The 500 - #100 - Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies

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: #100

Album Title: Odessey and Oracle

Artist: The Zombies

Genre: Chamber Pop, Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop

Recorded: EMI and Olympic Studios, London, England

Released: April, 1968

My age at release: Three

How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple of songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #243 - dropping 143 spots

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: A Rose For Emily

Right from the start, something didn't sit right when I first saw this record coming up on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums list. Then it hit me. Odessey and Oracle is spelled wrong. Initially, I assumed the missing "y"  a  psychedelic statement but, as it turns out, it was just a typographical error.

The album cover designer, Terry Quirk, who was a friend of Zombie's bassist Chris White, made the mistake. By the time it was noticed, the record was ready for release and the band was on the verge of breaking up. In fact, the five members were already investigating new careers.

• Vocalist Colin Blunstone was training to be an insurance broker/clerk. 
• Drummer, Hugh Grundy had lined up a job in banking. 
• White, who was also the primary songwriter, planned to return to his studies to become a teacher. 
• Organist Rod Argent and guitarist Paul Atkinson were weighing the options of returning to university, or pursuing music with a new group. (They would chose the latter and the rock group Argent was formed in 1969).

The typo should have been an exclamation mark on a short and forgettable career. Instead, it marked an important milestone for the group. Sixty five years after forming in St. Albans, England, The Zombies remain one of the most beloved bands of The British Invasion.

They had enjoyed moderate success with the hit She's Not There from their debut record Begin Here, but The Zombies never quite broke through the way many of their British Invasion peers did. By the time they entered the studio in 1967, the band was running low on money, momentum and optimism. However, this is what made Odessey and Oracle special. It was forged by a group that more or less thought the end had arrived. Instead of chasing trends or desperately searching for a hit, they simply made the album they wanted to make. It was one filled with gorgeous harmonies, imaginative arrangements and songs that often disguised loneliness, regret and uncertainty, set within delightful melodies structured like finely crafted Baroque-Pop symphonies.

A Rose For Emily, described as a "whirling mini-symphony"
by Irish Independent critic Ed Power, is one of several
gorgeous tracks on the record.

Throughout the beautiful arrangements, the thing that stood out to me was White's bass work. Rather than simply following the chord changes or reinforcing the melody, he frequently slipped into what musicians call a countermelody, which is defined as an independent musical line that complements the song while charting its own course. It's a style of bass playing I've always loved. Some of my favourite bassists include Geddy Lee of Rush, Chris Squire of Yes, John Entwistle of The Who and Steve Harris of Iron Maiden They built entire careers on the idea that the bass could be more than a supporting instrument.

So, I decided to do a little research into the history of countermelody or, as it is sometimes called, contrapuntal bass playing. Fittingly, for the Baroque Pop record Odessey and Oracle, the origins of countermelody can be traced all the way back to the most famous Baroque composers, Johann Sebastian Bach. 

In Bach's music, every voice had its own identity. Rather than one melody sitting on top of simple accompaniment, multiple melodic lines, including the bass line, would weave around one another, each contributing to the whole while maintaining its own character. 

Johann Sebastian Bach

Centuries later, jazz bassists began creating walking bass lines that moved independently beneath the melody. However, in the early days of rock and roll the bass was often relegated to a simpler role, dutifully outlining the chord changes and staying out of the way. That changed when Elvis Presley's bass player, Bill Black, introduced a slap technique that brought rhythm and energy to tracks, including That's All Right.

Bill Black (right) performing with Elvis.

Then along came players like James Jamerson at Motown records who is credited with transforming the bass from a time-keeping instrument to one that provided a melodic voice. Jamerson filled songs with inventive runs and syncopated rhythms that seemed to have a conversation with the main melody. He became a massive influence on Beatle Paul McCartney who increasingly treated the bass like a melodic instrument, particularly on one of my favourite Beatles' songs, Something.

Sheet music for Something shows the complexity
of the bass melody.

By the late 1960s, musicians were pushing the idea even further. Not only was Chris White of The Zombies creating subtle countermelodies on Odessey and Oracle, John Entwistle of The Who was playing complex bass runs that often sounded like the lead guitar operating in the lower register. It is surprising how much is going on when listening to an isolated track of his bass work on the song Won't Get Fooled Again.

From there, progressive rock embraced the concept wholeheartedly. Chris Squire of Yes turned the bass into a second lead instrument, while Geddy Lee of Rush filled every available space with intricate melodic runs that somehow never overwhelm the songs.

Geddy Lee on the cover of Bass Guitar magazine
(October, 2019).

Heavy metal adopted the idea in its own way. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden used galloping, highly melodic bass lines that often carried as much momentum as the guitars. Listening to Harris, you get the sense that the bass isn't following the song so much as pulling it forward.

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden.

Today, contrapuntal bass playing can be heard across genres -- from progressive rock and metal to indie rock and modern jazz. Yet the basic idea remains the same as it was in Bach's day -- music becomes more interesting when the bass stops blindly following everyone else and starts having a conversation of its own.

