The 500 - #171- The Notorious Byrd Brothers - The Byrds

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: #171
Album Title: The Notorious Byrd Brothers

Artist: The Byrds

Genre: Experimental, Psychedelic Rock, Pop, Folk Rock

Recorded: Columbia Studios, Hollywood

Released: January, 1968

My age at release: 2
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: Goin' Back

Album cover for The Notorious Byrd Brothers.

Peter Liljedahl, a math professor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, is well regarded by my teaching colleagues. Many of us have read his books on the Thinking Classroom. In a nutshell, the Thinking Classroom is one where students are randomly sorted into groups that work on a problem while standing, often scribing their ideas, computations and answers on chart paper or on erasable whiteboards -- dubbed a Vertical Non Permanent Surface (VNPS).

One of Liljedahl's Thinking Classroom books.

Last week, my Grade 7 students solved a ratio problem in the lobby of our school, using the Thinking Classroom approach. They were randomly assigned to one of seven groups of four, and chart paper was displayed so they could write down their progress for their fellow classmates and passersby to see.

Four Grade 7 students show off their calculations.

According to Liljedahl's research, frequent visible randomization is essential for success using the Thinking Classroom approach. He says:

“Whether we grouped students strategically or we let students form their own groups, we found that 80% of students entered these groups with the mindset that, within this group, their job is not to think. However, when we frequently formed visibly random groups, within six weeks, 100% of students entered their groups with the mindset that they were not only going to think, but that they were going to contribute."

As one might imagine, students are not always thrilled with their assigned group -- particularly if their close friends are placed in another team. However, to their credit they willingly participate and, to assuage their groans of frustration, I remind them that we rarely get a chance to pick our coworkers in life. I didn't get to pick the administrators, custodial staff or the grade partners with whom I work daily...and they didn't get to pick me. Throughout my nearly 50 years of employment I've been fortunate. Only on a few occasions have I had to work with a difficult colleague. It can be a challenging, frustrating and exhausting experience trying to forge interpersonal relationships in the workplace when personalities, goals, attitudes, work ethics or interests are not aligned.

Not all co-workers have good interpersonal relationships.

Such was the case for the members of The Byrds during the recording of their fifth studio record, The Notorious Byrd Brothers, in 1967. The sessions were fraught with tension and, by the time the album was released, the quartet was reduced to a duo. The studio sessions began with founding members David Crosby (guitars, vocals) and Roger McGuinn (guitar, vocals, banjo, synthesizers). They were joined by Chris Hillman (bass, guitar, vocals) and Michael Clarke (drums), both of whom had been with them since the Byrds’ debut release, Mr. Tambourine Man, in 1965(#233 on The 500). When the Notorious album was released, co-founder Crosby and Clarke were gone.

The Byrds in 1967, (l-r) Crosby, Hillman, Clarke, McGuinn

Crosby was particularly difficult to work with, arguing with his fellow musicians over song selection. He wanted to include a controversial song he had written called Triad, which detailed the events of a ménage à trois. The other three wanted to record Goin' Back. a composition penned by the legendary songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It had been a Top 10 hit for Dusty Springfield the previous year.

Cover for Goin' Back from Dusty Springfield.

Additionally, Crosby had frustrated the band members earlier in the year at the Monterey Pop Festival. He would spontaneously go on lengthy rants between songs, hectoring the audience on controversial subjects, while the rest of the band waited for him to finish. Not only did Crosby offer theories on the John F. Kennedy assassination, he also extolled the benefits of giving psychedelic drugs to "all the statesmen and politicians of the world".

Crosby, ranting to the audience, at the 1966 Monterey Pop Festival.

Despite the tension and acrimony, The Notorious Byrd Brothers album was well received by critics. Many considered it the pinnacle of the Byrds' late-’60s musical experimentation, featuring a blend of genres that included psychedelia, folk rock, country, electronic, baroque pop and jazz. The record-buying audience was less enthusiastic and it was only moderately successful commercially. It peaked at #47 on the Billboard Top LP charts in 1967.

The remaining duo of McGuinn and Hillman soldiered on, recruiting the talented Gram Parsons and Kevin Kelley to release Sweethearts Of The Rodeo in 1968. It appears at #120 on The 500 and I'll be diving into it in about a year to determine whether that foursome endangered a more harmonious working relationship than the previous ensemble. Then again, perhaps a little friction and acrimony is good for creativity. We’ll see. I doubt the Liljedahl visible randomization strategy would have helped. Who knows? Perhaps Crosby could have enjoyed detailing his threesome on chart paper beside his political theories?

