The 500 - #350 - Roger The Engineer - Yardbirds

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 350

Album Title: Roger The Engineer

Artist: Yardbirds

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock, Experimental

Recorded: Advision, London, England

Released: July, 1966

My age at release: 1

How familiar was I with it before this week: One Song

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Over Under Sideways Down

Roger The Engineer is the second record by Yardbirds to appear on The 500 list, at #350. I wrote about the group's third album, Having A Rave Up, (#355) less than a month ago when I provided some background information on the influential, experimental blues group.

Having A Rave Up album cover - Yardbirds

Multiple records by the same artists, particularly when placed closely together on The 500 list, present a minor complication for me. My goal, as outlined in all of my posts, is to share a story about each record. Occasionally, my reflections are about the impact the record has had on my life. Sometimes, I simply share my discoveries after I research the album and listen to The 500 podcast.

Most of my Yardbird knowledge was shared on my previous post and, consequently, I'll stick to a few facts about this week's record selection.

Album #350 was released in England and the United States with different names, track listings and album covers. In the UK and Europe, it was dubbed Roger The Engineer. In the United States, it was released as Over Under Sideways Down, with two fewer tracks -- The Nazz Is Blue and Rack My Mind. Re-releases included these songs, making the original US version valuable to collectors.

US Cover for Yardbirds' Over Under Sideways Down

The album artwork for the European release of Roger The Engineer was done by Yardbirds' guitarist, pianist and singer Chris Dreja. The front cover is an ink sketch of Roger Cameron, who was the sound engineer. The back cover contains a few notes and track listings surrounded by an assortment of comically bizarre sketches by Dreja.

Back cover to Roger The Engineer

It is the first Yardbirds' record to contain only original material, and guitarist Jeff Beck performs as lead guitarist on every track. While on the US tour, Beck fell ill and was replaced by Jimmy Page, who had been touring with the band as the bass player. When Beck recovered, the band chose to continue without him -- a point he brought up humourously when Yardbirds were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. See the video here.

"I have done other music, after the Yardbirds. Anyway, someone told me I should be proud tonight, but I'm not...because they kicked me out. They did. F*** them."

When I first listened to Roger The Engineer, I was surprised to learn that I knew one of the songs. The track, Over Under Sideways Down, was featured in a Chevy Cobalt Commercial in 2005. Although only 16 years ago, the commercial and the automobile seemed quite dated.

The record is a fun listen. It has that experimental sixties' magic with weird sounds and even some chanting, strung together through Beck's exceptional guitar work. Give it a try.

The 500 - #351 - Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 351

Album Title: Rust Never Sleeps

Artist: Neil Young

Genre: Acoustic, Hard Rock, Proto-Grunge

Recorded: Live at Six Venues

Released: June, 1979

My age at release: 13

How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite familiar

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)

As a kid, I was quick to negatively judge Neil Young's distinctly nasal, falsetto singing voice. Two of my high-school chums, Glen and Brent, were committed Young fans and, if given the opportunity, would cue-up Rust Never Sleeps at any social gathering -- typically in smoke filled basements. Like most of my friends in the early 80s, we were deep into hard rock and heavy metal. We preferred the ripping guitars and high-octane vocals of bands such as Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Led Zeppelin and Def Leppard over the more acoustic and folk-influenced music of Neil Young.

Six frequently played records from our 82/83 basement parties

Invariably, when Brent or Glen would bring up Neil Young or any of his other musical partnerships (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or Crazy Horse), I would launch a light-hearted complaint, which would invariably include an irritating impersonation of his singing voice. A high-spirited debate on musical taste would ensue and, predictably, shots would be fired at my favourite band, Rush.

Rush in concert - late 70s

As I've mentioned in previous posts, there is a quote I love from Adam Horovitz (Ad Rock of Beastie Boys): "I'd rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever." 

Time and maturity have changed my opinion. About 15 years ago, I began learning the Neil Young song Harvest Moon on the guitar. When I was sufficiently competent enough to try singing it, the first thing I did was attempt to effect Young's characteristic contra-tenor style. It didn't work. I'm not Neil. Nobody is -- and that is a good thing.

In a commercial music market crowded with perfect-pitch singers more suited for Broadway than contemporary songwriting, we need more unique voices. We need more Neil Youngs, Louis Armstrongs, Bob Dylans and Geddy Lees. We need singers who are comfortable with their own unique sound. Artists such as Dave Matthews, Kate Bush and Gord Downie. If an old guy can attempt to be tragically hip, Billie Eilish, Sia, or Lana Del Rey fit the bill in contemporary music.

Billie Eilish

Rust Never Sleeps is a live recording by Young, the Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Side one features him performing solo with an acoustic guitar and harmonica. Side two is electric, featuring Young with the American band Crazy Horse. At the time of these recordings, Crazy Horse included Billy Talbot (bass), Ralph Molino (drums) and Frank "Poncho" Pedro (guitars). All three also contributed backing vocals.

