The 500 - #163 - 1999 - Prince

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-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: #163
Album Title: 1999

Artist: Prince

Genre: Dance Pop, Art Pop, Minneapolis Sound, R&B, Funk

Recorded: Kiowa Trail (Prince's Home Studio), Chanhassan, Minnesota; and Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California

Released: October, 1982

My age at release: 17
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #130, elevating 33 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: 1999

"You know that feeling you get on a roller coaster, when you are slowly climbing to the top...and it seems to take forever? That's turning 30. You'd better look around...because the rest of the ride is damn quick."

Those astute words by my pal, Paul Dawson, were uttered at the time we were entering our thirties. Paul has always been a clever wordsmith and I laughed off his amusing hyperbole. However, as I prepare to turn 60 this summer, I'll admit that the last 30 years came and went with alarming speed.

Paul Dawson, at his 30th birthday party.

The first time I heard the debut single 1999 from Prince's album of the same name, was in late autumn, 1982. I was a passenger in the car of another pal, Rob Cummings, when it came on the radio. Oddly, I can even remember the road we were on. The music wasn't my cup of tea at the time, but the lyrics sure got me doing some mental math:  "How old will I be in 1999...and what will I be doing? Will I be married? Have kids? What job will pay my bills?"

The idea of being 34 seemed like the stuff of science-fiction to my 17-year-old brain. Besides, as Paul later put it, I was still slowly climbing the first hill on the roller coaster. Now, with that birthday a full 26 years behind me, it feels like contemporary history. Such is our strange perception of time, a topic I tackled in my January, 2025 blog post about The Definitive Collection, from ABBA.

However, the wonderful thing about revisiting music from my youth, especially after a long hiatus, is that it can rekindle some of those vibrant, emotional feelings. There is something about the sound of 1999 that evokes such powerful nostalgia for me. It is likely the distinctively ‘80s "synth and electronic drum" sound that permeates so many of the tracks. That sound reminds me of how much I loved being 17. It was a time of great freedom and discovery. I had money, limited responsibility and incredible health. I didn't know how lucky I was. The curmudgeonly man on the porch in It's A Wonderful Life was right when he lamented to George Bailey and Mary Hatch. "Youth is wasted on the wrong people".

My friendships were also fantastic, including the time I spent with Rob and Paul. I am still in contact with Paul...we've actually been texting about the NFL draft as I write this piece. However, Rob and I drifted apart after high school. After listening to this record, I decided to try to find him through social media. He worked in construction, as a bricklayer, in the early ‘90s, and I found a website for Rob Cummings Contracting Company. I sent a message...we'll see what comes of that.

The album 1999 was the fifth studio production from the multi-talented and influential musician/songwriter Prince. On the strength of three hit singles, it propelled the flamboyant, androgynous entertainer to stardom. Consequently, it is not surprising that 1999 was the first song of his I heard.  In fact, for many years, I assumed this was his debut record and that he was an overnight sensation.

Prince, in his video for Little Red Corvette, the second single from 1999.

Released as a double record on vinyl in 1982, 1999 set the stage for Prince's meteoric rise to superstardom. Two years later, The High Priest of Pop released the landmark record Purple Rain, which also served as the soundtrack to his 1984 film of the same name, at which point he  became one of the biggest artists in the world – rivalled only by The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Purple Rain appears at #76 on The 500 list. That is 87 weeks away...but on this roller coaster ride that will be here, in the words of Paul Dawson, "damn quick".

The 500 - #164 = The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt - Linda Ronstadt

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: #164

Album Title: The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt

Artist: Linda Ronstadt

Genre: Country, Rock, Soft Rock, Pop

Recorded: Various Studios (1967-1995)

Released: September, 2002

My age at release: 37 (My guest blogger, Ava, was not born)

How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite (New to Ava)

Is it on the 2020 list? No, but her 1974 record, Heart Like A Wheel, is

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: You’re No Good

For the fifth straight year, I have invited  anyone in my Grade 7 class  to pick an upcoming record and write about. I was delighted when Ava accepted the challenge. Here is her post on The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt, by Linda Ronstadt.

