Inside My Velvet Rope

Posted by John on October 21, 2018
Posted in: personal. Tagged: . 2 Comments

velvet together

One rule
No rules
One love
Freexone

Sometimes the Universe sends you the music you need right at the moment you need it. Such was the case for me twenty-one years ago when Janet Jackson released The Velvet Rope. It’s not as if Janet’s music hadn’t resonated with me in the past, as I was a die-hard fan from the first time I heard “What Have You Done for Me Lately” on the radio. But 1997 was a pretty challenging year for me, and Rope was an anchor for me emotionally when I felt like I was isolated and alone.

At the turn of 1997, I was dealing with the breakup of my first long-term relationship (six months…ha!) while living in North Carolina away from my family and friends, and I wasn’t handling it well. Even though I started to pull things together by the middle of 1997, “adrift” is probably the best word I can use to describe where my head was. The only thing that really kept life moving forward for me was my job managing a record store in High Point. I constantly found myself excited by new releases, including the unfortunately posthumous Notorious BIG album Life After Death.

Image result for the velvet rope coverWhen The Velvet Rope came out, I was struck by how sonically different it was from the previous janet. record, and how it was so bold and out there when talking about sexuality. I listened to the record over and over, and was struck specifically by the vibe of “Freexone.” Those who knew me in the late 90s online knew me as Freexoner. If loving who you want to love is the Freexone, then I declared myself to be a Freexoner. The name still lives on in a few places if you look hard enough for them. 😉

Besides the personal impact of “Freexone,” Janet’s choice of covering Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” also struck a chord. Growing up, Rod’s A Night on the Town got a lot of play in our house, and it doesn’t hurt that “Tonight’s” was the number one song of 1977 in the US, making it hard to avoid. Janet’s delivery was very coy and more seductive than Rod’s, and I’m sure some of the mystique behind who the song was about helped keep interest in the album going.

I bring all of this up now because I’ve undertaken a project to re-acquire some of the music that has meant the most to me over the years in the formats I originally owned them. I’ve got The Velvet Rope on CD, but there are a few albums that I’d also like to have on vinyl to display and stand out from the collection. Turns out that there aren’t that many copies of the album floating around out there, easily pushing the price of a good copy up into the hundreds of dollars. Today in the remaining minutes of an auction on eBay, the price jumped from $85 to $189 in a matter of 30 seconds. All I can say is that I helped that seller make a nice profit today by pushing my final bid to $185. I’m not sure I would do that again, but my desire to have the album may force me to do so. Only time and my bank account will tell.

I’m not sure if this is a resurrection of the blog, or just a one-off, but I’ve had this post in the back of my mind for a while, and today’s auction just cemented my need to finish what had been a draft from last year. However, as the music starts rolling in, I may be inspired to share more of it. Stranger things have happened. All I know is that I have huge regrets with some of the music I sold years ago in times of limited finances. Can you say The Black Album on original vinyl? That’s not one of the items I will be re-acquiring, but the shelf is starting to fill in.

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Ten Songs to Remember 2017 By

Posted by John on December 31, 2017
Posted in: playlist, singles, songs, videos, year-end, youtube. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

KC Love So Soft

2017…where do I even begin? The year started with mourning the loss of a pet, bracing for the incoming President, and a feeling that things were a bit off. In the following months, we bought a house, got adopted by a rescue pup, and still have a feeling that things are a bit off. Thankfully there was great music to help get us through. This is not a definitive list of the best songs of 2017, but they are ten tracks that will forever be associated with the past 12 months in my mind.

  1. Tinashe “Flame” – My love for this song was cemented by the time the chorus played. This is what I want my power ballads to do; show emotion, passion and power. The inability of Tinashe to get a hit beyond her first album is mind-boggling.

  1. Jordan Davis “Singles You Up” – Sam Hunt may have reinforced his title as King of Pop Country in 2017, but “Singles” gives him a run for his money. Shout out to SiriusXM’s The Highway for playing quality country music well before terrestrial radio does.

  1. Drake “Passionfruit” – I won’t lie; I like Drake best when he’s in a more soulful mode, and that normally means he’s singing. The word play is clever, the sample is perfect, and the vibe is chill. I was obsessed for a solid month.

