#and they'll be playing their entire albums from that era

[tanktopgallavich]

🎵📚🚗

[earlgreytea68]

idk if you seen this but SMFD is going to be a single which is very interesting to me for a few reasons one being we are past the time to release singles to promote the album and it's also not due to popularity bc according to spotify the most listen to non-single is fake out. my best assumption as to why is to promote the upcoming tour

I have a few theories on why SMFDS tho bc it is an odd choice. don't get me wrong I love that song but it's a song you really appreciate having also listened to the rest of the album and it's very good in concert but imo you release a single so it can be played on the radio for whatever reason (as a album teaser, it got popular) which is why I think it's about promotion and not radio. SMFSD is like THE track in terms of representation for the album for a lot of reasons to me so it makes sense they'd use it to promote their tour to fans who likely have listened to the album. also I suspect we'll get a SMFSD music video which I'll be excited to see (I do hope it has a little story line like the other mvs from this era rather than just clips from tourdust but we'll see)

I am FASCINATED by SMFS as a single, not because I don't love the song (it's one of my favorites on the whole album, I adore it), not because I don't think it's a super-strong song (lyrically I think it's transcendent in how it nails a very true emotion and musically I think it's complex and smart), but because it doesn't really strike me as my idea of a radio song, as you say. So yeah, this feels like an emotional choice rather than a marketing-based one, which also feels right to them. Their contractual situation makes their record label pretty hands-off, I think, so they can kind of do what they want. And maybe the song being labeled one of the top ten songs of the year by Time, or whatever that was, made them think that it deserved more attention not just by fans.

I'm sure the music video will be intensely plotted and silly because I genuinely think that's how they like to make music videos and I would be surprised if it's just tour footage, but we'll see.

I have a theory about Fake Out. To me that song seems like such an obvious single and I've always been surprised it didn't get a big push last summer. But I think once the new We Didn't Start the Fire dropped and ended up performing so strongly for them (and over the entire summer building gradually), they didn't want to crowd it out and let it play out. But I think Fake Out is definitely a summer song. It's a roll the windows down song to me and always has been since the first time I heard. Whereas SMFS is a perfect winter song (I'm in a winter mood dreaming of spring...). I wonder if they'll try to ride the album out a little longer and push Fake Out this summer. I wouldn't be entirely surprised, because I think there are no real rules anymore over when you can push a single from an album.

[freakingoutthesquares]

Reunion Tour, 2011

"Second up is "Pink Glove", a song which, with its sublimely Sparksian structure, highlights the underrated role which the ever-suave Russell Senior always played in the Pulp sound."

Isle of Wight Festival Review

The Independent 19 June 2011

The robot voice has something important it wants to say. "We don't want no trouble," it announces, reciting the blurb from the "Mis-Shapes" single sleeve in flat, from-the-future tones. "We just want the right to be different, that's all. Do you?"

For all the glorious comebacks of adored bands in recent months and years, it has to be said that Pulp feels like The Big One. It's difficult to put your finger on exactly why that is, until you consider that robotic announcement and everything it entails. Because, from the very beginnings of Britpop, Pulp – thirtyish, corduroy-flared, northern, deadpan – were always the real outsiders in the pack, and outsiders rallied behind them.

And now, in a time when indie rock has become even more the domain of knuckle-dragging conformists than it was when the Gallagher monsters first belched on to the airwaves, we desperately need a band like Pulp. And in the absence of any suitable contenders, Pulp themselves have made their return with an action hero's timing.

So, as the sun sets over the Solent, the big black drape tumbles down, the giant "PULP" neon flashes into life and Jarvis leads the classic-era line-up into "Do you Remember the First Time", there's a phenomenal frisson of excitement among ... well, among me. The reaction to Pulp's first show on British soil from festival-goers who only remember about three hits and are waiting around for the Foo Fighters, however, is lukewarm compared with that which greeted their live return at Primavera the other week, and the partisan roar they'll elicit at Hyde Park in a fortnight's time.

No matter. Cocker, bearded, bespectacled, brown-suited and looking more like a geography teacher than ever, is on fine form, punctuating the set with the usual banter ("I came here as a child. I return as a man. Of sorts ..."), quoting Tennyson, doing a striptease, pulling kung fu poses and throwing packets of sweets to the kids in the front row – an act which, when combined with his seedy appearance, surely risks getting him added to some sort of register.

