Now, admittedly I am going to be crucified for this comparison. At least tarred and feathered, pilloried and certainly carted away in a white coat. Put this on TOfan’s list of ODD in overdrive. Hello? David barely plays the guitar; Jimmy is not a vocalist. I know that, but what the hell, might as well confirm the obvious…happy has lost it. Not really “lost it” like “Bliss-lost-his-mind” lost it (btw- how’s the finding going?), just inspired by the movie I saw the other day, “It Might Get Loud.” If it is playing near you, and it probably is not because the theaters near you are busy playing the Miley Cyrus movie, you should treat yourself and go see it. It is well worth the $10. (For a more detailed description visit www.itmightgetloud.com.) For those of you who won’t see it until it hits video, and for the purposes of my comparison, I will hit a few high points.

It seems Jimmy started playing the guitar at 12 and played a simple form of English street music called “skiffle.” One thing lead to another, Jimmy was bitten by the bug and *poof* Led Zeppelin was hatched. Well, not exactly. He began touring with his band and was concerned that the touring was hazardous to his health. He stopped touring and when it became apparent that he could play anything he became a sought after session guitarist. He made a living for a period of time and came to believe that he was not satisfying his creative urges. He said he felt he was not creating, not even interpreting anymore, just playing. Fast forward to the creation of the band alive in his imagination, Led Zeppelin. He knew what he wanted this band to sound like, and it wasn’t like anyone else.

Being a lover of guitar riffs and having heard “Stairway to Heaven” about enough times since I was ten to last for all time, I have lived with the ignorant notion that that song sort of always existed. I take it for granted. As if it, and other iconic songs, somehow just came into being down a stairway from heaven.

I ought to consider that the music of Jimmy Page was a real reaction to the musical experiences of a real artist and a real musician. He was a serious musician who became obsessed and practiced and evolved over time. He studied the history and evolution of popular music. While he was a ridiculously young 24 at the time, he was not just starting out either. His learning curve was steep. He wasn’t the same musician that toured when he was 18. He wasn’t the session artist of 20. He was building on his musical experiences.

His rock music mixed “blues, folk, and eastern influences with distorted amplification. He also helped create one of the first fuzz boxes, came up with innovative recording techniques such as reverse echo, recording ambient sound and using stairwells to record drums. He rapidly became known for his innovative production techniques as well as his intricate guitar playing. Page used a bow, slide guitar, eastern scales, acoustic guitar, and the double-neck in addition to inventive recording techniques to create the Led Zeppelin sound, which became a prototype for all future rock bands.”

I imagine David may never be about the in-your-face freedom and power of electric guitar and rock and roll. Maybe he will always be about the subtle beauty and nuanced control of that perfect voice. But I think he’s got a maverick in him; a little bit of Jimmy Page. I think he too hears in his head something different from the pop music of his day, a different stairway to heaven. Something not quite fleshed out. Go ahead, tell me I’m nuts. Tell me you’re “not into Jimmy, dude.” Tell me you have no desire for David-at-24 to channel the stubborn resolve, the artistic commitment and the unadulterated brilliance of Mr. Page. But I might disagree …. and it might get loud.

~ happy the crazy

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=81eSIwsLcWg

I know you’ve heard it 10,000 times, so why not 10,001?  And if you don’t have 11 minutes then skip to 6:20- 9:20.  

btw~ after I wrote this I was reading around the net and found this quote by Pete Townshend:
“I feel sad for people who have to judge *********  on the basis of recordings and film alone, because in the flesh he was so extraordinary. He had a kind of alchemist’s ability; when he was on the stage, he changed. He physically changed. He became incredibly graceful and beautiful…. he had a power that almost sobered you up if you were on an acid trip.”

….. I’m feeling I should rewrite the whole thing and compare David to …….. Hendrix…..  

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been part of my journey, both those who participate here, and those who do not and will never read this. I am mindful that all of you are vessels of God’s grace in this beautiful world. The mystery of what draws people together, touches their hearts and changes their lives is manifest here in this silly little corner of the internet where beauty, art and fellowship can be celebrated. To that end I offer a heartfelt “Thank You” to the artist that is David Archuleta.

