Because of this, Crosby gradually let himself slow down, however this was all to change. Following the Christmas of 1973, Bing started having serious health issues. By New Year’s Eve, Crosby was rushed to a hospital, and it turned out he had a tumor in his lung. Thankfully it wasn’t cancerous, and it was able to be removed, albeit two fifths of his left lung had to be removed. Speculation started on whether he would be able to sing again, but after his recovery he came back fiercely.

After the operation and recovery period, Bing came back with a vengeance. He signed a deal to do a few albums for United Artists, along with recording two TV specials. In 1975 alone he would record 5 albums and an audiobook along with many TV appearances in the United Kingdom to promote his upcoming albums.

Later that year, the realization he had been in show business for 50 years led Bing to get back on the concert stage throughout 1976, something he hadn’t done since the early 1930s. He did numerous shows throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1976 alone Crosby took the stage thirty-five times. Performances from the London Palladium were turned into an album, although he recorded two other albums along with his yearly Christmas special and other various TV appearances.

1977 seemed like a great year for Bing. Concept albums, worldwide tours, and more TV shows were on the horizon. The first show was a televised version of his usual concert to complete the 50th anniversary celebration. After the show had completed, triumph went to tragedy as he fell twenty-five feet off of the stage when taking bows. Thankfully he didn’t suffer any major injury, only breaking a disc in his back. This had put a lot of plans for 1977 on the fence.

However, by August he was feeling well enough to go on the road again. He did his last American concert on the day Elvis Presley died, and went to Norway to do a show for the Red Cross. In September, Bing recorded a concept album, a Christmas TV special with David Bowie, and started another two week stay at the London Palladium. Going into October, the London Palladium performances continued, and he would do one last show on October 10. The next day he would do a photoshoot for his latest album and make his final recordings. Three days later, after winning a game of golf, Bing died from a heart attack at the age of 74, leaving a massive legacy behind him. All of the accomplishments in his last few years alive would be impressive alone, but when you add on the quality of them, it really shows what he could do at this time of his life.

If you found any of this interesting, be sure to check out Crooners’ Chronicles every Monday at 6pm on KRUI 89.7fm, hosted by yours truly.

The post Bing Crosby, a Course in Late Career Triumph appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Their set did the job of any Farewell Tour set list, and ran the gamete of both intimate, bluesy B-Side songs and widely popular singles. Of course, songs from their most celebrated work, “Rumours”, populated the set more than any other album.

This is not the first time I have seen Fleetwood Mac in concert. After listening to them almost exclusively my senior year of high school, my parents decided (in their infinite wisdom) to gift me tickets to see Fleetwood Mac in my home city, St. Louis. I was overjoyed at the thought of seeing Lindsey Buckingham play “Second Hand News” in person; little did I know it would be the last time I ever would.

Despite the legal and emotional drama plaguing the band after Buckingham was let go from the band’s line-up, the remaining members sounded just as sharp, if not better, than when I saw them three years ago.

Buckingham has been replaced for this tour by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ guitarist, Mike Campbell and Crowded House frontman, Neil Finn. The loss of one of the band’s most central creative minds didn’t phase them as they found a new groove within tried and true melodies that put them on the map.

“Rumours” was released in February, 1977. The lyrics that encompass this entire work are heartbreaking, loss-ridden, yearning. It doesn’t take a large knowledge of the band’s history to know that during this time, almost every single one of Fleetwood Mac’s members were enduring a harsh break-up and/or crippling drug addition, and used to spend a lot of their free time at Legacy Healing.

The years of intense creativity that detailed Fleetwood Mac’s most successful album were also riddled with malice—an unraveling of the personal yarn as framework for an album pieced together.

“Rumours” is made up of 11 original tracks. The band, which existed before Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were at the forefront, stays true to their folk and blues roots. However, the innovative, plucky guitar stylings of Buckingham and bohemian poetics of Nicks’ lyrics allow this album to operate on another level, reaching another audience entirely.

Though Nicks get a lot of credit for her signature smoky vocals on “Rumours”, three highly popularized tracks, including one single, are lead by Christine McVie. This kind of split is rather unheard of, especially in mainstream rock music.

