The Roof – Vanessa Jones
At some point, even the mad pop stars who’d chased fame and success with every fibre of their being started wondering just exactly what happens once the inevitable cycle of such a star’s life is over. Do you just go away quietly? Does anyone ask about you, and will the ones who do feel embarrassed about playing your music to a group of friends?
When we finally run out of storage space, what are the first songs that are going to go? If you won’t be able to keep all of them up in the cloud, what’s the one you’ll press delete on first? That’s going to take some heated debates and, likely, a global vote. But I reckon I know the kinds of songs that most will agree that they’ll want to keep around. Those are the songs made in an era where musicians had to sing, play and tell stories and where no amount of career coaching could make up for talent.
The Roof will be the first to try and save the old records. The band must’ve grown up on those, and by the sounds of it, they are still part of their daily lives. Fandom is one thing, but blending those elements well enough and finding the ability to perform these kinds of songs is something that is out of the reach of most. The Roof’s “Vanessa Jones” manages to sound like The Allman Brothers Band going back in time and, without sacrificing any of what made the group great, delivering a modern pop song. It’s hard to listen to this kind of vintage musicianship and not hope we never have to lose these kinds of songs.
The Staleys – Werewolves Of Chicago
The Good Book talks of people who wandered from town to town, looking to preach and spread the word. What did they get for all their troubles? For the most part, just a lot of misery, terrible food and shady accommodation. Yet, all those who still read about them are thankful and even wish that it could’ve been them doing the good work.
Well, they can. As we speak, thousands and thousands of people worldwide travel from town to town and log heavy musical equipment on stage. They preach their vision through songs. They tell their truth and look to bring a smile to the people watching them. What do most of them get in return? Long drives, nausea-inducing food and nothing but a few bucks. Yet, they persevere.
Being a working musician is an act of faith and a sacrifice. Some will call it senseless, but those folks ain’t heard the call. The Staleys’ “Werewolves Of Chicago” is a blues-rock song about people who possess great heroism. It’s a song about musicians who give their time, love, and sometimes sanity in search of a dream. And it’s a dream in which we all star. And if little of that makes sense, just listen to the convincing bluesy vocals and the guitar solo, and it’ll start making sense.
