chimesfreedom

Pres. Obama: Born in the USA

After additional pressure on President Barack Obama, he released the long-form version of his birth certificate this morning in an attempt to calm down all of the insane media attention largely driven of late by The Celebrity Apprentice’s Donald Trump. At the news conference this morning, though, I was a little disappointed that Bruce Springsteen did not show up to play “Born in the U.S.A.” as part of the spectacle.

It would not have been the first time that the song appeared in presidential politics. In 1984, during a presidential campaign stop in New Jersey, Pres. Ronald Reagan appeared to invoke “Born in the U.S.A.,” which was extremely popular at the time: “America’s future rests in a thousand dreams inside our hearts.” Reagan explained, “It rests in the message of hope in the songs of a man so many young Americans admire: New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen.”

Although Springsteen was less active politically in those days than in recent years, he would make a few comments on stage and in interviews in response to the comments by Pres. Reagan, who would go on to win the 1984 election in a landslide over Walter Mondale.

But Springsteen’s most pointed response came a decade later in a re-working of “Born in the U.S.A.” around the time of his Ghost of Tom Joad tour. Where the hit version sounded like an anthem, and that helped make it a hit song, his new version was quieter, stressing the sadness in the words. Pres. Reagan had focused on the sound of the original and misinterpreted the hopeless defiance in the music as a message of hope. By changing the music but not the words into a bluesier version, Springsteen captured the despair faced by many Americans that was — and is — often overlooked in popular culture.

Bonus “Born in the USA” Information: “Born in the U.S.A.” originated in an acoustic form when Springsteen was working on his Nebraska album. Although he reworked the song with the E Street band into an anthem for the Born in the U.S.A. album, the acoustic version is available on the four-CD collection Tracks. I suppose that “Born in the U.S.A.” would be too sad to play at a press conference about our President’s birth, so maybe they could have asked Miley Cyrus to perform this song.

Where is Bruce Springsteen on the Cover of “Western Stars”?

Alt-Country Tribute to Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”

This Land Is Your Land: The Angry Protest Song That Became an American Standard

John Legend and The Roots Perform “Dancing in the Dark”

The Promise

10 Thoughts on Bruce Springsteen’s “Only the Strong Survive”

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

10 Genres Defined by Robert Duvall Movies

Is there another actor who has been in more classic movies from different film categories than Robert Duvall? If you consider various movie genres and the top handful of movies in each category, a large number of those groups include movies with Robert Duvall. Consider:

(1) Gangster Movies: Godfather I and II
(2) Sports Movies: The Natural
(3) Lawyer Movies: To Kill a Mockingbird
(4) War Movies: Apocalypse Now
(5) Westerns: Lonesome Dove (and True Grit)
(6) Social Commentary: Network
(7) Satire: M*A*S*H and Network.
(8) Preacher Movies: The Apostle
(9) Singer Movies: Tender Mercies (and Crazy Heart)
(10) Cop Movies/Car Chase Movies: Bullitt

In each category, the movies listed are among the top few. And yes, we are using a loose definition of “genre,” and the list is starting to stretch for categories a little at the end. But we stopped before adding “Military Family/Angry Father Movies” (The Great Santini).

The list is for movies where he appeared, so To Kill a Mockingbird qualifies even though he had a very small (yet important) part. Also, Lonesome Dove was a TV mini-series, but it still ranks up there among the very top classic westerns, and Duvall has said it was his favorite role. But if you do not like that one, replace it with the original True Grit (see the Chimesfreedom comparison of the two versions of True Grit). Two other Duvall westerns, Open Range and Broken Trail were excellent, but not top classic status.

Although Duvall is respected, he usually is not mentioned with quite the same respect as actors like Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. But few actors have the range of work shown from the genre list above, due largely to his ability to become a character besides “Robert Duvall.” In one great scene from Lonesome Dove where he embodies the classic character of Gus McCrae, you can see the pain in his face when he has to hang an old friend who has fallen in with a bad gang. In particular, he conveys a world of meaning in the first few seconds after the hanging just through his face and his body language. [Update: Unfortunately a clip of that scene is no longer available on YouTube, but another scene from the miniseries is below.]

The movies in the genre list are true classics, among the best in each category. Through acting skill, excellent movie choices, and some luck, maybe no other actor has accomplished a similar feat of being in classic movies in so many different categories.

What is your favorite Robert Duvall Movie? Can you think of another actor who appeared in Great Movies in so many categories? Leave a comment.

Rating the Lonesome Dove Series, Part 1: The Prequels

Top 10 Coen Brothers Movies

Loudon Wainwright III Was on M*A*S*H?

