Michael Penn is a less prolific, more Beatles-influenced version of Ron Sexsmith, whom I wrote about last week.
Like Sexsmith, Penn is as consistent as the sunrise — quality-wise — when it comes to delivering his brand of polished power pop.
But unlike Sexsmith, who reliably releases albums every couple of years or more, Penn is prone to long hiatuses.
I’m not certain, but this might be the first time a Random Weekend selection has been an instrumental track.
I guess that isn’t too much of a surprise because I don’t own a whole lot of instrumentals. A few classical CDs and a half dozen or so movie soundtracks, plus the odd instrumental track on albums that otherwise feature vocals.
But still, given some of the odd patterns that have emerged over the Random Weekend years, you’d expect them to come up at least once in awhile.
The Random iTunes Fairy has served up another track from Adele’s debut album, 19, apparently still derisive (or appreciative) of my dismissal of it a few weeks back.
This track is better than the last one I featured, though still fall short of the material on 21. The production is fuller and Adele, as always, is in fine voice. But the tune itself falls a little short.
I’ve never been much of an Elvis Presley aficionado. I really enjoy his hits when I hear them, but I don’t play them on my own nor do I know the stories behind them.
The curiosity that has led me to explore the early work of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel and other acts who got their start before I was born has just never expanded to Elvis. That’s probably because those other artists are songwriters, while Presley made his name as “just” a performer.
I recently bought Eminem’s new album and had to decide between the standard version and a “deluxe” version that featured four more songs for about four more dollars.
I thought back to all of the times I’ve purchased an album with bonus tracks, and how little I’ve actually listened to any of those tracks, and went with the standard.
Meet Me In Montauk 