  1. BTS “DNA” – Folks who know me expect some KPOP boybands in the mix, & BTS filled that need in 2017. “Mic Drop” isn’t quite my thing, but “DNA” is exactly what I want from a boyband.

  1. Little Big Town “When Someone Stops Loving You” –Little Big Town is having the same success choosing songs to record that Tim McGraw did in the late 90s. They find material that highlights their strengths rather than chasing trends. Subtly powerful.

  1. Lady Gaga “The Cure” – Yup…I LOVED this song. It’s very of-the-moment, which we’re not used to Gaga delivering. I suspect that fueled some of the online “meh” reactions, but leave it Joanne to deliver an unexpected curveball in between album cycles.

  1. Dua Lipa “New Rules” – Proving that she wasn’t a flash in the pan here in the US with “Blow Your Mind,” Dua came back with the slow-burn single of the year. I’m looking forward to seeing her perform this in February

  1. Charlie Puth “Attention” – I had a tough time with this one because I’m all about “How Long” right now, but “Attention” was stuck in my head for MONTHS. Great lyrical structure paired with smart instrumentation and a hook that just won’t let go.

  1. Kelly Clarkson “Love So Soft” – On first listen, I said “what did I just hear?” But I had to hear it again and again. We’ve always known Kelly as an amazing singer, but this is the first KC ALBUM that I’m raving about from start to finish.

  1. Ashley McBryde “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” – The emotional resonance of this song got me on multiple levels. My 2017 was a year of radical change, and to hear someone capture that moment without needing the specifics was exactly what I needed.

I’ll Find Another Fantasy

Posted by John on September 8, 2017
Posted in: new releases, reviews, singles. Tagged: . Leave a comment

george-michael-fantasyTalk about an appropriate week to hop back into action. After feeling all the feels over Prince, new music pops up from both Michael Jackson and George Michael. While I enjoy the new MJ mash-up of “Murder on the Dance Floor” with “Dangerous” (and several other tracks), the first posthumous release from Mr. Michael is what I am really feeling at the moment.

To be honest, I don’t recall hearing “Fantasy” in its original form when it was released in 1990 as the B-side to “Freedom 90.” I bought Listen Without Prejudice the week it came out, and that was enough for a poor college student to get by with. I also missed “Fantasy 98” on the flip side of “Outside,” but I did eventually hear “Fantasy” when it was included on the Deluxe version of the Twenty Five compilation. To my ear, the song has always been a bit of a bridge between Faith and Listen Without Prejudice. I’m sure we’ll hear a story about why it wasn’t included on Listen Without Prejudice now that it’s taking center stage in the run up to October’s re-release of Prejudice.

It’s clear from the number of times this song popped up over the course of George’s solo career that he had a soft spot for it. He even performed it live during the Twenty Five tour in 2006. As a result, this surprise release makes total sense when put into context of Prejudice‘s re-release, since there needs to be some type of hook to sell a collection of music that most fans probably have in one form or another. The best part of the story to me is that this isn’t a Frankenstein release pieced together to capitalize on someone’s passing. “Fantasy” was actively re-worked by George in collaboration with Nile Rogers, who took the horns out and added his own funk guitar groove to the track. That, combined with some reworked vocals and samples, makes for an essentially new track while still remaining true to the energy of the original.

Do I love this new version of “Fantasy?” Right now, love is a strong word, but it’s growing on me. As a child reared in the 80s on “event” releases, I instinctively expect a new release from someone like George Michael to be geared to hook people and hopefully propel it to the top of the charts (ie Taylor Swift’s current chart assault). That isn’t “Fantasy.” This is a release that celebrates George’s desire to re-create music that he felt would stand the test of time. He’s done it several times throughout his career, both recorded and live in concert, so it makes sense that the first release after his passing would be a defiant release of a song I’m sure he felt hadn’t gotten its due. I wouldn’t expect any less from George than great music with a hint of rebellion.