Odessey and Oracle finally found an audience after The Zombies had already given up on it. When the album was released in 1968 it barely made a ripple and the band broke up, with most members moving into "civilian life". Then, the strangest thing happened. A rock radio station in Boise, Idaho, introduced the record's final track, Time Of The Season, into regular rotation. It quickly found an audience, and by the spring of 1969 it was sitting near the top of the American charts.

Album jacket for the single, Time Of The Season.

Unfortunately, by the time Time of the Season climbed the charts, The Zombies no longer existed. However, this was not the end of their collective Odyssey. The band reunited briefly in 1991 and later returned for a remarkable second act that introduced their music to a new generation of listeners.

This autumn, they will perform at the third Begin Here Festival in St. Albans, England, the city where their journey began more than six decades ago. Four of the band's five original members will be part of the celebration. The only absence will be guitarist Paul Atkinson, who died of cancer in 2004. Chris White will be present, playing his countermelodic basslines at 83 years of age.

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 - #188 - Buffalo Springfield Again - Buffalo Springfield

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: #188
Album Title: Buffalo Springfield Again
Artist: Buffalo Springfield

Genre: Multiple genres: Folk Rock, Psychedelia, Rock, Country Folk
Recorded: Three Studios - Two in Los Angeles, California, and one in New York City, New York

Released: October, 1967
My age at release: 2
How familiar was I with it before this week: A little

Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Mr. Soul

Much of my early exposure to music came from high school parties in the '80s. In a time before streaming music services, compact discs, music television and even the "mixed tape", the soundtracks at these teenage gatherings often emanated from the family record player. Consequently, entire album sides played to entertain this awkward, ebullient, juvenile congregation of (sometimes) stoned or drunk participants in the throes of developing their social skills.

  Some ‘80s parties relied on the old family stereo cabinet for music,

often tucked against a wood-paneled wall in a shag-carpeted basement.

The choice of music was reserved for the host. However, the music savvy were always nearby to offer suggestions. There were many records I first heard at house parties which are on The 500 list, including Paranoid by Black Sabbath (#131), Physical Graffiti from Led Zeppelin (#73) and this week's record, Buffalo Springfield Again, from Canadian/American folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Formed in Los Angeles in 1966, the group comprised Americans Stephen Stills and Rich Furay, and Canadians Bruce Palmer, Dewey Martin and Neil Young.

Buffalo Springfield in 1966 (l-r) Stephen Stills, Rich Furay, Bruce Palmer, Dewey Martin and Neil Young.

I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of Buffalo Springfield the first time I heard it with friends who were mainly a heavy metal/classic rock crowd. At the time, most parties featured music by Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and the aforementioned Sabbath and Zeppelin. To play music from a group influenced by folk, country and psychedelia, like Buffalo Springfield, seemed an odd choice. However, this was one of the best things about being at a party. It was a chance to hear something new and learn about a different group. I distinctly remember reading the album jacket while this record played. I liked the name Buffalo Springfield – not knowing they took their name from a company that made industrial steamrollers.

The back cover of the Buffalo Springfield Again album.

In a previous post about Neil Young's 1979 record, Rust Never Sleeps (#351 on The 500), I wasn't charitable in my assessment of his nasal-sounding voice. However, I didn't mind it on the opening track, Mr. Soul, which has been a personal favourite  since I first heard it. As I said in that post, Young’s voice has grown on me. Like a fine wine, my appreciation of his talent has grown with age. The rest of the record is terrific, with four of the five members taking vocal duties on the 10 tracks. I've always been a fan of harmonies and variety on a record, which Buffalo Springfield Again delivers in spades. As I revisited it for this post, I was surprised to realize I hadn’t purchased a copy for my collection. Probably in my youth I failed to recognize how good this album is.

Buffalo Springfield induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 1977 - Young chose not to attend.

The group released only three records between 1966 and 1968 before disbanding to pursue other projects. However, their influence was seismic, hence their induction to the Hall of Fame in 1997. Some members went on to enjoy successful solo careers; others either formed or joined bands that became popular and often influential. Among them were Crosby Stills Nash & Young; Poco; The Flying Burrito Brothers; and Manasas.

Buffalo Springfield left a music legacy that continues today. Surprisingly, they are not represented on the 2020 500 list, which is a glaring omission.

The 500 - #211 - Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

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: #211
Album Title: Wish You Were Here
Artist: Pink Floyd
Genre: Progressive Rock, Art Rock
Recorded: EMI Studios (Now Abbey Road Studios), London, England

Released: September, 1975
My age at release: 10
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very!

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #264, dropping 53 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6 - 9)

There is not another album on The 500 list that I have listened to more often than Wish You Were Here by English quartet Pink Floyd. The album has spoken to me deeply for more than 40 years and I never tire of listening to it because it seems to age along with me. The lyrics, which resonated so powerfully as a teenager, take on a different tenor now that I am listening to it as a man nearing 60. Like "comfort food" -- warm, hearty traditional dishes – that sustain you and also remind you of childhood and home.

