God bless Van Morrison. He settled into his musical and lyrical themes over 40 years ago, and he hasn’t budged an inch. And if God doesn’t bless someone who has lyrics like “You and I/And nature/And the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost/In the garden,” then the rest of us are really in trouble.
Rock
Van Halen
For many years, Eddie Van Halen was married to actress Valerie Bertinelli. They also could have passed for identical twins, which was kind of creepy. Valerie Bertinell is from Wilmington (Claymont, actually, but come on … Claymont?), so Van Halen and I are practically related.
U2
Best-ever review of a U2 album (for 1997’s Pop): “I’m glad they tried on a new sound. It’s just too bad the sound they picked was the Village People.” U2 were always half-amazing, half-ridiculous. At least until they decided that the way to look cool in middle age is to shill for Apple. That’s 100% ridiculous.
Traffic/Steve Winwood
In the late 60s/early 70s, Steve Winwood and Traffic were all androgynous and artsy and singing about boys in high heels. Around 1980, Winwood’s amazing “While You See a Chance” helped me survive being a teenager. By the late 80s, he was singing “Roll With It.” Is there some rule that every British art rocker eventually has to sell out?
Tom Waits
Poor Tom Waits. If it weren’t for Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed (and probably Leonard Cohen), he would be considered the #1 all-time best singer who can’t actually sing. If it’s any consolation, Tom, I think “Singapore” is hilarious and would rather listen to it than anything by the other three.
Tom Petty
Of all the mainstream, heartland rockers, why is Tom Petty the one I actually like? Is it the trippy Alice in Wonderland video? The fact that he collaborated with all-time favorite Joni Mitchell (on a track that also featured … Billy Idol?)? It certainly isn’t the hair.
Todd Rundgren
It seems appropriate to kick off September with Todd Rundgren, given his famous reference to needing to stay after school for making the teacher want to dance to his hot drum licks. Todd is also quite the teacher. He taught us that if you record an album with “just” your voice and a voice synthesizer that can mimic the sound of pretty much any instrument, it’s basically cheating to call the album A Cappella. He also taught that, with very few exceptions, white guys shouldn’t try to rap.
Tim Buckley
Tim Buckley: Critically acclaimed, cover-model looks, died young. Son Jeff: Critically acclaimed, cover-model looks, died young. There’s a story there.
They Might Be Giants
So one time Leigh put on some They Might Be Giants, and after about a half-hour she said, “Don’t you get kind of tired of their snarky cynicism?” Well, no, actually. Besides, “Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn’t thinking isn’t thinking of” may be the greatest lyric of all time.
Television
There is a funny joke to be made about forming a music group and naming it “television.” And no, I don’t know what it is. Also: Many songs with one-word titles.
Playlist of the Day 