The 500 - #172 - Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart

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: #172
Album Title: Every Picture Tells A Story
Artist: Rod Stewart

Genre: Folk Rock, Roots Rock

Recorded: Morgan Studios, London

Released: May, 1971

My age at release: 5
How familiar was I with it before this week: Several songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #177, dropping 5 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Maggie May

It was an elementary school "frenemy" named Gordie Sherwood who introduced me to Rod Stewart in 1975. The portmanteau. frenemy, derived from "friend" and "enemy" describes the on-again-off-again relationships typical of many adolescents. As a 30-year veteran of middle school, I have helped many emotionally charged students navigate these complex and often toxic relationships.

Gordie and I eventually went our separate ways, but in the autumn of 1975 we were in a "friend" phase when, while at his house, he played the song Maggie May from Stewart's third studio album, Every Picture Tells A Story. From the first listen, Stewart's emotional ballad about a relationship between an older woman and a college-aged boy resonated with 10-year-old me. The beautiful arrangement of a 12-string acoustic guitar, paired brilliantly with a mandolin and a Hammond Organ was certainly a hook. Yet, it was the opening lyrics that really hit. Despite being too young to truly understand the singer's ambivalence about a May-September romance, I was left melancholic by Stewart’s raspy words.

Opening lyrics to Maggie May.

Fast-forward 42 years later and I am sitting beside my mother in the stands of the Budweiser Garden in London, Ontario, watching the recently knighted Sir Rod perform Maggie May, along with 22 other hits from his illustrious career.

The septuagenarian puts on a heck of show. Surrounded by a dozen exceptional musicians and backing singers, it was more of a glitzy Vegas revue than a concert. The curtain lifted at exactly 7 p.m. and every moment of the 90-minute performance was perfectly choreographed, with an impressive light show and multi-media presentation running in the background. Stewart's band often takes centre stage to perform a few songs while the Scottish rocker nips away for a quick break and costume change.

Stewart's stage show in 2018.

The show was my mom's treat and I enjoyed it so much, I reciprocated in July, 2022, when Rod the Mod returned to the same venue in London. This time, his band was even better. His backing chorus comprised five young multi-instrumentalist women who sang, played and danced. With their talent, beauty and sexy costumes, they stole the spotlight from Stewart. It was all planned, of course – to portray the top-line entertainer’s modesty while showcasing a bevy of much younger talent.

Stewart on stage with his 2022 band, including the 5 multi-talented beauties.

On the day of the show, my pal Jeff Lewis decided to pick up a single ticket for the event. As luck had it, he scored a single, floor seat about 13 rows from centre stage. He and I quickly crafted a plan to surprise my super-fan mom. Jeff handed her his ticket and joined me in inferior seats. Given my mom's reduced mobility, we even made arrangements with arena security to have her wheelchaired to and from her preferred seat.

Stewart opens the 2022 concert with an homage to
Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love.

Post show, still chuffed at having given Mom pride of place, we anxiously awaited her return, expecting to hear a rave review. However, it was not to be. The opening act, Cheap Trick, was far too loud and rocking for her tastes. Then, during most of Rod’s performance, her view was blocked by fans standing up in front of her. Unable to be on her feet for extended periods, she struggled to enjoy the show. It turned out she would have been happier with me in our original seats, which afforded easy sightlines. I felt terrible but, always the trooper, Mom continued to appreciate Jeff’s generosity to position her closer to her favourite rock performer.

Maggie May remains one of my favourite songs of all time and I love the fact I shared two Rod Stewart shows with Mom.

Gordie Sherwood and I had drifted apart by Grade 7, neither enemy nor friend. But, I will always appreciate his cluing me in about the spiky-haired Brit with that trademark raspy voice.

The 500 - #173 - Something/Anything? - Todd Rundgren

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: #173
Album Title: Something/Anything?
Artist: Todd Rundgren

Genre: Rock, Pop, Psychedelia, Avant-Garde Pop, 

Recorded: Three Studios in Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Woodstock, NY

Released: February, 1972

My age at release: 6
How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #396, dropping 223 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Hello, It's Me

Just last week, Term One report cards were distributed to my Grade 7 class. My favourite aspect, and perhaps the most important part of the assessment document, is the Learning Skills section. In Ontario, the first page of each elementary report card includes a space for educators to write up to 500 words highlighting each student's progress in six categories: Collaboration, Independent Work, Initiative, Responsibility, Self Regulation and Organization.

