I was in college when I really started digging deep into soul music- ‘70s funk especially- and many soul classics in my collection still sound fresh, cool, and funky. One great thing about classic soul music is its wide crossover appeal. Back in the ‘70s- before radio became segregated- Top 40 stations played the biggest hits from a variety of formats- pop, soul, rock, country, disco- back to back as long as the music sounded good and people liked it. Here are some more of my favorite soul songs. Enjoy!
Al Green
01. Sly & the Family Stone – “Family Affair” (1971)
02. Al Green – “Tired of Being Alone” (1971)
03. Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On” (1971)
04. Rick James – “Super Freak” (1981)
05. Diana Ross – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1970)
06. Luther Ingram – “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” (1972)
07. Carl Carlton – “Everlasting Love” (1974)
08. Gladys Knight & the Pips – “If I Were Your Woman” (1970)
09. Al Green – “Take Me to the River” (1974)
10. The Trammps – “Disco Inferno” (1976)
11. Marvin Gaye – “Sexual Healing” (1982)
12. Al Green – “Keep Me Cryin’” (1976)
John F. Kennedy said, “When power corrupts, poetry cleanses” and that’s how I feel about folk music. My mother and many other children of the early ‘60s were originally drawn to folk’s truth, power, and purity- before Dylan and the Byrds went and combined it with rock & roll and changed the landscape of popular music. Every now and then I get in a folkie kind of mood and wish I knew the guitar as well as my mother so I could sing and play my favorite folk songs for my baby boy. Folk- like faith- gets passed down from parent to child and in this world of fads and phonies both can help keep you grounded.
Tracy Chapman
While it can be easy to make fun of folk’s moralizing, naivety, and self importance, at its best folk music stands for life, love, truth, humanity, freedom, conscience, and equality- and what jerk has a problem with those things? I’m partial to ‘60s folk revival but I’m always on the lookout for all kinds of good folk music although it’s getting harder and harder to find. As human persons we must always be ready to speak truth to power- folk does that. Here are some more of my favorite folk tunes including new folk, folk pop, urban folk, folk revival, and political folk & protest songs. It’s the return of the folkies. Enjoy!
Peter, Paul and Mary
01. Suzanne Vega – “Luka” (1987)
02. Tracy Chapman – “Bang Bang Bang” (1992)
03. Tracy Chapman – “Fast Car” (1988)
04. Peter, Paul and Mary – “If I Had a Hammer” (1962)
05. Ian & Sylvia – “Early Morning Rain” (1965)
06. Ian & Sylvia – “Four Strong Winds” (1963)
07. Peter, Paul and Mary – “500 Miles” (1962)
08. Peter, Paul and Mary – “Early in the Morning” (1962)
09. Arlo Guthrie – “The City of New Orleans” (1972)
10. Peter, Paul and Mary – “Don’t Laugh at Me” (1999)
11. Pete Seeger – “Oh, Susanna” (1958)
12. Peter, Paul and Mary – “Puff, the Magic Dragon” (1963)
13. Peter, Paul and Mary – “Leaving on a Jet Plane” (1967)
14. Joan Baez – “Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word” (1968)
15. The Brothers Four – “Greenfields” (1960)
16. Arlo Guthrie – “Lightning Bar Blues” (1972)
17. Justin Roberts – “Stay-At-Home Dad” (2008)
18. Loudon Wainwright III – “Motel Blues” (2008)
19. The New Christy Minstrels – “Green, Green” (1963)
20. Dar Williams – “When I Was a Boy” (1993)
Arlo Guthrie
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Paul Simon is the little man from Queens who gave us so many great songs- “The Sound of Silence”, “Mrs. Robinson”, “America”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”, “Mother and Child Reunion”- and people expect the poor guy to just keep churning out hit after timeless, universal hit until he drops dead. There was a time when Simon could oblige but that time has passed and even if he wanted to I doubt Simon could muster up the old magic (with or without Artie).
Not that today’s songwriters are better than Paul Simon- they are not. But just as today’s songwriters can’t hold a candle to Simon’s musical and poetic brilliance, I’m sure people of the Second World War generation said the same thing about Simon: “He’s good, but he’s no Frank Sinatra.” And so it goes.
At a time when it looked like he might be finished as a ‘70s singer-songwriter giant, Paul Simon got lucky with Graceland and since then has kept putting out albums (though none have been very memorable). Relationship songs gave way to mid-life crisis songs and now there are songs about old age and death. Simon recently released a collection of re-recordings of some his lesser-known songs- a couple of which actually sound great- and while he has retired from touring it seems like the artist will keep exploring rhythms, wandering through his interior walls, and making music right up until the end.
Perhaps what the artists in my Peace Corps Bulgaria musical trilogy- U2, Sting, and Paul Simon- have in common is that they make it look so easy. Their music crosses generations and cultures and brings people together- much like the Beatles- but they seem to be the last in a long line of artists who tried to keep the spirit of the Fab Four going but are now just too old and tired to carry the weight. So who’s going to step up and carry the torch? Here are some more of my favorite Paul Simon songs. Enjoy!
