Florence + the Machine Unplugged

If you are not one of those folks who have discovered the band Florence + the Machine this is time to do so. This lady can sing. Not just sing, but sing, wail, any adjective of your choice for a big voice.

After having two successful albums they have been given the Unplugged treatment on MTV. The performance is the perfect vehicle for a singer like Florence. Hit songs like What the Water Gave Me, Shake it Out, and Dog Days Are Over lose nothing and gain intensity in this setting.

The songs that you have to hear however are the two covers she digs out for this performance. First we hear the Otis Redding classic Try a Little Tenderness. With one of those voices that the proverbial phone book would sound melodious this might be the best version of the song that I have heard, other than the original of course.

As strong as this entry is, once joined by the lead singer of a band I had never heard of called Queens of the Stone Age, a man named Josh Homme, a version of the Johnny and June Carter Cash classic Jackson is rolled out. It too is a song that gets in your head. I have added it to my prime playlist and think it will be there for quite some time. A classic song sung by current artists and sung well gives one hope in this day of predominantly awful music.

Listen to these songs, then listen to the rest. Florence Welch is a singer we will be hearing for many years to come.

Otis by Jay Z and Kanye West

I am not a rap music fan. I do however have an appreciation for it that is more than I ever thought it would be. I think Eminem is talented and Lil Wayne is vulgar, rude and mysoginistic. He is also however incredibly good at turning a hook.

Jay Z has become for all intents and purposes an elder statesman, a Godfathr if you will of rap. A media darling with his recent biography and of course his marriage to Beyonce he can really do no wrong these days.

His most recent album, a collaberation with Kanye West has been for many " the most anticpated release of the summer. " Far from that for me but with the help of my new favorite music item in the world, Spotify, I have been listening to all kinds of new music. It really is like a jukebox of all the music you can think of.

Having just listened to a couple of the songs thus far I can tell you the album is intelligent and interesting. This blog however is about the song Otis. Rap music is often about the sample that is used in the song. In this song Otis Redding is the third memeber of the band, sampled widely and throughout the entire song. The result is audacious and bold and superior to anything on the rap spectrum I have heard this year. I do not pretend to be a connisuer of rap music but I know what I like. This song rocks.

Sam Cooke, Portrait of a Legend

One of the famous quotes in Rock and Roll is when Jon Landau heard Bruce Springsteen for the first time and said " I have heard the future of rock and roll and it's name is Bruce Springsteen.

This proved to be true. There is no bigger fan of Bruce Springsteen than me. I have seen him several times and own all of the music he has released. Every concert tour I will attempt to be there.

That said over the last few years I have developed a huge appreciation for the soul singers and Motown of the sixties. Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding are amazing. There music reaches me in ways nothing today can do.

My wife's sister has wide ranging and eclectic music tastes and she told me I needed to listen to Sam Cooke. I was not unfamiliar, having heard his music in Animal House approximately 1000 times.

This collection may be as close to perfection as you will ever hear. It is without a doubt the most uplifting collection of music in my 13000+ song collection in my itunes library.

From the gospel of Jesus Gave Me Water to Touch the Hem of his Garment to songs we all know from A Chang is Gonna Come, Having a Party, Twistin the Night Away. What a Wonderful World, Cupid and on and on it goes.

You could list every song on this album.

I read just recently that a survey of musicologists named Sam Cooke as the consensus favorite as the greatest singer of the 20th century. Of course that is a subjective vote, there are so many great singers across so many great genres. That said Sam Cooke gets my vote too.

This man's voice was as near perfection as you will ever hear.

The Very Best of Otis Redding

Otis Redding died at the age of 26. I must confess until a short time ago the only Otis Redding I had in my collection was Sittin on the Dock of the Bay. A great song.

Now that I have listened to more Otis Redding and listened to this collection I realize that as great a song as that is it is not the best in his collection or even very representational of his musical style.

I have a playlist on my IPOD for what I call Motown though I am not sure it is all Motown specifically but it is all that kind of music. Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Jackie Wilson and others lead the way. Otis now joins that list.

The voice was purely perfect. " These Arms of Mine, Try a Little Tenderness, and I've Been Loving You Too Long may be three of the sweetest slow songs to dance to you will ever here.

What a gift to sing like that.

As they say in Animal House " Otis is my man" After listening to this music I can only be sad I took this long to find it and make sure that I pass it on to my music loving oldest son.