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This mix started as most of them do: with one song, or in this case a whole collection of songs. The culprit was Jakob Dylan’s new album, which made me think about children of famous musicians who have music careers as well. Some of these kids who have famous parents have done quite well, but none have reached the level of success their parents archived. You can call it “born in the shadow of giants,” or just exceptional talent is not genetic, but you gotta admire these kids for following their musical passion — even if it leads to a spotty career.
Ready? Steady? Go!
“Say You’re Wrong,” Julian Lennon
He not only looks like dear old dad, but he sounds like him, too! Curses. Well, maybe not since Valotte did quite well in terms of album sales, was nominated for a Grammy and had a couple of top 10 singles. This was the third single off the album, and it didn’t do well at all. However, I’ve always been partial to “Say You’re Wrong” because, simply put, I didn’t get burned out on it.
“Two Sisters,” Fiction Plane
Oh. That. Voice. Is is Sting? Well, it sounds a little bit like Sting — or many Adam Levine or that guy from Mr. Mister. Hmm…his name is Joe Sumner, Sting’s real name is Gordon Sumner, and they toured with the Police last year. So, I’m guessing it’s Joe Strummer’s kid. I keed, I keed! Actually, this song is quite good! It’s not an “out of the box” hit, but it’s got some nice hooks and Joe’s voice is has a nice presence — even if he sounds a lot like the old man.
“Easy,” Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale (Feat. Norah Jones)
Half sisters who have completely different musical styles collaborate on this tune with wonderful results. Ravi Shankar must be proud! I’ve always loved Norah Jones’ voice, and have only recently become acquainted with Anoushka’s sitar work. The CD is much more contemporary and less traditional in terms of sitar work. There are moments where electronica is fused into the songs, and, like this tune, a kind of jazzy element surfaces as well.
“The Last Time I Saw Sadie,” Emma Townshend
One would expect Emma’s music to sounds a bit like Pete Townshend’s, but she got a kind of Tori Amos thing going on here. This is an intriguing song, but unfortunately it’s one of the only intriguing songs on her album.
“This End of the Telescope,” Jakob Dylan
This album takes some getting used to if you’re a Wallflowers fan. The songs are very mellow and range from mid to slow tempo tunes. Acoustic guitar and some light drums round out the musical accompaniment – which may be designed to let the lyrics stand out more. However, that’s some dangerous territory to traverse since, you know, Jakob’s dad is pretty good at writing lyrics.
“Hold On,” Wilson Phillips
Do you remember when radio and MTV were pushing this album hard? The year was 1990, and the offspring of a Beach Boy (not just any Beach Boy, but Brian Wilson!) and the Mamas and the Papas –well, John and Michelle Phillips — got a record deal and wrote some songs with Glen Ballard. The result was this tune that got a Grammy nomination for “Song of the Year.” This album is a good example of a “one off” because their follow-up sucked, and their albumof cover tunes was really embarassing.
Tags: Anoushka Shankar, Emma Townshend, Fiction Plane, Jakob Dylan, Julian Lennon, Mix Six, Norah Jones, Ted Asregadoo, Wilson Phillips
