It looks like the Random iTunes Fairy wanted to get in on the April Fools’ Day fun because here she is serving up a song by another “Weekend” alumnus, Mr. Brad Paisley. Paisley Weekends followed Sexsmih Weekends back in 2011.
After suffering through the groans of my regular readers over those two choices, I followed them up with Simon Weekends, which chronicled the work of Paul Simon both as a solo artist and with Simon & Garfunkel. That went over considerably better.
A couple of weeks ago, I joked that I would put Random Weekends on hiatus and return to the controversial Ron Sexsmith Weekends of yesteryear.
But the more I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why weekends dedicated to a talented, thoughtful singer-songwriter should be a laugh-worthy concept. Sexsmith is an undeniably great songwriter, one held in high esteem by fellow artists even as he toils in relative obscurity commercially. He is exactly the sort of performer who deserves a wider platform.
Continuing my track-by-track appreciation of Lana Del Rey’s newest album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd…
Track 6: ‘Candy Necklaces’
This song features the first of two collaborations with recent Album of the Year Grammy winner Jon Batiste. Batiste’s contributions here include some sweet piano playing throughout and a rather eerie recitation of the title phrase in the outro.
‘Candy Necklaces’ is one of the most lyrically oblique songs on the album. References to “Rockafella” and “my umbrella” suggest Jay-Z and Rihanna, right? But why? Del Rey also alludes to A Tribe Called Quest, the Young and the Restless, and the Bible.
Continuing my track-by-track appreciation of Lana Del Rey’s newest album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd…
Track 5: ‘Judah Smith Interlude’
The fifth song on Lana Del Rey’s new album is likely to be the most controversial and divisive thing on it. This is a five-minute sermon by megachurch pastor Judah Smith set to lovely piano and guitar accompaniment by Jack Antonoff.
Continuing my track-by-track appreciation of Lana Del Rey’s newest album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd…
Track 4: ‘A&W’
Four and a half songs into the album, people looking for a musical change of pace will find it in the bracing second part of this fascinating track.
First, Del Rey delivers a brilliant, brooding song driven by acoustic guitar, piano and her aching falsetto. Special praise must be paid to producer Jack Antonoff, who plays all the instruments here.
Meet Me In Montauk 