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When Idols Fall To Earth

Posted by John on July 28, 2009
Posted in: commentary, personal, videos, youtube. 16 Comments

Madonna BWI’ve been feeling a bit left out of my normal circle of blogger friends lately, because so many folks are going hog wild over the upcoming Madonna greatest hits collection/end of an era/landmark. I have seen that cover so many times over the past week that I haven’t been paying as much attention to articles that I normally would read from start to finish.

Having said all of this, and knowing that certain people who frequent this blog know of my “meh” attitude toward Ms Ciccone, I must acknowledge that this attitude would have been unfathomable 15-20 years ago. In fact, I was a pretty big fan of the early years, with specific landmarks along the way:

– I remember sitting with my stepdad in the parking lot of a hospital, waiting for my mom to come out, when “Holiday” came on the radio. For some reason, I wondered what he thought of the song, although I never asked the question. He was very much into the classic rock stations, so it didn’t seem like a conversation I wanted to have and still have my dignity intact.

– The “Dress You Up” video, to this day, gives me goosebumps. I have no idea what it is about that specific performance, but it has an energy that I believe is incredibly difficult to replicate. There were afternoons during the “World Exclusive” airings on MTV where I wouldn’t leave the house so I could watch the video at the top of every hour.

– How sad is it that I remember the parody video that religious groups came up with in response to “Papa Don’t Preach”? That was just HORRIBLE!

– I drove to Buffalo from Fredonia to pick up the “Justify My Love” video for a friend who was an even bigger Madonna fan than I was. Of course, I picked up the CD single for myself at the same time as buying the video, but it didn’t hurt that I just wanted an excuse to get out of town and up to the big city.

– Erotica and the Sex book both came out around the time I became an assistant manager at Record Town. Talk about anti-climatic…neither of those releases really spawned the radical reaction that you would have pictured, given all of the news coverage they had received.

Madonna Bedtime– Bedtime Stories remains my favorite Madonna CD. I played that bad boy out, and I never felt she was “selling out” by going R&B, because I felt like she pulled it off like it was a natural progression. Besides, “let’s get unconscious honey” has to be one of my all-time favorite lines in any song.

– Although I wasn’t a fan of most of the soundtrack stuff (“Hanky Panky”? Seriously?), Evita was the first serious miss for me. I had no interest in that whatsoever, and thought that her vocals, although better than usual, just seemed thin compared to the bombastic material she was singing. Ray of Light halted the slide slightly, but then American Life killed any momentum that might have been there.

– Confessions is my second-favorite after Bedtime, but it became clear that I would never look at her as an Idol again. The musician and entertainer clashed too much with her public facade, and I haven’t been able to get past that since. Even Hard Candy, which had some good stuff on it, never fully landed with me.

I guess the moral of this story is that you shouldn’t put too much weight on one figure to maintain the same level of mystique for a long time, because that’s just a recipe for failure. Especially when their expected shelf life is much shorter than what everyone else expects.

On the Bus

Posted by John on July 27, 2009
Posted in: personal, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , , , . 12 Comments

Branigan Self ControlI have had a bit of a block on blogging the past week or so, and it has been compounded by the end of my toughest semester yet in school. In talking with Mike at Pop Trash Addicts the other day, Laura Branigan came up. (It’s Mike…that’s how he rolls.) Instantly, I had a flashback to 1984, and a junior high field trip to some American Revolution battleground (no clue which one) where we spent most of the day on a school bus. Of course, the music was the most memorable part of the trip.

To give you perspective on how obsessed I was with pop music at the time, I had snagged a small tape recorder meant for dictation and recorded songs from the radio on to it. That tape player accompanied me on my trip, with a single earbud that I listened to a grainy radio recording of my favorite songs at the time. Among those songs was Branigan’s “Self Control”, which ended up peaking at #4 later that year. While I am a bit foggy on the other music, I can give you a good list of what was definitely peaking my interests at the moment:

-Dan Hartman “I Can Dream Without You” – Good grief, I LOVED this song. If it is possible that there is an audio gaydar, I pretty much nailed it with Dan, especially since his “Instant Replay” is one of my favorite disco songs as well. Mom loved this track as well, and it began a long string of me bringing her songs that I knew she would love.

-Sheila E “The Glamorous Life” – In 1984, I was all about all things Prince, including proteges. Sheila E was the first one to really make an impact, with “Glamorous”, “Belle of St Mark”, and “Toy Box”, which wasn’t a single, but sure got a lot of play on my local college station. The video for “Glamorous” is nowhere to be found on YouTube, but here’s a super-secret live version.

-Peabo Bryson “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again” – Songs like “Glamorous Life” hold up well, but others don’t do so hot, and that’s the case for me with “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again”. I remember loving the chord change toward the end of the song, and the power of the delivery. It’s still a good song, but it just doesn’t seem to have the impact that it used to.

