From 1970
(you may note that about half of all the records I love are from the four year period between 1968 and 1972)
(I’ll try to branch out more in both directions at some point)
This one comes from the stable of Gabriel Mekler, an Israeli-born piano prodigy turned West Coast producer behind a grip of LA grooves in the late 60s and early 70s
He was responsible for Steppenwolf, even suggesting the name based on the book (what is it with old jews and Hesse?), Three Dog Night, and Etta James’ incredible 1973 blues/rock/funk album
Apparently, he was introduced to Etta by Janis Joplin
But today’s dose is from Nolan Porter
This is a cover of one of Randy Newman’s best-known creations, and it’s characteristically dark
Newman once said that his listeners learned to both empathise with his characters, and to separate those characters’ narrations from him as author
Of course, it’s not so simple.
In fact, Stanley Fish has a famous essay arguing against the possibility of identifying stable irony that draws on another Newman tune (“short people got no reason to live”)
Fish’s point was that determining authorial intent (and therefore meaning) was always subject to (re)interpretation, and always capable of being contested
In one review of Newman’s music, a critic claims that Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield is “a vague snapshot of a demented couple causing random destruction for inexplicable reasons”
In Cristagu’s assessment, Nolan Porter’s version becomes about “smoldering sharecropper unrest”
Maybe
The groove is definitely smoldering, in any case
1 of Porter’s songs (Keep on Keepin On) became a mainstay in the British “northern soul” scene, though he didn’t see any benefits from it until recently
The album (No Apologies) was released on the label Mekler founded (Lizard) as he went a bit independent from ABC/Dunhill
He put out a second album on ABC that had a few new cuts but mostly studio remixes of material on No Apologies. There was one exception
Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield appears unmodified. I like to think cuz it was perfect the way it was.
Maybe.
Also worth peeping is the original of If I Could Only Be Sure (later covered to greater fame by Paul Weller)
https://youtu.be/D5VAt9bh_yE
Johnny Guitar Watson showing how funk guitar is supposed to sound
Also slight addendum to yesterday’s dose (making this an overdose?):
Paul Jackson, bassman of the Headhunters, also has a Japan-only release from 1978, with much of the same personnel
https://youtu.be/g4_-7AL3Gto
Good stuff
OTee, check out Funk Times Three (7:19 in), for a nice piece of 1996 nostalgia