Monday, May 14, 2018

The Oppenheimer Report 5/14/18



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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