at the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie.
It may just be a fact that I'm the last person on the planet to have heard both The Reunion's "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" and Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction." It's the opposite of reality to grow fond of something before being in any way familiar with the sum of its parts and/or influences. Maybe not the opposite of reality, but the ironic series of events within reality. But everything is connected in some way, and it's more than fitting that I'm watching I Heart Huckabees while discussing this.
Obviously, if you don't own Bishop Allen's Charm School you are in the wrong. It's obvious to me anyway. Furthermore, if you've been missing out on their 2006 monthly EP project (of which they've completed half a year's worth of four song EPs), you've got a lot of catching up to do. My point, however has to do with three and a half of the quirkiest minutes on Bishop Allen's debut album. It seems strange now how original Bishop Allen's "Eve of Destruction" sounds, knowing that it is, at it's core, the sum of two main parts: the aforementioned Barry McGuire and Reunion songs.
Busy at work yesterday, trying to focus on my tasks and Windows Media Player playlist filled with songs from this very blog, I quickly turned my attention to the store's soft-rock adult-contemporary radio. My thoughts: "Is this Bishop Allen? Who's covering Bishop Allen? Those aren't the words to this Bishop Allen song. What is this? Who is this?" This thought process occurred as I quickly walked away from what I was doing to the one spot in the pharmacy where the radio is clearly audible (for my admittedly weak ears). Standing uncomfortably close to the shampoo bottle shelf, I caught the tail end of the song, with its "Baby, I Need Your Loving" sample (that about drove me - and Mike - crazy, identifying), followed by the DJ identifying the single that was 100% new to me.
Then I looked up "Eve of Destruction," on a whim and discovered Barry McGuire's anti-war folk song, written by P.F. Sloan. The triad was complete. The magic is that Bishop Allen drew from a Joey Levine, the creator of bubblegum music and commercial jingle composer, as well as a powerful 1965 growling protest song and created their own perfect pop song.
Justin and Christian of Bishop Allen are an extraordinary songwriting team and the band has truly come into its own already, halfway through their enormous year. Consider their latest; "Butterfly Nets." This is a gorgeous song that if you didn't have labeled in your folder of mp3's you'd never identify as Bishop Allen, which is what makes it such a success for them.
Bishop Allen's "Eve of Destruction"
from Charm School
Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction"
The Reunion's "Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"
The Four Tops' "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" (Thanks, Jake.)
Bishop Allen's "Butterfly Nets"
from May
The Four Tops' song cuts off, but it's the best I could do, unless you've got a better version.
Obviously, if you don't own Bishop Allen's Charm School you are in the wrong. It's obvious to me anyway. Furthermore, if you've been missing out on their 2006 monthly EP project (of which they've completed half a year's worth of four song EPs), you've got a lot of catching up to do. My point, however has to do with three and a half of the quirkiest minutes on Bishop Allen's debut album. It seems strange now how original Bishop Allen's "Eve of Destruction" sounds, knowing that it is, at it's core, the sum of two main parts: the aforementioned Barry McGuire and Reunion songs.
Busy at work yesterday, trying to focus on my tasks and Windows Media Player playlist filled with songs from this very blog, I quickly turned my attention to the store's soft-rock adult-contemporary radio. My thoughts: "Is this Bishop Allen? Who's covering Bishop Allen? Those aren't the words to this Bishop Allen song. What is this? Who is this?" This thought process occurred as I quickly walked away from what I was doing to the one spot in the pharmacy where the radio is clearly audible (for my admittedly weak ears). Standing uncomfortably close to the shampoo bottle shelf, I caught the tail end of the song, with its "Baby, I Need Your Loving" sample (that about drove me - and Mike - crazy, identifying), followed by the DJ identifying the single that was 100% new to me.
Then I looked up "Eve of Destruction," on a whim and discovered Barry McGuire's anti-war folk song, written by P.F. Sloan. The triad was complete. The magic is that Bishop Allen drew from a Joey Levine, the creator of bubblegum music and commercial jingle composer, as well as a powerful 1965 growling protest song and created their own perfect pop song.
Justin and Christian of Bishop Allen are an extraordinary songwriting team and the band has truly come into its own already, halfway through their enormous year. Consider their latest; "Butterfly Nets." This is a gorgeous song that if you didn't have labeled in your folder of mp3's you'd never identify as Bishop Allen, which is what makes it such a success for them.
Bishop Allen's "Eve of Destruction"
from Charm School
Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction"
The Reunion's "Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"
The Four Tops' "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" (Thanks, Jake.)
Bishop Allen's "Butterfly Nets"
from May
The Four Tops' song cuts off, but it's the best I could do, unless you've got a better version.
Listen Well posted this around 5:06 PM
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