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I'm away from my desk a lot these days. If anything comes up that's important, send me a DA note. Thanks.

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Hello Everyone,

Today, Thursday May 28th is my birthday, and I'm going to have a good time, as the song goes. I have an appointment with a Pineapple Upside-Down Cake later in the day, and I'm hoping it's going to be really good fun.

I've gotten off the "crazy song" track for a while, but I promise to return soon with the suggestions from those who took the time to comment and leave suggestions of their own. Thanks very much.



Amy of amyradz is a artist-photographer who lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, teaches English, and can hold her own as a painter as well as a talented shutterbug. I have been studying her works for two years and each group of pictures brings new wonders in the study of color and form.

I have been pleading with her to return to her painting and drawing, but she tells me that the teaching routine is so time-consuming that there is no time for it, at the moment.

Let's take a stroll through Amy's oeuvre. First, the lovely paintings I mentioned.



The study of color and its many deep and subtle changes, is a fascination to Amy. Her large collection of floral photography is well worth viewing. Anyone who loves art can benefit from the advanced study of color. I'm going to post some of my favorites from her gallery.







Next is one of my very favorites in Amy's collection. It's a photo of a scarlet flower surrounded by green, and it makes a very good study of the complimentary colors red, and green.



Last but not least are scenes from Kuala Lumpur, which depict the city, deep into its nocturnal glitz..



Many thanks Amy for your lovely work, but I'm still trying to get a brush in your hand and a canvas on your tripod! Cheers!

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Here we go again! Just when you thought it was safe to come back here! Surprise. Another crazy old song edition!!!

...her icon..


More Craziness! Is there no end to it?


Be sure to click on the "Link", marked in red letters. Thanks!





Don McLean / Vincent ( Starry Starry Night )


It's completely unique in pop music, a truly inspired "appreciation" of artist Vincent Van Gogh. Don McLean is a master at making taking eccentric little realities and making them mainstream. This song is second only to American Pie, in it's popularity, and it never ceases to be a song of awesome sentimental power. He casts Vincent as an immensely sympathetic character, who is worthy of our love and our admiration, even though perhaps the words go a bit too far in equating Van Gogh's suicide with that of fictitious lovers in turmoil. Still..who cares? The song is astounding, and I wish I had written it.

I played in an orchestra that backed up Don McLean once. It was on a double-bill with him and Blood Sweat, and Tears. He was a very laid-back pro. He loved his audience and he had this low-key way of delivering the goods. After a few minutes he had the audience in the palm of his hand, as all the great entertainers do. The performer becomes a conduit between the audience and the magical musical realities the seek with such fervor.

This clip is from 1972, and it's a really first class performance, masterful in every way.

[link]

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Etta James / At Last

Here is one of the classics of the jazz-blues idiom, presented by the soul-stirring Etta James. She makes her points with sheer musical enthusiasm, and the lyrics provide ample romantic fantasy, as you can see from the following.

I found a dream that I could speak to

I dream that I can call my own.

I found a thrill to press my cheek to

I thrill that I have never known

You tube clip has Etta singing her perfected recording version, with the bluesly-est strings I've ever heard, and I've heard some bluesy ones. The video part is from the movie, "Wild at Heart" with Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern. It's pretty crazy, and entertaining in the extreme.

[link]

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Barry Manilow / Could it be Magic

That's right. I'm not reallya "Fanilow", but I'm talking about Manilow. Some people, the envious, the lazy, the musically unlettered, go ballistic at the very mention of his name, and call him "Barry Vanilla". Ok. Ok...even the Cliffster can't take "I Made it through the Rain". Nonetheless, the skill, musicianship, comittment and professionalism of the man can't be denied, let alone his huge audience appeal, and scores of solid gold hits. Now, let's get on with the "crazy" connection.

Based on Chopin's haunting Prelude in c minor, Op. 28, Number 20, this work of Barry's must be one of the most bizarre in the pop repertoire, bar none. They lyrics jump right into a romantic reverie about a "sweet Melissa, angel of my lifetime"...are you hearing this? The lovely Chopin harmony continues to weave it's spell as Barry transforms it into a passionate, ecstasy of sublime sensation.