Learning Skills Explanation section of Ontario Elementary Report Cards.

For the past six years, my approach has been to consult with every student for their input into the evaluation process. Together, we craft a mini-essay that spells out their successes, acknowledges their growth and establishes mutually agreed-upon objectives for the second term. I am regularly impressed by how well they know themselves and how fairly they identify the challenges they need to overcome.

This year, I was struck by an engaging conversation with one student who, to his credit, frankly acknowledged his collaboration skills needed improvement. As we discussed how he could accomplish this using the S.M.A.R.T. model we've learned about in class (see below), he candidly said: "I know I don't collaborate well, but I really like to just work alone." He wasn't wrong. He's a creative, tech-savvy kid who has independently created some excellent projects. He even painstakingly creates his own musical compositions using Flat.io -- a powerful, but tedious, computer application.

The S.M.A.R.T. approach to accomplishing goals..

It's been said that social intelligence improves if you "pretend that everyone you meet, good or bad, was sent to teach you something". That night, my brain worked overtime trying to figure out what this student really meant:

• Should collaboration be an option, not mandatory in an elementary classroom?
• Am I doggedly adhering to a set of arbitrary expectations set by our education authorities?
• Should there be flexibility in administering that component
• Should a thirteen-year-old student be allowed to choose whether to work alone on every assignment?

My thoughts turned to this week’s blog

Something/Anything? from the multi-talented Todd Rundgren is a masterful and powerfully engaging 23-song exercise in independent work. On the first three sides of the double record, Rundgren plays every instrument and provides all the vocals. He also wrote every song and took the helm in the studio as producer and engineer for the final cuts.

Todd Rundgren in the studio in the 70s.

Rundgren, already an accomplished singer, keyboardist and guitarist, felt he had become comfortable enough with other instruments – including bass guitar, drums and a variety of percussion and electronic instruments – to complete most songs by himself. Boldly, he had already voiced a "general dissatisfaction" with studio musicians despite recording in Los Angeles, a veritable hotbed of the best session players on the planet. This included the legendary Wrecking Crew, a loose collective of top drawer musicians who had contributed to hundreds of Top 40 hits.

Some Wrecking Crew members creating the trademark
"Wall of Sound" with Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in 
Los Angeles, 1965.

My take on Rundgren’s comment is that it wasn’t a question of "dissatisfaction" with the musicians’ talents. Rather, much like the student in my Grade 7 class, Rundgren simply wanted full creative control. He wanted to experiment freely with sounds and adjust arrangements on the fly. Understandably, the experimental process is slower when a band leader needs to explain his spontaneous vision to a group of supporting musicians, regardless of their talent level.

Rundgren would eventually move his studio to his house
on Mink Hollow Road in Woodstock, New York. 

After several weeks, at I.D. Sound Recorders and Runt Studios in Los Angeles, Rundgren had too much material for a single record release. Perhaps unnerved by the Sylmar earthquake, on February 9, 1971, in the San Fernando Valley he relocated to New York where he enlisted the help of his former collaborator, Mark "Moogy" Klingman. The two had worked on Rundgren's first solo release, Runt. After their reunion, they continued working together throughout the ‘70s, most notably with a progressive rock collective they dubbed Utopia.

Rundgren (foreground) on stage with Klingman
behind on keys.

The duo recruited some New York session players to complete enough material for the double album that was released in February,1972, as Something/Anything? The opening track, I Saw The Light was the first single. The B-side on that single was Marlene, a love song dedicated to Rundgren's girlfriend, Marlene Pinkard, who became the cover model and centerfold in Playboy Magazine's April, 1974, issue.

April, 1974 cover of Playboy Magazine featuring
Marlene Marlow (formerly Pinkard) on the cover.

While collaboration will still be promoted in my classroom whenever I encounter a resistant student, I'll think of Todd Rundgren and his “do it alone” record Something/Anything? If he could move on to collaborate with another musician and session players, it demonstrates the need for flexibility in life, even with independently productive students. I suspect that, in time, they will find their own Moogy Klingman and embrace collaboration on their own schedule.

