The 500 - #268 - Paul Simon (Self-titled)- Paul Simon

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: #268

Album Title: Paul Simon

Artist: Paul Simon

Genre: Folk Rock infused with other musical styles

Recorded: Four Studios in U.K., U.S.(2) & Jamaica

Released: January, 1972

My age at release: 6

How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #425, dropping 157 places

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard

Album cover for Simon's self-titled release.

The self-titled record from singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor Paul Simon was his second release. However, it was the first album he recorded after splitting from long-time collaborator Art Garfunkel whom he had known since sixth grade. The duo recorded five studio albums during their time together which included more than 20 singles, including their number one hits The Sound of Silence, Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer and Mrs. Robinson -- from the soundtrack to the Oscar-nominated 1967 film The Graduate.

Movie poster for The Graduate

Simon's first solo release, The Paul Simon Songbook was released in 1965, following multiple visits to England to play coffee houses and small venues. He recorded the album at Levy's Recording Studio in London, with only a single microphone for his voice and guitar. The album contained early versions of many songs, including I Am A Rock and The Sound Of Silence, which would later be re-recorded with Garfunkel.

Album cover for Paul Simon's Songbook

The split between Simon and Garfunkel occurred in 1970, shortly after they released their best selling album, Bridge Over Troubled Waters (#52 on The 500). The recording of that album was difficult as the relationship between the pair had become acrimonious. At the urging of Simon's first wife, Peggy Harper, he made the decision to break from Garfunkel in the spring of 1970. Although they reunited to perform together many times over the next four decades, this would mark the start of Simon's commercially and critically successful solo career.

Simon and Garfunkel - a troubled partnership

This got me thinking about times when I made important splits in my life and risks that paid off.

In 1997, I quit my job as a bartender at Jack Astors' Restaurant when I found out that I had an interview at Garlic's Restaurant. Not a job. An interview. I disliked working at Jack Astors' enough to understand I needed a change and was confident of landing the Garlics' gig. I did and worked there for 12 years, making friendships that continue to this day.

In 2016, I applied for a position as an Instructional Coach with my school board. This meant leaving the classroom to work with other teachers at six schools. The professional growth I experienced during my two years in this position made me a better educator.

Another significant change was my January, 2018, decision to switch the direction of my blog from education-based posts to documenting my journey through The 500. Not only did it provide me with a different weekly topic (something I was missing when I wrote exclusively about education), it has also helped generate meaningful connections.

I have enhanced my relationships with more than a dozen friends, acquaintances and students who were willing to guest blog for me. In the case of my friend Claudio, who passed away in December, 2021, his two guest-posts serve as a digital memorial to the friendship we built discussing music over the decade I knew him. I've re-read them many times, missing his presence.

Promoting my blog through social media has helped build a loyal readership and has connected me with a smart, kind and supportive network. Like-minded, musical adventurers who read, respond to and promote my posts weekly, include:

• Denise K a Southern Californian of my generation, who shares stories and excellent music suggestions with me weekly.
• TJ Gillespie from Philadelphia, who reposts my blog along with his favourite line or idea from that post.
• James Cornelius, a fellow Rush fan, who microblogs through Twitter about the music he loves always reposts my efforts.
• Doug Peterson and Stephen Hurley who host a weekly podcast called This Week In Ontario Edublogs. On a half dozen occasions, they have discussed my 500 blog posts, amplifying my voice to other educators.
• Author Shana Hartman, a long time supporter of the blog who provided me with early access to her Young Adult Science Fiction novel, The Sentinels Vs. The Night Crawlers, so I could read it with my Grade 7 class.
• Fellow music blogger and podcaster, Various Artists, who read all 200 of my blog posts when he discovered them in the summer of 2022. He interviewed me about this journey last month and it will be released in an upcoming podcast. His My Life In Concerts website is a wealth of fascinating stories and pictures.
• Fellow Canadian Eamon O'Flynn, who is also working his way through the 2020 edition of The 500 on his podcast, Record Roulette. 
  

Above is a graphic I show to my students every year to encourage them to take risks in the learning process in our classroom. However, I also show it to remind myself that, like Simon leaving Garfunkel, can lead to opportunities that one might otherwise miss. We shouldn’t settle for merely being content, even if things seem to be going well.

