You've come a long way, baby...
and these jarring juxtapositions
offer indisputable proof!
Welcome to Vol. 6 of my series
Jarring Juxtapositions:
That Was Then - This Is Now!
It is not my intention to pass judgement. (That's your job. :) This series
merely invites you to compare apples and oranges. Hard as it might be
for you to believe, I enjoy all of the female recording artists you
are about to see and hear. Join me on this jarring journey
back and forth through time as we compare the look,
the sound and the attitude of female singers
Jarring Juxtapositions:
That Was Then - This Is Now!
It is not my intention to pass judgement. (That's your job. :) This series
merely invites you to compare apples and oranges. Hard as it might be
for you to believe, I enjoy all of the female recording artists you
are about to see and hear. Join me on this jarring journey
back and forth through time as we compare the look,
the sound and the attitude of female singers
then... and now!
THAT WAS THEN
THE LENNON SISTERS
It's a different world, my friend. When I was a boy in the 1950s, girls looked,
sounded and behaved like The Lennon Sisters, the popular sibling singing
group on The Lawrence Welk Show. In 1960 the girls released the holiday
album Christmas With The Lennon Sisters. Listen as 'lil Chanet," Kathy,
Peggy and Dianne invite us to ditch the cold weather and spend the
holidays basking in the tropics on-- "Christmas Island."
""Christmas Island" - The Lennon Sisters
(from 1960 album Christmas With The Lennon Sisters)
THIS IS NOW
KITTIE
Our musical journey takes a jarring turn
and we find ourselves in the zombielike
clutches of Kittie, an all-female metal
band from Ontario, Canada. Formed
in 1996, Kittie names alternative
bands like Nirvana and Alice In
Chains as major influences.
In 2000, Kittie released their debut
album Spit with a dozen songs,
all written by band members
around age 14. As if by the
mysterious process of
spontaneous generation...
"Charlotte" arose from Spit!
"Charlotte" - Kittie
(July 2000, highest chart pos. #60 UK,
single from January 2000 album Spit)
single from January 2000 album Spit)
THAT WAS THEN
CILLA BLACK
Her real name was Priscilla White but she called herself Cilla Black.
I regret that I only came to fully appreciate the English sparrow's talent
a year or so before her death in 2015. Until that time the only Cilla Black
song I knew was "You're My World," a single that reached the top 30 in
the U.S. in 1964. Maybe it's because some of Cilla's best recordings
were not released stateside. Here's one of them, a cover of Dionne
Warwick's soulful ballad "Anyone Who Had A Heart." Cilla took
the song, made it her own and eclipsed Dionne's version in the
UK with a single that spent three weeks at the top of the chart!
"Anyone Who Had A Heart" - Cilla Black
(Feb./Mar. 1964, highest chart pos. #1 UK)
THIS IS NOW
AMARANTHE
To bring you down from your blissful Cilla Black-induced Brit girl high,
I give you Amaranthe, a Swedish metal band that boasts three lead zingers,
each performing a different style. The band has two clean vocalists, one male
and one female, plus a growling cookie monster who handles the rough stuff.
The beauty among the beasts is Elize Ryd who made Playboy Magazine's
list of "The 14 Hottest Metal Maidens in Face-Melting History." Eliza's
vocals start at the 55 second mark of the song if you can hang on
through the angry, transgressive rapping that precedes it.
Feel free to sway, snap your fingers, tap your toes and
zing along as Amaranthe assaults your senses with--
"GG 6!"
"GG 6" - Amaranthe
(Nov./Dec. 2019 single from Oct. 2018 album Helix)
THAT WAS THEN
DORIS DAY
"Whatever Will Be, Will Be
(Que Sera, Sera)" was intro-
duced in the 1956 Alfred
Hitchcock film The Man
Who Knew Too Much
starring Jimmy Stewart
and Doris Day. Doris
released the song as a
single. The record spent
27 weeks on the pop
chart and made a
determined run
at the #1 spot.
However Doris's ditty was blocked week after week by
the man who would be King - Elvis Presley - and his
colossal doublesider "Hound Dog," b/w "Don't Be Cruel"
along with another mega-hit,"My Prayer" by The Platters.
"Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" - Doris Day
(July thru Sept. 1956, highest chart pos. #2, from June 1956
Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much)
Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much)
THIS IS NOW
IN THIS MOMENT
Image courtesy of DesignWeapons @ deviantart.com
Nearly identical to Doris Day in appearance and singing style
is fresh faced girl next door Maria Brink, but whereas Doris
sang "Whatever will be, will be," Maria leaves nothing to
chance, boldly commanding "Adrenalize me." (I'm sure
she's referring to an exciting game of shuffleboard.)
"Adrenalize" is the second single released by Maria
and her menacing male menagerie, the LA-based,
in-your-face metal band In This Moment, from
their 2013 album Blood. Ladies and germs,
if you can believe your eyes and ears...
experience the spectacle, the brutal
multi-sensory blitz, the sound and
the fury-- In This Moment!
"Adrenalize" - In This Moment
(Feb./Mar. 2013, highest chart pos. #18 Active Rock,
#20 Mainstream Rock, from Aug 2012 album Blood)
When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.
"You're joking... right?"
Have a Shady day!
Shady, Shady, Shady,
ReplyDeleteMy three favourite bands! Well, three out of many. :) Music now is definitely not my grandparents' music. I remember when Anna gave me Kittie's Spit and I decided to play it for Nan. Oh my, oh my, oh my. Nan looked at me and said, "well, isn't that something?" Wasn't quite a fan, but she did love Lady Gaga.
Even though she wasn't a fan of heavy metal, she bought me heavy metal CDs. I would play them on my Walkman, write, draw, and just create while listening to the CDs for hours. Ah, you just walked me down memory lane.
Anna gave me Spit in 2002, I was 12.5. It's crazy to think that the gals in Kittie were only 3-4 years older than I was at the time. After being given that album, I became heavily interested in Nirvana and Alice In Chains; I guess that was the connection! :)
Once we can start going to shows again, I'd like to see In This Moment. Christina said they put on an awesome show and I might have to see it for myself.
Jarring juxtapositions indeed! Wholesome, pop music compared to dark and heavy, and sometimes satanic heavy metal music. The lyrics are as similar as night to day. Yet, all time periods are fun to listen to and watch the videos.
Have a great day, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteBy golly, you're the Early Bird this time, dear friend. Thanks for coming by and for leaving such a great and well thought out comment!
I love this series because the juxtapositions truly are jarring. I consider myself blessed in being able to appreciate many different styles of music from different time periods. Just think - that Kittie ditty "Charlotte" is a golden oldie by this time - 20 years old! Thanks for telling me the story about how you were first introduced to Kittie and about Nan's reaction when you played Spit for her. To her credit, she didn't say anything negative about what she was hearing as many her age would have done. Instead she responded in a way that was kind and considerate to you. No wonder you miss her so much.
I'm sure there are many readers who will claim that they wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything at all with these harsh sounds of aggressive metal in their ears. However this kind of sound enables you to access your creative muse, and I use metal classics like the ones in this post as a catharsis, a way to ease my troubled mind. They actually soothe and calm me, while many of the placid platters my parents brought home irritated and agitated me.
In This Moment was at their peak a few years ago when "Adrenalize" was released. I know they toned down their act somewhat in the last couple of years, and therefore I don't know what their live shows are like lately. Let me know if you attend one.
I'm delighted that you enjoyed the latest volume of my Bloggy Award winning series That Was Then - This Is Now! Thanks again for coming and for taking time to listen and write such a fine comment. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteOh yeah. Even in terms of my religious journey, she was the same way. She was a very Catholic woman, but she was also very liberal. When I told her this religion wasn't for me, I was 11 and instead of her saying, "you're just a child! You don't know any better!" She instead said, "fair enough. You are your own person and you should embark on a path that makes sense to you." I know if she were still alive, she would be embracing me. Nan believed that we are essentially the same. We have the same necessities, it's just the wants that are different. Nan befriended people from all walks of life, so that is probably why she was so open minded with my music. I tend to be the same way...
You're so right, dear friend! I'm finding that atonal classical music has the same effect as heavy metal. Atonal classical is the dark, dark classical music that has the same deepness as heavy metal. A lot of heavy metal musicians were trained in classical music first, so I guess there is a connection! There's just something about that sound that is cathartic and can inspire me. Upbeat doesn't really have that effect when it comes to catharsis and inspiration. I listen to upbeat when I am working out.
