The Tide Is Turning

One of my favorite artists of all time and who I think is a musical and lyrical genius is a man by the name of Roger Waters. Those that don’t really know the man by that name may have heard of the group he helped form. It was a little band that made a little noise on the charts back in the day known as Pink Floyd. They had a massive mainstream hit back in the 80’s with “Another Brick in the Wall” off of their huge selling album “The Wall”. About eighty percent of that double record LP was written by Roger Waters as was Pink Floyds previous records and their last as a complete group “The Final Cut”. Due to shall I say “creative differences” Roger left the band and struck out on his own for good. He and other members had released solo albums while still within the fold of Floyd but Floyd was over as far as Roger Waters was concerned. I won’t go into the drama that ensued between him and his ex bandmates but just know it wasn’t pretty. That being said, Roger Waters lost absolutely nothing creatively wise while stepping out without the rest of Floyd and his album “Radio K.A.O.S.” proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt. It was an impressive solo debut and the most impressive song of that album was “The Tide is Turning”.


Roger was never known for a great singing voice and actually he’s a horrible singer. Thankfully though it’s not his singing that keeps fans like me interested, it’s his lyrical ability and that’s on full display with “Tide”. It’s a song of a man who is coming to the realization that while things look bleak for the future of mankind that the tide is turning. It starts of with “I used to think the world was flat/rarely threw my hat into the crowd/I felt I had used up my quota of yearning…Used to look in on the children at night/in the glow of their Donald Duck light/and frighten myself /with the thought of my little ones burning but the tide is turning. It goes on to tell you that the youth stood as one and refused to back down and believe what they were told and fed by the powers that be and that began the tide turning.


I will always be a Roger Waters fan because of songs like this. He will always be one of those artists I hold in the highest of regards because in my opinion he belongs in the pantheon of all those other artists we consider geniuses. Enjoy!

Purple Haze

There's some debate amongst my friends as to which is the better Jimi Hendrix song. Some say "All Along the Watchtower" and others say "Hey Joe" and some feel "Voodoo Child" was Jimi at his best. I personally feel there is no better Hendrix rocker better than "Purple Haze". This song doesn't just rock, it burns. This song resonates deeply because of Jimi's sharp playing and the most unforgettable lyric of "scuse me while I kiss the sky".

I'm not say those other songs aren't hot or worthy of great respect but "Purple" stands out to me. Everyone has their favorite Jimi burner, this one just happens to be mine. It's so raw and unforgiving, kicking ass and taking names. It starts off with what could be a pulse and then the drums comes in under that unforgettable guitar riff. Then that unmistakable voice comes in with "Purple haze all in my brain/lately things just don't seem the same/acting funny and I don't know why/scuse me while I kiss the sky". Then Jimi just goes right into the next verse. There's no chorus, there's no hook, no tricks, no bells and whistles, it's just Jimi. Doing his thing over some serious guitar licks. This song itself is a musical lsd trip and you have to love that.

I often imagine what Jimi would be playing today had he not died so young. Can you imagine where Jimi would be musically today? The thought sends chills down my spine because I know whatever came from Jimi were he alive today would blow everyone away. That man would be on some next shit for real. Enjoy!

My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration

This was not supposed to be here. I had something else in mind to hit you my readers and followers with, something so recognizable and searingly funky that you wouldn't be able to keep from smiling but then this song came up on my ipod. One of the most amazing songs in terms of love and devotion from a man to a woman that it became THE song that newly married couples would dance to for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. The song is by the amazing Teddy Pendergrass and the song is "My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration". This song still gives me chills when I hear it and it has nothing to do with the sentiment although it's what every man should feel for his woman and vice versa actually. No, what gets me is the fact that this song musically is just so damn pretty.

Teddy has sung some serious heartfelt lyrics in his day and this song belongs alongside all of those other classics (too many to list here but you know them, don't you?). This one though has lyrics that will make Teddy immortal. He comes in with "I've been so many places / Seen so many faces / but none quite as lovely as you...More beautiful than the Mona Lisa / worth more than gold / and my eyes have the pleasure to behold" and shockingly the second verse is better than that. He goes on the tell this amazing woman how much she keeps on lifting him up and inspires him to be the man she knows he can be and in the background there are those strings that came in with the second verse and just gives this song true depth. At the bridge Teddy sings "I plan to give you all that I have / I'll be everything, everything you think I am / You make life a joy to live /yes I'm blessed, yes I'm thankful just to know you" as the strings swell.

It's easy to see why this song was and is THE first dance song for newlyweds. It embodies everything they feel for each other at that moment in time. The trick is trying to keep that magic from fading. I would suggest listening to this song together when things get difficult and trying. Teddy WILL bring you back to that moment and more importanly back to each other. How could he not with this song? Enjoy.

I Am Not My Hair

I think it’s about time to add this lovely voiced lady to my blog. I have been a peripheral fan of hers for a while now, really ever since I heard her first single “Video”. I was really impressed with her lyrics, sense of melody, and her velvet voice. There have been some songs that I wasn’t all that fond of but she always snatched me back with a new song with a message of self esteem for Black women, a new single or video. This song covered all of those bases as far as I am concerned. “I Am Not My Hair” sounds like an odd song title for a pop song but when you listen to the lyrics it definitely makes sense. Hair has been and continues to be a huge issue in the African-American community and this song really asks why since our hair doesn’t determine who we are or what we are worth. Basically she’s saying get over it because it’s really JUST hair.

She’s not alone on this song, she collaborates with rapper Akon who has never really impressed me but his verse on this song helped me to appreciate his talents a little more. The song opens up with him telling you how hair affects a Black mans life and it’s rather profound. He talks about how “nappy headed brothers never had no ladies” and how he couldn’t get a job because the corporate world wasn’t hiring if you were rocking dreadlocks. He goes on and indicates that he really didn’t see any kind of success until he cut all his hair off. Then India comes in with that sultry throaty voice of hers over a beat, handclaps, and a pretty piano backing her up. She takes you on a trip through her youth and her harrowing hair experiences from gheri curl to getting a relaxer to her hair falling out to her going “natural”. She takes you right up to her revelation that she is not her hair. Akon comes back in with another poignant verse about how he got harassed for having waves and how he’s never “seen nothing like that in all my days” which leads into India into the beautiful break.

In my opinion this song didn’t get the amount of appreciation it should have received for the musicianship, arrangement, and subject matter as I think it should have gotten. If you weren’t careful this song could have slipped right past you but I wouldn’t let that happen to you. For those that know this song, enjoy it again and for those hearing it for the first time, enjoy!