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Old 11-20-2014, 02:08 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Anteater's Yacht Rock Extravaganza

Anteater's Yacht Rock Extravaganza
Albums, Songs, Weird Trivia & Smooooooovez


Music, just like porn, taxes and hard drugs, can come to us in many shapes and forms throughout our lives. We are the butterflies, and good music is the net of that pesky old woman who wants to pin you in her scrapbook.

However, there is one supreme style of sonic stylization that supersedes all others. What do you get when you combine the vocal arrangements and guitar dynamics of progressive rock, the lyrical depth of glam metal, the grooviness of classic Motown, and the virtuosity of jazz-based arrangements coupled with top notch players, songwriters and producers?

Lets put it another way: Do you like pina coladas getting caught in the rain? Have you ever mustered a smile for someone's nostalgic tale? Have you ever felt a burning desire deep inside to throw on a pair of aviators, squeeze into your super secret sailing uniform and sail off into the Californian sunset before the authorities arrive at your door?

If any of these things apply to you..or even if NONE of it applies to you...well, you MIGHT be a yacht rock fan just waiting to happen!

This journal is devoted to all things smooth and boat-friendly, that ever derided yet insidiously addictive genre of music known as Westcoast-AOR. Welcome aboard.

I will be dividing this journal into three main "post types". As I accumulate entries, I will be updating this first post here with links to keep navigation simple and convenient for future generations of readers.


Quote:
Yacht Rock Cornerstones: The Essential Albums

Herbie Hancock - Lite Me Up! (1982)
Steve Kipner - Knock The Walls Down (1979)
Fleetwood Mac - Mystery To Me (1973)
Adrian Gurvitz - Sweet Vendetta (1979)
Steely Dan - Aja (1977)
Chris Rainbow - White Trails (1979)
Artist Spotlight: Bernard Oattes (1985 - 1997)



The Seafaring Adventures Of Captain Koko: Anteater Writes About Individual Songs And Constructs A Batshit Narrative To Accompany Them

Ch 1: Bon Voyage / 'JoJo'
Ch 2: Reading 'Between The Lines'
Ch 3: Ocean Crossing / 'Hibiscus Pacific'


The Smooth Factor: Yacht Rock Trivia, Nostalgic Tales And Interesting Genre-related Videos

Yacht Rock In The Modern Era I: Introductory Jamz
The Making Of: Steely Dan's Aja
Five Genre Variations Of Yacht Rock 101
5 Westcoast Gems With Michael McDonald On Backing Vox
"What Is Christcoast?" - A Subgenre Spotlight
Hope I get a good readership on this one. Should be a lot of fun!

Last but not least, here's the first episode of Yacht Rock for anyone looking for some good laughs.


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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

Quote:
Originally Posted by OccultHawk
I was called upon by the muses for greatness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frownland
I'm bald, ja.

Last edited by Anteater; 04-18-2015 at 09:01 PM.
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Old 11-20-2014, 04:50 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anteater View Post
Anteater's Yacht Rock Extravaganza
Albums, Songs, Weird Trivia & Smooooooovez


Music, just like porn, taxes and hard drugs, can come to us in many shapes and forms throughout our lives. We are the butterflies, and good music is the net of that pesky old woman who wants to pin you in her scrapbook.

However, there is one supreme style of sonic stylization that supersedes all others. What do you get when you combine the vocal arrangements and guitar dynamics of progressive rock, the lyrical depth of glam metal, the grooviness of classic Motown, and the virtuosity of jazz-based arrangements coupled with top notch players, songwriters and producers?

Lets put it another way: Do you like pina coladas getting caught in the rain? Have you ever mustered a smile for someone's nostalgic tale? Have you ever felt a burning desire deep inside to throw on a pair of aviators, squeeze into your super secret sailing uniform and sail off into the Californian sunset before the authorities arrive at your door?

If any of these things apply to you..or even if NONE of it applies to you...well, you MIGHT be a yacht rock fan just waiting to happen!

This journal is devoted to all things smooth and boat-friendly, that ever derided yet insidiously addictive genre of music known as Westcoast-AOR. Welcome aboard.

I will be dividing this journal into three main "post types". As I accumulate entries, I will be updating this first post here with links to keep navigation simple and convenient for future generations of readers.




Hope I get a good readership on this one. Should be a lot of fun!