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Hi, my name is Ava and I am a Grade 7 student in Mr. Hodgkinson’s class. Earlier this year he asked if any of us would be interested in being a guest blogger for one of the records on Rolling Stone Magazine's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and I volunteered.

Let me tell you about myself. I love performing and I am definitely an extrovert. I like singing and acting, but my passion is dancing. I have been taking dance classes since I was three. One of my favourite musical artists is Justin Beiber. I became a fan when my aunt played it for me and she is hoping to take me to see him in concert. She even gave me her concert sweatshirt from this 2009 tour. (See Below)

 

The album I picked from the list Mr. Hodgkinson showed me is The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt, by Linda Ronstadt. At first, I wasn’t sure which album to pick, but I went home and shared it with my dad. We listened to a few tracks from some of the other records, but I picked Ms. Ronstadt because I wanted to learn about a female artist and it stuck out from the other records we listened to, including Imperial Bedroom by Elvis Costello and Live At Leeds by The Who. They were okay, but Ms. Ronstadt stood out more.

Linda Ronstadt in the 1970s.

I did some research and this is what I learned.

Linda Ronstadt is an American singer who was born July 15, 1946. Linda’s family life was filled with music and tradition, which influenced the stylistic and musical choices she later made in her career. She has performed and recorded in many genres including country, rock, opera, and Latin music. She was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy in 2016. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April, 2014.

Winning one of her 11 Grammy Awards.

Despite not being married, she has two children. In 1990, she adopted a daughter, Mary and in 1994, she adopted a baby boy she named Carlos.

The song I picked for Mr, Hodgkinson’s playlist is You’re No Good. I like it because it is catchy and fun to sing along with. It wasn’t written by Ms. Ronstadt but by Clint Ballard Jr. He was an American songwriter who had two number one hits. One was this version of his song by Linda Ronstadt and the other was in 1965 – Game of Love performed by Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders.

Linda reduced her performance schedule after 2000 when she felt her singing voice deteriorating. She released her final solo album in 2004 and her final collaborative album in 2006, and performed her final live concert in 2009. She announced her retirement in 2011 and revealed shortly afterward that she is no longer able to sing because, sadly, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease – a progressive disorder that primarily affects the brain's movement-controlling areas. Since that time Linda has continued to make public appearances, going on a number of public speaking tours raising awareness about her illness.

When I read about her Parkinson’s diagnosis I felt a lot of empathy for her. She is a singer and I am a dancer and I can’t imagine not being able to dance anymore. I know that she is being brave and fighting through this, but it must be very hard for her.

Here are five fun facts I learned about Ms. Ronstadt.

• She was the first female artist to have four consecutive albums go platinum.
• She has been nominated for 27 Grammy Awards and has won 11.
• She has also been awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
• She has even won an Emmy Award for her 1989 performance in Canciones De Mi Padre (Songs of my Father) on the PBS special Great Performances.
• Her grandfather, Lloyd Groff Copeman, was an inventor. Among his inventions, he designed early versions of the electric toaster, stove refrigerator and even the microwave oven. He also invented the flexible rubber ice cube tray which earned him millions of dollars. We have one of those in our fridge, so I guess we gave the Ronstadt family some money,

Thanks for reading.

That's all for today BYE! -Ava

(credits to Wikipedia for the blog and CNN10 for the facts)

The 500 - #165 - Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye

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: #165
Album Title: Let's Get It On

Artist: Marvin Gaye

Genre: Soul, R&B

Recorded: Hitsville USA and Golden World Studios (Detroit); Hitsville West Studios (Los Angeles)

Released: August, 1973

My age at release: 8
How familiar was I with it before this week: A little

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #422, dropping 257 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Let's Get It On

It was nearly midnight as the luxury coach pulled away from Saunders Secondary School in London, Ontario, in April, 1983. Aboard were roughly 50 student musicians and a half dozen teachers set to embark on a four-night excursion to Boston, Massachusetts, for a band competition. Eventually, the passengers would find a way to sleep during the 11-hour journey; but that certainly wasn't going to happen for the first few hours -- the excitement was palpable.