Chaos and Disorder

Posted by John on September 4, 2017
Posted in: death, personal, travel. Tagged: , , . 2 Comments

A year ago this Labor Day weekend I was wrapping up a whirlwind weekend in Minneapolis/St. Paul with my friend Blake, trying to process a whole lot of emotions. Besides spending time with a close friend, which is always a good thing, I got to get some closure on Prince’s passing. To some, this might be silly, but Prince was one of three guiding musical influences in my teens that helped make me who I am. If you had told me that before the age of 50 that I would lose all three of them (Michael Jackson and George Michael were the other two), I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am, still moved every time one of them pops up in daily life. While George was the one I related to personally, MJ and Prince brought joy and passion to the plate in ways that changed the music industry and influenced future generations.

20160903_093718.jpgWhy am I writing this now? Besides the one-year mark, I need to get some of this out. I have about 10 blog posts from over the past two years that have never seen the light of day because I either wasn’t driven enough to finish them or I felt like I couldn’t do them justice. I was deeply moved by much of the stories and art I saw on the fence at Paisley Park, and yet, for a while there, anything I came up with to relate my story felt inadequate in comparison. Even my year-end compilation was over a month late this year.

20160903_094241.jpg

I can’t make any promises because I’ve broken a few of these in the past, but if nothing else, I want to finish those posts that make sense to finish. If nothing else, it’s time I pay proper tribute to my personal Holy Trinity. Stay tuned…

Ten Songs to Remember 2016 By

Posted by John on February 1, 2017
Posted in: personal, singles, songs, videos, year-end, youtube. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

If you follow me at all on social media (@PopMusicNotes to be exact), then you know that 2016 was not a good year in my eyes. Whether it was politics, family losses or idol losses, I didn’t have a great ride last year. Having said that, there still was amazing music that captured my ears and heart. These aren’t the only songs to move me over those 12 months, but they’re the most memorable in retrospect to me.

Ariana Grande – “Into You”

A little bit scandalous, but baby, don’t let them see it
A little less conversation and a little more touch my body

Someone in Ariana’s camp is doing a bang-up job with picking material for her that plays to all aspects of her audience. Whether it was the left-field smolder of “Dangerous Woman,” the duet with attention-grabbing Nicki on “Side to Side,” or the pop perfection of “Into You,” Ariana came back from some poor PR in a strong way. Lyrically “Into You” is okay, but sonically it’s everything I want in a great pop song.

Jon Bellion – “Guillotine”

The secrets you tell me I’ll take to my grave
There’s bones in my closet, but you hang stuff anyway

Jon’s been building a rep in the industry for a few years, but 2016 was the year that the hard work came to fruition. You’re probably hearing “All Time Low” on your radio right now, and that’s a good thing since it’s a stone-cold jam, a major earworm, and a lyrical triumph (“You’re the reason I’m alone and I masturbate”…who else can fit a line like that into a mainstream pop song?). But “Guillotine” was the track that grabbed my ear and caused me to be obsessed for weeks early this summer. The way Bellion puts together a track with crazy disparate parts turns an ordinary cut into a pop music Voltron. “All Time Low” looks like it’s peaking on the pop charts, so here’s hoping “Guillotine” is single number two from Jon’s The Human Condition opus.

Bright Light Bright Light – “Symmetry of Two Hearts”

One kiss and the ice might melt, remember
One word and the world might fall at your feet

Anyone who has read this blog over the years knows that I totally stan for Rod Thomas, aka Bright Light Bright Light. His music consistently comes up in my conversations about year-end favorites, and this year was no exception. Choreography seems like the most mainstream album that BLBL has released, and yet I’ve felt that about each of his previous releases as well. While it’s frustrating to a long-time fan who wants to see Rod conquer the pop charts, I love that he has the freedom to record the material he wants, release it on his own terms, and then promote it in a way that feels authentic and honest to the music. “Symmetry” and the video that accompanies it (plus some brilliant remixes) all embrace that spirit, and I kept this on repeat for months.