Last but not least, here's the first episode of Yacht Rock for anyone looking for some good laughs.


Woo-hoo! New journal!
I'd just sound one small note of advice: trim down the title picture. It's pushing your text off the screen. Look forward to reading this, my insectivorious friend!
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Old 11-21-2014, 10:48 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Quote:
On the top floor of the Columbia Records' L.A. headquarters, seasoned boat captain Koko "Slippy" Goldstein stood before his producer's highly furnished desk as a convict would before the gibbet: resigned and ready for the inevitable judgement that awaited those who failed to uphold the universal laws of smooth music.

But when his balding perpetually well-dressed boss finally swiveled around in his leather office chair to face Koko and speak, what the aspiring singer-songwriter got was something else entirely.

"Koko, Koko, Koko, brother from another mother...we just can't release this album to the public, man. The grooves are beyond reproach, your songwriting impeccable, your image classy and iconic...but the voice just doesn't cut mustard with what I was looking for. Everyone's been paid for their time in studio already, but your debut is DOA."

Koko sighed to himself under his breath. He was afraid that things would turn out like this. The best session players in L.A. had all showed up to do their little jig last week, but the weak link was oh so obvious once you got back outside the booth and listened to the demos. And there wasn't enough time to find a better voice and put everything together before the established deadlines.

Koko waited a bit before finally replying. "...so my maiden voyage is over before it even began? Lay it on me: what do I owe Columbia? I am prepared to sell my yachts-"

Amadeus "Blood God" Karmichael suddenly stood up and grabbed Koko's shoulder with such intensity it made him jump. "Nothing pal. Zip, zada, nada. I had a dream last night you see. And you were in it."

Koko only blinked in response behind his midnight shades in the dying afternoon light. He could only stand there and listen as one bizarre thing after another spilled from his old friend's lips.

"Look, you know me. I'm not one for believing in "signs" per se'. But I saw it so clearly amigo: I dreamed you were on one of those yachts you and I used to go deep sea fishing on weekends, sailing the many waters of the world and signing fresh new bands and artists to our label who could preserve smooth music for countless generations to come. Otherwise...all would be lost. And then I woke up. Your future as an artist is done, but a better path has opened..."

Amadeus let go of Koko's shoulder, this time grabbing his hands into a clasp. Koko resisted the urge to jump backwards.

"Koko, you are the only one in the world who hears what I hear in smooth music. Your songs are the ambrosia of the gods, if only the right voice could come along to sing them-"

"Actually, I'm pretty good friends with the guys in Amb-"

Amadeus just kept talking as if Koko hadn't said anything. "-and so I bid thee: set sail out into the world and find me the smoothest cats to sign. A worldwide talent search to find the best of the best and get them signed & recording here. We must save the era before *shudders* "heavy" metal and those ****ers over in Motown take radio over, destroying smooth music forever! WILL YOU DO THIS KOKO?!"

The sudden shift in volume caught Koko off guard. It was always like this was Amadeus. He responded "yes" before he could think of anything else.

Amadeus smiled. "I knew you wouldn't let me down pard'. Go home and sleep on things. We've got an expedition to plan...hehehehe...!"

Koko left in a daze as he took the elevator down, leaving his friend to wallow in his excitement. He left the building and called a taxi to take him toward Bluewater Sailing's main facility at the nearby marina. Some time by the water would let him clear his head and relax. Time to think.

As one of those reliable yellow transporters pulled up by the curb and he slipped in, Koko realized he wasn't alone in the backseat as the heart of L.A. faded into the background. Feeling suddenly distracted, he gave the cabbie the destination, and then they were off without a fuss.

Beside him a man in mink and burgundy stared out the opposite window with calm black eyes and a chiseled angular face that seemed uncomfortable atop his broad neck and shoulders. In one hand he held onto a cane, in the other a brick of what looked like hundred dollar bills.

Koko caught himself staring despite knowing better, and the man noticed. Without a word, he turned his odd, angular face to face Koko. Black, cold eyes like a fish. And yet they burned. Something in them filled the master of smooth music with mixture of queasy apprehension...and awe. No words were said: each looked at the other like two animals might when separated by glass walls in a zoo exhibit...

...and then the moment was over, as though it had never existed in the first place. The dandy man smiled silently, focused his odd intensity back toward the view outside, and after a few minutes asked quietly to be let out on the street.