As the chartered bus motored its way along Ontario highways toward the New York State border, some students played cards while others listened to music wired from their portable devices into their headphones. One student brought along an impressive boombox and a bag full of D batteries to charge it.

To the delight of many of the passengers, he assumed the role of DJ and cued-up the latest radio hits, including tracks from Culture Club, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson and Toto. He also played a single from soul singer Marvin Gaye, the racy and provocatively titled Sexual Healing from his 17th (and final) studio record, Midnight Love.

Sexual Healing was a massive hit that spring, crossing over from the R&B chart to the pop, dance and adult contemporary hit lists. It reached #1 in several countries, including Canada. That song my first real exposure to this already legendary figure in Motown. Sure, I had heard Gaye's biggest hits, What's Going On?, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and the title track from this week's record, Let's Get It On. But, this was different. Sexual Healing was part of my cultural milieu. I wanted to learn more about the artist dubbed "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul". In a time before the Internet, the information I cobbled together was sparse and unencumbered by fact-checking. However, as I researched his life this week, I realized I wasn't far off in what I learned.

He was born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. in Washington, D.C., in 1939 to Pentecostal Minister Marvin Gay Sr. and domestic worker Alberta Gay. He grew up impoverished, living in public housing. He was also raised in accordance with his father's strict code of conduct. According to biographer David Ritz, Marvin Jr. was subjected to "brutal whippings" for even the smallest transgression and described his homelife as, "living with a king, a very peculiar, changeable, cruel, and all powerful king". Gay Sr. also had a troubled childhood  involving domestic abuse, violence and shootings. His decision to become a minister was, in a way, an attempt to escape his own turbulent upbringing. However, as is often the case, abused children become abusers themselves.

Gaye Jr., centre, with his parents.

As a teen, the younger Marvin joined several doo-wop groups, such as The Dippers and the D.C. Tones. He was kicked out of the house at 17 and joined the Air Force, with the hope of working on fighter jets. He was quickly disenchanted with his decision when he, and his peers, were assigned menial tasks. In 1957, he feigned mental illness and received a general discharge. He continued his musical career, forming several vocal groups and improving his songwriting talents. Eventually, he landed a contract with the Motown Studios subsidiary, Tamla Records. It was at this time that he decided to add the silent "e" to the end of his name. In part, he wanted to distance himself from both his father and the unfair negative connotations associated with homosexuality in the ‘60s. However, Gaye also maintained the spelling variation was a tribute to his idol, Sam Cooke, who had added an "e" to his last name.

Gaye was not interested in playing R&B when he began his Motown (Tamla) career. He wanted to perform jazz standards and his first record, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, was a commercial disappointment, causing him to return to the studio as a session drummer for other artists – among them The Marvelletes, The Miracles, and Jimmy Reid, earning about $5 a week ($60 adjusted for inflation).

Persistence and hard work eventually paid dividends and he began racking up hits throughout the ‘60s. In June, 1970, Gaye returned to the Hitsville USA Studios in Detroit to record the influential progressive soul and protest record, What's Going On? It appears at  #6 in the 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, but at #1 on the updated 2020 list. It's a record I intend to write about in April, 2028.

Speaking of which, a year later in April 1984, another luxury coach pulled away from Saunders Secondary School with about the same number of student musicians and teachers. This time, the bus was heading to Washington, D.C., and I was not on board. In the intervening year I had become disenchanted with the school band and opted out of the music program in my final year. I am sure someone was playing the hits of the day on that bus, but I am equally certain a hot topic of conversation was the tragic news that had unfolded on April 1st. Marvin Gaye had been shot. The shooter was already in custody and, to the shock of everyone, it was Gaye's father Marvin Sr. who had fired the gun.

Gay Sr. at his sentencing hearing in 1984.

It emerged that Marvin Jr. had interceded in a fight between his parents in their home in Los Angeles -- one that he had purchased for them in 1973. Marvin Jr., much larger and stronger than his 70-year-old father, began kicking and punching him in the upstairs hallway as wife/mother Alberta Gay screamed for them to stop.