The record was recorded in 1978 during a lengthy tour of North America. It was later overdubbed in a studio. (Overdubbing, sometimes called "sweetening", is a technique where previously recorded material is processed in the studio in order to upgrade the audio quality. Additionally, any errors or flaws in the recording process can be corrected by adding additional instrumentation over top of the existing recording.)

An example of a computer program adding overdubbing

Jonathan Merlot, on his website Reboot Recording, offers a simplified explanation of the two benefits -- Corrective Overdubbing and Layering of Sounds:

"Let’s say we have recorded a guitar part and it sounds great throughout the song, however there’s a mistake during the solo. We can record over that specific section and record a new solo that sounds amazing from start to end.

Also, imagine if you wanted to have two guitars playing during the chorus, however there is just one guitarist in the band. You can record the original guitar track with the band and then come in later to record another guitar part on top of the original."

The result is a magnificent record, clean and clear, with most of the audience noise removed. Rust Never Sleeps is the ideal marriage between the live experience and high quality studio sound -- particularly for 1979, long before today's digital technology.

While preparing for this week's post, I cued up Rust Never Sleeps at least a dozen times. With each listen, my enjoyment increased. I couldn't help but think about Glen and Brent, whom I've not seen in nearly twenty years. I suppose I owe them an apology. Neil Young is pretty special, and this record deserved its spins in high school.

Some Cool Facts:

• The songs Hey Hey, My My bookend the record. The opening track, Hey Hey, My My (Out Of the Blue), is an acoustic version and was recorded at The Boarding House Music Club in San Francisco. The closing track, Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black), is an electric version that was influenced by the punk rock zeitgeist of the late 70s.
• The art-punk band Devo collaborated with Young and Crazy Horse on the recording -- Devo guitarist/singer Mark Mothersbaugh suggested the phrase "rust never sleeps" to Young. It was the tag-line Mothersbaugh remembered from his time working as a graphic-artist and promoting Rust-Oleum, an automobile rust-proofing product.
  
• The lyrics to both songs reference the meteoric rise in popularity of Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) among youth, despite being disparaged by adults and mainstream media as a dangerous influence. Rotten is compared to Elvis Presley, who had died a year earlier and had been similarly denigrated in the 50s.
• The song has been retroactively dubbed Proto-Grunge because of its influence on the musicians who emerged from Seattle's Post-Punk/Grunge scene in the 1990s. The bands Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam have all cited it as a seminal influence.
• In 1995, Young recorded his 21st studio record, Mirror Ball, in Seattle where he collaborated with Pearl Jam.

  

  Mirror Ball Album Cover (1995)

In many ways, Rust Never Sleeps is the connective tissue between the punk sounds of the 70s and the grunge music of the 90s. The bands I have just mentioned (Neil Young, Devo, Sex Pistols, John Lydon (PIL), Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden) collectively have 14 albums on The 500.

The 500 - #352 - Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 352

Album Title: Brothers In Arms

Artist: Dire Straits

Genre: Pop Rock, Blues/Jazz Rock

Recorded: AIR, Montserrat (in the Caribbean)

Released: May, 1985

My age at release: 19

How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Brothers In Arms

The summer of 1985 was a special one for me. I had graduated high-school in January after attending HB Beal for a single semester to improve my marks to gain admission to university.

The front steps to HB Beal Secondary School

During this hiatus between secondary and post-secondary studies, I'd been working full-time (at several jobs) while still living at home. Most of my employment was through The City of London (formerly known as the Public Utilities Commission). I worked at two arenas in the winter, mopping dressing rooms, shoveling snow and pegging hockey nets. I also had a job at a convenience store called Mac's Milk and, in the summer, the arena job transitioned to work at a city-run outdoor swimming pool.

The logo for Mac's Milk in the 1980s

I explain all this to emphasize how much disposable income I earned. I was positively flush with cash. University tuition was less than $1,000 in 1985 and I planned on living at home. That summer I lived the life of Riley -- I regularly ate at restaurants, ordered pizzas when visiting friends, went to movies and bought clothes -- Miami Vice style clothes, including a linen, pastel sportscoat, skinny leather ties, mirrored aviator sunglasses and slip-on, mesh shoes, without socks of course. I wish I had some photographs, but it was a time before the ease of digital cameras.

Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas from Miami Vice

I also purchased one of the first, portable Compact Disc (CD) players on the market, a Technics SL-XP7, with the optional SH-CBB7 external battery case. A total cost of about $600, or $1,500 if adjusted for inflation.

