Sunday, April 28, 2013

We Got A Thing Going On: Milestones

I hope it still counts as National Karaoke Week, because I want to write about karaoke again.

Most specifically, a karaoke experience I had in January 2012 that I hope to remember all my life.

I was visiting my friend in Chicago and I had just had a haircut -- a haircut that the lady cab driver who took us home that night at 4 AM said made me look like Diana Ross, ie a really great one.

We went to karaoke at the VFW Hall near my friend's house, and the whole place and the whole experience I can only describe as "heavenly and bizarre". In the heavenly column, Maker's Mark and ginger cost us only $3, and in the bizarre: well, so many things, but I'll start with the implacable and enormous ladies' room attendant who silently guarded the paper towels whilst reading a series of paranormal romance novels.

The karaoke performance I remember from that night isn't my own (which was an entirely forgettable rendition of "Me and Julio Down By The Schoolguard"), but Commander Bill's. It was a VFW hall, remember, so it seemed only natural (?) that the karaoke impresario should be an elderly black man in full naval dress whites. He regularly reminded singers not to swear on the mike because "there are ladies present".

And then he took the mike himself, and hidden behind a bank of audio equipment so that only the top of his white hat showed, he sang this song.

*


The song: Billy Paul, "Me and Mrs Jones"; 1972

Sometimes songs hit you in exactly the right time and place for you to remember them in a different way forever. This was the time and place for me and "Me and Mrs Jones".

There were many more notable things about this experience (including Commander Bill's dog, a fat and bug-eyed chihuahua named Whispers) but the most personally notable was that it inspired me to write again.

I had been in a spell of extreme writers' block/depression -- for writers I believe this is two terms for the same thing -- since April 2010, and although I still wrote things like e-mails and grant proposals and press releases and all that, I didn't really write. Or I guess I felt like I didn't. It hurt.

But karaoke at the VFW hall was such a capital-E Experience that it grabbed me by the guts and said, "get OVER yourself, you HAVE to write this down". So the next day I bought a notebook at the Safeway by my friend's house and on the four-hour train ride from Chicago to Ann Arbor I wrote an essay I called "24/7".

A month later I started my blog, and this is its 100th entry. (I found myself engaging in a bit of a similar reflection at the 50th.)

I don't always love my blog. Sometimes I read old entries through my fingers (that one I linked to up there) and sometimes I can't read them at all. But what I love about it is that it is, unimpeachably, writing. And what's more, and even better, writing that lives on the Internet and that other people can see (although that part also freaks me out sometimes).

But even if I knew that no one would ever read it again, I would still write in this blog. There are very few things in life more painful than knowing that your self-image isn't in line with what you are actually doing, and I found it extremely painful to be a writer who didn't, couldn't, wouldn't write.

I know I am a writer because my first reaction when I hear or see or do something interesting is, "I have to write that down." But it took me a while to see that that is really all it is.

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Thursday, April 25, 2013

And I Don't Care Who's Watching, Watching, Watching: Happy Birthday!

I am fortunate enough to have what seems like an insane (and growing!) number of beautiful, talented, kind people as my friends.

And I am ridiculously proud of all of them for everything they do which is a good feeling, I would even venture to say perhaps the BEST feeling.

I just love my friends, is all I want to say. I keep trying to talk around it but it always comes back to that.  It may seem like an obvious thing to say but I need to say it occasionally. Experience has shown me there is nothing more valuable in life than a true friend, and I've resolved never to take that for granted.

*

Today though I want to talk about one special friend in particular: the future famous stand-up comedienne Carolyn Racine.

(It's her birthday in a few days.)

I also want to talk about karaoke, because I understand that it's National Karaoke Week and I am just delighted that that exists.

The first time I did karaoke with Carolyn, she had just come from a family funeral. She was wearing a green shirt. And she decided to sing, of all the many possible songs out there to sing, this one:


The song: Usher, "Love In This Club"; 2008

As you may imagine, this was a truly transcendent karaoke experience and I remember watching her with that feeling -- the best feeling, you may recall -- of "THAT's my friend? That's my friend!!"

Then she walked off the stage, I asked her if she'd ever done that song at karaoke before, and she said (in this perfectly deadpan way that anyone who has met Carolyn will surely recognize), "Oh, I've never done karaoke before."

Friends, I call that CHUTZPAH,  and this is just one of the many facets of Carolyn that inspire my admiration and respect. I won't get too far into reminiscing about Carolyn here, because she's not DEAD or anything, it's just her birthday. (Almost.)

There's a perfect combination of factors that lead me to be continually compelled by someone, and it's this: that I understand them, but they still surprise me. And even though I have known Carolyn for years, have travelled internationally with her, have even cried on her shoulder after drinking too much red wine and watching Fiddler on the Roof, I am always surprised by her talent, her drive, and the depth of her observations about people and the world.