Michael, “I thank my God at every remembrance of you.” Philippians 1:3

~happy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9sZ6pzS0X0

I am a life long Yankee fan. I bleed Yankee blue. Go Yanks!….(You are on the wrong blog happy, this is a David Archuleta blog….) OK, I’ll get right to the connection. 

The Yankees have a closer by the name of Mariano Rivera. It is widely recognized that the Yankee franchise owes a considerable chunk of its success from 1995 to the present to this closer. He is regarded as the best there ever was. His records speak for themselves…most career saves, lowest ERA among relievers, lowest post season ERA, on and on. In the last 4 years he is 132-4 in save situations.  One blown save a year. I figure he might even do it on purpose just to confirm his humanity. In the prime of his prime he was absolutely unhittable,  from 1998 to 2000 he pitched 34 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason. His dominance is legendary. 

Just as remarkable though as his pitching stats is his longevity. Mariano throws primarily one pitch, the cutter…a fast ball. His career could have lasted maybe 3-5 years before his arm was mush, his dominance waning.  But he and  Yankee fans were blessed with wise and restrained management that knew what they had. They protected their miracle with a fierce loyalty. His brilliance was never squandered; his performances never taken for granted; he was never overused. Whatever they did,  they did right, and we’ve all been rewarded with an exceptionally long career. He has the longest active tenure for a closer by more than six years and his 15-year (and still going strong) career with the Yankees is the longest of any active pitcher. 

I do hope that David and his management take a page from Mariano’s book and find the balance between nurturing his career (he needs to perform and produce to have a career) and nurturing the Voice that is the gift that provides the career. Go Yanks. Go Mo. Go Big D. And play for the long haul.

 ~happy 

PS- Can’t I blog once in a while about the Yankees? We don’t have to be music purists, do we?  

Rolling Stone magazine says of him, “For over 40 years, Bob Dylan has remained, along with James Brown, the most influential American musician rock and roll has ever produced and the most important of the ’60s.

“Inscrutable and unpredictable, Dylan has been both deified and denounced for every shift of interest, while whole schools of musicians took up his ideas. His lyrics ~ the first in rock to be seriously regarded as literature ~ became so well known that politicians from Jimmy Carter to Vaclav Havel have cited them as an influence. By personalizing folk songs, Dylan reinvented the singer-songwriter genre; by performing his allusive, poetic songs in his nasal, spontaneous vocal style with an electric band, he enlarged pop’s range and vocabulary while creating a widely imitated sound….”

An icon in our midst with raindrops falling from the sky above.

Fast forward
Then I stand, the very next night, in imitation fog, Floor Section 3, Row 20, listening to the reigning Kings of Teen Pop.

This night’s staging is remarkable and the music catchy and adequate, not that it’s important. The band is rockin’ good…all 11 of them; 4 horns, 2 violins, 3 guitars, a drummer and a keyboard. Add the JoBros themselves, and round it out to …well, 11 musicians on stage (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Not that anyone is keeping track, we are all too busy enjoying the show.

They are who they are ~ Disney’s Boys, and Disney knows how to showcase its heart throb boys. We are who we are ~ teens having a blast. And we are together: with a hell of a terrific show. That’s all that matters to either of us. We are mesmerized by the smoke and the fog, the spray foam and the trampoline, the rotating stage and the lasers, the rising stage and the falling screen-in-the-round,… and the rain that falls from the ceiling.

At first, it is just ordinary rain falling in a circle from the steel above, then when we think it can’t get any better, it becomes Disney-rain falling as hearts and then as the words “Love Bug.” Oh yeah, and music stands at the center of the spectacle. Will this music stand the test of time? Will we be standing in rain in 45 years, heart-shaped or otherwise?

Rolling Stone magazine put them on the cover twice, (Nick reminds us).

A phenomenon in our midst with heart-shaped rain falling from the steel above.

There is a cavern between artists like Dylan and performers like the JoBros. Where along the spectrum will David be allowed to fall?

