Herman Dune - "The Static Comes From My Broken Down Heart"
I’m not sure if it’s a language barrier, but there is something slightly off about Herman Dune’s lyrics. The words are clunky and misspoken. And here they are perfect. The guitar sounds like an old Sears clunker with the treble turned down, coming through an ancient tank radio tube amp.
“And all I want is, that you ponytail your hair. Keep it ponytail in[?]”
Each singer misses someone tonight. The slide guitar pines and longs. The vocal harmony is so delicate:
“And there is nothing wrong with the stereo.
Well, the static comes from my broken down heart.”
Have you ever missed someone so much that you start to shut down? So much that you stop working?
But we can be repaired, right? It gets better. And that’s why we can listen to the song without weeping ourselves to death. [Buy]
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Syl Johnson - "I Hear The Love Chimes"
If, on the other hand, you are not lonely, but with company, you might awanna listen to this slice. Syl Johnson is looking at me right now. There he is on the back cover of Music To My Ears with his lustrous moustache and soul patch. It is evident that this man knows something about love.
“I Hear The Love Chimes” bleeds soul. Every moment is a new, surprising gift of soul. The strings, guitar, bass, the drums and horns; they all make you want to say a slow “hunh”. Here’s a preposterous proposition: that any man should have the vocal range of Syl Johnson.
Make love! [Buy]