Easter guilty pleasures

Everyone has a guilty pleasure or three. Whether it is food, boy bands, rom coms or trashy magazines, there is always something that those around you secretly love but are hesitantly to openly admit - and the guilty pleasures often don't appear to 'match' the person hiding the secret.

Apart from chocolate, hot cross buns and other goodies, I have a couple of musical guilty pleasures that I only indulge at Easter. There are two albums in my music collection that otherwise never see daylight at any other time of the year and I listen to them both in their entirety over the Easter weekend. Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance is currently blasting while my breadmaker is kneading dough for hot cross buns and the New Zealand cast version of Jesus Christ Superstar will have its turn while I bake cupcakes this afternoon. So very 1990s. So very good just once a year!

So, what guilty pleasures do you confess to? You can remain anonymous if you're not brave enough to come clean publicly ... ;-)

Snow weekend

We've had a snow weekend. After getting a puncture on the way to work on Friday, resulting in a destroyed car tyre, it looked like our plans to get out of town mid-afternoon were being threatened. However, a quick change of tyres after work, replacing my damaged one with a set from my sweetie's racecar, saw us escape the worst of the Friday night peak hour traffic and we were off!

Let me clarify what I mean by a snow weekend. I don't ski or snowboard, but I'm not averse to going away with people who do. I may try a beginner's lesson when we are up at the mountain for a week from the end of August, but it's not the reason why snow weekends appeal to me. For me, it's all about a change of scene, some time out relaxing with friends, and generally getting out of town for a bit.  They say that a change is as good as a break. "Why not both?" I say.

A group of 42 hired out Snowy Waters Lodge in Raetihi. This former nurses home was built in the 1940s and now hosts backpacker-type accommodation. Our room was the size of a postage stamp (think 3/4 bed and add about half a metre around it) but we were only a short drive away from Mt Ruapehu. Due to poor visibility at Whakapapa on Saturday morning, the gang headed up to Turoa for a day of skiing and snowboarding while I chilled out with good coffee and a book back at the lodge. The intention was to join everybody for lunch, but when the weather deteriorated and a group arrived back before then and decided to head to the hot pools instead, I quickly grabbed a spot in their van.

We drove north to Tokaanu Thermal Pools, near Turangi. Unfortunately, someone decided that it would be good to listen to a Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits CD from start to finish on the way up. The only redeeming feature from this enforced torture was that I developed a new-found appreciation for Mick Fleetwood's drumming. (Thankfully the return journey yielded a better choice: The Eagles' Hell Freezes Over.)

Once at Tokaanu, we began with a 20 minute soak in a private spa pool - the pool itself was bigger than our room back at the lodge and easily fit eight of us! I was thrilled to be able to tick an activity off my 101 in 1001 list that I was really looking forward to: #30 - Relax in hot mineral pools. The hot mineral water was the perfect remedy for my aching back and we spent another hour or so mucking around in the larger, slightly cooler, outdoor pool as the sun came out. Just what the doctor ordered!

The weather was markedly better on Sunday, so the troops headed off to Turoa once again while I indulged in a lazy day about town. Now, that's my idea of a snow weekend. ;-)

The Cream of Eric Clapton

I have been slowly and painstakingly rebuilding my iTunes after a malfunction late last year. Aside from all the frustration that this involves, it has given me the opportunity to go through my entire CD collection album. by. album. and do a musical stocktake of what I own. It has yielded some surprises.

Today, I listened to The Cream of Eric Clapton for the first time in ages. Released way back in 1987, it features hits from Cream, Derek and the Dominoes, Blind Faith, as well as some off Eric Clapton's solo material. I first got this album while I was still at school. Actually, I probably stole it from Dad's music collection, but he either hasn't noticed or doesn't mind. Tonight, as I was cooking dinner, I blasted it out for old times' sake.

Songs I'm still in love with
Layla: the full version. Something for everyone in this song and I like the piano work in the second half.
Badge: great to hear a song built around a bass line and rhythmic stops.
Strange Brew: love the lyric, "On a boat in the middle of a raging sea, she would make a scene for it all to be ignored". Classic.
White Room: not many bands are brave enough to feature a 5/4 riff.
Behind The Mask: great experimenting with reverb and effects.

