Of Note: ‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Nathan Sykes, ‘I Can’t Feel My Face’ by The Weeknd, and ‘Teacher’ by Nick Jonas

Of Note: 

‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Nathan Sykes, 

‘I Can’t Feel My Face’ by The Weeknd, 

and ‘Teacher’ by Nick Jonas

Remember all those videos which were the hallmark of shows such as America’s Funniest Home Videos of cute little kids dressing up and strutting their stuff, pretending they were Michael Jackson? 

Well, all those little kids grew up and, now, some of them are adults strutting their stuff on big stages throughout the world.  The influence of Michael Jackson’s music is undeniable.  He captured the imaginations and musical souls of several generations.  One only need listen to the music of Chris Brown or Justin Timberlake to hear how very integral Mr. Jackson’s archetypical vibe is to the modern soundscape.

Equally influential?  Stevie Wonder’s brand of super positive, sunshine.  The joy and energy he brought to music in the 1970’s is a sound still being incorporated in smart R&B based pop music.  The man is all over the airwaves.

In today’s ‘Of Note’, I present three artists whose current songs bubble and pop, infused with the musical stylings of both the aforementioned musical geniuses. 

First up, Nathan Syke’s infectious ‘Kiss Me Quick’.

Nathan, former member of the British boy band The Wanted, has the chops and a tenor that won’t quit.  He’s already thrilled the hearts of millions and also enjoyed success as a duet partner with Ariana Grande on ‘Almost Is Never Enough’.  I love the horns that fuel this disco-inspired ride.  This song has already peaked at number one on Billboard’s Dance Club Play Chart.

Next up, Canada’s The Weeknd’s jaw dropping turn on ‘I Can’t Feel My Face’.

From the moment I heard his first album, I knew The Weeknd was something special.  His debut posed him as a smooth, romantic, Marvin Gaye style rapper.  Since then, he’s gotten a lot of attention, primarily due to his high profile, initially uncredited vocal work on Ariana Grande’s ‘Love Me Harder’.  ‘I Can’t Feel My Face’ is currently lodged in the Top Ten on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, making it his third Top Ten hit.  The Marvin Gaye vibe continues to percolate under there, for sure, but the chorus is pure Jackson magic.

And finally, Nick Jonas’s third solo single from his 2014 self-named album, the sweet and tightly funky ‘Teacher’.

Nick has established his own place in the hearts of many in the LGBT community, as he has been unafraid to acknowledge and embrace them.  His solo debut definitely casts him in a George Michael kind of mode, so ‘Teacher’ really comes as no surprise (think about it).  But his Michael Jackson slickness and ‘Off The Wall’ disco boogie is on display here as well.

Derivative music?  Maybe.  But, there’s nothing wrong with borrowing from the past, as long as you bring something of your own to the table, and each one of these artists?

They have plenty to serve up. 

 

My Lists: Led Zeppelin

My Lists: Led Zeppelin

Not sure if this is going to become a regular thing, but I do love creating lists – mostly of my favorite songs by my favorite artists. Let’s kick it off with a list of my favorite songs by one of the premier rock groups of all-time, the legendary Led Zeppelin.

In my youth, I did not have much of an appreciation for their music, but they are played non-stop on FM stations, so over the years I could not help but be exposed to their music.  No, I am not one of those deep tracks types of fans: I am a very casual listener.  Their more accessible, Top-40 oriented stuff is what I go for, much to the chagrin of those who appreciate the band’s blues band root-based material that yield extended jams, or those who prefer their more prog-rock stuff.  Think of this as a list of ‘Led Zeppelin Lite’.

What I never enjoyed, never had any patience or appreciation for?  Their folky-minstrel, renaissance ambitions.   Their misogyny.  The dick jokes/puns. Their excessive booze and drugs mentality. Their silly mysticism.

And while Led Zeppelin is one of the groups that did indeed put the ‘heavy’ into Heavy Metal – a genre that I will admit is not my go to place for fun – I do find their music intoxicating.  Robert Plant is unlike any other singer.  Jimmy Page, a true wizard, while Bonham and Jones created one of the most combustible rhythm sections in the history of popular music.  Also of note, John Paul’s latter-year keyboard-based compositions which lent a kind of maturation to the group’s sound – pointing the way for Robert Plant’s early solo career. The combination of these four men is the stuff rock and roll dreams are made of.