Baby I love you, come, come, come, come
Come into my arms,
Let me know the wonder of all of you,
Baby I want you, now, now, now, now,
Now and hold on fast,
Could this be the magic at last.

Does that look or sound like Vanilla to you? Hmm...I don't know what Ice Cream Shoppe you've been hanging out at, but, where I come from, this little curiosity would be a true hot caramel sundae with the finest whipped cream, marascino cherries, and nuts. Lots and lots of nuts! Yum! The song is, indeed, a cornucopia of craziness.

At the end of the fury, he returns to the final eight bars of the original Chopin piece. Could it be magic? You're damn right. Could it be crazy! Deliriously so!


This You Tube clip should be against the law as it's quality is so poor, but it's been shot sereptitiously at some sort of concert or open rehearsal and you simply have to use your imagination. You can tell he's putting out as full and as wild a version as you would expect from such a gifted performer. Unfortunately, he doesn't do the Chopin ending, but it's still a knock-out performance in spite of the poor sound and cave-man production qualities.



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The Carpenters / Superstar

This is, of course, one of The Carpenters stand-out songs, and this particular video is awesome in it's camera angles of Karen. There's nothing Crazy about the song or the video. What's crazy is my own affection for the memory of Karen Carpenter. As you can see from the little deviation above, where I made a shrine to Janis and Karen, I must have this particular neurosis pretty bad, along with millions of other men.

There was something about Karen that transformed our hearts, especially us men. It's a hard thing to pin down, but Karen had "both oars in the water", as people used to say. Her darkly feminine voice gave us something...a gift of some special ethereal magic. It was a voice at once sensual, and yet, full of integrity, too. I think that is why she gained so many fans while she lived, as well as many more since her untimely death.

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Joni Mitchell / The Circle Game


DA has so many wonderful portraits of Joni Mitchell. It's really good to see her garner so much respect and admiration. I had to have at least one of her songs represented in this special collection, and it was a toss-up between this one, and "Big Yellow Taxi". In the end this one became the song of choice for this rarefied category.

Joni is completely and utterly beguiling in every way. The Circle Game is one of her many appealing songs that seems to deal with a simple philosophy of life, and what that is..is...uh.. .uh....hold on...I'll think of it in a minute.

Well, you see, we are "captive on a carousel of time", and we can only look around from "where we came" and then we go "round and round and round in a Circle game. Oh yes, don't forget the line, "Yesterday, the child came out to play.

You just have to be there, as they say. Anyway, trust me, it's the "Oh Wow" song of the week. After listening, you can only come away with "Oh, wow. Oh, wow".

This clip is one of those with just a still picture, and has a recording ot a 1972 Carnegie Hall performance. Joni was an old trouper and has been traveling across the world for years, performing her music to ever expanding audiences. Have a listen and you'll be going "Oh wow", too. Your senses will leave you and the folk undertow will carry you away to Bonkersville.

[link]

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Kenny Rogers / The Gambler

Awesomely crazy is a rare quality, but it certainly fits Kenny Rogers legendary "The Gambler", and, yet, it is such a force of fundamental logic, as well. Everyone seems to know this song, in every language and milieu on earth. It's universal appeal transcends the Americana from which it was derived. One can easily imagine a Liverpool version, or a Tokyo version, or a Siberian version. The simple truths of this song are fundamental in any place and time. In fact, if it were not for this song, and other Kenny Rogers songs, like "Coward of the County", many young people would be raised without any old-fashioned wisdom or nitty-gritty veritas at all.



