I KNOW. The gay police confiscated my ID card years ago. Sorry, if this is what we get as a spokesperson—mopey AND mean—well, blecch.
Author: Joe
Sly & the Family Stone
Everybody Is a Star! You Can Make It If You Try! I – I – I AM EVERYDAY PEOPLE!
I love this group.
Ska
I will admit that it was only after I heard English Beat’s version of “Tears of a Clown” that I understood the line, “Just like Pagliacci did.” Now I need to figure out who Pagliacci is. (Jokes like this were a lot funnier before Google.)
Sixties Soul Music
This is another catch-all category, but there was so much amazing soul music in the 60s that I couldn’t let these songs go unpresented. Any music blog that doesn’t include “Sweet Soul Music” or “Higher and Higher” is a blog I don’t want any part of.
Sixties British Female Singers
This one is probably right up there with Girl Groups as my favorite list. Why are women so much better than men musically, as well as in general? As a boy who likes boys, this explains a lot about my dating life.
Dusty Springfield AllMusic page
Sixties Blue-Eyed Soul
Could somebody explain to me how the 60s morphed into the 70s? If pot mellows you out and coke speeds you up, shouldn’t the music of the 70s have been louder and rougher than what came before? Did Gerald Ford numb everyone to death? Please help me understand how Mitch Ryder turned into Robert Palmer! Please!
Simon & Garfunkel/ Paul Simon
Given that I am the egghead white father of two non-white sons, you might think I’d be a big fan of egghead white Paul Simon and his exploration (co-option?) of pretty much every non-white musical style ever invented. You would be wrong. (On the other hand, I had an Uncle Al and a Cousin Betty who were indeed “pals” and who both died prematurely, so the song about Al and Betty always brings a lump to my throat, for reasons Mr. Simon never intended.)
Shirley Horn
In the 80s, the Verve record label was revived, and in turn decided to revive the careers of some notable female jazz vocalists who had fallen into obscurity. Tops among them were Joe’s favorite Betty Carter, Abbey “You gotta pay the band, even if you spend most of your time yelling at them” Lincoln, and Ms. “Here’s to Life” herself, Shirley Horn.
Seventies Soul/Folk Women
This is basically a made-up category, but as a child of the 70s, I wanted to recognize the brief period where there were a number of female artists whose music and lyrics pretty much identified them as folk singers, but who had a rich, soulful delivery that Joan Baez would probably sell all her diamonds for. (The one dude I can think of in this category was Donny Hathaway, who will get his own list in round two.) (Also, I promise not to make any jokes about Janis Ian, even though I think “At Seventeen” is the most unintentionally hilarious song ever. As a gay guy who went to an all-boys Catholic high school, I know those years can be tough. But good Lord—get a grip, woman.)
Seventies Heartland Rock
The 70s gave us the post-Stonewall gay rights movement, women’s lib, a well-meaning, if not entirely successful, attempt at true nationwide school desegregation (aka busing) … and REO Speedwagon.
Oh well, you can’t win ’em all.
Playlist of the Day 