The Art of Less is More...

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The Art of Less is More

by Johnny Roebuck on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 12:57pm

...and the concept thereof

I won't identify the band because my purpose is not to put down, just observe. It's a concept few people grasp, especially in music today. Sinatra definitely mastered it, Dean Martin matured it and Elvis perfected it. Others like Nat (King) Cole and Jim Reeves were masters of it. Some lived there and that's okay, but just because it is good doesn't mean you have to set up camp. There's a line in GI Blues where this German gentleman asked Elvis' character what he thought of the little band and he had no criticism other than to say that "we do it a little differently...we sort of let is OOOZE out!" The gentlman replies "Vas dis OOOZE?" and Elvis is off to singing "Tonight is So Right for Love."

The other thing this band did that so many do is over-harmonize. There are songs constructed to not have harmony. Of course, there are some that it won't hurt, but far too many others that are ruined by it. This band had way too much personell, for one thing. Like a tree, they need a good pruning. Background vocals should be just that...background, not drowning out the lead. When I sing karaoke and someone does this, I make note and do not sing that song again at least in that venue. I am quite capable of ruining a song on my own. What I can't stand is for someone else to ruin it and for me to get credit for it. I'm just that vain. Some say, it doesn't matter because it's karaoke. Well, if it's singing, yes it DOES! I've heard a lot of bands put in unnecessary "harmonies." Many times, they are not harmonies, but dischords. It only takes one person off key to mess the whole thing up.

I have no idea whether Rick Barefoot can sing, but I appreciate the fact that if he doesn't think so, so he doesn't. I've seen people lead every round of karaoke with five of their own songs or people who couldn't sing sing every round when it was unnecessary. One guy, didn't need to sing in the first place. His voice was ragged. There's a difference between Janis Joplin or Rod Stewart's raspy delivery and someone who's just ruined their voice with too many cigarettes and sound like a lung's on its way up.

I don't like the song anyway, but it's popular apparently. It's called "Crazy B*tch" and it has no harmony for a reason...when you add one, no matter how much you try, it doesn't fit...it's like those dad limb bells at the church that try to harmonize the hold hymns and hit a dischord.

But what do I know. I don't even have a band any more

Nice Tee Shirt

Somebody get me one (hint hint)

Divine Appointment

I walked out on the patio of Locked & Loaded last night during another Friday of karaoke. There sat a successful looking couple who turned out to be David and Rebecca, who's last names I did not get. They stopped me and complimented me on my Elvis songs I had done over some time. They indicated that they had come multiple times, although I had never noticed them and had enjoyed my renditions better than any of the tribute artists (formerly known as Elvis impersonators) in Vegas and around the country. They both said I captured the "essence" of Elvis and that it seemed to come from deep within.
This opened a discussion about the Mississippi Flash. David had seen Elvis in Philadelphia on the same tour as the Madison Square Garden performances the year I had seen him (1971) in Baltimore. His dad MADE him go. His dad was no Elvis fan until the Hillbilly Cat sang "How Great Thou Art." From that moment on, David's dad was a dyed in the wool Elvis fan. We spoke of Elvis' generosity, and the times we had seen him. I started to speak of Elvis' receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and hesitated.
David and Rebecca have been to Graceland many times. I finally "spilled the beans" that I am a Pentecostal. Not only that, but a Pentecostal HOLINESS! David and Rebecca are as well. David shared some experiences with me not uncommon to my own. He had a burden in his heart for Elvis' soul. I then shared that Elvis had received "his Baptism" at the age of nine and immediately gave his bicycle away to a kid he thought "might need it more than me."
David has rubbed shoulders with many of Elvis' insiders and shared that he spoke with Bill Baze, who sang high tenor for the Stamps and who also is Pentecostal. David gave a note to Bill to give to Elvis. Bill shared that he was forbidden from giving anything to Elvis directly, that he had to give it to Charlie Hodge who would decide whether to pass it along. David was living in Atlanta at the time, but was moving in a month. The note had his phone number and a message to Elvis about salvation. Elvis was to appear a week after David moved. One night, David got a strange call from his mother. She said she ALSO got a strange call. The voice on the line asked if it was a specific number. It was not, it was David's. She told David that the voice sounded unmistakenly like Elvis. Who knows?
There are "Christian Nightclubs" in Atlanta, or there were. David was in one and sat at a table next to Dottie Rambo. He shared with Dottie his burden and asked if she knew Elvis was saved. Dottie said that he was, and that he'd gotten the Baptism at age nine, but that he was struggling with problems. (Failures) She then produced a prayer in Elvis' handwriting that he had given Dottie and asked her to pray it daily "so I'll know every day SOMEBODY is praying for me!"
David and Rebecca encouraged me as we spoke of my current unemployment and prayed for me. While the discussion of Elvis was great, the highlight was our discussion of spiritual matters. I shared my testimony and they noted how my eyes lit up when I spoke of Jesus. Amen

Not to Be Political, But...