I will definitely let you know. We probably won't be able to do much until 2022, so I have a year to plan. :D
Have a great Wednesday, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteSeems like you and two other friends are the only ones who realize that Shady's Place remains open through the holidays. Dang it, I should have run a full page ad in the newspaper. :)
Clearly Nan was a great influence on you. If not for her teachings and the example she set, your values and attitudes toward others might different. You were blessed to have Nan in your life as a role model.
I have heard the kind of dark classical to which you refer. I like the sound, too. I am drawn to any form of music that grabs me by the soul, and dark and deep does it. You're right. Many of the Gothic power metal and death metal bands that have arisen in the 21st century were inspired by and/or trained in classical disciplines.
Thanks to YouTube, you can be there mask free in amphitheaters across the country and around the world and watch In This Moment do their live shows. There are some great clips available so check them out.
Thanks for returning to expand our discussion thread, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteYes, yes she was. She housed a foreign exchange student from Slovakia for 5 years and often welcomed people of every background into her home. I saw it from a young age and got to know people from every walk of life.
When I was a child, I often befriended the immigrant children and they loved how I included them in everything. I remember befriending a gal adopted from Russia. She could speak English alright, but she liked how I was patient with her. Her parents invited me over a lot, especially for Hanukkah. We invited her over a lot too and one time she came to Nan's with me. Daniel was still living with Nan and he could speak Russian fluently. He chatted with my friend in Russian for hours. It was neat. I often was invited to Hanukkah, Diwali, and other faith tradition events all the time. My classmates saw I was open minded, loved trying new things, and they just invited me to their celebrations. I remember them vividly and have warm memories.
Guess I haven't really changed that much. ;)
I have to check with the Philadelphia Orchestra and see what concerts they're offering. I've been preoccupied, but I will miss my yearly New Year's Eve concert. They're not offering one online this year. :( I'll probably go ice skating instead.
Have a great Thankful Thursday, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThose early experiences expanded your horizons and shaped you into the fine person you are today, and Nan was a major part of it. In the weeks just after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, my family hosted, through the local chapter of the Lions Club, a Japanese exchange student, a teenage girl who was eager to learn our American way of life and to show us her culture. I remember my mother being amazed when the girl filled our kitchen sink with sudsy water and thoroughly washed all of the vegetables before preparing them for the evening Japanese style meal. The Japanese people wouldn't think of merely rinsing fruits and veggies off with water from the tap. They needed to be thoroughly scrubbed with soap before being used in recipes. I lost touch with Atsuko for decades but resumed contact with her in recent years, a genuine blessing!
I'm sorry you won't be able to enjoy your NYE concert this year, but going ice skating sounds like a great Plan B.
Thanks again for dropping by to chat, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI never knew that about the Japanese, but it makes sense. One of mom's old co-workers married a Japanese woman and I think I remember something similar. She would take her time cleaning and preparing the food. When her mother visited, same thing. One time I had a mosquito bite and she gave us this box of who knows what. They were patches that you could put on the bite and it stopped the itch. It was strong, whatever it was.
Has your experiences shaped your music choices? Mom brought it up to me the other night. "You have such a wide taste in music because you grew up with Daniel and he listened to everything." Never really thought of it that way. Not only that, I was listening to Doo-Wop and the oldies with dad, classic rock with mom, as well as top 40, classical with Aunt Peg, and whatever I picked up at school.
Have a great Friday!
Hi, JM!
DeleteMy mother played the 4 P's- records by Pat (Boone), Perry (Como) and Patti Page, along with The McGuire Sisters, Fontane Sisters, Dinah Shore, Eddie Fisher, Nat King Cole and other popular (and safe) artists of the 40s and 50s. My dad preferred country and gospel. He played records by Red Foley, Eddy Arnold, Floyd Cramer and Tennessee Ernie. My big brother brought home Elvis, Ricky, Fats, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. On TV I watched Bandstand, Shindig!, Hullabaloo, Where The Action Is, Thaxton, Hy Lit, Jerry Blavat's Discophonic Scene and other music shows of the 50s and 60s whereby I came to appreciate doo-wop, bird group R&B, southern fried R&B, soul, blue-eyed soul, teen idols, girl groups, female teen pop artists like Connie Francis, Brenda Lee and Lesley Gore, Brit beat bands, garage bands, folk-rock, psychedelia, disco, hard rock and heavy metal. I feel lucky to have eclectic taste in music.
Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend JM!
Hi, Shady. Well, you know I always prefer the "then" to the "now" in this series... but will admit that there are certain Kittie songs that I like.
ReplyDeleteI heard a different Christmas tune by the lovely Lennon Sisters earlier today. I sure do enjoy their harmonies.
Hi, Kelly!
DeleteHow are you and my buddy Pat doing, dear friend? Thanks for coming over to experience the latest edition of That Was Then - This Is Now!
I think I remember you once before stating (to my surprise) that you like Kittie. (Don't let Pat hear you say that.)
'Lil Chanet and her harmonious siblings, the lovely Lennon Sisters, are ideally suited for this series. I have posted their songs in earlier volumes and have more in the pipeline. In fact, you will hear from them again in my very next post, so stay tuned.
Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend Kelly!
Jarring juxtaposition is right. When I was a kid, we had one TV and my parents were in charge of what was on. Lawrence Welk was on every Saturday night and we had to watch it also. I hated it and would never tell my friends what I watched on the weekend. So uncool! The Lennon Sisters were OK, but so square, as they said back then.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Cilla Black. What a wonderful and powerful voice she had.
Now to Heavy Metal of the 80’s and 90’s. - I like all music, except that. It might have to do with having four kids and raising teenagers during that time. My house was loud, but my son, especially, used to blast that music all the time, which is possibly the reason that I am somewhat deaf now. I finally told them that they could listen to it only if I was not home. My son likes it, but he also mellowed. It probably has to do with him being a parent.
Yes, I will admit it, I did like Doris Day. Again, uncool.
I hope you and Mrs. Shady have a lovely Holiday. Stay safe, we only have a few more months till we get the shot(s) in the arm we all need.
Hi, Arleen!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you, dear friend! How's it going up there in the Keystone State?
Like you, at an early age I was tied to a chair by my parents :) and forced to watch The Lawrence Welk Show. They were hoping my weekly exposure to "good music" would rewire my brain and cause me to turn away from Elvis the Pelvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee "The Killer" Lewis. Their vile scheme failed. I continue to rock to this day. :)
I'm thrilled that you appreciated that live performance by UK songstress Cilla Black. When she belts a song,I get goose bumps. Sadly Cilla took a spill at her holiday home in Spain and died of complications at the too young age of 72. What a great talent she was!
When I was a freelance DJ in the 70s and 80s I owned a nice stereo system and a pair of large floor standing speakers. You can imagine how loudly I played rock music at parties. It has been ten years or more since I listened to music through those speakers because I got into the habit of using headphones. This way I can crank up the volume as loudly as I want and not bother anyone. However I am keenly aware that prolonged use of headphones with the loudness turned up can lead to hearing loss.
Thanks for mentioning actress, singer and animal welfare activist Doris Day who lived to age 97 and left us last spring. Doris outlived her famous record producer son Terry Melcher who died in 2004 at the age of 62. It was Melcher's house that notoriously became the scene of the Charles Manson Family Murders in 1969. It's creepy that actress Candice Bergen and singer Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & The Raiders had also lived at the same house with Melcher. I shudder to think...
Thank you again for your kind visit and excellent comments, dear friend Arleen. I wish you and your loved ones a lovely Holiday as well, and here's hoping we truly can turn the corner, turn the page and enjoy a much better year ahead in 2021. See you soon, my wonderful friend!
Well....yes, times have changed and I think I'll stay in the past! I didn't make it through all those not cute bands but I was wondering if you had featured Amaranthe before? They seem familiar. Anyways, I know you feature all kinds of sounds and don't ever pass judgement when it's not our cup of tea. My brother's lady love's name is Cilla and she's from England but it's not your Cilla here..atleast I don't think so! Have a good week. We have more snow today but its looking a lot like Christmas. Take care Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteI'm so glad to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming over to experience more of my Jarring Juxtapositions.
Wow, YaYa, you have a terrific memory! Yes indeed, I did post a song by Amaranthe and it was a long time ago. It was part of my metal mega-post published on the old blog Shady Dell Music & Memories more than 7 years ago - at Halloween 2013:
https://shadydell.blogspot.com/2013/10/beauties-and-beasts-introducing-leading.html
I just read the comment you left on that old post and it was very kind and generous. I also noticed in my reply that your family was mourning a loss at that time. Can you recall which loss I was referring to at Halloween 2013? Whatever you and your family were going through that year, the first full year you and I knew each other if memory serves, you were a trouper and a loyal friend for coming to visit me, and you have continued to show the same devotion to our friendship in the 7+ years since, including during this year of hardship in 2020. Thank you!