The exchange of voices between two women, especially in a band otherwise comprised of men, is powerful. The dynamic between the two voices are so different, it is easy to spot the unique musicality both McVie and Nicks bring to the group. McVie’s voice is slightly tinny and soulful. Track six, “Songbird”, sung by McVie, not only showcases her voice, it describes it as well.

Though in their 70’s now, Fleetwood Mac shines. Singing “Rumours” classics like “Dreams”, “Go Your Own Way”, and “Gold Dust Woman”, no member of this band misses a beat. 1977 is still alive and well in 2018, and now, it doesn’t seem like such a bad thing to spend the night looking back at the golden age of music — even just for a little while.

Stevie Nicks always talks for a bit before she sings one of her most famous songs of all time. From what I can gather, it seems the story she tells surrounding the song’s conception changes a bit every time she tells it. What does stay consistent, though, is this: “I wrote this song in Colorado. The first time I ever saw snow-covered hills. Here’s ‘Landslide’,” she says. The crowd sings every word. I’m sure they always do.

The post The Time I Saw Fleetwood Mac Play Landslide appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Songs lasting anywhere from six to ten minutes popped up on charts and radios around the world, some of the live versions going on for even longer. Found largely in the classic rock genre, these pieces truly celebrated instruments and the artists that played them.

As our attention span continues to shorten from the increased presence of technology, so has music, specifically mainstream music, shortened in length. Repetitive choruses and lyrics leave listeners with not much more than three minutes of a catchy beat and auto-tuned melody.

 There is certainly no shortage of groundbreaking artists out there today who are creating songs that push the boundaries of music, yet the majority of these pieces fall within the two to five minute time frame popularized to facilitate the flow of playlists and air time. Bringing the past movement of longer songs to modern music could allow artists to expand stylistically and fully showcase their talents. 

One of the earliest songs to bring the trend of length into the mainstream music scene was “Hey Jude” by a band that swept the world, The Beatles. Clocking in at seven minutes and six seconds, “Hey Jude” builds from a ballad-like beginning to a rousing ending chorus that echoes a simple melody alongside lively guitar strums and an emphatic piano.

Paul McCartney’s vocals start out calm and connected, then evolve to raspy improvised additions as the song picks up speed and gains a rock and roll tone. A classic example of the potential behind lengthier songs, this piece takes the listener on a journey as it progresses. Blending together different tones and tempos into one track, “Hey Jude” was just the beginning of popularity for more extensive music.

The long song really found its place in rock and roll of the early 1970s, with many bands releasing seven to nine minute long showcases of instrumental ability. Electric guitars became the star of the show, flaunted through extended riffs and solos. Released in 1970, “Layla” by Derek and the Dominoes features the high pitched sound of Eric Clapton’s twangy guitar as it floats over the rest of the arrangement.

Extensively focused on instrumentation, only two and a half minutes of this seven minute song include vocals. Complex lyrics weren’t necessary to make this piece a standout. The musical talent of Clapton and the entire group shines through and every second of “Layla” is musically captivating.

Electric guitar is practically immortalized in the mountain of a song, “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The slow sliding riff that underscores the opening verse initiates what modifies throughout the piece to become one of the best guitar solos of all time. Not only is the solo increasingly fast, it covers a wide range of notes in its four minute duration.

Again, musical talent is displayed in various ways throughout a long song, and “Free Bird” only gains momentum as it moves forward. Contrasting to its laid back beginning, the high energy end of the song completes the impassioned story that is told throughout its nine minute runtime.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of creating songs that seem to “go on forever” is the ability to tell a story. This can be through lyrics, as in Don McLean’s “American Pie” or Meat Loaf’s “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” or musically, like the ever-changing melodies in “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. Oftentimes, the longevity of these songs left room for both. Just like a book, long tracks develop complex plots, often with climactic moments of musical genius throughout.

With over eight minutes of music, “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” can sound like three separate songs all stuck onto the same recording, yet there is continuity between each part through the lyrics. The story never strays from the forming relationship of a man and woman and tackles several emotions surrounding this theme through differing tones of music.

Music has always had the ability to make us feel a certain way that isn’t able to be translated though just plain speech. Long songs include everything that is already loved in music, just in an extended format. And why shouldn’t we make more of what we love?

The post An Oldie But a Goodie: An Ode to Long Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.