Songs I enjoy listening to
Sunshine Of Your Love: probably for nostalgic reasons. It reminds me of my brother's high school band and featured a drum solo by him, followed by the announcement, "... and he's only 12!".
I Feel Free: neat vocal and harmony work.
Wonderful Tonight: only on a good day and when I'm in the right mood, but I didn't really want to put this song in the category below.
Let It Grow: probably as mellow as Clapton gets.

Songs he really shouldn't have bothered with
I Shot The Sheriff: maybe as a live jam, but not necessary to release as a single.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door: ditto.
Lay Down Sally: gives the hillbillies something to enjoy. Makes half-listeners think this is the real Eric Clapton. Bah!

The Nutcracker

Christmas is coming. The shopping malls are playing cheesy Christmas muzak over and over, and it's only 4 December. (For the record, most of them are Christmas songs, not carols, but anyway ...) However, this also means that it's time to start listening to Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. Ahhh.

A Christmas ballet, it annoys me somewhat to hear Waltz of the Flowers, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Dance of the Toy Trumpets used to advertise cleaning products all year round. (I'm a purist; I can't help it and no longer apologise for it.) A delightful traditional children's story about Clara and various toys coming to life at Christmas time, the score also stands alone as a timeless and complete work on its own. I've yet to see a live performance of The Nutcracker but hope to change that one day.

I've had a traditional wooden German nutcracker since I was about 15, when all of our music group received one as thanks for playing for their Christmas concert. While it's a bit too small to crack actual nuts, it's one of my favourite ornaments.

I've been listening to The Nutcracker today while working, for the first time this Christmas season. I thought that listening to instrumental music would be a good way to take my mind off things at work, without the risk of getting myself caught up listening to lyrics. Turns out I was wrong, as I've really enjoyed listening to all the orchestra parts, but it's made me feel a lot better about some things. :-)

Stevie Wonder - Song Review

I'm still on a high from the Stevie Wonder concert last week. It just goes to show that experiences like this are worth all the time and effort (not to mention, money) that it can take to get to them. This feeling is priceless.

As promised, I have now started listening to Stevie Wonder's Song Review (1996) again now. This is a great collection of some of Stevie's best music. I say some because I think there are a couple of glaring omissions (see below), even though this is the single CD version of this compilation. So here's my two cents worth.

Songs I totally love:
Master Blaster (Jammin'). From the first drum roll. Wow.
My Cherie Amour. Perhaps the most romantic, summery song ever. Guaranteed to put a smile on my face.
For Once In My Life. The ultimate feel-good song. Great orchestration and a superbly tight rhythm section. Can't wait to play this song with my next band!

Songs I grew to love:
Isn't She Lovely. My mother never liked this and for some reason I listened to her. Now it's up there with the best, especially the variations on the bass/drum runs at the end of each verse, and the killer harmonica solo.
Lately. I never really knew this song before. It has to be one of the saddest songs ever, and those long phrases "always start to cry --" are so superbly executed. The orchestration is laid bare and minimalist; a perfect package.
Living For The City. I love how the timing changes to 3/4 during the instrumental break.

Songs I don't think needed to be on this album:
I Just Called to Say I Love You. Yeah yeah, it was a big hit, but a bad one. I didn't mind the funked up version he played live, but still can't warm to this.
Redemption Song. Aiming for a big finish and never quite making it.

Songs I think are missing:
Sir Duke. One of the best tribute songs written. I totally agree with all the musicians he admires, and the way he paid tribute to them. Really tight rhythm work, too.
Ribbon In The Sky. Beautiful phrasing. A really well-constructed song.
There's a Place In The Sun. Perhaps not his best work, but a great representation of how he was writing and performing at the time.

Duffy - Rockferry

I finally bought this album, after promising myself I would for several weeks. Rockferry, by Welsh singer/songwriter Duffy (aka Aimee Anne Duffy) was first released in March 2008.

