Here's a few more songs that have come in since our first posting.
Paul Simon announced his retirement from touring earlier this week so two people chose two songs from his vast repertoire.
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The Sounds of Silence" -
Simon & Garfunkel - There are bunch of versions of this tune floating around but I chose to link to the 45rpm from 1965, the one where producer Tom Wilson (at the time, one of the few African American producers working at a major label - in this case, Columbia Records) added electric guitar, bass, and drums to the original one acoustic guitar and the voices of Simon and Garfunkel.
(Danielle Dugre-Martin)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fWyzwo1xg0
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Spirit Voices" -
Paul Simon - When my daughters were younger, they loved to listen to Simon's "Graceland", the album with a mix of South African musicians (there was quite a controversy when the artist went illegally to record them) plus songs with Linda Ronstadt, Rockin' Dopsie, and Los Lobos. It is a great collection but my favorite is the one that followed - "
The Rhythm of the Saints" was issued in 1990 and featured a slew of songs influenced by Brazilians artists such as Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, and others. This tune, co-written by and featuring the ethereal voice of Nascimento, still knocks me for a loop even after 28 years.
(RBK)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqd_4Kh5OxM
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Miserere mei, Deus" - Tallis Scholars - Speaking of ethereal, this lovely piece is a setting of Psalm 51 by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652). The work was composed in the 1630s during the reign of Pope Urban VII for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins, as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday of Holy Week (source: Wikipedia). Recording of this piece often fall short of the magnificence of hearing this work sung in a chapel. Nevertheless, this performance is stunning.
(T Williams)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpzdB0G3TJU
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| John Rudolf photo |
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Kenedougou Foly" -
Anat Cohen Tentet - Over the past decade, Israeli-born saxophonist and clarinetist
Anat Cohen wowed audiences around the world with her vibrant musicianship and her ability to play so many styles. I have seen her play swing,heard her play Brazilian chorus and folk music, funk, blues - while she is a fine tenor and soprano saxophonist, she is a world-clarinet player. This piece from her latest album is an exciting arrangement of a tune composed and performed by West African balafon player
Neba Solo (his version is below Ms. Cohen's) - both have a rhythmic flow that pulls you from your chair. I love both versions.
(RBK)
A Cohen -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG7E5miN3gE
N Solo (the long version) -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvLBJSRx5Zk
"Pyramids" - DVBBS & Dropgun feat. Sanjin - This came from one of QU301 students but the "beats" are as African as the ones played by Neba Solo. He told me that lyrics are not his thing but he does love sound, rhythm, bass (floor-shaking bass), and how this music just erases the craziness of the day. EDM (Electronic Dance Music is one of the more popular genres at the moment) is the continuation of the fact that people have danced for millennia - the words are not really important but the groove is "supreme"!
(A Kasabri)
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Rolling In the Deep (We Could Have Had It All)" -
Adele - The power of her voice and the message of the song are closely linked. Adele has listened to the blues and soul singers of the 1950s and 60s (including the great British singer Dusty Springfield) - you want it dance, you want to song along, shake your fists and your tush.
(song suggested by Betsy Rosenblum)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw
Comments are welcome! Enjoy!
What about "The Sound of Silence" makes it such a popular song for so many artists to cover? Another song that I can think of that a lot of people have covered is "Hallelujah." Is there anything that they have in common that makes them songs that people can listen to over and over again covered by different artists?
ReplyDeleteOne could argue it's the message in the song. Actually, it's the timeliness of the message. Many people that the "The Sounds of Silence" was Paul Simon's response to the Vietnam War but it's more about the songwriter feeling out of step with society, perhaps influenced by reading George Orwell's "1984" - whatever, it's about someone confused about the meaning of life, something we can all relate to at different times.
ReplyDelete