The 1975 – “The Sound”

It’s not about reciprocation, it’s just all about me
A sycophantic, prophetic, socratic junkie wannabe

It seems like everyone is offering up The 1975’s “Somebody Else” as their favorite track from I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, but for me “The Sound” was THE sound. Such a catchy hook, and the lyrics are just ambiguous enough that you can read them as being about a superficial lover, an inability to commit, fame, or wanting more from a relationship. Following last year’s “Shut Up and Dance,” this was a tune that demanded you turn up the volume and enjoy it no matter where you were at.

SHINee – “1 of 1”

Neon ‘1 of 1’ girl
O-jik ka-na

Bruno Mars may have come back with a 80s/90s R&B-influenced album, but SHINee got a head start on him with their new-jack jam “1 of 1.” They’ve had a tendency toward 90s pop/R&B (see 2012’s “Sherlock“), and “1 of 1” keeps that streak going. The album of the same name is strong, with other highlights including “Feel Good” and “Don’t Let Me Go.”

Lady Gaga – “Perfect Illusion”

I felt you touchin’ me
High like amphetamine
Maybe you’re just a dream

To those who think that Gaga’s comeback this year was a disappointment, I will suggest that maybe you wanted more of the same from her, and no legitimate artist can keep doing that. For me, Joanna was a welcome departure from gimmicks to a more down to earth production. That’s not to say that Gaga isn’t still out there, but from the first time I heard “Perfect Illusion,” I was smitten by how she pointed her vision in a different direction and still delivered. Pop perfection to my ears.

William Michael Morgan – “Vinyl”

Let the needle drop and play it all night
Might have a little static but it’s all right
Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop our groove, no

2016 was not a great year for Country music and myself. Although Country radio continued its shift away from Bro Country, I didn’t feel like a lot of the music on the radio was very inspiring. And let’s be clear…there’s a difference between mainstream Country and Americana, which should be getting airplay but is relegated to the fringes even though some Americana albums outsell their airplay-ready counterparts. Fortunately, William Michael Morgan was a traditional standout. Mainstream radio played “I Met a Girl,” while The Highway on SiriusXM went with “Vinyl.” The analogy is so simple, but it works.

Empire of the Sun – “High and Low”

Let’s get together and forget all the troubles and just float
I don’t want you to go
I need to be closer to now

Some songs transport you away from your hum drum existence, and Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” always did that for me in its multiple runs on my iPod. I don’t have a lot to say about “High and Low” other than that it should have been a hit, but it never quite had the same effect as “Dream.” Hopefully they can recover from Two Vines not making much impact on the charts.

Keith Urban – The Fighter (featuring Carrie Underwood)

To heal all the pain that he put you through
It’s a love like you never knew
Just let me show you

I think a lot of music fans tend to write off Keith Urban at times because he has a tendency to fall into current country pop formulas, but Ripcord is a solid set that relies more on solid songwriting and classic hooks. Such is the case with “The Fighter,” which is reportedly the next single going to Country radio. This was my go-to summer song, and it will probably be a great summer song this coming year as well because it’s guaranteed to go to pop radio once it’s done on the Country charts.

Maggie Rogers – “Alaska”

And I walked off you
And I walked off an old me
Oh me oh my I thought it was a dream

My favorite song of 2016 by a wide margin was “Alaska.” Maggie Rogers came to fame through the now-infamous video where Pharrell was blown away by this song, but Maggie didn’t just rest on that viral clip. The song, the video, the soon-to-arrive EP and national tour…she seized on that first burst of fame and is coming for you in 2017. But for me it’s all about the song: “And I walked off an old me.” As someone who hikes to get away and clear my head, that was my lyric of the year, and the sonic portrait that Rogers created using ambient sounds as well as undeniable hooks drove it home.

Alive and Kicking

Posted by John on February 10, 2016
Posted in: interview, plug, upcoming. Leave a comment

 

Yes…yes I am. In fact, I’m feeling a bit inspired lately, so new posts will be forthcoming. The dilemma of country radio, the powers that be wiping out a whole generation of musicians in one fell swoop, and what I believe is the latest posting of 2015’s best songs are all coming soon. In the meantime, please check out the Constant Conversations podcast I recorded with Big Money.

