La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Classical Has No Vocal" Edition

I should stipulate up front that today's titular quote has been attributed to Marilyn Monroe; apparently she said it in real life, not in a movie, although a Google search has not disgorged a citation for it.

Anyway, if you were here yesterday, when I posted that kinda goofy rocked up version of J.S. Bach's "Air" by Dutch band Ekseption, you probably saw the subject of today's esssay question coming down Broadway, as they say.

So without any further ado, let's get right to it. To wit:

...and your favorite (or least favorite) post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/r&b record by a group or solo artist demonstrating either an overt or implied influence of European classical music in the writing or performing or both, is...?

Discuss.

No arbitrary rules, but just to be a little more specific, what we're talking about doesn't have to be some kind of obvious borrowing from a particular classical composition; some of my favorites aren't, as you will see shortly. And when I say post-Elvis, that's to make sure none of you bastid kids nominates one of those godawful 1940s hits like "Full Moon and Empty Arms," which actually appended sappy lyrics to a melody from Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto. And yes, you're allowed to put up prog shit if applicable, as distasteful as I might find that personally. 😎

And my nominees? It's a tie. Between this...

...and this.

That's the late Alan Civil playing French horn on the Beatles track, BTW; in case you're unfamiliar with him, he was considered to be perhaps the greatest exponent of his instrument in the second half of the 20th Century. You should hear him do the Mozart horn concertos with Otto Klemperer, is what I'm saying. 😎😎

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?

And have a fabulous weekend, everybody!!!

Eine Kleine Rockmuzik

An ad in Billboard, March 28, 1970. Boy, those were the days.

And here's the band and song in question, performing fake live on Dutch TV a few months earlier.

That's kind of appealingly Procol Harum-ish, no? And that keyboard player is really a lot of fun.

Anyway, I either never heard of those guys previously or I'd simply forgotten them, both of which possibilities strike me as odd, because as long time readers are aware I'm a fan of Dutch rock in general. In any event, when I stumbed across the above the other day, it was a very pleasant surprise.

Not to fear, however. Regular, less self-indulgent posting -- i.e., the traditional weekend essay question -- will resume on the morrow.

P.S.: It just dawned on me that the above is actually a clue to the subject of the aforementioned essay question. A coveted PowerPop No-Prize© will of course be awarded to the first reader who guesses it correctly.

Actually, To Paraphrase Mike Meyers on Coffee Talk -- This IS a Big Woof!!!

More to the point, it's a superb new (2025) fan remix of the Fabs' inexplicably undervalued "Hey Bulldog." I always thought this song was one of their coolest ever rockers, but now here it is as nature intended.

Wow. I mean -- that's a bit of a revelation, 'innit. 😎

Or as the guy who put it together points out in his YouTube notes, one of the clearest examples of how exciting The Beatles could sound as a live band.

And you're welcome very much, of course. 😎 😎

[h/t Jai Guru Dave]

Your Tuesday Moment of Why Didn't I Get the Memo

Okay, this is breathtaking. Seriously.

Mike Viola, as you all doubtless know, was the front guy/chief songwriter of the fab gear Candy Butchers, and voiced the lead singer of fictional band The Wonders in Tom Hanks' perpetually amazing That Thing You Do.

I was unaware of the above clip, however, until the other day when a musician friend turned me on to it, and it totally blew my miniscule mind. I mean -- wow.

I should add, and just for the record, that I am beginning to think it might not be an exagerration to suggest that Viola is, conceivably, the world's greatest living male rock vocalist. In the meantime, you can find out where's he playing live in the future -- and see some more utterly amazing video clips -- over at his official website HERE.

And je répète-- wow. 😎

[h/t Frank Burrows]

Real, Not Photo-Shopped (An Occcasional Series): Special "Rock Me Amadeus" Edition

Courtesy of Pulitzer winning critic/friend of PowerPop Tim Page -- from the New York Times, here's the greatest mismatch of photo and caption in newspaper history,

Click on it to enlarge, if you can't read it. You'll thank me, honest.

