Spirit in the Dark - Aretha Franklin
- Album: Spirit in the Dark
- Information: Considered now as one of Aretha's classic albums, this 1970 release merely topped out in the middle of the Billboard album charts compared to some of her earlier albums. This was her second single from that album and notable for being sampled by Kanye West on the song "School Spirit" for his album "The College Dropout" (Wikipedia)
- Personal Thoughts: Ah Aretha...the queen of soul. One can write a book about her, but we're just here to talk about this song. This is just a very rousing song that feels like a fusion of spiritual and blues song, with some rocking guitar and rising, rousing chorus by the Sweet Inspirations throughout. Obviously Aretha can carry a song no matter what the song is and she seems at her best going between the various tempos of the song, whether the sultry soft stuff or the speedy gospel-esque finale. Tough to really imagine why this really was forgotten but...that's not really for me to say.
Mississippi - John Phillips
- Album: John Phillips (John, the Wolf King of L.A.)
- Information: Notable for his career with the Mamas & the Papas and for being one of the major forces behind the emergence of many of the notable acts of the late 1960s, particularly with the organization of the Monterey Pop Festival, this album and the songs on it, including "Mississippi", were all about Phillip's current status in life post-the breakup of his most famous band. With the failure of this album, he furthered his addictions to narcotics.
- Personal Thoughts: It's really tough to describe how a cool, folky pop song about New Orleans would exist, but somehow Phillips made it work in a strange way. The start gave me a bit of vibes of the Beatles' "Get Back" or Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", and I really like how Phillips just literally controls his band with just a soft, slow voice. (listen to how he just goes "Yesss") The lyrics are naughty but fun, the chorus just makes me stomp my feet. Considering how many strange and weird things happen in New Orleans, hearing such a happy-go-lucky song about them makes me wish I could get lucky with a girl down there...if I ever get down there.
Westbound #9 - Flaming Ember
- Album: Westbound #9
- Information: A blue-eyed soul band from Detroit who was notable for not signing with Motown (though they did sign with Lamont & Dozier's Hot Wax records), the band became relevant in the late 60s and early 70s, with this album and the same title-track as their most relevant and notable of their hits.
- Personal Thoughts: From how the song sounds at first, you'd think it as a lost song by a black R&B band, particularly with the presentation and the emphasis of the band, so sort of surprised they were "blue-eyed soul". The beat of this song with the guitar work and the beat just is really catch, with a strange descending beat with the consistant beat during the catchy chorus. The song lyrics just seems to be about anticipating a train...but I was mostly catching the part about the dog paying attention to it. I guess it's one of those songs where the beat and the song is so powerful that it's hard to pay attention to the lyrics. I guess you know what I mean.
It's All in the Game - Four Tops
- Album: Still Waters Run Deep
- Information: Though one of the most notable Motown bands in the early days, the Four Tops had hidden in the background in the late 60s until the release of this song and the album it came off of, said to be one of the earliest concept albums with this cover of the Tommy Edwards standard. Notably, the song doesn't just have Levi Stubbs leading but all four members of the Tops singing along.
- Personal Thoughts: Regardless of how it's the Four Tops, it just seems more like a soulful version of the orignal...and that really is all I have to say about it. It's not a bad song but outside a really cool middle section where they do a bit of vocal beating, it just never really stands out to me outside a soulful 50s song.
Save the Country - Fifth Dimension
- Album: Portrait
- Information: After switching to Bell Records for ther fifth album, this song was the 3rd single and the 2nd top-40 hit on the album notable as one of the first recorded on a 16-track recorder. This song was written by Lauren Nyro, noable for writing several other hits for the 5th Dimension, in particular their #1 hit "Wedding Bell Blues".
- Personal Thoughts: Somehow hearing who wrote this song made it suddenly make more sense. It just sounds like "Wedding Bell Blues"...only done as a gospel spiritual with a bit of peace, love and understanding in it. Though the similar delivery by Marylin McCoo just gives me the deja vu regardless of it being a different song. I guess it's not too bad a song...but it's just like "Silverbird": it may be a different song but it just sounds so much like the classic that you can't help but hear it. Besides, if you don't study war no more...how can you find a way to get peace? You know, maybe by finding the source of war, you can stop it in the first place...
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