Mission Statement

Guilty Pleasures: The Music Edition is intended as a forum to review songs that were once considered out-of-favor. Readers are asked to rate the songs using a 10 point voting system (10=strong like, 1=strong dislike) and provide their comments.

The objective is to review the songs offered here with a fresh listen for things like intent (objective), structure, influences (to or from), production value, and performances, all within the context of its musical time frame and while trying to forget past reactions. Hopefully we can hear something different in a song we once thought was less-than-pleasing.

So remember, valid reactions include:

1) None of my friends ever liked this song, but I always did.

2) I never liked this song, but listening to it again after all this time now it makes me want to: (a) tap my foot, or (b) shove a pencil in my ear.

All legit.

-Ken

Friday, October 15, 2010

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees

As expected, submiting Barbershop Quartet music for review last week yielded less than enthusiastic voting results, with a mere 4 votes for 23 points for "Sincere" by The Buffalo Bills. However, kudos to the folks in the gallery who referenced "Lida Rose" from The Music Man, a wonderful barberhsop standard and definitely worth a listen on YouTube.

Plenty of GPs to choose from lately, but in honor of Los Gigantes and our general euphoria, I thought I'd pick something "up beat", and this should do it. Sure, their vocals and Mike Nesmith's guitar playing were the only thing "real" about this group, but with all those great Boyce and Hart tunes how could they go wrong?

"Last Train to Clarksville" was peppy, "Stepping Stone" showed some backbone, and "I'm Gonna Buy Me A Dog" showed what happened when America's Beatles got "recreational" in the studio, but "Pleasant Valley Sunday", with its almost "I Want To Tell You" guitar line, was always the song I wanted to cover.

Here's to Peter Tork, the luckiest guy on the planet. Enjoy! -KO

 

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees 

 

 

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