Duffy's story is an interesting one. She had aspects of the obligatory traumatic childhood, spurred on by her parents' divorce and an alcoholic stepfather's ex-wife. (Still following me here?) I am intrigued that she dropped her first names personally professionally from the age of 19 and simply goes by her surname now. She also has a twin sister, Katy. Hmm, what would happen if Katy also dropped her first names? Or doesn't she have that option now that her twin has bagged their surname as her own?

There was something about "Mercy", the first track I heard on the radio, that immediately caught my attention. This song was new and fresh, and in a style reminiscent of yester-year. The rest of the album is fresh pop by nature, not particularly outstanding, but very pleasant and has struck a chord with listeners the world over. It's very enjoyable and currently doing overtime in my car stereo. I look forward to hearing what Duffy comes up with next.

You can watch the official videos for Mercy and Warwick Avenue on YouTube (no embed code available).

Black Silk

There are good music compilations, average music compilations, bad music compilations with one or two good songs hidden amongst plenty of crap, and then there is Black Silk Volume 1. Despite searching for years for Black Silk Volume 2, I have come to the conclusion that this was optimistic thinking on their part, and the intention was to produce more, but they never quite got off the ground. I'm kind of glad, in a way; I shudder every time I think of another Now That's What I Call Music! release.

Black Silk is just that: silky smooth, and the ultimate pick of some of the best R&B songs of the time. While each song is found in abundance on other compilations, there is something about this one which reeks of perfection (and not cheese). I don't know why; it just does.

Here's what I love about the individual tracks on this album:

1. How 'Bout Us (Champaign) - our band played the short version of this for several years, but I never tire of listening to it even today. Guaranteed to be well received by a crowd at any time of the night.
2. Kiss & Say Goodbye (The Manhattans) - apart from the tiny celesta error at the start (which still works), this song is utter perfection. I'd love for our band to be able to pull this off. Beautiful sax work.
   
3. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams) - the usually annoying, floaty sound of Deniece Williams is grounded by the sincere, soulful Johnny Mathis. I shudder at the thought of a breakup in the latter years, but if it had to happen, it should be dignified like this.
4. Just the Two of Us (Bill Withers) - wow, what a bass line. I'd be happy to just listen to this song with every other track switched off (but, of course, prefer the whole package).
5. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Lou Rawls) - the man with the silkiest chops (voice); no denying it.
   
6. Me & Mrs Jones (Billy Paul) - another beautiful love song, this time telling of forbidden love. Magic.
   
7. After the Love Has Gone (Earth, Wind & Fire) - already blogged about this one.
8. Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers) - the original. Simple, understated, and the "I know" section is done in one long breath.
9. Summer Breeze (The Isley Brothers) - I love both versions of this song, although it took me a while to warm to this one. The incredibly harsh guitar solo and outro don't fit with the tone of the song at all, yet somehow seems to make perfect sense.
10. Love Train (The O'Jays) - a bit of light relief on the album.
11. Shining Star (The Manhattans) - again, wonderful vocal work.
12. Lady Love (Lou Rawls) - this song somehow seems to come across as sincere, even over a Vegas-style lounge backdrop. Glad to hear Lou having the last say on this album.
    

Music to make you move

I went to a concert with a whole bunch of dead people, once. No, really, I did! Dionne Warwick came to town last year as a replacement for Burt Bacharach, who had broken his collar bone and couldn't travel. This beautiful lady with the most soulful voice entertained us for two hours, along with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and all was blissful and right with the world.

Dionne now lives in Brazil, and said if anyone happens to find themselves in Brasilia, go into town ask for Dionne and she would come get you, because everyone was welcome to stay. I am sooooo tempted to try that one day! Anyway, one thing Dionne particularly loves about Brazil is the music. As she said, accompanied by a background of delightful Brazilian music, you can't help but move your body as it takes over your soul, and if you aren't moving something, then "surely you must be dead". Well, I looked around us, and discovered that most people in our section were dead! How could that be? Don't worry, there were living people up in the gods and further back in the cheaper seats. Just as well for that.

I thought about Dionne's monologue as I sat listening to my latest CD purchase, The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire (2002). This is definitely going to be a 'comfort' album for me, when I'm in need of something warm, cosy, and smooth to listen to. Earth, Wind & Fire are one of these band with a familiar sound, and you just can't help but move something when listening to their music. Usually it's feet and hips; at the very least, mouths formed into smiling shapes. Their sound fuses together several styles and comes together in a mix of R&B that could only be achieved with such a big band (9 core members on the cover).

