Greatest Song Evah 1/5/24

Rock Steady

This week’s selection is appropriately titled; it sets a steady groove in motion from the opening notes and rides smoothly the rest of the way. There are numerous elements in this song, each one more perfect than the next. Some of the most acclaimed studio musicians play on this track - the likes of Richard Tee & Cornell Dupree. No one is more valuable than Chuck Rainey; his bass groove insinuates itself into the mix so wonderfully. And when the Memphis Horns kick in? Outstanding. That’s not to mention how much the gospel backing vocals add to the package.

And Aretha Franklin ties everything together exquisitely. Not only was she one of the most powerful singers we have ever heard, but she was also a tremendous vocalist, and there is a difference between the two skills. A great vocalist knows how to work in service of the song. This track doesn’t require window shaking vocal power; it requires a singer to ride the beat & essentially become part of the musical mix. That’s exactly what Franklin did here; she knows exactly when and how to modulate herself.

In conclusion, let’s call this song exactly what it is - a Greatest Song Evah.

The Streaming Orphans - Homicide: Life On the Street

As I had mentioned a few weeks ago, David Simon has hinted that Homicide: Life On the Street could FINALLY be making its way to streaming services. It’s awful that it took Andre Braugher’s recent death to reignite interest in the show, but here we are. The news serves as a reminder that there are so many great series that are just sitting in a vault, out of the reach of the average viewer. Why not take a look at some of these? And since Homicide is still currently in that limbo, that’s a good one to start with.

It clearly ranks in the upper upper echelon of great series in history. Adapted from a nonfiction book that David Simon wrote about Baltimore homicide detectives, with Simon & Barry Levinson serving as executive producers, Homicide was a bit of a transitional show. It expanded upon the innovations of Hill Street Blues - a wide range of multidimensional characters, some with some serious demons; a setting that looked real & lived in; story arcs that spanned across many episodes, not all of which ended happily. But we are still talking about 1990’s network television; it could only go so far. It did, however, lay important groundwork for more adventurous series to come.

I talked about Andre Braugher’s portrayal of Frank Pembleton following the actor’s death. He was the breakout star of the show, but he was just one of many. If there was a central theme to the show, it was about the psychological toll that murder investigations take on the detectives. That, and the Sisyphean battle they often faced. Departmental bureaucracy was just as much of a hurdle as anything else the detectives faced.

The opening episode exposition came with the introduction of Kyle Secor’s Tim Bayless to the squad room. As a transfer from the mayor’s security detail the other detectives initially looked at him as too soft for homicide, and it didn’t help that he was partnered with Pendleton, a loner by nature who had no interest in mentoring a partner. And then there was Clark Johnson’s Meldrick Lewis, arguably the coolest man on television. The leader of the squad was Yaphet Kotto’s Lt. Giardello, and his imposing presence made him a man whom his detectives both feared & rejected.

This was also the show which introduced Richard Belzer’s John Munch. A cynical conspiracy theorist, it was often hard to know where Munch ended & Belzer began. For all we know, he may not have even been aware that he was in a TV show. The cameras just followed him around & recorded what they witnessed.

The show premiered in the coveted post-Super Bowl spot, but it was clear from day 1 that it was not a mass appeal hit. Legend is that NBC brass constantly pressured the show to make the cast more conventionally attractive. It was unfortunate what they did with Jon Polito’s Steve Crosetti. Polito had a productive career as a usually comical bad guy, but here he had a meaty role until NBC forced the producers to cast him aside (the character would be killed off.)

That’s just one example of what would be frequent character turnover. Eventually the likes of Ned Beatty & Melissa Leo would leave, but as a testament to how strong the writing & casting was, the second wave of characters was just as memorable, from Michelle Forbes’s forensic doctor to Giancarlo Esposito’s casting as Giardello’s son. Nothing topped Reed Diamond’s Mike Kellerman, one of the all-time great tortured souls.

The show’s signature image came with the large dry erase board in the squad room, displaying each detective’s open cases, color coded by whether they were open or closed. It was always a key moment when the red Sharpie would be erased to be replaced by the black Sharpie indicating a closed case. The names in red would haunt the detectives.

The most acclaimed episode in the show’s history was also its most uncharacteristic. In that one Vincent D’Onofrio portrayed a man who either fell or was pushed in front of an oncoming subway train. (D’Onofrio was one of many high-profile guest stars. The episode in which Robin Williams portrayed a tourist whose wife was murdered was devastating.) He was wedged between train & platform in such a way that he would die instantly as soon as the train moved. He was kept alive long enough for Pembleton & Bayliss to investigate whether it was an accident or a murder. Pembleton was best known for his interrogation skills, it was not in his nature to comfort a dying man. That episode was a perfect example of just how great of an actor Braugher was.

The show traditionally ranked near the bottom of the ratings. NBC essentially kept it around as a loss leader for 7 seasons. The network had so many shows drawing mega ratings; they could afford to keep a highly respected show around. The drawback to that was that the show’s fate was usually unknown each year, so the producers had to fall in the “season finale which could serve as a series finale” trap each year. Thankfully, NBC did green light a reunion movie a year after the ultimate cancellation & they brought everyone back, even the deceased characters, for a satisfying story that tied everything together very well.

David Simon would not be done with television, or with television shows set in Baltimore. His masterpiece would be a few years away.