~ happy

“My music wasn’t made to take me from one place to another so I can retire early…
 To me, I don’t have a ‘career.’ … This isn’t my career; this is my life, and it’s still vital to me. … I just want to do whatever it is I do. … Besides, anything you want to do for posterity’s sake, you can just sing into a tape recorder and give it to your mother, you know? … This is all I want to do — it’s all I can do. I mean, you don’t have to be a 19- or 20-year-old to play this stuff. That’s the vanity of that youth-culture ideal. To me that’s never been the thing. I’ve never really aimed myself at any so-called youth culture. I directed it at people who I imagined, maybe falsely so, had the same experiences that I’ve had, who have been through what I’d been through. …If I’ve been about anything, it’s probably that, and to let some people know that it’s possible to do the impossible.”
[Dylan From Rolling Stone, July 17, 1986]

[audio:http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/audio/Workingman'sBlues2.mp3]

I’m done. That’s it. I’ve decided for David, and I hope he listens to me. “Forget the hype. Forget the fanfare. Lose the distractions. Do what you do, and leave the rest, because what you do is extraordinary.” 

I understand that he is a young man. Young. I get that, and I am happy for him. Oh, the special joy of youth. And I understand that music is a business. I understand that shtick and little girls’ tee shirts sell. I understand that he is a charismatic performer capable of mesmerizing 100,000 fans at a time. I understand that Zero Gravity is a great dance tune and that it was my favorite song of the solo tour. Noted, noted, and duly noted. I understand that I prefer the lava bomb to the sunshine. 

And I also understand that David Archuleta is a masterful artist. “Do what you do David. And leave the rest.” 

TriBeCa’s P.C. Richard & Son Theater is my new favorite venue in the whole world. Not even my living room would have been better….the acoustics are no good…too much furniture…and the lighting is all wrong. But the lighting and acoustics at the PC Richard Theater were surprisingly good. David’s voice sounded rich and full and resonant. The half filled little theater was a pleasure to behold. I was fortunate enough to stand front and center…front, front, center, center. Close enough to tie the crisp white laces of his new converse. The venue was intimate. Absent was the frenetic vibe of the mosh pit born of the solo tour. Here I was moshing without the moshing. No pushing, minimal screaming and no ringing in my ears. I was able to really concentrate on David-the-man. David the man. The artist. 

David-the-18-year-old-chit-chatterer was charming and darling. He talked about MS and hibachi, about lettuce and touring and twittering. He seemed relaxed and happy. He said he was happy to be performing before such a small and intimate audience in a small and intimate venue. His smile seemed genuine and the Q & A was delightful. There he stood before us, an ordinary boy talking about ordinary things. He even whipped out his cell phone and twittered like every other ordinary twitterer. But. He also sang. David-the-artist sang. 

While David-the-twitterer evoked smiles of amusement on the faces of the audience, most notably the 15 year old girls I was sharing space with, David-the-artist conjured a very different reaction. David-the-artist made these girls shake. And scream. And reach out. Their excitement and joy was a pleasure to witness. 

David the artist sat at his keyboard and sang Angels. A song he has sung countless times and which he said he never tires of singing. Angels and 1000 Miles. Here he was stripped of the distractions, of the nonsense of the business, and got to the business of his art. His voice was controlled and pure and beautiful. As I watched him and the sound of his voice filled me, it seemed he was saying to me, “This is what I do. I am a real live person; an artist; and I sing. We all do something. I sing and this is my gift to you. I hope you like it.” 

For all of the gifts that David has to share with us, for me, this is where he belongs. Simple and uncluttered. The simplicity lifts the extraordinary voice. You do not need to embellish a rose. Its exquisite beauty can be most completely appreciated when it does not have to compete for your attention. 

As David continues on his artistic journey, I hope he sees in himself what I see in him: the exquisite beauty of a perfect voice, full of the subtleties of human emotion. Forget the hype. Forget the fanfare. Lose the distractions. Do what you do David, and leave the rest. Because what you do is extraordinary.

~happy 

“My heart’s still pounding, David. I’ve got chills up and down my arms. The sun’s never going to go down on you because you bring out so much sunshine in everyone throughout the whole world through your singing. And, David, that was a beautiful, beautiful stunning performance.”

