🚀Houston, we have a Tune Tag! An honest-to-goodness published author joins us to Tag Tunes across the decades and genres! I think it's safe to say that this Tune Tag has the write stuff!✏
This round of Tune Tag really showcases the versatility of the game. I mean, from that Tweedy family cover of Androgynous to the fabulous Mavis Staples, and then Dylan, Broadway, and the incomparable Jethro Tull. What a rollercoaster ride!
Really liked your explanation on the Aqualung - Thick as a Brick saga and Anderson’s dig at critics on the whole “concept album” thing! My dad is a big Jethro Tull fan and I vividly remember these two records from my childhood!
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Andy! I'm constantly amazed at the lengths and breadths of the musical landscape Tune Tag consistently travels!
That Tull "concept album" row emerged just after the release of "Thick as a Brick." Anderson's darts at the rock press I recall reading about at the time! It's not often that artists were that aware of what critics were saying about their output (at least, few would go public with their feelings, and a scant few would even want to "admit" that they cared about what was written about them!)......and, far fewer was the number of artists who'd let the rock press all but drive (or dictate) the next move their art would take!
But, another clever shade of Anderson's multitude of talents that I was completely enthralled by in that day! I saw Tull in concert at least 3 times from about '71-'73! I know I saw the "TAAB" tour, and the "Passion Play" tours, and I think even the "Aqualung" tour!
I’ll need to tell my dad you saw Jethro live so many times. I think that was his ultimate (unrealised) dream. If he spoke English, I would have already put you two in touch! He’d be FR&B’s biggest fan!
I'm gonna dive deeper into all the nooks and grannies later, but wanted to jump in now and say that I appreciated both of your picks, but especially Peter's! I remember seeing that Tweedy family cover of "Androgynous" back when it was out. And I think I even read that New Yorker piece! Glad to 'meet' the writer of it!
And as a huge Mavis Staples fan, I was happy to see her get essentially 3 songs here! One of my all-time favorite shows was getting to see her perform at a small jazz club about 12 or 13 years ago. It held maybe 250 people and Mavis' sisters were performing with her. She's a legend.
And Brad, you are so good at working in our fellow writers here, with a nice shoutout to Glenn Cook and his son's theater work. I do remember him writing about it too, but I wouldn't have had the smarts to connect it all the way you do!
Also happ to see Bill Callahan/Smog get some love here....
Thanks, Steve! As for linking to fellow #MusicStackers, my goal is to attempt to treat their writing (and the sharing of it) as something I do as readily as I'd link to something I wrote!
That's the goal, and you're right, it takes a good memory....I must admit, though, that I had some "help": I loved the "Newsies" '92 film, and have sort of followed that property's travels through the decades, from road productions to Broadway! So, that helped....plus, I enjoy Glenn's site, and was impressed by Glenn's reporting on Ben's exciting travels with the musical!
Peter's contributions were really insightful and revealing, and I really dug his commentary!
It was fun to dig a bit into what Tweedy is doing...I'd only heard about Jeff's former Wilco stuff, and a bit about his current family-involved music; I enjoyed digging into more of it! And, always a pleasure appreciating Mavis's talent and career!
Looking forward to your re-visit for more reactions! Thanks again!
Thanks for joining us, Dino! Glad Peter and I hit on a solid note! I know Mavis sang on his debut....Banks is new to me, so I looked him up! Watch your DMs here....I'll be in touch!--B
Fantastic Tune Tag guys. I loved the flow of the whole thing. The opening tracks "Androgynous" and "One True Vine" are both absolutely great.
I admit, not having seen Newsies, I always get it confused with Bugsy Malone for some reason. Maybe now I'll be able to tell them apart (I should also know it from NPH's fantastic Tony's performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8SeysuMpA0 )
I also thought the closing pair of "Lou Canella" / "Sirius" was really fun.
That Tony number is impressively ambitious. I think I recall NPH saying that something went wrong every single time in rehearsal; but they pulled it off for the broadcast.
