Hey y'all and welcome to the third week of the Mixtape Collektive!
I'm gonna start this week with a photo:
The image here is taken from Robert Frank's 1958 collection The Americans. Why mention this photographer in the music blog you may ask. Fair question, and I will explain. You see friends, I've been working with a research project here at the University of Guelph for about a year and a half. It's called the Improvisation Community and Social Practice Project and (while it is really complicated to explain in detail) it's hypothesis is essentially that Improvised forms of music, especially jazz, can offer important lessons for being and becoming in the world. On Friday, the post doctoral fellow from the Montreal branch of project came to speak about Improvisation, Beat poetry, and New American Cinema. She talked specifically about the film "Pull My Daisy" which features Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Robert Frank as a director. Well, in talking with Sara it turns out that Frank also toured with the Rolling Stones in 1972 (the Exile on Main Street Years) and cut a 90 minute film called "Cocksucker Blues". However, the film was never released because...well, the Rolling Stones were to bad ass (apparently they didn't want their mums to see them shooting up and vomiting on screen). Since I love the Beat poets, and the Rolling Stones, and since Exile is one of my favourite albums of all time, I had to do my research on this guy: In short, he was awarded a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation in 1955, toured the US with the likes of Kerouac and Cassady, and produced a beautiful, haunting, and entrancing collection of photographs titled "The Americans". I've spent the morning looking at these photos and they are filled with a human tenderness, comedy, and sadness that is really overwhelming.
"Rob, what does this have to do with music that'll blow my mind?"
My first tune is Let It Loose off the Rolling Stones' 1972 masterpiece Exile On Mainstreet
The photos or the sleeve of the album were taken by Frank. This tune is one of my favourite songs of all time. I still remember the first time I heard it. I was 15 and for English class I was researching Rolling Stone's top 500 albums of all time. Being highly influenced at the time by William Miller from "Almost Famous" I went out an bought the top 20 albums. Turns out it was one of the best things I ever did! I was in my room reading a Stones' biography and this song came on. It amazed me how these guys could put all the pain, frustration, and longing of their addictions, loneliness, and insecurities into a song so soulful and strangely hopeful.
The photos or the sleeve of the album were taken by Frank. This tune is one of my favourite songs of all time. I still remember the first time I heard it. I was 15 and for English class I was researching Rolling Stone's top 500 albums of all time. Being highly influenced at the time by William Miller from "Almost Famous" I went out an bought the top 20 albums. Turns out it was one of the best things I ever did! I was in my room reading a Stones' biography and this song came on. It amazed me how these guys could put all the pain, frustration, and longing of their addictions, loneliness, and insecurities into a song so soulful and strangely hopeful.
My second contribution to the mixtape today is from my favourite website: La Blogotheque. It has never ceased to blow my mind, and Soema Montenegro is no exception. She is an Argentinian musician who practices vocal improvisation of traditional folk ballads.
We come to Soema and her husband in their kitchen. She is carefully preparing her drum. She is lighting incense 'for the recording spirits' she explains. She does not speak our language, but it does not matter. She sings to us without regard for that limitation. Instead, she begins her song with a laugh. She explodes into the music. We are forever her listeners. "What planet are you from!?" asks Pablo Bobadilla in his write up on the show. That pretty much sums it up for me too.
We come to Soema and her husband in their kitchen. She is carefully preparing her drum. She is lighting incense 'for the recording spirits' she explains. She does not speak our language, but it does not matter. She sings to us without regard for that limitation. Instead, she begins her song with a laugh. She explodes into the music. We are forever her listeners. "What planet are you from!?" asks Pablo Bobadilla in his write up on the show. That pretty much sums it up for me too.
I've got one more for you. No talking, just funk: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - Better Things
So friends, here we are. The end of my post. Some tunes I hope will really make you think about the possibilities of pop songs (and one to get you on your feet!). Some music that really blew my mind!
Rob J.
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