“Blueberry Hill” (Fats Domino Cover)

By Jim Fusco:

And with the curveball out of left field, it’s Jim Fusco premiering a Fats Domino song!  I have a list of about 20 songs that I’m ready to record, but my raging cold didn’t allow for that.  You know, the best laid plans… But, I was listening to my new Genius Playlists in iTunes and this song came up.  It was the Beach Boys version from 15 Big Ones that I’ve known for so many years.  I mean, I heard the Fats Domino version on the local oldies station back when they actually played 50s music, but I knew all of the words because of the Beach Boys version.

I stayed true to the Fats Domino version for two reasons: 1, the Beach Boys version isn’t that great, and 2, it’s new bands weeks here on the best video blog on the internet and it only seemed fitting.

My current illness, which I’ve noticed is similar to most, allows me to feel much better as the day goes on.  When I first wake up, I can barely talk and before I go to bed, you wouldn’t think I was sick at all.  So, that’s why I recorded this video so late at night.  My voice still won’t hold up for any higher-register songs (no comments from the peanut gallery as to my NORMAL ability to sing those parts), so this tune, even though I remembered it the day before, moved 20 slots up my list and onto New Bands Week.

Honestly, this video may rank as one of my favorites in the future.  There’s a few Jim Fusco personal touches, including that C to Cmaj7 to C7 that I added during the middle 8.  There’s also that crazy strum pattern I’m doing.  Try to replicate it.  I’m playing over a full six inch span over the sound hole.  You’ll see the lower notes being played first, followed by the mids and highs.  The video doesn’t rush, either.  I did two full takes that were literally about a second apart from each other in length.  The video seems to capture that orignal Fats Domino feel to it, and I’m proud of how the song came out.  I think my voice, even though it wasn’t at its best, fit the song well.

It stinks that New Bands Week is over for me.  I always look forward to doing new artists.  You’ll be seeing PLENTY from me in the coming weeks, especially as my voice gets back to normal again and I don’t have coughing fits after a take.  Enjoy today’s video and join me on the edge of my seat as we wait to view Chris and Jeff’s final entries into New Bands Week 2.0.  Oh, and two last things: wasn’t Jeff’s original tune great yesterday?  And second, I love Jeff’s new trademarked “Thumpin’ Thursday”, but today’s mellow number doesn’t really fit that bill.  But then again, I won’t say what went on over on Blueberry Hill…

“Up in the Air” by Kevin Renick – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

To see how it’s played in a music video, CLICK HERE!

“Up in the Air”
Kevin Renick

C    G            C
I’m up in the air,
C                       G                C
Choices drifting by me everywhere.
C       Am                Em
And I can’t find the one
Em             Am                                        Em
That would help me do the work I’ve left undone,
Em            G            C
‘Cause I’m up in the air.

I’m making some plans,
Finding out there’s always new demands.
And I can’t be precise;
When people ask me what I’m doing with my life,
I say, “It’s up in the air.”

C    G                  C
I’m hearing from friends.
C                   G                C
It’s that tired, old advice again:
C      Am                                        Dm
“You just cannot keep floating all around.
Dm        Am                                             Dm
Oh, you got to get your feet back on the ground.”
Dm      Am                Em
But it’s hard to come down
Em               G             C
When you’re up in the air.

C         G                    C
Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
C         G                    C
Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
Am      Em     Am             Em
Daaaa, daaa; daaa, da-da-da
C
Mmm-mm…

I’m traveling in my car,
Always lost, though I don’t go that far.
I find that I can live most anywhere.
Everyone I meet has so much they can share.
But I don’t settle down,
‘Cause I’m up in the air.

I’m thinking of my past,
The comfort in my home that couldn’t last.
Now my family tells me work for your success,
And they want to see me find some happiness.
But I’m not sure where that is,
‘Cause I’m up in the air.

I’m talking with my peers,
Listening to them tell their inner fears.
Some have lives that haven’t gone the way they planned,
And some are trapped in situations they can’t stand.
But I don’t want the same for me,
So I stay up in the air.

Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
Daaaa, da-da, da, da-da.
Daaaa, daaa; daaa, da-da-da
Mmm-mm…

I’m out in the woods;
Something here does my heart so good.
I breathe the air, and I know that I’m alive.
And I stare at all the birds as they fly by.
I guess it all comes down to them,
‘Cause they’re up in the air…

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

CD Review: Brian Wilson’s “Gettin’ In Over My Head”

RATING:  4 / 5 stars

By Chris Moore:

Released on the eve of SMiLE, Gettin’ In Over My Head is a testament to Brian Wilson’s talent and motivation as a singer/songwriter. Entire books (see: Wouldn’t It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds by Charles L. Granata) have been written about how Wilson changed the landscape of the singer/songwriter’s rock/pop album, both in how artists create and in how the audience listens. It is refreshing and inspiring to see that such an artist is not only reworking unfinished projects from the past, but also creating new music that stands independently from his past hits.

The first track, “How Could We Still Be Dancin’,” is a great start for this album. Brian Wilson may be an aged rock star whose prime was arguably in the mid-1960s, but his flair for an upbeat song—a song which one might dance to—is unsurpassed. He invites Elton John along for the ride, and delivers a great album starter. This is followed up by “Soul Searchin’,” a song that carries with it many implications. The lead is shared by Brian and his brother Carl, who passed away in 1998. Brian was able to take Carl’s original vocal—cut in the mid-90s for a possible Beach Boys project—and feature it on a new track cut by Brian and his band. For Beach Boys’ fans, this is a treat in and of itself. That it is an emotional song and perhaps one of the best on the album is a wonderful bonus. The third and fourth tracks are notable for their sound. The fourth (and title) track is especially notable, when considering the evolution of Brian Wilson’s sound. There are certainly intimations of Pet Sounds throughout the album, in the choice of instrumentation and the themes of love and, specifically, the overlap between new and old love.

This is not to say that Wilson is simply tapping into and mimicking a previously established sound, albeit his own. On the contrary, he delivers songs like “City Blues” (an upbeat track laced with a typically, and appropriately, bluesy electric solo by Eric Clapton) and “A Friend Like You” (an admittedly cheesy, yet sincere collaboration with Paul McCartney)—these are new songs. Still, Wilson good-naturedly returns to the music of his youth with “Desert Drive,” a song that could have stepped off of an album like Little Deuce Coupe. Wilson wrote three of the songs on the album by himself, of which “Don’t Let Her Know She’s An Angel” is probably the most brilliant. He sings, “I don’t know why she completes me…I’m not even sure what love means / Don’t let her know she’s an angel.” Even in his sixties, Wilson still remembers how it feels to be in love and yet not know how to define it, how to define it logically. It’s a beautiful little tune, complete with a well-orchestrated backing track and impeccable harmonies—Wilson’s trademarks.

What cannot be understated here is the fact that Wilson wrote or co-wrote each and every one of the thirteen songs on this album. He has earned the right to host guests like John, Clapton, and McCartney to a degree that an artist like Santana has not. Wilson cannot be accused of relying on the names of his co-stars. He has arranged an original album that stands on its own. It builds upon the surf music and Pet Sounds styles of his past without relying on them. He even closes the album with “The Waltz,” a song he co-wrote with Van Dyke Parks. A song of high school cotillions, angora sweaters, fandangos, Topanga, Tarzana, and a love that “can make this old world tremble,” this final collaboration is an apt nod to Wilson’s next release, the long-awaited SMiLE. This album stands on its own, a validation of Wilson’s continuing career as a singer/songwriter.

11/2005

“Hey Love” (Better Than Ezra Cover)

By Michael Brading:

This is an acoustic cover of the song “Hey Love” by Better Than Ezra.

** EDITOR’S NOTE: **

It’s been nearly a year and a half now since Jeff posted our first — and only — Better Than Ezra acoustic cover, so I jumped at the chance to feature this version of “Hey Love,” a track from 2009’s Paper Empire.  I was actually shocked to see that this song came from such a recent album, as this latest Better Than Ezra effort slipped past me entirely.  And I’ve made it my business to be in “the know” on new music releases since January of 2008, so that’s saying something.

It is on this note that I am happy to welcome Michael Brading back to the Laptop Sessions blog for his second highlighted appearance.  As you’ll see and hear, he has done an outstanding job here translating “Hey Love” to an entirely acoustic solo performance. He has “cheated” the LS formula a little with the subtly double-tracked lead vocal, but I have to admit that it’s to great effect.

Even as I write this, I’m still humming the song to myself, which is a sure sign that Michael not only picked out a great track, but also performed it well!

Here’s to a strong return to the blog for Michael, and to a relaxing Friday evening for us all.  Stay tuned this weekend for more all-new material from the Laptop Sessions blog…