Let's Twist!

It’s time for another installment of something no one asked for. 

So here goes the music review. 

“Twist and Shout” - Various Artists - I hate this song. Okay, so hate is probably way too strong in this case, but I really don’t like this song. And what’s maybe most perplexing is that it connects with lots of things I love. I love “The Beatles,” and while their version is a cover that more or less stole all the attention away from the song’s original artists, it’s still not for me. Even though I do like the fact that in one of most well-known live performances John has almost completely lost his voice and is just squawking the lyrics. I also love “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” It’s one of my favorite movies. It is set in my favorite American city of Chicago. And yet, I hate the scene where Ferris sings this song. It’s so ludicrous and over the top (the entire rest of the movie is completely plausible up to this point). To be fair, I also hate Ferris singing “Danke Shoen” (and perhaps at some point I will post my feelings about this song - but you can probably guess). I probably hate this song because it tends to necessitate a huge dancing crowd at wedding receptions, and this is more or less my hell. I hate dancing. I can’t dance. I don’t want to dance, really ever. I will do it because I love my wife, and we have worked out an agreement. But I legitimately learned how to play instruments so I could be in bands and never have to dance. So please, let me do that thing. 

“Twistin’ the Night Away” - Sam Cooke, et. al. - I love this song. This song, released just a year after “Twist and Shout” was written, eclipses its cousin in seemingly every category. It is not call and response (which simply dumbs down a song). Also, instead of telling (or screaming at me) to dance and instructing me how to dance, this song starts with “Let me tell you ‘bout a place.” It invites the listener into this reality instead of forcing it on her or him. I’m also going to show my cards and admit that I think Sam Cooke is a musical genius and one who is quite underrated. Of course The Beatles were also genius, and I have at least one friend who thinks they were underrated, but still. Perhaps the best accolade I can give this song is that it actually makes me want to think about possibly dancing…at some point. 

Hate This Song/Love This Song

So I have a new idea that might actually get me writing again (everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief). Music is one of the most important things in my life. I know lots of people say that, but they are all liars. I mean it for serious. Several years ago I realized that the way I feel about music is pretty akin to the way I feel about people. I like at least a few songs from all genres. Granted, I’m just not huge on reggae, but I can groove to a few of those tunes. So I don’t think you can just write off a genre completely. You really have to take things one song at a time and see if it’s a song for you or not. Maybe it’s not for you right now, but years later it’s magic. Could also be the other way around.

Thus begins a new experiment of sharing songs I love and hate. Here the metaphor needs to end because I don’t really think we should hate any people or person. Sure if someone kills everyone in your family you are going to hate that person. God, I think, knows this is the case. Look at the Psalms. But I’m not going to condone or encourage hate. I am going to say that I hate certain songs. And yeah, that’s pretty strong, and some people really hate the word hate. My apologies in advance. I’m going to try and balance things by also sharing a song I love. Sometimes genres might match up and stuff like that. We’ll just see where it all goes. I welcome thoughts and even requests to weigh in on songs. Let’s break the internet!

“Lean On Me” by Bill Withers - I hate this song. I’m not even really sure why. I just kind of always have. Musically I don’t think it’s much. And I must confess that my feelings for it have been vastly influenced by hearing it used at church camps or certain rallies. Things went to white-hot hate when people started doing the “five, short, elbow” thing. That’s truly horrible and makes no sense as he is not saying “knee” or “knead.” Come on people, you’re better than that. I think it was used once at the end of an episode of “The Simpsons,” and that’s the closest I’ve come to liking it. But no, it’s just not for me.

“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King - I love this song. See what I did there? In the same way that I’ve just never been a fan of “Lean on Me” I loved this song the first time I heard it. I am fairly certain I first heard it being played by my brother’s junior high band (Tigrett Junior High Thunderbolts). Like a marching band, but I don’t think they were marching. Probably it was at a football game or something? Anyway, it was amazing, and I didn’t even know the words which I think are deeply moving and somehow resist being cliche. The way the song builds is perfect. Everything fits, and nothing is wasted. To me, it is a perfect song.