SINGLES GOING STEADY: "SUITE FOR 20 G" BY JAMES TAYLO

James Taylor

It was December 1969 and James Taylor had to have been feeling blue.  It had been a rough couple of years for him, to say the least. Though he was signed to Warner Bros. Records, Taylor had been in a mental institution, lost his girlfriend to a plane crash and was a drug addict—heroin was his poision.  That, and he watched as his debut record went nowhere.  Dammit, it wasn't just a debut record.  Released in 1968, the album James Taylor was the only non Beatles record to ever be released on Apple Records.  That the album didn't do "jack shit" probably really haunted him.  Taylor could sing, he could play guitar and he could write songs! He knew he was a talent.  Paul McCartney knew it, too.  Would he have to spend the rest of his life wondering "what if?"

Furthermore, James Taylor was broke—"essentially homeless," actually.  Night after night, he slept on friend's couches while he recorded his follow up to James Taylor, an album later known as Sweet Baby James.  He had actually finished the record.  The problem was Warner Bros. Records didn't think so.  Even for those days, the album was too short—under 28 minutes! He needed at least one more song.

James Taylor had an incentive to finish the album as soon as possible—a cash incentive, an advance amounting to $20,000.  So the homeless Taylor combined a few unfinished songs into a complete song.  The result was appropriately titled "Suite for 20 G."  It's perhaps the most autobiographical song title ever penned.  For the record, it's actually one of my favorite James Taylor songs and, to this day, remains totally overrated.

Simultaneously, the young people of the USA were also feeling blue.  All that optimism of the 1960s was dead.  The ideals of the "summer of love"  couldn't penetrate through an unforgiving reality.  The public fell in love with James Taylor andSweet Baby James, which became a HUGE hit.  In 1971, it was nominated for a Grammy for "Album of The Year" .  If 1971 wasn't one of the best years in music, he absolutely would have won the award.  One more thing—the success of Sweet Baby James made his debut record a hit, as well.  You could say 'the times were-a-changin' for James Taylor.  He was still a heroin addict though—I guess you can't win 'em all. 

Though "Fire And Rain" was the hit, "Suite for 20 G" is probably an even stronger example of Taylor's gift.  He sang  every harmony, which were nearly as good as Crosby Stills & Nash's.  Perhaps the most moving section of the suite is the third section.  When Taylor sings "You can say I want to be free/ I can say someday I will be," it's almost impossible not to picture the heros of the 60s: the late John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, etc.  Taylor gave listeners a hint of optimism, a possibility that the dreams of the decade were still alive.  Whether he liked it or not, JT was becoming a voice of a generation.

"Suite For 20 G" by James Taylor (That's Carole King on piano, by the way!)

When it came to his career, Taylor never had to say "What if?" ever again.  However, after listening to his later songs—songs which were arguably suited for elevators— fans were probably saying "what if?" quite often. Sadly, James Taylor never recorded an album as good as Sweet Baby James ever again.  Fact is, Taylor never really became the voice of a generation he was projected to be.  But you should still listen to this album.  It's one of the best ever.

Sweet Baby James by James Taylor

GEEK THE GIRL: AN ALBUM BY LISA GERMANO

Geek The Girl by Lisa Germano

Lisa Germano's 1994 masterpiece Geek The Girl  is a concept album about a girl going through puberty.  Unlike the bookAre You There God? It's Me, Margaret, this is a work that can be enjoyed equally by both men and women.  There is such imagination and artistry here, it's amazing that an album about such a touchy subject is so listenable.   The lyrics are wonderful, but this is definitely an album which could survive on its sonics, which are varied yet accessible and mostly created by Germano herself, who plays the majority of the instruments and acts as a coproducer.  

The best example of the artist utilizing outside help is on Geek The Girl's centerpiece, the brilliant "...A Psychopath." Underneath Germano's captivating lyrics and quiet arrangement is an actual 911 call from a horrified woman who is being taunted by the presence of an intruder in her home.  You can make out some of the conversation between the woman and the dispacther—which is terrifying enough—but the most eerie element of the song is hearing her scream "why?" repeadetly, moments before the phone disconnects, leaving us with the telling, sustaining sound of a dial tone.  Absolutely chilling.  Don't be surprised if you play this song twice in a row.  

Though Germano was in her mid 30s when she recorded Geek The Girl, she is able to play the part of a preteen girl with the amazing confidence and accuracy of a trained actor.  None of the album's 12 songs mention puberty directly, but the emotions which are commonly associated with the human body's transition period are always present.  There is anger, confusion and self-hatred.  But, from time to time, there are moments of heartbreaking tenderness.  The result is a beautiful and consistent album and the universal critical acclaim it received immediately after its release is totally justified.  

I suggest you find a quiet moment to enjoy this one.

SINGLES GOING STEADY: "NIGHTCLUB JITTERS" BY THE REPLACEMENTS

The Replacements (on probably the only non-snowy day in Minnesota)

"Nightclub Jitters" is a song like no other in The Replacements normally loud-ish catalogue.  It's an underrated cut and  one of the most effective tracks bandleader Paul Westerberg ever wrote.  With its saxophones, high-hat sparklings and inclusion of hilariously inoffensive audience applause, some call it a satire on lounge music.  In the context of the groups overall sound, I suppose that interpretation has some merit.  Me? I'd like to think of it as confessional songwriting.  

Though the lyrics tell a story which lacks details and is, for the most part, ambiguous, I personally believe "Nightclub Jitters" shows a very self-conscious side to Paul Westerberg.  The song doesn't convey the life of a homebody, but it doesn't make you believe he wants to go out that much either.  As he notices the "nightlife critters," you can't help but sense that he feels alienated from the people he's watching.  He doesn't feel contempt for the "critters."  It's just that he doesn't feel a connection to any of them—"It don't matter much, if we keep in touch".   When Westerberg poses questions such as, "What's the cover?  Where should we park?" he sounds so nervous that it's as if this his whole night is about passing checkpoints with ease.  In other words, going through the motions of the routine matters more than enjoying the time he spends.  

Another possibility is that I am totally wrong....and wouldn't that be a bitch?

"Nightclub Jitters" by The Replacements