The 500 - #276 - Mothership Connection - Parliament

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: #276

Album Title: Mothership Connection

Artist: Parliament

Genre: Funk, Funk Rock, Black Prog

Recorded: United Sound (Detroit) Hollywood Sound (L.A.)

Released: December, 1975

My age at release: 10

How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #363 (dropping 87 places since 2012)

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Handcuffs

When I graduated from Teachers' College in 1996, I struggled to get full-time employment. I was fortunate in being hired as an occasional teacher by the London School Board (now Thames Valley) in Ontario. However, I continued bartending evenings and weekends to supplement my income. Cash was tight back then. In fact, I seriously considered moving to another country where teaching jobs were plentiful. At the time, the city of Las Vegas was booming and the state offered a generous package to Canadian teachers in an effort to lure them. I stayed put.

In July, 2000, after four financially difficult years, I finally got my shot. I was interviewed for a position at Lorne Avenue Public School. Half my day would be with a split Grade 5/6 class and the other half would be teaching music to Grades 4-8. I was cautiously optimistic. I had built a good relationship with the two principals interviewing me, but I did not have a music degree. I was upfront, pitching myself as an average saxophone player and hobby guitarist who was willing to take on the challenge.

Me (left) sitting in with my friends' band in 2007

To my delight, I got the gig. However, it didn't take long for reality to set in. How did I go about preparing for a split class and another in which I had no formal music training? Fortunately, I had the summer to plan and I registered for several music teaching workshops. To do that I had to drive 200 km round trip to a neighbouring city to learn a well-regarded approach to music education pedagogy called the Kodály method.

September was rocky. Many of the instruments in the music room were in need of repair, so we had to start the year with singing and theory. My naïveté and inexperience was obvious to my young charges, many of whom had difficult backgrounds and who were already jaded about the educational experience – particularly the arts.

The former Lorne Avenue Public School (demolished in 2016)

Recruiting help was a good start. Fortunately, I played hockey with a group of local musicians and, throughout the year, they generously donated their time to come to my music classes and perform. My thinking was simple. Inspire a love of music by showing the students what was possible. Eventually, I persuaded a few of the braver students with some music knowledge to join the bands on stage. I was most proud of an arrangement of Stray Cat Strut I taught to a group of saxophone, clarinet and trumpet players so they could accompany my pals’ group, Reverend Freddie and The Distillers, when they visited the school the following April.

Promotional poster from the Reverend Freddie & The Distillers 
performance at Lorne Avenue (April 6, 2001)

At the same time, my wife (girlfriend at the time) was working in a Blues and Jazz bar called Boomerz in our hometown of London and we had become friends with an award-winning Funk and Soul group dubbed LMT Connection.

LMT Connection (l-r) - Mark Rogers, Leroy Emmanuel and John Irvine 

One evening, as we all sat for drinks following a blistering set by the Niagara Falls-based trio, I asked how much it would cost to bring them in to play for my students. Rogers suggested reaching out to the Central Ontario Musicians Union for a grant. A plan was hatched. When the band was next booked to play Boomerz on a Friday night, they would perform at the school in the afternoon.

Beyond his exceptional musicianship, Emmanuel is also an incredible front man and story-teller. That afternoon, he captivated 150 cross-legged Lorne Avenue music students with his light-hearted and funny banter. Born in Atlanta, but raised in Detroit, Michigan, the now 76-year-old Emmanuel has been playing live music since he was 12, touring and performing with Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Al Green.

The students loved every story and performance and were literally rocking in their places when the band broke into legendary funk hits from George Benson, James Brown, The Commodores and this week's featured artist, Parliament.

Parliament in the early 70s

Mothership Connection is the fourth album released by the legendary American funk collective, Parliament. Recorded between March and October, 1975, it was the first to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker and trombonist Fred Wesley who had been in James Brown's band. The record was produced by bandleader, singer and founder, George Clinton.

George Clinton

Known for his outrageous outfits and outlandish fashion sense, Clinton originally formed The Parliaments as a doo-wop group while working in a barber shop in Plainfield, New Jersey. For a short time, the group moved to Detroit and Clinton worked as a staff songwriter for Motown records. The Parliaments had a hit in 1967 with the song (I Wanna) Testify for Detroit- based Revilot Records. Shortly after, the record company ran into financial trouble and Clinton refused to record any more material until he received a settlement. While this legal/financial battle was ensuing, Clinton was not able to use the name The Parliaments.