The 500 - #269 - Psychocandy - The Jesus And Mary Chain

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: #269

Album Title: Psychocandy

Artist: The Jesus And Mary Chain

Genre: Noise Pop, Shoegaze, Alt Rock, Post Punk

Recorded: Southern Studios, London, U.K.

Released: November, 1985

My age at release: 20

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: Just Like Honey

The Psychocandy debut record from Scottish noise rock pioneers The Jesus And Mary Chain often caught my eye while I was flipping through the "J" section at my local independent record store, Dr. Disc. How could it not with those provocative names?

Despite my curiosity, though, I never bought the record. Chances are, in 1986, I was perusing the "J" section for a record from Jethro Tull or Journey, or perhaps something obscure from Jeff Beck or Jon & Vangelis.

The Jesus And Mary Chain were formed in 1983 by brothers Jim and William Reid. Their original line-up comprised the brothers on guitars and vocals, Douglas Hart on bass, and Bobby Gillespie on drums. Gillespie  departed shortly after the record's release to form his own band, Primal Scream.

(l-r) Hart, W. Reid, J. Reid & Gillespie (1985 line-up).

Psychocandy was cited by AllMusic magazine to be "the archetype for the noise pop genre" –  a style of music that blends catchy melodies in a pop song with a mixture of dissonant noise and amplifier feedback. American musicologist and television personality Matt Pinfield humourously compared the sound  to  "listening to the Beach Boys, with a kitchen blender whirring in the background".

A poster from the 2023 Noise Pop Festival.

The Jesus and the Mary Chain is not an easy listen for the uninitiated. During my first listen, I was doing some housework. At one point, during the song In A Hole, I paused my cleaning to check my Sonos speakers because I thought they were malfunctioning and needed a software update.

My speakers are a Sonos Beam and a pair of Sonos Ones.

Part of me wanted to dismiss the record as cacophonous nonsense and perhaps blog about why on earth it ever made The 500. Deciding not to rush to judgment, I persisted, listening to Psychocandy several times. Slowly, the musical output grew on me. Eventually,  the pop sensibilities emerged and the hazy feedback that initially turned me off took on a dreamy quality.

The overall effect became a rewarding experience despite the musical challenge, written, it seemed to me, to be intentionally unpleasant. It reminded me of several students with whom I have worked over the years -- hostile contrarians. Often having suffered traumas in their young lives, these types of students tend to struggle with social interaction. They have difficulty engaging with authority or respecting rules and expectations. They are often sullen and dour and it seems as if they are intentionally making choices that will make them unlikable.

Teachers' College does not always prepare up and coming educators for the challenges presented by trauma-ridden students. Interactions are fraught with seemingly unnecessary hostility and aggressive pessimism. Just as you think you are making some progress, they will self-sabotage the social dynamic and use the negativity of their own making to fuel additional despondency. A classic case of a self-fulfilling prophecy, sometimes called The Pygmalion Effect, it can be visually explained by the following graphic:

In this tragic cycle, the student believes they are not worthy of love, kindness or friendship. Consequently, they behave in ways that are annoying or repellent. When, understandably, peers move away from them or teachers react negatively to the choices they make, their established belief is reinforced -- and the cycle repeats. 

However, with kindness, patience and skin thicker than a crocodile's, a teacher can build a quality relationship with these students. The first time they crack a smile or feel pride in work they have submitted is among the most rewarding experiences in an educator's career.

Psychocandy, much like the debut record by Suicide, which I wrote about in March, 2020, is a fascinating record because it almost serves as a mid-point between the art rock and pop that influenced it and the sounds that it would inspire. The opening track, Just Like Honey, begins with the drum riff lifted directly from The Ronettes’ Be My Baby. In interviews, the Reid brothers have cited The Velvet Underground, The Beach Boys, The Stooges and Pink Floyd as influences, as well as Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" approach to recording.

The Ronnettes with producer Phil Spector.

On the other side of that mid-point are the records that were influenced by The Jesus And Mary Chain, including The Downward Spiral (#201) by Nine Inch Nails and Nevermind (#17) by Nirvana.

Nevermind by Nirvana #17 on The 500.

As I mentioned, I did not purchase Psychocandy when I stumbled on it in 1986. In retrospect, that is a good thing. I did not have the patience and understanding of music that I now possess. I am sure I would have dismissed it off-handedly as “cacophonous nonsense” and I would have missed out on something artistically interesting and musically important.

