Fresh off a beautiful California tour, and Portland welcomes me back with the start of the rainy season. The next eight months will be…a learning experience. In the meantime, here’s the second part to my Top 5 Musical Influences blog. No real surprises for those who know me, sans the Honorable Mention category. If you guessed those then you really know me well. As in, you’re my parents.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Jeff Buckley:
During my senior year of high school I’d written a song that I was very happy with, and decided to show it to both my guitar teacher and music theory teacher. They seemed to like it, and separately told me that it reminded them of a singer/songwriter named Jeff Buckley. I’d never heard of him, but told them I would check him out. Not two days later I was watching the Austin Music Network* when a video came on featuring a man with one of the most incredible voices I’d ever heard. I didn’t even need to see the artist’s name, I knew immediately that this had to be Jeff Buckley. The song was “Grace,” and they played “So Real” immediately following. I distinctly remember calling my mom, and asking her to pick up Grace on her way home. I also remember going to look up the rest of his albums, only to find out that he had drowned before ever making a follow up. Talk about heartbreak. Not only did Jeff Buckley inspire me, he inspired an entire generation of singer/songwriters (Damien Rice, Ryan Adams, Thom Yorke, etc.) who could both sing their asses off and write interesting, strangely melodic songs. Jeff Buckley’s career will always be one of the great mysteries in music. Sure, he put out the defining singer/songwriter album of his generation, but he was by no means a prolific songwriter. It took him years to put together the songs for Grace, and of those ten songs he only wrote seven. Add to that the underwhelming Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk – which even Buckley didn’t want released – and you have to wonder what path his career would have taken. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the impact he had on music; and it only took him ten songs! Unbelievable. Also, let’s be real here: Buckley’s recording of “Hallelujah” is one of the top 20 recordings EVER. I won’t budge on this. Play that song at a respectable volume in any group of people, and everyone will momentarily stop talking. It’s incredible.
*Side note: AMN was a great TV channel in Austin that used to play some of the most bizarre music videos you could ever hope to find. I thought we had hit the big time when they asked to interview my band before an upcoming Battle of the Bands competition in Austin. Total disaster. We were so nervous that we giggled and stuttered our way through the interview, prompting everyone who saw it to ask how stoned we were.
Favorite album: Grace
Bob Dylan:
Of all the things I learned in high school, learning to love Bob Dylan may have been the most important. Each year at my high school we had Dylan Day, in which each English class would head over to the library to watch students and teachers pay their respects to the master by performing one of his songs. It didn’t matter how good you were, everyone was encouraged to get up and play. Truth be told, I wasn’t much of a Dylan fan at the time, but I loved to perform. During my junior year my friend Maury and I played a cover of “Masters of War” that would forever alter my view of Bob Dylan. I poured over the lyrics, and the emotion in his performance. This was just months after our “shock and awe” invasion of Iraq, and every word in that song still rang true. I loved singing the song, and I loved making a statement.
The more I listened to Dylan, the more he grew on me. Now I love his voice. It bites through the air and delivers a message unlike anyone else can. His guitar playing is charming, and songs like “Buckets of Rain” and “Don’t Think Twice, it’s Alright” display his underrated finger picking ability. He changed the way I wrote songs. There didn’t have to be a chorus, chords didn’t need tensions, and I discovered that melodies should always serve to enhance the lyric of a song. There’s a reason that Dylan is widely considered the greatest songwriter of all time, and truthfully he may never be matched. His ability to transform himself time after time should serve as an inspiration to every musician. Plus, he’s one of the greatest interviewees of all time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkfMBL3S4vQ. Free prize to anyone who can send me the full press conference (seriously, I’ll send you a free song/live recording/something). Unfortunately the YouTube Nazi’s have taken it down.
Favorite album: Blood on the Tracks/Bringing it All Back Home (I can never decide)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Honorable Mentions:
Michael Jackson:
At about seven I decided that I wanted to be Michael Jackson when I grew up. I didn’t quite understand that it’s impossible to literally turn into another person when you get older (although MJ kind of did…). Incredible songs, voice, and do I even need to mention the dance moves? I used to walk around my house in a fedora and silver glove, grabbing my crotch and moonwalking everywhere. When he died I received approximately 4,297 texts/phone calls from childhood friends and family members.
Favorite album: Bad (Ha! You thought I would take Thriller. No sir.)
The Band:
Half of the people reading this are asking “who?” This makes me sad almost to the point of anger. You’ve heard their song “The Weight” a million times, I promise. Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmRDM7GyJXE
Now go buy “The Last Waltz” DVD, and all of their albums (okay, okay, that’s a bit aggressive for a starting point. Buy the DVD and either a greatest hits or their live album Rock of Ages.)
If I could be in any band EVER, it would be The Band. They were just the coolest motherfuckers alive. They named themselves The Band! Try and name another group that could throw a farewell concert and have Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, Emmylou Harris, Ronnie Hawkins, Ron Wood, The Staples Singers, AND Muddy Waters (ok…and Neil Diamond, but I’m convinced that he snuck past security onto the stage) perform with them. Maybe The Beatles. Maybe. I have to stop. I’m getting jealous just writing about them.
Favorite album: Rock of Ages
P.S. – My birthday/Christmas are coming up. If anyone wants to take me to Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, NY I’ll love you forever. I’ll put a poster of you up in my room. I’ll wash your car every week for a year. We can work out the details later. Think about it.
P.P.S. – See that new little icon on the right? Click on it and sign up for my newsletter! They’ll only come frequently enough to keep you interested, and I’ll always make them worth your while. Thanks!
