Musical coincidences # 154

Thanks to somebody on Facebook recently posting the video for Nick Lowe‘s “So It Goes“, I was reminded of three things:

1. A part of the song is similar to a part of a Steely Dan song.

2. A part of the video is similar to all of a Hoodoo Gurus video.

3. I like “So It Goes” and haven’t heard it in ages.

Let the coincidences begin:

Music

Nick Lowe – “So It Goes“ (1976) (excerpt)

Link

Steely Dan – “Reelin’ In The Years“ (1972) (excerpt)

Link

Video

Nick Lowe – “So It Goes“ (1976)

Hoodoo Gurus – “What’s My Scene“ (1987)

The full versions:

Nick Lowe – “So It Goes“ (1976)

Link

Steely Dan – “Reelin’ In The Years“ (1972)

Link

Hoodoo Gurus – “What’s My Scene“ (1987)

Link

Song of the day: Michael Carpenter – "FM (No Static At All)"

Indefatigable Australian power-popper Michael Carpenter has released his latest covers album entitled SOOP # 4.

(The SOOP stands for “Songs Of Other People”.)

Throughout the SOOP series I’ve found the songs that Michael has chosen to be obscure, varied, and enjoyable. With this latest one I got terribly excited when I saw that one of the songs Michael chose was Steely Dan‘s “FM (No Static At All)“. It’s one of my favourite Steely Dan songs, and Michael’s recording of it gives me the perfect excuse to play you both versions. (But mainly to play you Steely Dan’s.)

Michael Carpenter – “FM (No Static At All)“ (2011)

Steely Dan – “FM (No Static At All)“ (1978)

Link

By the way, you can hear all of SOOP #4 either at Bandcamp or here:

Michael Carpenter official website
Michael Carpenter on Facebook
Michael Carpenter at LinkedIn
Michael Carpenter at Flickr
Michael Carpenter on YouTube
Michael Carpenter at Bandcamp
Michael Carpenter on Twitter
Michael Carpenter on MySpace

Song of the day: Steely Dan – "Change Of The Guard"

One excellent guitarist

If you’ll pardon today’s indulgence, I want to play you one of my all-time favourite guitar solos*.

I’m a fan of Steely Dan, and I think this song is great (that’s because it’s by Steely Dan), but the guitar solo in it played by Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is something else. It goes some way to explain why Skunk was so highly sought-after for session work, and why The Doobie Brothers had him in their band for so long. But it doesn’t explain why Mr. Baxter became a consultant for the United States Department of Defense. (That’s something I just don’t get at all. Or, putting it another way: “Huh?”)

Nevertheless, here is Jeff “Skunk” Baxter playing a guitar solo that amazes me every time I hear it:

Steely Dan – “Change Of The Guard” (1972)

Link

(*Remind me to also play you “Midnight At The Oasis” sometime. The guitar solo in that is astounding. A fellow guitarist once said that the solo sounds as if it was played backwards.)