The set, while about as hit-packed as possible, doesn't pander entirely to the dilettante. Second up is "Pink Glove", a song which, with its sublimely Sparksian structure, highlights the underrated role which the ever-suave Russell Senior always played in the Pulp sound. We also get album tracks like "I Spy", the epic jealousy of the B-side "Underwear", and one of their true masterpieces, the explosive "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.".

Having been present when Pulp played one of the greatest festival sets of all time at Glastonbury in 1995, it was always going to be a tall order to hit that peak again. But any set which can close with "Common People" cannot fail. The equal-greatest political pop song of the 1990s (with Manic Street Preachers' "A Design for Life") is particularly apposite in the age of the Bullingdon Club front bench, and by the time it hits the chorus, even the Foo Fighters fans are going Radio Rental. "Won't it be strange when we're all fully grown?" Pulp asked us in "Disco 2000". We're all fully grown now. And I don't know about strange, but it feels bloody fantastic.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Shannon and the Clams' Rock Mantras

Shannon and the Clams

BY JORDAN MAINZER

On "Real or Magic", a heartbreaking standout from Shannon and the Clams' latest album The Moon Is In The Wrong Place (Easy Eye Sound), lead singer Shannon Shaw asks, "Was it real?" and then confirms, "It was so real." She's referring to a night when Joe Haener, her late fiancée, appeared to her in a dream. The song, like a lot of the band's previous material, recalls 60's doo wop, guitarist Cody Blanchard's falsetto in harmony with Shaw's pained wail. But the way Shaw sings the words "So real" reminds me of the Jeff Buckley song of the same name. Notably, Buckley pronounces the phrase to sound like the word "surreal" as he describes the mind-bending ways in which sensory triggers can make the intangible, tangible. On The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, Shaw illustrates how mourning a loved one can feel surreal, and not just in making multiple references to Salvador Dali. Throughout the record, she feels Haener's presence, culling from songs from various eras, ideas of the cosmos, and, unexpectedly, sights of SpaceX shuttles, to describe how Haener is now Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Shannon and the Clams' Cody Blanchard & Shannon Shaw

The backstory of The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, in a twist of cruel irony, is a real-life tale of the teenage tragedy songs that so much early Shannon and the Clams material was at least adjacent to, if not reminiscent of. Weeks before Shaw was set to marry Haener in 2022, he died in a car crash. Shaw was, of course, heartbroken, but so was the entire band. From the moment Shaw and Haener reconnected after they had been in the same Bay Area punk scene for years, Haener would join the Clams on tour so he could be with Shaw. Blanchard, keyboardist Will Sprott, and drummer Nate Mahan considered him an honorary member of the band. In the wake of Haener's passing, when set to make a record, the band switched-up their creative process, jammed more, and shared ideas back and forth. The result is the most versatile Shannon and the Clams record yet, especially as it pertains to Shaw's voice, sweet and mournful beyond her trademark rasp. Blanchard, per usual, gets a few songs, this time to share his mourning; Sprott takes a rare lead on "UFO". And when it came time to title the album, they chose a prescient phrase that Haener said to Shaw before his death: "The moon is in the wrong place."

Shannon and the Clams' Nate Mahan, Blanchard, & Shaw

But as much as The Moon Is In The Wrong Place pays tribute to Haener, it's also an album about perspective and the radical act of learning to move on in the wake of tragedy. Sometimes, that's through humor: On the bouncy, peppy "Bean Fields", a song inspired by stargazing at Haener's family farm, Shaw sings, "My bra is full of crystals and tiny pics of you." But she chooses to live for Haener. "I'm living out of boxes / I packed them two by two / I gotta keep on chooglin' / That choice was taken from you," she sings, finding solace in rock and roll. "So Lucky" represents the mantra version of "Real or Magic", but this time, there's no doubt: "It was all real and you were you." Even Blanchard's layered "What You're Missing" contains dark admissions that "life goes on." That is, as much as he sings, "The people will mistake you for somebody who's doing alright," the song's real kicker comes later. "Well, the birds won't mind you, living beside you / Building a nest where they'll die." Death is a part of life, and sometimes, the "death and taxes" mental approach can help you not wallow.

