Benjamin Kassel
"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" is Bacharach and David at their collaborative best
And Dionne Warwick's light, polished vocal performance takes the onetime show tune to the next level.
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Benjamin Kassel
Mar 23, 20223 min read
"Evil Ways": the birth of Latin cool
Okay, how has it taken me this long to talk about Santana on here? That's borderline criminal — and I'm remedying that ASAP.
Benjamin Kassel
Mar 5, 20224 min read
"Mrs. Robinson": not (just) a film song
Simon & Garfunkel's hit from The Graduate is a reflection of their thoughts on mid-60s America.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 28, 20223 min read
"Reach Out I'll Be There" is... a bit more unusual than I realized
I didn't realize that until I looked a little closer for this post, which also led me to appreciating the song even more.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 20, 20223 min read
"Undun," the Guess Who's jazzy warning against acid
One of the finest pop compositions of the 60s is very much embedded in its time.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 12, 20224 min read
Diving into "21st Century Schizoid Man" in memory of Ian McDonald
As I've done twice before, I pay tribute to a recently deceased musician by looking back at one of their works.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 8, 20223 min read
"California Dreamin'," as heard from a Californian's perspective
What can I say? It's a winter's day.
Benjamin Kassel
Feb 2, 20223 min read
On "I Got You Babe," Groundhog Day, and diegetic music
No song is more appropriate for a musical discussion on February 2 (or 3).
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 31, 20224 min read
"Spinning Wheel" is a most unusual jazz fusion track... and I love it
This song is out there, but it's a good kind of out there because of how Blood, Sweat & Tears mediate all its intricacies and oddities.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 30, 20223 min read
"Little Boxes": a warning against blind conformity
Malvina Reynolds' Daly City-inspired song seems to have been taken to heart soon after by students of her alma mater.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 24, 20223 min read
"Iko Iko," a thoroughly New Orleans record from a 60s girl group
The Dixie Cups' cover of a traditional song from their hometown stands out from the time's typical pop fare in nearly every way.
Benjamin Kassel
Jan 13, 20223 min read
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is Baroque pop with plenty of additional intrigue
A J.S. Bach-inspired structure yields a unique and iconic recording.
Benjamin Kassel
Dec 28, 20213 min read
"The Tears of a Clown" is unique in a profoundly Motown way
Uncommon instruments for pop and a spin on a heartbreak narrative make for an iconic soul number.
Benjamin Kassel
Dec 11, 20214 min read
Tommy Roe's key changes make me "Dizzy"
...but the song has more than just that to offer. It ends up lending itself to a discussion on risk taking in pop writing and production.
Benjamin Kassel
Dec 7, 20213 min read
"Waterloo Sunset" examines a complex case of escapism
The Kinks' beautiful psychedelic pop rock track has a narrator who just can't let himself enjoy life to the fullest.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 29, 20214 min read
Shocking Blue's rocking "Venus" has a surprising country backstory
...and I only learned about it today.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 19, 20213 min read
"Fire" reflects its title through the raw energy of the Jimi Hendrix Experience
Is it pyromania? No, but it's a frantic and psychedelic trip that makes you feel like something's burning inside you.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 14, 20213 min read
As the Temptations say, "Get Ready" for what lies ahead in the near future
In my excitement for this coming week, I hear this tune capturing my eagerness to go full speed ahead into these next few days.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 7, 20213 min read
"96 Tears": Grounded in its time, or anticipatory of rock's future?
Its sound as as mid-60s as you can get, but its perspective might lend itself to being a forerunner of more contemporary movements.
Benjamin Kassel
Nov 2, 20214 min read
"The Weight": sonically genre-melding and restrained, but thematically heavy indeed
Upon a close listen, the load-bearing in the chorus leads to a reconfiguring of the entire narrative and outlook of the tune.
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