Interesting that your brother's lady love's name is Cilla. Cilla Black, the singer featured in this post, passed away a few years ago after falling at her vacation home, striking her head and suffering complications. It's yet another tragic story in the history of popular music.
I hope Jack is doing AOK and that Arnie is happy now that his daddy is home. Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend YaYa. Enjoy the rest of your week at The Pines!
You know where I will be...The past, Baby! My parents watched The Lawrence Welk Show and, to be honest I always liked when the dancers came on but so much of it was so corny but I preferred this to Hee Haw which I hated. Funny, The Busby Berkley style # that squeaky clean Lawrence Welk must have approved was loaded with sexual innuendo. The original dancing with the bananas and strawberries was with Carmen Miranda in the Tutti Fruiti hate number. The Hays office was always looming overhead so Berkley and others in charge of that # decided to have some fun with the bananas and strawberries and the Hays Office never caught on.
ReplyDeleteCilly had a great voice and it just shows how so many great artists are known everywhere else but in North America and we have the silly notion they are not a true success. I looked her up and felt bad for her that she had to deal with pain.
Doris is great! What else can I say and I love this song and agree with the silly sentiment.
As for the Now...I couldn't listen to it, sorry but way too heavy metal for my taste plus wasn't getting into the videos either...too dark and disturbing.
We have snow today which puts me in a very festive mood. I hope you are doing well and Merry Christmas!
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteSorry I'm so late replying, dear friend! I just returned from one of those day-long trips to see a doctor (routine checkup), and now I am being pulled away again for the evening. I will be back later tonight or tomorrow to reply more fully to your wonderful comment, and I thank you for it! Please stick around for the rest of my reply coming soon.
Hi again, Birgit!
DeleteThanks for patiently waiting for me to return and write a full reply. My reason for leaving that interim reply was twofold. First, I posted it as a courtesy to let you know that I received your comment and appreciated it. Secondly, it provided an easy way for me to artificially inflate my miserably low comment total. :)
I'm glad you enjoyed my "THEN" offerings. Yessum, it seems many of us watched Lawrence Welk with our folks. Believe it or not, when I was a student at Penn State, I regularly watched Hee Haw while sitting on a bar stool at a tavern in State College that always put the show on. I liked Junior Samples and the free samples of beer nuts the pub offered. :) Do you remember Hee Haw Honeys, the spin-off series of the late 70s that starred Kathie Lee Johnson (Gifford) and Misty Rowe? I SURE DO!!!!! :) Gailard Sartain, another of my favorites, was also in that series.
Neither Lawrence Welk nor The Lennon Sisters had anything to do with that Busby Berkley style film clip being "married" to the Lennons' studio recording of "Christmas Island." It was strictly the creative work of the YouTube uploader. It's another example of the many new hybrid sync edits that are being produced by a large number of YouTube remix artists. I appreciate you enlightening me about how the bananas and strawberries were used in the dance sequence and how the Hays Office was none the wiser. I might have nightmares about those bananas tonight!!!
I'm delighted that you appreciate the vocal artistry of the late Cilla Black on that cover of U.S. artist Dionne Warwick's hit "Anyone Who Had A Heart." Cilla gave us another classic version. As I mentioned in the text, the only song of hers I knew in my younger years was her American hit "You're My World." Thanks also for giving a shout out to Doris Day, the girl with sunshine in her smile. She had enormous talent and cared about animal welfare. That's tops in my book.
I hope you still have that coating of snow a week from now so that you can truly enjoy a white Christmas. Thank you again for your kind visit and wonderful comment, dear friend BB!
You are so kind since, on my blog, I take a bloody while before I comment. I am, often so exhausted from work even though I just sit but it drains my brain. Doris loved animals and helped so much with animal welfare. It is supposed to rain but, you never know...we might have a white Christmas so I shall listen to Bing singing "I'm dreaming of a white christmas..."
DeleteHi again, Birgit!