Clinton's exploration into the world of psychedelia and his fascination with science fiction and surreal humour were a catalyst for a change in musical direction. Consequently, he recorded new material with the same group under the name Funkadelic (See Maggotbrain, #479 on The 500 Blog in May, 2019).

Later that year, he regained the right to use the name The Parliaments but wanted to switch to a different genre and combine elements of contemporary musicians he admired, including Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Frank Zappa. The result was an eclectic, psychedelic form of funk that can be heard on Mothership Connection and the 10 records Parliament recorded between 1970 and 2018, as well as the 15 studio releases from Funkadelic or, as they are often grouped, P-Funk.

Partial discography for Parliament and Funkadelic

Funk music always puts me in a good mood and the sound of P-Funk is a favourite. However, hearing it always makes me think of a small gymnasium full of 9-14 year-olds bopping to the sound of Leroy Emmanuel and LMT Connection. I wish I had some photos or a video from that day, but this video from a performance in 2009 provides a taste of their work

Post Script: The 2000-2001 school year was the only year I worked as a music teacher. I moved to a Grade 6 classroom full-time the next year and my replacement was an exceptional educator named Joe Lee. He and I continued to bring musicians into the school and, over the next decade, he shaped the music program at Lorne Avenue into one of the best in the city. We even brought an Elvis tribute act in to perform for the school with our students backing on horns -- but that is a story for album #56 on The 500 -- Elvis Presley. Meet you there in about 4 1/4 years.

Thanks for reading -- all the blogs can be found here (just scroll down).

The 500 - #277 - Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson

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: #277

Album Title: Rhythm Nation 1814

Artist: Janet Jackson

Genre: Pop, R&B, New Jack Swing

Recorded: Flyte Time (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Released: September, 1989

My age at release: 24

How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #339 (dropping 63 places since 2012)

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Black Cat

Janet Jackson was the tenth-born and youngest member of the famous Jackson family. Born in 1966, she was16 years younger than the oldest member, Maureen and her mega-famous brother, Michael, was eight years her senior. In fact, Michael was already performing with his four brothers in The Jackson 5 in 1964, two years before Janet was born.

Promotional poster & photo from Jackson 5 (1965)

Janet made her entertainment debut in 1976, appearing on the weekly variety television program, The Jacksons, with her multi-talented family. She went on to appear in many other television roles in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, including Diff’rent Strokes, The Love Boat and Fame. However, it was the program Good Times that brought her to my attention.

Janet Jackson in varous television roles (70s & 80s)

Good Times was an American situational comedy that ran from 1974 until 1979. Developed by legendary producer Norman Lear (All In The Family, Sandford & Son, One Day At A Time, The Jeffersons), it was a spin-off from another Lear project, Maude.

Norman Lear Television Programs from the 70s

Good Times aired during when my friends and I were discovering, and ravenously devouring, prime time television (ages 8-14). The previous evening's television was the “water-cooler topic” at my school playground and being out of the loop on the latest plots, dialogue and catch-phrases of ‘70s TV could socially isolate you, making you a pop-culture pariah. By today’s metric, missing a new episode of popular television would be the equivalent to being oblivious to the latest viral TikTok trend or lacking knowledge of the hippest meme lingo.

“Meme man” with stocks intentionally misspelled was required knowledge
among my 7th graders a few years ago. (Know Your Meme history here)

Good Times was a dramatic comedy (dramedy) set in a poor, black housing project in inner-city Chicago. The series centred on the Evans’ family who collaborated to overcome the social challenges faced by many African American families in the 1970s – poverty, job loss, inflation, crime, gang activity, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and drug use.

The Evans Family from Good Times 

Janet Jackson joined the cast in Season Five (1977), playing the role of Millicent “Penny” Gordon, an abused girl who was abandoned by her mother and, eventually, adopted by the Evans’. The addition of adorable, 11-year-old Jackson as a sympathetic character was intended to re-energize the show following the departures of veteran actors John Amos (James Evans) and Esther Rolle (Florida Evans).

Jackson as Millicent "Penny" Gordon

Introducing a new, cute and younger child to a cast is often called “The Cousin Oliver Strategy”. The term references the addition of cousin Oliver to the cast of The Brady Bunch in their fifth season. In both cases, by bringing in (Cousin Oliver and the adopted Penny Gordon), series producers were hoping to reverse declining ratings and connect each series with a younger audience.