My Rooting Interests

Sometime in the next few weeks the Nominating Committee will meet & put together the ballot for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Class of 2024. This could be one of those catch-up years; I don’t see anyone among the first year eligibles who falls into the “Must! Induct! Immediately!” category. So expect the list to consist of a combo of returnees from last year’s ballot/artists who had been previously considered & will be brought back for reconsideration/a left field choice or two/first time nominees who had been eligible for some time & are only now being considered for the first time.

For now I’m most interested in the latter category. Here are a few names that have never received a nomination whom I would love to see them finally get their chance. I’m trying to be realistic here & limit these choices to artists who, for lack of a better phrase, fit the profile of a HOF artist. As much as it would thrill me to see a nomination for the likes of Lucinda Williams or XTC, those chances are slim. The following are a bit more plausible.

The B-52’s. They check so many boxes. A distinctive, recognizable sound. At least two beloved songs that transcend generations. Not to mention that their inclusion would add more women to the list of honorees. And with their retirement an induction would also serve as a nice capper to their career.

OutKast. I’m frankly stunned that they have yet to not receive a nomination; I would have bet money that they would have been a slam dunk first year eligible inductee. Hopefully Big Boi’s appearance at last year’s ceremony reminds people of their omission. Very innovative, and very popular - that should carve an easy path to the Hall.

Emmylou Harris. The Hall has finally started to include country artists in the induction process, so after Dolly & Willie, with their multi-generational, multi-genre appeal, who’s next? They could look at an outlaw country artist such as Merle Haggard or Waylon Jennings who are not rock artists themselves, but share the rock sensibility. I think Harris is the best next choice. In her commercial prime she was as country as they come, but she started her career working with Gram Parsons, and once she stopped chasing the top of the charts she produced a lot of interesting work that would help lay the groundwork for Americana. Plus, this bears repeating. Setting aside Ronnie Hawkins, Harris is the only performer from The Last Waltz who has not been inducted yet. It’s time.

Salt-N-Pepa. Sooner rather than later the Hall will need to start inducting more than 1 hip-hop act per year, and it’s time to start taking closer looks at the first & second generation acts. I could make strong arguments for De La Soul or the Wu-Tang Clan, but S-N-P should be next, largely for their pioneering aspect. It’s nice that Missy Elliott broke the glass ceiling to become the Hall’s first female emcee, but the Hall dropped the ball by not honoring Salt-N-Pepa first.

Kool & the Gang. This is more for their early, heavy funk era; some of their later pop hits were a little too middle of the road for my tastes, but when you take a look at their discography you can see so many modern day standards. Their legacy goes much further than Celebration.

Sonic Youth. This is more of a wish than anything; if there was ever any real momentum to include them it would have happened by now. Even though a spot in the Hall is a heavy longshot, I want to acknowledge their huge influence on alternative rock acts that emerged in their wake, their exceptional twin guitar attack, and the immeasurable coolness of Kim Gordon.

I’m sure additional names will come to me, but this is a good starter list.

Taylor’s Latest Feat

Another week, another new achievement for Taylor Swift. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is the #1 album on this week’s Billboard 200. That means that over the course of her career she has spent a total of 68 weeks at the top of that chart, surpassing Elvis Presley for the most weeks leading the chart by a solo artist. Anytime you jump ahead of Elvis on a list like that you’re doing something right. She’s got a ways to go to become the top overall artist. The Beatles have spent a staggering 132 weeks at #1 on the albums chart. That ain’t getting broken any time soon, or at least until I finally release my long-awaited trilogy.

Oh Ricky, He Was So Fine

This came as little surprise but yesterday Ricky Rubio officially announced his retirement from the NBA. It was already a given that he was not going to play in the league this season; he had earlier stated that he was taking some time away to deal with his mental health. Now he has confirmed that we have seen the last of him stateside, although it appears he has left open the possibility of playing again in Spain.

He had an NBA career to be proud of, although to some extent he was a victim of raised expectations. People anticipated a spectacular career, so many felt disappointment because he didn’t reach that level. He initially gained notice playing on the Spanish Olympic team in the 2008 games at the tender age of 18. Despite his youth, he showed the court presence of a veteran and NBA scouts were eagerly awaiting his entry into the league. He was the #5 overall pick in the 2009 draft, in which Minnesota infamously had the #5 & 6 picks, yet decided to take point guards with both picks, choosing Jonny Flynn at 6. It was bad enough that they selected two players that play the same position, it was bad enough that Flynn turned out to be a bust, it was really bad that the 7th pick was Steph Curry. Ouch.

As mentioned, Rubio was at times considered to be a bit of a disappointment. That’s a bit unfair; he suffered a couple of ACL injuries but when he wasn’t hurt he was always a positive asset to his teams. He never developed a strong outside shot, but he was an exceptionally skilled passer. Beyond that, he also had a real flair. His was an aesthetically pleasing game. Hopefully he will be able to successfully deal with the mental health issues that he has been addressing.

In another quick NBA note, the Detroit Pistons winning streak has ended at 1 game. The glass half full way of looking at their season is this - if not for their 28 game losing streak, they would have a record of 3-3. Baby steps.

Closing Laughs

Weeks seem to fly by a lot faster when it starts with a holiday. Enjoy the first weekend of ‘24. See you all on Monday. And let’s be careful out there.