DAY 12: SABU "PALO CONGO" (1957)

When I finally decided to do this, I said to myself "I just need my ears!". Man, was I wrong! It never occurred to me that I'll have to listen to albums made outside, in countries with languages that I don't know. I never felt so ignorant in my life.

Sure, I like Louis Prima's Che La Luna a lot but that's just one song and it's Italian but can I really listen to a whole record in Latin? I suddenly felt sweat at the back of my neck and I was feeling my glucose going down. What am I going to do?!

I have a confession to make: I dislike no I HATE subtitles in non-English movies. I rarely like films made in other languages. You can pretty much tell what I'm about to say next. 

But I have a plan of attack. My goal is to appreciate and not discriminate. Never judge a record by the album title alone. It says Congo so I thought I'll be hearing some lion-king-god must be crazy kind of songs in Latin. Weird huh? But don't listen to me, I'm an idiot. I know nothing. NIL.

I remember laughing my ass off when I heard the English version of Rammstein's "Du Hast". I was so used to the original German version (which is already funny btw) that hearing it in English made me laugh hysterically. It was my brother who asked me to come to his room to listen to his funny discovery. I want to take this opportunity to give you the gift of laughter so please listen to the English version. You are not going to regret it. I promise.

I guess that's normal right? We tend to laugh first when we hear something that we don't understand, not necessarily to the language but to ourselves because we don't get it. No Comprendo! 

And that's what happened to me when I started listening to the record.I laughed. I smiled, Hell, I even started dancing and I don't understand a thing! I was a buffoon! Every word sang is pure comedy to me. I was high in laughter.

I thought of  Google-ing  the lyrics in English but I didn't need to. I was happy with my ignorance of the language and I chose to let it be that way because of what I felt. With the amount of positive energy this album gave me, what are the chances that they are actually saying something bad? thought so. Ignorance is bliss, man. 

All fun and laughter aside, the reason why this album is a part of this book is because Sabu Martinez paved way to Afro-Latin music which I personally think is not a bad fusion.

DAY 11: THELONIOUS MONK "BRILLIANT CORNERS" (1957)

Let me bring you back to Day 01. I was listening to the previous podcast of Everyday Saturday and Sam Crowley (please google and subscribe ) talked about the inspiration behind his show. He said and this is not verbatim, that if people take vitamins daily to get additional nutrition to get strong then why can't people get a daily dose of motivation to lead better lives. That's when I got the light bulb. Why can't I have a daily activity, something light and not heavy to do, won't get in the way with my everyday spectacle but will provide the right, if not loads of inspiration to me? And Viola! I don't need to tell what happened next.

So here I am, Day 11. My mood has changed. I'm not cranky at all and I don't feel like a zombie. With the kind of job that I have, trust me, it's got it's own way of robbing me of the simple pleasures in life. Music is one of my saving graces and because of this daily routine, I am just one album away to a stress free lifestyle.

And by the way, You can do this too! It doesn't have to be this exact activity but it needs to be something that you really love to do. This is a very busy and crazy world and whether you admit it or not, we find little time now a days to do something that we "personally" love.

By now you should have guessed that I have another jazz record. YES! I normally talk about the songs right away if it's with words but if it's a full instrumental jazz album, I'd talk about something else before I talk about the music. For this specific record, I had to close my eyes just to have that deep appreciation. The sound felt modern to me compared to the other jazz albums in this book. It felt modern to me because I can imagine "rap" with it. I think about Kanye West or Jay Z rapping on "Brilliant Corners" which got that meaty saxophone sound and heavy bass.

The rest of the songs all sound the same to me and for this, I ask for your forgiveness. You have to be patient with me. This still remains to be a challenge. But again, just because it's difficult, it does not mean I have no room for appreciation. I am glad I heard a lot of saxophone in this album. I have a copy of 311 Day New Orleans and guess what? Nick Hexum's (vocals) brother plays saxophone and I enjoyed watching the dude play. Listen to the song "Outside" and you'll know what I mean.

So as you can see, I'm not a hopeless case here. 

