“Any time I get the opportunity to really talk about music, great music…life altering, soul shattering music, I always end up pulling out my old vinyl. I have a lot of it in fact, saved from my parents and from when I was a kid.”
“I just can’t help but dream about the days when music was recorded to tape and pressed onto vinyl out of necessity, not novelty. When you could grip it in your hand and read the lyrics and liner notes. Hell yes I was interested…weren’t you?
And even when they were new they smelled like dust. Right??
Who were these mysterious men and women on the covers? All grainy and glamorous. Ugh. My slip is showing.
I can seriously go on and on about how no matter what the sultans of software bestow upon we huddled masses of music makers, there has never been and will never be, any sound as sweet.
But I won’t go on, because I too have utilized the great inventions of the 21st century to enhance sounds and improve performances on my latest album Follow The Freedom. In fact, I used a funky little plug in to mimic the yummy crackle of a needle drop at the beginning of the first single “Blind Spot.”
And let me also go on record (pun intended) as saying, that although I was a serious hold out, it was nice to choose the perfect vocal nuances for the exact moments I wanted them. A girl could get used to that type of control over a performance. No auto-tune though!!! I draw the line.
All this being said, there really is no substitute for the ebbs and flows, pushes and pulls and sheer honesty of the live-to-tape performances on some of my favorite albums. Back when rock was king, bands played it live and everyone’s take was a keeper.
To ask for my top 5 is painful because inevitably I’m leaving records out that changed my life…and still do, all the time. But I decided to go with the ones I would take on a desert island, or if I met someone who at the time had any of these playing, I’d know I’d met a kindred soul. Now if we can just press our new music onto vinyl for less than 10 bucks a pop.”
Top 5 albums are:
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
This is the perfect example of live- to-tape performance. No click on this bad boy! Listening to this album I’m totally transported to another place. Perfect for long drives and at home hangouts. The playing is perfection, the vocals are haunting and the songs are classic Van. Listen in headphones if you want to really trip.
Tom Waits – Closing Time
What can I say about this album that would do it justice? It’s a master class in songwriting from beginning to end. And as well-sung an album as Tom Waits has ever produced, in my extremely humble opinion. ‘Martha’ makes me cry every single time. My love affair with Mr. Waits spans decades, but It all began here.
Rickie Lee Jones – Rickie Lee Jones
That voice, the irreverence. A perfect mix of folk and street. She is the original hard candy with a soft center. Funk and soul, meets white girl 70’s jive talk. Rickie can turn a phrase like no other. Hooks for days. This album is a classic.
The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964-1971
OK. You know why this is awesome right?
The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve
All I’m saying is, as a singer you must kneel at the altar of Ella. As a performer who wishes to distinguish, Louis Armstrong broke the mold. And as a songwriter, it behooves you to look back to move forward.
—Bohème
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Bohème Tour Dates:
03/31 – N. Augusta, SC at Downstairs Live
04/01 – Chapel Hill, NC at Local 506
04/02 – Arlington, VA at IOTA
04/03 – Pittsburgh, PA at Club Café
04/04 – Philadelphia, PA at Tin Angel
04/06 – New York, NY at Rockwood Music Hall (No Cover)