-Cory Hart “Sunglasses At Night” – I know he had other hits, but Cory Hart will always be “Sunglasses”, despite his moving performance as a runaway in “Never Surrender”. You never do forget your first time, though, do you? (The original is blocked from embedding, but I found a remix that I really like)

Baby, Feel the Beat Inside

Posted by John on July 24, 2009
Posted in: singles, videos, youtube. 8 Comments

Posts will be returning momentarily, but in the meantime, I have to share this. People are estimating that, based on the viral nature of this video, Chris Brown’s “Forever” may shift in the neighborhood of 20-40,000 units by the time the charting period is over, putting the song back on the Digital Songs chart, although not back on the Hot 100. Ask Yuri why that won’t happen…I’m sure he’d love to tell you why.

Putting aside any thought about the man behind the song, from my perspective, this is what music is supposed to do. I got a bit choked up watching this. Softie, I know.

You’re Michael Jackson, I’m Michael Jackson

Posted by John on June 26, 2009
Posted in: death, videos, youtube. 8 Comments

I have to say I’m completely stunned at the speed of this, but there is already a tribute record out called “Better on the Other Side”, and it’s actually pretty decent. At the heart of the song is The Game rapping, with Chris Brown singing the hook. Mario Winans and Boyz II Men also pop in, and Diddy gives the eulogy at the end of the track.
Not to be left out, 50 Cent also tosses a track out to the world called “Where You Are”, which samples MJ in his younger days. Once again, not a bad track at all. Gotta love how quickly music can be put out for the public when there’s motivation to do so.

What Did You Expect?

Posted by John on June 24, 2009
Posted in: news, videos, youtube. Tagged: , . 10 Comments

My two cents on the whole Perez Hilton/will.i.am dust-up in Toronto. First, please read Duane’s dead-on commentary, if you haven’t already. Second, I don’t believe that violence is ever the answer, but karma’s a bitch, Perez. Just like you.

Showing one more reason why I like her, here is Kelly Clarkson’s reaction. She was also in town for the concert, but was not at the party. [And make sure you check out Will-W’s YouTube page for some great footage of rehearsals for the concert.]

Isn’t It Post New Romantic?

Posted by John on June 20, 2009
Posted in: personal, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , , , . 17 Comments

Talking about my Post New Romanticism loves the other day left me wanting more, so you’re going to get a video entry to show ’em off!

– Go West/”Call Me” – While the likes of Duran Duran and Culture Club were at the peak of their popularity, there were other groups that were putting out music with less fanfare, but still of note. I loved Go West from their debut single “We Close Our Eyes” (#41), but “Call Me” (#54) sealed the deal for me. Unlike many of the groups that followed, Go West had some longevity, and evolved their sound as they went along. While some may not be as crazy about their more commercial sound in later years, I thought Indian Summer was a great album, and really enjoyed their remake of “What You Won’t Do For Love” (#55).

– Danny Wilson/”Mary’s Prayer” – One of several US one-hit wonders on this list, Danny Wilson released “Mary’s Prayer” (#23) in 1987, and the song slowly grew into a modest hit. Named after the title of a Frank Sinatra movie, the band consisted of brothers Gary and Kit Clark, along with Ged Grimes. Honestly, I don’t even remember if I had the full-length on this one, but “Mary’s” really holds up well over 20 years later.

– T’Pau/”China In Your Hand” – One of my all-time favorite songs. I remember watching T’Pau perform this on the US version of “Top of the Pops” in 1987, which really just recycled the British performances and inserted a few US-only tracks to make it more authentic. I would have bet money that this would have been a #1 record, but the song never even charted here, and T’Pau remains a one-hit wonder in the US. It wasn’t the first time my instincts were wrong, and it sure wasn’t the last. Of course, the song went straight to #1 in the UK.

– Johnny Hates Jazz/”Shattered Dreams” – If you measure a record’s potential by the impact of the single that preceded it, you would have hoped that Johnny Hates Jazz would have been more popular, but as often is the case, you would have also been wrong. I remember “Shattered Dreams” tearing up the airwaves in 1988, and it peaked at #2. The follow-up, “I Don’t Wanna Be a Hero”, only made it to #31, while “Turn Back the Clock” (a personal favorite of mine), only charted on the Adult Contemporary chart. As was often the case, there’s a US version of the video, but I actually prefer the UK version (not that either of them are epics).

– Climie Fischer/”Love Changes (Everything)” – I was obsessed with this song for months for some reason, and to this day, it remains one of those records that just goes to show that I am a music and chart geek. Released originally in 1987 and considered a flop, it took “Rise to the Occasion” becoming a hit in multiple territories to give “Love” a second chance. The re-issue was a remixed version, and ended up at #10 in the UK, and #23 in the US.

I Don’t See You Here

Posted by John on June 14, 2009
Posted in: videos, youtube. Tagged: . 2 Comments

I think it’s safe to say that none of you have this song stuck in your head at the moment, but listen, and you soon will…

Ah, the joy of the Internet. My friend Julie tipped me off to Das Racist yesterday, and while they may never see a major record deal, maybe the Internet is the way to go. Just goes to show that you never know where you will find your next earworm.