And that's a real, real good thing. Happy birthday, boo. I just realized I forgot to send you a card.

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

You Were Better For Me Than I Was For Myself: Our Song

A few years ago my friend told me of a friend of hers who had a "song" with herself.

(You know what I mean by having a "song" with somebody right?)

And her song with herself was, wait for it, "Still The One" by Orleans.

If you think about that, really think about it, I am pretty sure you will find it -- as I did, and do -- an unbearably clever and adorable idea.

I've never forgotten that and I think about it every time I hear that song. Of course I considered what my song with myself would be, but never came up with it and obviously you can't rush into a decision of that magnitude. In this, as in many other things in life, I am a bit of a late bloomer.

*


The song: Junior Walker and the All-Stars, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"; 1966

This is my favorite version of this song, but it's gotten a bit lost between the classic 1964 Marvin Gaye original and the . . .well let's say divisive James Taylor cover of 1975. (Hardcore fans of this song might be interested to know that Marvin Gaye also recorded it in German: "Wie Schön Das Ist".)

I should have known that my song with myself could only have been written by the magical conglomerate that was Holland-Dozier-Holland (authors of some of my absolute favorite songs, including "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Come See About Me", "I Can't Help Myself", etc etc etc), because I have always loved Motown, and I mean always. As a child I listened to oldies radio (KISN 97.1 FM in fact) as often as I humanly could.

(This may explain something about me.)

*

I chose "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" as my song with myself because I finally understand that life is so much better when I am my own friend, so to speak. It's very easy to forget to be your own friend.

We have a strange relationship in this culture to the concept of "self-love". We vaguely know that we are supposed to do it and that Oprah thinks it's the key to success or something like that.  I don't know about you but I am actually kind of inclined to believe Oprah when she talks about the keys to success because, damn, girl! But, we also constantly watch ourselves and others for the strange sin of being "too full of yourself" or "thinking you are better than you are".

What I think is happening there is confusion between "self-love" and "self-absorption", which if you take the prefix off is also a true statement. But in fact love is not absorption, it's just. . .affectionate acceptance, in its most basic form. "I see you, and I like what I see." (Equally important halves.)

Definitely a hard thing to learn to say to yourself. But, how sweet it is!

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Monday, April 22, 2013

So It Makes You Wise To Break The Rules: Exceptions

For some reason, I don't like Smokey Robinson. As a person. Could I tell ya why? Nope. I just don't trust him.

One of those things, I guess. But it's especially strange to me because I would pretty much place my life in the hands of Levi Stubbs.

For all the vague mistrust I have of ol' Smokey (forgive me), I can't deny the man writes a damn good song.

(Previously:

"Ooh Baby Baby"

"The Tracks of My Tears" [Version v. Version]!)

*


The song: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, "I Second That Emotion"; 1967

From the very first second this song just grabs you by the collar.

. . .and then, unlike most songs which grab you by the collar, this one continues on to be kind of, dare I say, debonair.

I mean, it does take a certain something to pull off the line "if you feel like giving me a lifetime of devotion, I second that emotion" but this song does it. Improbably and wonderfully, which seems appropriate given the topic.

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Some Days I Just Pray to the God of Sex and Drums and Rock N Roll: A Talk

I recently had the opportunity to speak in front of about 130 people about "any subject related to writing", which as you can imagine was extremely exciting but also extremely intimidating.

I came up with this: "I Would Do Anything for Love: Why Good Pop Music is Good Writing". (You can read it right there if you like.)

This experience was the first time that the words "aspiring cultural critic" have been appended to my name anywhere outside of my own head, and I will always remember that. I am happy with the way it went.

I'll also always remember that, before giving a talk, it's not a good idea to try to put on a new pair of tights in the bathroom of the bar. So, you live, you learn!

*

I chose this song as the hook in to my essay even though I didn't actually end up writing about it, which is just one of those things that happens sometimes.

The "that" in the chorus "I would do anything for love but I won't do that" refers to the negative emotional statements made in the verse. ("I'll never forget the way you feel right now, oh no, no way, I would do anything for love but I won't do that." So really it should be "AND I won't do that", but hey. What's a preposition between friends.)

Yes, it's completely unclear and yes to say that it's "overblown" is an understatement, but aww. It's a representation of a Romantic ideal of love, as evidenced by this quote from its writer Jim Steinman:

"It is sort of a little puzzle and I guess it goes by – but they’re all great things. 

‘I won’t stop doing beautiful things and I won’t do bad things.’ 

I’m very proud of that song because it’s very much like out of the world of Excalibur.

To me, it’s like Sir Lancelot or something – very noble and chivalrous."


The song: Meatloaf, "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That); 1993

And I guess I'm just a sucker for that kind of clueless yet extremely pure passion. "Out of the world of Excalibur", right. Why not?

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

But When I See You Hanging About With Anyone: "It's Not Unusual"

I really, viscerally do not get why Tom Jones was as famous as he was.

