The concept of “feel” in music is usually associated with the style of music in play: this song has a Latin feel that song has sort of a jazzy feel.
This probably isn’t the only review I’m going to revisit, but I decided to start with this one because: a.) with all the political tension in the world today I thought it would be nice to listen to something completely apolitical b.) Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler formed a highly simpatico duo, and c.) with people all over the globe are feeling pretty grumpy these days with this bitch of a pandemic, I figured we all need something to make us smile-and Neck and Neck is an absolute hoot! Hence, an empty piece of garbage like the Spice Girls’ debut album earns as few words as possible, while richer pieces of work like Setting Sons or Dig Me Out deserve a more complete analysis.
If the purpose of music criticism is to present a point of view that might enlighten, educate or inspire a reader to form a different opinion, then arbitrarily limiting the word count is the dumbest approach imaginable.Īlthough it took some time to sing “I’ve Gotta Be Me,” my approach now is to ignore word count, make the necessary apologies for my long-windedness and write as many words as demanded by the subject matter. which also happens to reflect my feelings about most contemporary music criticism. Looking back on those reviews today, I would describe my writing as “utterly vacuous crapola”. Even if you never refer another album to me, which is highly unlikely, you have given me the gift of a lifetime with “Neck and Neck”, which I’m hoping to pay forward.This is a complete rewrite of a review I published during my first year of blogging when I tried very hard to obey the common wisdom that short posts are the way to go because no one has time to read anymore. I’m glad we can still get out there and punish ourselves, as it is always worth it when it is done. Even if you are eternally youthful to the point of being confused for my son during a marathon, when in fact you are four years older than I am, I still love you as I do all of my running friends, Dwayne, David and his Oingo Boingo devotion, Steve and some great names from the past like Jim, Mike, and David the Sloth. You inspire me with your intelligence and unmatched work ethic, and you have always pushed me to be a better person and a better runner. Mike, thank you for almost 30 years of friendship. The last song, featuring Knopfler, “The Next Time in Town”, is a perfect closer to this amazing album you probably haven’t discovered… yet.ĭr. “So Soft, Your Goodbye” is another incredibly well-played country ballad, and “Yakety Axe”, featuring Atkins, is a clever parody of the Boots Randolph song “Yakety Sax”. “ Ohh, I miss you so, Ohhh I need you so, I’d give this heart of mine, If I could see you just one time.” This song is about separation, distance, and sadness, and although I hope the ending in real life is better than the state of this song, it has some highly relevant and heartwarming lyrics that speak to my long-distance girl Christie. My favorite song is “Just One Time”, another beautiful Don Gibson ballad, again featuring their sweet blended harmony vocals. Mark isn’t quite convinced, but it is a hilarious listen and the dueling guitars are spectacular. Perhaps the most entertaining song on the record is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made”, where the lovably square Atkins tries to convince Knopfler he’s ready for the rock and roll lifestyle, complete with money for nothing and chicks for free. “Sweet Dreams” is one of several 1950s country songs by Don Gibson that they cover on the album. The album opens with a great song, “Poor Boy Blues”, which was the only single they released from this record, and you can clearly hear that distinct Knopfler guitar sound wrapped within their wonderfully paired harmony vocals. Mike and I, they are an eclectic pairing, but this is a beautiful album you probably haven’t heard, but probably should. While he helped me expand my appreciation for reggae and Bob Marley, his biggest gift musically to me is today’s album, “Neck and Neck”, a collaboration between the old-school country guitarist Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler, leader of the Dire Straits.
I would often borrow CDs from Mike’s office as we could listen to music while we worked. Mike and I first met as coworkers in 1994, and formed a friendship around basketball, running, and music. Today’s album came into my life specifically because of one particular Mike we will call him Dr. Of my many friends in the world, by far the most common name among them is Mike.
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