Musings in Search of a Muse

My employer thought it would be a good idea to promote some self-education among the employees by giving away some 40,000 tracks from iTunes -- four each to the first 10,000 employees to complete the training. Well, you can bet that I leaped on that right away. Here's what I got:

"Goodbye, Goodnight"
Jars of Clay
iTunes Originals - Jars of Clay
If you close your eyes while listening to this track you would almost swear that the Beatles were performing. This is so reminiscent of the Eleanor Rigby era from the orchestration, to the melody, and the little "mistake" at the end. I'd almost say that someone was channeling John Lennon when writing the lyrics, but this is a Christian band. The overall sentiment is non-secular, but then again so were many works by Lennon, et al, without being primarily a praise-and-worship song. Out of the box this tune got 4-stars but was quickly promoted to 5-stars.

"This Man"
Jeremy Camp
Restored
Based on the chorus of this song and some of my purchases in the last couple months one might get the opinion that I have a preoccupation with the Crucifixion.

Would you take the place of this man
Would you take the nails from his hands
Would you take the place of this man
Would you take nails from his hands

Well, maybe I do. Along with the Resurection, there aren't many events in the last few thousand years that have had such an impact as the death of Christ. Musically speaking, other than love there can't be a more powerful theme in music today. And really, the Crucifixion is about love anyway. Would you have died in his place? As devout as I am I have to admit that even I would hesitate. But then again, perhaps only Christ could demonstrate that much love.

"Big Mama's Blues (My Love)"
Big Mama Thornton, Francis Clay, James Cotton, Luther Johnson, Muddy Waters, Otis Spann & Samuel Lawhorn
Big Mama Thornton With the Muddy Waters Blues Band - 1966
The first few bars quickly establish this as one of those gritty Blues pieces that will always form the backbone of the genre. Miss Thornton easily adds subtlety to delicate passages and smoothly transitions into powerful peaks fully drenched in emotion. She is backed by superlative harmonica work and a great rhythm section. The requisite piano work shows some uncommon depth, as well. Would you expect anything else from Muddy Waters? This is the Blues as it was meant to be. Not that I'm any expert, mind you, but this track is something that even non-devotees can respect.

"I Get a Kick Out of You"
Frank Sinatra
Songs for Young Lovers
Ah! Ol' Blue Eyes strikes again. I really should have more Sinatra tracks than just this one, "Fly Me to the Moon," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas," the latter also recently acquired. It is a bit of a wonder that iTunes doesn't have "My Way." That's a favorite with my mom. I'm partial to picking up "Come Fly With Me" next, but none of the samples on iTunes strike me as being that good. The orchestration and arrangement both are classic Sinatra and I'd recommend this to anyone interested in picking up some light Swing music.

One of my colleagues gave the redemption code for her four tracks to me. I gifted a song to another colleague and then picked up these tracks:

"Redemption, Passion, Glory"
Dizmas
On a Search In America
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I like Christian music, but not the breathy, plaintive sort that is the staple of my local Christian radio stations. Okay, it isn't their fault. Most of the work available follows that style. That can't be said of Dizmas. Much of their work has rather heavy flavor. This track is very much like you might expect from Foo Fighters or Alien Ant Farm when they are in a commercial mood. There is no doubt that his is Christian through and through, however. The chorus lyric "What Love is this that You Would Die for Me" undeniably sets the tone and challenges the listener to think about how their redemption was bought. Very powerful.

"Set Me Free"
Myron Butler & Levi
Set Me Free - Single
For some reason it usually takes me some time to get in the mood for traditional Gospel. Not with this track. Whether it is the superior arrangement, fine vocals, or the infectious rhythm, there is something here that gets me stoked right away and rather sad that it is over after just under five minutes. Speaking of sad, I was a bit disappointed that the other tracks available on iTunes didn't have the same effect. One day I'll get around to building a Gospel collection, but for now I'll just enjoy this piece again and again.

"God Help Me"
Rebecca St. James
If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something
My first impression or three of Miss St. James' work was ... well, let's just say I was less than impressed. Most of it was typical of what is usually heard on Christian radio. This track, however, rocks. Now I'm up to five tracks from this artist and I'm pleased to say they are a staple of my faith-based collection. "Let My Words Be Few" and "God" are still my two favorites, but this one will likely remain in the Top-5 when I acquire more from Miss St. James.

And I let loose a few shekels and bought some tracks, too:

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" Carmen McRae & Sammy Davis, Jr. Boy Meets Girl: Sammy Davis Jr. & Carmen McRae On Decca
Who would have thought that this would be the only track I have from the incomparable Sammy Davis, Jr. in my library? The Rat Pack really gets short shrift in my collection and I can't explain why. I don't even have any Dean Martin. But I couldn't resist this acquisition because it shows all of Mr. Davis' talents except the fabulous footwork. Other renditions -- some with just one vocalist, strangely -- downplay the inherent humor of the lyrics, but Mr. Davis gives it just a few nudges at the right times to make this a truly wonderful piece. I don't mean to discount Miss McRae's talents here. She's a fine vocalist, but she's merely a convenient foil to the gentleman's efforts at seduction and a straight man to the humor. Of all the renditions on iTunes, though, this one has the most heart. Both artists give the impression that they enjoy each other and the song they are performing.

"Merry Christmas Baby"
Etta Jones Christmas
With Etta Jones
Another powerful vocalist, Miss Jones adds a bit of the Blues to Christmas. Not sure why exactly it's in this genre, though, as despite the orchestration and arrangement, the lyrics really don't reflect what one might expect from the Blues. Nonetheless, this is a great track and I can hardly wait to share it with others. There are more than enough Christmas tunes on the ol' iPod to provide very pleasant background music while opening presents or sharing a meal.

"O Holy Night - Album Version"
Point Of Grace
O Holy Night (Studio Series Performance Track) - EP
Yeah, yeah. It's that time of year. The vocals on this track are very, very good though a bit sappy. I've kind of grown tired of it already. Good thing Christmas is but once a year (on the calendar -- it's daily in my heart). And it's a good thing I have renditions of this from Tracy Chapman and Trans-Siberian Orchestra for variety.

Now if anyone is wondering where the album art for this track and the one from Sinatra disappeared to, don't wonder. I just didn't like them. Besides, I don't have the newest generation iPod (yet) so if it weren't for trying to make this blog pretty I likely wouldn't worry about it myself. Its the music that counts anyway. Go out there and hit the samples and then download a few. You'll be pleased, I'm sure.