Blanchard & Shaw

Another way Shannon and the Clams have moved on? Playing live. On Tuesday at Lincoln Hall, not only did the band not mention the context of The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, but they didn't mention the album at all until the encore, before they played an extra twinkly "Real or Magic". (Shaw called the record "the most special thing we've ever done.") On the surface, it makes sense: Moon's songs' aesthetic fits with the band's back catalog, and sliding in older songs serves to emphasize the variance in Shaw's vocals. She coos on the skipping, staccato "The Moon Is In The Wrong Place", then belts a gravelly rasp on "Sleep Talk" from the 2011 album of the same name. The songs Blanchard leads, too, work as a one-two punch no matter what album they were on, the harmonic and arpeggiated "The Hourglass" giving way to the whistling, soulful gallop of Onion cut "I Leave Again". And then there's a song like album opener "The Vow", heartbreaking considering Shaw was going to surprise Haener with it on their wedding day. But hearing it live, when the band segues from breezy nostalgia to Latin-inspired keyboard swells, at which point Shaw speaks, "I wanna hear those vows / I wanna hear how you're always gonna love me / And I wanna hear it now," is more hopeful than sad. 60's style love anthems remain timeless because love remains powerful. Shannon and the Clams' latest songs may have been born out of horrific circumstances, but who's to say they might not further create more devotion in the world?

[navyhyuck]

here it goes a little rant:

i love resonance with my whole heart, really. but i cant help but feeling lowkey pissed with nct dynamics, like, its painfully clear that sm plays favourites here :// i know that all boys work hard and im not ignoring that, but mark and taeyong always have that center light that the others dont and that is unfair to everyone else

if you watch regular's choreo (127 ver) its easy to notice that while winwin has absolutely no lines and center time(and he never gets to dance in the front, always in the backlines, which puts hik literally as a backup dancer), mark and taeyong are always at the center or in extrategic positions so they'll shine (not even counting here the fact that they always have the center at chorus and ending/opening)

90's love was ???? i really liked the song, but they completely ignored winwin again and yangyang was really robbed from his lines too. mark had center again at a break dance(which it was great, but, i thought it could easily be given to winwin, who suprisingly is a lead dancer)

lucas and ten are in a strange position for me, like, when they are in wayv, they are pushed to center a lot of times (still, more balanced than 127), and they cover their parts well, but when it comes to superm, they get thrown to the sidelines really quick :// its like sm its just throwing them in superm to fill the spots lol. in 90's love i was really happy to see ten and haechan to have those chorus and high notes, since it gives them oportunity to shine

im still salty about johnny. like, the man spent 7 years training to sm treat him like breathes: that's enough lines from you johnny. mark, please come here again and to use him in stages just for his abs and fanservice. i really liked that he got to show his rap skills in misfit and faded in my last song, but im still pissed that they made him perform shirtless when it was freezing outside, like, sm, wtf.

idk how to feel about 7dream anymore. like, i really love mark and dreamies with my whole heart, but i always felt that 6dream had more balance than the other units in terms of center time and line distribution. if you take boom and reload era, youll see that every member got their chances to shine in vocals or performance, while they slightly pushed jaemin and jeno to fill the center part, but they never had only two members dancing the chorus in the middle(like, it always changed between jaemin, jeno, jisung and sometimes haechan). while we go up was incredible, i lowkey fear that 7dream is going to be mark-centered again, like in the early eras, and then, its going to be hell for mark considering that he already has to practice for superm, u and 127(which makes at least 2 to 3 groups which he has to double the work, considering he has a lot of center parts)

first of all, anon, i just wanna say SORRY this took me so long to respond to!! i was wondering whether i should split this up into two but decided it’s fine, so if anyone’s dash is flooded because of this, i apologize :’)

i 100% agree with you on this. i don’t know if anyone’s been following on my posts since september when nct 2020 was announced but i’ve always mentioned that it’s just not it. everyone was looking forward to a project like this, commenting on every live and making all these discussion posts and when it actually happens? members are mistreated.

i’m not going to say that markyong don’t deserve what they’re getting, but the amount of exposure that the other members get in comparison to them is basically nothing. nct 2020 was a direct reflection of sm’s favoritism towards certain members and yeah, i saw it coming.

i do think that sicheng, johnny, and yukhei get the least in sm, period. in their own subunits, in nct 2020, and for yukhei, in superm. they deserve way more than they get and johnny’s somewhat center positioning in work it reflected his talent! though i don’t think that’s nearly enough. sm generally uses both yukhei and johnny for their bodies (um, turing tbt era, i’m pretty sure yukhei mentioned showing up at the set and being told to take off his clothes??), and sicheng.