Koko observed with a curiosity normally untypical to him that several beautiful women all converged upon the man from out of nowhere as soon as he had exited the taxi, as though inexorably summoned by some unseen order from above. Koko watched uneasily as they started lining up before the man like bowling pins ready to be knocked down. But then the taxi took a right, and that moment too was gone.

Koko slumped back into his seat, exhaustion seeping in like a slow leak in a boat's hull. The night was just beginning. Soon he would reach the waterline...

Boz Scaggs - Jojo (from Middle Man, 1980)

Boz Scaggs is one of the more interesting players of the classic "yacht rock" scene in L.A. during the genre's prime from '76 through '84: he got started in blues and playing guitar in the Steve Miller Band, but after a slow start to his solo career in the mid 70's and middling sales, the Boz moved to Columbia who promptly hooked him up with David Paich from Toto and they recorded the platinum selling 'Silk Degrees' in '76. This relationship opened doors to the rest of L.A.'s top session players and writers, culminating in 1980's album Middle Man and absolutely killer songs like 'Jojo'.

Let's be straight up: this is a song about a pimp. And not just any pimp: this guy's a firecracker, a baddass who doesn't take your **** and who can "get you all you want". He's a creature of the night, a boogeyman with a "gentle and soft" side. He's a thrill seeker and a dangerous, dangerous guy. As far as Westcoast goes, this song is filet mignon. And a co-write with the legendary David Foster of all people too, which might explain why it kicks so much ass.

I decided to start this journal off with a bit of swagger, and Scaggs' distinctive strutting vocal style combined with the godly backing combination of drummer Jeff Porcaro, bassist David Hungate and some of L.A.'s other top players results in an absolute beast of a song. There's even some subtle orchestral elements floating around the fringes to give the whole thing an extra layer of class and polish, elevating it even higher in my eyes. It's not the definitive L.A. yacht rock song, but its high up there and a good place to set sail in your explorations of the genre for those of you who thought I was going to be reviewing Bread or Orleans or crap like that.

Middle Man is a great album by the way (and fairly diverse too), but this singular glimpse into the nightlife of a gun-toting pimp is the "single" you'll want for your collection as we start our journey into the world of smooth, seafaring soft rock awesomeness...
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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

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Quote:
Originally Posted by OccultHawk
I was called upon by the muses for greatness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frownland
I'm bald, ja.

Last edited by Anteater; 11-22-2014 at 08:41 AM.
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Old 11-22-2014, 09:06 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Great stuff. Made me think of this for some reason though...

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Old 11-25-2014, 11:01 PM   #5 (permalink)
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^ Lol. Classic movie moments, brought to you by Chula Vista!

Herbie Hancock - Lite Me Up (1982)

"We're at the ending of another day / No more working hours / Inhibitions start to slip away / Feel those moonlight powers / We'll find a nice place to dine / Get out the candlelight / A little music and wine / We're gonna do just fine."

We begin our journey into the whacky world of Westcoast Yacht Rock fun at a curious juncture known as Lite Me Up, the 33rd solo record from jazz legend Herbie Hancock and the album that Daft Punk stole 95% of their ideas from for last year's bumpy but excellent Random Access Memories.

Musically, its sits in a nameless country that borders the entertainingly lyrical jazz-rock of Steely Dan and the superstardom-level R&B of Michael Jackson's Thriller. And like a good child, it takes many of the best elements from both sides of the "black" and "white" funk divide and incorporates them into one helluva smooth presentation. The most obvious instance of what I'm talking about occurs in the sublime bridge section of 'Gettin' To The Good Part', one of the coolest songs ever made and simultaneously a classroom worthy example of commercial L.A. jazz-fusion. Flawless and slick to the point of sounding near-mechanical, yet so melodic and confident in its strut that you'll get ensnared by the sheer force of its methodical propulsion anyway.


But make no mistake: this album pissed off a lot of people despite being the Herbmeister's best pop album, the last one he'd do before jumping headfirst into MTV electro-tinged stardom with instrumental cuts like 'Rockit' from the mid 80's onward. The critics hated it because it was smooth and radio friendly, the "old" Herbie Hancock fans didn't think it was "jazz" enough, and others thought it was a case of an older artist trying too hard to achieve relevancy in a changing landscape.

