So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Bruce Wayne]

When the destroyer HMS Sheffield was struck by an Exocet cruise missile on 4 May 1982 in the Falklands War, her crew sang it while waiting to be rescued from their sinking ship[6], as did the crew of HMS Coventry,[7] with the line from the song "Worse things happen at sea, you know" being especially ironic.

 

[Zombie_61]

Wow. 50-something years later, and we're still debating "The Beatles vs. The Stones vs. The Beach Boys vs. Fill-In-The-Blank". Regardless of whether or not you/we like or dislike them (or any musical groups from any era for that matter) you have to admit that kind of staying power gives credence to the perceived impact they all had on the entertainment industry and the public's collective pop-culture consciousness.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The real question is whether the same discussions will be going on in thirty years, once most of the Boomers are dead. Or will they be relegated to the same side corridors where niche fans debate whether Lester Young was better than Coleman Hawkins.

 

[tonyb]

The real question is whether the same discussions will be going on in thirty years, once most of the Boomers are dead. Or will they be relegated to the same side corridors where niche fans debate whether Lester Young was better than Coleman Hawkins.

It's not a matter of which is better. Not in my book, anyway. I doubt that Messrs Young and Hawkins would care to join the fray themselves, certainly not six decades on. They'd find such a discussion pointless, I'd bet.

Which is not to say there aren't creative rivalries, as was theirs, if various contemporary accounts are to be trusted. It goes some ways toward explaining why art forms shine so brightly in specific times and/or places. People push each other, learn from each other, try to top each other. And that can result in some great stuff for those of us looking on.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

The Doors would be better remembered if Jim Morrison hadn't offed himself at 27. And while everybody idolizes John and Paul, no less an authority than Frank Sinatra acclaimed George's "Something in the Way She Moves" as the best love song of the 20th century.

 

[vitanola]

As to poetry set to music, I think you can extend that to any good set of lyrics. Tin Pan Alley turned out a lot of hacky stuff in its day, but the lyrics of Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, and Dorothy Fields can stand with the best the English language has ever produced. "All The Things You Are" might be the greatest love song ever written.

Well, I'd go with:

Someday when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I'll just feel a glow thinking of you
Just the way you look tonight.
You're lovely, with your smile so warm
With your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
Just the way you look tonight

With each word your tenderness glows
Tearing my fears apart,
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
Touches my foolish heart

Lovely! Never, ever change. Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it 'cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight.

Bit that is a mere quibble. The best lyrics of thus age are indeed high poetry.

 

[tonyb]

The Doors would be better remembered if Jim Morrison hadn't offed himself at 27. And while everybody idolizes John and Paul, no less an authority than Frank Sinatra acclaimed George's "Something in the Way She Moves" as the best love song of the 20th century.

That Morrison boy had a great set of pipes.

My understanding is that Old Blue Eyes initially misidentified "Something" as a Lennon/McCartney tune.

A friend who arranges music for a living once attempted to enlighten me on a particular skill of the late Mr. Harrison. Wish I understood what he was saying.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Well, I'd go with:

Someday when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I'll just feel a glow thinking of you
Just the way you look tonight.
You're lovely, with your smile so warm
With your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
Just the way you look tonight

With each word your tenderness glows
Tearing my fears apart,
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
Touches my foolish heart

Lovely! Never, ever change. Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it 'cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight.

Bit that is a mere quibble. The best lyrics of thus age are indeed high poetry.

The Fred Astaire/Johnny Green recording of that song on Brunswick was and remains the single greatest pop side of the 1930s. Nothing else even comes close.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Well, I'd go with:

Someday when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I'll just feel a glow thinking of you
Just the way you look tonight.
You're lovely, with your smile so warm
With your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
Just the way you look tonight

With each word your tenderness glows
Tearing my fears apart,
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
Touches my foolish heart

Lovely! Never, ever change. Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it 'cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight.

Bit that is a mere quibble. The best lyrics of thus age are indeed high poetry.

My #1 request to the band for a slow dance.

 

[Fading Fast]

The real question is whether the same discussions will be going on in thirty years, once most of the Boomers are dead. Or will they be relegated to the same side corridors where niche fans debate whether Lester Young was better than Coleman Hawkins.

I'm curious about this too - doubt I'll make it, but it will be interesting to see.

The Doors would be better remembered if Jim Morrison hadn't offed himself at 27. And while everybody idolizes John and Paul, no less an authority than Frank Sinatra acclaimed George's "Something in the Way She Moves" as the best love song of the 20th century.

While much less prolific and, maybe, narrower in scope - I always thought Harrison's music with the band and solo was the highest quality of all the Beatle's pre-and-post breakup output.

