The B Dispatch, Vol. 3

Artist: The Bar-Kays
Album: ‘Soul Finger‘
Year: 1967

My inclusion of this band into my library is something we can definitely blame on the Russians. The title track haunted me until I got into college and downloaded it much to chagrin of everyone who got a ride with me the couple of months after I put it on a mix CD. The rest of their fare is just as funky but not necessarily as fun but they have some great musical chops (it helps they were mentored by Booker T. & The M.G.s) and they know how to exploit a good riff into something lasting.

Track of Distinction: “Don’t Do That” proves they could funk-ify a solid blues riff and make it work.

Artist: Barbra Streisand
Album: ‘The Essential Barbra Streisand‘
Year: 2002

I’m kind of sad that my generation really were the ones that made Streisand a punching bag for what “old music” was. There’s a reason she has had a long and successful career: she is more talented and versatile than most of the female artists that came out while I was growing up. Her standards still stand up today as well as her reach out into more adult contemporary in the 90s really carry well. This collection was a Master’s course in how to bring it on a legendary scale.

Track of Distinction: “Memory” from the Broadway musical Cats stands out because it is one of the few songs that allows her to both go high and low in dramatic fashion not just as a function of the song.

Artist: Barenaked Ladies
Albums: ‘Stunt‘ (1998), ‘Maroon‘ (2000), ‘Disc One: Their Greatest Hits‘ (selections) (2001), and ‘Everything to Everyone‘ (2003)

BNL is one of those bands that was right for its time and place. They were exotic for Americans (yes, Canada is exotic shut up) and “One Week” was the catchiest thing to come out of 1998. But, as I have lamtented many times on this blog, they are like other 90s bands that overstayed their welcome and are still, for whatever reason, hanging on and putting out albums. Feel free to blame The Big Bang Theory if you would like.

Track of Distinction: “Call and Answer,” easily their best ballad track, stands the test of time as the theme of working at relationships and love is enduring.

Artist: Baroness
Albums: ‘First and Second’ (2008), ‘Red Album‘ (2007), and ‘Blue Record‘ (2009)

While I enjoy metal, I have proven on this blog that my opinions don’t extend very much past my own personal tastes in the music. That said, I’m glad I came to Baroness when I did as these albums were truly great in that they didn’t get too swept up in things like over-orchestration, experimentation, and (God help me) singing. The fact that most of these songs were instrumentals really put it over the top for me because, if I’m not going to be able to understand what you’re singing anyway, you may as well omit it.

Track of Distinction: “Grad” from ‘Red Album’ is a nice slow burn and really shows off how talented these guys really are as musicians. They know more than the requisite four chords.

Artist: Barry Manilow
Album: ‘Ultimate Manilow‘
Year: 2002

Yep, Barry’s here with his trunk-full of a hits that, to be honest, all follow the same pop music format so closely that the more notable ones kind of blend together. But there’s 20 fucking songs on here and they were all hits at one time, so whatever. I guess only a musical mastermind could make songs about a noir murder at a nightclub, magically not fucking up a friendship after a relationship, and fucking up a relationship so badly that it makes a demon and a fish-man cry certified hits.

Track of Distinction: Manilow’s turn at playing Sinatra with “This One’s For You” is actually pretty decent.

Holiday Album Special: Barbra Streisand

Album: ‘Christmas Memories‘
Year: 2001

Thanksgiving this year was a week “later” than it usually is, meaning that the holiday season is about a week shorter. I’m OK with this but it means that there’s a lot of Christmas spirit that needs to be crammed in over the next three weeks (seriously). With this realization hitting me hard a few days ago, some serious organization and planning was done. The company holiday party is in 12 days, I hung the Christmas lights this afternoon (the earliest I have done it), and I felt it was time to get this year’s Holiday Album Special going. So, I picked several holiday albums from my library, lined them up, and dug right in. I had a lot of fun doing this last year and I’m hoping this year will give me an equally magical experience.

But, before I begin, remember that my excellent mix from last year, as well as my traditional and NSFW Christmas mixes are still available for download. Then, by December 12, the Holiday Album Special 2013 Mixtape will be available for download. However, before I can think about that, I need to start at the beginning …

I’m making strong, female vocalists the bookends of this year’s Holiday Album Special, and there are few dynamic vocalists in music history that can be held in the same regard at Barbra Streisand. As a pop vocalist, she is regarded in a class by herself, releasing dozens of albums over the years and is considered one of the finest voices of the 20th Century. It only stood to reason that she, though not Christian, would put her vocals to work singing what many consider some of the most lucrative music to publish.

Like last year, I expected an album full of Barbra’s take on the great Christmas standards but found it full of many non-traditional holiday tracks, none of which were penned by Streisand. I come to find out that I should have looked for an earlier Christmas album to find what I was looking for, but that will have to wait for another year. Though this was disappointing, the album was still very good. She let her vocals deliver each song in her wheelhouse not allowing herself to show-off her range, which I felt was a bit of a loss. But, since the album sold over a million copies in the United states alone, I think Barbra met her goal and delivered another soundtrack for the holiday season.

Track of Distinction: “Grown-Up Christmas List” is a song that struck me, not only because of it’s concise beauty, but because the subject matter struck home for me. Again this year, I’m bombarded with requests for a wish list of tangible things that I want to receive for Christmas when all I want is some peace, some quiet, and some time to rest. The song is more altruistic, but we both convey we don’t need another sweater.