Am I too young? Cynical? Just squeamish about men who wear their shirts unbuttoned too far?

(Yes, yes, YES.)

Similarly, I really viscerally Do Not Get the song "It's Not Unusual". But I still love it. And here's why.

*

(First off, for interest and because I love covers, let's make a chain of them:

The Supremes covering "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones

Tom Jones covering "Kiss" by Prince

Prince covering "A Case Of You" by Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell covering "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" by Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley covering "Funny How Time Slips Away" by Willie Nelson [LOVE this one.]

Willie Nelson covering "Without A Song" [also recorded by The Supremes, so we'll call that bringing it back around.])

But back to "It's Not Unusual", in its original version, two facts I was recently interested to learn:

1. This song was recorded by Jones as a demo for the singer Sandie Shaw, who apparently liked his version so much (and who wouldn't!) that she insisted he keep it.

2. The keyboards in the original are played by a talented young guy with the snappy name of Reginald Dwight.

And the reason why I love "It's Not Unusual", after so much fanfare, is:

I still don't know. There are many lines to make you smile with the sheer joy of the absurd. (My personal fave is "I wa-hanna diiiie", but my friend Emma Claire Foley just also made a strong case for "Why can't this crazy love be miiiii-iiiii-iiiiine?")

Maybe that's what it is, "the sheer joy of the absurd".


The song: Tom Jones, "It's Not Unusual"; 1965

Or maybe it's just that Tom Jones is the most fabulously un-self-aware himself person to ever walk this earth. The nemesis, one might say, of the Billy Joel archetype.

If one were into saying crazy things like that.

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Way Out Of Sync From The Beginning: A Song for When

For those moments when life seems a little bit too close and real, like when I saw hyenas in a zoo in Singapore. It's a modern zoo, so you can't see they're in a cage.

The song: The National, "Slow Show"; 2007

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

I'm Sorry I Don't Understand Where All of This is Coming From: Modern Love (?)

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my house was broken into, and posted a Dusty Springfield song.

In the past I have been accused (rightly so) of keeping my emotions too much inside, which is always surprising to me because I happen to be on the inside as well, so I know just how many emotions are in there. But I now know that it's a fair thing to say about me.

And so I just want to say, for the sake of transparency and posterity, that after the burglary I did not just continue my life unchanged but for the increased incidence of Dusty Springfield. I am very disturbed about it.  But disturbed in a way where I know the only thing to do about it is to live well in my own house so that it can continue to be "my own house" and not "the place that was broken into". If that makes sense. Because living well is the best revenge.

Which means I've been spending a lot of time on my couch eating microwave popcorn and watching music videos, which is how I came across this song.

*

I spent a lot of time in the year 2012 trying to figure out what the year 2012 Meant. (I know I was not alone in this.) It just seemed big in its own way, most likely because of all the apocalyptic drum-beating that accompanied it. I'll probably be thinking about that for a while longer.

But 2013, now that it's 25% of the way done, is a much slipperier beast to me. It doesn't seem to be much of anything (cosmically speaking of course) other than just a Year. And maybe that's all it is! As much as it pains me to admit it -- my friends know how much time I spend thinking about things like, "what does it mean to prefer peppermint over spearmint*" -- not everything is significant.

I do know that when I first heard this song, I thought "that sounds like concentrated essence of 2013". I am not sure yet if I like it, but that's what I hear in it.

Let me say first that I think, at least personally, that listening to current popular music is a huge part of what keeps me feeling young.** I know I actually am young, but let's not front that "being young" and "feeling young" have ANYTHING to do with each other.

The 2013 elements I see:
- A duet. Those are hot right now. Particularly between artists of slightly different genres.
- A duet between two people of similar vocal intensity. (I do love those."If Ever A Love There Was" with Aretha Franklin and Levi Stubbs is my favorite example. Warning: cheese factor HIGH. And GLORIOUS.)

- Subpoint: The style these two vocalists share is a popular one, ie "relatively un-epic voice pushed to epic limits".

- Music that sounds to me (I'm really bad at stuff like this though) to be influenced by dub AND blue-eyed soul AND Americana/roots.

-Wordy, metaphorical lyrics that reflect a really intense anxiety and unrest about relationships, and that also sound pretty much straight from someone's angsty gChats.

-It's bombastic. But we love that nowadays.


The song: Pink ft. Nate Ruess, "Just Give Me A Reason"; 2013

Like I said, I'm not sure I like it. Needs another couple dozen listens, but here it is.

Yrs,
AW

inbedwithamywilson@gmail.com

*Peppermint people prefer beauty that shows manipulation by humans; spearmint people prefer "natural" beauty. It might be ridiculous, but it's my theory.

**I'll tell you what else keeps me feeling young and it's the recent work of Flo Rida. Now THAT sounds like 2012 to me in the best way.