The worst recorder solo in the world
If you're thinking this is a stupid topic, you've probably never heard this or the instrumental version on its flip.
Eunice Collins: "At the Hotel" (Mod-Art, 1974)
"At the Hotel" is a perfect soul tune: strange, haunting and completely unique. I would probably be won over just by the atmospheric, lo-fi backing, but the lyric and vocal take it to a whole other level.
Eunice Collins struggles to turn a two-minute brother into a sixty-minute man as a male chorus sings "At the hotel/Getting more tail/Treating me like/I'm for sale". Her tone is patient and gentle, if a bit weary: "Would you mind if I demonstrated?/I don't want to be left here all frustrated/Sit down, baby, and light a cigarette/I want to have you at your very best".
The lyrics draw a picture that's bizarre, but so vivid: "don't handle me like a flat tire/I wasn't one that you got for hire". My only disappointment is that every time I hear the "I'm here out of love and affection" line, I halfway hope they're going to rhyme it with "erection". I'm sure it couldn't have hurt whatever chance the song had for Chicago airplay.
On the other side is an instrumental version that's the pretext for this post. It's pretty great in its own right.
Eunice Collins: "At the Hotel" (Instrumental) (Mod-Art, 1974)
To paraphrase the friend who introduced me to this record, the guy playing it seems to have a pretty good idea for his solo, but none of the chops to execute it. You hear him flail and flail.
Please note: In yesterday's post, I expressed some people-in-glass-houses-style reservations when criticizing someone's scratching, but here I have none. You see, in second grade I had to learn to play Yoko Ono's "Who Has Seen the Wind?" on recorder and I really rocked that shit.
Eunice Collins: "At the Hotel" (Mod-Art, 1974)
"At the Hotel" is a perfect soul tune: strange, haunting and completely unique. I would probably be won over just by the atmospheric, lo-fi backing, but the lyric and vocal take it to a whole other level.
Eunice Collins struggles to turn a two-minute brother into a sixty-minute man as a male chorus sings "At the hotel/Getting more tail/Treating me like/I'm for sale". Her tone is patient and gentle, if a bit weary: "Would you mind if I demonstrated?/I don't want to be left here all frustrated/Sit down, baby, and light a cigarette/I want to have you at your very best".
The lyrics draw a picture that's bizarre, but so vivid: "don't handle me like a flat tire/I wasn't one that you got for hire". My only disappointment is that every time I hear the "I'm here out of love and affection" line, I halfway hope they're going to rhyme it with "erection". I'm sure it couldn't have hurt whatever chance the song had for Chicago airplay.
On the other side is an instrumental version that's the pretext for this post. It's pretty great in its own right.
Eunice Collins: "At the Hotel" (Instrumental) (Mod-Art, 1974)
To paraphrase the friend who introduced me to this record, the guy playing it seems to have a pretty good idea for his solo, but none of the chops to execute it. You hear him flail and flail.
Please note: In yesterday's post, I expressed some people-in-glass-houses-style reservations when criticizing someone's scratching, but here I have none. You see, in second grade I had to learn to play Yoko Ono's "Who Has Seen the Wind?" on recorder and I really rocked that shit.
posted by Matthew at
10:37 AM
8 Comments:
Hahah OH MAN!
wowwwwww. That recorder must have crying for mercy at the end of that session. A-Side is slamming.
The a-side is awesome - thank you!
i think eunice let her 8 year old play on the b-side otherwise she and the producer have a wicked sense of humor
fantastic post. thanks so much
so thankful you posted this, such a beautiful tune.
Was listening to this at work and my co-worker commented "good god man what is with that recorder?" Hilarious. The A-side is my new favorite track though.
both are great.
the tootling recorder has its own thing going.
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