"Clocks" (Coldplay) by Rhythms del Mundo

21st century Britain gave us Coldplay. Cuba gave us the Latin Jazz sounds of Buena Vista Social Club. Mix them together and you have Rhythms del Mundo and a mambo version of a great pop song.

Though this is "our song", my wife and I decided to use Nat King Cole's "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" for our wedding dance. Whenever we hear the opening piano we remember falling in love.



All of these albums feature fun versions of pop songs that sound great afro-cuban style.

  

Songs I wish I wrote: "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-On" by Leonard Cohen

There are so many Leonard Cohen songs that I love. I've performed "Last Year's Man" and recorded my own arrangement of his poem "Flowers for Hitler". This song, however, is brilliantly written and super catchy. The title on my copy of the LP said "Don't Go Home with Your Heart On", which I liked better. You can hear Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg singing back-up vocals.

It appeared on his 1977 album "Death of a Ladies' Man", produced by Phil Spector. During these sessions, Cohen recalls, "One day he had a bottle of wine in one hand and a 35mm pistol in the other. He put his arm around my shoulder, pressed the muzzle into my neck and said, 'Leonard, I love you.' At which point I said: 'I hope you really do, Phil.’" The album was hated by fans, derided by critics, and Cohen himself called it a catastrophe. Fewer songs from this album have been covered than any others.

I was born in a beauty salon
My father was a dresser of hair
My mother was a girl you could call on
When you called she was always there

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain

I've looked behind all of the faces
That smile you down to your knees
And the lips that say, Come on, taste us
And when you try to they make you say Please

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on ...

Here come's your bride with her veil on
Approach her, you wretch, if you dare
Approach her, you ape with your tail on
Once you have her she'll always be there

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on ...

So I work in that same beauty salon
I'm chained to the old masquerade
The lipstick, the shadow, the silicone
I follow my father's trade

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain

"Mas Que Nada" by Sergio Mendes + Brasil 66

Did you know that "Bossa Nova" is Portugese for "New Wave"? You can't help but dance to this music unless your soul is completely dead.

The song was originally by Jorge Ben Jor, but it was this version that became a hit. American vocalist Lani Hall didn't speak Portugese, but she learned the song phonetically.



As for my take on the Black Eyed Peas version? I don't think it has the energy of the original and is musically thin, but it was nice to hear the song on the radio again.

Influences: Leonard Cohen

"He's gonna get us and turn us into vampires! And we'll all be dead and yet still alive! Like Leonard Cohen!" ~Neil from the Young Ones (Episode 2:3 "Nasty")

When he received a Juno Award for "Best Male Vocalist" in 1992, Cohen quipped "Only in Canada could somebody with a voice like mine win 'Vocalist of the Year'." His influence is far reaching and his legend gets bigger as he gets older. Brave New Waves on CBC radio profiled him one night back in 1986 or so and played cover versions of his songs. I was hooked.

Back in the 80s his most popular song would have been "Suzanne" (due to the Judy Collins version being a big hit in the 60s), but thanks to Jennifer Warnes' "Famous Blue Raincoat" album and his own "I'm Your Man", Cohen entered a new phase of recognition. 25 years later, I suppose "Hallelujah" would be his best known song thanks mostly due to the Rufus Wainwright version in the movie Shrek.

Cohen associates with the underdog, the outcast, the alien, and the misunderstood. Love, sex, mortality and religion mingle throughout his poetry and songs. From the beginning of time singers and writers have touched on these themes which may be why his newest album is called "Old Ideas".  I'm reminded of Shakespeare who would often talk about God and sex at the same time. I never considered Cohen's songs as depressing, even he considers himself a happy person.  I like that he often changes the lyrics to his songs when he performs them, like they are living organisms rather than static. 

In 1988 I had the pleasure of seeing Cohen perform at the State Theater in Ann Arbor during his "I'm Your Man" tour. Now it costs over $100 to see him perform. If you haven't been fortunate enough to see him live, check out "Live In London" from 2009.

What often seems like contradiction might actually be paradox. This is certainly true of Leonard Cohen who dwells in a twilight time that hints at the darkness but still contains light.

     

"Ramo, Ramo Druže Moj" by U2? (NOT)

The Balkan Rhythm Band did this Serbian classic on an album I had back in the 80s. It's been covered many times and is a bit of a standard for Balkan bands. It's about the death of the singer's buddy named Ramo.