in short, sm doesn’t deserve sicheng. they don’t deserve him. they don’t get to chase after this man for years and then shun him as if he has no talent. are you kidding me??? rainbow v was a direct reflection of sicheng’s (and ten’s, but i’ll get there) talent, but that’s all we got???? i really don’t even know at this point, if i was sicheng, i would leave sm on day one for taking his talent for granted. it really pisses me off because he can’t.

yukhei and ten in superm is a joke. to be honest, superm itself is absolutely unnecessary other than the fact that sm wants to profit off the western market. yeah, we get interactions, sure, yeah we get some good music and performances, but really? it’s like they threw yukhei into superm for NO REASON, i remember watching jopping and being like ???? where is he??? because sm doesn’t want to give them equal distribution, they just want to make money. like you said, it’s like sm threw yukhei in there to fill spots. on top of this, it overworks all the members in the group, nct included.

90’s love was disappointing, no like extremely disappointing, i remember watching it and being like :/ the entire time. you know when the whole unit hyped up sicheng and said he was the leader? i really thought for once they’d give him a decent amount of screen time and an equal amount of lines but yeah! disappointed. and with yangyang too. make a wish distribution was okay, not the best but in my opinion, but i expected so much more from 90’s love. like so much more. seriously, yangyang’s lack of lines made me so mad, it’s actually ridiculous.

and with 7dream...to be honest, it’s true. dream did have really good line distribution in we boom (um, and i’m pretty sure boom is almost equal for every member) and reload, each member had really good exposure compared to earlier albums. i think we go up was okay, but generally, yeah, sm favors mark. i know people don’t like to hear it out just like that but it’s so obvious. but at the same time, the dreamies are happy to have mark back and i am too. dream isn’t really the same without mark, and i’ve never got used to seeing them without him. i just hope that dream stays equal with distribution and to be honest, i actually have some faith that they will. jaemin did get exposure in make a wish (lol...when i talk about his lack of lines too...but the ones he got are iconic) and work it, and jeno’s lines in 90’s love are there. JISUNG??? YEAH SM DOESN’T DESERVE JISUNG EITHER.

i could yell about this all day but jisung was the most hyped about nct 2020 and he shared all of his excitement with nctzens even though he’s injured and he got basically nothing in both albums. and once again, jeno? people seem to want to erase jeno’s influence in dream and nct in general because??? i don’t know, jeno didn’t get much from 90’s love either, but he did get something. i’m not impressed with sm.

okay, this was long but in general: nct leave sm rn. like NOW.

[funknrolll]

Celebrating Prince: discovering a timeless artist and his meaningful and impactful art. Part 4. The Truth, The Vault.. Old Friends 4 Sale and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic eras.

Hi music lovers, as I anticipated on monday, music addiction is going to celebrate Prince and his amazing and timeless work!! The article will be split into a few little articles. I hope you enjoy this new format and these articles!!

As I said yesterday, let me say that I have heard so many things about Prince’s artistry. Some comments came from uneducated people who did not even take a second of their lives to understand, and do research on his art. Hence, I think the time to shed some light on Prince’s art, has come (finally). I hope to help some of those people understand this artist better and to finally appreciate him the way he deserves. We owe Prince big time. Today’s music and musicians  owe Prince everything. Without him, many of the artists we listen to today, WOULD NOT BE EXISTING. As we all know, Prince loved to experiment with music, trying out new music genres, new styles, new harmonies, melodies, rhythms and so on. This is one of the factors that led this legend to create a unique, wide and broad vault. There are so many songs of his that I love so much and that I find relevant for this article. The ones I chose, are going to prove that Prince and his music did not just revolve around sex and sexuality, (even if the artist through his music took the topic to another whole level). Through the article, we will see that Prince was more than all that I mentioned above. He was an extraordinary human being, blessed with so many enormous talents, with a beautiful mind, a uniquely pure soul. A true gift of God. With this in mind, let us start this article.