 
 


 

The 500 - #174 - Desire - Bob Dylan

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: #174
Album Title: Desire
Artist: Bob Dylan

Genre: Folk Rock

Recorded: Over six days, at Columbia Studios

Released: January, 1976

My age at release: 10
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: Hurricane

The opening track to Dylan's seventeenth studio record, Desire, is the song Hurricane, an historical protestation about the wrongful conviction and incarceration of middleweight boxer Ruben "Hurricane" Carter. Carter and his friend, John Artis, were falsely implicated in a shooting at the Lafayette Bar & Grill in Paterson, New Jersey. Despite limited evidence and testimony from a couple of ne'er-do-wells who were in the area committing a robbery of their own, African Americans Carter and Artis were convicted by an all-white jury. Carter continued to proclaim his innocence from behind bars where he wrote his autobiography, The Sixteenth Round. The bio was a desperate effort to secure a retrial. It worked and he was released in 1985 after serving 20 years for a crime he did not commit. The complete story was told marvelously in the 1999, Norman Jewison film The Hurricane, featuring Denzel Washington in the titular role.

Movie poster for The Hurricane (1999).

Dylan was inspired to compose Hurricane after receiving a copy of Carter's autobiography from the author. At the time, Dylan was committed to social causes supported by the United States' Civil Rights Movement during the sixties and seventies. It was during that period that Carter and Artis were battling the legal system for a re-trial. Their campaign and the song highlighted the inadequacies of the American justice system and the systematic racism that persisted, despite advances that were achieved during the Civil Rights era.

Written as a political anthem, Hurricane represented the ongoing struggle for equality, understanding and justice. On December 5, 1975, Dylan performed a concert at Clinton State Prison, where Carter was incarcerated. Carter took to the stage and answered questions from reporters, including representatives of People Magazine, which published an article about his plight on December 22.

December 22. 1975 issue of People Magazine, Dylan article
highlighted by star.

Storytelling, narrated or in song; as oral history or in celebration, have been with us for thousands of years. The practise is as old as human language. Indeed, before literacy came to the masses, stories and songs were the primary means of passing along evidence of a society's existence, culture and history from one generation to the next. I am a sucker for a good narrative song, and The 500 list is brimming with lyricists and musicians who make storytelling an essential part of their craft. Beyond Dylan, there are the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Tom Waits, Nas and Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.), each of whom has combined melody with rich and vivid imagery.

Hurricane is a story-telling masterpiece, constructed with 11 verses and 11 chorus sections which share the same musical motif but have distinct lyrics. It is a story of injustice told over 22, four-to six-line stanzas. Dylan brilliantly captured the voices of those involved in the crime, investigation and criminal trial, while detailing the historical events of half a century ago. In the 18th stanza, he makes a bold choice by using the "N-word". While the pejorative is taboo for most today, it can be used freely by African Americans -- whose voices Dylan was adopting when he sang:

And to the black folks he was just a crazy n****
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed

Clearly, Dylan did not use N term as a racist epithet; the entire point of the song is to shine a light on racial injustice. So, should a songwriter get away with such language? 

Often, when teaching poetry, I remind my students to refer to the "speaker" when talking about the meaning of a poem or lyric. In Dear John when Taylor Swift sings, "I lived in your chess game/But you changed the rules every day", she is likely speaking from personal experience. However, she may be writing in the voice of a character escaping a manipulative relationship. Consequently, we say "the speaker says..." not "Taylor Swift says..." when discussing the lyrics.

Still, it was a dicey choice for Dylan back then and, on first listen, I bristled. Much like comedians, I admire an artist taking a risk. But I hope we have the wherewithal to distinguish between when a word is used maliciously and when it is used to emphasize a statement.

In the 1985 hit song Money For Nothing, songwriter and singer Mark Knopfler adopted the third-person perspective of a simple-minded, homophobic character decrying the state of modern music. He used a terribly nasty pejorative for gays and has faced mounting criticism in recent years. He now substitutes the word "Queenie" when performing the song live. I wonder if Dylan also found a less inflammatory word for subsequent performances of Hurricane?

The video for Money For Nothing featured a small-minded
blue collar worker who criticized pop stars with the F-word slur.