Let's see where we are in terms of 2012's Presidential Election. There's the re-election of Obama. Some folks think it's an impossibility, but not being properly vetted, made it possible for this poor excuse of a human being to be elected in the first time, so the saying goes, if you voted FOR him to prove you aren't a racist, vote against him this time to prove you're not a total idiot. And hey, voting for McCain last time was voting for Obama-Light. Don't know what the Viet Cong did to that man's brain when he was a POW, but it has the same effect as Obama's being brought up by America-hating Marxist-Socialist-Communists. So, no doubt we'd not be in as bad a shape with McCain, but we'd just be going down the toilet slower.

So, those running against. Perry. Friend of Al Gore. That's scary enough. Says Social Security has turned out to be a Ponzy Scheme. Very true and courageous, but Dems get nervous at that false accusation that keeps coming up from the playbook over and over. Too scary at this point.

Romney. Mormon. Enough to disqualify for me, but had his OWN form of Obamacare that was a disaster. No way I'd support Romney.

Ron Paul. I know folks who swear by him who with that exception have brains. No, when you say Iraq should be allowed to have nuclear weapons, you've pretty much have joined looney tune briggade.

I like Herman Cain. All that he's said, all that he's stood for, with one, nervous exception. He was part of the banking system in Kansas City. The Fed, I in no way trust. Just a cartel of bankers in their own interest. Scary

Of everyone, though, Cain makes the most sense, but no telling what will happen.

Memories (Pressed Between the Pages)

The world of karaoke is sort of an experiment in democracy music style. Everyone has their personal likes/dislikes and quirks. There is an over-abundance of very talented singers who would put the corporate pablum on the radio to shame in ALL genres. There's your occasional tone deaf person, the one who because of alcohol or some other reason always runs one line behind in the song. There's even music that isn't even music at all, but a series of phrases in time to a repetitious series of samples jumbled whatever.

There are things that drive people nuts, but they keep coming. It's like church or ball games or whatever. At church Eula may will ask you to "pray for me while I render this here song" at church and people say bless her heart under their breath and your team doesn't always win. So there you go.

One of my pet peeves is singing the same song over and over week to week and not learning or singing something else.

In that spirit, I was asked last night to repeat a song I did the previous week and I offered to sing a similar song instead. This turned out to be serendipidous. The song requested was "Can't Help Falling in Love" which by the way, nationally is the single most requested Elvis Presley song and "Suspicious Minds" follows. I offered to, instead sing, "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and did so. It was toward the end of the night and my final song. I was saying my good-byes to people and had leaned over this fence to speak to someone when an older lady turned around and said, "Thanks for all the memories" and told me she had lost her husband and that that movie "Blue Hawaii" was an integral part of their lives together. Ah romance. So lacking today, but there's a generation who could teach us a thing or three!

Tried it, and it Didn't Work (Nor WIll it EVER!)

Kris Kristoffersen said Jesus was a Capricorn in one of his songs. Commies claim He was a Socialist. The amazing thing is that Socialism/Marxism/Communism has been tried and failed every single time. Capitalism hasn't failed. Rather, it was a victim of subterfuge and sabotage by radicals who try to pass themselves off as "moderates."

Socialism was tried and it failed by the closest thing to perfect people since Adam & Eve, namely, the first century , fledgling church. It didn't work then for those good people and it certainly won't work with the scum bag politicians who want to try it again.

Different Strokes...

It's interesting to see how people process things and it's all part of this thing we call life. People react to things differently. I've noticed that some cannot handle complements without their hat size increasing and it's very unbecoming but I try to be patient and see if there may be a mid course correction. When you walk with the Lord and start that mess he'll cause something to humble you right quick, that's why I try to humble myself.

I've seen hosting karaoke, of all things, transform people from humble, nice, polite people to arrogant, obnoxious doo doo heads and a few people who have had one too many compliments react the same way. The thing to remember is it could all be gone so quickly.

I guess a good way to look at it is God's not finished with me, so he's probably not finished or maybe hasn't even gotten started with them. As we say in the South, bless their hearts