Jewish Music (New CDs, hock, and opinions)

[YitzyS]

BTW, I think some of the best Rotenberg classics are on the Marvelous Middos Machine

This. and The Golden Crown. (actually, the ones on the golden crown never became classics, but should be)

I think it's your nostalgia talking.

The MMM and Golden Crown songs never were polished and perfected the way Abie aimed to do with Journeys songs. They often lack the depth and flawlessness of his classics. There are one or two songs that maybe would fit on Journeys (not the lyrics, but in terms of song quality), but the majority of them are a step or two lower than Journeys.

[drosenberg88429]

I think it's your nostalgia talking.

The MMM and Golden Crown songs never were polished and perfected the way Abie aimed to do with Journeys songs. They often lack the depth and flawlessness of his classics. There are one or two songs that maybe would fit on Journeys (not the lyrics, but in terms of song quality), but the majority of them are a step or two lower than Journeys.

The Ahavas Yisrael song is up there with the top top tier, imo.

[YitzyS]

The Ahavas Yisrael song is up there with the top top tier, imo.

It's top-tier MBD, or top-tier Fried. (Actually top-tier Yeedle.) It's not an Abie-style song.

I'm not even certain it was composed by Abie.

ETA: It was composed by Abie, but the lyrics were not written by him.

[yungermanchik]

I think it's your nostalgia talking.

The MMM and Golden Crown songs never were polished and perfected the way Abie aimed to do with Journeys songs. They often lack the depth and flawlessness of his classics. There are one or two songs that maybe would fit on Journeys (not the lyrics, but in terms of song quality), but the majority of them are a step or two lower than Journeys.

The Ahavas Yisroel Song, The Kibbud Av Va'eim Song, The Lashon Hora Song, Our Fate is in His Hands, The Torah Song are IMHO better than some Journeys songs.

[YitzyS]

The Kibbud Av Va'eim Song is IMHO worthy of being a Journeys song.

FTFM

[yungermanchik]

FTFM

Oddly enough, it's one of the few that didn't make it onto the song tape.

[Randomex]

Source for either of these lyrics?

The earth was freshly painted but the sky was feeling blue

Though storms and winds may come, I will bend but never break

[Euclid]

Source for either of these lyrics?

The earth was freshly painted but the sky was feeling blue

Though storms and winds may come, I will bend but never break

1) My Fellow Jew - Avraham Fried
2) Little Tree - Journeys 4

[Yo ssi]

[Baruch]

Let me take a serious look at the album and offer my honest opinion.




Thinking about it, there are four songs on the album that are pure Abie genius, on his highest level, as would be found on the first three volumes of Journeys. Songs that I cry with if I am listening without any distractions:

Man from Vilna
Mama Rochel
One Word
Dreams Come True

There are four more songs that contain glimpses of Abie brilliance, but are perhaps not the 'davar shaleim' - the complete package - as one normally expects from Abie. The either have musical strong points or lyrical strong points, but they don't wow you every time you hear them:

The Band
Cat Ate the Canary
Sfashkenaz
Little Tree

Country Boy is a cute song, and would be an A-List song if it was on Destiny, but it perhaps is not on par with Abie's reputation. And Ninth Man is meh, but remember...

All in all, yes, it was the weakest of all his albums, but it is far from something to sneeze at.

IIRC dreams come true was an old song

[Euclid]

IIRC dreams come true was an old song

Yes. Originally sung by Diaspora. Has minor changes (oh the horror) on Journeys.

[YitzyS]

IIRC dreams come true was an old song

It was released earlier, but the original was not on the caliber of production as the Journeys one. Similar to Anovim, which never made it until the 8th Note.

[Yehuda57]

It was released earlier, but the original was not on the caliber of production as the Journeys one. Similar to Anovim, which never made it until the 8th Note.

Where was anovim released?

[YitzyS]

Where was anovim released?

Priority One concert, 25 Years of MBD

ETA: https://mishpacha.com/who-could-make-it-work/#:~:text=Sung%20for%20the%20first%20time%20by%20Mordechai%20Ben%20David%20together%20with%20Avraham%20Fried%20at%20a%20Priority%2D1%20concert%20in%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20it%20was%20an%20instant%20hit.

[Euclid]

Priority One concert, 25 Years of MBD

ETA: https://mishpacha.com/who-could-make-it-work/#:~:text=Sung%20for%20the%20first%20time%20by%20Mordechai%20Ben%20David%20together%20with%20Avraham%20Fried%20at%20a%20Priority%2D1%20concert%20in%20Madison%20Square%20Garden%2C%20it%20was%20an%20instant%20hit.

Not a perfect analogy, that concert wasn't an official release; the Diaspora concert was officially released.

[Euclid]

Speaking about Abie songs recorded on "obscure" albums; @YitzyS you've heard this one before?
Lucky Fingers Max

[YitzyS]

From Yaakov Brown's WhatsApp status:

"The Dodgers moved to LA in 1958, so why were The Bums from the East Side still talking about them in '65?

What lyric-related questions have bothered you? Top submissions will be sent to the lyricist for personal responses."

[Yehuda57]

From Yaakov Brown's WhatsApp status:

"The Dodgers moved to LA in 1958, so why were The Bums from the East Side still talking about them in '65?

What lyric-related questions have bothered you? Top submissions will be sent to the lyricist for personal responses."

Not a stirah, but something that irks me.

"I realized with sadness no more could it be my best friend Sammy and I"

Why not? The Rosh Yeshivah can't maintain a friendship with someone of lesser stature? How money was certainly green enough after he sold the card.

If all it took was a miracle for the atheists to become believers, surely the plane taking off on schedule from LGA was a bigger miracle than a pilot regaining control of the plane after an explosion?

I would be intrested in knowing if the lyric change in happy days was because people were using profanity.

[yungermanchik]

Not a stirah, but something that irks me.

"I realized with sadness no more could it be my best friend Sammy and I"

Why not? The Rosh Yeshivah can't maintain a friendship with someone of lesser stature? How money was certainly green enough after he sold the card.

Of course, they can be friendly and cordial.
But that special relationship of "my best friend Sammy and I" could not exist if they no longer have common ground. "Sammy" has no more knowledge of last night's game than the narrator does of a shvere Ketzois.

[YitzyS]

the plane taking off on schedule from LGA

I am disappointed that the knowledgeable folk here on DDF, like the type who play airportle, have not yet pounced on the fact that United does not have direct flights from LGA to LAX.