In one month, Hunters Bay Radio will be hosting(I believe)
its 5th annual fundraiser at the Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville.
The theme for last year’s show was The
Last Waltz, featuring the music of The Band, and it was a
huge success. The theme for this year's show is The Beatles White Album, and, under the musical direction of Sean Cotton, over thirty local musicians will be participating. I won’t reveal what song I’ll be performing, but I will say it
is daunting to cover any song from
that legendary album. My high school hockey team used to start their Friday
night games with Why Don’t We Do It In The
Road, and the music from that album has increased my appreciation of
popular music more than any other album.
I see a lot of posts on Facebook wherein people list their
top ten favorite record albums. As a practicing songwriter for over 40 years, I’ve
had a lot of different musical influences, and I’ve gone through many phases. Earliest
albums that immediately come to mind include Cream – Wheels Of Fire/ Disraeli Gears, The Beatles – Rubber Soul/ Revolver/The White Album, Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced/ Axis Bold As Love/
Electric Ladyland, The Allman Bros.- Live
At Fillmore East, Cat Stevens -Tea
For The Tillerman, The Rolling Stones – Beggar’s
Banquet/ Let It Bleed/ Sticky Fingers/ Jethro Tull - Stand Up!/ Aqualung, Pat Metheny – Bright Sized Life, Fleetwood Mac – Then Play On/ Bare Trees/ Kiln House. Anyone under the age of forty
is likely unfamiliar with these albums, but many of the songs from the 70’s are
still being covered more than forty years later. I have found that a surprising
number of my friends’ kids like the music of the 70’s, and decidedly, that was
my golden era of popular music.
On my radio show, I sometimes talk about songs being
mnemonic triggers. If I hear the Stones song Satisfaction it transports me to a hot summer day waiting to cross the
border in my mom’s ’68 Buick convertible. When I hear an Allman Bros. song, it
takes me back to my boarding school days. The Beatles White album was there from the very beginning of my days as a music
lover, and it has stood the test of time. It included such a rich and varied catalogue
of songs, ranging from blues to folk to rock ‘n roll; it’s an old friend. Each
song is unique in its arrangement, and to this day, I still appreciate the
genius of The Beatles as composers. My big problem with much of the music today
is that it has become disposable. There are still, and always will be, artists
out there who are fantastic writers and composers, but I don’t think people are
listening to music (or anything) the way they used to. There is too much noise competing
for our attention. Now, we might gravitate to a hit song, but we are less
inclined to listen to the whole album of an artist. As well, videos have become
a much more important marketing tool. I wonder if songs like Blackbird or While My Guitar Gently Weeps would even make the cut in 2018. Digital
platforms like Spotify have cheapened music and corporations and commercial
success have re-wired our brains (and I fear the way we create). Some feel The
Beatles were over-rated, and that there were and are many better artists and
composers out there. I don’t think The Beatles were technically the greatest
musicians, but they composed beautifully, and they had an ear for melody that
few can replicate.
This week, I’ve started to practice my song for the
White Album show, and while I don’t perform a lot of covers, let alone in a
theatre full of people, I will try to do my selected song justice. I’ve seen
the list of who is performing what song, and I’m eager to hear how my many
talented colleagues will cover these songs. The White album is a special
collection of music, and I know this show is going to be a lot of fun for
everyone involved.
- Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c 2018 ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED
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