The elder Gay retreated to a bedroom and returned with a Smith and Wesson .38 special revolver -- that Marvin Jr. had given him the previous Christmas. He shot his son twice – once in the shoulder, and the fatal bullet in the chest, perforating his lung, heart and liver. He was rushed to California Medical Centre and, at 1:01 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, and pronounced dead.

Initially charged with murder, Gay Sr. was eventually convicted of the lesser crime of voluntary manslaughter after it was revealed that he had a brain tumour that, according to his defense team, likely contributed to his decision-making. However, it seems more likely that the cycle of violence that marred both their lives precipitated the tragedy. As the Greek tragedian Euripides stated 1,500 years earlier; "The gods visit the sins of the fathers upon the children".

Marvin Sr. received a six-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. He lived until 1998 when he died of pneumonia at 84.

Marvin Jr, if alive today, would also be in his mid-eighties, and the world would have likely enjoyed 40 additional years of intelligent, soulful and beautiful music.

The 500 - #166 - Imperial Bedroom - Elvis Costello

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: #166
Album Title: Imperial Bedroom

Artist: Elvis Costello

Genre: New Wave, Baroque Pop, Art Rock

Recorded: Air Studios, London, England

Released: July, 1982

My age at release: 16
How familiar was I with it before this week: One song

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Man Out Of Time

For the past twelve years, more than half of my students have been multi-language learners. Some arrive in my class directly from another country and speak almost no English. Most are well on their way to becoming strong English speakers, with several years of experience behind them. No matter their level, I am amazed at how quickly their language skills evolve. My job is, typically, helping them refine their grammar skills and navigate the trickier aspects of the English language -- irregular spellings, rich vocabulary and, often the hardest part, idioms and word play.

Imperial Bedroom, the seventh studio album from Elvis Costello, brims with layered lyrics, clever word play and surprising turns of phrase. Costello is able to blend evocative storytelling with biting sarcasm in his exploration of love, regret and disillusionment. In Shabby Doll, Costello uses the image of a worn out rag doll as a metaphor for someone being cruelly manipulated and discarded in a failed relationship.

Album cover for Shabby Doll single.

However, the stand out track for me is Man Out Of Time, the second single released from this week’s subject, Imperial Bedroom.  The title evokes a sense of desperation and plays on multiple meanings. Is this a person who feels out of place in their own era, or is it someone who has lost relevance? Perhaps it is simply a man who is literally running out of time. In it, the English singer-songwriter flexes his sharp and playful linguistic dexterity, writing with shifting perspectives and fragmented imagery, all of which contribute to a feeling of instability and disorientation. My favourite two verses read:

There`s a tuppeny hapenny millionaire
Looking for a fourpenny one
With a tight grip on the short hairs
Of the public imagination

But for his private wife and kids somehow
Real life becomes a rumour
Days of Dutch Courage
Just three French letters and a German sense of humour

There is so much going on with these eight lines and I loved wrestling with their meaning. In particular, I loved the inclusion of idiomatic phrases lifted from British soldier vernacular, circa 1945. 

• Dutch Courage (alcohol induced bravery),
• French Letters (condoms)
• German sense of humour (irony and a straight-faced, resigned acceptance of life's absurdity)

Recently, my wife and I have been watching a new HBO series called The Pitt. It is a medical drama set in the Emergency Room of The Pittsburgh Trauma Hospital that takes place in real time over 15 one hour-long episodes. The show offers a realistic window into the world of medical professionals under the most stressful circumstances. Consequently, the language and medical jargon they use is not explained to the viewers. One is simply immersed in the chaos and, much like the medical students depicted in the show, figure things out as they happen.

Costello's writing on Imperial Bedroom is similar. It is rich with word play, regional idioms and references that are left for the listener to decipher and interpret. Add to this the ambitious musical choices Costello and his band, The Attractions, create and it is easy to see why this album ranked in the top 200 on The 500. The record, produced by Geoff Emerick, best known for his work with The Beatles, reinvents the Post-Punk and New Wave sound of Costello's earlier releases. It contains orchestral flourishes, jazz influences and even Baroque Pop, a sound made famous by The Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys -- #1 and #2 respectively on The 500.

