Friday, January 14, 2005
take my arms and i'm an angry jew
Jane Morgan "Sounds of Silence"
Jane Morgan "Monday Monday"
Jane Morgan was an actress and singer back in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. She was an easy listening, big band, Kay Starr type of songstress, the sort of stuff you’d expect June Lockhart or Barbara Billingsley to listen to. In the mid ‘60’s, struggling to stay relevant in the wake of rock’n’roll, Morgan’s label had her redo contemporary rock hits in her own style, kind of like those last few Johnny Cash records. Unlike those last few Johnny Cash records, though, Fresh Flavor is unintentionally hilarious. Okay, maybe not hilarious, but you listen to “Sounds of Silence” and tell me there’s not something unsettling about it. It’s just sort of creepy and wrong. She takes a normally beautiful, ominous little chestnut and turns it into something awkward, soulless, and desperate. There is some charm in that desperation, though, and instead of feeling sorry for old Jane, I’d like to hold her tenderly in my arms and let her know that everything’s going to be okay. You don’t need to impress us, Jane; we love you just the way you are.
You can buy a copy of Fresh Flavor on a twofer disc through Amazon.
Also, appropriate of nothing, here’s Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ‘69”.
Jane Morgan "Sounds of Silence"
Jane Morgan "Monday Monday"
Jane Morgan was an actress and singer back in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. She was an easy listening, big band, Kay Starr type of songstress, the sort of stuff you’d expect June Lockhart or Barbara Billingsley to listen to. In the mid ‘60’s, struggling to stay relevant in the wake of rock’n’roll, Morgan’s label had her redo contemporary rock hits in her own style, kind of like those last few Johnny Cash records. Unlike those last few Johnny Cash records, though, Fresh Flavor is unintentionally hilarious. Okay, maybe not hilarious, but you listen to “Sounds of Silence” and tell me there’s not something unsettling about it. It’s just sort of creepy and wrong. She takes a normally beautiful, ominous little chestnut and turns it into something awkward, soulless, and desperate. There is some charm in that desperation, though, and instead of feeling sorry for old Jane, I’d like to hold her tenderly in my arms and let her know that everything’s going to be okay. You don’t need to impress us, Jane; we love you just the way you are.
You can buy a copy of Fresh Flavor on a twofer disc through Amazon.
Also, appropriate of nothing, here’s Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ‘69”.