Cousin Oliver (centre) between the two youngest Brady kids

In both cases, the casting was short-lived and both series were cancelled within two years. I was never a fan of Cousin Oliver, but I really liked Jackson’s Penny – not just the precocious, funny, sympathetic character, but also Jackson who was charming and pretty. Granted, I was 12 going on 13, I think I had a crush on nearly every female aged 12-30 on television.

Rhythm Nation 1814 exploded onto the music scene in fall of 1989. It was Jackson’s fourth studio album but only the second since she became an adult and wrested control of her artistic image and sound from her manipulative, abusive and controlling father, Joe. Three years earlier, Janet had teamed up with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to release her third studio album, Control, an unconventional record that fused R&B, rap, funk, disco and synthesized percussion. The aptly named Control was a massive success, going to the top of multiple charts and selling 10 million copies worldwide.

Album cover for Control (1986)

For obvious reasons, record executives hoped that Rhythm Nation 1814 would simply replicate the chart-busting formula of Control and the seven hit-singles it generated. However Jackson and producers Jam and Lewis had different plans. Much like the storylines on Good Times, Jackson's fourth project a concept album with overarching themes of social justice and equality weaved throughout. Jackson drew inspiration from the tragedies of poverty, racism and substance abuse in contemporary news stories, and presented the sociopolitical utopia of a "Rhythm Nation" as an alternative.

Chorus of Rhythm Nation - the second single from the album

When asked about the concept of a Rhythm Nation, Jackson said: "I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation." She added that it would be "one that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join." She based the idea on the prevalence of various youth groups and organizations that are formed as a means of creating a common identity. The number "1814" represents the year the U.S. national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, was written. Some noticed that "R" (Rhythm) and "N" (Nation) are the eighteenth and fourteenth letters of the alphabet, though Jackson said this was a happy coincidence. (Pity, I would totally have taken credit for that bit of cleverness).

Jackson in the Rhythm Nation video

The video that accompanied the title track was a critical and commercial juggernaut and can be seen here. Shot in black and white, it featured 23-year-old Jackson decked out in stylistic, unisex military garb performing a mesmerizing choreographed dance sequence in what is best described as a post-apocalyptic warehouse setting. 

The video went on to receive two MTV video music awards for “Best Video” and “Best Choreography”, as well as a Grammy for “Best Long Form Video”. It is also cited as an influence by numerous contemporary artists, including Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink and Rihanna.

Rhythm Nation video

Rhythm Nation 1814 also received numerous award nominations and, because it dominated the charts from August, 1989, to March, 1991, it was the first album to produce number one hits on the chart in three calendar years. Jackson also became the first woman to be nominated for a Producer of the Year award by The Grammy Awards committee.

Jackson cleaned up at the 1990 Billboard Music Awards

I did not purchase this record, but it was omnipresent for two years and certainly part of the soundtrack of my life in my early twenties. At the time, I was 24 and investigating a career as a restaurant manager. A cassette version of RN-1814 was a staple on the kitchen sound system, especially early in the morning when the prep-team was hard at work. Revisiting it this week was a delight. I was amazed at the number of lyrics I still knew from memory. It also reinforced my sentiment that, despite Michael’s massive global fame and impressive musical catalogue, Janet is still my favourite Jackson. After all, adolescent crushes have staying power.

Thanks for reading -- all the blogs can be found here (just scroll down).

The 500 - #278 - Anthology of American Folk Music - Various Artists

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: #278

Album Title: Anthology of American Folk Music

Artist: Various

Genre: American Folk, Country, Blues

Recorded: Multiple (Songs recorded from 1926-1933)

Released: August, 1952

My age at release: Not yet born.

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Poor Boy Blues

I’ll admit, this record was a slog to get through. Released in 1952, Anthology of American Folk is a three-disc, 83-song compilation of music recorded in the United States between 1926 and 1933. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the listen. It was just a lot to absorb in a week and I often found myself drifting and not fully appreciating the music.

Occasionally, I would pause and make the effort to concentrate on the song emanating from my headphones or speakers. During those moments I found myself transfixed by what I was hearing and couldn’t help but think about those artists recording songs with the technology of the time.