The other three part of the article are already out on this blog, so check them out if you’d like✨

In 1998 Prince released 2 albums: Crystal ball and the Truth. The most relevant is, however, the Truth which was conceived as an acoustic album even though it contains some electronic sounds such as distortions, electronic instruments, sounds effects. Despite that, Prince focused on giving the album an acoustic sound. With these new, the almost minimalistic acoustic sounds emotional lyrics addressing political issues, animal exploitation, and the loss of a loved one, the artist unravels his most private and delicate side. Some of the songs I loved the most are The Truth, The Animal Kingdom, and Comeback. The 21 century was going to be the era of fake news and as I mentioned the artist was also predicting the era of fake news. Related to this topic these lies express how fake news can create an increase in people’s fear of death. Indeed, looking at the lyrics: 

What if half the things ever said

 Turned out 2 be a lie

 How will U know the Truth? 

From the beginning of the song, he is educating the listener about the lies we are told daily and the fake news we hear daily. 

What If time's only reason?

 Was to give us all somethin' 2 fear?

 And if so y'all, the end of the journey's so clear 

These lines address the issue of how the lies create the fear of death. 

If there was just one day

 That everybody tell the truth

 We'd all trade bank accounts & move to back to Neptune 

The song closes with the artist envisioning a world without fake news and with no lies. What I find extremely relevant is the contrast between Prince’s performance and the sound of the guitar which is even more remarked while Prince chose to perform most of the song in a light head voice. What I also find remarkable is the use of electronic sounds such as the ticking of the clock right before singing the line” What if time is the only reason”

Another song that I particularly love is The Animal Kingdom. Prince addressed the issue of animal cruelty. He also gives the listener clues about him being vegan. As the lyrics are quite straightforward, there is no need for a further explanation, however, what makes the song unique is its instrumental as this album is characterized by an acoustic sound. Indeed, the artist used a wide dose of electronic sounds and he distorted his voice as well. I also noticed an exceedingly clever use of sounds effects such as animal sounds. 

The third song I mentioned is the Comeback which is extremely personal, deep, and emotional. It gets straight to the heart. This song is about losing someone dear and as in 1996 Prince lost his first and only child, I would assume that this song was how the artist was dealing with this heartbreak unfortunate event he experienced. He then crafted a sophisticated but yet simple instrumental entirely played with an acoustic guitar to which he added some of the most BEAUTIFUL AND TOUCHING lyrics to ever be written. Personally, as I have just lost my grandfather and my grandmother as well, I feel this song extremely close to my heart, Prince with these words and his beautiful performance had been able to touch my heart in such a way that only true artist with an ENORMOUS sensitivity could do. Moreover, taking a look at the lyrics:

Walking up the stairs

 Just the afternoon

 Sweet wind blew

 Not a moment 2 soon

 (Hoo) I cry when I realized

 That sweet wind was USpirits come and spirits go

 Some stick around 4 the aftershow

 Don't have 2 say I miss U (don't have 2 say I miss U)

 Cause I think U already know

 If U ever lose someone

 Dear 2 U

 Never say the words they’re gone

 They'll come back, yeah

 They'll come back, yeah yeah

 They'll come back

 Tears go here

 Tears go here

 Tears go here

 Tears go here 

The song lasts only 1 minute and 59 seconds, and it consists of a few lines. However, with these few yet powerful words, the artist has been able to communicate one of the worst experiences he could possibly go through. What left me so mesmerized about this gem is how Prince could tell and perform this heartbreaking story with such a beautiful and unarming gentleness that only he could do. Moreover, the Artist opted for an acoustic album to craft this masterpiece, which is in perfect harmony with the main theme of this song. 

In 1999 the Artist released his last album with Warner Bros, The Vault. This work features unreleased materials. In my opinion, there are 2 relevant songs on this album which are There is Lonely and Old Friends 4 Sale. 

The blues ballad There is Lonely is characterized by some straightforward used to express Prince’s pain caused by a deep sense of loneliness. 

Is it me or did the room just get darker? 

 Is it me or did I just lay down and die? 

 Is this a dream or did the world just crumble at my very feet? 