The Technics SL-XP7 in the SH-CBB7 rechargeable case

Initially, many performing artists were unable to release their material in this digital format because there was no provision in their contracts for fair remuneration. The British rock band Dire Straits was one of the exceptions. They, like David Bowie and Billy Joel, recognized that new media formats were an inevitability. Consequently, their contractual agreements covered these legal contingencies in their earlier record deals. In fact, Billy Joel's 52 Street (#354 on The 500) was the first rock album released on CD, in October, 1982.

52 Street by Billy Joel - The first CD release

In May, 1985, Dire Straits released their fifth studio record, Brothers In Arms, in all three mediums: vinyl, cassette tape and compact disc. It became the first CD to sell a million copies in this emerging format. Already a fan of the band, I purchased one of those first million, several days after its Canadian release.

Initial reviews were unflattering to say the least. New Music Express journalist Mat Snow criticized guitarist, singer and song-writer Mark Knopfler's...

 "mawkish self-pity, his lugubriously mannered appropriation of rockin' Americana and his thumpingly crass attempts at wit".

He further lambasted the record for having...

"(the) tritest would-be melodies in history, the last word in tranquilising chord changes, the most cloying lonesome playing and ultimate in transparently fake troubador sentiment ever to ooze out of a million-dollar recording studio"

The international music public overwhelmingly disagreed with the assessment. The record quickly achieved platinum status (multiple times) in dozens of countries and has now sold more than 30 million units.

Dire Straits (l-r) Alan Clark, John Illsley, Mark Knopfler, 
Terry Williams & Guy Fletchder

It's hard to describe how much Brothers In Arms rocked the cultural zeitgeist in the summer of 1985. Their groundbreaking, computer-animated video for Money For Nothing was ubiquitous, airing almost hourly on MuchMusic (the Canadian version of MTV) and, suddenly, everyone was a Dire Straits fan.

Screen capture from the Money For Nothing, computer animate video

As I mentioned, I was working at a community pool that year and the album played at least three times a day through the outdoor facility's loudspeakers. Children and lifeguards literally stopped on the pool deck in order to air-guitar Knopfler's infectiously catchy opening riff. As I revisited the record over the past few days, I have to admit that I caught myself wanting to do it too. It's a heck of a riff.

I, like many of my generation, became a CD collector. Most of society, and the music publishing companies, moved away from vinyl which, in retrospect, was a mistake. In 2001, iTunes was launched and the era of online digital music began. Vinyl records also began their comeback. Although, technically, the digital sound on a CD is better, there is no way that binary data can match the warm, smooth sound of an analog recording. It's similar to how a computer program can use a million tiny square pixels to make a perfect circle but, if you look closely, it isn't quite genuine. 

I hope my Dire Straits CDs found their way into someone's collection. I sold off all my (non-biodegradable) CDs years ago. However, I suspect that, sadly, they ended up in a landfill -- decaying for a million years, an unanticipated consequence to my summer of excess.

Compact Discs --  it will be a million years
before each one to decompose

Post Script:

Thanks for indulging me on my trip down memory lane. Initially, I planned to write about the song Money For Nothing and writer/singer Mark Knopfler's decision to have the speaker in his song use an offensive pejorative word for homosexuals...the "F word". It is an interesting and thorny discussion. If I have time, I'll come back to this one. 

The 500 - #353 - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 353

Album Title: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Artist: Kanye West

Genre: Hip Hop, Progressive Rap, Rap Opera, Art Pop

Recorded: Three Studios, including Electric Lady in NYC.

Released: November, 2010

My age at release: 45. My guest blogger, Harry Hodson, was 18

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not At All

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Power

When I saw that Kanye West had three records on The 500 I experienced a little anxiety. I was willing to give each record a fair shot, but my opinion on “Yeezy” (West’s preferred nickname) had been coloured by his well-documented antics and divisive, often bizarre, statements.

 

My hockey teammate and teaching colleague Nic, who is 20 years my junior, insisted that I needed to give Yeezy a chance. “Separate the artist from the art,” he told me one evening as we were lacing up our skates before a game.

So, I did. I listened to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with an open mind...and Nic was right. This is a tremendously catchy and beautifully crafted record. I have a new appreciation for Yeezy, but I will put my comments on hold for Kanye's next record on The 500, The College Dropout, at position #298.

For this week, Harry Hodson has volunteered to be the guest commentator for this record (MBDTF). Harry is the son of Rob, my friend, teaching colleague and a recent guest blogger himself -- he penned the post for Album #356, 12 Songs by Randy Newman.

Harry & his sister Grace

I have known Harry since he was nine years old. He has his father’s intelligence, love of music and spirit for adventure. I think you will love his insights into this rich and interesting record. Enjoy.

By Harry Hodson

In the early 2010’s, in the years after My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy had dropped, my friend and I used to wake up early in the house we were renting. We would drink coffee while meticulously rolling "far too much" weed into Swisher Sweets, before listening to Kanye West’s entire discography, front to back.

