Unfortunately, since its appearance on the Mavericks’ Super Colossal Smash Hits of the 90’s compilation, golden-voiced front man Raul Malo has seen fit to exclude this song from subsequent hits collections in favor of covers of classics and songs he himself wrote or co-wrote. But “Things I Cannot Change” has vocal and instrumental hooks to equal any Mavericks tune, and doesn’t have the feel of a genre exercise as much of this band’s recorded output does.
In a shady little hamlet of the musical world known as 1970’s British Folk Rock abides some very charming, pastoral, earnest work that barely registers in a world of in-your-face rap, risqué dance pop and indie eccentricity.
“Bordeaux Rosé” is two and a half minutes of a simple toast to the good things, and an invitation to the wine to do its work.
I love four things about this song: its description of the Bordeaux’s effect (we are swimming far beneath the scarlet glow); the flute, introduced at 1:24 for a single flourish and never heard again; the understated presence in the mix of sitar and mellotron, two instruments that tend to be used rather heavy-handedly but here are tasteful garnishes; and the way the song transitions from 3/4 time in the verses to a 4/4 chorus with gentle dexterity.
Among the things that catch my ear in a song I love is a subtle arranger’s touch–the ability to see that a particular instrument or effect will enhance the song, coupled with the tact to say, “just that much and no more”. That gentility of arrangement serves to keep a song fresh to the ear, makes one want to listen again, and gives the music the shelf life of a fine French wine.
Brett Dennen’s 2008 album, Hope For the Hopeless got him on Rolling Stone magazine’s Artists to Watch list that year. “Make You Crazy” is pretty indicative of his formula: a unique voice, an appealing, listenable vibe and a message in the music. Dennen would probably appeal to about 87% of Jack Johnson’s fans.
“Yes It Is” never appeared on a regular Beatles LP. Issued as the B-side of their #1 “Ticket to Ride” single, the song itself peaked at #46. Only when the Past Masters collections gathered stray tracks which never before had appeared on LP in the U.S. did “Yes It Is” make it on to a long player.
It’s just one more Beatles song that would have been a career highlight for many lesser bands, but was destined for relative obscurity due to the remarkable output of the band both in terms of quality and quantity. Considering their A-sides of 1965 alone (“Eight Days a Week”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Help!”, “Yesterday”, and the double A-sided “We Can Work It Out”/”Day Tripper”) you can’t really make an argument that “Yes It Is” should have supplanted any of them. But it’s a great song nevertheless, featuring wonderful harmonies and one of Lennon’s most plaintive performances in the solo sections.
If you aren’t fifty-something or a Beatles completest, this one may have escaped your attention. But let it serve notice that, Past Masters 1 and 2 included, there really is no such thing as a non-essential Beatles album–with the exception, perhaps, of Yellow Submarine.
Sam Phillips started out making power pop, then morphed sometime subsequent to this album into a singer with a sparer, artsier sound. I do prefer the power pop phase, especially this one.
Lead track from 1979’s self-titled album, which was something of a comeback for Harrison after a case of writer’s block (and perhaps some residual bitterness over losing the “He’s So Fine”/”My Sweet Lord” lawsuit) (get it–“residual”?) kept him from the studio for a couple years. This cut, one of my favorites of his non-singles, established the airy, positive vibe that pervades the album.
Every Moment Has A Song 