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, 2022
- 3 min
"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, 2022
- 4 min
"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, 2022
- 3 min
"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 21, 2022
- 3 min
"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 13, 2022
- 4 min
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 9, 2022
- 3 min
"California Dreamin'," as heard from a Californian's perspective
What can I say? It's a winter's day.
Benjamin Kassel
- Feb 3, 2022
- 3 min
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, 2022
- 4 min
"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 31, 2022
- 3 min
"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 25, 2022
- 3 min
"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 14, 2022
- 3 min
"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 29, 2021
- 3 min
"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 12, 2021
- 4 min
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 8, 2021
- 3 min
"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 30, 2021
- 4 min
Shocking Blue's rocking "Venus" has a surprising country backstory
...and I only learned about it today.
Benjamin Kassel
- Nov 19, 2021
- 3 min
"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, 2021
- 3 min
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 8, 2021
- 3 min
"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, 2021
- 4 min
"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.
© 2021— by Benjamin Kassel. Proudly created with Wix.
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