All idiotic complaints of course, seeing as the songs were...you know, pretty fuckin' ace and the ideal soundtrack for a blitz down Sunset Boulevard. Or, alternatively, a boat ride with all your awesome yuppie friends. Rod Temperton was fresh off the previously-mentioned Thriller boat and married his infectious songwriting sensibility with Herb's virtuosic skills behind the keys. Couple this with some production juice from the classic David Foster/Jay Graydon tag-team and a huge range of top class guests, backing vocalists and even guitar god Steve Lukather and the results range from the very good to phenomenal. I've already mentioned Gettin' To The Good Part', but the jaunty title track and the slinking orchestral funk of 'Motor Mouth' are Grade-A radio fodder and immaculate examples of this dream team at the top of their game. A level of praise that can be applied to any song here really. And Herbie even sings clean and vocodor-less on the only traditional yacht rock number here, the shimmery aptly-named 'Paradise', which just goes to show you he never even needed any help to begin with to knock one out of the park.

At a time when the lines between African-American contemporary radio and more "white-oriented" programming was falling down around everybody's ears in the wake of MTV, Herbie put out a killer yacht rock album that also happened to be an awesome early 80's pop-funk time capsule, proving good music didn't need to cater to one audience or the other: you could have it all and stay smooth all the while.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by OccultHawk
I was called upon by the muses for greatness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frownland
I'm bald, ja.

Last edited by Anteater; 11-26-2014 at 11:34 AM.
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Old 12-02-2014, 08:10 PM   #6 (permalink)
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One key element in both writing and marketing (which I do a lot of) is establishing a sense of relevancy with your would-be prospects...or in this case, you my dear readers. "But Ant-" some might ask, "-how is yacht rock relevant when it died back in the 80's?"

Well, allow me to elucidate: it never died at all. Rather, smoove music simply melted into the collective's musical consciousness after the early 80's and, slowly but surely, has risen out of the darkness into something resembling mainstream viability here in the second decade of the 00's thanks to some key albums (*cough* Random Access Memories *cough*), bands and artists across the world. Evidence: some snapshot jams from 2012 to the present day with a lot of yachtage going on...


Quote:

Mayer Hawthorne - 'Backseat Lover'
(from 2013's Where Does This Door Go?)


People originally pegged ol' Mayer as a Motown boy a couple years back, but his last album Where Does This Door Go? was a big surprise: the late 70's L.A. jazz-rawk aesthetic thrown into a contemporary juicer stuffed with danceable R&B and hip-hop...AKA, a great companion album to what the boys in Daft Punk cooked up and stormed the charts with. In particular, this song would have fit right in with anything Michael McDonald was doing in '82, and its not even the best song on the record. And the Kendrick Lamar fans are, of course, aware of 'Crime'.
Quote:

Brian McKnight - 'Get U 2 Stay'
(from 2013's More Than Words)


What happens when Boondocks sex-icon and R&B legend Brian McKnight goes Steely Dan on an audience that wouldn't know 'Peg' from Meg? Pure ****in' magic son, that's what. Makes you wonder ($$s aside) why he's spent the majority of his career doing bland quiet storm when he absolutely slays in this sort of arena.

Quote:

Paul Bertolino - 'Union Square'
(from 2012's Where The Buildings Hit The Sky)


Brooklyn based Paul Bertolino is an indie singer-songwriter in the Stephen Bishop / Gordon Lightfoot vein of things and crazily talented to boot. He's got the yacht rock look and style down to a science, but its kind of uncanny how evocative he is on his own merits as a soft-rock artist. Cool dude, plus he has this awesome bandcamp too.
Quote:

Nate Williams - 'Show Me'
(from 2014's Got To Let Go)


Another interesting guy to keep an eye on, blending the whole dubstep-tinged R&B trend with a Westcoast-AOR arrangement sensibility. He's from some Welsh village I couldn't pronounce at gunpoint, but this guy is a yacht rocker at heart with more soul than a shaman at the summer's solstice.
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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

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Quote:
Originally Posted by OccultHawk
I was called upon by the muses for greatness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frownland
I'm bald, ja.

Last edited by Anteater; 12-02-2014 at 10:01 PM.
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Old 09-29-2020, 11:37 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Are you familiar with yachtornyacht.com? It's a pretty funny concept for ranking yacht rock songs...

Last edited by MusicDrafts; 09-29-2020 at 03:07 PM.
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