01. Paul Simon – “Wristband” (2016)
02. Paul Simon – “Mother and Child Reunion” (1972)
03. Paul Simon feat. Good Rockin’ Dopsie and the Twisters– “That Was Your Mother” (1986)
04. Paul Simon feat. the Dixie Hummingbirds – “Loves Me Like a Rock” (1973)
05. Paul Simon – “Outrageous” (2006)
06. Paul Simon – “Still Crazy After All These Years” (1975)
07. Paul Simon – “Peace Like a River” (1972)
08. Paul Simon – “The Obvious Child” (1990)
09. Paul Simon – “Something So Right” (1973)
10. Paul Simon – “Trailways Bus” (1997)
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I remember when Paul Simon released Graceland in 1986 and the video for “You Can Call Me Al” was in heavy rotation on MTV. There may have been a cassette tape copy of Graceland floating around our house but it wasn’t until college- when my ears were hungry for new sounds- that I began listening to the whole album and digging it. Simon had always been interested in so-called world music and while the South African and zydeco sounds on Graceland may not have surprised fans and critics, the financial success and massive popularity of the album did.
Paul Simon could have stayed in his safe, ‘70s singer-songwriter bubble and been successful- I love his ‘70s stuff- but the artist is ever-curious and by the ‘80s he was branching out and experimenting with new sounds. I heard Simon say in an interview recently that for him making an album is not like ordering a pizza- it can take him a long time to write and finish songs; and even if I don’t like every Paul Simon album (there are over a dozen) I can usually count on him to do his best and deliver quality material. And- for my money- no baby boomer does male mid-life crisis songs better than Simon.
When I was in the Peace Corps I listened to Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar often and one evening- over a game of Scrabble- my American friend admitted he doesn’t like Paul Simon’s music and I was shocked. Who doesn’t like Paul Simon? I don’t remember the reasons my friend gave but I think he found Simon to be a so-so singer and his music middle of the road. My friend is also an atheist and so I usually take his opinions about most things with a grain of salt and yet there is at least one person in this world who dislikes Paul Simon’s music. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!
01. Paul Simon – “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” (1986)
02. Paul Simon – “The Boy in the Bubble” (1986)
03. Paul Simon – “Duncan” (1972)
04. Paul Simon – “Love and Hard Times” (2011)
05. Paul Simon – “Darling Lorraine” (2018)
06. Paul Simon – “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” (1975)
07. Paul Simon – “Late in the Evening” (1980)
08. Paul Simon – “You Can Call Me Al” (1986)
09. Paul Simon – “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” (1972)
10. Paul Simon – “The Late Great Johnny Ace” (1983)
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Another cassette tape I purchased while serving in Peace Corps Bulgaria was Paul Simon’s Greatest Hits:Shining Like a National Guitar (available only as an import in the U.S.) and it quickly became my favorite compilation album- even more than U2 or Sting. By the spring of 2000 things were looking up for me as I had moved from my creepy apartment into a more centrally located flat that was closer to the beach and the sea garden. I was now regularly hosting and entertaining other Peace Corps Volunteers and after days at the beach on the Black Sea we spent evenings in my apartment playing Scrabble, taking about life, and listening to Shining Like a National Guitar (other times it was just my girlfriend and me and my French bulldog, Maurice).
Shining Like a National Guitar has all Paul Simon’s post-Simon & Garfunkel hits up to the ‘90s as well as songs I’d never heard before. After the Peace Corps I began exploring other Paul Simon albums but for me none of them ever topped Shining Like a National Guitar. Then- about five years ago- I discovered Paul Simon was still putting out albums of all new material. Always the musical adventurer, Simon in his old age seems to have come to terms with hip-hop, 9/11, and the Internet and many of his newer songs sound like an artist who is bewildered but still trying to connect with listeners who now have shorter attention spans and may find songs like “Slip Slidin’ Away” or “The Sound of Silence” too difficult.
But some things never change. While the new sounds may frustrate fans of his 20th century music, when it comes to great lyrics Paul Simon can still deliver the goods and the kid from Queens continues to reveal his affinity for God, doo-wop, and New York City- but especially God. Perhaps that’s why after the September 11 attacks Simon became New York’s unofficial minstrel of healing and compassion since we were entering a new, scary time and Simon seemed like the guy to lead us, comfort us, and make sense of it all. Perhaps that is asking a bit too much of the artist so we’ll forgive Simon if sometimes the best he can give us is “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which is always good for healing a multitude of hurts- even without Artie. Here are some of my favorite Paul Simon songs. Enjoy!