DAY 10: COUNT BASIE "THE ATOMIC MR. BASIE" (1957)

Imagine Jessica Rabbit walking down the stairs in Las Vegas with her super red lips and super tight red dress. Her perky gigantic boobs bouncing as she makes her way to the crowd. That's what this album is like. It's that sexy! Especially when it's really slow, it's like a foreplay soundtrack! 

This was made in the 50's so you automatically get that Great Gatsby-Dick Tracy-Bonnie and Clyde. Las Vegas vibe; bright, energetic, sensual and dangerous. I can name a dozen of movies that reminds me of this album.

I'm a big piano fan and one of my frustrations in life is that I don't know how to play one. People like Ben Folds and Tori Amos made me realize how bad ass a piano can be. But this is mostly because of the combination of the piano and the lyrics of their songs. This would be my second "instrumental" jazz album and I'm still getting the hang of it. 

I want to call this album a "free for all". It's free for all because it's all up to you! There are no words that tells you the meaning of the songs so it's pretty much based on what you feel when you hear it. I would love to hear this live though. Some songs are just better to hear in person. If it's all about the instruments then I'd rather see it played.

I remember watching my first orchestra ever. I was in college and was into "NU METAL". You can just imagine the horror in my face when my professor told me that we need to watch an orchestra for a school project. I thought I was going to die! For one, I thought I was going to see super old people playing music but I was wrong. What a dumbass! Majority of them happened to be very young. 

To my surprise, I enjoyed it. I had fun because of the passion and the intensity I saw from the musicians faces. Listening to this album makes me wish that I know how to play an instrument. Preferably, a piano. Unfortunately, I don't have the talent.

...And just like that we now traverse to the other part of music, the performance part. I look forward to talking about this on the next albums.

Nine records down, 992 more!
I'm all fired up! Let's go!

DAY 09: THE CRICKETS "THE CHIRPING CRICKETS" (1957)

It's Monday, Ladies and Gents! Some of us fear even hate this day but I don't because I have a new set of records to play with. Mind you, this is my 8th album to listen to and I'm still within the realms of 50's music and it get's better.

I've only heard of Buddy Holly from Weezer and just like how the song goes, Rivers Cuomo really do look a lot like him.

When I played this record, I instantly recognize the voice. I've heard of it before from the Stand By Me soundtrack song Everyday..

I'm not quite sure if it's a talent or just plain good memory but I have it! When it comes to music, I can easily remember voices and pin point the artists who made it, provided of course that I've heard of any of their work before. I can sometimes be bad at names but I do remember voices.

When I did my reading for this album, I found out that Buddy Holly is the pioneer of rock and roll and because of this, I am currently downloading a documentary about the dude.

I felt "FUSION" when I dig in to the album. It sounded like a punk mixture. The first song Oh Boy! is a perfect example of that. It's like Joey Ramones jamming with  Elvis and The Beach Boys.

Songs like That'll be the day and Looking For Someone To Love can easily be an Elvis song.

By the the time the last song is finished, I wondered..

How many people did Buddy Holly inspired and influenced?

As for me, I like his voice. I can listen to it all the time.

DAY 08: FRANK SINATRA "SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS!" (1956)

You know that scene from the movie 500 Days of Summer when Gordon-Levitt finally slept with Zooey Deschanel's character and he started dancing and it turned into this humongous dance number?!

Yes that!!!! That's exactly how I feel right now.

Since I started this whole thing, I always find myself in a good mood. It does not matter how crappy the day is or how terrible that traffic was this morning or how hot it is right now here in my kitchen. I don't care! I'm just on my 8th day and I feel different. I caught myself in a hurry to go home so I can listen to a new album and write about it. I have found a new way to get excited again.

This would be my second Sinatra album and I'm spooked. Not only am I glad to hear a happier Sinatra this time but I actually feel like he's talking to me through his lyrics. He's on my side on this musical journey!

On You Make Me Feel So Young he said, 

You make me feel so young
You make me feel like spring has sprung

I want to go and bounce the moon
Just like a toy balloon

You make me feel so young
You make me feel there are songs to be sung
Bells to be rung, and a wonderful fling to be flung

And then I heard You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me, the title alone gives me the chills. Are you spooked already? Here's more.