This was Paula Abdul’s typically gushy comment after David Archuleta’s AI finale performance of DLTSGDOM. Funny thing is, the following was Randy Jackson’s comment about the same performance…

“It doesn’t matter what happens right now, you gotta know one thing, this is one of the best performances of this whole season, and you picked the right time to peak, baby. That was flawless and unbelievably molten hot.”

So which is it, sunshine or molten hot lava? Apparently, David Archuleta is hot either way. But I ask you, “How do you prefer your Archuheat? Sunshiny or lava bomb?”

Me…I prefer the lava bomb. Not that I am not a fan of sunshine, quite the contrary, I am a sunshine lover. I love its soothing warmth on my face and the glow it imparts on my skin (not to mention its life giving rays). It’s just that the sun is… so far away…. and…. so common, and well,….. taken for granted. As “countless as the stars in the sky”, blah, blah… No ma’am,…this is not a fitting description of David Archuleta.

Lava on the other hand, is exotic…dynamic, molten hot, and flowing with the power of 2500 degrees, the evolving earth blowing its insides out…in the process it reminds us up close and personal of the consequences of trapping all of that incredible energy …. Just the thought of it, gets the blood flowing. What happens when the heat and pressure builds up? It finds a way out. One way or another…the molten hot lava finds a way out, even the Earth’s crust can’t contain it. Yes sir,….. a much more fitting description of an Archuperformance.

Of course, some of you astronomy types are thinking, lava vs. the sun? Get real. “Lady, what about a supernova? Supernovas create blackholes, masses with such attractive forces that nothing can escape….not even light.” Surly this evokes the inescapable power that is the performing David Archuleta? Well, you have a point… stars ARE fitting too I guess. But Paula said “sunshine”, no mention of stars and supernova, so I stand by my molten hot laavvaaaa……..maybe it’s just that I enjoy the volcano imagery more.

~happy

Inspired, I moseyed off in search of another song to describe you. Click, listen. No. Click, listen. No. Click, yes, but….not quite. And so it continued, for hours, for days. I admit that looking for songs is an enjoyable proposition, so no complaints here; and there were dozens of songs that fit you. But I found myself in a familiar song-choice-fairytale …one too hot, another too corny, then too mature, or too banal; nothing seemed just right. I began to empathize with the difficulty inherent in song choice. It’s harder than it looks. This was my one chance to describe you and I wanted to get it right.

My one chance. That was the problem. You cannot be described in one song, with one chance. You have too many layers. So I did what any self-respecting music lover would do…… I chose them all. Some I chose because I enjoyed the title, some for the lyrics, others for the melody or the glory notes; some for the rhythm or the vibe. A couple I chose just because I want you to sing them, others because I wanted you to dedicate them to special folks. But each expressed some aspect of you that I see, or would like to see more often.

A “series.” That is what I needed. A series. Then I could share them all. So today, with little fanfare from anyone but me, I roll my own drum and post entry number one in the Songs in the Key of David series. I have added a short explanation of what I see as fitting about it and why I like it. It has no special significance because it is first. I needed to start somewhere.

I will offer that a fun, cool vibe and the title were essential components of this entry. Lately David, I am digging you when you are cool and yearning. The profound angst, the deep soul, the soaring vocals — they’ll appear in songs to come. For this one, I can’t resist the title and the vibe, and it was written and originally performed by artists close to my heart. I imagine you might get rid of the brass in your version, I know you are not fond of trumpets, but what the heck. Finally, being the first, I will dedicate this song to none other than Silverfox, the TDCer who first brought me out of lurkdom. Don’t know if she will like it, but I thought of her when I thought of it. I hope you like it.

~ We at TDC think it will be fun if our readers join in the series by sending song ideas through the Contact page. Include a short description of why you picked the song and we will post them in the series and have a grand time debating them. Our own version of “a song of the day” in the “Arts & Archutainment” section. I look forward to the discussion thread. What do you think? fitting? or not?

