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Post by kaybli on Feb 2, 2022 0:13:36 GMT -5
He was singing about an Old Man back then, now he's the old man.  I have probably watched this at least fifty times. An artist and a guitar. Doesn’t get much better for me. I've watched it 50 times too. I bet Chi's seen it 100 times.  |
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Post by rizzuto on Feb 2, 2022 0:14:35 GMT -5
Loved America back in the day. Though “Ventura Highway” is more upbeat, it Carrie’s that same resemblance to Neil Young. I had never noted that before… Great song! Added it to my playlist. The first song I learned to play on a guitar. Brings back memories. America’s greatest hits is a solid album, though I still don’t know what an alligator-lizard is. |
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Post by kaybli on Feb 2, 2022 0:14:39 GMT -5
everyone thinks "Cats in the Cradle" is Cat Stevens
everyone thinks "Stuck in the Middle with You" is Bob Dylan
Cat Stevens did release a high charting version of Cat’s in the Cradle. So did Harry Chapin… Whoops I forgot. |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 0:15:22 GMT -5
I have probably watched this at least fifty times. An artist and a guitar. Doesn’t get much better for me. I've watched it 50 times too. I bet Chi's seen it 100 times. Everybody has seen this one and one just like it for “The Needle and the Damage Done”… Does he ever move anymore when he sings?… |
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Post by kaybli on Feb 2, 2022 0:21:53 GMT -5
I've watched it 50 times too. I bet Chi's seen it 100 times.  Everybody has seen this one and one just like it for “The Needle and the Damage Done”… Does he ever move anymore when he sings?… Yes, when he sings Heart of Gold he jumps and gyrates around like Britney Spears.  |
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Post by rizzuto on Feb 2, 2022 0:22:38 GMT -5
Cat Stevens did release a high charting version of Cat’s in the Cradle. So did Harry Chapin… Whoops I forgot. Written by Chapin’s wife as a poem. She gave it to him, and he pushed it aside, preferring some others she had written. After their son Josh was born, Harry Chapin asked for it and turned it into a song. Josh looks just like his father by the way. |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 0:23:00 GMT -5
Great song! Added it to my playlist. The first song I learned to play on a guitar. Brings back memories. America’s greatest hits is a solid album, though I still don’t know what an alligator-lizard is. From Dewey Bunnell, member of America and the writer of Ventura Highway: The “alligator lizards in the air” came from another actual memory of living in California. My brother and I used to catch lizards and snakes all the time. There is an actual animal here called an alligator lizard. But this was also referring to a cloud formation, a shape. A long cloud that reminded me of an alligator lizard... |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 0:24:33 GMT -5
Written by Chapin’s wife as a poem. She gave it to him, and he pushed it aside, preferring some others she had written. After their son Josh was born, Harry Chapin asked for it and turned it into a song. Josh looks just like his father by the way. We seem to have a penchant for solving each other’s mysteries tonight… |
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Post by rizzuto on Feb 2, 2022 0:25:21 GMT -5
The first song I learned to play on a guitar. Brings back memories. America’s greatest hits is a solid album, though I still don’t know what an alligator-lizard is. From Dewey Bunnell, member of America and the writer of Ventura Highway: The “alligator lizards in the air” came from another actual memory of living in California. My brother and I used to catch lizards and snakes all the time. There is an actual animal here called an alligator lizard. But this was also referring to a cloud formation, a shape. A long cloud that reminded me of an alligator lizard... What do you know. And here it is:   |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 0:28:42 GMT -5
The first song I learned to play on a guitar. Brings back memories. America’s greatest hits is a solid album, though I still don’t know what an alligator-lizard is. From Dewey Bunnell, member of America and the writer of Ventura Highway: The “alligator lizards in the air” came from another actual memory of living in California. My brother and I used to catch lizards and snakes all the time. There is an actual animal here called an alligator lizard. But this was also referring to a cloud formation, a shape. A long cloud that reminded me of an alligator lizard... It turns out that the first time Bunnell went to California they had a flat tire near a sign that said “Ventura”. He had a decent amount of time to look around, a view of the ocean, skies, flora and fauna. It was this memory along with some others of his migration from Omaha to Cally that later inspired the song… |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 0:30:40 GMT -5
From Dewey Bunnell, member of America and the writer of Ventura Highway: The “alligator lizards in the air” came from another actual memory of living in California. My brother and I used to catch lizards and snakes all the time. There is an actual animal here called an alligator lizard. But this was also referring to a cloud formation, a shape. A long cloud that reminded me of an alligator lizard... What do you know. And here it is: I used to think he was singing “And the Gator-lizards in the air”. Hmm. I’ve sung it that way before. Ah, so what? Nobody ever paid me to sing. Close enough… |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 0:31:03 GMT -5
What do you know. And here it is: I used to think he was singing “And the Gator-lizards in the air”. Hmm. I’ve sung it that way before. Ah, so what? Nobody ever paid me to sing. Close enough… Handsome critter… |
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Post by pippsheadache on Feb 2, 2022 14:28:14 GMT -5