The general appeal of the song is simply overwhelming. I was once in an elementary school on the last day of their session. As the kids were all departing, someone went to the office and put an oldies CD on the PA system, just for the sheer hell of it. The first song up was The Gambler. The whole building became instantly mesmerized as the tale of the "Warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere", unravelled itself. Teacher's, students, Moms and Dads all sat or stood and "grooved" to Kenny's Gambler

Just for the record, here's an ace you can keep. The Gambler brings people together. Take my ex son-in-law, for example, whom I refer to as "the putz" ( well...if he were your ex-son-in-law, you'd call him the putz, too. ) . We never saw eye to eye on anything, even though he was an artist. I said "potato"; he said "potahtoe". I liked to paint pictures of girls; he liked to paint pictures of trash cans. ( No, I'm not kidding ) I loved ice cream and cake, and he had nothing but disdain for sweets. On and on it went. We didn't agree on anything, until one day, we realized we both liked Kenny Rogers' songs. We were both so surprised and embarrassed, but the truth was out there...we had something in common. "Then he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light", was something the Putz did all the time, and I was always telling him, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right".


This first clip is fairly recent and is truly up-tempo with Kenny being his sparkling self. The audience looks like truly gentrified folks from Nashville or Dallas who sing along with the choruses. Their true-believer seriousness is almost scary.

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Compare that one to this clip is from Jim Henson's The Muppet Show, which features Kenny and the Muppets. It's so dang funny, your sides will split. The tempo is normal and the action is all aboard the train. This skit was made before the song took on the iconic air it has today.

[link]

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Thanks, everyone, for viewing this and leaving me some really nice new comments about your own favorites. There is going to be one more addition of this series...I'm warning you...and it will have some of your favorite crazy recommendations.

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Just to kick things off, here is an angel of music, brought to us by The Forger. To me, this is a veritable vision of listening pleasure.

...her icon..


We continue our musical-artistic zaniness this week, with brand new picks. Let' get right to the action.


Be sure to click on the "Link", marked in red letters. Thanks!







Still Crazy after all these Years / Paul Simon

"I met my old lover on the street last night", begins Paul Simon's classic song, one that doesn't pretend to be anything but deliriously daft. In fact, all of Paul Simon's songs are deliriously daft. He goes on to sing about how they had a good time remembering the old times, and he ends with the curious reflection.
"I'm sure I'll do some damage one fine day. But I would not be convicted by a Jury of my peers, still crazy after all these years". I identify with that, as I indulge myself in the idea that, in a trial of my own foibles, I wouldn't be convicted by my peers, either. Hmm.... I guess it's still crazy to think that. Besides, I don't know what the Man upstairs thinks, and that's really all that matters.

This clip is from a classic BBC production and it rules...rules for quality.

[link]





Leonard Cohen / Suzanne

Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" is one of the most memorable songs from the folk era, and certainly one of the craziest, and that's saying a lot. It describes an eccentric, yet spiritually advanced woman, who seems to hold a key to the human heart. Cohen combines the listener's personal involvement with a host of beautiful images, even Jesus gets into the song, the result of which is to mesmerize and inspire. This wonderful number is the Queen of crazy songs. In fact, when I took up painting, my goal was to render every visual image in the song that could possibly be rendered, and the work was my first oil painting...embarrassing now, but fun nonetheless. That's it up there with Suzanne near the river. You won't need any sedatives when listening to this classic, that's for sure. I glass of good wine may help, though.


A fine rendition with Cohen singing amidst re-enacted segments from the song. First class video!

[link]

A wonderful segment from the 1970 Isle of Wight music festival, with Cohen singing. This is not the complete song, but the clip is absolutely great, a must-see for all who love that era.

[link]







La vie en rose / Edith Piaf

Edit Piaf was completely immersed in singing as a great emotional communicator. Every phrase, every nuance of sound was especially crafted by her musical mind. The result...complete delirious joy. This clip features Edit singing her most beloved song way back in the day, and contains shots of one of her Paris audiences enjoying themselves in musical revelry. It's very charming...and completely nuts.

[link]





Abba / SOS

Any Abba song could be in my select category, but SOS sums it up. All the electric excitement comes together joyfully and deliriously. There seems to be a moment of heart-felt sadness in every Abba song, In this one the line is,"What ever happened to our love? I think I understood. It used to be so nice. It used to be so good". After that, the glorious sixteenth notes carry us up to the chorus.

