Mark: David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive

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   Music can be like incense I think. Lighter than air. It kinda comes In waves, or maybe random bubbles? It can seemingly move through you or nudge one to remember a time of great joy or maybe a “cause of bitterness”.

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   "Secrets of the Beehive" by David Sylvian moves through me in such ways. Beehive is the antithesis to Bad Brains "I against I". Where I against I is harsh, jagged. Beehive is like my subconscious. Dark, but cozy. This album is a slow burn from start to finish. David Sylvia’s voice is a sultry baritone with a rich smoky delivery that would make Tom Waits sit up and go “Sweet, let’s hang out.”

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   David’s lyrics are the star of the show... I mean he takes me from church yards in autumn to the Greek underworld where Orpheus is sleeping, dreaming of his wife Eurydice. The music is atmospheric, but not pervasive. There are spaces and gaps. Every tune has wonderful pulse that pulls me in. It’s immersive in so many ways. David Torn is such a wonderful gift for me. He’s a guitarist that exudes sonic landscapes. Ryuichi Sakamoto’s orchestral arrangements and keyboard treatments are really quite stunning. All matched by Danny Thompson on double bass, Steve Jansen on drums, and Mark Isham on flugelhorn and trumpet. I mean come on!!! One musical stallion after another! If you can’t tell the music really floats my boat.

 

   In conclusion. If you’re in a kickback, noir, artsy but not too fartsy frame of mind. As I often am. Give this gem a spin. As I lounge on my home-made swivel bamboo rocker recliner, I put away my mini disc player and gaze out across my beautiful lagoon. My family is growing these days. There’s JoJo the chimp slash music critic, and the newest member Britney the giant coconut crab. She’s a looker...I think...

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Kip: Captain Beyond

     I'm once again cheating on this assignment, as my next selection is actually the first sides of two albums by the same band. Formed by former members of Iron Butterfly, Deep Purple and the brilliant drummer Bobby Caldwell, Captain Beyond released two albums in 1972 and 1973 to fairly modest sales. Fronted by original Purple singer Rod Evans (who sang on the hit cover of “Hush”), their debut album is widely regarded as one of the original “heavy metal” discs, before the term was even a thing. (Ironically, Evans had been dismissed by Purple, as they felt he was too much of a crooner to handle the heavier rock direction they were pursuing. Purple never put out anything as heavy as the first Captain Beyond album.) Both albums are very “70's” both in production and ethereal lyrics. The first side of the debut album is brilliant and I never tire of it. The second side is much more Pink Floydish, with several “chapters” of a single song idea. I RARELY listen to side two. “Raging River of Fear” is on my VERY short list of favorite songs. Caldwell and Evans are credited with all of the compositions. The second album, Sufficiently Breathless, had to have been extremely confusing upon release to fans of the band. Caldwell had left the band and bassist Lee Dorman is credited with all compositions. The songs are MUCH more mellow and feature a multitude of percussion instruments and more of an easy listening vibe. As a teenager, I hated it. But the more I listened to it (I couldn't help it), I came to just love the four first side songs. Really upbeat, positive vibe and lyrics. “Bright Blue Tango” just puts me in a good mood, as does the title song. The second side again feels more like ideas they couldn't quite get to fruition. I used music much in my athletic life, especially for baseball, so I made a tape that had the first side of the debut album to listen to prior to games and the second album's first four songs to decompress after competition. I'm assuming both sides would serve me well on a deserted island.

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Jeff: America - History

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   My next desert island pick History: America’s Greatest Hits was inspired by a few different conversations, but it all began when Kip mentioned choosing his brother’s album as an island pick — saying he wanted to take "family" with him to the island. That idea really stuck with me. Then my youngest daughter brought up the band America, telling me how she had introduced their music to her boyfriend and how much he’d grown to love them too. These conversations reminded me just how many personal connections I’ve had with this band over the years. So, I agreed with Kip — I want to bring family with me, and America is the band that represents that connection, not just with family, but with friends from both past and present. America is definitely going in my suitcase.

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   I first heard America in the winter of 1972, like much of the country, when “A Horse with No Name” hit the airwaves. I bought the 45 single at Gibson’s and loved not only the hit side but the B-side too — a track never released on an album. After that, I only knew them from the radio and didn’t buy any more of their records until high school, when I met my best friend, Jeff Lowe. Jeff had their History: Greatest Hits album and played it often. I miss those days — sitting in the dark with a beer, listening to albums, and talking about the vocals, production, lyrics and song order. Jeff introduced me to so many bands I hadn’t really explored yet: America, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Moody Blues, and Montrose all became part of my musical world thanks to him.

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   Interestingly, I now own all of America’s albums. You’d think the songs would sound the same as on this greatest hits album — but they don’t. That’s because legendary Beatles producer George Martin joined the band later in their career and remixed many of their earlier songs for this compilation. Over half of that album consists of remixed versions — subtly (or sometimes dramatically) altered with Martin’s incredible ear and musical instincts.

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   I first noticed this difference when I was putting together a playlist years ago. I added “Sandman” from their debut album and kept thinking, I used to love this song — why don’t I enjoy it now? Halfway through the track, I found myself ready for it to be over. Something felt off. After doing a little digging, I discovered the version I had loved was actually the remix/edit on History: Greatest Hits. Once I realized that, I went back and found that many other songs I cherished had also been reimagined by Martin. For example, “A Horse with No Name” has a much stronger bass presence in the remix. “I Need You” was slowed down a quarter tone, “Ventura Highway” now has double-tracked vocals and more reverb on the guitars, and “Don’t Cross the River” now features a fiddle that wasn’t in the original. George Martin truly elevated these already great songs.​ That Martin chose to work with America after producing The Beatles speaks volumes. He produced many of their albums after their third release, helping craft the sound of a band that meant so much to so many of us.

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   The songs I’ll be taking with me to the island — my personal masterpieces from America — include all the previous songs I mentioned and “Tin Man,” “Lonely People” (which I know will make me tear up during that island adventure), “Sister Golden Hair,” and “Daisy Jane” (Jeff Lowe’s favorite). The only song on the compilation I could do without is “Muskrat Love,” but that’s just me.

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   I still adore this band. Gerry Beckley remains one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters. And because Jeff Lowe loved America, and now my daughter and even her boyfriend do too, along with my beautiful wife — bringing this band to the island isn’t just about the music. It’s about keeping close the memories of the people I love who have shared in this music with me.

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