Rod Freeman and The Blue Men - "I Hear A New World"
Did you guys have any Smurfs albums growing up? Smurfing Sing Song, perhaps? Well, I didn't. I was raised on muesli and Strunk and White. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found this Rod Freeman recording with the Smurfs singing back-up. It's like the time I submerged myself in the Ikea ball room (an act which had been strictly forbidden by my parents, who insisted that I play only with cubes and never with spheres ("six is better than one")) while on break from my job working at the store's caf.
You're at a Hawai'i beach dance party and the sun is setting in colours you've never seen before.
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Neko Case - "Wayfaring Stranger"
I posted the Papa M version of this song about six months ago. This one is better. Not only is Neko Case a better singer than David Pajo, but the banjo-guitar interplay is a playful and rich dialogue and in addition, the banjo solo at 1:04 is an indication that my general aversion to solos is a most unnatural aberration that must be remade in the image of a love for solos, and must be, in fact, what it appears to be.
Posted by Jordan at September 2, 2005 12:09 PMhuh. i have never read that song or the album it's from as accredited to Rod Freedman & the Blue Men. does it say that on the Rough Trade compilation? because it's the production genius of Joe Meek that deserves all the credit.
Posted by: lars at September 2, 2005 12:24 PMoh, jordan, embrace the solos. don't turn a shoulder to their love. the solos want you to love them. let john darnielle convince you if i can't.
http://lastplanetojakarta.com/archives/2005/08/vocal_mix.php
I venture that it's not really the solo that's getting you here, but the damn fine banjo work. Plus, Neko Case probably had you 90% of the way there, anyway, right? This is a fine song, Jordan - fits in perfectly with my Friday.
Posted by: Lindsay at September 2, 2005 12:58 PMtry the live disc by Tim Buckley "Dream Letter" for another moving early pomo version of this classic
Posted by: J at September 2, 2005 10:49 PMJust a suggestion--it would be cool if you'd keep posts with active mp3 links on the front page as long as the links remain active, like a lot of other blogs do. I had to go into the archives for Will Sheff's post. I mean, it didn't ruin my day or anything. But it would make Said the Gramophone a bit cooler.
PS. I second your reading John Darnielle's thoughts on guitar solos.
Posted by: Grace at September 3, 2005 7:25 PMEmmylou Harris does a superb version of Wayfaring Stranger on her Roses in the Snow album.
Posted by: Theo at September 6, 2005 12:33 AMSTG WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?
Posted by: at September 6, 2005 10:55 PMSorry, everybody. We're all wearing white, too. But there's an entry up now, and provided Sean's still alive, we should be back to normal.
Posted by: dan at September 7, 2005 1:43 AMHorray for Strunk and White.
Posted by: Shawn at September 10, 2005 11:21 PMi had both smurfing sing song and smurf all stars. you're a pink toothbrush, i'm a blue toothbrush is a lyrical marvel.
the song rocks, the smurfs rock, you rock