DeleteThat's AOK, dear friend. I know the feeling of being exhausted and falling behind on replying and/or making the blogging rounds. I was playing catch-up (ketchup?) all day yesterday. Your friendship credit is always solid as a rock here at Shady's Place.
I just read about a puppy that was found run over by a vehicle and shot 70 times (70 shotgun pellets found embedded in the young dog's body). Rescuers nursed the pup back to health and a family adopted it and gave it a forever home just in time for Christmas. Doris Day would have loved that happy ending.
I enjoy the Binger's version of "White Christmas." I hope you get yours up there in Canada. Chance are slim for us here in Florida. :)
Thanks again for coming back over, dear friend BB, and have a safe and restful weekend!
Oh...these people who shoot innocent animals...I would want to do the same to them. I am so glad the dog recovered...amazed really. We may get a white Christmas...fingers crossed.
Delete:) :) :)
DeleteThanks, BB!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteJarring...yep that's a great way to compare past to modern female vocalists. What a contrast in mewsic and vocal styles! I definitely prefer the ladies from yesteryear but then I'm not big on heavy rock or metal mewsic generally. I appreciate the exposure but it's not my preference by a long shot. The Lennon Sisters sound so beautiful! I love these old groups that harmonize so well. Cilly has a lovely sound. I know the name and it's probably thanks to you. Doris Day has a pleasing soothing voice. Great dames from the past who really knew how to sing! :)
Hi, Cathy! I am repeating what I just told Birgit above:
DeleteSorry I'm so late replying, dear friend! I just returned from one of those day-long trips to see a doctor (routine checkup), and now I am being pulled away again for the evening. I will be back later tonight or tomorrow to reply more fully to your wonderful comment, and I thank you for it! Please stick around for the rest of my reply coming soon.
Hi again, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for waiting for me to return and comment more completely, dear friend. This has been one of those days when I have been running behind since I got out of bed. I had a doctor appointment across the state, and then this eve, Mrs. Shady pressed me into service helping her clean the house for the holidays. (Not that we're expecting any guests in the house.)
Thanks for weighing in on the THEN and NOW female singers in volume 6 of my JJ series. It doesn't surprise me that most of my friends prefer the THEN batch. As I discussed with another reader, I was very much into metal in 2013. At Halloween that year I published a post with Amaranthe (one of the bands in this post) and many other modern metal bands from the U.S. and Europe - 16 videos in a single post! I checked just now to see if you commented on that post, but you did not because we had not yet met in the blogosphere. I believe you and I first got acquainted in 2014 or early 2015. It struck me that a good number of the people who commented on that 2013 post are no longer with me. I am very grateful for you and others who have stuck by me over the long haul no matter what type of material I present.
I'm glad you enjoyed the sweet harmonies of The Lennon Sisters inviting us to spend the holidays basking in the warmth of "Christmas Island." Imagine Santa coming to visit us on that island in a canoe, as the song suggests. I'm also glad you appreciated the sometimes tender - sometimes powerful belting vocals of the late Cilla Black, one of England's greatest talents, and that you also favor the late, great Doris Day who died last year at the ripe old age of 97.
Thanks again for making time for a visit and for your generous comment, dear friend Cathy. Ill see you tamale for some Friday Sillies!
I suppose the whole point of this post is that the older songs and dance numbers are products of a more innocent past, and the newer songs and videos is a sign of our fall from grace on the eve of the apocalypse. But Shady, my cynical friend, if you would only take off your ragweed-colored glasses, you would see that we in actuality are moving away from an era of nightmare songs and imagery and into a Golden Age of Wholesomeness.
ReplyDeleteBirgit has already pointed out (in fact she beat me to it--damn!) the subliminal tawdriness of the Busby Berkeley-like number. Scantily-clad women and big bananas?!?! Meanwhile the only things those 14-year olds from the year 2000 (they'd be 34 now, incidentally) can come up with is a slumber party that's being crashed by a sleepwalking kid in his underwear? PUH-LEEZ!
Cilla Black? Listen to the lyrics. It's a song about unrequited love, of which there were many back in the supposedly good ol' days. Frank Sinatra's musical comeback was based on such songs. Julie London also made a career out of what used to be called torch songs. Until she decided that she'd had enough heartbreak and got a job working as a TV nurse in an emergency room where she got to see the same two paramedics all the time. Now jump ahead a couple of decades to 2019. Where is the heartbreak, the torch singing, in the Amaranthe video? Instead, it tells you that even among graffiti-strewn ruins, a mangey-haired schlub who sounds like Darth Vader and a snarling dominatrix can still find love and happiness. Oh, Shady, can't you see how inspirational that message is?