A few highlights for me:

• Let's Groove Tonight - the ultimate in funky disco. Can't help want to dance to this one.
  
• Fantasy - shows off their tight vocal work and even tighter jump suits.
  
• September - conjures up images of dance floors with coloured lit floor tiles.
• Boogie Wonderland - the opening song in any dance compilation. Awesome bass line (as with all their songs).
  
• Got to Get You Into My Life - wasn't sure I liked this first few times, as I'm a purist, but concede that it offers a different spin on the original (Lennon/McCartney) and creates a whole new sound. Magic.
• After the Love Has Gone - ohhh.
  

Divas

I love the jazz divas of yester-year. These aren't the pompous wannabe divas of today, who can barely hold and tune and can't spit out their own gum without an assistant to dispose of it for them. These are ladies of true elegance and style, who often defeated the odds to carve out their place in musical history, and who ooze talent and class beyond belief.

I've been building up my jazz collection recently and came across this 5-CD set featuring Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Carol Sloane, and Carmen McRae. I would have thought it'd have made sense for Sarah Vaughan to be part of this collection, but she's missing in action. I was surprised at the inclusion of Carol Sloane, and also raised an eyebrow at some of Lena Horne's arrangements, but really enjoy the rich, mellow sound of these ladies at their best.

I've smiled at Ella's and Billie's versions of "Tenderly", having first become acquainted with this piece via Dr Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, the resident Muppet Show band. To give these artists their due, all three versions are certainly played tenderly. ;-)

Winter music

I love working from home for sooooo many reasons. One huge advantage is days like this: cold, windy, and occasional rain. Who’d want to go outside? Not me. So, I’m snuggled up inside with the fire and a yummy scented candle lit, working in the lounge with my laptop on my knee and my 10-week-old nephew asleep beside me.

There is certain music which I think matches particular seasons. For example, I have a playlist of summer music on my iPod. They’re songs that, as soon as you start listening to them, you can’t help but thinking and feeling like it’s summer. While I don’t have a winter playlist, there are certain albums that I realise I only listen to on days like this. Today, it’s Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance soundtrack. It may never have been intended to be winter music, but somehow it is for me.

Irish music doesn’t really do it for me. I appreciate how good their musicians are, but just can’t take it for too long in one spurt. I also never really got into the whole Riverdance phenomenon but, for some reason, Lord of the Dance really appealed to me. It’s dramatic, mostly instrumental (aids concentration while working!), and a great show of musicianship. The tap tracks are well mixed and give the impression of action without having to dominate each piece. Even though I'm a little foggy on the actual story, I can hear the good-vs-evil battle portrayed through the highs and lows of the music and instrumentation and rejoice in the celebration of good winning at the end. It certainly takes the listener on an emotional musical journey as well as being a wonderful dance showcase. *contented sigh*

Ultimate watermelons

One of the all-time most girlie movies ever, which has also stood the test of time in a certain generation's hearts, has got to be Dirty Dancing (1987). It has everything a girl wants. And what's not to like about it? A hunky lead, rebellious dancers, 1960s setting, 'coming-of-age' dramas, a scandalous affair, romantic water scenes, a killer soundtrack, the girl next door getting her daring man, and one of the 15 worst movie lines ever. Don't believe me? Try saying "I carried a watermelon" to anyone and you'll see what I mean. Dirty Dancing is the way to every girl's heart, and smart guys know this. I made my sweetie watch it a while back. He says it was boring, but I think secretly he liked it. Go on, admit it. It certainly scored him some brownie points. ;-)

So now to the soundtrack ... I love it. All of it. Even the bad bits. A huge range of music from the early 1960s along with some 80s tracks and a few random ballroom/Latin dance pieces thrown in. I've played "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" in bands for years, but strangely enough still love it. I've boogied away to the awesome version of "Do You Love Me?" (by The Contours), cringed to the horrendous singing on "Love is Strange" (Sylvia and Mickey), and sobbed along to the saddest song in the world, Solomon Burke's "Cry To Me". Haven't we all?

