A Primer in Music History

I am a man of many talents. I'm loquacious, charismatic, charming, musically gifted, one of the finest actors I've ever met, a writer of supreme ability and to top it all off, I'm very humble. I'm an educated man too. I know a good deal (more than the proverbial average bear) about politics, technology, sports, television, and film just to name a few. There is one area that my wife absolutely owns me in (well, there's a lot of areas but we're just discussing the one today).

Mrs. Rogue is a veritable music encyclopedia. While my appreciation and knowledge of music are pretty broad, Ella's dwarf mine. So it was no surprise that when my sister-in-law was looking to expand her musical interests she consulted not the Drunken Rogue, but the little woman. Good call, T. Tara asked for Ella to make her a CD (a mix-tape as we used to call them, back when we actually used tapes) containing the fourteen or fifteen songs that Ella considered her all-time favorites. Now, as I said, the request was to Ella but it got me thinking, what are my favorite songs of all time. More precisely, how do you even go about picking a limited number (Tara suggested 14 or 15, but let's say 20) of "all-time favorites"?

First of all, we should look at making a mix-tape (or compilation CD, if you prefer) period. Now a lot of people just take some songs they like throw them together and call that a mix-tape. This is nonsense. While it's not true of all modern albums, it is historically the case that the composition of an album is a well-thought out and deeply considered affair. Songs are chosen not only for their individual value but for the ability to pleasantly reside next to each other. If you look at an album like "Revolver" from the Beatles (one of if not my favorite album of all time), the songs flow from one to another. They sound like they belong on an album together. Your goal should be the same with a mix-tape.

Secondly, you can't just make a CD with your 20 "all-time favorites." It would be nearly impossible to narrow it down to 20 without further limitations and even if you got 20 they wouldn't sound good together. So, what do you do? You make a primer of Music history.

Sure, we don't really mean "Music History" here since we're likely to leave out the Brahms and Beethoven, but we do mean modern popular music. I'd use the term "rock music" but people put too narrow a connotation on that label. Now how do we create a primer?

Pick 20 artists, not songs. Pick the 20 most influential, best, your favorite, whatever. By picking artists and not songs you leave yourself open to do the next step.

Pick songs from those artist that, while representing the artist and their place in music history, also sound good together. You don't have to build your mix-tape chronologically (although that would be a real accomplishment), instead focus on flowing from artist to artist, song to song. You can use tempo, lyric similarities, beat structure, chord progression or just mood to help guide you from one to another. But make sure they flow.

There you go, now you're ready to go out and create an awesome mix-tape. I'm working on my own right now. I'll gladly post the results (tracklist, not the actual album that would be illegal) when it's finished. For now here are my 20 artists that make the cut. Let me know what you think.

The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, Counting Crows, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, The Beta Band, Otis Redding, Counting Crows, Led Belly, Weezer, Louis Armstrong, The Dave Matthews Band, and Bob Marley.

The Godfather is Dead, Long Live the Godfather

Yes, we had scheduled some reposts celebrating the "Best of 2006" for this post-holiday pre-holiday week. But fate has intervened. The Godfather of Soul, James Brown passed away Christmas morning of heart failure. An iconic musician and artist who is responsible for the birth (or at least the popularity) of Soul, R&B, Funk, and to an extent Rap and Hip Hop, James Brown left a legacy that will be remembered for centuries to come.

It was my good fortune only weeks before his death to interview the Godfather of Soul. As a tribute to his memory, and as one last Christmas present for my readers, the Drunken Rogue presents

James Brown: The Interview

The Drunken Rogue: Good morning, James. Thank you so much for joining me. You're one of my personal musical heroes, and this is, for me, the opportunity of a lifetime. How are you doing?

James Brown: Yeah! Believe I'll scream! Can I scream, brother?

DR: Ummm. I'm not sure what you mean.

JB: Gotta scream! Good God, gotta scream, now! I gotta scream, now! I gotta scream, now! I gotta scream, now!

DR: Alright, well let it out James!

JB: (screaming) Good God, ain't it funky now?

DR: Yes, I suppose it is. Now James, you've had one of the most successful careers in music history but recently have fallen on hard times.

JB: Mercy on me. C'mon now, Brother, put it, put it where it's at now! Aww! Let him have it.

DR: Let who have it, James?

JB: Uh! Awww!

DR: (Awkward silence) So, the trouble seems to have really started with your run-ins with the IRS for back-taxes.

JB: You better watch the man. You know, I believe I'll get down right about here.

James leaves his chair and immediately breaks out into a dance number complete with backup singers, Bootsy Collins on guitar and a star-spangled cape. I have no idea where he was hiding Bootsy and the backup singers. The cape came from under his jacket.

DR: (Once the particularly rousing version of "The Payback" is over) James, do you think we could get back to the interview?

JB: Yeah, all right. You're right. Yeah. Yeah. Coming from some funny places. What you say, bruh?

DR: I didn't say anything, James.

JB: Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud!

DR: I'm not black, James...I'm proud. I'm proud you're black, should I say that?

JB: We demand a chance to do things for ourserlf!

DR: Alright, you can say it!

JB: Hit me band, one more again!

Bootsy and the singers leap out of their hiding places again, but I shut it down before they can "get on the scene."

DR: James, maybe now is a bad time. Maybe we should reschedule. Is there anything you'd like to tell our listeners before we go?

JB: I want to say, this is better than cushions.

DR: I don't think I could have summed that up better myself, James. Thank you for your time.

**Lawyer's Note** While the Drunken Rogue may find it humorous to poke fun at recently deceased musical legends, we disagree heartily. We at Catchem, Hookem and Skinem would like to point out that the "interview" presented in this blog is nothing more than a (somewhat) skillful pairing of Mr. James Brown's lyrics with questions to make them look silly. We had nothing to do with this, and would like to impart on a personal note (and for the record) that we at the Firm of Catchem, Hookem, and Skinem have been longtime fans of Mr. Brown's. Shame on you, Mr. Drunken Rogue. Shame. **End of Lawyer's Note**

All kidding aside, I'm a huge James Brown fan. While his personal life was one of the biggest messes imaginable, as an influence and artist he is unparalleled. He will be missed. Now, get up with the get down and get on the badfoot.