A giant tiled wall of jewel-toned loops and curves — one of the last commissions by the Conceptual artist Sol LeWitt — was unveiled in the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week. And while its title — “Whirls and Twirls (MTA)” — may sound more like an amusement park ride than an artwork, the eye-popping palette and monumental scale are bolder than most of the art in the subways, a surprising visual jolt for the estimated 69,000 commuters who use the station every day.
Besides other humans, dogs are probably the smartest animals that we come in contact with on a daily basis. I’ve known some dogs that are most definitely smarter than some humans I’ve known, but that’s another story. Dogs play with us, they keep us company, and they make us happy. It is no surprise, then, that after humans (in, for instance, love songs and murder ballads), the next most popular animal represented in song is man’s best friend.
I thought of this as “Jenny” came up in rotation the other day. I liked this tune by Chicago before I knew it was about a dog. After that, I liked it even more. It occurred to me that there are two distinct types of songs about dogs: those that use dogs as a metaphor or as a reference point or for descriptive purposes (David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs,” John Prine’s “Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine,” Bob Dylan’s “If Dogs Run Free,” even obscurities like Bob Dorough’s beat-era “Dog”), and those that refer to specific dog characters.
“Jenny” fits the latter category, as well as Neil Young’s “Old King,” Harry Nilsson’s “Me and My Arrow,” and “Martha My Dear” from The Beatles’ White Album. I even uncovered such a dog song (“Rita”) on the 2007 self-titled album by Vulture Whale, a Birmingham-based band. I know that there must be dozens upon dozens of such songs…what are some that you know and love?
“Jenny” was written by Terry Kath – guitarist, sometime vocalist and founding member of Chicago. In a tragic accident, he died in 1978 at the age of 31 from a gunshot wound to the head, self-inflicted while playing a faux game of Russian Roulette. Kath had provided much of the necessary rock and roll muscle that kept Chicago balanced between going into full-on jazz mode like Blood, Sweat & Tears did in some of their later albums, and the treacly love song mode that the band eventually meandered toward once Peter Cetera’s vocal stylings became the group’s dominant sound.
Despite the potentially precious subject matter (man asks dog to watch over woman in his absence), “Jenny” has a surprising punch. Kath’s electric guitar playing is fluid, often in dialogue with Danny Seraphine’s gymnastic drumming, the bass line is lively, and the pedal steel break in the bridge describes wistful longing (and maybe a dog’s bay) perfectly. Sadly, “Jenny” was overshadowed on 1973’s Chicago VI by the monster radio hits “Just You ‘N’ Me” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day.” I think it could have been a smash on the airwaves.
[audio:Chicago___Jenny.mp3] “Jenny” (1973) by Chicago
Jenny
Jenny
You know I’m goin’ away
And you know my woman’s here
Please don’t you stray
Watch over her
You can run and bark and play
Your whole life through
And you can chase the cats around
‘Cause she loves that, too
And if someone comes to cause her harm
You will protect her true
Oh Jenny
Jenny
Jenny
You guard her while I’m gone
Time moves so slow
For someone who’s alone
So comfort her
If she’s feelin’ low
You gotta be a card
And if she’s fast asleep
Don’t you sleep too hard
If someone comes to cause her harm
You gotta cut him down
Oh Jenny
Now maybe it’s gonna be alright
Won’t have to bite
Won’t have to fight
But then again
So sad but true
There’s always someone waitin’
Just to shit on you
[audio:Bob_Dorough___Dog.mp3] “Dog” (1958) by Bob Dorough
[audio:Neil_Young___Old_King.mp3] “Old King” (1992) by Neil Young
[audio:Harry_Nilsson___Me_and_My_Arrow.mp3] “Me and My Arrow” (1971) by Harry Nilsson
[audio:Vulture_Whale___Rita.mp3] “Rita” (2007) by Vulture Whale
Here’s another video clip from Josh Ritter’s April 16th in-store at Laser’s Edge. This one doesn’t suffer from the shaky and unsure camera work that characterized “Wings.”
Josh’s performance of “Bone of Song” here, graciously fulfilling a specific request from store employee Jason, features a delicate little guitar break beginning around 1:50. In it, the guitar seems to mimic a medieval carillon tune, which is fitting for a song that references the entire history of music, but I also heard a resemblance to the chorus from Jackson Browne’s “In the Shape of a Heart.” Josh plays “Bone of Song” in almost exactly the same way on his 2008 acoustic recording of Hello Starling.
For comparison’s sake, here’s a clip from a recording of Jackson Browne playing “In the Shape of a Heart,” from his Solo Acoustic, Volume 2. The chorus section starts just after the 1:00 point:
[audio:Jackson_Browne___In_the_Shape_of_a_Heart_(edit).mp3]
This and most of the other videos I’ve posted were taken with a Canon digital camera, designed for still shots, and with only the most rudimentary video capability. Consider that an apology.
Josh Ritter, not long after the release of 2003’s Hello Starling, performing a solo acoustic set at Laser’s Edge in Birmingham, Alabama. This video contains the last half of his song, “Wings,” in a very, very quiet – but far from empty – room.
Host Kurt Andersen shared a profile of a supposed phenomenon that has male slacker stylists pining for gray flannel suits and old fashioneds. It aired on National Public Radio’s Studio 360 yesterday. From www.studio360.org:
Don Draper represents a version of masculinity a lot of guys today never knew. The fictional character played by John Hamm in AMC’s “Mad Men,” is a 1960s ad man who’s serious, well-dressed, and secretive. Studio 360’s Eric Molinsky tries to understand why fans of the show are ready to ditch their t-shirts and jeans for dapper suits and ties.
Change is neither good nor bad, it simply is. It can be greeted with terror or joy; a tantrum that says “I want it the way it was,” or a dance that says, “Look, something new!”
