpkins
"D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)" performed by Jay-Z
"Black Diamond" performed by KISS

March 29, 2014
"Don't Let Go The Coat" performed by The Who
"Save It For Later" performed by The English Beat
"Hero Takes A Fall" performed by The Bangles
"Where Not To Look For Freedom" performed by The Belle Brigade
"Find Another Fool" performed by Quarterflash
"Box Of Rain" performed by The Grateful Dead

"Pulled Up" performed by Talking Heads
"Bombs Away" performed by The Police
"E-Pro" performed by Beck
"I Know What Boys Like" performed by The Waitresses
"Words" performed by Missing Persons

March 30, 2014

HAPPY 69TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO ERIC CLAPTON
"I Looked Away" performed by Derek and the Dominoes
"Badge" performed by Cream
"Why Has Love Got To Be So Sad?" performed by Eric Clapton with The Allman Brothers
"Little Wing" performed by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" performed by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
"Boom Boom" performed by The Yardbirds
"Tearing Us Apart" performed by Eric Clapton
"Let It Rain" performed by Eric Clapton

March 31, 2014
"When I Say" performed by Badfinger
"How To Fight Loneliness" performed by Wilco
"Both Belong" performed by The Grays
"Blue" performed by The Thorns
"Watch The Sunrise" performed by Big Star

"Police On My Back" performed by The Clash
"I Fought The Law" performed by The Bobby Fuller Four
"Caught By The Fuzz" performed by Supergrass
"Sound Of Da Police" performed by Boogie Down Productions
"Gee Officer Krupe!!!" from "West Side Story"

"Time For Me To Fly" performed by REO Speedwagon

ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC: MARCH 2014

MARCH 1: "Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd was released on this date in 1973. Happy 41st Anniversary!!!

"Mellow Gold" by Beck was released on this date in 1994. Happy 20th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Nik Kershaw, singer/songwriter, age 56

ROGER DALTREY, singer of The Who/actor, age 70

Harry Belafonte, singer/songwriter/actor/political activist, age 87

Glenn Miller (deceased) was born on this date in 1904.

MARCH 2: "A Wizard, A True Star" by Todd Rundgren was released on this date in 1973. Happy 41st Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Chris Martin, singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist of Coldplay, age 37

Method Man, rapper of Wu-Tang Clan and solo artist/actor, age 43

Jon Bon Jovi, singer/songwriter/guitarist of Bon Jovi/actor/philanthropist, age 52

Dale Bozzio, singer/songwriter of Missing Persons, age 59

Larry Carlton, guitarist, age 66

Karen Carpenter (deceased) was born on this date in 1950.

Lou Reed (deceased) was born on this date in 1942.

Desi Arnaz (deceased) was born on this date in 1917.

Kurt Weill (deceased) was born on this date in 1900.

MARCH 3: "Crystal Ball"/"The Truth" by Prince were both released on this date in 1998. Happy 16th Anniversary!!!

"The Power To Believe" by King Crimson was released on this date in 2003. Happy 11th Anniversary!!!

"Plastic Beach" by Gorillaz was released on this date in 2010. Happy 4th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Tone Loc, rapper/actor, age 48

Robyn Hitchcock, singer/songwriter/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist of 

Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, The Soft Boys and solo artist, age 61

MARCH 4: "Pop" by U2 was released on this date in 1997. Happy 17th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Jason Newstead, bassist, formerly of Metallica, age 51

Chris Squire, bassist/songwriter/singer of Yes, age 66

Bobby Womack, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 70

Howlin' Wolf (deceased) was born on this date in 1923.

MARCH 5: Happy Birthday to the following artists:

John Frusciante, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist of Red Hot Chili Peppers/ singer/songwriter/producer, age 44

Eddy Grant, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 66

Andy Gibb (deceased) was born on this date in 1958.

Teena Marie (deceased) was born on this date in 1956. 

MARCH 6: "About Face" by David Gilmour was released on this date in 1984. Happy 30th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Phil Alvin, singer/guitarist of The Blasters, age 61

David Gilmour, singer/songwriter/guitarist/bassist/multi-instrumentalist 

of Pink Floyd and solo artist, age 66

Mary Wilson, vocalist of The Supremes, age 70

Wes Montgomery (deceased) was born on this date in 1923.

MARCH 7: "Young Americans" by David Bowie was released on this date in 1975. Happy 39th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Ernie Isley, guitarist/singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist of 

The Isley Brothers and solo artist, age 62

Peter Wolf, singer/songwriter of J. Geils Band and solo artist, age 68

Arthur Lee (deceased) was born on this date in 1945.

MARCH 8: "Queen II" by Queen was released on this date in 1974. Happy 40th Anniversary!!!!

"Collapse Into Now" by R.E.M was released on this date in 2011. Happy 3rd Anniversary!!!

"The Downward Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails was released on this date in 1994. Happy 20th Anniversary!!!

"Superunknown" by Soundgarden was released on this date in 1994. Happy 20th Anniversary!!!

