Matt Nathanson - "Come On Get Higher" (2008)

Jammin on Valentines' Day with Renzie Baluyut.

Here's a song you might want to learn to play for your significant other for Valentines Day. The chords and progression seems fairly simple for anyone who's into guitar, so all you have to do is get some practice, really.

Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher" is one of those songs that can fit any Adult Contemporary, or even Adult Alternative playlist or collection, definitely one of those tunes for the ladies.

Check out Matt Nathanson's video for "Come On Get Higher" here on his very own channel on YouTube.

"Come On Get Higher" (2009)
Matt Nathanson

I miss the sound of your voice
And I miss the rush of your skin
And I miss the still of the silence
As you breathe out and I breathe in

If I could walk on water
If I can tell you what’s next
Make you believe, make you forget

So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

I miss the sound of your voice
The loudest thing in my head
And I hate to remember
All the violent, sweet perfect words that you said

If I could walk on water
If I can tell you what’s next
Make you believe, make you forget

So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love

I miss the pull of your heart
I can taste the sparks on your tongue
I see angels and devils
And God, when you come on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on love
Singin' shalala la
Singin' shalala la

Come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me in love
So come on, get higher, loosen my lips
Faith and desire in the swing of your hips
Just pull me down hard
And drown me, drown me in love

It's all wrong
It's all wrong
It's all right
So, come on, get higher
Come on, get higher
'Cause everything works in your
Everything works in your arms

Can't get that song out of your head? Then check out more of Renzie's Last Song Syndrome Project, the only blog service dedicated to getting that persistent tune out of your system- by giving you lots more of it!

Cheers, everyone!

The Who - "Baba o'Riley" (1971)

classic rock with Renzie Baluyut.

The Who seems to have had found an appreciative set of new listeners, thanks to shows like CSI New York, which only features their classic "Baba O'Riley" each and every single episode as part of the show's opening.

The Who is one of those bands that were definitely ahead of their time, a favorite of many a true rockaholic, regardless of age.

Here's a video we found on YouTube, a clip of a live performance courtesy of gawlerpete.

Enjoy!

"Baba o'Riley" (1971)
The Who

Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven

Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland

Sally, take my hand
And travel south 'cross land
Put out the fire
Don't look past my shoulder

The exodus is here
The happy ones are near
Let's get together
Before we get much older

Teenage wasteland
It's only teenage wasteland
Teenage wasteland
Oh, oh
Teenage wasteland
They're all wasted!

Can't get that song out of your head? Then check out more of Renzie's Last Song Syndrome Project, the only blog service dedicated to getting that persistent tune out of your system- by giving you lots more of it!

Cheers, everyone!

Renzie's Early Education in Funk and Cool

I was born in 1973. Which makes me 35 years old this November. Mom would make outrageous claims that I was jamming out to old albums of The Osmonds when I was a kid. But as far as I can remember, it was this one particular song that had the most impact on me when I was 3 or 4- Stevie Wonder's "Superstition".

I watched me a lot of Sesame Street when I was young. In fact, I could even recite some of the lines of the sketches and songs as they were really burned into the back of my skull somehow. I remember The Pointer Sisters. And James Taylor on the show. And Lena Horne. Paul Simon. Smokey Robinson. Even the late Madeline Khan.

But what really stood out was "Superstition". It had an elaborate setup of instruments and musicians, and kids jammin' out on the balcony, and of course, Mr. Stevie Wonder himself. Man, I funked out to Stevie Wonder when I was 3. After doing a bit of research, here's some stuff I discovered about that particular version of "Superstition".

• This performance was recorded live on the set of Sesame Street- right in front of Mr. Hooper's store- in 1972. But check this out: everything was done in one take, and done live.
• The lead guitar player? That's a teenaged Ray Parker Jr., man. "A Woman Needs Love"? "You Can't Change That"? The theme from "Ghostbusters" the movie? Yeah, that's him alright.
• The rest of Stevie's crew: that's Anthony Jackson on bass (some people say it's Scott Edwards, though)- the same guy who gave you the funky bassline on The O Jay's "For The Love of Money", and you also have Ollie Brown on drums, Trevor Laurence on sax and Steve Madaio on trumpet.

How can you not jam out to this one? Here it is, ladies and gentlemen for your enjoyment:

Much thanks to the boys over at Ryan's Smashing Life Music Weblog for posting this funky-ass video on YouTube. And here's another Stevie Wonder classic on Sesame Street: check this post out from my personal TV blog, Too Much TV | Renzie on TV.

Wanna get more Sesame Street vids and clips? There's a whole lot of em posted all over YouTube, but you may want to check out the official Sesame Street Channel on YouTube here.

Hope you enjoyed this post, ladies and gentlemen.

Cheers!

Tori Amos Live At Montreux CD and DVD Out Now

Huge news for all you Tori Amos fans out there!