Finally, we come to the most trenchant musical example of them all, "Que Sera Sera". For starters ("Finally"? "starters"? I may be contradicting myself, but oh, well), that song was introduced in a Hitchcock movie about a MISSING CHILD. Milk cartons may not have had blurry pictures of such children back in the 1950s (probably because milk still came in glass bottles) but it was a concern nonetheless. The song itself. Yes, Doris is smiling, but it's a rueful smile, even a sardonic smile. Listen to the lyrics. As a little girl she asks her mother if she'll be attractive and financially secure some day. The most optimistic answer the parent can give is, "Whatever will be, will be" Oh, gee, thanks Mom, she should have said, why don't you just put a bag over my head and sell me into indentured servitude?...But there's more. When the woman's all grown up, she wants some reassurance from her sweetheart that he'll try to make her happy, and the best that jerk can offer is "Whatever will be, will be." After that smartass reply, I hope she locked the bedroom door. And then when that woman has children of her own (he must have crawled in through the bedroom window), the same old discouraging message gets passed down from one generation to the next. "Whatever will be, will be". How can I get through to you Shady that it's PURE NIHILISM! Now compare that with the In This Moment video. Where's the nihilism there? You've got inhibition-free people of all sexual orientations coming together in a mutual celebration of love, peace, and happiness. All very utopian. The only negative imagery I can see is running mascara and lipstick, and even that bespeaks a certain charm.
Case closed!
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteWhat's with all this open-minded analysis, good buddy? I prefer people who are locked into their beliefs!!! :)
Welcome welcome welcome, my friend! Thanks for reporting in, stating your case and making me do multiple spit takes with my morning coffee, spraying my monitor and keyboard as I read your persuasive argument that today's music is actually more innocent, wholesome, honest and optimistic than that of the past. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that I wrote this essay-length comment myself, or that the author is Keith Olbermann.
Your case is built on a solid foundation, good buddy. It's all in how you look at things, and if you are willing to take a good hard objective look. Those who are willing to strip away the facade and examine what lies beneath are able to see and understand what is actually going on. When you break it down, you can find many examples of how the Golden Age of Wholesomeness was just an illusion.
Shady sez many if not most popular love songs of the past were stalker songs:
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Oh, can't you see
You belong to me
Love songs of the past perpetuated the widespread belief that women find it flattering to be chased and stalked, then coaxed and coerced into making whoopee by the take-charge caveman type of male. In the moon - spoon - June pop music reality, women are shy and weak and need a man to protect and support them. Sensitive, intellectual men are OUT - they're a bore, a snore, in a world in which brute strength and muscles rule. "My boyfriend's back. He's kinda big and he's awful strong." In 1966 The Beatles and other popular music acts started to change the subject from puppy love to songs about introspection, reflection, experimentation, mind expansion and growing social awareness.
Fun fax about the official music video for "Adrenalize." As Wiki explains, the vid was: << filmed at Linda Vista Community Hospital in Los Angeles. The video features Maria Brink being drugged by a masked nurse while tied to a hospital bed, the band performing throughout the facility, scantily clad men and women in animal and plain white masks (the latter are seen on the Blood album cover) partying and making out, and a black angel wandering the halls. The video ends with Brink becoming a new nurse. >>
Gosh, you're right, Kirk - that is a happy ending - Maria Brink changing career path and lending her considerable talents to the noble nursing profession. I must admit that those people wearing animal masks looked cute and cuddly. This was definitely better than anything Shirley Temple ever did.
More fun fax about Linda Vista. Since its closing in 1991 the facility has been used as a shooting location for numerous rock music videos, horror/slasher films and ghostbuster type TV shows about paranormal investigations.
In parting please keep in mind the three things the Twin Peaks giant told Special Agent Cooper:
"The first thing I will tell you is: There's a man in a smiling bag.
The second thing is: The owls are not what they seem.
The third thing is: Without chemicals, he points."
I also leave you with one word: plastics.
Thanks again for joining the fun and taking time to compose this very persuasive piece, Kirk. It's a winner, good buddy, and congratulations on landing that job as a commentator for Newsmax.