Soundtrack: All Over the Musical Map - Finding New England; Part 4/6
Other sections of this soundtrack can be found in:
Please comment if you download...or even if you just feel like it.
Rain - Patty Griffin
from 1000 Kisses
[Support the Artist]
Patty Griffin broke into the Boston/Cambridge folk scene after her divorce in 1992. Since slowly built a loyal local following through her live performances before signing with A&M Records.
You Look Like Rain - Morphine
from Good
[Support the Artist]
Boston-based Morphine achieved cult status during the 1990s, thanks to its bluesy rock & roll sound. The band never broke out of cult status and disbanded following the heart attack death of bassist/vocalist Mark Sandman at age 47 in Rome.
(I've Got to Stop) Thinkin' 'Bout That - James Taylor
from Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
[Support the Artist]
Sweet Baby James, the king of 70s soft rock, and his tremendously musical family is the very definition of Boston Brahmins. He was born in Belmont, Massachusetts, summered on Martha's Vineyard, attended Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, and spent time in McLean Hospital, a psych hospital in Belmont, a stay which inspired some of his earliest songs (most notably, 'Fire and Rain'). When I said very definition of Boston Brahmin, I wasn't joking here. As an interesting side note, McLean has a bit of a musical tradition itself. Other famous musician patients include Ray Charles and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Say Hallelujah - Tracy Chapman
from Let It Rain
[Support the Artist]
For more on Tracy Chapman, see above.
It's All About Me - Ball in the House
from The Way It Has To Be
[Support the Artist]
Ball in the House is another Boston-based a cappella group that blends pop, blues, soul, and doo-wop. Extensive touring (they tour more than half the year) has earned them a huge following, especially in a cappella circles.
The Rascal King - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
from Let's Face It
[Support the Artist]
These guys were the pioneers in the ska-metal movement, laying the ground work for No Doubt and Sublime (truthfully I think The Mighty Mighty Bossones were better musicians). Let's Face It and 'The Impression That I Get' (a song about the 1994 shooting deaths of workers at various abortion clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts) brought the band to national attention.
'The Rascal King,' a less well-known track off the CD, is steeped in Boston history. The Rascal King of the song's title refers to the late James Michael Curley, a life-long Boston pol who, at different times in his career, served as mayor of Boston, governor of Massachusetts, a representative in the U.S. Congress, and in jail on charges of mail fraud. Depending on your point of view, Curley is either one of the crookedest politicians ever to grace Massachusetts history (and he has some pretty tough competition there) or one of the greatest political heroes ever to grace Massachusetts history.
The folk tales surrounding Curley, many of them spread by retired newspaper reporters who knew him personally, puts him on the same footing as any number of trickster spirits. Curley, in many ways, broke the glass ceiling for the Boston Irish. He constantly tweaked the nose of the WASP (stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) power structure in the state and single-handedly made Boston practically more Irish than Ireland. It made him both beloved by the working class and hated by the upper class.
The Last Hurrah mentioned in the song is the title of a book that is an only lightly fictionalized account of the life and career of Curley (Curley is essentially the Frank Skeffington character). It was later made into a film with Spencer Tracey in the Skeffington/Curley role. The song also references Curley's bare-knuckled political style, time behind bars, as well as the mixed feelings Curley and his legacy still creates in Bostonians.
A hero? A hooligan? As the song says, "Well, that part's never clear."
Sax and Violins - Talking Heads
from Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vasoline
[Support the Artist]
This song was first released on the original movie soundtrack for the film Until the End of the World. It appeared on their "best of" double-CD collection Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vasoline the following year. It has since been added to several Talking Heads compilation albums and the remastered Naked, the band's last studio CD before they broke up. An interesting note about this song: it was written to sound like a reunion song. Or, as Byrne put it, he wanted to write a song that the Talking Heads would sing 10 or 20 years from now, and decided that the "reunited Heads" would sound like the "pre-break-up" Heads. Ooooooookay then.
For more on the Talking Heads, see above.
When We Were Kings - The Harvard Opportunes
from True Story
[Support the Artist]
This co-ed a cappella ensemble from Harvard University in Cambridge has existed since 1980. Since membership is drawn from the student body, the line-up of singers obviously changes as members graduate or leave. This particular track is a cover of the song When We Were Kings by Brian McKnight and Diana King from the 1996 documentary When We Were Kings about the 1974 Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman heavyweight championship fight in Zaire called Rumble in the Jungle.
I Miss You Best - The Willard Grant Conspiracy
from Mojave
[Support the Artist]
For more on the Willard Grant Conspiracy, see above.
The Water Is Wide - Vox One
from Vox One
[Support the Artist]
This hearing this soaring gospel song live and in person in a small bar in Wilton, New Hampshire is what completely won me over when it came to Vox One. I got to hear it again live and in person last year and it still gave me the same chill of joy up and down the spine. Nothing lifts you higher in mood than this song. I mean, nothing can quite top it. It remains my favorite Vox One performance, whether it is live or on CD.
For more on Vox One, see above.
Remember, you can get the rest of the soundtrack in these posts:
Please go to SaveFile to download the following tracks (Click here to reach the Project Page):
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 1
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 2
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 3
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 5
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 6
Please comment if you download...or even if you just feel like it.