~happy

The Fever
Written by Bruce Springsteen
Performed by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes

[audio:http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/audio/The Fever.mp3] Buy on Amazon.com

When I get home from my job I turn on my T.V.
But I can’t keep my mind on the show
When I lay down at night, oh I can’t get no sleep
So I turn on my radio
But the only sound I hear is you whisperin’ in my ear
The words that you used to say
Now my days grow longer
‘Cause my love grows stronger
And the fever gets worse
And I’ve got the fever for love

Got the fever, oh I’ve got the fever
Nothing that a po’ boy can do
When he’s got the fever for love
Got the fever, oh I’ve got the fever
Left this little boy blue

I can remember comin’ home and standin’ at the stove
With the dishes on the table
Dinner ready to go
Maybe on out to a movie show
Something that I’d like to see
Well, now, you are my sun in the morning
And my moon at night
I think about you baby
I feel all right
Now my days grow longer
As my love grows stronger
And the fever gets worse
And I’ve got the fever for love

Got the fever, oh I’ve got the fever
Nothing that a po’ boy can do
When he’s got the fever for love
Got the fever, oh I’ve got the fever
Left this little boy blue

I can remember comin’ home and standin’ at the stove
With the dishes on the table
Dinner ready to go
Maybe on out to a movie show
Something that I’d like to see
Well, now, you are my sun in the morning
And my moon at night
I think about you baby
I feel all right
Now my days grow longer
As my love grows stronger
And the fever gets worse
And I’ve got the fever for love

There ain’t nothing I can do
Sure left this little boy blue
Oh I’ve got the fever baby
I’ve got the fever for you.

]]> http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/2009/05/songs-in-the-key-of-david/feed/ 95 http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/2009/05/wow-just-wow/ http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/2009/05/wow-just-wow/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 04:29:14 +0000 happy http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/?p=4476

Wow. Do we really have to comment on these photos taken at the London Hammersmith Apollo by Christie Goodwin ? According to her website, Ms. Goodwin “is the leading rock photographer of this generation. Her striking and atmospheric images capture the true soul of the musician. Her iconic live photography and intuitive portraiture has gained critical acclaim in the music industry and is used by top recording artists.”

Can we repeat that? “Her striking and atmospheric images capture the true soul of the musician.” Wow. Just wow.

Thank you Ms. Goodwin.

View the complete set of published pictures.

http://www.ccphotoart.biz/index.html

To Twitter or not to Twitter, that is the question. The revelation of David’s recent Twitter “follower” brought up an interesting discussion on TDC today, much of which is reprinted here. Happy, freo and TOfan weigh in below. How about you? … Do you Twitter?

Happy: Many Twitter-haters like me hate Twitter in large part because its use for recreation reinforces the loss of boundaries and propriety in contemporary society. It is becoming commonplace to say and act universally the same regardless of who and where you are. People have lost a sense of boundaries, they wear the same thing to school as they wear to bed; to church as they wear to the beach. They actually had to make it part of the dress code in my son’s school- “no pajamas” and “no underwear on the outside.” More and more kids use language with adults in the same manner as they speak to their friends, people need to have signs posted, “Please don’t talk on your cell phone when conducting business.” Didn’t craigslist recently warn, “Don’t use our site for criminal activity” ?

Maybe Twitter should post the following warning, “Since the very nature of our product is to encourage a ‘contemporary-form-of-cyber-stalking’ even among regular folk, if you are a certifiable nutjob please be careful when revealing your stalking tendencies, it will freak people out.”

Twitter can be harmful to nonpublic people as well as public people; noncelebrities are stalked too. Once upon a time, before “twitter” was coined, the word for an unusual curiosity about the personal behaviors of another person was “voyeurism,” and it was considered unhealthy. I realize Twitters are inviting the window into their personal life, but I see “twitter” and “voyeur” as cousins.

In my opinion, when used as a form of fun it also presents problems. Many people seek celebrity and many want to elevate themselves to “celebrity status” in their own minds, in their own real corner of their own real lives. Twitter is a tool that can make you a “celebrity in your own mind.” This twittering encourages the adolescent notion that “the world revolves around me.” Why? Why would my ego think that anyone should or would care about where I am every moment or what I just ate?