Also, while I'm one of the few who like - don't love or dislike - the Beatles, Lennon, IMHO, had a voice perfectly design for rock 'n' roll - throaty, with some gravel and power, but far from musically perfect.

McCarney's - not denying his talent - voice, on the other hand, never sounds rock 'n' roll to me, more like a 13 year old girl stumbled into a rock band by accident.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Also, while I'm one of the few who like - don't love or dislike - the Beatles, Lennon, IMHO, had a voice perfectly design for rock 'n' roll - throaty, with some gravel and power, but far from musically perfect.

Absolutely!

Any questions??

 

[Edward]

Lennon had a certain nastiness in his voice that really made the better rock'n'roller. I'm thinking especially of his take on Twist'n'Shout, which was the highlight of their first album really. Not a nice person, but then that's not exactly uncommon among many of the "creative geniuses".

The Doors would be better remembered if Jim Morrison hadn't offed himself at 27.

The official death certificate records "natural causes", specifically heart failure. Hardly surprising given the way he was canning it at the time, alcohol in particular. There are those who also claim it was an accidental heroin overdose (and that he was placed in the bath by a dealer seeking to avoid policed attention), but I've yet to hear any credible evidence for that. I don't believe it has ever been credibly considered suicide, though.

It's hard to say, really.... It is possible they might have had a bigger breakthrough (break on through.... ha....) at some later stage, maybe as prog gained popularity, but I suspect a young and mysterious death for Morrison has always rather enhanced his legend. Musically, I rate them much higher than some of their contemporaries and not quite contemporaries (like Led Zeppelin), but perhaps they just were never quite mainstream enough. Morrison certainly wasn't one to be prepared to play the game and make the sort of artistic compromises that mainstream success requires. If anything, though, I do think it's fair to say hi personal legend has perhaps taken attention away from the quality of their music over the years.

 

[Zombie_61]

Lennon had a certain nastiness in his voice that really made the better rock'n'roller. I'm thinking especially of his take on Twist'n'Shout, which was the highlight of their first album really...

Producer George Martin used that to the group's advantage on more than one occasion. In the case of "Twist and Shout", legend has it that Martin deliberately scheduled that song to be the last recorded during that session, knowing that Lennon's voice would become more "gravelly" and more "appropriate" for the song after singing for 12 hours. Lennon also had a cold at the time, and that contributed to the performance as well. The song was essentially recorded in one take, because during the second take Martin realized Lennon's voice was gone.

 

[1mach1]

Producer George Martin used that to the group's advantage on more than one occasion. In the case of "Twist and Shout", legend has it that Martin deliberately scheduled that song to be the last recorded during that session, knowing that Lennon's voice would become more "gravelly" and more "appropriate" for the song after singing for 12 hours. Lennon also had a cold at the time, and that contributed to the performance as well. The song was essentially recorded in one take, because during the second take Martin realized Lennon's voice was gone.

I did not know that. Thanks for the info Alex!

 

[tonyb]

I'm pleased to have seen at least a few of the behind-the-scenes contributors to pop hits of half a century (give or take) back get at least some of their due before they croaked. George Martin is near the top of that list.

 

[1mach1]

So trivial yet ticks me off?

Bums that beg for money at stop lights, and then give you a disapproving look for not giving them any change. Or these days, paper money.

 

[KY Gentleman]

So trivial yet ticks me off?

Bums that beg for money at stop lights, and then give you a disapproving look for not giving them any change. Or these days, paper money.

There seems to be an inordinate amount of people who drive a short distance to our town, get stranded through some strange circumstances and wander the grocery store parking lot asking for gas money to get home.
“I only really need just a few dollars...”

 

[1mach1]

There seems to be an inordinate amount of people who drive a short distance to our town, get stranded through some strange circumstances and wander the grocery store parking lot asking for gas money to get home.
“I only really need just a few dollars...”

Yeah. My resoonse is, no one uses cash anymore. Sorry.

*break break*

I still use cash [emoji14]

 

[redlinerobert]

Kids that use cell phones at the dinner table. I find it incredibly rude.

 

[Zombie_61]

Kids that use cell phones at the dinner table. I find it incredibly rude.

At Easter dinner yesterday, at one point I looked up to see one of my sisters-in-law and a close female friend sitting side-by-side doing something on their cell phones. We had all finished eating and were casually sitting at the dinner table having the usual post-meal discussions, but they're both in their early-60s and should still have known better. So in my best "scolding Dad" voice I said, "Come on, girls. Really? Cell phones at the dinner table? On Easter???" They both laughed about it, but realized I was right and immediately put their phones away without a fuss.