"What are you listening to right now?" thread | Page 616 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

vonbontee said

OK, this is kinda long, so read it or don’t…

Reveal Spoiler

OK, this is it, the big one, the man’s ultimate statement, his “White Album ” (or “All Things Must Pass “), two years in the making, released to the world in American Bicentennial 1976, two vinyl lps with 17 songs, one bonus 7” EP with another four, 105 minutes of music in all, plus a 16 page lyric book with full credits, and much spiritual blather from the auteur (there are lots and LOTS of words), plus 3 full pages where he thanks EVERYBODY, including stewards and stewardesses and record manufacturers and distributors and retailers, and Billy Preston and David Bowie and Frank Zappa (no Adrian Belew) and he even leaves an empty space just for us to add our own name there. His subject matter covers the usual life-love-peace-music-spirituality terrain, plus social commentary, and a joke or two. As for the music within, it’s wildly diverse and collaborative, with many session players and backup vocalists (close to 100 different voices in all), alongside some full band tracks and the usual one-man jobs. Everyone performs their tasks spectacularly; it all sounds beautiful to the ear, even the occasional unexciting bits. Stevie’s got a brand new fancy Yamaha synthesizer which he calls his “dream machine”; it’s one of the first polyphonic synthesizers (previous synths couldn’t play more than a single note at one time), and it’ll get put to good use here alongside his usual arsenal. As often, some tracks suffer from overlength (others benefit from it), and he’ll never be a natural lyricist. None of that matters, however, because there is just such an overwhelming heap of life-affirming sounds here; the man’s supply of original melodies is seemingly bottomless, as are his skills on the various keyboards, and that voice can redeem most of whatever bubbleheaded blabber it’s selling. 

Anyways, Side One. “Love’s In Need Of Love Today” is Stevie (many multitracked Stevies) imitating a gospel quartet, singing his redundant prescription for what the world needs now (one guess.). It’s nicely sung, but 7:05 is a bit long for a low-key, midtempo opener. It fades and we go immediately into “Have a Talk With God ” (“…the only free psychiatrist…”) It’s a weirdo, as Wonder backs his preaching (in a sly tone, like he’s imparting a secret message) with a sensual blues structure, a bit of harmonica, and burbling voodoo electronics – the spiritual, the human, and the machine all in one package. It ends with a cute little “thank you” that can’t help but remind me of “Ob La Di, Ob La Da.” “Village Ghetto Land” is a showpiece for the Yamaha, as Stevie backs his sad neighbourhood tour with an ironically elegant (think “Piggies ”) electronic string quartet. After these initial three low-key tracks, a jolt of energy. “Contusion” (title possibly alluding to his car accident?) marks the album’s first appearance of Stevie’s live band Wonderlove; it’s a hard-rocking jazz fusion instrumental with “seriously hot licks,” as they say, from 16-year old “Maniac” Michael Sembello. It all bubbles over, a synth meltdown; and with jazz-future having been glimpsed, we jump right into a reminder of its past. “Sir Duke” is a triumph, as true a “celebrating music while creating music itself worth celebrating” ode as was written, Stevie giving props to Louis and Ella and even Glenn Miller while updating some essentials of swing to the new post-rock era, and he’s having a ball, laughing and urging “GO, Wonderlove!”, he’s so happy at the way his band sounds. A superb side closer, and a deserved #1 single.

…and Side Two picks right up in that same uptempo strutting vein. “I Wish” (…those days / Could / Come back once more…“), Stevie reminiscing about (or imagining?) his childhood days of playing doctor and smoking and scribbling cusswords, and accordingly gettin’ whupped. If the words suggest self-pity over a carefree childhood that ended when after he became a pro, they don’t sound that way in the singing; Stevie’s whooping with glee once again. These Wonderlove tracks are among the album’s finest: It’s such a joy to hear a full band sound, with an authentic bass guitar player (nice neck slides there, Nathan Watts!) and drummer whose skills surpass Stevie’s own – as should be expected from someone named Raymond Pounds. This track snaps and pops! Next track is Stevie alone, and it’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet”; and it doesn’t, not really. “Pastime Paradise”, later made famous by association with Coolio and Weird Al, is a George Harrison -style spiritual admonition with more orchestral Yamaha, and a big finale involving 12 Krishna temple members plus 12 members of the West Angeles Church of God Choir singing contrasting parts, “I Am The Walrus ” style. Fade to nature sounds (birds, rain, crickets) which link to “Summer Soft”, happy music about sad breakuppy stuff, and people lamenting summer instead of anticipating winter and so forth. Absolutely lovely. “Ordinary Pain” is unusual – a 2-part breakup postmortem, told from two points of view. Stevie delivers his “For No One ”-style lament over gentle backbeats…which suddenly transform WHOMP into brick-thick rocking soul, as Shirley Brewer steps to the mic and gives HER sassy side of the story. A spectacular scene-stealing performance (Shirley has more mic time than the auteur here), and the first LP is over.