I mean, I'm not much of an opera fan, but man -- what I wouldn't have given to see THAT production. 😎

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "Like a Fine Wine, But It Actually Rocks!" Edition

From his brand new (and superb) album The Great Yellow Light, please enjoy the incomparable Willie Nile (and band) and the video for the lead-off single "We Are We Are."

Long time readers are aware of my enthusiasm for Willie's work over the years, but at this point it's just getting ridiculous. I mean, The Great Yellow Light (the title is a reference to Vincent Van Gogh's letters to his brother, Theo, and the light that inspired him in Arles, France) is by my count his 15th(!) studio effort since making one of the greatest debut records of all time back in 1980. And the fact that this new one one is of comparable quality -- and in fact sounds, in its brash high-energy and passionate intensity, like the work of some young artist who wasn't even born when that first one came out -- is nothing short of amazing.

I should add that, if you order a physical copy of the album (which you can do over at Amazon HERE or at Bandcamp) you get a little bonus sticker featuring a cameo appearance by your humble scribe.

And I stand by the judgement thereupon. 😎

Oh, I should also add that if you're in the NYC area, Willie and band are going to be doing two (Nov. 26 and 28) early and late career retrospective shows at the Loft at City Winery; the first one, which will feature songs from that aforementioned debut album, will very likely be in the spirit of his legendary gigs at the old Kenny's Castaways. Be there or be square -- a certain Shady Dame and I will definitely be in attendance, and we look forward to seeing you. 😎😎

Okay -- and, for reasons that will be obvious in a moment, that leads us inexorably to the weekend's business at hand. To wit:

...and the post-Elvis pop/rock/folk/soul artist -- solo or band -- who's done the most consistently excellent work over the space of a multi-decade career is...?

Discuss.

I don't really have a dog in this hunt; obviously, Willie would be one of my candidates, but other than him, top of my head I'm not sure who I'd nominate.

In any event -- alrighty then, who would YOUR choices be?

And have a great weekend, everybody!!!

Your Thursday Moment of Words Fail Me

Heh.

Sorry to have been slacking two days in a row. Have no fear, however -- you'll find that tomorrow's Weekend Essay Question is particularly substantive, if I do say so myself, and I'm offering it in penance. 😎

Today's Cartoon Chuckle(s)

Heh. 😎

BTW, I don't usually like (or approve of) those so-called Nancy "remixes" that are omnipresent on the intertubes lately, but the Iggy joke was too good not to include here.

My New Favorite Band (An Occasional Series)

Okay, I realize that I'm late to the party, but this song and video (from 2020) by New Zealand punk/pop mavens The Beths (who I first discovered and wrote about last Thursday) is/are the most wonderful thing(s) I've seen/heard in ages.

Seriously, I love just everything about that -- the guitar interplay, the harmonies, the whole instructional premise -- but when the bass player suddenly showed up as Paul McCartney I nearly fell off my desk chair.

A coveted Power Pop No-Prize© is hereby awarded to reader Sid Much Rock, who hipped me to it. Kudos and huzzahs, my friend.

It's Labor Day, Bitches...

...and in its honor, we give you honorary American Neil Young going all up the workers with his classic "Union Man."

I should add that the above song is something of a holiday tradition in these precincts. Originally, I used to post The Strawbs' British hit "Part of the Union," which I always assumed had been designed to piss off Margaret Thatcher, may she rot in hell, but I have since been informed by several genuine Limeys of my acquaintance that in the UK the song is actually read as being ANTI-labor. Go figure. In any case, as a result, Neil is now my go-to guy for songs with a pro-prole bent. At least till I discover a really cool more contemporary song echoing the same sentiments.

I should also say that the above seems especially pertinent given that we are currently living in the kind of country that inspired Woody Guthrie's guitar to kill the kind of people now running it -- and hey, is Donny Demento dead yet? But I lack the energy to go into that at the moment, and I'd rather (and I bet you would too) just enjoy today's lovely weather.

So have a nice one, and regular power pop themed posting resumes on the morrow.