Crossroads

Robert Johnson- a man who really knew his music

Hello All,

Time is an amazing thing. It happens to move so fast and yet at the same time seems to last an eternity. I was moved to think about this when Linda and I were watching edited highlights of the Grammy Award Ceremony on Channel Four the other day.

When we did our radio show on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) in Florence, Massachusetts, we always aimed to be as contemporary as we could, without leaving our true music tastes behind. We always played artists we liked but always enjoyed finding new artists to get into so much so we were excited when we could play them on our show. Our show was never an homage to yesteryear, so it was important to find new acts to reinvigorate the show.

Quite often, certain acts make me think that "so and so did that twenty five years ago" (Good Afternoon Lady Ga-Ga!) and the obsession with having mulitudes of dancers and oh so spectacular light shows detract from the actual purpose of why you go and see an act perform . . . in some ways, with "rock and roll" pushing 60 and acts like "The Beastie Boys" getting nominated for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (why?), you could say we're at a crossroads (hence the reason for the picture of Robert Johnson!) Where's the stimulus to be excited about the future of music? Who are the stars who, 30 years from now, will be the pop "royalty", the acts who'll be the closing finale of the Grammys in 2042? Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen can't go on forever! (Having said that, Macca's new album sounds really good and Bruce's new single has for me the most poignant lyrics I've heard in quite a while . . . very pertinent for the time we live in. I'm sure President Obama wouldn't get any grief from "The Boss" if he used that song for his presidential campaign!)

Both Linda and I are of the opinion that you have to be true to yourself and be who you are. Musically, your true talent will come out if you do what you do best. No frills, just a good band. Also, the best acts always shine if you tip your hat to your musical tastes once in  a while.

So, watching the Grammy Awards got me thinking. If we were on the radio today, what current stars would be on our playlist? Two examples leapt out from the glitzy showbiz "do" we watched the other night. The first artist was Bruno Mars.

Bruno Mars - for us, the next King of Pop

This talented artist, who was exceptional at The Grammys, grew up in Hawaii and was influenced by Elvis, Motown, James Brown and doo-wop! Yet he manages to sound so contemporary. How come? The guy has talent. He sings with emotion and yet has fun at the same time. Watching his performance in L.A. on the telly he looked liked he was enjoying himself. His band sounded tight, they looked good and I certainly couldn't see any frills on the stage. Just a really fine band.

Oh yes, the guy can write a good tune as well. Anyone who listened to the radio in 2010 will have heard the tune "Forget You" sung by Cee-Lo Green. A huge hit all over the world. Bruno co-wrote that. Enough said. His most recent album, "Doo-Wop and Hooligans" is excellent.

A good song about human emotions will always resonate with the listening public. It's not just me who thinks that . . . Chuck Berry said that too, and he did well for himself.

Talking of songs about emotions brings us to the next artist, the woman who reinvigorated "The Tottenham Sound" and gave it a degree of popularity not even Dave Clark himself could dream of.  Adele.

The Queen of Tottenham!

 A female who for us is the future "Queen" of singing in Great Britain. There's not a lot more that can be said about this woman. Her achievements at The Grammys speak for themsleves. She puts her heart and soul into every song she sings. What's refreshing is how down to earth she is. There's no extravagant stage show, no cast of thousands surrounding her on stage. Just her and her band. A welcome change from some other female singers of today. Janet Jackson set the standard for singing and dancing 20 years or so ago.  Some of todays acts needn't bother.

Adele also is a standard bearer for the renaissance of common sense in the way women look. It's to Adele's credit that she hasn't let the media industry's obssession with being stick thin and artifically enhanced in the breast department influence her. As she herself said recently in an interview with Anderson Cooper "I don't want to be stick thin with my tits hanging out!"

The morale of all this is quite simple . . . beleive in yourself, do what you love and stick with it. Don't be artificial. If you have a talent, you should use it. Those who believe in you will encorage you. Find an outlet for the talent you have. This (writing) is mine, and if I can find one anyone can!

Keep listening to music whenever you can . . .

Serenity Now,

Ed

PS Look out for blogs coming soon on www.motdusaway.blogspot.com and www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com !

The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast Video Memories





Classic Late English Breakfast Video

In this country, having a number one at Christmas is a HUGE event. There have been occasions when the most unlikely of stars has had a number one at Christmas . . . like this famous person, just over 40 years ago . . . enjoy the majesterial Benny Hill!