Album covers for Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's.

Unsurprisingly, critics and fans have consider Imperial Bedroom to be Costello's "Sgt. Pepper moment". However, despite the strength of his record, it did not make the 2020 ticket. The updated list placed more emphasis on diversity of genre and contemporary cultural impact. As a result, many selected albums, including Imperial Bedroom, were shuffled down or bounced off to make way for new material, such as To Pimp A Butterfly from Kendrick Lamar and Lemonade by Beyoncé.  But, who knows, with another list likely to be released in the next few years, this clever, witty and ambitious record may crack the docket again. After all, I constantly have a new batch of music listeners to teach the joys of word play.

The 500 - #167 - Master Of Puppets - Metallica

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: #167
Album Title: Master Of Puppets

Artist: Metallica

Genre: Thrash Metal

Recorded: Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark

Released: March, 1986

My age at release: 20
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #97, rising 70 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Master of Puppets

In the summer of 2024, I penned a lengthy post about Metallica's Black Album (#255 on The 500) in which I sketched out a brief history of heavy metal -- from its founding in late-’60s heavy blues, through its commercially successful glam rock phase in the ‘80s and into the arrival of Metallica in 1984.

In that post, I recalled my introduction to Metallica in 1987 when I was working at Fluffy's Pizza with a devoted headbanger named James Fast. James worked in the kitchen and, at first, I was a delivery driver. We both worked late into the night, especially on weekends, often finishing our shifts at 3:00 a.m. Those long hours were ballasted by caffeine, cigarettes and music. The stereo system in my car (a 1981 Chevette) was in overdrive, and James had his portable cassette player blasting away at the back of the kitchen.

We quickly connected over a shared love of Rush, Iron Maiden, Queensryche and Judas Priest; however, my tastes skewed toward more progressive rock sounds (Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Marillion, Yes) and James liked his sound louder and heavier. Among his favourite bands were the Danish Black Metal band Mercyful Fate and Metallica.

Metallica in 1987 (l-r) Kirk Hammett (lead guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums),
Jason Newsted (bass) and James Hetfield (guitar, vocals).

James tried hard to make me a Metallica fan, sharing stories of their epic performances and regularly sharing cassette tapes of their albums. These included their most recent work, Master Of Puppets, which I could listen to  during deliveries. I didn't mind the music. The songs were high energy and aggressive and that helped keep me awake as I drove around, squinting for street names and house numbers during late night deliveries. In a time before Satellite navigation and on-screen mapping apps like Waze, I relied on a well-worn map that I kept stuffed in the glove compartment. It had been folded and unfolded so many times it was hard to read the street names obscured in the creases.

The approximate delivery area I served, with Fluffy's Pizza Springbank located
on the map with a red star.

Despite James' best efforts, Metallica didn't stick – just another band that I "didn't mind" but too indifferent to commit time or money. Eventually, though, I was won over and Metallica songs are now scattered through my workout playlists.

I have to give Metallica and James their due. Master Of Puppets is an important record and considered by fans and music critics to be a highwater mark for Thrash Metal -- hailed for its strong lyrics, technical excellence and influence on the genre. The guitar riffs are relentless and the lyrics tap perfectly into teen-age anger, conspiratorial curiosity, rebellion and angst.

A 500 Podcast guest and Metallica fan, Joe Manganiello, aptly described the record as containing "muscular poetry", touching on themes of addiction, anti-war, religious corruption and corporate exploitation. It also delivered  a powerful instrumental inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror series, The Call of Cthulhu. In view of those laudatory comments I wonder why the teen-age version of me didn't like the record more.

Cthulhu (The Old One) creature from H.P. Lovecraft's mythos.

Perhaps I'll check in again with my friend "Jimmy Quick", as I like to call him. We have remained in touch over these past 40 years. He works as a sound engineer on television productions and is still a fan of Metallica. I'll have to let him know his late night, oven-side persuasions finally worked.