Oh, I can't break away 
I must have you everyday
As regularly as coffee or tea
You've got me in your clutches and I can't break free
You're getting to be a habit with me

Remember when I said that I'm always excited to go home? Here's Sinatra's take on You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me. 

I would work and slave the whole day through
If I could hurry home to you
You brought a new kind of love to me

This album pretty much outlined what I'm trying to achieve in this journey. I want to continue and hear more. 

Sinatra replied on Love is Here To Stay.

It's very clear, our love is here to stay.
Ahhh, not for a year. But, ever and a day

Touché

DAY 07: DUKE ELLINGTON "ELLINGTON AT NEWPORT" (1956)

I can still recall telling my mother that I was bored out of my skull when I saw Disney's Fantasia when I was just a little girl. Songs without words? Mickey Mouse moving but not talking? My 7 years old mind can't believe it!

I waited and waited. Nothing. I figured that out when I reached the second song "Blues To Be There." No one sang. Will this be my next "Fantasia" moment? Great!

First off, I wanted to say that there is a room for appreciation here. Forget my Fantasia days when I was 7. I am mucho positive for this next activity.  I'm up for a challenge. 

I am a big "Ocean's 11 ( 12 and 13) fan therefore, I am well aware of the existence of David Holmes. His music is not far off with the Duke's. Sure, It's not jazz but electronic music but they both have something similar, they let their instruments do the talking. 

Here's what I did. I got two browsers opened. One was playing Ellington at Newport and the other browser's got David Holmes on it. I played one song from the Duke and then I played one song from Holmes after. I was in Vegas all of a sudden, baby! If the Ocean's 11 series was made back in the 50's, Duke Ellington's music can easily be it's soundtrack. 

The whole album is a mood changer. I went from being tired to energetic in just a few minutes. I felt alive. I thought  a live album is refreshing. I like hearing the crowd clapping and cheering.

When I heard Jeep's Blues, I started to do some research. If I heard it right, there is a rhythm there with the trumpet and the piano that sounded so familiar to me. I thought I heard it from one of the Ocean's series but it appeared that it was not used at all. The only song in the soundtrack that got a connection with Duke Ellington is a song called "Caravan." It was played in the background when George Clooney's and Brad Pitt's character first met the Chinese guy in the circus. Ellington wrote it for a man called Arthur Lyman.

I have yet to learn how to appreciate music without words. This is a skill that I still have to master. I look forward to more Duke Ellington music in the future. For now, let me download Jeep's Blues to my iphone because I really really like it. This is promising.

DAY 06: FATS DOMINO "THIS IS FATS" (1956)

I once saw a documentary about The Doors. There was a comment there by the band's producer on one of his interviews that I'll never forget. The reason why I remember it is because it's straight forward and honest. He said that he was not impressed by the band's performance when he first saw them play their first set in a place called The Whiskey. He could have left right away but he stayed. When he heard their second set, he was blown away. I guess some things are really worth the second look.

This album right here required that second look. My first attempt last night was a no go. I failed. I blame the lack of sleep, and the fact that I was hungry and could not find anything decent in my fridge. I felt ungrateful and could not appreciate anything.

And then there's the I-might-still-be-under-the-spell- of Louis Prima that's why my ears could not entertain another person's brilliance so I went for a little sleep.

When I woke up, I had a decent meal and started all over again. With an open mind and a happy stomach, I played the record for the second time.

Before I did that, I took some time and did a couple of reading first. Sometimes you need  to find out how songs are made so you can appreciate them more. I remember having more respect to Hip-Hop or Rap after I saw a Tupac documentary. I thought a little research will help me and it did.

According to the book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Fats Domino is "most responsible for bridging the gap between R&B and rock." And that is why I gave it another chance.

The song Blueberry Hill became my favorite in the album. Bear in mind that I quit listening to this song after 10 seconds during my first attempt but it grew on me very quickly. I even listened to Sir Elton John's version and I liked it even more and when I heard of Louis Armstrong's version, I died in an instant and went to heaven! I later found out that the song was recorded by a lot of artists back in the day.

