A Female Hiding Behind Spectacles

 Song 565: This week the playlist features Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) by John Fred and His Playboy Band, written by John Fred Gourrier and Andrew Bernard, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. Computer problems prevented me from doing a post last Sunday night, but anyway, tonight's hit appeared a few months after the cut from 2 weeks ago, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. At the time it arrived, I suspected that the newer track had a relationship with the earlier one, and now, I can confirm that thought - Wikipedia explains that JFG, on hearing the Beatles' ramble, believed Mr. Lennon was singing Lucy in disguise, and on finding out the real words, Mr. Gourrier then had a fresh lyrical idea in hand. I will readily admit that I myself have crafted original phrases a few times thanks to experiencing a mondegreen, and have relished the inspiration. When the Playboy Band 45 came out, I actually liked it better than the Fab Four opus, though my assessments changed a couple of years later, when, as a young adult, I began acquiring my own record collection, but I still enjoyed this ride. If I happened to see lemonade pies with a brand new car, that might really unzipper the strings of my kite, but hopefully it wouldn't lead to a circus of horrors.

A Highly-regarded Decorated Female

 Song 564: This week the playlist recognizes Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. I didn't get that excited when the Sgt. Pepper 33 arrived, and I didn't know how to assess the new direction the Fab Four had chosen. When I began my LP collection a couple of years later, I started it with Revolver, but being a major fan of the quartet, I did eventually add the Lonely Hearts Club disk to the pile, and having it in hand, it would get plenty of spins on the turntable. This particular opus had gotten a lot of attention during the release era, in part due to the debate over whether or not the psychedelic inspiration behind the lyrics might lead a portion of the band's followers to engage in destructive pleasure with drugs. The letters of the title gave a clue as to the type of ingestion that had triggered the images John outlines with his words, but as a listener, I never cared how a songwriter came up with the lines I liked. Interestingly enough, recent research indicates that psychedelics may actually provide relief for some who struggle with certain mental disorders, and if that’s the kind of medication that makes them feel better, then I see no adverse consequences for legalization of the pills. Personally, I could picture myself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies, and if a girl with kaleidoscope eyes happened to call me, I also might answer quite slowly, but afterwards, I would definitely feel like finding a musical way to share the experience.

Noteworthy Equine Character

 Song 563: Seven weeks after my previous personal friend song post, this week's captivating mover Crazy Horse comes from one of my Fast Folk colleagues, Josh Joffen, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. When I moved from CA to Brooklyn at the end of the summer in 1988, I soon got to know him, and since we lived fairly close to each other, I think we made a few gig trips side by side in my van. I still recall one particular excursion we did during the warmer months of 1989 when we headed for a club in New England, and we got slowed down a bit by the jams on Bushwick Ave. While I did get to hear and savor a few of Josh's jewels, I had never heard this shining gem until today, but it quickly got my attention the first time around. Not only do I relish and admire the subject of its lines, which show appreciation for a striking indigenous warrior, but the lyrical and musical styles employed to express those deep thoughts remind me of the way I often put my pieces together. Though I had not previously considered it in this manner, I can now clearly see how a man carves a man out of a mountain and a mountain draws a mountain from the man. In addition, If our time should come to pass that our kind is gone at last, I can picture how Crazy Horse (or actually a carved-out statue of him) will stand as a reminder to the spirit of a man.

Limited Desires

 Song 562: This week the playlist applauds All I Want by Toad the Wet Sprocket, written by Todd Nichols, Glen Phillips, Dean Dinning and Randy Guss, and you can find an entertaining YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. I don't recall exactly when the Toad crew first crossed my radar, but as the 1990s unfolded, soon enough, so did my interest in this bunch, although I will readily admit that I did not know until earlier today how the group evidently got its name from a Monty Python bit - I learned that entertaining twist thanks to a Facebook post featuring the Monty Python folks. This marks the third Toad appearance on this list, following Something's Always Wrong at #102 and I Will Not Take These Things For Granted at #118. The latter of those two enlivened the Toad CD Fear which also included tonight's track. As someone who has focused on sound for much of life, I can confirm that nothing's so loud as hearing when we lie and I can verify the fact that the truth is not kind. However, I additionally understand that nothing's so cold as closing the heart when all we need is to free the soul. While a lot of question marks still hang in the air regarding the current pandemic, whatever happens will be, and though the air speaks of all we'll never be, hopefully it won't trouble me.