 How in heaven will I ever be alright? here is lonely and there is lonely 

 And then there is how I feel right now 

 Perhaps only Cain when he'd slain his brother 

 Could ever come close to knowing how...yeahThere is lonely and there is lonely 

 And then there is how I feel right now 

 Perhaps only Cain when he'd slain his brother 

 Could ever come close to knowing how there is lonely and there is lonely 

 And then there is how I feel right now 

The short yet impressive and effective lyric is a poignant rant where the Artist with some heartbreaking metaphors conveyed to the listener what he was feeling. Additionally, as we can see from the lyrics, Prince is comparing loneliness to darkness and to death which is complementary. Moreover, loneliness is also compared to the world crumbling at the artist’s feet. The artist depicted the feeling of loneliness as something so overwhelming that he was not sure he would have ever been all right again. The heartbreak led the Artist to feel like nobody could ever understand how he felt. Additionally, Prince used another relevant metaphor which involves Cain and Abel, the two biblical from the book of genesis. As I mentioned, the music genre opted is blues and suites perfectly the general topic of this masterpiece, enhancing the sorrow and the pain the artist felt. Prince’s performance is another poignant yet interesting characteristic. The artist sang these words with a beautiful soft voice he was almost whispering, perhaps he opted for this beautiful and sophisticated performance because sometimes if we want to be heard we must learn to whisper. This, indeed, makes this masterpiece even more effective because we can really feel the sorrow and the exhaustion the artist was feeling. 

The second song I mentioned is Old Friends 4 Sale. This might look like a sad love-story but it is not. It is indeed a song about betrayal and being backstabbed by someone the artist trusted. Indeed, this masterpiece was written out of rage. The song is about Jimmi Jam and Terry Lewis respectively the Time’s keyboardist and bassist. According to the book, Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984, by Duane Tudahl, recounts the fateful day of March 24, 1983. The Time was due on stage in San Antonio that evening to open for Prince. Jam and Lewis were in Atlanta, producing sessions for the SOS Band. “We get to the airport, and it starts snowing”, said Jam in an interview recalling the half-inch that shut down the airport. They missed the gig and were later fired from the band. But unlike the dozens of talented musicians that would come and go from Prince’s orbit in the years ahead, Jam and Lewis were different – they were like family. Moreover, Prince already warned the Time not to produce music with other bands, to prevent his friends from giving away the signature sound that made them so special. Despite Prince’s warning them, Jimmy and Terry did not listen. However, Prince was not the one who decided to fire Jam and Lewis. Indeed as Prince said in a 1990 follow-up Rolling Stone interview with Karlen, "I'm playing the bad guy," says Prince, "but I didn't fire Jimmy and Terry. Morris asked me what I would do in his situation. You got to remember, it was his band." Besides all of that, what I find impressive is the orchestral arrangement of this song. Prince opted for another blues song which suits extremely well the general meaning of this masterpiece. Moreover, the beautiful, sophisticated, complex arrangement of the song was crafted by Clare Fischer. The song presents an exceedingly wide variety of musical instruments and a mesmerizingly broad spectrum of harmonies. 

The following album is Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic released in 1999. Among the songs that I prefer in this masterpiece, there are Eye Love You but I don’t trust you anymore, Man ‘O’ War and Whatever U go Whatever U do. With this album, the Artist is letting the listener catch a glimpse of how and why his relationship with his former wife Mayte Garcia, was ending. Moreover, Prince was in constant evolution artistically and musically and this album is the proof of it. Indeed, the sounds of this album are extremely different from the previous ones he released. Eye Love You But I Don’t Trust You Anymore is one of the most intimate, personal and heartbreaking songs the artist had ever written. The simple and neat arrangement was crafted for voice, piano, and guitar. The lyrics of this masterpiece are also quite straight-forward.

I could tell from the moment you walked in the room

That it wasn't your dress you had on, that wasn't your perfume

And what happened to the ring that I gave you?

What am I to assume? I love u, but I just don't trust u anymore You could tell f

rom the moment you looked in my eyes

That I could see right through you, you must apologize

I've always given you the best in life

Even in the wrong, it was right

I know you trust me, but you don't love me anymore, I remember meeting you here in the good old days

I would never pick the flower of my favorite protege

 Maybe if I would have

Then you would not treat me this way

You tricked me but you will not anymore, no, I love u, but I don't trust u anymore 