A guy named Apostol makes these mash-up videos with western pop stars "performing" Balkan hits. The footage is from U2 performing at the anointing of Barack Obama as Messiah of the World.

Inspiration: CBC Radio

A nice thing about living in the Detroit area is our access to Canadian Television and Radio. Since I started listening to classical music in high school, the daytime format on CBC Radio opened me up to many composers. I also loved watching channel 9 CBC-TV and channel 32 TV-Ontario. But the best media gift from Great White North arrived every midnight on CBC Stereo.

On weeknights in the 80s I would listen to "Brave New Waves" hosted by Brent Bambury. The show exposed me to alternative and independent music that I was unlikely to hear anywhere else. Brent would profile artists nightly and play some obscure music from around the world. I would set up my reel to reel to record the shows (that way I could get all four hours on one tape) then would mix the stuff I liked down to cassettes.

When the weekend came along CBC aired Nightlines hosted by Ralph Benmergui and later by David Wisdom. Nightlines also played alternative music, but the more accessible kind.

Another notable show that was required listening was Frantic Times featuring the comedy troupe known as the Frantics. They created the greatest of all Canadian superheroes Mr. Canoehead (brother of Ted) and were known for the cathcphrase "a boot to the head". My friends and I would listen every week then have inside jokes that would leave the rest of the school scratching their heads.

I still love listening to what they now call CBC Radio 2. Shows like Shift, Drive, Tonic, The Signal, Deep Roots, and Canada Live ensure that there is usually something good to listen to. It reminds me of what college radio once was. Thank you Canada for proving that sometimes state funded media can be cool, not just a tool.

"Baruch Ha Shem" by Lamb

Previously I mentioned my love of world music and how my mom's favorite album in the 1970s contributed to it. Here is one of the songs from that album by Lamb, a Messianic Jewish Jesus Music band. I can't believe I found this live video of the song.



The album version was much better with drums and harpsichord and a nice psychedelic vibe to it.

Songs I wish I wrote: "Careless" by Paul Kelly

I think the first time I heard this was when Ron Wells sing it. I can't remember if it was him solo at Cross Street Station or with The Rubbles in Oakland, CA--but I can hear his voice singing it. Ron did many songs by his Australian countryman which have become favorites of mine. This one was from Kelly's 1989 album "So Much Water So Close to Home".

Sometimes I like a song because it resonates with life events. Such is the case with "Careless". In 1992 I realized that I was selfish and had hurt many people in my short life. Vladimir had become someone I didn't really like. For the previous six years my mom kept praying that I would be safe and disease free by the time I finished running around. Fortunately, God listened.

A key to good songwriting is to have killer opening lines, and this song certainly has it. I also like that it's a circle song, with a progression of chords that cycle in the same order--the melody changes for the chorus but the chords stay the same. That's the way I like to compose songs.



How many cabs in New York City,
how many angels on a pin?
How many notes in a saxophone,
how many tears in a bottle of gin?
How many times did you call my name,
knock at the door but you couldn't get in?
I know I've been careless

I've been wrapped up in a shell
nothing could get through to me
Acted like I didn't know I had friends or family
I saw worry in their eyes,
it didn't look like fear to me
I know I've been careless (I took bad care of this)

Like a mixture in a bottle,
like a frozen-over lake
Like a longtime painted smile
I got so hard I had to crack
You were there, you held the line,
you're the one that brought me back

I know I've been careless (I lost my tenderness)
I've been careless (I took bad care of this)
How many cabs in New York City,
how many angels on a pin?
How many notes in a saxophone,
how many tears in a bottle of gin?
How many times did you call my name,
knock at the door but you couldn't get in?
How many stars in the milky way,
how many way can you lose a friend?


 

Influences: Buddy Holly

When Jimigator and I first started performing together our goal was to get as much sound as possible out of just drums and guitar. The way an instrument is used can affect this. I'm not talking about volume, it's more subtle than that. The audience would often hear a bass line when there was no bass player.

Buddy Holly tried to do the same thing with just guitar, bass, and drums. There was no mistaking his sound. He insisted on producing his own records, which was unheard of in the late fifties, used multi-tracking, and pioneered stereo.

Here is one of the few videos of Buddy Holly performing. Notice how no one is dancing at this "Dance Party" and I like how she calls them "Rock & Roll Specialists"--I think there's an online course for that now.