You'll enjoy this clip. It's from the 70's, and it has no trace of contemporary polish and glitz. The girls are even wearing white dresses with great big kitty-kats printed on them....kitty kats! Better call Belleview! SOS it is!

[link]






Ode to Billly Joe / Bobbie Gentry

What on earth happened on the Tallahatchee Bridge that day? Wow, such a song is this! When it comes to story-telling, this must be one of the best written pop songs of all time, and certainly one of the most bizarre. It's impossible to say what's really happening. The ambiguity alone, would drive us around the bend. What really happened to Billy Joe. He jumped? Why, exactly? Was it because he asked the wrong question, and the answer was "no"? What about the family in the song? That conversation around the dinner table is just fascinating, and so very realistic. "Pass the biscuits, please" is about the only thing that makes sense. The rest is ultra...ultra crazy, and in such an unforgettable way.

This clip features Bobbie Gentry herself in a completely understated TV version of the song. When you figure it out, let me know.

[link]







Those were the Days / Mary Hopkin

One day in the halcyon days of yore, this craziest of songs appeared on the scene right out of the ethereal air. My God, who was this beautiful Welsh girl, Mary Hopkins? My God, it sounds like a russian song! My God, there is a children's choir at the end! My God, Paul McCartney had something to do with the production? My God, there were first-rate studio mucicians hired for the recording? Man, o man...awesomely crazy, and that was just the beginning.

The song tells of the effervescent days of youth as they play out in a care-free tavern scene. As youth turns to old age, the singer still remembers those days with poignant fondness, yet, peering through the window of the tavern she plaintively asks, "Is that lonely woman really me"? Great stuff! In fact this is a sleeper favorite of millions of people. The amount of art at DA with this title is staggering. Get out that hanky...and that straight jacket. It's pop genius. The Russians have tried to take back the song, claiming to be the rightful administrators. At You Tube there is even some nutty Russian version. This clip is one of the best of the Mary Hopkin editions.

[link]





Hey Good Lookin" / Hank Williams, Sr.


Hank Williams Sr. was once the King of Country Music,and one of pop music's most legendary characters. If you need one minute of legendary craziness, try this clip from some TV show from the fifties. Hank and the gang crank out a big country classic in awesome old-fashioned style. It couldn't have been long after this that Hank passed out of this world forever. It was easy to remember...Jan 1, 1953, a day that will live in the minds of country listeners forever. All the icons of pop since then, Elvis, Dylan, Cash, even the Brits, have all paid homage to this man.

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Song of the Sirens from O Brother Where Art Thou

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Everyone has seen it, and this scene makes the ultimate statement in our quest for enjoyable crazy. Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons. Wise men never try. Let's see. Was that Homer or Rodgers and Hammerstein?

Anyway, go see it! I HAVE COUNTED to THREE!!!

[link]

Just to kick things off, here is an angel of music, brought to us by The Forger. To me, this is a veritable vision of listening pleasure.

...her icon..




Remember the "Summer of Love"? Sure you do! You weren't around then? Sure you were. The music takes you there, and you can reside there anytime you wish for as long as you wish. Yeah! Right! Are you crazy?
Well, yeah, the old boy has flipped, again. This time it's a new feature featuring a visit to the fabulous genre of crazy pop songs. No, I don't mean really crazy. That's not fun. I'm talking about that delightful realm where we feel a bit eccentric, excited, and blissed out. The realm of poignant love-songs and daring glimpses into other realities. After all, the word "crazy" comes from the Anglo-Saxon, "craesen", which means, literally, "cracked", with it's ensuing sense of disconnected, detached, broken, disjointed, dis-unified, inappropriate, and therefore wasted, unhappy, outlandish, eccentric, lonely, and blue. Only in the arts can such conditions be served up as fun adventures where one can learn about human experience and enjoy it at the same time. Often, a song, either the music or lyrics, or performance convey this unusual perspective.