“Swisher Sweet" Cigar products - sometimes used as rolling papers for marijuana blunts”

We enjoyed this ritual every few months for more than a year. If you’re at a point in your life where you can get away with a directionless day, it's highly recommended. What better compliment can you really give to a performer than to tune out the world in favour of their music?

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF) is the fifth release by American rapper and producer Kanye West. The bulk of the record was recorded during West’s self-imposed exile in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

There are so many individual points in the album that are just perfect, whether it be the kick of the first King Crimson sound-bite sample in the track Power, or Pusha T’s legendary ‘YEUGH’ on Runaway. Part of me thinks that Yeezus might secretly be better, and I truly love his earlier albums as well, but no piece of music is likely to ever hit me in the chest the way MBDTF did...and does. I treat my love of this record like an addict -- I worry about my rising tolerance, so I sometimes take it out of my Spotify rotation, just to keep it pure.

Album Cover for Power - single release

For me, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy marked the peak of West’s creative output. In the context of his recent outrageous behaviour, and the albums which followed, MBDTF might seem like Kanye’s pop record. However, when it dropped, it was strange and beautiful and, if you were a music nerd like me, you were delighted by any opportunity to discuss it.

Music review sites dutifully ran pieces describing either their rapturous joy upon hearing MBDTF or, in an attempt to establish journalistic gravitas, some decided it wasn’t really that good after all. Regardless, I don’t think I went to a house party that year that didn’t include West’s music and I, a deeply pretentious man, did not get sick of it, nor was I ever too cool to sing along with Runaway.

Album Cover for Runaway - single release

The album does so many things well, and makes transitioning in between them seem so effortless. I was tempted to write this review song by song, but then I figured that might lead to fewer people feeling the need to listen for themselves.

 

In brief, Who Will Survive In America introduced me to Gill Scott-Heron. His I’m So Appalled is pure energy, and I firmly believe that there is a large population of people who have had the best sex of their lives while Devil In A New Dress was playing. I could go on. It’s like that line from the comedy film, Get Him To The Greek, “I brush my teeth to this shit.”

Kanye West’s latest album, Donda, dropped the week I was writing this. I wasn’t sure this would happen. The manic-savant that is Kanye may have just as easily decided that the entire record needed to be reworked. Kanye is unpredictable.  Sometimes, it’s frustrating being a Kanye fan because you have to connect yourself to a person whose future comments and output are wildly erratic -- not an issue that I face with any other living artist I respect.

Kanye infamously interrupts Taylor Swift's Video Music Award's Speech

When Kanye entered the Oval Office of the White House in a MAGA hat I decided that I was no longer a fan of the man, but it's impossible for me to ignore the effect that his music has had on me over the course of my life. I debated whether politics or his personal life were within the scope of an album review, but part of Yeezy’s greatness was always the way that you could hear his life coming through the music. Being a person with bi-polar disorder, it felt wild hearing Kanye mention his Lexapro medication on record years later. His openness on MBDTF had the same effect on me, even if it wasn’t as specific.

Kanye in the Oval Office (October, 2018)

There’s a picture I really love of Kanye in the recording studio in Honolulu that was set up for the album. He appeared distracted and, on the wall behind him, was a series of rules he had taped up for the session. One of them read, “Just shut the fuck up sometimes,” which is my personal favourite.

Kanye in the studio with his motivational poster wall.

I could see a lot of people wishing Kanye would take that piece of his own advice more often. I've often though, "please stop saying childish things on camera and delaying your albums so that I can worship you in peace". If only I could love things forever as much as I used to love Kanye, but I can’t really fault him for not spending more time in the studio and starting a shoe company instead, or for marrying Kim Kardashian. He doesn’t owe me anything.

Kanye & his former wife, Kim Kardashian
on the cover of Vogue (April, 2014)

Kanye West won’t be able to age into a space where he’s a universally respected musician because he is never going to stop being experimental in his art and in his personal life, and this album wouldn’t be as great if it were made by a different person.

During the MBDTF recording sessions, Kanye insisted that everyone get up in the morning and play basketball together before work started later in the afternoon. It’s a funny image, a bunch of producers and rappers playing ball with the Hawaiian surf behind them while Kanye called late comers to “hurry up and hustle for points”. I like to imagine that it was a beautiful time in his life, creating an album that satisfied all his unrealistic demands and working with brilliant people in paradise.

Kanye on the court

I’m honestly not that excited about the release of Donda, which carries the realization that ten years is a long time and I’ve changed a lot along the course of Kanye’s career. I thought that when I sat down to revist  MBDTF, played very loudly on good headphones, that I was going to get a blast of nostalgia. But this record is more than that -- It still kicks ass!