In a career that lasted a year and a half he gave so much to the future of popular music. The style, sound and image of Vladimir's Universe owes much to Buddy Holly.

"Dyambo" by Hugh Masekela

My love for world music began at an early age. I remember my dad listening to Astrud Gilberto and Perez Prado while mom's favorite record in the 70s featured Jewish style "Jesus Music" by a Messianic group called Lamb. As I got older I discovered world artists on my own. Balkan, African, and Arabic music found it's way into my collection.

Most people know Hugh Masekela for his 1968 hit "Grazin' in the Grass". This 1971 tune, subtitled "Weary Day is Over", is fun for rocking out. Makes me wish Vladimir's Universe had a horn section!

New Album Cover

I like having a title and/or album cover when I start a project. It gives me something to orient the project around. This is the cover I decided on for the upcoming release.

I wanted it to look like something that would be photocopied onto a cassette tape insert, thus the simple black & white design. I wish I still had my Silvertone guitar.

Songs I wish I wrote: "I'll Come Running" by Brian Eno

Song lyrics can be poetry with deep meaning, but I don't think this is required. It can be the way the sounds work together--a sequence of words rather than a sentence. Lyrics can be a component of the song just like the rhythm or the instrumentation. Phrases can also be allusions to things that have meaning to the artists, an inside joke with friends, or a pop culture reference. Like an expressionist painting, the audience must figure it out for themselves--everyone finds a different meaning.

Any of Eno's songs could be used as an example of this, but this one from "Another Green World" (1975) is one I wish I wrote. I like to play it on the guitar and sing it to my kids.

I'll find a place somewhere in the corner 

I'm gonna waste the rest of my days 

Just watching patiently from the window 

Just waiting, seasons change, some day, oh oh, 

My dreams will pull you through that garden gate

I want to be the wandering sailor 

We're silhouettes by the light of the moon 

I sit playing solitaire by the window 

Just waiting, seasons change, ah hah, you'll see 

Some day these dreams will pull you through my door

And I'll come running to tie your shoe 

I'll come running to tie your shoe 

I'll come running to tie your shoe 

I'll come running to tie your shoe

Oh, oh oh-oh-oho-oho-oho-oho-oho-o-o-o

Oh, oh oh-oh-oho-oho-oho-oho-oho-o-o-o

I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe

Influences: Half Japanese

Jad Fair and his brother David from Coldwater, Michigan started this band around 1975 in their bedroom. At that time they only had drums and Jad's out of tune guitar, but later expanded to include other instruments. David explains the guitar here:

I remember hearing their song "Firecracker, Firecracker" in 1986 and it blew me away. The mix of raw passion and simplicity inspired me along with the catchy blues chord progressions. It appeared on their album "Sing No Evil".

Jad tunes all his strings to one note, or doesn't tune it at all. Similarly, I tune my strings to two notes but I do like to tune them. My old Silvertone guitar never stayed in tune however, so I just went with it. Their tunes are usually about monsters or love--themes often heard in Vladimir songs. Jad designs all the album covers.

In addition to the Half Japanese albums, I also had Jad Fair's solo albums "Best Wishes" and "Everyone Knew... but Me" on which he played all the instruments. My favorite from those albums was a song called "Monster Island". In 1986 or so I sent Jad Fair a fan letter (and maybe a Vladimir tape, I can't recall). He sent me some promotional pencils, a story book he wrote and illustrated, and some other goodies.

So much about Jad Fair and Half Japanese inspired me as I developed the Vladimir sound and approach to music.

Is it really 25 years?

Vladimir's Universe actually began earlier than 1987, but that is when I first appeared on the stage at Cross Street Station with Jimigator on drums. I made earlier recordings that were mostly sound sculptures, musique concrete, poetry, and music composed on my Commodore 64.

The last time we played Cross Street Station was in 1990 when I took the train to the San Francisco Bay area and stayed for 2 years. The last stage performance was in 1992 in Oakland, CA with a group of musicians calling themselves "Jack's Dad" made up of Ron Wells' sidemen from The Rubbles.

A Cross Street Station reunion at Ypsilanti's Corner Brewery in 2010 found me singing a few of the old songs.

25th Anniversary Album

New album titled "This Machine Eats Bacon" coming fall of 2012! This blog will chronicle the development of the new project. I also plan to talk about the songs, share my history, and some favorite songs and influences. Actually, I can do whatever I want because it is my stinkin' blog!