According to what these lines are inferring, the artist was cheated on by his partner which led to a widespread belief that the person he was singing about was his former wife Mayte Garcia. Indeed, Prince says he did not recognize his wife and her perfume and that she took off the ring he gave her. Moreover, in the last verses, Prince is claiming to be the one who was cheated on as he sings “ I would never pick the flower of my favorite protege/ Maybe if I would have/ Then you would not treat me this way/ You tricked me but you will not anymore”.  As I said, the song seems to suggest that Prince was cheated on, and being wronged by an unfaithful spouse was fairly new territory for the artist’s lyrical repertoire. Moreover, as regards the arrangement, it is extremely simple and intimate as it is made of a piano and an acoustic guitar, courtesy of the indie rock artist Ani DiFranco. Moreover, this is one of the most nakedly emotional songs by the musical genius. This emotivity is so hearable in Prince’s voice and it is indeed super clear that he was hurt and wounded. As regards the lyrics the message Prince is delivering is extremely powerful and the pain and sense of betrayal are totally feelable. However, these lyrics were performed in such a gentle and delicate way which made the message delivered even more poignant. Moreover, Prince might have opted for spare but yet sophisticated lyrics so the beautiful vocals and the lyrics could be brought to the forefront and hence the listener could put all his attention to them. This is in my opinion on of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching songs that the artist has ever done. Furthermore, the second song I mentioned is Man ‘O’ War. Allegedly, this is another song where the Artist expressed his anger and pain for what he endured when his relationship was dissolving. Indeed, as in Eye Love You But I Don't Trust You Anymore, the lyrics are extremely clear. In fact, from this song, the listener can expect to hear the story of a man who was tired of being in an unpeaceful relationship. From the lyrics, it becomes evident how hurt Prince was to the point that he felt like he was robbed of his dignity. On the other hand, he wanted to have the peace of mind and how he wanted to be loved and wanted again. However, this could not happen with the person he was talking about because as the Artist said “ But lovin' you, lovin' you, lovin' you is a waste of time”, therefore with the” 7-page letter” the artist mentions (perhaps hinting to the divorce papers), the marriage between the couple was just meant to dissolve. As regards the arrangements, Prince chose a slow and extremely intense r&b song that suits the lyrics perfectly. Furthermore, on a more positive note, the third song I mentioned is Wherever U go, Whatever you do. Through some forthright lyrics, the artist delivers an extremely uplifting and motivating message. With these words inspiring words the artist, encouraging each of us to be positive and smile and to pursue our dreams and always try our best no matter what. Another lesson we can learn from Prince is to learn from every situation, good or bad, and that even if we fail sometimes, it is ok as long as we tried our best. This is one of the most heartwarming, most powerful, and biggest lessons that Prince has taught us and that he had lived his entire life up to. As regards the performance, the Artist uses such a beautiful, gentle, and delicate head voice and I honestly can feel all the love and the positivity he was putting into this masterpiece. I think also that the lyrics are so BEAUTIFUL that, I need to report them here. 

Wherever U Go, Whatever U do

 Oh please, remember that I'll always be there 4 U

 U don't have 2 call, U don't have 2 say

 Just think about me and I'll be on my way

 I don't have 2 worry, I'm sure U'll be fine

 Cuz if U stay happy, then what's yours is mine

 Wherever U Go, Whatever U do

 Remember that I'll always be there 4 U

 (Oh Baby)

 Wherever U R, think of your dreams

 Oh please, remember life ain't always what it seems

 4 each rainy day (rainy day)

 That comes your way

 The sun will come shining and U'll be okay

 Keep on smiling - every girl and boy

 Remember when U were children U had toys

 Wherever U R, think of your dreams

 Remember that dreams become the life U lead

 Whatever U play, it's okay 2 lose

 Ooh sometimes (sometimes...)

 As long as U learn from every game U choose

 If one thing is sure, U'll always endure

 If U try your best at everything U do

 Say what U mean and mean what U say

 The price 4 a broken heart - it's 2 much 2 pay

 And nothing is worth it if U don't have 2 try

 The higher the stakes - the higher the sky

 Wherever U Go, whatever U do

 Please remember

 Remember that I'll always be there 4 U 

If you guys would like to purchase your copy of the albums I wrote about in this article (which I recommend, PLEASE DO NOT BOOTLEG PRINCE’S MUSIC), I’ll post the links below✨

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G4RBKVX/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=giuliabianchi-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=83159c110419ccae1e65f81e748becc1&creativeASIN=B07G4RBKVX

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C7C25K/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=giuliabianchi-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=ef3f50f598a5d101ef449e332467257c&creativeASIN=B002C7C25K

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NHR5XWZ/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=giuliabianchi-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=e1e74ca6b12fa9f07c1d18d6086f8377&creativeASIN=B07NHR5XWZ

This was the 4th part of a series of articles dedicated to Prince to celebrate his life and most importantly his art. Stay tuned for more. If you have missed the first part feel free to check it out✨ In the meantime stay home, stay safe and healthy. Peace and Love 4 one another. thank you so much for your attention 💜 G  💜

[krispyweiss]

Kind Rewind: "Paul McCartney & Wings Rockshow" (1980)

Editor’s note: Denny Laine turns 75 today, Oct. 29, 2019, so this seems the perfect day to flash back to the mid-1970s, when the former Moody Blue found his greatest success working with a Beatle named Paul in a band called Wings. “Rockshow” is of its era in many ways, including the razor blade Laine wears around his neck, in this delightful archival film.