It would be nice if, as a society, we took the time to understand art before we judged it or dismissed the uncomfortable parts.  Dylan is not a racist and Knopfler is not a homophobe. In fact, they made lyrical choices intended to make audiences uncomfortable, hoping to make them more sensitive to our changing society. I suspect, that was the aim of Dylan and Knopfler when putting those bold words on paper in the first place.

The 500 = #175 - Close To You - Carpenters

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: #175
Album Title: Close To You
Artist: Carpenters

Genre: Soft Pop

Recorded: A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA

Released: August, 1970

My age at release: 5
How familiar was I with it before this week: A few songs

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Close To You

Fifty years ago during the winter of 1974/75, my grandfather (Pop) purchased my first saxophone. It was a Conn 6M alto and part of Conn’s "naked lady" series. The "naked lady" in question is an image of a topless woman, etched on the front of the horn.

I didn't realize it at the time, but that artwork signaled that the instrument was of high value. According to the KGU music dealership site:

"a vintage Conn saxophone from the mid-20th century, is considered exceptionally good due to its high-quality craftsmanship, rich and vibrant tone, excellent response, and unique design features from that era, making it highly sought after by collectors and professional musicians alike."

In fact, the same site lists the value at $900 -- $3,000, depending on wear and tear. Even the mouthpiece is listed at more than $150 because vintage Conn saxophones sound much better with it than with a modern one.

My vintage Conn 6M "Naked Lady" saxophone in the original case.

That same winter, I joined my elementary school band at Jack Miner P.S. in Kingsville, Ontario. The first song our bandleader provided  was (They Long To Be) Close To You, the 1970 chart-topping hit from Carpenters. To my delight, the alto saxophones carried the melody for much of the Junior Concert Band arrangement.

That melody energized my fingers and breath so many times as a nine-year old that it is still part of my muscle memory. Next week, when the school band at Sir Arthur Currie P.S., where I teach, resumes practising, I'll give my Conn 6M a whirl and see if I can remember it. Playing twice a week with our students is a highlight. After early morning practice, I am calmed, grounded and focused by the teacher-student collaboration. It might be the breathing or the counting of beats or just the multi-tasking required when playing music. It is the only time, other than when sleeping, that my brain shuts off.

Eight members of our Currie Band who
were also in the Grade 7 class I teach

Close To You is also the name of the second studio album by siblings Richard and Karen Carpenter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, but raised in Downy, California, they began music lessons at a young age – Richard on piano and Karen on drums. Initially, they were part of a trio that included bassist Wesley Jacobs. Later, the siblings formed a soft-rock group called Spectrum.

The Carpenter siblings left the group when they signed a deal with A&M Records in 1979, releasing their first album, Offering. It contained one minor hit, a soft-rock, ballad version of Ticket To Ride from The Beatles.  It was well received by critics who praised Richard's lush arrangements and Karen's beautiful contralto voice, but it did not sell particularly well.

Album cover for Offerings by The Carpenters (1969).

The second release, Close To You, was a massive success, featuring two singles that topped the charts for multiple weeks -- the aforementioned title track and We've Only Just Begun. The album and the singles earned the duo eight Grammy Nominations, and two wins. Both songs are ranked on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of The Greatest Songs Of All Time at #176 and #414 respectively.

Album cover for the single, We've Only Just Begun, (1970).

The Carpenters continued to make music, releasing eight additional records before Karen succumbed to anorexia nervosa -- an eating disorder characterized by severe dietary restrictions due to an overwhelming desire to be thinner. Individuals with this mental health condition, including Karen Carpenter, have a distorted view of their body image. Carpenter weighed an entirely reasonable 53 Kg (120 lbs.) when she collapsed and died from a cardiac arrest on February 4, 1983. It is a tragic disease from which more than one percent  of the population suffers -- the vast majority women.

The world lost an extraordinary talent that day. A beautiful singer and talented drummer who has influenced a generation of vocalists that include Madonna, k.d. lang, Shania Twain and Sheryl Crow. Sir Paul McCartney has said she had, "the best female voice in the world, melodic, tuneful and distinctive." Fortunately, for 15 years that voice was captured and the record Close To You became a marvelous landmark in her incredible career.

Considering The Carpenters’ stellar ranking in the music world, it’s disappointing their record was dropped from Rolling Stone Magazine’s 2020 list. I suppose a victim of a new generation of judges who probably didn’t get to play Close To You in the school band.