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Entries categorized as “Friday MP3 Shuffle” 276 results
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Wesley Willis Edition
Today, let’s pay tribute to a local legend, the late Wesley Willis. When I moved into the city from the ‘burbs in the early ‘90s, he was a ubiquitous presence. Wesley was a big dude who you’d see at shows or in the middle of the street, hawking his ink pen drawings of cityscapes and other things. He’d greet many folks with a head butt. Wesley was schizophrenic, and in addition to his visual art, he bought a cheap Casio keyboard and began composing and recording brief songs, often depicting shows he’d seen, with direct, narrative lyrics, ending almost every song with “Rock over London/rock on Chicago” followed by some advertising catch phrase, like “Cadillac – it’s got style.” He later fronted the hard rock Wesley Willis Fiasco. As with other outsider art (ex. – Daniel Johnston), the question was always whether Wesley was being exploited, and that can be debated. All I can say is that he was a memorable part of the Chicago music scene and he sure seemed to enjoy being a part of it. In honor of Wesley, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Bob Dylan Edition
You may call him Bobby, or you may call him Zimmy – yep, it’s Bob Dylan’s birthday! I’m not sure if there’s any brief way to fully pay tribute to one of the major composers and performers of the ‘60s, whose influence changed rock and pop music about as much as anyone. Let’s just say, thanks to Bob Dylan, popular music could go in directions well beyond simple two and three minute ditties. And Dylan is still capable of putting out great music, even as his vocal capabilities diminish, as evidence by 2012's fine Tempest album. As the video from that album and his satellite radio prove, Dylan remains cool beyond all belief. In honor of Mr. Dylan, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Bill Bruford Edition
What do Yes, King Crimson, Roy Harper, Savoy Brown and Genesis have in common? They all have, to varying degrees, employed Bill Bruford on drums, which is always a great decision. From the three gigs he played with Savoy Brown in 1968 to his three separate tours of duty with King Crimson, Bruford has brought the skills of a great jazz drummer and rock power to some of the most challenging rock music of the past four decades. While Bruford made his reputation as one of the great prog rock sidemen, he also lead his own projects, like Earthworks, constantly exploring and challenging himself as an instrumentalist. He never drew attention to himself, which might be why he was so effective in so many bands. Let’s pay tribute to Mr. Bruford by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Donovan Edition
Let’s pay tribute to the biggest star of the British folk rock movement, Donovan. Mr. Leitch started off in the thrall of Bob Dylan, but didn’t take too long to progress, both as a lyricist (for example, the great protest song “Universal Solider”) and composer (great pop songs like “Sunshine Superman” and “Wear Your Love Like Heaven”). He may have been the victim of Dylan’s contempt, as shown in the documentary Don’t Look Back, but Donovan carved out a very impressive and varied career. And, as of four or five years ago, he showed Chicago he still had his charm, charisma and talent. He played a show at Park West that got raves, and I saw him promote his memoir at the old downtown Borders and he told stories and played short versions of nine of his songs. Whatta guy! In honor of Donovan’s birthday, please grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle, and share the first 10 songs that come up.
Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday James Brown Edition
Today we pay tribute to one of the giants of American music, James Brown. A juvenile delinquent, Brown was paroled after serving time for armed robbery and joined a band called the Famous Flames. By the late ‘50s, Brown was in charge, and his incredible string of R & B chart hits. At first, he was a testifying soul shouter, who crossed over with his Live at the Apollo album. Brown was the ultimate road house trouper, with his dynamic live show. As his bands got tighter and tighter, the first seeds of funk were planted. Combining syncopation with precise guitar parts and simple vocal lines, Brown broke down his music into the simplest of elements, but put them together in complex combinations. The reverberations of funk are still being felt today, around the world. I go could on and on about Brown’s political songs, how he stopped a riot, and many other things, but I only have so much time. He’s right up there with Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson and Hank Williams among the most important figures in American. In his honor, grab your iPod or MP3 player, hit shuffle and share the first 10 songs that come up.