I'll be taking a few weeks to develop this with several installments, and I would be very glad for YOUR COMMENTS, and please...please...pretty please with a cherry on top....tell me your own, personal favorite crazy song that I may add it to my listening repertoire.

Be sure to click on the "Link", marked in red letters. Thanks!





Crazy on You / Heart

With their ever-throbbing bass line that mysteriously descends to the lowered 6th of the Harmonic Minor scale, Heart made this a signature song of the seventies. Even today the music explodes in your face, and opens up the whole genre of glorious crazy music. This video is really choice. It was recorded at the heighth of their vitality, if only the guitarist would get on with the intro.


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Me and Bobby McGee / Janis Joplin

"Busted flat in Baton Rouge". Who doesn't know what that feels like, even if you've never been there. Kris Kristofferson's greatest song ever, brought to life by Janis' incomparable musicianship and artistry, is a treasure of the twentieth century, and one great ride for listener's of crazy songs. "I'd trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday", is my favorite line, even more than, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose".

This video is beyond belief. You should go see it. It was put together by someone who found old clips of her from the Big Brother days and strung them together with a rare alternative recording of the song. The video is full of that rude, sixties nonchalance that has ceased to exist, now. This is a must for Janis fans.


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The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down / Sweet Evening Breeze


The incredible story of Virgil Caine and his evocative impressions of the War Between the States, is captured with crazy, heart-felt deliriousness in this song. "He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee put him in his grave", is one of the most memorable lines from a song filled with challenging imagery.
Although this song was made famous by Joan Baez, there is not really a suitable video clip of her doing this song. Oddly enough, they are all second rate. The one I picked out for you is a real gem, though. Give it a few minutes to take off. At first you'll think this is a dumb, hippie jug-band, but when the young lady soloist finally takes off, you'll be transported to a sort of folk-nirvana, in spite of the bad sound. What a voice! Don't miss it. Well, the video link doesn't work, so go to You Tube, and search for "Sweet Evening Breeze", and it will come up. You'll be glad you did! I guess even You Tube isn't perfect.





One Less Bell to Answer / The Fifth Dimension / Marilyn McCoo

There is no doubt that the incomparable Marilyn McCoo of The Fifth Dimension provided some of our favorite moments in pop music, but here we have certified crazy from the standpoint of disconnected and detached. The song is irresistible as a description of a soul at an emotional crossroads. "One less man to pick up after", is a telling line if there ever was one. This video is really choice, from the early days, and Marilyn is not lip-syncing. The camera is very close on her the entire time and it's just plain crazy magic.

[link]





Son of a Preacher Man / Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield made wonderful interpretations of her songs in the most especially crazy way. She sounded just a little over the edge and out-of -control. That's really a requirement for a vocalist to succeed as a communicator of true. They can't sound too civilized, even in the classical world.

This song brings down the house every time it's performed by anyone. It's just flat-out irresistible..."The sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man"...yeah, we get it, we get it. It's timeless, for sure. This video clip is classic Dusty, and will not disappoint!


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Patsy Cline / Crazy

Music would not be the same without either Patsy Cline or this awesome song. Her interpretation is legendary, and is so unequaled that only Willy Nelson, it's composer, would dare perform it in public, even today. This video clip is so off-the-wall wonderful, you'll flip. It's from a real vintage TV show, and shows Patsy performing the song with heart-stopping understatement. Don't miss this one, either. I mean, "I'm crazy for tryin', and crazy for cryin', and I'm crazy for lovin' you".

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Delta Dawn / Tanya Tucker

There's two kinds of people in this world. Those who identify with Delta Dawn, and those who don't. I'm throwing in with the former, always, crazy as it is. I'm still looking for that "Mansion in the sky", myself, just not...not the "mysterious dark-haired man".

Tanya Tucker knocks herself out on this one. Her voice is like southern-alien, or something mystically Dixie-like. It couldn't get any saucier or gravelier, and the song's hymm-like quality provides the undertow to transport one away...away! It's just flat-out solid gold crazy!

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Thanks for viewing and listening. There will be more, soon!

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