*cue the chorus*

Remembering Frankie

Posted by John on March 31, 2015
Posted in: death, personal. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Today marks one year since I heard the news that Frankie Knuckles passed away, and I still feel the sting of that information. It’s made all the more profound because in some ways, I had almost forgotten about Frankie for a good decade.

That’s not to say that Frankie’s influence on me, dance music, and music in general had disappeared. If anything, imagine your eccentric uncle flying to Europe and loving it so much he stayed for a decade or so, because that’s what basically happened with House music. Its homeland of the United States may have given up on it like its predecessor disco, but Europe took up the House call and helped it evolve in different directions. And then, as with many other classic sounds, it returned with a vengeance.

Frankie Beyond MixMy first contact with Frankie’s music came in college working at radio stations that had dance shows on the weekend. When Frankie dropped “The Whistle Song,” I was instantly taken. “Rain Falls,” “It’s Hard Sometimes,” “Workout”…his first album Beyond the Mix is a BEAST! This was also one of the first times I was aware that a DJ could actually be considered a musician as well. That’s a naive assumption in this day and age of David Guetta and Calvin Harris, but at the time it rocked my world.

While Frankie’s original music is the stuff of legends, a case could be made that his remixes will always be the strongest part of his legacy. I remember moments in my life when a Frankie Knuckles remix moved me: the first time I heard the Def Mix of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” being stopped dead in my tracks as the opening a capella of perhaps his best remix “The Pressure” evolved into a full-fledged gospel house explosion, and the moment that I started healing from a painful breakup thanks to being on the dance floor as his interpretation of “Unbreak My Heart” rocked me to my core. I was ravenous, finding remixes as varied as Loose Ends, Lisa Stansfield, Rufus & Chaka Khan, and the Pet Shop Boys.

Soul music has been a passion of mine as long as I can remember, dating all the way back to hearing my mom’s Barry White’s Greatest Hits on a Saturday morning in our third-floor apartment in Syracuse. The tone, the depth, the contrasting hard and soft elements…all of it resonates with me deeply. As the 80s progressed, I got into more than just the crossover R&B tracks, discovering artists like Luther Vandross, Rene & Angela, Chaka Khan, Five Star and Freddie Jackson, with Michael Jackson acting as a gateway melody for my eager ears to follow. All of this lead me to House, and along with elements of Techno and Eurodance in the 90s, I soaked it all up.

Frankie Knuckles Get Over UAs the 90s ended, I drifted…the Frankie mixes surfaced less frequently, leading me to take up the torch for collectives like Thunderpuss and Soul Solution.  But all it would take was an older remix to pop up and I was reminiscing. Still, it wasn’t until around 2010 that I really re-introduced Frankie into my personal rotation, but I made up for lost time. If there was a compilation, I was on it. Then he dropped “Get Over U,” and I was stunned. Frankie had created a jam that not only was an instant classic in my eyes, but if given a chance should have been an International pop/dance hit. In fact, I named “Get Over U” my number six song of 2012.

I learned about Frankie’s death on Twitter, and I was heartbroken. He was actively traveling around the world for DJ gigs, he was back in the remix game (Ariana Grande’s “Baby I,” Mapei’s “Don’t Wait”), and the thought of him being gone was unimaginable for me at that moment. My mind raced to all of those listed moments he helped define, and the kinship I felt with a man I never met, and the sorrow was surprisingly deep. It probably took a few weeks for me to not think about his passing on a daily basis, and that shook me. I have only had that reaction to two other musicians passing: Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross. Michael lifted my spirits, Luther comforted me in my lonely hours, and Frankie spoke to my soul.

house_masters_frankie_knucklesTo honor his memory and raise funds for the Frankie Knuckles Fund, Defected Records is releasing a 2 CD compilation of tracks that Frankie had started compiling prior to his passing. It’s a solid track listing, and comes with a t-shirt of Frankie that was created specifically for this fundraiser. I’m hoping a US online shop carries it, as the shipping is a bit steep, but I’m on board. In the meantime, I’ll continue to play his continuous mixes and shuffle through my House playlist on my iPod, picturing the Godfather of House behind the decks, mixing tracks and releasing demons all in one shot.