Jerry Maguire turns 16 years-old today and we thought it was a good time to revisit Jerry’s Mission Statement. You might recall that Cameron decided to write the entire 25 page document that is really drives the plot of the film. It’s all here for your reading pleasure.
Carole King – Music (Ode SP 77013)
With the release of the new Carole King album, Music, she is in the same situation The Band was in with Stage Fright, Cat Stevens is in with Teaser and the Firecat, and James Taylor was in with the release of Mud Slide Slim. When an artist becomes a superstar on the basis of one album, the follow-up LP is always compared with it’s predecessor. No matter how good the second album is, the majority of critics and buyers will criticize it as not “being as good.”
If the artist has changed his style in any way, the buyers will be disappointed. If the artist has stayed the same, the critics will pan the album and him for not evolving musically. So, Carole King can’t please everybody in Music.
Writer, her first album, was an experimental one. She switched from style to style, the result being an amateur recording with the exceptions of “Child of Mine” and “Up on the Roof,” which made it hard to believe that these were from the same album as the disasters “Spaceship Races” and “To Love.”
Tapestry, one of the most successful albums in recording history, was Carole King after she found her strength. Her jumpy piano work and the bubbling guitar of James Taylor seemed to make a combination that pleased both undergrounder and Sixteen Magazine devourers alike.
Music, however, isn’t a carbon copy of this successful style. For the new album, Miss King has employed the same group of musicians that has accompanied her throughout her previous albums: James Taylor and Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar on lead guitars, her husband, Charley Larkey, on bass, and Russ Kunkel on drums. So, what we hear on the new album is not only the musical evolvement of Carole King, but of the accompanists as well.
Eight of the album’s ten tunes were written by Miss King solely. In the past, she has collaborated with Gerry Goffin and, more recently, Toni Stern (who wrote three songs for the album), but these are the first lyrics that she has written by herself.
My favorite cut is the trivial “Brighter.” These changes are really first rate and the up-tempo arrangement couldn’t be more efficient. Although the song is obviously for the purpose of filling up the LP and achieving the quota for playing time, there is something about it that cries out for more than the skimpy 2:50 that is devoted to it.
The changes in Carole King’s style with this new album are minor. Her stuttering piano work has been replaced by a more continuous flowing sound. Her strained voice has matured in a short time to a smoother style.
The simple arrangements have grown more complex and lasting with the effective addition of more voices and guitars.
So, what more can be said? Carole King is definitely worthy of all the premature hype placed upon her by the many critics eager to unload their journalistic vocabulary of superlatives.
Courtesy of the Door (aka San Diego Door) – Cameron Crowe – December 23, 1971 – January 12, 1972
Vanity Fair has released their first comedy issue with guest editor Judd Apatow (with three unique covers). Contributers to the issue include Chris Rock, Conan O’Brien, Lena Dunham, Zack Galifianakis, the making of the Blues Brothers and much more. Cameron shares a new article entitled “Rocking the Role” about musicians who shine in acting roles. We will have that piece in the near future. In the meantime, check out the January Vanity Fair issue on store shelves now.
Glenn Frey, Irving Azoff & Dan Fogelberg
We have an exciting new addition to the Journalism section today. Cameron profiled rock manager Irving Azoff for the June 15, 1978 issue of Rolling Stone. At the time, Azoff was the most powerful manager in the industry. He would go on to produce Fast Times at Ridgemont High, head MCA, start his own label (Giant Records) and much more. Azoff is currently the CEO/President of Front Line Management and Live Nation and was recently ranked #1 on Billboard‘s Power 100 list for the music industry.
Cameron and legendary saxophonist Trevor Lawrence discuss the new 40th anniversary release of Marvin Gaye’s soundtrack for the film, Trouble Man on NPR’s Tell Me More. You can listen to their conversation via Soundcloud above. Enjoy!
Yes – Fragile (Atlantic SD-7211)
For several years the group Yes has gone unnoticed in the United States, while in England their albums and performances are looked forward to with tremendous anticipation. TheirYes Album was rated along with After the Goldrush as album of the year in the Melody Maker Poll. Meanwhile back in the States they were buried behind J. Geils and Ten Years After in their American tour.
It is my sincere hope that with Fragile, Yes will achieve all the recognition they deserve.
The production work on the album is the cleanest and most original since perhaps Who’s Next. At the risk of digging up a cliché, Fragile is a complete trip from the first cut to the last. “Roundabout,” the full eight-and-a-half minute version, opens the album in grand manner. The track begins with a short classical guitar riff and slowly flows into the full arrangement of moog, harpsichord, several guitars acoustic and electric, and electric piano. The song, more appropriately, the suite, could have easily become quite pretentious, however, the knowledgeable arranger and producer molded it into a truly classic recording.
Each track takes on a different course than the previous one. The reason behind this could possibly be that five of the album’s cuts are the personal and individual ideas of Yes’s five members. More simply, each of the group members were given the chance to step out into the hypothetical spotlight and produce a cut that was completely their work and no one else’s. Keyboard man Rick Wakeman’s “Cans and Brahms” is an adaptation in which he plays electric piano taking the part of the strings, grand piano taking the part of the woodwind, organ taking the brass, electric harpsichord taking reeds, and synthesizer taking contra bassoon. “We Have Heaven” is the product of vocalist Jon Anderson in which he sings all the vocal parts. “Five Per-Cent For Nothing” is a sixteen bar tune by Bill Bruford, drummer, in which the whole harmony is the percussion line. Bassist Chris Squire’s “The Fish” has each rhythm, riff, and melody produced from the varying sounds produced by the bass guitar. “Mood For a Day” is a solo guitar piece by Steve How.
The musicianship is actually so innovative, that each of the above-described tracks is enjoyable and awesome at the same time. The remaining pieces are the product of the total group and just as excellent.
Fragile is the brand of album that many artists yearn to record as a follow-up to a previous masterpiece. And for one of the all too few times in contemporary music, an artist has actually lived up to the tremendous promise of a proceeding recording.
Courtesy of the Door (aka San Diego Door) – Cameron Crowe – March 9, 1972 – March 30, 1972
Neil Young turns 67 today and is showing no signs of slowing down. His output is amazing and his music, as vibrant as ever. In the past few months, we’ve been treated to two wonderful albums with Crazyhorse (Americana and Psychedelic Pill) and a new Jonathan Demme documentary, Neil Young Journeys (recently released on DVD and Blu-ray).
Here’s the links to three Rolling Stone journalism pieces. Two were in-depth cover stories five years apart along with a short piece during the 1978 tour where Cameron was able to “join” the stage show. Happy Birthday Neil!
1968 Photo By Jack Robinson
We honor the incomparable Joni Mitchell today as she celebrates her birthday. Here’s three things for you to consider on her special day.
1. Listen to her music. N’uff said.
2. Revisit Cameron’s July, 1979 Rolling Stone cover story
3. Check out the liner notes for 2004’s Dreamland
