NYC has long been an inspiration for songwriters, both its native sons and its newcomers. There's a bit of everything here. Songs about uptown, downtown, from Skid Row to Broadway and beyond. Hail a cab, take the A train, or pound the pavement with Stinky as your guide to the city that never sleeps.
When I received Stinky's compilation, I was reminded of my favorite NYC album, Songs Of New York by Mel Tormé. It was originally issued in 1964 as Mel Tormé Sings Sunday In New York And Other Songs About New York, but Atlantic Records had the good sense to abbreviate the title when it was reissued.
Mel can belt out "New York, New York" with the best of them. "Harlem Nocturne" highlights his impressive range and tone, and "Let Me Off Uptown" shows off his great sense of rhythm. But the best songs are the ones where Mel really swings: "Lullaby Of Birdland", "42nd Street", Rodgers & Hart's "Manhattan", and (above all) "The Brooklyn Bridge". You might think I'm joking, since it's outside the usual fare for this blog, but I sincerely love this record. I hope Stinky doesn't mind sharing the spotlight today: as the old song goes, I want to be a part of it.
This Is My Stop: Songs Of NYC (Another Stinky Production)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mediafire.com/file/bqtr4416f2qrq8d/This_Is_My_Stop_-_Songs_Of_NYC.zip/file
Mel Torme: Songs Of New York
https://www.mediafire.com/file/e6p2vf5jnto23c3/Mel+T+NYC.zip/file
New link for Mellow Mel: https://krakenfiles.com/view/4Lv6SjMzS9/file.html
DeleteHey, I saw a comment of yours on another blog about Ludus's The Seduction. Do you happen to still have a link to your rip (if you ever got around to it)? I'm really interested in hearing the difference between the CD and the record.
ReplyDeleteIf not, no worries.
Thanks!
I think I lost the hard drive that it was on. I'm sorry!
DeleteThanks Jonder! I discovered Mel Torme a couple years ago when I posted some of his stuff I found at the Goodwill after being curious about him since knowing that he was Harry the Judge's favorite performer on the old TV show Nightcourt. I've got at least one more vinyl of his in the back stacks to be ripped so when I do I could add your modest rip (surprised Stinky let you squeeze in with all his great posts stealing the show as it were--Kudos to the pungent one as well!!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! I remember Night Court. I was kinda mystified in the 90's when Tony Bennett became popular on MTV and alt-rock radio. To my ears, Mel is in every respect the superior performer. Tony Bennett is a skilled interpreter of songs with an emotive voice, and I mean him no disrespect. But Mel has greater range, incredible tone (the "Velvet Fog"), and a terrific sense of rhythm. Mel could scat, he could improvise, he loved wordplay, he was a great arranger -- Mel had it all.
DeleteMy wife and I saw him in concert in 1991. Mel got behind the drumkit for "Strike Up The Band", and he kicked ass. He was almost 70. Listening to the rhythm in his vocals, it makes sense that he was a drummer. Mel's Christmas album from 1992 is a favorite at my house. He makes "Good King Wenceslas" swing, he adds seasonal lyrics to "Glow Worm", and of course he does the classic "Christmas Song" which he cowrote ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."). I could go on, but I already did.
I agree -- The Velvet Frog definitely kicks Tony Bennett's ass to the curb in every way. Somehow TB cashed in by basically just being the last crooner crooning.
ReplyDeleteThanks team!
Mr. D: Not to be argumentative, but Mr. Bennett is definitely the better painter.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you're being SO argumentative, Stinky. I know a guy who owns a Dee Dee Ramone painting: does that make Joey's version of "It's A Wonderful World" better than Tony Bennett's??? That is CLEARLY what you are implying here, and it's a dangerous and slippery slope.
DeleteTrue, Bob Dylan is both a terrible singer and a terrible painter. On the other hand, I like Rick Froberg's voice AND his artwork for Hot Snakes and Obits, but he's no Velvet Fog. And how do you know that my man Mel DIDN'T paint?
Wait a minute Stinky, wait a minute. Why are we fighting? This is all MrDave's fault. Everything was copacetic until HE showed up and started dissing poor old Tony Bennett. I mean, I never said that Mel was superior to Tony in EVERY respect -- oh wait, I did. I still blame MrDave, though.
I accept full responsibility for this debacle. I failed to take Mr Bennett's surprisingly competent (though, like his singing, derivative) painting skills into account when weighing these artists' relative merits. I would need to hear George Bush Jr.'s rendition of "A Foggy Day" and see a still life with rhubarb by Mr. Frog before awarding the "all around" medal for this event.
DeleteDubya could sing a FROGGY day, amirite
DeleteI bought a couple Jerry Garcia neckties back in the day, and when our first son was born we got some cute baby clothes with John Lennon drawings on them. That's about the extent of my patronage of deceased musicians' visual art.
Dammit, Mr. Dave!
ReplyDeleteAlways the peacemaker, I think we can ALL agree that THE REPLACEMENTS' Chris Mars is the best musician turned painter:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/02/11/art-hounds-chris-mars-joanna-rawson-hedda-gabler
But "painter turned musician" is a whole other discussion.
For that distinction, I'd say it's a toss up between Monet and Van Gogh.
Few people realize that Monet and Van Gogh had competing combos.
Monet was classically trained. Van Gogh played by ear.
Los Stinkos
Peace through puns! Well played, sir. Good call on Chris Mars, too. I just remembered that Nick Blinko and Cyril Jordan are impressive illustrators as well. Someone should assemble a touring exhibition of musicians' visual art (and don't forget Don Van Vliet). They could call it Paintapalooza.
DeleteAnother musician who is also an accomplished visual artist: Marcellus Hall, former frontman of Railroad Jerk and White Hassle. He's done a lot of drawings and paintings for magazines and books.
Deletehttps://www.marcellushall.com/
After checking that link, I've seen Marcellus Hall's stuff EVERYWHERE.
ReplyDeleteHe's a New Yorker whose work has been in the New Yorker!
DeleteJust thought of another musician-illustrator hyphenate: David Mitchell (3D's, Ghost Club).
https://www.discogs.com/lists/Cover-illustration-by-David-Mitchell-The-3Ds-Flying-Nun-Xpressway-New-Zealand/431082