• Could they conceptualize how much their work would influence American music in the future?
• Did they imagine they would be listened to nearly a hundred years in the future?
• Could they even anticipate the advances in recording technology? (Imagine trying to explain to someone from 1926 that their song would be streamed digitally from a Spotify account to a pair of Bluetooth headphones.)

1925 marked the second wave in the history of sound recording, the first being the “acoustic age” (1877-1925). The new “electric age” was made possible by the development of electric microphones, electronic signal amplification and electro-mechanical recording devices. Sound could now be captured, amplified, filtered and balanced electronically. Additionally, sound signals could be inscribed onto a wax master disc which could be mass produced through a stamping method on polyvinyl plastic -- the 78 rpm (revolutions per minute) record.

Those 78 rpm records became the industry standard for a few years, first marketed in 1894. By 1948 the long playing (lp) record, which had an rpm of 33 ⅓, became the standard.

This anthology exists because of Harry Smith (1923-1991), an American who painstakingly collected 78 rpm records throughout his life. But Smith was far more than a collector. He was a polymath, an individual who has extensive knowledge in many subject areas. As well, Smith was an artist, film-maker, Bohemian mystic, anthropologist and Neo-gnostic bishop.

Harry Smith

Smith was an important figure in the Beat Generation of the 1950s because of his insatiable appetite for collecting all manner of items in addition to 78 rpm records, such as paper airplanes, textiles from Seminole tribes and Ukrainian Easter Eggs, to name just a few.

Smith & Beat poet Allen Ginsberg

Born in Portland, Oregon, Smith called himself a magickian - a practitioner of magick. Magick (the k is not a typo) is a form of ceremonial, high magic from the world of the occult. The unusual spelling comes from the Renaissance period and is used to differentiate the practise from stage or performance magic. It is defined by its practitioners as “the science and art of causing changes to occur in the conformity of will”.

Smith also collected "string figures"

When Smith released his Anthology, he organized it into three, two-album volumes which he labelled Ballads, Social and Songs. The first, Ballads, featured American versions of traditional ballads from England. These were called Childs’ Ballads after Francis James Childs who anthologized them in the latter half of the 19th Century. Each one contains a narrative about a specific event or time.

The Social volume contains songs that would have been popular at dances and other public gatherings, including religious ceremonies. Consequently, these are considered the first American gospel recordings.

The final volume, Songs, consists of music about real-life events -- marriage, labour, prison and death.

When released, the album did not sell well or gain any recognition. However, it is now considered a landmark release and is credited with the American Folk Music revival that occurred in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. A clear line can be drawn from the album to artists such as Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel. Even Canadian artists were inspired, and performers Ian & Sylvia moved from Toronto to New York to perform traditional folk songs.

Typically, I like to listen to the record I am writing about at least four times. For this week’s blog, once was all I could manage. However, I am not done with it. I’ll go back to it again later this year and enjoy the performances at leisure. They are so earnest in their presentation and, in a way, connect me to the past. These singers and musicians recorded their pieces in a single take, directly into a microphone that had only been invented a few years earlier. To me, each song is an artistic endeavour captured in time. Somehow, I find comfort in that.

Thanks for reading -- all the blogs can be found here (just scroll down).

The 500 - #279 - Aladdin Sane - David Bowie

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: #279

Album Title: Aladdin Sane

Artist: David Bowie

Genre: Rock, Glam Rock

Recorded: Trident Studios, London U.K., RCA Studio, New York, U.S.A.

Released: April, 1973

My age at release: 7, My guest blogger was not yet born

How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? No

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Time

For the third year, a student in my Grade 7 class has volunteered to pick an album from The 500 list and share their thoughts. This year it is Arrow. Initially, they wanted to write about Some Girls, the 14th release from The Rolling Stones, which appears at position #270. However, the lyrics on the title track gave me pause. As we looked over titles, I spotted Aladdin Sane by David Bowie at position #279. Knowing that Arrow is as passionate about artistic make-up application as they are about music, it seemed the perfect choice. Happily, they accepted my suggestion and a few months ago they began their listening and writing journey. Interestingly, they selected the song Time for my Spotify 500 Playlist. It contains some provocative lyrics. However, Arrow is a terrifically mature student and you will read their deep understanding of the song when they break it down below. Enjoy.

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Hi, my name is Arrow. I am a student in Mr. Hodgkinson's Grade 7 class at Sir Arthur Currie P.S. in London, Ontario. I have selected David Bowie’s sixth studio record, Aladdin Sane, to write about as a guest blogger.

