Twelve Months of Music, Part 8: An August Mix
Aug 01 '06
The Bottom Line Summer is starting to wind down, but we can prolong the magic just a little longer with the twelve songs listed here.
Indulge me in a metaphor for a moment here...
Let's say that summer is a big party. Yeah, I know. For quite a few people out there, that's exactly what the season is. Those people may have their own party imagery in mind for summer, but here's what I'm thinking. It's one of those big parties that get going early in the evening with an abundance of guests, some of them intimate friends, others little more than casual acquaintances. There are plenty of drinks, food, and entertainment to start things off, and the energy hits it's plateau early on and holds steady. As the evening wears on, guests finally have to head back home, leaving in twos and threes, until you're left with a few close friends who are determined to stick around and enjoy the afterglow with you. Everyone is worn out, and they know that they'll have to get up in a few hours to go to work, but there's a buzz in the air that sustains the festive vibe through the wee small hours. The boisterous excitement of the evening's party has waned, but as you and your friends relax on the couch, polishing off the last few drinks and philosophizing about nothing at all, there's a warm comforting feeling that sustains you and keeps that party from every really ending.
That's what August feels like. June and July have brought all sorts of surprising summer adventures, leaving us exhausted from all of our fun. Despite that exhaustion, August offers us those last ephemeral days of summer bliss, and it's best to sit back, take it easy, and let the warm glow wash over us. It's the pensive part of summer. A time to relax and reflect, putting off for just a little longer any thoughts about the responsibilities that fall will be bringing soon. There's no denying the sense of fatigue that's creeping up on us, but we're not ready to let go just yet.
So with no further ado, here's a short collection of music to put us in that summer afterglow mood that August brings.
F.M. by Steely Dan
Languid decadence, thy name is Steely Dan. Despite the sharp guitar riffs in the intro and the acute piano stabs that surface throughout the whole song, listening to F.M. is like slipping into a hot bath to relax after a long day. There are hints of latin influences in the bongo drums and a strong jazz vibe in the song's sax solo. Blend it all together with Steely Dan's famously layered arrangements and technical precision, and the result is every bit as overwhelming as a hot August afternoon, but the laid-back vibe is just as rejuvenating as an August night on the town.
♬ the girls don't seem to care what's on
as long as they play 'til dawn
nothing but blues and Elvis
and somebody else's favorite song ♬
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson's trademark acoustic beach pop has always evoked warm, summery images for anyone who hears it, but within his focused musical landscape there are plenty of emotional shades. With the subdued diminished chords that float to the surface of the arrangement in Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, the song puts out a definite world-weary vibe. Concentrate on the lyrics, and you'll find a story of frustration and disillusionment, tempered by a reluctance to let go and move on with life, making the song a perfect fit for those last few weeks of summer when we're worn out, but still unwilling to give up our carefree frame of mind.
♬ I was sitting, waiting, wishing
you believed in superstitions
then maybe you would see the signs
but lord knows that this world is cruel
and I ain't the lord no I’m just a fool
learning loving somebody don’t make them love you ♬
Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World by U2
There's a soft mushiness to the song, almost as if you're listening to stereo that's been buried beneath a pile of pillows. Combine that far off, distant sound with the song's relaxed tempo and gentle arrangement between the keyboards and the guitars (not to mention the brief but memorable soulful gospel turn that the song takes two minutes and twenty seconds in), and the song fits perfectly with the subdued energy level that surrounds us in late summer. And moreover, the song's surreal lyrical philosophizing are exactly the kinds of thoughts that drift in during those late night party afterglows where everyone's just too tired to let rational conventions interfere.
♬ yeah, I dreamed that I saw Dali
with a supermarket trolley
he was trying to throw his arms around a girl
he took an open top beetle
through the eye of a needle
he was tryin' to throw his arms around the world. ♬
Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon
That piano riff is permanently etched into collective pop culture consciousness. It's so short, simple and relaxed, but it repeats itself through the whole song, taking us over by stealth. No one can deny the intensity present in Werewolves of London, but it's an understated intensity that strikes with subtlety and subterfuge, rather than with a frontal assault. Hell, every time Zevon howls that "ah hooo" in the lyrics, it almost sounds more like a yawn than a scream, but it still packs a sardonic punch. Much like August, the song's somnambulant intensity presents an impenetrable paradox that simply adds to its mystique.
♬ I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
he was looking for a place called Le Ho Fook's
gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein ♬
23rd Street Lullaby by Patty Scialfa
Mrs. Springsteen got her start as a part of the E Street Band, but as 23rd Street Lullaby proves, she's certainly not limited to the musical bombast that she helped to create for her husband. The subdued arrangements are built around slow keyboard riffs on the piano and Hammond organ, along with gently rolling, brushed snare drum fills. Scialfa's vocals display and languid dreaminess as she coaxes us with a sly, subtle seduction. If ever there were a song made for late-night, sentimental summer seduction, this is it.
♬ come on, darling, oh my my
come and hear my 23rd street lullaby
got a bottle of wine, a bag of tricks
there's a place for you under my fingertips ♬
Love the One You're With by Stephen Stills
Between Stills' gravely vocals on the chorus and the rollicking choir of voices that join in for the chorus, Love the One You're With makes for a perfect late night sing-along, even if the verses turn out to be too much for you after a few drinks. The simple acoustic guitar riffs and the bongo rhythms give the song a boisterous block party vibe, and the organ solo that slices through the arrangement halfway through the song elevates everything to a truly awe-inspiring level. Considering the songs lyrical plea for infidelity, there's no finer song for a last ditch effort at seduction for closing time or a plea for one last summer fling before the season is over.