Side Three can be a bit enervating, its three songs reeeeally extending those codas. “Isn’t She Lovely” is Stevie’s world-famous tribute to baby daughter Aisha, so overfamiliar that it’s hard to appreciate. I think it’s an indestructible melody, and if he maybe keeps it going for a few choruses too many, his harmonica improvising is still a delight. (As is the adorable overlaid musique-concrete home-recording of the parents giving the babbling infant a bath – Steve cracks up when she voices what sounds like “Keep me !”)  “Joy Inside My Tears” is next, and it’s sllloooowww. “Black Man” (“…this world was made for all men”) features Wonderlove’s horn section decorating a percolating electronic track. (Along with Kraftwerk, another glimpse ahead to 1977 and Summer/Moroder/Bellotte’s breakthrough.) A full-blown eight-minute patriotic (Bicentennial-timed) American History lesson about the nation’s colours, not just the red-white-blue but also all the brownorwhiteorblack or red or yellow men (plus two women!) who helped build the nation and enrich the world. ‘murica! (The little lyrical factoids dropped throughout are actually kinda interesting.) Another extended coda, and this one does try the patience, as Stevie gets 13 teachers and 29 students from Harlem’s Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble to engage in a little pop quiz. Dunno why the teachers all have to sound so angry, barking out those questions like drill sergeants – I half expect the kids to add “Sir, yes sir!” before every answer. Oh well, still better than Pink’s psychopathic teachers from “The Wall”. And again, the groove is enjoyable in itself. Fade, and end.

Side Four now. “Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing” is a sparkling little jewel, Stevie singing about singing (about singing), first in Zulu, then Spanish, then finally English; the melody and arrangement are as exotic as the multiculti title suggests, and when the title phrase is finally full-throated in English coming out of the bridge, it’s a thrilling meta-moment. It segues into a solo harp, Wonder’s only accompaniment (but for a brief harmonica tag) on “If It’s Magic”. Song doesn’t do much for me, really (reminds me of Disneyish wishing-on-a-star music), but the lyrics are interesting: “If it’s special/Then why aren’t we as careful/As making sure we dress in style/Posing pictures with a smile/Keeping danger from a child,” and there are more references to the sun and galaxies. It really is striking how often this sightless man uses visual imagery in his work; it’s present in the following “As” as well, seven perfect minutes of Stevie pledging eternal love everywhich way forever and always, or “…until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea…the day that 8 x 8 x 8 is 4… the day that you are me and I am you…the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky”, etc. (Fills TWO full pages of lyrics!) The music is uptempo, kinda discoish without being mechanical, Stevie deploying his gruff, growly mode for effect mid-song, and Columbia Records even lets Herbie Hancock show up to play electric piano! Equally dance-floorable, “Another Star” follows without a breath, tempo even higher; it rides a minor-keyed but celebratory timbale-Latin beat that keeps pumping for 8:28, as Stevie seems (possibly) to be reflecting on his and Syreeta’s former marriage and their mutual happiness with new loves. This is one of Stevie’s extended codas that deserve the extra length; background singers add lotsa la-la-las, and a bit of Bobbi Humphrey’s jazz flute sprinkles extra spice into the stew. (George Benson is also present but virtually inaudible.) An exhilarating end to the second LP.

and now the encore…

“A Something Extra”, 4-song 7” EP

First is “Saturn”, a full-blown pomp-rock power ballad, with some very “soaring”, very English-prog sounding Yamaha as Stevie (always looking to the stars like he’s Luke Skywalker or something) dreams about a place “where the rings all glow/Rainbow, moonbeams and orange snow,” and angry people aren’t always fighting each other with gun-and-bible in hand. It fades out to the hopeful, happy sound of little girls doing a skipping-rope rhyme, which leads into “Ebony Eyes”. An instant ear-worm of a strutting Tin Pan Alley melody welded to a New Orleans blues, with goopy synth wobble sticking to the tack-piano keys, and a deliberately corny show-biz finale.

Flip it over, final side of this epic journey! And what a winner to start with. “All Day Sucker” is warped, electronicized Thelonious Funk(adelic) with brain-rattling fuzz guitars, plus robovoices taunting “All-day sucker-cup for your love” in every corner, as well as surprising chord changes on top of the odd rhythmic accents. A fantastic concoction. Fade after 5:05, and we’ve reached the conclusion. “Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call)” is the ending, the “Good Night ,”, the sweeping up, and it’s 3:58 of the nicest, laziest music imaginable, a shuffling childlike instrumental for harmonized multi-tracked harmonicas, an aural kiss on the forehead. Good night!

  

Steely Dan – Katy Lied