Blake Lewis, the Sequel

Posted by John on June 12, 2009
Posted in: american idol, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: . 12 Comments

blake_lewis_cordsAs I was coming up with Idol artists to write about yesterday, I almost included Blake Lewis, as his second CD is supposed to drop this fall on Tommy Boy Records. At the end of the entry, I decided I had a full slate, and stuck with the three you may have already read. So imagine how fortunate I was feeling when I heard Blake talk with Derek and Romaine last night on Sirius XM Out Q. Besides promoting his appearance at L.A. Pride this weekend, he also dropped some details about what’s going on with his new music.

First off, I’ve got to give props to Derek and Romaine for a great interview. Besides the fact that Derek didn’t seem to be familiar with Blake’s work, he had some great questions that drew Blake out. When asked about the new record coming out on October 6th, Blake said that he thinks it will be called Heartbreak on Vinyl, citing his penchant for recording songs about relationships ending. This seems to contradict some other sources that cite Universal Imagery as a potential title, but there are still several months to go. In his words…

blakelewis_breakanotha480

“(I)t’s a very big dance record. Very good baselines that get you out on the dancefloor.”

In addition, he also talked about “Sad Song”, his new single that is coming out in July. When asked why he recorded a sad song, Blake said that he didn’t think of it as a sad song, but more of an “anthem for the broken-hearted.” Other questions ran the gamut from influences and heroes (Nick Hexum from 311 was his favorite introduction because of the show), his participation in L.A. Pride, and the inevitable question about Adam Lambert (Adam is his favorite, but predicted he would come in second). He also said his own website is down currently, but that all updates can be found on his MySpace profile.

It sounds like Blake’s making the best of what few Idols seem to get…a second chance. I will leave you with Blake’s recent performance of “Disturbia” on American Idol Extra last month.

Second Time Around

Posted by John on June 11, 2009
Posted in: american idol, new releases, upcoming, videos, youtube. Tagged: , , . 19 Comments

BattlefieldCoverOne of the more fascinating elements of the American Idol phenomenon for me is watching the chart success (or failure, in most cases) once they leave the show. This becomes even more interesting for me because I have rarely picked the winner early on, because I’m going off of who fits my taste, rather than America’s as a whole. While there have been some no-brainers (Carrie Underwood, anyone?), who would have picked Jordin or Kris to win it all back in the audition process?

It’s a given at this point that the winner and runner-up will get a record deal, and then a few more trickle down through the Top 10. It may surprise some of you to know that the Country artists actually have some of the best track records on the show, with artists like Phil Stacey, Kristy Lee Cook, Josh Gracin, Bucky Covington, and Kellie Pickler all getting signed to deals. Success hasn’t always followed them, though. There’s a promo CD of Kristy’s holding up a table in the stock room of a record shop somewhere in America at this very moment.

As you can see above, Jordin is ready for war on her 2nd release Battlefield, which will hit stores July 21st. [Side note: is that really a flattering album cover for a 19-year-old?] Besides working with Stargate again, Jordin also brings on hitmakers Ryan Tedder and T-Pain to deliver the hits. The single of the same name (produced by Tedder) debuted strong a few weeks ago, but has dropped back a bit due to the first-week sales burst from appearing on American Idol. I have no doubt it’s going to rebound, and you’ll hear it all over the place this summer, as it is rapidly gaining at Top 40 radio. But is that enough to propel the full-length to a strong debut next month? The timing seems good, but we’ll have to see what type of promotional push she gets. “Tattoo” was a slow-builder (eventually going Platinum), but it did a great job of setting the stage for “No Air” to blow sky high. Personally, I’m reserving judgment until I hear samples of the other tracks.

Daughtry_leave_this_townNext stop on the Sophomore Express is Leave This Town, the second release for fourth-place Chris Daughtry and his eponymous band. Billboard declared his debut CD the fastest-selling debut rock record of the Soundscan era, and the numbers bear that out. #1 for two weeks, over 4 million sold and counting, and five Top 25 hits, including two Top fives (“It’s Not Over” and “Home”). It would be an understatement to say that RCA is banking on a huge opening week for this when it hits shelves on July 14th, but I honestly can’t think of a clearer sure-shot hit for the month of July than this one. First single “No Surprise” doesn’t stray far from the first record’s formula, and has already conquered multiple formats. Chris would have to go on a killing spree in a Baptist church in order to kill the momentum he’s currently got.

Elliott Yamin Fight For LoveFor every sure-fire Idol hit, there are going to be multiple non-starters, and Elliott Yamin’s 2nd CD falls into that category. Coming off of a surprise hit debut, which sold close to 100,000 units in its first week, Fight for Love hasn’t even come close. The record debuted mid-May at 26, but the sales were only a fraction of the first record, and the first single (also called “Fight for Love”) didn’t even dent the Hot 100. I’ve got the CD, and it’s one of my favorites for the year so far, but I thought “Fight” was the record’s best shot at a Top 40 hit, so this disc might already be over and done. That’s a shame, because Elliott is really finding his own identity and sound, and it would be a big loss if he doesn’t get to keep evolving that.