So come on, girls, join in ...
When your baby leaves you all alone
And nobody calls you on the phone
Ah, don't you feel like crying?
Don't you feel like crying?
Well here I am my honey
Oh, come on you cry to me...

Well, nothing could be sadder than a glass of wine all alone
Loneliness, loneliness, it's such a waste of time ...

Yup, "no-one puts Baby in a corner".

Dr Hook: Tonic for the Soul

Now that I know sloth is my deadly sin, I've decided to not bother with trying to fit in the housework and just spend more time doing other, more interesting things. After all, this is a self-indulgent blog - so why not transfer this concept to other areas of my life. ;-)

I've already shared the fact that my iPod is a mixed bag and has a range of great music, carefully selected crap, and lots of stuff in between. Dr Hook's Greatest Hits fits all of these categories beautifully. I gave it a whirl today.

Back in the days when they were still Dr Hook and the Medicine Show, the band came up with a clever gimmick by writing a dinky little song lamenting their inability to achieve every band's dream: to get their picture on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Well, it worked (in caricature, anyway), and while the song reeks of cheese, it has a soft spot in many muso's hearts for its sheer cheekiness.

Cheese supreme:
When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman: 70s pop-cum-disco. I like the short version - the extended keyboard break in the long version doesn't really fit and tries too hard to cash in on a good thing (the underlying rhythm/backing).
A Little Bit More: the ultimate sexy/loving song. Simply painful to listen to when you're single.
Sharing the Night Together: lovely, cuddly music.
Sexy Eyes: ditto.
Sylvia's Mother: ooh, we feel your pain!

You've just gotta smile at these songs:
Walk Right In: kick-ass with a cutesy harmonica rhythm.
Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk: for some reason, my budgie always starts chatting away loudly when I play this song.
Only Sixteen: a great version of Sam Cooke's original.

Some of the worst country-style crap ever written:
Sweetest of All: was this really necessary?
The Millionaire: was this meant to be funny??
You Make My Pants Wanna Get Up and Dance: are you serious??!

Eurythmics

I changed the CDs in my car stereo this week. The Hollies are now back on my iPod, and Eurythmics have taken their place. This Greatest Hits album is from 1991, and one I'm glad to give a whirl again for a while.

Strangely nostalgic, even though I was too young to truly appreciate them in the 80s, I feel I have a connection with Eurythmics (note: not The Eurythmics) after they wandered into a friend's fish and chip shop in Island Bay when I was growing up ... and her parents served them without knowing who they were. Ambiguous, I know, but we got a huge buzz from it at the time. Sadly, their shop wasn't known for making good fish and chips, and we were surprised and almost embarrassed that out of the 5-6 others they could have chosen from in Island Bay, that's where they went.

Songs I've always loved:
Thorn In My Side: the ultimate in cool, especially the hugely pumped reverb on the drumss during the vocal break.
Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This: the long version. Chilling backing vocals and an unmistakable synthesised intro.
There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart): such a feel-good song and not a trace of cheese in sight. Love the piano rundown before the magical Stevie Wonder harmonica solo.
Missionary Man: such a kick-ass song, even though it was many years before I understood any of it. Have played the line "if I had a dollar bill for all the things I've done ..." repeatedly to crack that syncopated rhythm.
Love Is A Stranger: love the tension building up to that "zombie" line.

Songs I quite like:
When Tomorrow Comes: probably more for nostalgic reasons. One of my bands used to play this song years ago, although it never really went down well with a crowd.
It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back): great matching between the two vocals.
Who's That Girl?: really precise rhythm work going on with some very 80s instrumentation.
Here Comes The Rain Again: as above.

Songs I never really saw the attraction with:
Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves: yay for girl power and all that, but this song is hugely overrated.
Angel: yawn.

Yanni - Live at the Acropolis

I’ve been writing a big report today. At times like this, my iPod becomes critical to my survival and what remains of my sanity. However, being a musician, it’s hard to concentrate on the task at hand while my mind is constantly and actively analysing what I am listening to. Music with lyrics can be really distracting, so a search through my iPod revealed an instrumental album I hadn’t come across in a while, Yanni – Live at the Acropolis (1994).