Tori Amos had just released a live CD and DVD titled Tori Amos Live At Montreux. The performances took place just a year apart from each other in July 1991 and July 1992 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The CD and DVD include Tori’s original music as well as a lot of great cover songs. Check out the track listings below.

Also check out this video of Tori Amos performing "Thank You" at the 1991 Montreaux Jazz Festival. Enjoy!

Here's the official Press Release for the new Tori Amos CD/DVD:

Tori Amos descended on the scene in the early ‘90s brimming with newfound creativity, intelligence, sensitivity and an exacting literary bearing. Celebrated by critics and the public alike, that first spotlight was a heady time in the young singer/songwriter’s career. On September 30, 2008, Eagle Rock Entertainment, through its wholly-owned Eagle Eye Media subsidiary, will release Tori Amos Live At Montreux 1991/1992 on both CD (16 songs) and DVD (90 minutes, 19 songs) simultaneously sold separately. It is a rare glimpse into that initial breathy rush of a great artist’s ascendancy.

The ’91 gig came only months before her Little Earthquakes debut had catapulted her into an instant icon, the ’92 appearance shortly thereafter. The progression in both performance and audience receptivity is appreciable. Material includes most of her stellar debut but also tracks from her indie EPs and some notable covers (Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and “Thank You” as well as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”).

Tori Amos’ stark confessional style immediately garnered millions of young fans searching for some semblance of self in an all too imperfect world. Tori’s melodic sense, coupled with her unerring eye for the human foibles of a generation twice removed from the ‘60s sensibilities of her influences, made for a uniquely special art. There was no, and is no, precedent for such a talent. Tori’s obliquely personal oeuvre digs down deep into such dramatic lyrical topics as sexuality, religion and personal tragedy. She touches that universal chord. It’s small wonder she became a major voice right from the outset of her career.

Track Listings

1991 DVD TRACK LISTING

1. Silent All These Years
2. Precious Things
3. China
4. Crucify
5. Leather
6. Song For Eric
7. Upside Down
8. Happy Phantom
9. Winter
10. Thank You

1992 DVD TRACK LISTING

11. Little Earthquakes
12. Crucify
13. Silent All These Years
14. Precious Things
15. Happy Phantom
16. Whole Lotta Love/Thank You
17. Me And A Gun
18. Winter
19. Smells Like Teen Spirit

CD TRACK LISTING

1991 show:

1. Silent All These Years
2. Precious Things
3. China
4. Crucify
5. Leather
6. Song For Eric
7. Upside Down
8. Happy Phantom
9. Winter
10. Thank You

1992 show

11 Little Earthquakes
12) Precious Things
13) Whole Lotta Love/Thank You
14) Me And A Gun
15) Winter
16) Smells Like Teen Spirit

For more on Tori Amos, check out her entry here on Wikipedia, or her official website here. If you like, you can also visit Tori Amos on her MySpace and Facebook pages.

Cheers, everyone!

Last Song Syndrome: Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson - "Candy" (1991)

from the player of Renzie Baluyut

I remembered first hearing "Candy" over the radio back in my second year of college. Punk god Iggy Pop finally had a Top 40 hit- which actually sounded alright. But what made it better was that he had a B-52 singing along with him: Kate Pierson.

The B-52's were the trademark party band of the 1980's, with Kate being one of the lead singers, alongside Fred Schneider and Cindy Wilson. So having heard a more sensitive side of Kate Pierson on this particular collaboration was a serendipitous treat.

The song wasn't commercially available in the Philippines, so a fan like me really had no choice but to tune in and wait for "Candy" to be played every 4 hours or so.

Just over the weekend, I put together a 90's easy listening mix and pulled out some tracks I haven't quite heard in a while. So here we go, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy!

Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson
"Candy" (1991)

Its a rainy afternoon in 1990
The big city... geez, it's been 20 years-
Candy- you were so fine...

Beautiful beautiful
Girl from the north
You burned my heart with a flickering torch
I had a dream that no one else could see
You gave me love for free

Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me, I loved you so
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
Candy baby

Yeah, well it hurt me real bad when you left
Hey, I'm glad you got out, but...
But I miss you

I've had a hole in my heart for so long
I've learned to fake it and just smile along
Down on the street
Those men are all the same
I need a love
Not games
Not games

Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me
I loved you so
Candy, candy , candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
I know, baby
Candy baby

Woh oh oh
Candy, candy, candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me
I loved you so

Candy candy candy
Life is crazy
Candy baby

Candy baby,
Candy, candy

Special thanks to male70s for posting the vid up on YouTube. Check out Iggy Pop's wikipedia entry here, and his official website here. As for Kate Pierson, you can read up on her here, and check her out on the B-52's official website.

Can't get that song out of your head? Then check out more of Renzie's Last Song Syndrome Project, the only blog service dedicated to getting that persistent tune out of your system- by giving you lots more of it!

Cheers, everyone!