SINGLES GOING STEADY: "I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU" AS RECORDED BY ART GARFUNKEL

"I Only Have Eyes For You" As Recorded By Art Garfunkel

It was probably no one's favorite hit song in 1975.  Those who remembered the 1934 debut of Harry Warren and Al Dubin's "I Only Have Eyes For You" were probably somewhere between the ages 55 and 85.  I'm sure they thought a rock and roll version of a standard —however "soft" it was—was sacrilegious.  Kids and teens who were busy listening to David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen certainly couldn't have thought this was hip.  And Garfunkel's contemporaries? Many thought he was a has-been since he parted ways with Paul Simon five years earlier.  And his decision to record a cover of a 40-year old standard? Come on, that move was particularluly dull and gutless.

Indeed, new versions of antique pop songs are almost always pretty safe—not to mention extra unoriginal, when they come from songwriters.  Notable exceptions include Janis Joplin's rendition of  "Summertime" and Willie Nelson's essential LP Stardust.

It's even a safe move for someone who isn't a songwriter, like Art Garfunkel.  Say what you will about his solo career, but at the very least, his albums were somewhat intriguing because they featured songs by the extraordinary talents of songwriters like Jimmy Webb, Randy Newman and, on 1975's Breakaway, Paul Simon, once again.

Still, with his angelic voice, any Art Garfunkel recording is listenable.  And the number one hit version "I Only Have Eyes For You" is one of Artie's better cuts.  You can thank the famous producer Richard Perry for the song's success.  Fender rhodes and phaser guitars shouldn't work on a love song that Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra and The Flamingos helped make even more famous.  And yeah, it's a strange concept at first.  But, it works—and that's especially clear after repeated listening.  The lushness of those aforementioned instrumental elements and the orchestral strings almost make the standard seem psychedelic and deviously inviting.  You can hear this song being used ironically in or after a disturbing scene in a Stanley Kubrick movie.  

If you're a fan of Artie from his work with Paul Simon, but don't feel like digging through his uneven solo catalogue to find a gem, "I Only Have Eyes For You" is a great introduction.  Of course, his version of Jimmy Webb's majestic "All I Know" is the quintessential introduction, but that's for another post ;) . 

"I Only Have Eyes For You" As Recorded By Art Garfunkel

And why not include this song?

BABY SCREAM

Baby Scream

Baby Scream is the baby of Argentinian singer/guitarist Juan Pablo Mazzola who composes Beatles/Big Star/ Badfinger- influenced power pop in English with help from drummer Claudio Salas and a wide cast of guest-stars, including ex-Jellyfish guitarist—and current cult legend—Eric Dover.  Melodically, the resulting album and performances owe a lot to Mazzola's heroes, leaning closest to John Lennon's Imagine and Double Fantasy eras.

Not surprisingly, none of Baby Scream' 10 songs—and four bonus cuts—offer anything nearly as exciting and brilliant as John Lennon's material.  Or Jellyfish's for that matter.  Furthermore, there are several factors that keep Mazzola from being able to truly compete with any prominent artist from 2013.  Perhaps, the biggest problem is that Mazzola doesn't have a $250,000 budget—or an expert producer— to make a terrificly produced album.  This is the album's biggest weakness in terms of listenability.  In short, there is a cheap wash limiting the song's dynamics and undermining what must have been considerable effort in arranging and theorizing the material.  Can we fault the artist for this? Obviously not.  He is doing the best that he can with the instruments, pre-amps and software he has available.  Even though he has a song called "lazy," lazy is one thing Mazzola is not.  Let's just say, you'll appreciate his efforts more if you treat them as demos.  

Now, let's talk about things Baby Scream can control, which is the quality of the actual songwriting.  If we gave each song a rating of "unacceptably bad" to "damn good" and mixed them all together in a jar, the resulting concoction would be "okay."  By far, the most inconsistent tracks are the medium-speed, lead guitar rockers.  "Exile," "Jekyll & Hyde" and "What About You" are unmemorable and absolutely indistinguishable from one another.  

But Mazzola does have a little "something-something" going on a few songs.  His biggest strength is writing sometimes-slow/always-sensitive ballads.  "Nipone," for example, is a glorious song similar to John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy."  A song this effective can (and does) withstand a so-so production quality.  Here, Mazzola plays a very effective, chiming acoustic guitar riff, backed by a slightly-heavenly instrumental background, and his most tender vocal performance.  It proves that when this guy is inspired, he can make something quite enjoyable.  

The following track, "Lazy," is Baby Scream's second best song.  Again, it works well because it is another break from the mediocre rockers that make up the majority of the album.  Here, Mazzola actually pens and arranges a fun, stripped-down rock song, complete with a lovely, somewhat ironic, lounge opening, made from a salad of jazz chords, piano and brushes.  And this song has a decent hook, too.  On a Dr. Dog release, it would make a nice, little album track.

I mentioned money before and I can give a variety of excuses for the problems that the album Baby Scream certainly has.  The Problem is you, the listener, don't care.  As an LP, what's presented here doesn't allow for a cohesive listen.  But there are several moments where everything seems to come together.  It's just a shame that you are forced to dig it out.  Now, if this was an EP, we'd have a totally different story.  You would have something much more listenable.  I wish  Juan Pablo Mazzola simply gave us this:

The Baby Scream EP

1. Nipone

2. The Ghosts Of Valerie (Feat. Eric Dover)

3. Lazy

4. Twenty Seven

I could see myself listening to to this product at least a couple of times.  And "Nipone?" I'd give that song a few more spins.

I recommend you listen to that hypothetical EP and listen to the rest if you are curious.

Baby Scream

BANKRUPT! BY PHOENIX

Bankrupt! by Phoenix

If you look at the pop-art artwork and listen to Phoenix's recent 10 mini epics, you get the feeling that they had it all planned out on their 2013 masterwork, Bankrupt!  And considering how such precise artistic visions have had a history of almost bankrupting labels (see Loveless by My Bloody Valentine), the title works, too. This is the kind of album that leaves you wondering if each song took five minutes, five hours, five days or five months to map out.  It's clear that Phoenix is talented, but the curious listener in me wonders if they are talented and efficient.  Just how brilliant are they? In the end, it doesn't matter because this fruit smoothie they have mixed is delicious and is indicative of a band that has studio know-how, instrumental prowess and a legitimate gift.  Bankrupt! is wonderful and exhilerating! 

Oh, and by the way—it's nice to hear actual songs in this electronic blender.

Bankrupt! by Phoenix