This album is sheer magic. Yanni has been around for a long time, and has been known for recording highly-synthesised productions, but this live album is the real deal. Here, he performs at the Acropolis of Athens with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in one of the most powerful, passionate and musically intense concerts I’ve ever heard. Several of the musicians get to shine, with some incredible solo performances on the violin, bass, and percussion. The haunting ‘Aria’ was unfortunately over-exposed when it was used in the British Airways ads some years ago, but still stands on its own merits as a musical piece, as far as I’m concerned.

I remember seeing a video of the live performance shortly after it was released, then was shocked to discover my brother had this album in his collection. (Believe me, this is an unusual selection for him.) Mental note … must buy DVD. So thanks, Yanni, for helping a long and intense afternoon pass so pleasurably.

The Hollies

A few weeks ago, I realised in horror that I didn't have any of The Hollies' songs on my iPod, and neither did my other major source of music (Dad, the muso). Something had to be done about it. The Hollies Greatest Hits arrived from TradeMe a short time later and has been playing continuously in my car ever since. Here's my verdict:

Songs I am newly in love with:
Too Young To Be Married: cheesy, dated lyrics which originally put me off the song, but an absolutely brilliant dual acoustic guitar solo.
Sorry Suzanne: a very cute little song, one that I've never really taken notice of before.

Songs I've renewed my love for:
Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress: utter perfection, first note to last. The only Hollies song without backing vocals - very interesting.
Magic Woman Touch: different to their usual sound; refreshing.
The Air That I Breathe: more than just another soppy love song; well crafted, beautiful phrasing.

Songs I'm warming to:
Jennifer Eccles: cheesy, but not as bad as I first thought.
I'm Alive: again, much more finely crafted than I originally thought.
Carrie Anne: similar in concept to The Beach Boys' Barbara Ann, but better.
Bus Stop: once again, a great acoustic guitar solo.

Song I just don't understand why they released at all:
Stop Stop Stop: always hated it, always will. A waste of talent.

Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive

I’ll let you in on a secret. I’ve been in a covers band almost constantly since I was 17. (That’s not the secret.) We played for corporate functions and other private and public events over the years in Wellington. (Still not the secret.) We played a whole range of popular music for people to dance to; everything from rock and roll to Top 40 chart stuff. Here’s the secret: what people don’t realise is that we don’t play the music we like, we play the music you like. In fact, often we play songs we hate, and the songs that we start out liking … well, if we can still listen to them for pleasure after playing them for a couple of years, they must be structurally superb – a rare gem. The trick is to make you, the audience, feel that we enjoy these songs as much as you do, even if we’re totally over them and could happily never listen to them again.

For a couple of years, we played the Christmas season at a particular dine and dance venue in Wellington. This involved playing most Thursday-Sunday nights from mid-November until late December, by which time we’d had enough of our song list, drunken revellers, over-excitable dancers, and Christmas in general. To survive so many nights on top of full-time jobs, you form a routine with your performances. The set list remains similar (with a few changes depending on the function, timing etc), and there are usually 3-4 CDs you play in between your set breaks. By the time the season is finished, I just want to stay home for the next few Saturday nights and curl up in front of the TV; the last thing I want is to party with my friends or, even worse, listen to other bands or DJs play the songs I’ve had to play for years while entertaining others. Sometimes it takes several years after having finished playing a song for me to be even be able to tolerate hearing it on the radio again!

Why am I telling you this? Well, today I decided to listen to one of the backing CDs we used to play before gigs started. Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive (1981) is a collection of covers of classic 1940s swing and jump blues songs. I’ve been going through a bit of a jazz and swing renaissance recently, so thought it might be time try it out again. Two tracks in particular always take me back to those gigs: "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" and "What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You're Gonna Get Drunk Again)". Would you believe I actually enjoyed it? Yay – I’m over that one! I wonder how long it will take to get ‘over’ the other hundreds of songs I’ve played to death. What will be next? How exciting! So, for old time’s sake … “"You Run Your Mouth (and I'll Run My Business)".