The Summer of Graceland

So it's 1986. I'm 11 years old. You Can Call Me Al is on pretty much every radio station. I'm wondering why? Who is this short little man that my parents are saying "oh we remember him and the other high singing bloke he used to duo with when we were young". Right away, he became less cool, right up there with Roger fucking Whittaker and his incessant whistling. But then I see this news report about the how he spent 9 days in South Africa recording with local artists and vocalists and I'm intrigued.

An album like this is the benchmark to which many pop rock artists aspire to. The inspiration, the journey, the cultural impacts, and the lasting impression are the stuff of dreams for songwriters and musicians. An album like this is the panacea to the doubts we as artists carry in our heads that "it's just music". It so bloody more than that.

I have been living with this album in my head all summer. And I'm not alone. I get in the elevator the other day here at the homestead and a sweet little 20 something on roller blades has it blasting on her iPod. Everything about this album is just...different. The guitars are a twangy mix of Nashville and reggae. The bass playing is almost unthinkable as possible. The mix is phenomenal and well the lyrics. JD has talked about the iconoclast style that Simon put down that we'd be pretty hard pressed to find on the radio today. More and more people are going back to the eighties as a source of inspiration which has made me cringe. The sounds that people are 'experimenting' with and bringing back are stuff that Talking Heads threw out with the trash and then went on to write (Nothing) But Flowers. I think the reason for going back and looking and listening is because there is Nothing on the radio that inspires. Bob Leftez wrote about a track by Natalie Maines and Neil Finn called Silent House as it reminded him of what Led Zeppelin pulled off-real, truth telling ballsy ethereal rock music. It's sad to think that if the equivalent of Zeppelin IV was released today it would be a blip on the radar of corporate zombie music consuming America. Would Graceland EVER fly as a major label record now let alone have 3 hit singles? We keep reaching keep listening to when it was all good. The labels have eaten themselves and are now eating the young-songwriters and musicians because they refuse to lead the industry. FUCK, I didn't want this to turn into a rant but its late and I'm tired and thinking about how much amazing music will never get the exposure it deserves and this makes my heart weak. Bottom line go BUY Graceland, listen, learn and fall in love.