I was trying to think how it may have gone down. Here's what I'm guessing: The producers/lead choreographer sent Neil a video of the entire routine...the troupe having rehearsed, already, for weeks. They give him a week or two to watch and memorize the routine (his part would have a stand-in, so he could see what he'd be learning).
Then, by the time he arrives for his physical rehearsal, the troupe has it down cold, so less of his time is wasted with THEIR learning the moves. Then, a week or two spent with everyone together.
I'm also willing to bet the early days with Neil took a chunk of the routine, and then spent a couple or a few days with that one chunk, piece by piece, like that. Then, the final few days, now that they've all learned it, comes the full number always rehearsed as a whole! Exhausting, but Neil's a pro, and a lover of the process and live performing. As for him claiming the rehearsals were dogged by mistakes....I believe it! Which makes that live performance that much more impressive.
Had the network not had commercial time to fill, everyone would've loved to have seen that ovation go even longer than it did.....'cause it would have!
I saw Mavis open for Dylan and all the boomers seemed bored but I was flat on the ground with the force of her. I made everyone I knew come see her show when she came solo and all were immediately transfixed. An absolutely awesome and wonderful singer. I love Bob’s work, and it was a fine show, but she stole it from him with his willing invitation
Great account, Moravagine! She's a little-known legend, if that can be a thing. She's one of those fabulous singers who not only has a prodigious pedigree and catalog, but her career has spanned at least as many decades as Dylan, himself, and so many others that have earned parades and statues! Long live Mavis!
This round of Tune Tag really showcases the versatility of the game. I mean, from that Tweedy family cover of Androgynous to the fabulous Mavis Staples, and then Dylan, Broadway, and the incomparable Jethro Tull. What a rollercoaster ride!
Really liked your explanation on the Aqualung - Thick as a Brick saga and Anderson’s dig at critics on the whole “concept album” thing! My dad is a big Jethro Tull fan and I vividly remember these two records from my childhood!
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Andy! I'm constantly amazed at the lengths and breadths of the musical landscape Tune Tag consistently travels!
That Tull "concept album" row emerged just after the release of "Thick as a Brick." Anderson's darts at the rock press I recall reading about at the time! It's not often that artists were that aware of what critics were saying about their output (at least, few would go public with their feelings, and a scant few would even want to "admit" that they cared about what was written about them!)......and, far fewer was the number of artists who'd let the rock press all but drive (or dictate) the next move their art would take!
But, another clever shade of Anderson's multitude of talents that I was completely enthralled by in that day! I saw Tull in concert at least 3 times from about '71-'73! I know I saw the "TAAB" tour, and the "Passion Play" tours, and I think even the "Aqualung" tour!
I’ll need to tell my dad you saw Jethro live so many times. I think that was his ultimate (unrealised) dream. If he spoke English, I would have already put you two in touch! He’d be FR&B’s biggest fan!
Plus, I saw Tull in '91 at Universal Amphitheater in L.A., with It Bites opening. I wrote about it couple years ago (maybe you could translate for your dad, and I know he'd love the pic of Ian at the bottom!): https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1989-it-bites-eat-me?utm_source=publication-search
And, I saw Ian with his band in about 2015 here in Austin.
This is so cool! I can’t wait to show dad. Thanks!
I'm gonna dive deeper into all the nooks and grannies later, but wanted to jump in now and say that I appreciated both of your picks, but especially Peter's! I remember seeing that Tweedy family cover of "Androgynous" back when it was out. And I think I even read that New Yorker piece! Glad to 'meet' the writer of it!
And as a huge Mavis Staples fan, I was happy to see her get essentially 3 songs here! One of my all-time favorite shows was getting to see her perform at a small jazz club about 12 or 13 years ago. It held maybe 250 people and Mavis' sisters were performing with her. She's a legend.
And Brad, you are so good at working in our fellow writers here, with a nice shoutout to Glenn Cook and his son's theater work. I do remember him writing about it too, but I wouldn't have had the smarts to connect it all the way you do!
Also happ to see Bill Callahan/Smog get some love here....