"The Next Day" by David Bowie was released on this date in 2013. Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Gaz Coombes, singer/songwriter/guitarist of Supergrass, age 38

Shawn Mullins, singer/songwriter/guitarist/solo artist and member of The Thorns, age 46

Gary Numan, singer/composer/musician, age 56

Randy Meisner, singer/songwriter/bassist/guitarist of Poco, The Eagles and solo artist, age 68

Mickey Dolenz, actor/singer/songwriter/drummer/guitarist of The Monkees and solo artist, age 69

MARCH 9: "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz was released on this date in 1993. Happy 21st Anniversary!!!

"The Joshua Tree" by U2 was released on this date in 1987. Happy 27th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Robert Sledge, bassist of Ben Folds Five, age 46

Martin Fry, singer/songwriter/keyboardist of ABC, age 56

Robin Trower, songwriter/singer/guitarist of Procol Harum and solo artist, age 69

John Cale, singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist/

co-founding member of The Velvet Underground, age 72

Ornette Coleman, composer/saxophonist/trumpeter, age 84

MARCH 10: Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Timbaland, producer/songwriter/rapper, age 42

Edie Brickell, singer/songwriter, age 48

Neneh Cherry, singer/songwriter/rapper/DJ, age 50

Jeff Ament, songwriter/bassist of Pearl Jam, age 51

Rick Rubin, producer, age 51

Tom Scholz, songwriter/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/producer of Boston, age 67

MARCH 11: Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Pete Drodge, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 45

Lisa Loeb, singer/songwriter/guitarist/author/actress, age 46

Andy Sturmer, singer/songwriter/drummer of Jellyfish, age 49

Bobby McFerren, vocalist/conductor, age 64

MARCH 12: "Out Of Time" by R.E.M. was released on this date in 1991. Happy 23rd Anniversary!!!

Happy 66th Birthday to James Taylor!!

MARCH 13: "The Bends" by Radiohead was released on this date in 1995. Happy 19th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Common, rapper/producer/actor, age 42

Terence Blanchard, trumpeter/composer/film composer, age 52

Adam Clayton, bassist of U2, age 54

MARCH 14: "From Langley Park To Memphis" by Prefab Sprout was released on this date in 1988. Happy 26th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to Roger Powell, singer/songwriter/composer/pianist/keyboardist/synthesizer player/trumpeter/computer programmer/writer/member of Utopia and solo artist, age 65 

Happy Birthday to Quincy Jones, jazz trumpeter/

producer/arranger/composer/ television and film producer, age 81

MARCH 15: "Destroyer" by KISS was released on this date in 1976. Happy 38th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Terence Trent D'Arby, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer, age 52

Ry Cooder, singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer//composer, age 67

Sly Stone, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/leader of Sly and the Family Stone, age 71

Mike Love, singer/songwriter of The Beach Boys, age 73

Phil Lesh, bassist of The Grateful Dead, age 74

Charles Lloyd, saxophonist/composer, age 76

MARCH 16: "Face Danes" by The Who was released on this date in 1981. Happy 33rd Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists: 

Wolfgang Van Halen, bassist of Van Halen, age 23

Patty Griffin, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 50

Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, age 55

Steve Marker, songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist/producer of 

Spooner, Firetown and Garbage, age 55

Nancy Wilson, songwriter/singer/guitarist of Heart/multi-instrumentalist and film composer, age 60

MARCH 17: "Black Celebration" by Depeche Mode was released on this date in 1986. Happy 28th Anniversary!!!

"Van Halen III" by Van Halen was released on this date in 1998. Happy 16th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Melissa Auf Der Muar, bassist/songwriter/singer of Hole, 

touring member of The Smashing Pumpkins, age 42

Billy Corgan, singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/producer of The Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan and solo artist, age 47

Michael Ivins, bassist of The Flaming Lips, age 51

John Sebastian, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 70

Paul Kantner, singer/songwriter/guitarist of Jefferson Airplane & Jefferson Starship, age 73

Nat "King" Cole (deceased) was born on this date in 1919.

MARCH 18: Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Queen Latifah, rapper/singer/songwriter/producer/actress/television hostess, age 44

Jerry Cantrell, songwriter/guitarist/singer of Alice In Chains, age 48

Grant Hart, songwriter/singer/drummer/guitarist of Husker Du and solo artist, age 53

Bill Frisell, guitarist/composer/arranger, age 63

Charley Pride, singer/guitarist, age 76

Wilson Pickett (deceased) was born on this date in 1941.

MARCH 19: "Dressed To Kill" by KISS was released on this date in 1975. Happy 39th Anniversary!!!

"Violator" by Depeche Mode was released on this date in 1990. Happy 24th Anniversary!!!

MARCH 20: Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Jimmy Vaughan, guitarist/singer of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, age 63

 Carl Palmer, drummer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Asia, age 64

Lee "Scratch" Perry, legendary reggae producer, age 78

MARCH 21: "The Final Cut" by Pink Floyd was released on this date in 1983. Happy 31st Anniversary!!!

