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02-17-12 Footnotes
Show 325: 1967 Part 2: Monterey Pop & The Industry Grows Up, Van Halen Review
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 There were no huge surprises at last week's Grammy Awards; the expected big winner was Adele, and she swept all six of her categories. She also impressed people with her live performance, which comes after a year of cancelled shows and vocal surgery. Jim and Greg didn't rate her album 21 incredibly high, but it's hard to argue with the song “Rolling in the Deep.” One shocker was the awarding of Best New Artist to indie act Bon Iver, over hitmaker Nicki Minaj. And, it's interesting to note that Diana Krall, not Quincy Jones, is now the living artist with the most Grammys.
2 This year's Grammy broadcast was the highest rated since 1984. Over 39 million people tuned in, in large part to see how the ceremony would honor Whitney Houston, who passed away only a day before. Jennifer Hudson provided a moving tribute performance of “I Will Always Love You,” connecting with Houston's gospel roots. And in the week since her death, over 100,000 copies of her greatest hits album sold. Greg asserts that Houston was the greatest pop vocalist of the past 25 years, and every singer in her wake has been influenced by her style. Sometimes that led to oversinging, but that's what separated Houston from the rest of the diva pack. It's in the sparsely produced, more controlled performances of songs like “The National Anthem” and “I Love the Lord,” where you really hear Houston shine.
3 Recently Jim and Greg began an exploration of one of the great watershed years in Rock and Roll: 1967. First up was the birth of the album as art. Now, they look at the growth of the live music business and the industry, for better or worse, growing up. There's no better example of this maturation than the Monterey International Pop Festival. For 3 days in June, thousands of music fans descended on Monterey, California to see The Mamas and the Papas, Jefferson Airplane, The Who and the spectacular debuts of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. They worked for free, with ticket proceeds going to charity, but the capitalist machine was not far behind. As Jim and Greg discuss with writer Harvey Kubernick, managers, promoters and label executives took notice of the festival's popularity and media attention, leading to new signings and savvy marketing plans. In terms of sound, the Monterey performers encapsulated the diversity of the psychedelic era. Rock, funk, jazz, country-it was all up for grabs. And artists like Otis Redding introduced a southern sound to white audiences, paving the way for landmark recordings like Aretha Franklin's I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.
4 After a revolving door of frontmen rivaling only cast changes in a soap opera, original lead singer David Lee Roth is back with Van Halen. And the band has a new album out-its 12th-called A Different Kind of Truth. Jim admits he's never been a Van Halen fan, though he appreciates Roth's sense of humor. But lusting after soccer moms, rather than teachers or teens is not a big step up. He also hates Eddie Van Halen's guitar style and Alex Van Halen's drumming. All that adds up to a Trash It. Greg explains that if you're not a Van Halen fan, this album isn't for you. But they're giving listeners exactly what they want-a big, dumb, fun record. He defends Eddie's guitar playing and gives A Different Kind of Truth a Burn It.
Songs Featured in Show #325
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, “We Take Care of Our Own (Grammy Performance),” Wrecking Ball, Columbia, 2012
Jennifer Hudson, “I Will Always Love You (Grammy Performance),” Unreleased, 2012
Whitney Houston, “The Star Spangled Banner,” Unreleased, 1991
Whitney Houston, “I Love the Lord,” The Preacher’s Wife (Soundtrack), Arista, 1996
Jefferson Airplane, “Somebody to Love,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Killing Floor,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Wild Thing,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Big Brother & the Holding Company, “Combination of the Two,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Big Brother & the Holding Company, “Ball and Chain,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Big Brother & the Holding Company, “Down on Me,” Big Brother & the Holding Company, Mainstream, 1967
The Mamas & The Papas, “California Dreamin’,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Booker T. & the M.G.’s, “Philly Dog,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
The Who, “My Generation,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Ravi Shankar, “Duhn In Dadra and Fast Teental,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
The Byrds, “Have You Seen Her Face,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
The Byrds, “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n Roll Star,” Younger Than Yesterday, Columbia, 1967
Otis Redding, “Shake,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Otis Redding, “I’ve Been Loving You,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Otis Redding, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” The Dock of the Bay, Volt, 1968
Aretha Franklin, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),” I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Atlantic, 1967
Aretha Franklin, “Baby, Baby, Baby,” I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Atlantic, 1967
Otis Redding, “Respect,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Aretha Franklin, “Respect,” I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Atlantic, 1967
The Who, “I Can See for Miles,” The Who Sell Out, Track, 1967
Van Halen, “Tattoo,” A Different Kind of Truth, Interscope, 2012
Van Halen, “Bullethead,” A Different Kind of Truth, Interscope, 2012
Booker T. & the M.G.’s, “Philly Dog,” Monterey International Pop Festival, Rhino, 1997
Aretha Franklin, “Call Me,” This Girl’s in Love with You, Atlantic, 1970
Lana Del Rey, “This is what Makes Us Girls,” Born to Die, Interscope, 2012
Belinda Carlisle, “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” Heaven on Earth, MCA, 1987
Buddy Holly, “Everyday,” Everyday, Coral, 1957
The Seekers, “I’ll Never Find Another You,” I’ll Never Find Another You, EMI, 1964
Billy Bragg, “The Saturday Boy,” Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, Go! Discs, 1984
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