01. Paul Simon – “I Know What I Know (Live)” (1991)
02. Paul Simon – “René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War” (2018)
03. Paul Simon – “The Afterlife” (2011)
04. Paul Simon feat. the Oak Ridge Boys – “Slip Slidin’ Away” (1977)
05. Paul Simon – “The Sound of Silence (Live)” (2011)
06. Paul Simon feat. the Everly Brothers – “Graceland” (1986)
07. Paul Simon – “Born at the Right Time (Live)” (1991)
08. Paul Simon – “Kodachrome” (1973)
09. Paul Simon feat. Ladysmith Black Mambazo – “Homeless” (1986)
10. Paul Simon – “Father and Daughter” (2002)
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So what does one do when you’re one of the richest (and oldest) pop stars in the world? Sting has tried acting, soundtrack work, and even created a Broadway musical. In fact, there’s not much left for him to accomplish in the music business- and he definitely does not need the money. So why then does he continue making and performing music? Because making music is Sting’s passion and that is what he does. Sting is old and without music I imagine he would be doing what other guys his age are doing: looking for things to keep his mind off death. And so he keeps going, like Randy Newman once said: “Musicians keep going. There is nobody applauding at home”.
If he wanted to then Sting could reunite the Police and go on another lucrative nostalgia world tour but he’s been there and done that and such labors take their toll on young men- let alone guys pushing 70. Paul Simon and Elton John have officially retired from touring and I expect Sting will at some point do a farewell tour before taking up wine making, astronomy, or whatever strikes his fancy. Then- if I were Sting- I would start spending more time with- and spoiling- those grandchildren and seriously consider returning to the Church. But I don’t think Sting will ever put away his instruments- even if he has to perform via YouTube from his bed in Tuscany- and Sting the artist will probably go to his grave clutching a dulcimer or a lute- but you can’t take it with you, Sting.
Like me Gordon Sumner was born and raised in a seaside town that he dreamed of one day leaving and then seeing the world. He saw that dream come true- and then some- and listening to some of these songs still takes me back to my Peace Corps days when I was living in a seaside city on the Black Sea and discovering Sting’s music which for me is quality adult alternative and was especially good for those times when I just wanted to chill out. It might even sound great while classing up your next backyard barbecue or sundowners gathering. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!
01. Sting – “Love Is the Seventh Wave” (1985)
02. Sting – “Why Should I Cry for You? (from The Living Sea)” (1995)
03. Sting – “Why Should I Cry for You? (from The Living Sea)” (1995)
04. Sting – “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (Live)” (2001)
05. Sting – “Every Breath You Take (Live)” (2001)
06. Sting – “All This Time” (1990)
07. Sting feat. Eric Clapton – “It’s Probably Me (from Lethal Weapon 3)” (1992)
08. Sting – “The Pirate’s Bride” (1996)
09. Sting – “Don’t Stand So Close to Me (Live)” (2001)
10. Sting – “When We Dance (Live)” (2001)
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Sting’s comeback single “Desert Rose” seemed to be everywhere at the turn of the century including in Bulgaria where I went out and purchased the album Brand New Day which for me was a letdown. Still, it was cool to see new fans discovering Sting’s music and I’m always curious to follow Sting’s continued experimentation with new sounds whether they come from jazz, reggae, country, Algerian raï, or even English Renaissance lute. One thing you can’t ever say about Sting is he’s predictable.
From the start of his solo career in 1985, Sting’s goal was to show the world his musical chops and that he was much more than a singing bass player for the Police (he started out as a jazz player). When I listen to a Sting album I know- if nothing else- I’m going to get quality musicianship since the man only surrounds himself with the best. Even Sting’s older songs can still offer surprises- a tasty jazz flourish here, an unexpected chord change there. I don’t like all his stuff but I think it’s safe to say Sting’s fellow musicians respect him and people will keep buying his albums no matter what he does next.
Sting has taken a few stabs at country music- with mixed results- but when Johnny Cash recorded Sting’s “I Hung My Head” most people had no idea it was a Sting song- that’s how good it was. When it comes to listing artists who have a talent for writing powerful songs that empathize with the human condition, the aloof Englishman Sting may not immediately come to mind but the man has done it again and again. “Why Should I Cry for You” has actually made me cry and Sting’s 2001 performance of “Fragile”- which was broadcast live on TV shortly after the 9/11 attacks- may have been his finest hour.
Sting has received a lot of media attention over the years for his activism- especially during the ‘80s when he was trying to save the world one cause at a time (human rights, world hunger, the Amazon rainforest, the yoga). While some cynics at the time questioned his motives, I’ve never had a problem with artists using their celebrity to advocate for issues they care about; in fact, without them many of these causes might have been completely ignored. And who will take the place of aging singer activists like Bono, Sting, and Peter Gabriel? Are there even any left who are under 50?
For an artist so confident and accomplished in his music, I’m always surprised at just how dull Sting can be in interviews. Perhaps the guy is simply keeping his cards close to his chest, or- more likely- he’s simply plugging a new album, doesn’t really have anything else to say, and prefers to let his music do the talking. Not all artists have profound things to say and I think Sting- the son of a milkman- has finally learned to stick with what he knows- music- and he would much rather provide a boring interview than risk coming across as a rich, pompous fool. Here are some more of my favorite Sting songs. Enjoy!
01. Sting feat. Cheb Mami– “Desert Rose” (1999)
02. Toby Keith and Sting – “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” (1997)
03. Sting – “Fields of Gold (New Version)” (2006)
04. Sting – “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” (1996)