Rain - Patty Griffin
from 1000 Kisses
[Support the Artist]
Patty Griffin broke into the Boston/Cambridge folk scene after her divorce in 1992. Since slowly built a loyal local following through her live performances before signing with A&M Records.
You Look Like Rain - Morphine
from Good
[Support the Artist]
Boston-based Morphine achieved cult status during the 1990s, thanks to its bluesy rock & roll sound. The band never broke out of cult status and disbanded following the heart attack death of bassist/vocalist Mark Sandman at age 47 in Rome.
(I've Got to Stop) Thinkin' 'Bout That - James Taylor
from Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
[Support the Artist]
Sweet Baby James, the king of 70s soft rock, and his tremendously musical family is the very definition of Boston Brahmins. He was born in Belmont, Massachusetts, summered on Martha's Vineyard, attended Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, and spent time in McLean Hospital, a psych hospital in Belmont, a stay which inspired some of his earliest songs (most notably, 'Fire and Rain'). When I said very definition of Boston Brahmin, I wasn't joking here. As an interesting side note, McLean has a bit of a musical tradition itself. Other famous musician patients include Ray Charles and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Say Hallelujah - Tracy Chapman
from Let It Rain
[Support the Artist]
For more on Tracy Chapman, see above.
It's All About Me - Ball in the House
from The Way It Has To Be
[Support the Artist]
Ball in the House is another Boston-based a cappella group that blends pop, blues, soul, and doo-wop. Extensive touring (they tour more than half the year) has earned them a huge following, especially in a cappella circles.
The Rascal King - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
from Let's Face It
[Support the Artist]
These guys were the pioneers in the ska-metal movement, laying the ground work for No Doubt and Sublime (truthfully I think The Mighty Mighty Bossones were better musicians). Let's Face It and 'The Impression That I Get' (a song about the 1994 shooting deaths of workers at various abortion clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts) brought the band to national attention.
'The Rascal King,' a less well-known track off the CD, is steeped in Boston history. The Rascal King of the song's title refers to the late James Michael Curley, a life-long Boston pol who, at different times in his career, served as mayor of Boston, governor of Massachusetts, a representative in the U.S. Congress, and in jail on charges of mail fraud. Depending on your point of view, Curley is either one of the crookedest politicians ever to grace Massachusetts history (and he has some pretty tough competition there) or one of the greatest political heroes ever to grace Massachusetts history.
The folk tales surrounding Curley, many of them spread by retired newspaper reporters who knew him personally, puts him on the same footing as any number of trickster spirits. Curley, in many ways, broke the glass ceiling for the Boston Irish. He constantly tweaked the nose of the WASP (stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) power structure in the state and single-handedly made Boston practically more Irish than Ireland. It made him both beloved by the working class and hated by the upper class.
The Last Hurrah mentioned in the song is the title of a book that is an only lightly fictionalized account of the life and career of Curley (Curley is essentially the Frank Skeffington character). It was later made into a film with Spencer Tracey in the Skeffington/Curley role. The song also references Curley's bare-knuckled political style, time behind bars, as well as the mixed feelings Curley and his legacy still creates in Bostonians.
A hero? A hooligan? As the song says, "Well, that part's never clear."
Sax and Violins - Talking Heads
from Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vasoline
[Support the Artist]
This song was first released on the original movie soundtrack for the film Until the End of the World. It appeared on their "best of" double-CD collection Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vasoline the following year. It has since been added to several Talking Heads compilation albums and the remastered Naked, the band's last studio CD before they broke up. An interesting note about this song: it was written to sound like a reunion song. Or, as Byrne put it, he wanted to write a song that the Talking Heads would sing 10 or 20 years from now, and decided that the "reunited Heads" would sound like the "pre-break-up" Heads. Ooooooookay then.
For more on the Talking Heads, see above.
When We Were Kings - The Harvard Opportunes
from True Story
[Support the Artist]
This co-ed a cappella ensemble from Harvard University in Cambridge has existed since 1980. Since membership is drawn from the student body, the line-up of singers obviously changes as members graduate or leave. This particular track is a cover of the song When We Were Kings by Brian McKnight and Diana King from the 1996 documentary When We Were Kings about the 1974 Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman heavyweight championship fight in Zaire called Rumble in the Jungle.
I Miss You Best - The Willard Grant Conspiracy
from Mojave
[Support the Artist]
For more on the Willard Grant Conspiracy, see above.
The Water Is Wide - Vox One
from Vox One
[Support the Artist]
This hearing this soaring gospel song live and in person in a small bar in Wilton, New Hampshire is what completely won me over when it came to Vox One. I got to hear it again live and in person last year and it still gave me the same chill of joy up and down the spine. Nothing lifts you higher in mood than this song. I mean, nothing can quite top it. It remains my favorite Vox One performance, whether it is live or on CD.
For more on Vox One, see above.
Remember, you can get the rest of the soundtrack in these posts:
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 1
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 2
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 3
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 5
- All Over the Musical Map: Finding New England, Part 6
Please go to SaveFile to download the following tracks (Click here to reach the Project Page):
- Sax and Violins - Talking Heads
- I Miss You Best - The Willard Grant Conspiracy