Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
I wouldn’t describe myself as a black and white guy, but often in our music debates we are called upon to either love or hate something. Yet sometimes we struggle with taking a side. And it’s not indifference. It’s fence sitting. Tonight I present 2 bands and 2 guys who’ve had me on the fence for too long. Also stay tuned for a Six-pack or Shotgun segment. Thanks to The Professor for his continued guidance and enlightenment.
Full disclosure: For good or ill, this episode of Saturday Night Shut-In was put together under the influence of some serious sinus medication.
[Note: You can add Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your iTunes by clicking here. The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player.]
Ridin’ In My Car – NRBQ
Concept World – Eddie Hinton
Inspiration Information – Shuggie Otis
Able Mable – Mable John
Nice ‘n Sleazy – The Stranglers
You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends – The Wedding Present
Rainmaker – Harry Nilsson
Mama Told Me Not To Come – Randy Newman
Rosy Overdrive – The Loud Family
The opening of this episode rang a huge chord for me. Milner rules!
I’ll provide more commentary later, but judging by the way you set this up, “Ridin’ in My Car” is such a great example of why NRBQ bugs me. That’s a solid song, but they way they deliver it, though some kind of sly, offhand manner, bugs the crap out of me. Either get a real singer in your band, I want to say to them, or drop the loose-limbed pose. Most likely that’s a reflection of their true selves and I should credit them for it, but their collective vibe rubs me the wrong way, as it would if their collective vibe took the shape of an actual human I met at a party. Make sense?
Just a couple of weeks ago I contemplated buying an Eddie Hinton collection. I may do so yet after hearing “Concept World” in full.
The Shuggie Otis song is currently playing. I don’t hate it one bit, although just the thought of that guy gives me agita. Maybe I’ll get into it later. It’s probably only 10% his fault, which won’t reflect well on me.
I can see the coin flip choice for the Stranglers, while that song has enough attitude to like regardless, anything weaker would probably come down on the irritating side for me.
I would greet Newman with the shotgun, but in fairness, I am a short person who’s got no reason.
Nilsson is extremely well-served by double tracking and warm production on the tune you spin.
My dog Rosie is lucky I haven’t tried to sing that Loud Family song at her. Or maybe I am, as she would surely run away, and then I’d have to sing Rosie, Won’t You Please Come Home.
I’m not sure I ever heard a Wedding Present song before. I liked that one. It sounded NOTHING like I’d imagined. I thought they were going to sound like the Birthday Party crossed with Echo & the Bunnymen.
I’m not on the fence with Harry Nilsson. He had talent and infused his songs with good ideas, but even without the depressing backstory he struck me as a guy who did his work on the fence. I don’t get a sense of commitment from many of his songs.
I generally can’t stand listening to Randy Newman, as is the case with his own version of one of my favorite songs by him that another artist covered (ie, Three Dog Night’s version), but I’ve come to see he has a talent. It’s like a talent for making a dessert I don’t particularly care for. I can tell a well made chocolate ice cream from a crappy one, for instance, but I still don’t like chocolate ice cream. Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Monk reruns. I’ve paid particular attention to Newman’s theme song, and that’s a fine bowl of chocolate ice cream.
As good of an egg as I try to be, I have never embraced the works of the late Scott Miller. I think I put my finger on something with this Loud Family song, something others might feel about a messy band I DO like, The Move. Anything I’ve heard by Miller has too much going on for me to get at the root of what he’s doing – and he often gets the Sam Ash Sound on his recordings, which I find extremely off-putting. This “Rosie” song somehow reminds me of the mess Roy Wood could make of a song, so that actually helps me like this thing more than I usually would. Make sense?
I hope I get this right. I thought the whole loose-limbed approach is the whole idea of NRBQ. I agree that they are not strong singers but I’ve always loved Al Anderson’s voice. He reminds me of the cool uncle I’ve never had who would sit down with you after a couple of beers and sing songs.
Here’s the deal with Newman. He’s a tremendously talented songwriter who did the most with a unique voice and a hideous face. But what rubbed me the wrong way is the way he acted like the smartest guy in the room.
I’m finding it hard to separate the music from the man. My first exposure was probably Short People or I Love L.A. which I most likely didn’t get at a young age. Is it fair to say he was stuck somewhere between Tin Pan Alley and the Brill Building?
Also, is there a reason why a guy like Bacharach gets a pass from R&R crowd, but Newman is like a pariah? I see a lot in common with the two.
Really? I feel no differences between Newman and the Bacharach-David songwriting team. The latter are warm, lush, and inviting. Hal David’s lyrics are affirmations, prayers, and quietly felt disappointments. Newman’s music is wiseass and directed AT its subjects, no?
Yeah, I see. I’m still working my way through this and the more I see the more I’m disliking Newman.
I’m on Team Shuggie – Mr. Royale introduced me to that album years ago and I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s an interesting album – not all soul – but shows that the man isn’t just a B Movie Stevie Wonder.
Good call on The Wedding Present. I really WANT to like the Wedding Present, given their status and the other bands at the time But I just never really warmed to them the way I did to some of their brethren. I think it’s Dave Gedge’s voice that just doesn’t work for me.
The Wedding Present is a top ten all-time band for me. I can see how they might be an acquired taste though.