The 500 - #270 - Some Girls - The Rolling Stones

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: #270

Album Title: Some Girls

Artist: The Rolling Stones

Genre: Multiple, including Rock, Country, Disco, Punk & New Wave

Recorded: Pathe Marconi, Paris

Released: June, 1978

My age at release: 12

How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, At #468, dropping 198 spots

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Shattered

In the summer of 1980, our family rented a cottage for a week in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. It was idyllic. A rustic cabin on the high rocky shores of Stoney Lake surrounded by Eastern white pine trees, every vista would inspire a Group of Seven painting.

The rental came with a canoe and my brother and I spent the first day paddling around the lake in search of the perfect rocky outcrop for cliff jumping. Once found, we spent the next six days climbing and diving into the cool, blue waters.

Stoney Lake region of the Kawarthas (Red Circle)

In the common room of the cottage was a small stereo system that included an 8-Track player and an assortment of cassettes. The two that appealed to me most were April Wine's Greatest Hits and Some Girls, the 16th studio release by The Rolling Stones. Both had plenty of plays during evening card games or lazy, rainy afternoons.

The Some Girls album had been on my radar for some time. The Rolling Stones appeared on the Season Four premier of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in October, 1978. The group performed three songs from this record, Beast Of Burden, Shattered and Respectable. Additionally, SNL cast member Garrett Morris had joked about Mick Jagger's controversial lyrics to the album's title track.

"White girls they're pretty funny, sometimes they drive me mad
Black girls just wanna get ****** all night, I just don't have that much jam."

During the faux-editorial portion on the show's satirical news program, Weekend Update, Morris recited the lyric and facetiously asked, "I have one question. Where are these women, Mick? I would like to find these black women."

Garrett Morris on Saturday Night Live

In 1976, the popularity of The Rolling Stones was in decline. Disco, Punk Rock and New Wave were on the rise, and rock bands like The Stones were seemingly being replaced by hipper new acts, including KISS and Aerosmith. Additionally, in 1977, Stones' guitarist, Keith Richards, had been arrested in Toronto, Canada, for possession of heroin. He managed to obtain a conditional visa to travel to France in order to join his bandmates and, as he worked toward detoxification and sobriety, Some Girls was the product of that collaboration.

Keith Richards in 1977.

Consequently, Jagger took the helm during this period and is considered by many to be the principle creative force behind this record. Wisely, Jagger leaned into the contemporary sounds of the late seventies and it informed several of the songs. The opening track, Miss You, is disco-inspired and Shattered is an obvious nod to the punk rock sounds of the day. The album also features a humourous Bakersfield-Sound country song, Far Away Eyes -- an infectiously catchy little ditty that always make me smile.

Some Girls was a commercial and critical success and re-established The Rolling Stones as one of the most important bands of the era. Revisiting them for this week's blog was delightful. Not only does it weave its way brilliantly through multiple genres, but also because it immediately transports me back to a simpler time -- my carefree early teenage years...watching Saturday Night Live, jumping from rocky outcrops into impossibly blue Ontario waters or listening to music in a rustic cottage surrounded by white pines.

The 500 - #271 - The Beach Boys Today - The Beach Boys

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: #271

Album Title: The Beach Boys Today

Artist: The Beach Boys

Genre: Orchestrated Rock, Rock, Chamber Pop

Recorded: Three Studios, Hollywood, California

Released: March, 1965

My age at release: Not Born Yet (Technically, I was a fetus)

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

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, At #4

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: In The Back Of My Mind

(Spotify song picked by Eamon O'Flynn, Host of The Record Roulette Podcast where this record was discussed on an October, 2021 episode)

The first time I borrowed a record from a friend, it was Help Me, Rhonda, a number one single from The Beach Boys Today, the eighth studio release by American band, The Beach Boys.

Today, in an era of YouTube and music streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc.), it is easy to hear your favourites. However, I wonder if the current younger generation of music listeners is missing out on something special. My friend Terry and I initially bonded over a mutual love of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin when, in the fall of 1982, he invited me to spend an evening by his stereo, recording a few of his records onto cassettes. We remain close friends and still talk about music.

The cassette tape - a staple for music listening and recording (1962-2000)

I can't remember who lent 10-year-old me that 45 rpm single of Help Me, Rhonda. However, I do remember giving it a workout on my small, all-in-one, suitcase-style portable turntable. My cheap needle probably did irreparable damage to that vinyl, but it also made me a fan of The Beach Boys and their harmony-rich, surf-rock sound.