The more I listened to the album, the more I came to like his voice. By the third song "What's The Reason? (I'm Not Pleasing You?) I was hooked. I wanted to hear more. My second favorite song in the album would be "La-La". It's a very short song with just a few words in it but is beyond brilliant.

La la
La la la la
I know why I'm in love with you, woo
I haven't found another woman to treat me like you do
You're so fine, I'm glad you're mine, woo

So take it from me when you come across a piece of music that you heard and did not like for the first time. Give it a second chance. It's worth it!

DAY 05: LOUIS PRIMA "THE WILDEST" (1956)

I know what my ears like and it all boils down to three things. 

- Voice: this is something that I can never explain in words. There are singing voices that I like and I don't. And this also depends on the genre of the song. The rest of the factors of "the voice" all rest on what I call the "magic". A couple of my favorite male voices would be Adam Levine, James Maynard of Tool and the dude from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You wanna know what makes a voice great? If you think that a singer's voice still sound amazing when you let them sing the contents of a newspaper. 

- Style: this can be anything from a guitar riff to an extra "hey" in the song or a repeat of  the lyrics or a pattern of drum beats. If the song's got a lot a character and charm then it's an instant hit for me.

- Magic. This one right here is a deal breaker. It does not matter if the song is by an artist I like or hate or if the song does not fall to my favorite musical genre. When the magic hits, it's always unexpected and most of the time, cannot be explained. You know what I'm talking about. It's when you hear the song and you feel that you are hypnotized or under some spell. On some occasions we even feel that the song is made for us because the lyrics are so spot on.

I remember the first time I saw my dad's copy of the Stand By Me Soundtrack. I was about 8 years old and there's not that many old songs I know. I only knew the Beatles. You can just imagine the look in my face when I found out that I have a new set of songs to play with.  It was about the voices I heard, the energy, the style and of course the spell that I was in when I listened to the songs.

From then on I have this own category in my head where I file songs under it as a "Stand By Me" kind of songs. This album is like one of those. It reminds me of The Bobbettes but with a male voice. I was happy to hear a female voice in his songs. I later found out that the same girl also collaborated with Frank Sinatra.

Now, this is not the first time that I've heard of Louis Prima. When I saw Will Ferrel's Kicking & Screaming, one of my favorite songs in the movie happened to be of this man. It was Zooma Zooma. Man, I love his voice so much. When I made the connection of the voice in the song and this next album that I have to listen, I knew that I'm going to have some fun. Not only did I listened to the whole album but I also watched The Wildest Documentary for this. Yes, you can cue a brag alert! I like him so much that I did a couple of research here and there. Boy, it was so worth it!

His songs are so contagious too. I can see myself sing any line from Just a Gigolo because it's so damn good. I can switch from a male voice for Louis's part and switch to a female voice for Keely Smith's part as well.

'Cause I ain't got nobody
Oh, and just nobody cares for me
There's nobody cares for me

I'm so sad and lonely
Sad and lonely, sad and lonely
Won't some sweet mama
Come take a chance with me
'Cause I ain't so bad

Never forget this equation: Voice + Style + Magic = Louis Prima

DAY 04: THE LOUVIN BROTHERS "TRAGIC SONGS OF LIFE" (1956)

Day 04 and I'm on my 3rd album. This one is very difficult for me personally because "COUNTRY" is my least favorite genre. Ask me if I have a favorite country song and I can guarantee you that I'll answer back with a blank face.  Add that with the culture and the time gap(this was made in the 50's) then you'll have a recipe for a music that I'll stop after 5 seconds but nevertheless, I have to listen to it since it is a part of the book. With an open mind, I listened to the whole thing.

I want to start off this entry by saying that I believe that there is no bad music. IT'S TRUE!!! You're probably saying NO IT'S NOT right now with your Simon Cowell know-it-all stature but you are wrong because music is all about preference, my friend!

