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| "Under cover of October skies". |
Yesterday was an unseasonably warm day for October. Deciding to spend some time outdoors, I stepped from my house and surveyed the activities that were taking place in my general vicinity. My neighbors were indulging in various labors thar all seemed to end with the letters I-N-G, in other words; mowing, raking and, uhh....working. I am by nature a rather lazy person and since there was a good chance that this could be the last warm and dry day of 2023, I opted for "hammocking" and that, to paraphrase Robert Frost, made all of the difference.
If you are looking to indulge in some laziness today (or any day, for that matter) here is some music to help you enjoy your sloth.
NRBQ (The New Rhythm & Blues Quintet) has been around, in one form or another, since 1965. I have also been around since 1965 and though NRBQ has all the qualities I usually like in a band (catchy retro pop, stupid lyrics, weird tunes) I've never become much of a fan. However, their latest album, "Dragnet" ,is a pretty fun listen. Highlights include, "Where's My Pebble"(I have no idea what this tune is about but it rocks), "You Can't Change People", "Miss Goody Two Shoes", "The Memo Song" and the title cut. If you are looking for weirdness then "Five More Miles" and "L-O-N-E Lone-ly" should suffice.(The last two are like demented Tom Waits music.) Some of the tunes just sort of uhh….end. It's like they ran out of ideas (or time) and just decided to be done. Regardless of how strange or weird, "Dragnet" has a laid back vibe that gives you the feeling that NRBQ isn't taking things too seriously or trying too hard which makes it perfect music for a lazy October afternoon.
This is a great early seventies singer/songwriter album and I am a sucker for seventies singer/songwriter music. Coming out in 1974, this was the begining of the end of Joel's mellow troubador period. In 1977 he would become the king of a arena rock with the release of The Stranger. Yes, Billy would go on and become a rock n roll star but in '74 he was still mining the same territory as his buddy Elton John (who would also go on to become a pretty big rock star). No real hits from this album ("The Entertainer hit #34 on the Billboard charts) but you have great tunes like "Los Angelenos", "The Great Suburban Showdown", "Roberta" and the title cut. With great lyrics, melodies and stellar keyboard work ("Root Beer Rag", "Los Angelenos") Streetlife Serenade is one of Joel's best. That being said, nobody seems to like this record very much. Even Joel himself . But it's a good album to hang out in the backyard to.
Okay, I admit it. Peter, Paul & Mary can be hard to take. All of that earnestness makes me nervous. Plus, I am embarrassed that I like them. While wallowing in my hammock, I nervously scanned my backyard a few times to make sure none of my neighbors were within earshot of all that sincerity. It's not good for one's self esteem to like Peter, Paul & Mary, but we all have our crosses to bare. "Blowing In The Wind", "Early Morning Rain", "Jet Plane", and "Puff The Magic Dragon", what's not to like?. One of my all time favorites is the clueless, "I Dig Rock N Roll Music" which cemented their reputations as hopelessly square doofuses for eternity. (In their defense, they disliked the song so much that they allegedly never played it live.). Taking all of their dopiness into account, what is more relaxing then mellow acoustic tunes about aeroplanes, dragons and peace?