♬ don't be angry, don't be sad
don't sit cryin' over good times you've had
there's a girl right next to you
and she's just waiting for something to do ♬
Soul Finger by the Bar-Kays
For all the languid, lazy days to be had in August, we can't forget about the heavy summer swelter that still rears its head throughout the month. To match that hot, sticky feeling, all we have to do is give Soul Finger a spin. With those sharply trilled horn licks, the rubbery guitar lines looping around in the background, and the cheering voices that round out the background, this is a song that makes you sweat just listening to it. There's nothing but pure, mindless fun wrapped up in the hot soul arrangement, perfect for enjoying that last few carefree days of summer.
♬ soul finger!
soul finger!
soul finger! ♬
Sister Christian by Night Ranger
Yes, I realize that Sister Christian is the epitome of eighties cheesiness captured in its musical incarnation, but I don't care. Just sit down and listen to the way the song starts out with that gentle piano solo, building little by little until those layered guitar assaults when it thunders out like the true arena rock anthem we've been craving all along. It suffers from countless musical clichés, but they only became clichés to begin with because they're so enjoyable. The way the song builds little by little is an excellent complement to that lazy, languid August feeling that gives way to a sense of excitement when we realize there's still time for one last summer adventure or one last desperate fling.
♬ babe, you know you're growing up to fast
and mama's worrying that you won't last
to say let's play ♬
Looking at the Sun by Matthew Sweet
As summer draws to a close, it's inevitable to think back on those missed opportunities that we let slip through our fingers. As fun as the season can be, there are always a few bittersweet reflections that haunt us before we can move on. Not only does the downtempo beat and restrained arrangement of Looking at the Sun make it a fine backdrop for personal reflection, but the song's wistful lyrics of a love deferred too long give us a few talking points if we're having trouble getting started on our own. Even if you're not in a pensive mood, the rich harmonies and Byrds-inspired noodlings on the guitars make for a perfect relaxing summer tune.
♬ oh, looking at the sun, waiting for you to appear
watched you getting nearer, like I knew it in my heart
the damage was already done, looking at the sun burned my eyes out
and I'm blind now
Money to Burn by Richard Ashford
Clocking in at six minutes and change, Money to Burn that seems to keep going on almost indefinitely, just like the mid-August feeling that summer is never going to end. And just like, the long, drawn out arrangement of the song never really grows old. It's something soft and comforting that we can sink into like an overstuffed couch waiting for us at the end of the day. Floating on the song's sea of delicious guitar distortion, fluffy keyboard funk, and languid harmonica fills is a lyrical devotion to the life of leisure and hedonistic bliss, a philosophy that feels especially tempting as the lazy, languid days of late summer roll on.
♬ oh, we got one last dance I wanna dance with you
come on now
we got one last supper gonna eat it with you
yeah yeah
we got one last high I wanna get high too
come on now
I got one short life I wanna spend it with you ♬
Dracula from Houston by The Butthole Surfers
With August's late-night, post-summertime-party afterglow atmosphere, it's only natural that the month has its share of surreal moments. After all, those three AM runs to Denny's when we're not ready to head home after a party can often lead to flashes of insane brilliance, and it's the same kind of divine madness to be found if you listen to the droll, deadpan delivery of the lyrics served up in Dracula from Houston. Sweetening the deal, the Surfers' sharp guitar riffs, fuzzy bass distortion, and sublime bongo rhythms make the song a fine reminder of those heady summer days that still run rampant across August.
♬ got no credit and I've got no fear
and I got about a buck so I can buy a beer
gotta see a doctor 'bout the words I've said
and I gotta get a bike and I gotta paint it red ♬
Sunset Grill by Don Henley
Through it all, there's a warm, comforting feeling to August. Whatever adventures we've gone through earlier in the summer, August is the time for us to settle back into our usual routine and prepare ourselves for the rest of the year. It's not a form of surrender, but rather a homecoming. Henley's Sunset Grill with it's softly rounded keyboards, its subtle layering of the horn arrangements, and its contemplative lyrics of small town comfort and charm, wraps up the month exquisitely. There's a reminder here that we can settle down and kick back to a quieter, simpler life, without ever leaving behind our hopes and dreams.
♬ let's go down to the Sunset Grill
watch the working girls go by
watch the basket people walk around and mumble
and gaze out at the auburn sky
maybe we'll leave come springtime
meanwhile, have another beer
what would we do without all these jerks anyway?
besides, all our friends are here ♬
It can be tempting to look at August as simply the end of summer, trying to put it off for as long as possible. It's much better, though, to look at it as a transitional month where we can unwind, relishing in the in the memories of the rest of the season as we prepare to move on. We may be exhausted by all that summer has already brought us, but that doesn't mean that we can't prolong the afterglow just a little longer. Hopefully, these twelve songs can help us to do just that.
Why stop here? Be sure to also have a look at:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
DrFaustus
|
 in Music |
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: the Lake Michigan shoreline
Reviews written: 472
Trusted by: 285 members
About Me:
I can't help being a big fan of the esoteric and the obscure
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.