Keeping the Wolves At Bay

Dill from “To Kill a Mockingbird” Was (Almost) in “The Godfather, Part II”

What Song Does the Sergeant Sing About a Sparrow in “Hostiles”?

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 3: Ready, Walk, Great

To those who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter! This post concludes for now the Chimesfreedom series on Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers. Today, we feature a timeless pop hit, a relatively new country gospel song, and one of the most powerful performances ever recorded on film.

People Get Ready, The Impressions

“People Get Ready” was written by Curtis Mayfield. Mayfield performed the song well, as have others like Al Green, Eva Cassidy, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Crystal Bowersox, and Bob Dylan. But the original version by the Impressions, with Mayfield on guitar, is what sticks in one’s mind when you think of the timeless song.

“People Get Ready” was released in 1965, and we associate the call for change with the social and Civil Rights movements. Indeed, the song was inspired by the 1963 March on Washington. But Mayfield’s music is straight from gospel, and the lyrics are also a testament to faith: “Faith is the key / Open the doors / and board them / There’s room for all / Among the loved and lost.”

In a Curtis Mayfield biography, Peter Burns described “People Get Ready” as “a song of faith really, a faith that transcends any racial barrier and welcomes everyone onto the train. The train that takes everyone to the promised land, really.”

The Impressions and Mayfield also performed something of a miracle in creating a hit record that also became a gospel standard covered by so many artists. Bob Marley incorporated the guitar riff and some of the lyrics into “One Love.” And Bruce Springsteen incorporated part of “People Get Ready” into his moving “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the song as the twenty-fourth greatest song of all time. And one cannot really argue with that.

Can’t Even Walk, Marty Stuart

Marty Stuart has an interesting position in country music. He stands between the generations of authentic classic country music and the newer pop country music. As he has aged, he has generally chosen to reside in the former, paying tribute to the talented old guard of country, like Johnny Cash, while many other modern country singers try to emulate Billy Joel more than the Louvin Brothers.

Marty Stuart has recorded some excellent concept albums in recent years that are mostly overlooked. “Can’t Even Walk” is a beautiful song off his album of gospel songs, Souls’ Chapel (2005).

I thought that I could do a lot on my own;
I thought I, I thought I could make it all alone;
I thought, I thought of myself
As a mighty, mighty big man;
But I realize I can’t even walk
Without You holding my hand

Unfortunately, there is only the above amateur video of Marty Stuart’s “Can’t Even Walk,” but give it a listen. Also, if you like the song, check out this very sweet version of the song sung by what appears to be a talented grandmother and grandson [2016 Update: Unfortunately, the video is no longer available]. I love it and would have posted it here, but it would not be fair to put them adjacent to the next powerful professional performance. . .

How Great Thou Art, by Elvis Presley

Critics often give bad reviews to In Concert (1977), the album of Elvis Presley’s June 1977 performances recorded for a TV special. The recording of one of Elvis’s final performances may not be the quality of his earlier work when he was healthy, but the CD is worth it just for the recording of “How Great Thou Art.”

Here is Elvis, two months before he died. Overweight, sweating, with a body about to give out on him, but he still gave his gospel performances his all. The glitter on his jumpsuit seems inconsistent with the message of the song, and Elvis’s faith could not save him from his fated death.

But in his performance he finds something deep within himself to cry out for help in an incredible despairing voice. Starting at around 2:20, he builds to a note that will send chills down your spine. If you only watch one video in this series, watch this one.

There is nothing more to say after that.

Check out our other posts in the series, Gospel Songs by Pop Artists.

What are your favorite gospel recordings by popular artists? Leave a comment.

Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 2: Gold, Blessed & Sweet

Best Gospel Songs by Pop Stars (Part 5): Cash & Byrds

Land of Hope & Dreams, This Train, and People Get Ready

Best Gospel Songs by Pop Singers 4: Morning, Flying & Mystery

Best Gospel Songs By Pop Singers (Part 1): Nearer & Pressing

Chuck Jackson Was There Before Elvis: “Any Day Now”

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Better Than American Idol: “Rolling in the Deep” Edition

This week on American Idol, Haley Reinhart sang Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” She did a good job, and it may have been the best song choice of the night. Her performance helped her avoid being the second person in three weeks to go home after singing a song with the word “deep” in the title.

Adele’s version of “Rolling in the Deep” is hard to beat, as her voice perfectly balances the song’s heartbreak pain (“The scars of your love, they leave me breathless”) and kiss-off anger (“Think of me in the depths of your despair”). But there are some excellent covers of the song. John Legend does a great acappella cover of the song. While looking for a video of Legend singing the song, I ran across an abbreviated cover of John Legend’s version by a new rising artist named Jason Ray. [April 2014 Update: Unfortunately, Ray no longer has the “Rolling in the Deep” video on YouTube, but you should check out some of his other songs at his website, linked below.]