Thanks, Steve! As for linking to fellow #MusicStackers, my goal is to attempt to treat their writing (and the sharing of it) as something I do as readily as I'd link to something I wrote!
That's the goal, and you're right, it takes a good memory....I must admit, though, that I had some "help": I loved the "Newsies" '92 film, and have sort of followed that property's travels through the decades, from road productions to Broadway! So, that helped....plus, I enjoy Glenn's site, and was impressed by Glenn's reporting on Ben's exciting travels with the musical!
Peter's contributions were really insightful and revealing, and I really dug his commentary!
It was fun to dig a bit into what Tweedy is doing...I'd only heard about Jeff's former Wilco stuff, and a bit about his current family-involved music; I enjoyed digging into more of it! And, always a pleasure appreciating Mavis's talent and career!
Looking forward to your re-visit for more reactions! Thanks again!
I am profoundly in debt to Mavis. She brought me Chico Banks, and Chico was a gift from the universe. So, I dig it when anyone types her name.
Thanks for joining us, Dino! Glad Peter and I hit on a solid note! I know Mavis sang on his debut....Banks is new to me, so I looked him up! Watch your DMs here....I'll be in touch!--B
I ran a venue, and Chico and his band are one of my favorite stories.
Fantastic Tune Tag guys. I loved the flow of the whole thing. The opening tracks "Androgynous" and "One True Vine" are both absolutely great.
I admit, not having seen Newsies, I always get it confused with Bugsy Malone for some reason. Maybe now I'll be able to tell them apart (I should also know it from NPH's fantastic Tony's performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8SeysuMpA0 )
I also thought the closing pair of "Lou Canella" / "Sirius" was really fun.
Thanks, Nick! That Tony open was astounding! That open should've been held over 3 weeks! NPH was so stone-cold relaxed and commanding!
As for Newsies and Bugsy....here's how to differentiate: Bugsy, 1976, Scott Baio;
Newsies, 1992, Christian Bale.
Glad you like this one....Peter is a Tune Tag beast!
Also - Bugsy: kids with machine guns that shoot pies, Newsies young adults with printing machines that shoot lies.
That's great and someone needs to do a double feature of the two movies just so they can use that as the tagline.
I'm picturing concession workers armed with pop guns, shooting fries into the audience between features! BYO Ketchup!
That Tony number is impressively ambitious. I think I recall NPH saying that something went wrong every single time in rehearsal; but they pulled it off for the broadcast.
I was trying to think how it may have gone down. Here's what I'm guessing: The producers/lead choreographer sent Neil a video of the entire routine...the troupe having rehearsed, already, for weeks. They give him a week or two to watch and memorize the routine (his part would have a stand-in, so he could see what he'd be learning).
Then, by the time he arrives for his physical rehearsal, the troupe has it down cold, so less of his time is wasted with THEIR learning the moves. Then, a week or two spent with everyone together.
I'm also willing to bet the early days with Neil took a chunk of the routine, and then spent a couple or a few days with that one chunk, piece by piece, like that. Then, the final few days, now that they've all learned it, comes the full number always rehearsed as a whole! Exhausting, but Neil's a pro, and a lover of the process and live performing. As for him claiming the rehearsals were dogged by mistakes....I believe it! Which makes that live performance that much more impressive.
Had the network not had commercial time to fill, everyone would've loved to have seen that ovation go even longer than it did.....'cause it would have!
Great TuneTag and thanks for the reference, Brad. Welcome to Musicstack, Peter!
Any time, Glenn......thank you!
I saw Mavis open for Dylan and all the boomers seemed bored but I was flat on the ground with the force of her. I made everyone I knew come see her show when she came solo and all were immediately transfixed. An absolutely awesome and wonderful singer. I love Bob’s work, and it was a fine show, but she stole it from him with his willing invitation
Great account, Moravagine! She's a little-known legend, if that can be a thing. She's one of those fabulous singers who not only has a prodigious pedigree and catalog, but her career has spanned at least as many decades as Dylan, himself, and so many others that have earned parades and statues! Long live Mavis!