Most often this is the way it goes with technology. Tools are developed and rarely are all of the ramifications and uses recognized at the outset. I see that Twitter can be used effectively in a professional manner for individuals and businesses to promote and advertise their events free of traditional advertising costs. Provided you don’t make your living in advertising that can be a good thing. But as a personal tool I do not see it as a technological advance that improves the quality of lives.

TOfan: I feel very sad saying this but, Twitter or no Twitter, stalkers/OTT fans are a fact of life for every celebrity (as are paparazzi). When the meet-and-greet events first started during the A.I. tour, I half-jokingly suggested to someone that, if I were Jeff or Lupe, I’d keep a copy of every photo taken with fans at those sessions for future reference.

Twitter isn’t the problem, it’s the cult of celebrity that’s the problem. I agree, Happy, that boundaries have gone the way of the Dodo, but even before the Internet, unstable personalities were fixating on their “idols.”

At least these “social networking” tools allow the authorities to know what these troubled people look like. It’s terribly sad that David, who enjoys meeting and knowing his fans, won’t have that freedom soon, but safety has to be the first priority.

A couple of days ago, I read an article that predicted Twitter was doomed to fail. Why? Because Oprah was growing tired of it … and you know what that means….

Pre-David’s tweets, I saw no point to Twitter (except for the chronically self-absorbed). But his tweets have been so dang charming, another channel through which he could share his adorkableness … mindless, maybe, but another way to connect with fans.

When someone tweeted him to point out how many “followers” (such a loaded word!) he had, I wondered if that maybe freaked him out … it should, methinks….

Freo: I am mostly in favor of Twitter. It is enjoyable to hear about the artist’s everyday events and it opens the lines of communication. I enjoy sending messages of support. My only concern is that more artists are being pressured to use Twitter with their fans and that it can break down private boundaries too much.

Finally, if you must Twitter may we suggest you Twitter politely?

Spring is upon us.

Life. Death. Rebirth.

From the smallest cell to the largest star, the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is repeated. The rising of the sun at dawn, the blazing heat of midday, the setting sun … everything must die to rise again.

This cycle is part of the continuous process of change; the ebb and flow of both the material and the spiritual world. Rebirth is recurrent in the teachings of the major religions, and in science, philosophy, mythology, nature … and music.

Many of us have experienced rebirth in our own lives, both with and without music. But many of us here are united in a large part due to a musical rebirth. The instrument? The voice of David Archuleta.

Through David’s music, some have been reborn to the joys and power of music. A power that soothes babies, satisfies passions, inspires armies; offers catharsis, triggers memories; rekindles loves, offers peace and joy; and improves the quality of our lives. Music has the power to draw us into the present or to relive the past; it makes us feel connected. Music provides the harmonies of the senses that lead to the harmonies of the soul.

For some, the connections and harmonies found in David’s music spark a reawakening to old favorites … music of times past and the memories that live there. This is a voice that reminds us of what we have forgotten; it breathes new life into our hearts. To revisit our youth we call to mind our old 45s and LPs. We find that our rebirth leads us to reacquire these dusty gems via iTunes or by downloading mp3s and mp4s. We have been revived by the treasure trove that is YouTube.

Still others have experienced renewal through a reintroduction to pop music. A music they were either never fond of or had long since given up on. Some haven’t listened to pop music in decades, or were always more Bob Dylan groupies or the Bach and Beethoven crowd. But extraordinary music cuts through genres, and David’s voice is extraordinary. This is a voice that makes us hear music as if for the first time; it awakens our hearts. We float on the river of melody, and hear the words as if they are sung only to us.

The recording industry will hopefully find itself refreshed by the rebirth in music that David Archuleta’s artistry represents; a return to musicianship, to technique; a return to restraint; a return to beauty in mainstream music.

As a community we are fortunate to be standing not toward the end of the continuum but at the beginning. The music of David Archuleta has been an instrument of our rebirth and for this, we listen with grateful hearts.

[audio:http://www.thedavidchronicles.com/audio/HowGreatThouArt.mp3]

~ happy