However, the album is more than that. It is a piece of art that has seeped into the fibre of my being – witness to my life in times of joy, triumph and elation, as well as periods of darkness, sadness and loss. Seemingly part of my DNA.

The album consists of only five songs: Welcome To The Machine, Have A Cigar and the title track Wish You Were Here, book-ended by the 30-minute opus, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, which is divided into nine parts. Shine was written by three members of the band – bassist and vocalist Roger Waters, guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour and keyboardist Richard Wright. The final member of the classic line-up was drummer Nick Mason.

Pink Floyd in 1975 (l-r) Mason, Gilmour, Waters and Wright.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond was conceived by Waters as a tribute to the band's founding member, Syd Barrett. Barrett, who struggled with mental health issues and drug addiction, was eased out of the band in 1968, and his health continued to decline. Once joyful, friendly and extroverted, Barrett began experimenting heavily with the psychedelic drug LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) in the mid-sixties. Changes in his personality were gradual. However, after a long weekend during which he went missing, he returned "a different person", according to keyboardist Wright. Barrett became increasingly unreliable as a band mate. He was withdrawn, experienced hallucinations, struggled with his speech and was even prone to bouts of catatonia -- sometimes when on stage.

Syd Barrett - 1960s.

Gilmour, who was a college friend of Barrett, joined Pink Floyd as a fifth member to fill in - as needed - during live performances. However, eventually, the situation became untenable. As bassist Waters put it, "He was our friend, but most of the time we wanted to strangle him."

Although Barrett  continued to write music and released two solo albums in 1970, (Barrett and The Madcap Laughs), his mental health continued to decline. The rest of the band did not see him for many years, but  in 1975, as Floyd were recording Wish You Were Here, he arrived at the studio unannounced. He had gained a lot of weight and had shaved himself bald, including his eyebrows.  For much of the visit he brushed his teeth. When Waters asked him what he thought about the songs, Barrett replied, "Sounds a bit old."

Barrett at Abbey Road Studios (1975)

The first time I heard Shine On You Crazy Diamond, I was leveled by its hypnotic beauty. It was late at night and I was listening to a rock radio station, procrastinating over a high school homework assignment. I don't recall the song being introduced; I just remember that, at first, there was silence, which I assumed was "dead air". --

Then a gentle susurration pulsed from my tiny transistor speaker. Almost imperceptible, a rich synthetic/orchestral, whispering swelled slowly. I could detect the faint tinkling of chimes, and imagined the sound waves as electronic vines being absorbed by my entire being.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pt. 1 - released
as a single (which seems ridiculous - you need the
whole suite.)

The first time you truly “hear” a song, time seems to move more slowly. This was one of those times. It was like floating comfortably through a warm pool toward a distant light. I stopped everything, entranced. The notes modulated ever so subtly, but always found their way to a perfect, albeit temporary, resolution...and then a guitar, (a black Stratocaster, I  later learned) struck a simple series of four notes. I don't think I did anything but breathe for the next eight minutes...and then the vocals began…

"Remember when you were young?

You shone like the sun.

Shine on you crazy diamond.

Now there's a look in your eyes,

Like black holes in the sky.

Shine on you crazy diamond."

I had no idea what it meant and it was some time before I learned it was about Barrett.  My world was forever changed by this album. I wore out at least two cassettes, listening to them over and over on my portable player. The music was my companion on walks and in the evening on my bed and on countless bus trips around the city. Sometimes, I skipped class and sat on concrete benches out side the school in order to listen to it again.

I was a toddler when the original Floyd group broke up in 1968, and I was too young to see the classic line-up (Waters, Gilmour, Mason & Wright). However, I have seen the other members on their solo outings numerous times. Most recently, I saw Roger Waters (for the sixth time) on his This Is Not A Drill tour in 2022. He included Shine (Parts 6-9) in his first set.

Waters on tour in 2022.

I also attended what was billed as David Gilmour's final concert tour in 2016. He played the first half of Shine (Parts 1-5) -- which was the highlight for me. Thirty-six years removed from my first listen, I am still transfixed by the sound Gilmour seduced from his trademark black Stratocaster guitar. Below is a photo I took at the concert.

In 2021, he auctioned off 126 of his guitars at a fund-raising event for climate change -- netting $21 million. Included in the auction was the famous "Black Strat" which fetched $3.9 million. My friends and I believed the fund-raiser signalled the end of his writing and touring. However, last month, the 78-year old announced the release of his fifth solo record, Luck And Strange, along with dates for a small 2024 tour – visiting only Rome, London, Los Angeles and New York.

It seems unlikely that we will see either of these band members perform again, but I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity of sharing their careers. As I said at the start, I’ll always have this album – my auditory comfort food.

And we'll bask in the shadow of yesterday's triumph
And sail on the steel breeze
Come on, you boy child, you winner and loser
Come on, you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!