Here’s a, more or less, chronological list of the band’s most iconic moments, my favorite Led Zeppelin moments:

1. Dazed and Confused
2. Communication Breakdown
3. Heartbreaker
4. Whole Lotta Love
5. Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman)
6. Immigrant Song
7. Celebration Day
8. Black Dog
9. Rock and Roll
10. Stairway to Heaven
11. Over the Hills and Far Away
12. D’yer Mak’er
13. Trampled Underfoot
14. Kashmir
15. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
16. Hots On For Nowhere
17. Achilles Heal
18. All of My Love
19. Fool In the Rain
20. In The Evening
21. We’re Gonna Groove
22. Darlene
23. Ozone Baby

  

Of Note: ‘Ghost Town’ (Tritonal Remix) by Adam Lambert

Of Note: ‘Ghost Town’ (Tritonal Remix) 

by Adam Lambert

His talent is undeniable; the range, the tone.  Yes, this man can sing the phone book. Unfortunately, for Mr. Lambert, in light of his scattershot approach to music, I would have to say that is exactly what he seems intent on doing (isn’t that exactly what they said about Babs back in the day?). 

While it is applause-worthy and awe-inspiring that his very brief career span includes a stint on ‘Glee’ and fronting the legend that is the band Queen, the two disparate venues would seem to illustrate what’s at the crux of Adam Lambert’s on-going career stagnant stasis.  He’s theatrical.  So those two choices make absolute sense, and while he is capable of pulling them both off, they also help shed light on what’s keeping Adam from being fully embraced. 

It’s the distance between the audience and the footlights – he has yet to bridge it.  He has yet to appear human – relatable.  For the public, he is all eyeliner, geometric haircuts and sequins.  I would argue that it is that theatrical bent and the distance it creates that prevents Adam from becoming a more substantial artist. 

At this point, many years from his original launch into the consciousness of entertainment industry, he remains a talent show wunderkind aiming for the big time. 

Sure, he’s had a top-ten hit, and successful albums (including a #1).  But he’s not growing as an artist.  

Need he? 

I would argue that in order to fulfill his promise and be true to his incredible talent – the depths of which, I feel, we still have not been given a clue - that yes, he certainly needs to. 

I like Adam. 

I’ve been rooting for him to succeed from day one on AmIdol.  His remains the only season I seriously watched that horror show and he was the only reason I watched.  The man was well-trained. Every time he stepped on stage, I found myself holding my breath.  Adam took command of the stage from day one, although his musical tastes would occasionally overshadow his performance.  It was his Disneyesque-sense of presentational musical style that seemed to be keeping in him check.  It was all surface.  There was no true depth.

His debut album was exactly everything I would have expected from him – it was safe, current, frequently fun, and frequently catchy. He’d been ‘handled’ well – current producers, current writers, current sounds.  I listened to it quite a bit, but it struck me as more than a tad shallow.

You see, when big emotions are put on display constantly – when that is all you gun for?  Well, you end up rendering them meaningless and they come off rather canned and feigned.  In other words – simulated and manufactured instead of genuine.  In still other words?  Mr. Lambert in a nutshell.

His second album?  I don’t remember it.  .  Neither does most of his potential audience. It felt like he was treading the same waters.

Commercially and artistically, his third album seems to be suffering the same fate as the second.  Whether that remains true depends on how clever his remixes turn out to be.

In its original version, ‘Ghost Town’ struck me as rather rote.  It had elements that worked well, but it felt flat – an odd assessment considering that Adam’s vocals are first rate, as they always are.  It may be that very vocal consistency that causes me and some of his audience to take his work for granted.

However, the Tritonal Remix of ‘Ghost Town’ turns up the dramatic heat quite a bit, elevating it above the original version.  Given that, I can’t wait to hear what’s next, as in, what songs from the album will be remixed and released next.

In the meantime, I remain flummoxed in regards to Mr. Lambert.  Never has there been so much promise.

I am not without hope.

But, sadly, I’m not holding my breath any more.