"Lullabies To Paralyze" by Queens Of The Stone Age was released on this date in 2005. Happy 9th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Slim Jim Phantom, drummer of The Stray Cats, age 53

Roger Hodgson, singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist of Supertramp and solo artist, age 64

MARCH 22: "Please Please Me," the debut album by The Beatles was released on this date in 1963. Happy 51st Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Susanne Sulley, singer of The Human League, age 51

Moe Berg, singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer of 

The Pursuit of Happiness and solo artist/author, age 55

Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer, age 66

George Benson, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 71

Stephen Sondheim, composer/lyricist, age 84

MARCH 23: "Larks' Tongue In Aspic" by King Crimson was released on this date in 1973. Happy 41st Anniversary!!!

"Van Halen II" by Van Halen was released on this date in 1979. Happy 35th Anniversary!!!

"Dream Into Action" by Howard Jones was released on this date in 1985. Happy 29th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Abe Laboriel Jr., drummer for Paul McCartney/

singer, songwriter, multi-instumentalist as a solo artist, age 43 

Damon Albarn, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer of 

Blur, Gorillaz and solo artist, age 46

Chaka Khan, singer/songwriter, age 61

Ric Ocasek, singer/songwriter/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/producer of 

The Cars and solo artist, age 65

MARCH 24: "Diamond Hoo Ha" by Supergrass was released on this date in 2008. Happy 6th Anniversary!!!

"5150" by Van Halen was released on this date in 1986. Happy 28th Anniversary!!!

"The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads" by Talking Heads was released on this date in 

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

DJ Pasemaster Mase of De La Soul, age 44

 Nick Lowe, singer/songwriter/bassist/guitarist/solo artist/member of Rockpile/producer, age 65

Carol Kaye, bassist/session musician, age 79

MARCH 25: "Wings At The Speed Of Sound" by Paul McCartney and Wings was released on this date in 1976. Happy 38th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Elton John, singer/songwriter/composer/pianist, age 67

Aretha Franklin, singer/songwriter/pianist, age 72

MARCH 26: "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy was released on this date in 1976. Happy 38th Anniversary!!!

"Women And Children First" by Van Halen was released on this date in 1980. Happy 34th Anniversary!!!

"Gorillaz" by Gorillaz was released on this date in 2001. Happy 13th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

James Iha, singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer/DJ/film composer/member of Tinted Windows and A Perfect Circle/solo artist/co-founder & former member of The Smashing Pumpkins, age 46

Steven Tyler, singer/songwriter of Aerosmith, age 66

Richard Tandy, keyboardist/singer of Electric Light Orchestra, age 66

Diana Ross, singer/producer/actress, age 70

 Teddy Pendergrass (deceased) was born on this date in 1950.

MARCH 27: Happy 64th Birthday to songwriter/composer/keyboardist/guitarist/singer/member of Genesis and solo artist, Tony Banks!!!

MARCH 28: "Duke" by Genesis was released on this date in 1980. Happy 34th Anniversary!!!

"The Division Bell" by Pink Floyd was released on this date in 1994. Happy 20th Anniversary!!!

"Houses Of The Holy" by Led Zeppelin was released on this date in 1972. Happy 41st Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Lady Gaga, singer/songwriter/pianist/keyboardist/producer/dancer, age 28

Cheryl "Salt" James, rapper/actress/member of Salt N' Pepa, age 48

MARCH 29: "LOtUSFLOW3R/MPLS Sound" by Prince was released on this date in 2009. Happy 5th Anniversary!!!

"Starless And Bible Black" by King Crimson was released on this date in 1974. Happy 40th Anniversary!!!

"Guero" by Beck was released on this date in 2005. Happy 9th Anniversary!!!

"Breakfast In America" by Supertramp was released on this date in 1979. Happy 35th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Perry Farrell, singer/songwriter of Jane's Addiction/Porno For Pyros/creator of the Lollapalooza music festival, age 55

Vangelis, composer/multi-instrumentalist, age 71 

Patty Donahue (deceased) was born on this date in 1956.

MARCH 30: "Louder Than Bombs" by The Smiths was released on this date in 1987. Happy 27th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to the following artists:

Norah Jones, singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist, age 35

Tracy Chapman, singer/songwriter/guitarist, age 50

Eric Clapton, singer/songwriter/guitarist of The Yardbirds, Cream, 

Derek and the Dominoes, Blind Faith and solo artist, age 69

MARCH 31: "Presence" by Led Zeppelin was released on this date in 1976. Happy 38th Anniversary!!!

"London Town" by Paul McCartney and Wings was released on this date in 1978. Happy 36th Anniversary!!!

"Parade" by Prince and the Revolution was released on this date in 1986. Happy 28th Anniversary!!!

"Sign O' The Times" by Prince was released on this date in 1987. Happy 27th Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to Angus Young, songwriter/guitarist/co-founder of AC/DC, age 59