You want proof? FINE! I'll make a believer out of you. I'll give you one perfect example. Remember when you were little and you could not sleep at night and you ask your mom or your dad to sing to you? You probably realized now that your older that your mom's or dad's voice suck but when you were young you thought whoever is singing to you is an angel. 

I also want to say that this is not a bad album. I just don't prefer the style. I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of people back in the day who like it otherwise it won't be a part of this book. I can honestly say that If I were born in the 50's and I live in the country then I'd probably like it.

I can also say that If Lady Antebellum or the Dixie Chicks make a cover of these songs then I'll probably like it as well. Remember when Nirvana sang "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" on MTV Unplugged? Everyone thought it's an original but it's actually a Leadbelly song. It's the same thing when John Meyer sang "In the Wee Small Hours Of The Morning" in Late Night Show with David Letterman. I think the lesson of the day is that Music have versions. We've heard this done a million times by different artists and there is nothing bad about it. For me, a version of another song would mean to say that you are probably catering a "preferable" version to a person who did not like the original. IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK, I have to say that with a great emphasis. I remember hating Avril Lavigne because she murdered Foo Fighter's Everlong. Her fans like it but I don't. But Hey, I also remember liking a song because Boyce Avenue made a cover of it. I won't say the title but man, I hate the original so much. It's a circle isn't? 

Just like life, music finds a way.

DAY 03: ELVIS PRESLEY "ELVIS PRESLEY" (1956)

For this specific album, I channel my energy from one cartoon character. She's from Hawaii, cute as a button and she's got herself an alien friend. Yes, you are right on the money! It's Lilo! And why the hell not? I don't know anyone in real life and in movies who is passionate about Elvis like her. 

This album is really quick. All songs are less than 3 minutes. I got up this morning, ate my breakfast while playing this album on youtube and by the time that I'm finished, He's done too. I recognized familiar songs right away like The Blue Suede Shoes and of course Tutti Frutti. I was happy with the decision to listen to it first thing in the morning. I felt vibrant afterwards, like I got a shot of sugar in my veins. And you know what's weird, I can't stop thinking of pineapples too. If you ask me, it's the kind of album I'd like to listen to if I'm on a beach and sipping pineapple juice while my hammock sway back and forth like ocean waves. 

I felt a little John Lennon when I heard the song "Trying To Get To You". I love it when I can hear other people from another one's voice, like the way I hear a little Jim Morisson on Jeff Buckley when he sang Mojo Pin. If songs remind us of people, all the more with voices.

Majority of the songs are just too fast for my taste. I prefer Elvis most for his slow melodic songs. I wish I'll Never Let You Go and Blue Moon is more than 3 minutes because it so good. I now understand why women back in his day are crazy for him. The dude sings like a bird that sometimes it feels like he's cooing like one. 

Imagine two birds, one girl and one boy. The female bird is inside a cage, fragile and beautiful and alone. Then all of a sudden, out comes this stray bird from nowhere. It stayed on the window only to sing for the female bird. This to me, is definitely a courtship album.

DAY 02: FRANK SINATRA "IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS" (1955)

Danny Ocean: You shook Sinatra's hand. You should know better.

I know what you are thinking? You probably think that it's such a cliche to use that quote up there but what the hell. I thought that it speak volumes of who Frank Sinatra is. Now, I'm not going to pretend that I know a lot about him, In fact I know nothing about the dude! I was born in the 80's, I grew up listening to my father's music, which did not include Sinatra at all and lets face it, there is not enough media to bring back these kind of music in circulation for young people like you and me to rediscover. But that's the beauty of this journey I'm taking. Although it's mapped out by a book, I am in full control. I say hell yes to Fred Durst when he sings "Imma do things my way, It's my way, my way on the highway!" Thinking about what I plan to write about this road trip, I came across two different paths. Do I stick with the details that I can probably also see when I google his name or do I stick with the "feel" of the songs. I prefer the latter.