The first time I heard the title Aladdin Sane I was genuinely intrigued to listen to the album. Initially, it made me think about the movie Aladdin, but I knew I must be way off. Shortly after I started my research I learned what it was actually based on.

I found that the album was written while David Bowie was travelling the United States on his Ziggy Stardust tour. Some songs were written as Bowie sailed back to the U.K. He had travelled by boat because he did not like flying. Consequently, a lot of the songs were inspired by his impressions of America in the early ‘70s.

The album title, and title track Aladdin Sane (1913 - 1938 - 197?), was also informed by a book he was reading at the time called Vile Bodies. The book, written by Evelyn Waugh, satirizes the uncontrolled and frenetic (yet empty) lives of the “Bright Young Things” – a name given to the rich, young people in London, England, who threw lavish parties following World War I.

The title is also a pun as it can be sounded out as A-Lad-Insane. It was, in part, inspired by Bowie's half-brother, Terry, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about mental health and think that the more I know, the more compassionate I will become. Bowie’s choice was a tribute to his brother and a way of bringing attention to mental health and his diagnosis.

David (left) and his half-brother Terry (1960s)

When I first saw the album cover I thought Bowie was going against what society believed in and its expectations of him as a performer. It also shows how he wanted to stand out and didn’t care what anyone thought. I really appreciate this, as I like to be different from what society expects of me. Through my research, I have learned that this album art is now considered one of the most recognizable and celebrated record covers of all time.

The song Time really spoke to me. In his lyrics, Bowie reminds the listener that we can’t stop the passage of time and that we have to make the most of it without dwelling on things. I sometimes find it hard not to over-think events in my life. I can also get stuck thinking of things that can be negative or unhelpful.

You'll freeze and catch a cold
'Cause you've left your coat behind
Take your time
Breaking up is hard

But keeping dark is hateful

In this verse, Bowie seems to be reminding us to make the most of time and that even though making changes in your life may be difficult, it is much better than remaining in a negative situation.

While I was researching, I learned my mom and sister were also fans of David Bowie. So, I decided to interview both of them in order to get the views of people older than me.

Mom Interview

When did you first hear David Bowie?

I first heard David Bowie songs when my older brother was listening to him. When I was younger I found his songs too loud for me. Or maybe I just didn’t understand the music yet. When I got older I grew to enjoy his music and loved a lot of the meaning in the words he sang. Maybe I was just better able to understand his lyrics and music in my older years.

What is your favourite song and why?

My favourite song has to be Under Pressure, which was a fantastic collaboration of the band Queen and Bowie. This song has been covered by some of the best musicians. Even though this song was released in 1981, Queen still performs it and keeps it alive in the world of rock and roll.

Note: Both of the original singers, Bowie and Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury, have passed away. The new Queen singer, Adam Lambert, sings the Freddie part and Queen drummer, Roger Taylor, sings the Bowie part.

After listening to the Aladdin Sane album, what is the best thing about it?

I loved the old-school rock of this album. There are so few artists that can create the feeling or vibe of David Bowie. The piano and guitar were exceptional, as I have found with all of Bowie’s music.

Sister Interview

When did you first hear of David Bowie?

Though I now know him as a well-renowned artist, I originally heard him on the song Under Pressure, a collaboration with him and the band Queen. I think I’ve always had a knowledge of his talent and popularity, but I was exposed a lot more to Queen and their music and didn't actually find myself listening to much Bowie.

What is your favourite song and why?

Under Pressure is most definitely the song I listen to most, both because of my early exposure and the fact that I am a big fan of Queen. From Bowie's solo work, the song Lady Grinning Soul is probably my favourite. I love the musicality of it, with the gentle piano parts overtop of the steady rhythm section and the way it builds up into the bridge and final chorus. It is an all-encompassing experience. I also just love the general feeling of the song. (Fame is another good one. I love the funk).

After listening to the Aladdin Sane album, what is the best thing about it?

I love this album. My favourite thing about it is that though it has the cohesive feeling of an album, each song is uniquely its own, musically and lyrically. As mentioned before, I absolutely love the use of piano in popular music, and I feel like the unison of that with an older rock feel is really something unique to Bowie.

In conclusion, David Bowie stood out because of his music and identity. Some called him the “Lord of Rock” and “The Greatest Rockstar of All Time'' and that he created masterpieces. I agree, David Bowie is amazing.