In 1975-'76, Paul McCartney & Wings were flying high, touring the world and riding the waves of terrific studio LPs such as Band on the Run and Venus and Mars.

That big tour resulted in the smash in-concert document Wings Over America, a three-LP set that captured the band, backed by an essential four-piece horn section, at its best - and freshened up with plenty of vocal overdubs.

It took a few years, but in 1980, a film from the tour - released as "Paul McCartney & Wings Rockshow" - appeared in limited distribution. McCartney, for whatever reason, didn't see fit to make a big deal out of it. But in subsequent years, thanks to the proliferation of cable television, archival releases and online viewing options, the movie is there for the watching.

And it's a must-see for fans of this version of Wings.

Folks who wore out one or more copies of Over America will not only get to see the performances for the first time - they'll get to hear different versions from different shows without the benefit of studio sweetening. The effect is rawer, but much more electrifying, and makes the case this should be issued in an audio-only format as well.

This is truly a band effort, not simply a McCartney show, though he is the obvious star. Denny Laine - the only person not named McCartney who played in every iteration of Wings - gets five turns on lead vocals, including his Moody Blues hit "Go Now," on which McCartney appears to relish his band-member status, playing bass and sharing a mic with wife, Linda, on harmonies.

Laine, for his part, is a key element to the band's success, playing keyboards, harmonica, bass and six- and 12-string electric, acoustic guitars and, on “Let ’Em In,” sporting a three-cornered hat, playing a snare drum and hamming it up Bicentennial-style.

He sounds almost like McCartney during the sit-down, acoustic portion of the show as he leads the band through raspy renditions of "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" and "Richard Corey," which, unlike the album version, doesn't include the allusion to John Denver - and does give a shout out to author Paul Simon - that appears on Over America. Here is where McCartney plays a slew of Beatle tracks - "Yesterday," "Blackbird" and "I've Just Seen a Face" - and audience cutaways show concertgoers alternatively shocked and riled up, as this was the first time McCartney had played any Fab songs on American soil since 1966.

The cute Beatle is in fine voice, alternately crooning and screaming - smooth and deliriously hoarse when necessary. Essentially, he sings his ass off through the entire thing.

Visually, the film is a delight as well. McCartney sports a mullet for the ages and he, like his bandmates, is cocaine-skinny. Of-the-era, seizure-inducing strobes make for an impactful rendition of "Live and Let Die." And seeing guitarist (and sometimes bassist) Jimmy McCulloch's riffs up close and personal and watching him sing his own "Medicine Jar" reinforce the tragedy of his death just a few years later. Drummer Joe English is a wild man behind the kit, shaking his curly dark mane and singing with abandon. Laine is a multi-instrumentalist monster, playing lead and rhythm on a double-necked electric and picking up a bass when McCartney moves to keys and when McCulloch declines to do so, and proving why McCartney kept him around for as long as he kept Wings together.

The video shows its age and is washed out in places. But watching it again will renew fans' appreciation for the high-quality of McCartney's first decade of post-Beatles work.

"Rockshow" packs 30 tracks into two-and-one-half-hours of video, from long-abandoned numbers like "Venus and Mars,” the title track, "Call Me Back Again,” “You Gave Me the Answer" and "Magneto and Titanium Man" to songs McCartney will unlikely never stop playing such as "Lady Madonna," "The Long and Winding Road" and "Hi Hi Hi."

There’s arena rock, blues, music-hall camp, swaggering funk, sweeping balladry and druggy hijinx in those tracks alone.

Viewers come away from "Rockshow" with reinforcement of just how spectacular Paul McCartney & Wings were in 1976 and, despite played-out numbers like the stupid "Silly Love Songs" and drecky "My Love," just how many deep cuts McCartney has that deserved to be dug up again before his touring days are over.

Grade card: "Paul McCartney & Wings Rockshow" (1980) - A-

10/29/19