I can imagine Steven Soderbergh listening to this album when he was writing Ocean's Eleven. I see Nancy Meyer movies when I hear the songs on this album, there goes Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton kissing on the porch in her house in the Hamptons but most of all, I can see Holden Caulfield in his late 20's walking in the street after a night in a pub, he just broke up with his girlfriend and stares at the street lamp and is thankful that the bright light is keeping him warm. It is a "conceptual album" after all. Yes, I do research. While I swear to God that you will not see anything here that Google can't tell you , I think it's best not to leave an important information about it. You don't believe me? Listen to the songs and check the album cover. 

I mentioned on my first entry that I see albums like a collection of fashion pieces and if they don't fit well together then it won't make sense at all. This would a perfect example of that. The songs obviously don't sound the same but the vibe is the same. There's a theme and you can feel it in the songs.

I'm writing and listening to this album right now in the kitchen table and feels like I'm somewhere where it's raining. I feel like I'm in a street walking in cobblestones as the raindrops glide to the arch of my gray umbrella. I am on my way home and is wondering why after a whole day of work, I still have the time to think about a person who I just lost.

It's a hopeful album I'm telling you but a gloomy-i'm-going-to-be-okay kind of album. It's the kind you want to listen to after 6 months have passed by since a bad break up or a loss of some sort, that perfect time where you're not angry about things anymore, your head is clear and accepts the truth and while the longing is there and some of the pain still lingers, your heart snaps right back in focus. 

I want to share a couple of my favorite lines:

"When your lonely heart has learned its lesson

  You'd be hers if only she would call." ( In The Wee Small Hours)

"I'm so lonesome I could cry." (Mood Indigo)

"I can't win, but here I am

More than glad to be unhappy." ( Glad To Be Unhappy)

"But I've forgotten you just like I should." ( I Get Along Without You Very Well)

As I listen to the songs, I caught myself smiling and laughing to some of the words because it resonates so true to the state I'm in right now. I never thought I'd say this but Frank Sinatra is a dude I can relate to. Keep in mind that Frank and I are generations apart. He was in his forties when this album came out and yet here we are.

When you're done reading this, I want you to listen to Deep In A Dream. That's my favorite song in this album. :)

DAY 01: THE LIGHTBULB

You know how Julie Powell changed her life by cooking everything on Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking? Well, mine is sort of like that as well. I think. While I won’t be using my chopping board and use butter to make my life all better like Julie or Julia, I will however take a similar journey but of course without the help of any kitchen utensils.

If Julie or Julia is to french cuisine, “JE” would be to music. See the analogy there? lol. I have the same amount of passion these two ladies have for their food as with my music. Now, I don’t want to sound like I know how to play because I don’t. I don’t have a degree in music either to give you professor like comments about a song or an album. but what I do best is to appreciate. Sometimes in life, it’s best to be a spectator and trust me, this is the place to be if God did not bless you with the talent to give people an eargasm.

I knew back then when I was little that I have this special relationship with music from the time my father handed me my first cassette tape. From then on, I went to discover the music that I like, recorded them when I was in high school when it's played on the radio and If my dad gave me a decent allowance then I’d buy the whole album.(This was back in 98′ so yes, cassette tapes and cd’s.) Through the years I developed my own "palette" or preference however you wanna call it. And it is a desired taste that I continuously like.

I marveled at the album covers, stared at the drawings and illustrations on the cover sleeves and realized early on that musicians are not just singers but painters and poets. I found out that albums are like books that have stories in it. 

One record album is also similar to a collection of fashion pieces and if they don’t go together then it’s not a good! I want you to think of an album you like or a collection on a fashion show or Picasso’s Blue Period and it will make you realize that artists in general, be it: visual arts, music, fashion etc. all do the same ground work. I see one magical spectrum.

But times have changed. Music is marketed very differently now. Cassette tapes and CD's are now considered extinct. We can download on single song in itunes and we forget the collective beauty of an album. I plan to revive the old school.

See, there’s a reason why a rainbow is a spectrum and I think it’s symbolic to “enlightenment” and I want that right now in my life. And so today, May 18,2014, I declare my 1001 journey. I will listen to all of the albums on the book and I will keep a diary of it and keep tabs of my thoughts. Let’s see where this will take me.