A portable turntable, similar to mine

For many years after, I only thought of The Beach Boys in terms of their California Sound -- a musical aesthetic which encapsulated beaches, surfing, hot-rods, girls in bikinis, carefree innocence and young love. I wasn't entirely wrong; the early Beach Boys' catalogue features genre-defining hits, including Surfin' Safari, Surfin U.S.A., I Get Around, Fun Fun Fun, Barbara Ann, and Little Surfer Girl.

Then, in 1984, I heard David Bowie perform God Only Knows and learned (likely from a radio disc-jockey) that it was a Beach Boys song. I was gobsmacked! How could this beautiful, lush, orchestral song of grief and heartbreak be a Beach Boys tune? Soon after, I listened to The Beach Boys 1966 studio release, Pet Sounds (#2 on The 500) for the first time, and my formerly narrow understanding of this influential group was forever changed.

As reported in my February, 2021, post for their record Smile, The Beach Boys went through a transition in the mid-60s (the height of the British Invasion). Brian Wilson, the group's principal songwriter, was struggling with exhaustion and crippling anxiety (later diagnosed as schizo-affective disorder). Consequently, he stopped touring with the group and spent his time writing and working in the studio with the band's supporting musicians.

The Beach Boys Today was a fascinating moment in pop-culture and music history. It documents the band's transition from the California Rock sound that had made them commercial juggernauts to the start of their ascension toward critical acclaim with their artistic masterpiece, Pet Sounds.

In fact, this sonic switch occurs neatly between Side One and Side Two of The Beach Boys Today. Typically, when a band changes its sound, the transformation takes place between records. Perhaps the best example of this can be found in the new direction The Beatles took with the release of Rubber Soul (#5 on The 500). It was the product of a whirlwind tour of North America in 1965 when they met folk singer Bob Dylan and their hero Elvis Presley, as well hearing the soul music hits that were playing on American radio.

Album cover for Rubber Soul by The Beatles (1965)

There is always something new to learn, and  this thought prompted me to ask: When did I make the biggest change in direction as a school teacher?

Throughout my career, I've learned so much from many mentors. However, the biggest game-changer came in the autumn of 2013 when my principal suggested I attend a Google Professional Development session being offered by our board. Attendees were provided with Chromebooks and, over the course of the day, we learned about the Suite of free tools available through Google and the powerful educational utility of this small, inexpensive device.

An early version of Google's Chromebook

Within a few weeks, a portable WiFi unit and a cart of 15 Chromebooks were available to our school. (Yes, believe it or not, wireless access to the internet for a classroom was still in its infancy ten years ago). The portable units were nicknamed "COWs" -- which stood for Computers On Wheels. They housed the Chromebooks and the portable WiFi system that needed to be plugged into power and the classroom ethernet line.

I was eager to incorporate this new technology into my Grade 4 classroom. and my students were equally enthusiastic participants. As an early adopter, I benefited from nearly exclusive access to that technology for much of the year and my entire approach to teaching changed.

The original line-up of Google Suite Apps

I shifted from a traditional "Sage on the Stage" approach and adopted the role of "Guide on the Side". Instead of delivering information to rows of students who dutifully took notes, I began sharing links to engaging, kid-friendly websites. Excited and engaged, my charges worked collaboratively to discover information they could share with classmates through interactive slideshows – a process that allowed them to expand their knowledge base creatively.

I could write pages on all the ways Chromebooks and Google Suite changed my pedagogy for the better. In fact, for the past eight years I have, in conjunction with the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), offered a three-day Summer Academy session to educators to support them in incorporating this technology into their own classrooms.

A poster for ETFO's Summer Academy in 2021

I've even inveigled my dad into being my blog sounding board. Early on, we would clean up my blog copy by phone, but it was a cumbersome and time consuming process. So, he learned the "suggestion" feature using Google Docs for feedback on my musings. After a final proofing, I am ready for publishing via Google Blogger.

So, how about you? What sparked the biggest change in your professional life or creative pursuit? I'd love to hear in the comments below or through my social media feed. @Mr_H_Teacher

And, as my current students are in a habit of saying during their Google presentations ... thanks for staying until the end!