From Dewey Bunnell, member of America and the writer of Ventura Highway: The “alligator lizards in the air” came from another actual memory of living in California. My brother and I used to catch lizards and snakes all the time. There is an actual animal here called an alligator lizard. But this was also referring to a cloud formation, a shape. A long cloud that reminded me of an alligator lizard... It turns out that the first time Bunnell went to California they had a flat tire near a sign that said “Ventura”. He had a decent amount of time to look around, a view of the ocean, skies, flora and fauna. It was this memory along with some others of his migration from Omaha to Cally that later inspired the song… America had several songs with obscure if not downright meaningless lyrics-- right off the bat, "A Horse With No Name," their first release in 1971, and most famously a few years later "Tin Man." And the execrable "Muskrat Love," which certainly earned them musical demerits, but not as many as The Captain and Tennille get for actually covering it. Having said that, I generally enjoyed most of their hits -- I am a sucker for three-part harmonies -- especially "Ventura Highway" and the more modest hit "Don't Cross The River" and the sweet harmlessness of "Today's The Day." "I Need You" is another good one for working on your three-part harmony ear. Rizz, "A Horse With No Name" was surely a logical one for your first foray into guitar playing. Two chords, the simple Em and then the equally simple D6/9 (I don't know any other song where it is used, hence the nickname "Horse Chord.") Unfortunately that song was well into the future when I first picked up a cheap Kay guitar and started strumming. The only two-chord song I knew of back then was "Jambalaya," so I made the leap to three chords and amused myself with Buddy Holly's "Words Of Love" for my pathetic start. With A-D-E and a little picking within the chords, it almost resembled real music. Other two-chord songs that jump to mind are "Pushin' Too Hard" by The Seeds, "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles and "Born In The USA" by Springsteen. You need to bring a lot of other things to the table to make a two-chord song work. |
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Post by kaybli on Feb 2, 2022 15:23:24 GMT -5
It turns out that the first time Bunnell went to California they had a flat tire near a sign that said “Ventura”. He had a decent amount of time to look around, a view of the ocean, skies, flora and fauna. It was this memory along with some others of his migration from Omaha to Cally that later inspired the song… America had several songs with obscure if not downright meaningless lyrics-- right off the bat, "A Horse With No Name," their first release in 1971, and most famously a few years later "Tin Man." And the execrable "Muskrat Love," which certainly earned them musical demerits, but not as many as The Captain and Tennille get for actually covering it. Having said that, I generally enjoyed most of their hits -- I am a sucker for three-part harmonies -- especially "Ventura Highway" and the more modest hit "Don't Cross The River" and the sweet harmlessness of "Today's The Day." "I Need You" is another good one for working on your three-part harmony ear. Rizz, "A Horse With No Name" was surely a logical one for your first foray into guitar playing. Two chords, the simple Em and then the equally simple D6/9 (I don't know any other song where it is used, hence the nickname "Horse Chord.") Unfortunately that song was well into the future when I first picked up a cheap Kay guitar and started strumming. The only two-chord song I knew of back then was "Jambalaya," so I made the leap to three chords and amused myself with Buddy Holly's "Words Of Love" for my pathetic start. With A-D-E and a little picking within the chords, it almost resembled real music. Other two-chord songs that jump to mind are "Pushin' Too Hard" by The Seeds, "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles and "Born In The USA" by Springsteen. You need to bring a lot of other things to the table to make a two-chord song work. Pipps coming through with his exhaustive knowledge again! |
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Post by inger on Feb 2, 2022 16:13:32 GMT -5
America had several songs with obscure if not downright meaningless lyrics-- right off the bat, "A Horse With No Name," their first release in 1971, and most famously a few years later "Tin Man." And the execrable "Muskrat Love," which certainly earned them musical demerits, but not as many as The Captain and Tennille get for actually covering it. Having said that, I generally enjoyed most of their hits -- I am a sucker for three-part harmonies -- especially "Ventura Highway" and the more modest hit "Don't Cross The River" and the sweet harmlessness of "Today's The Day." "I Need You" is another good one for working on your three-part harmony ear. Rizz, "A Horse With No Name" was surely a logical one for your first foray into guitar playing. Two chords, the simple Em and then the equally simple D6/9 (I don't know any other song where it is used, hence the nickname "Horse Chord.") Unfortunately that song was well into the future when I first picked up a cheap Kay guitar and started strumming. The only two-chord song I knew of back then was "Jambalaya," so I made the leap to three chords and amused myself with Buddy Holly's "Words Of Love" for my pathetic start. With A-D-E and a little picking within the chords, it almost resembled real music. Other two-chord songs that jump to mind are "Pushin' Too Hard" by The Seeds, "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles and "Born In The USA" by Springsteen. You need to bring a lot of other things to the table to make a two-chord song work. Pipps coming through with his exhaustive knowledge again! He probably only played with “The Sons of the Pioneers” for a few weeks because he was too busy… |
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