Jason Ray, whose real name is Jason Raymond Garrett, is a classically trained pianist and singer-songwriter from Houston with influences ranging from Prince to Led Zeppelin. He started off with a successful YouTube page, and his website states that his first album will be released soon. The website appears relatively new, so it seems like he is just starting out. Check him out, as you likely will hear more of him soon.

For those looking for the American Idol version of the song, here is the link to Haley Reinhart’s version. There is not an official video of John Legend’s acappella cover, but you may hear his excellent version here. Finally here is a link to Adele’s official video of “Rolling in the Deep” and a live version from a performance on Ellen.

What do you think of the various versions of “Rolling in the Deep”? Leave a comment.

John Legend: Bring Me Love This Christmas

“La La Land” Trailer Brings Back the Musical

Springsteen and Vedder Sing “Bobby Jean”

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and “We Shall Overcome”

What You Need to Know for the Final Episodes of “American Idol” Season 13

Will Majesty Rose Be the Next American Idol?

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Mary Surratt Arrest: The Conspirator (Review)

On April 17 in 1865, Mary Surratt was arrested for conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. In 2011 on that date, the American Film Company released its first film, The Conspirator. The movie is about Mary Surratt and directed by Robert Redford and starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, and Tom Wilkinson.

From a young age, we learn the name of John Wilkes Booth. We know he is the man who shot Abraham Lincoln. His chase and capture are recounted in the recent book, Manhunt (2006), by James L. Swanson.

But the names of the others who allegedly conspired with Booth are less heard: Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, David Herold, John Surratt, and Mary Surratt. A number of additional people were also arrested and convicted of crimes, including Dr. Samuel Mudd.

Mary Surratt: “The Conspirator”

The Conspirator centers exclusively on one of the more interesting accused conspirators, Mary Surratt. In doing so, Redford maintains focus in what might otherwise be an unwieldy long story.

We may be curious to know more about the other conspirators and to spend a few minutes with Lincoln before he is killed. But Redford keeps the story tight and aimed on the stoic Surratt (Wright) and her passionate lawyer Frederick Aiken (McAvoy), following Aiken as he struggles with his responsibility to defend Surratt.

Currently on the Rotten Tomatoes website, the critics rating for The Conspirator is 56% and the audience rating is a much-higher 71%, which makes sense. The movie is not an exciting historical romp like The King’s Speech (2010), and the story is told somewhat conventionally. But it is an interesting story that audience members may appreciate more than critics, who might want a film that is more daring.

Still, the fine acting and look of the film make it well above a History Channel special. All of the principal actors do a very good job (although Justin Long seems out of his time period even with the goofy mustache). And, as in Redford’s A River Runs Through It (1992), the lighting effects seem like another character, making for numerous scenes bathed in beautiful clean natural sunlight.

Overall, the movie is engaging and addresses a lesser known aspect of the Lincoln assassination. I will not reveal how everything comes out, but during the prosecution of Mary Surratt and even until today, there are still questions about whether or not she had any involvement in the conspiracy of which she was accused.

Parallels With Modern Issues

Others have noticed that the movie has some parallels to the modern debate about military tribunals. Kevin Kline’s Secretary of War Edwin Stanton spouts concerns that echo in our Age of Terrorism. Anthony Lane at The New Yorker believes that Redford belabored the parallels with today’s debates about military trials for accused terrorists a little too much.

By contrast, I did not think the parallels were overdone. Instead, the movie would have been much more topical and challenging for viewers had it been released several years ago instead of in 2011. Just as more people spoke up on Mary Surratt’s behalf years after her trial, this aspect of the movie seems a little late too. Yet, the issue is still topical.

Another contemporary issue underlying The Conspirator is how innocent persons accused of outrageous crimes may be convicted or almost convicted of crimes they did not do. The Death Penalty Information Center website notes that since 1973, there have been more than one hundred people released from death row because of evidence of their innocence.

Additionally, there are a number of people who have been executed with genuine questions remaining about whether they were innocent. One may debate the extent of the problem and the exact number of condemned innocent who spent years on death row, but the clear risk is certainly troubling. Even in civilian trials with our current constitutional protections, the innocent still may be convicted and condemned, and this realization has contributed to several states eliminating capital punishment in recent years.

Conclusion

Conclusion? Conspirator is a well-made straightforward drama about an important event in American history. Although it may not be one of the top few movies of the year, it is a period courtroom drama in a league with Amistad (1997) as less than awe-inspiring but nonetheless engaging, educational, entertaining, and worth your time.