Songs for Beginners

I've noticed this absurd trend with the hipsters of today (myself sadly included) telling others about how they must check out these albums and musicians that pre-date their own existence on this earth. This often takes the shape of a 20-year-old in tight pants saying something like, "Yeah, Ziggy was good, but if you really want to dig into Bowie, Man Who Sold the World is where to start" (this is a ridiculous statement by the way). It's laughable, because I find myself having these conversations with folks who actually had these albums on vinyl, and I'm throwing out production facts that I read on Wikipedia and trying to quote the lyrics I heard this morning from some song that appears on the "Chill Out" mix I made for my iPod. Stupid.

But it is what it is, and as such I would like to implement an idea I had the other day while I was obsessing about these notions of pretension. So, going forward, on Fridays I would like to highlight albums from "before my time" that I feel deserve a listen. First up is "Songs for Beginners" by Graham Nash, which was released in 1971, and is therefore 13 years older than I am (which is not too bad actually).

This is a great album, though it is by no means flawless. If you skipped over Be Yourself or We Can Change the World, I would understand. The lyrics of these songs are a little too obvious, so these days they end up coming across like the Barney theme. However, the album opener, Military Madness, is on-the-nose. Nash does an excellent job of weaving a poignant tale, and the persistent backbeat and bouncy piano make the song pop. Better Days is a good follow-up, but takes on a darker tone.

When you get down to Simple Man, it's time for a rest. This is the antithesis of a rocker, opening with a light piano echoing and Nash's vocals only. It's fairly minimal, which does the song a service. Strings join to play the melody, but that's about it. At times optimistic, but ultimately a downer, the track is totally suitable for rainy days and early mornings. Sleep Song keeps with this theme, though it at least ends pleasantly with "And as you sleepily rise // You'll find I'll be there..."

I don't presume to know what Nash is talking about in Chicago (reportedly something about the '68 Democratic Convention), but the organ sounds so cool that I really don't care. It's like a demented soulful carnival song, and I mean that in the most positive way. If Sleep Song lived up to its title, then this is the track that will get the blood pumping. Really, the edge on this album as a whole is a surprise from Nash, who is generally known for his light contributions to The Hollies and that other, lesser-known group, but as stated previously, it is definitely worth a listen.

Yeah, I think that went well.