Category: Music

Everyone Needs a Little Extra “Love And Mercy” Now

Love & Mercy Wilson

All of us know people who are hurting during the current coronavirus pandemic. In addition to those suffering physically, many are in pain emotionally. I feel fortunate in that I may imagine many times in my life where the pandemic would have been much more difficult for me. But I know that others are now experiencing those worst of times. Health care workers, grocery employees, and other essential workers who are helping us all need help too. And many are lonely and scared, with the social isolation causing more pain. Everyone is suffering to varying degrees, so we all need a little of the love and mercy that Brian Wilson sang about in the song with that title.

“Love And Mercy” originally appeared on Brian Wilson’s debut 1988 self-titled solo album following his success with The Beach Boys. Although the song was released as part of a double-sided single, it failed to find any chart success. But the song has endured and is more timely than ever.

I was lyin’ in my room and the news came on T.V.
A lotta people out there hurtin’ and it really scares me.

Love and mercy that’s what you need tonight;
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight.

In the liner notes for the song, Wilson concludes that the song is “probably the most spiritual song” he has ever written. He explains the difference between the two terms in the title: “I would think love is a gentle thing and mercy would be more desperate, ultimately more desperately needed, thing in life. Mercy–a little break here and there for somebody who’s having trouble.”

Below is Brian Wilson’s official video for “Love And Mercy.”

This week I rediscovered the song while re-watching the 2014 movie Love & Mercy. I had seen the movie featuring Paul Dano and John Cusack as different era Brians in the theater when it was released. In parallels, the movie shows the young Brian Wilson facing mental issues during the creation of the Pet Sounds album, contrasting that story with the older Brian Wilson escaping an abusive relationship with a “doctor.”

I equally enjoyed the movie the second time. And this time around, I found a connection to what is going on the world and the video that appears over the end credits showing the real Brian Wilson singing his song “Love And Mercy.”

Not surprisingly, after I started writing this post about how “Love And Mercy” is a wonderful song for our current times, I discovered that someone else had the same idea. Brian Wilson recently posted a video of him singing “Love and Mercy” from his home (along with “Do It Again”).

Wilson recorded the at-home video for Rolling Stone magazine’s In My Room series. Check it out below.

Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    It’s Little Richard’s 1964 TV Special

    It's LIttle Richard

    Little Richard — who was born as Richard Wayne Penniman on December 5, 1932 — passed away on May 9, 2020. He is one of the giants of rock and roll, leaving us many great memories and performances. Among those is a wonderful UK television special from 1964 called appropriately It’s Little Richard.

    By 1964, some time had passed since 1955 when Little Richard had a huge hit with “Tutti Frutti.” Like early rocker Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard pondered the relation between the new music and God. And, by the start of the 1960s, he had started focusing on gospel music.

    But he could not stay away from the music he loved, and he soon returned to making secular music too. And in 1964, Grenada Television in the U.K. broadcast a Little Richard special, The Little Richard Spectacular, sometimes called It’s Little Richard. Little Richard had been out of the spotlight and the British Invasion was emerging, but his talent could not be denied.

    Four years before Elvis’s famous comeback TV special, It’s Little Richard, which featured The Shirelles as guests, was so popular and generated so much fan mail that the TV station rebroadcast the show twice. Check out the special, directed by Philip Casson, below.

    Songs on the special included “I’ve Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy” (with the Shirelles), “Rip It Up,” “Lucille,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Send Me Some Lovin'” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Tutti Frutti,” “Jenny Jenny.” The Shirelles performed “Everybody Loves A Lover” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

    What is your favorite Little Richard song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    John Fogerty and Family Gift Us “Green River” from the Campfire

    As people are locked down at home during the coronavirus pandemic, John Fogerty has joined other artists sending us gifts through video. Most recently, he gave us a video of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Green River.”

    The video features Fogerty with his children Shane, Tyler and Kelsey around the campfire, apparently from Fogerty’s Ventura, California home. With Fogerty’s great voice, one cannot get much better than this one. In addition to the campfire, there are marshmallows and a stuffed Winnie the Pooh.

    Fogerty begins the video with an explanation of how he got the title “Green River.” A drink inspired the song. Check out the pandemic video of the day.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Times Like These by The Live Lounge All-Stars

    The Live Lounge All-Stars — a group of 25 performers — have come together to create a new version of the Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.” The recording benefits the groups Children In Need and Comic Relief to help those harmed by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The song, which is an appropriate choice for our current times, features artists such as Dua Lipa, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Elle Goulding, and Hailee Steinfeld. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, who reports the effort made him emotional, also makes an appearance.

    It’s times like these you learn to live again;
    It’s times like these you give and give again;
    It’s times like these you learn to love again;
    It’s times like these time and time again.

    The recording has already gone to number one on the U.K. singles chart. Check it out.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Matthew Ryan Covers “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” (Cover of the Day)

    Singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan continues to create beautiful music for our troubled time. His latest contribution is a cover of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.”

    The song, written by Ellen Shipley and Rick Nowels, was a hit for Belinda Carlisle when it appeared on her 1987 album Heaven on Earth. Anyone who was around at that time will remember the repeated plays of the catchy song on the radio and MTV.

    Ryan’s version of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” is not a poppy upbeat song as it is in Carlisle’s version (although Carlisle herself recorded a rather upbeat acoustic version released in 2017 on Wider Shores). Ryan’s goal was not a pop song but a single release in “the hope of offering something beautiful during this hard and strange time.”

    While it may seem odd to be releasing a love song about heaven on earth and the “miracle of living” while we are stuck in our homes in fear of the coronavirus pandemic. But Ryan reinterprets the song to give it meaning for our present moment.

    The song in Ryan’s telling reminds us both what love can do (“When I feel alone I reach for you”) and that we can look forward to a different future. And maybe the key to remembering where we can go forward is found somewhere buried in memory and recalling the past.

    On “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” Ryan is joined by Molly Thomas (backing vocal, timpani, violin, and cello) and Neilson Hubbard (piano). Check it out.

    The video, directed by Tom Sierchio, features “found home video” footage. Sierchio’s inspiration was the beautiful film, Cinema Paradiso, which is Ryan’s favorite movie. The images from happier times add even more power to the message of hope that we need in these dark times.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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