How about some happy music for your Thursday, a classic from a jazz vocal group of the early 1960s: Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

It's called Sermonette, and I grew up hearing it by the great Earl Grant, but couldn't find that on YouTube. But I did find these cats, and I dig their Americana-fused jazz vibe.

Anyway, cool tune.

In a remake of Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up," jazz guitarist and Norman, Okla. legend Wayman Tisdale teams up with ...

TOBY KEITH?

Sorry, I like it. Toby's baritone is soulful, albeit not perfect, a sound that might be the audio equivalent of having to listen Wayman play country. However, I have been an unapologetic fan of Toby's, musically. He's an original and has always had a strong sense of musicality and open-mindedness when it comes to his choices.

This is not great, but it is surprisingly good.

There are some people I wonder how they ever made it into the music business. But there are others so damned talented that I cannot possibly help but ooze with jealousy.

Jason Mraz is one such cat. This guy is sick. He's a terrific guitarist. He's got a terrific voice. He's a brilliant writer, having penned one of the five best songs this decade ("The Remedy"), and his musical sensibilities are a mix between John Mayer and early Michael Jackson.

Seriously. If anything I ever do musically made it anywhere beyond Norman, Okla., USA, I'm looking this guy up. Jason is among the two or three most talented newly discovered musicians from this entire decade.

Here's a video for his tune "Make It Mine." If you can't like this, I just don't know what to say about your musical tastes. Sorry.

Does it matter which presidential candidate's musical tastes align most closely with yours? If so, surely you saw this Blender article outlining the Top 10 favorite songs of Barack Obama and John McCain.

McCain's favorite song in the world is ABBA's "Dancing Queen," making me think the magazine had inadvertently phoned the office of Sen. Larry Craig. Nonetheless, I likes me some ABBA, so I won't give him any crap.

Barack's favorite was the Fugees' "Ready or Not," which brings into questions his musical tastes, period. Not a fan of that song, and I much preferred Lauryn Hill solo, such as her take on the song "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You."

Among the surprises in the Top 10 were how eclectic Barack's choices were, clearly trying to position himself as the musical progressive. To me, that's not a surprise. It's almost calculated.

Nevertheless, McCain's taste is better.

His No. 2 is Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou," and his No. 4 is Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December," which is a brilliant song. Seriously, this is one of the great American songs of the past 50 years.

Barack's list features some Nina Simone, which is excellent, and some Rolling Stones, which is always a solid choice. However, my favorite song on his list is from Kanye West, "Touch The Sky."

In all, Barack's list is a tad "cooler," but McCain's list is surprisingly quality and classic. Edge goes to the senator from Arizona.

Wrote a new song this week, a little tune dedicated to the state of fear in which society is steeped. Heck, it was a good excuse to roll off some cool jazz riffs.

Hope you enjoy. It's called "Windows."

Lyrics below:

CHORUS:
Stay away from windows
Lock up all your doors
Abandon all appointments
Forget about all them chores

Stay away from windows
Be afraid of what you see
We're livin' in an era
Of high anxiety


BRIDGE:
I fear for judgment day
'Cause judgment gonna come my way
I fear my government
'Cause me they don't represent

I fear the food I eat
It got bugs and shit I don't need
I fear my kitchen sink
Ain't no water there that I can drink


CHORUS:
Stay away from windows
Lock up all your doors
Abandon all appointments
Forget about all them chores

Stay away from windows
Be afraid of what you see
We're livin' in an era
Of high anxiety

Listen to this song, and tell me what year you think it was released.

1974? Wrong.

1977? Wrong again.

How about 2007, from singer-songwriter Josh Rouse from his CD called "Country Mouse, City House," which I have been listening to tonight. What a mellow, cool, sophisticated CD.

Thing is: All of Josh's music is this good. I discovered the guy when he released "1972," and I have been a devoted fan since. If you love the 1970s. If you love the singer-songwriter thing. If you love musical and poetic simplicity ... then you have to start checking this guy out.

BTW, this tune reminds me HIGHLY of 1970s-era George Harrison. Love it. And, please, once you've picked up your first couple Josh Rouse CDs, you're basically obligated to come back here and thank me.

Love to introduce you to music you might never have heard before, and I've got several introductions to make this week. This first band is very eclectic and very British and dark and happy all at the same time.

They're called Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, and the song is called "Tickle Me Pink" with these lyrics for its chorus:

"Pray for the people inside your head
for they won't be there when you're dead
muffled out and pushed back down
pushed back through the leafy ground"

It's hard not to tap your foot to this one. I've listened to the first five or six tracks from Flynn's 2008 CD, called "A Larum," and I have to say: It's great.

Far too late for me to be up, but it's a vacation week -- and it turns into a work week as soon as my Sunday is born.

This week will be filled with lots of writing and playing and recording, and I'm asking you to help. Every songwriter has his or her way of creating, and I typically come up either with a melody first or a title.

For the sake of this post, I'm offering five titles I've considered or am considering and am asking that you pick the one I should write. I'll do that this week.

Here they are, and thank you in advance for your vote:

"Five Senses"

"Heather Casey"

"Nothing Ventured"

"Small Town Hoods"

"Lucky Pierre"

Voting begins NOW!

In response to my statements in a previous post and otherwise that I sort of felt like a m-o-r-o-n for not having pursued solo live music before the age of 37, I got some curious commisseration. Per an e-mail communication.

She had recently talked with another about our same age and noted that it was only now that she felt comfortable pursuing what she wanted to pursue without caring what other people thought.

Personally, I know that 10 years ago I spent way too much time giving a crap about what other people thought. And, 20 years ago, I was too dumb to have any inclination toward this type of inward contemplation. In fact, if I had any wisdom at all in my late teens, I would have studied history and people a bit harder instead of journalism per se.

If you'll just read good writing and pay attention, college will teach you how to write. You don't need a journalism degree to learn that, not by any stretch. But, you have to know how to write if for no other reason than to be accepted by those of us who do know. We'll talk about you endlessly.

During lunch on Saturday with a friend, he noted the show "Mad Men" on AMC and the general dissatisfied nature of white guys in their 30s. Personally, I can't speak to any collective emotions within other races or ethnicities. I just know that pasty white men taken on a dissatisfied, grumpy vibe by the time 35 comes around.

However, I recall an acquaintence, the wife of another acquaintence, who is a relative of a very good friend, saying that she's enjoying things at 44 more than she ever had before. Way better than 34 and triply more than 24.

It leads me to believe that 35 to 50 are the peak years. Not for the purpose of getting rich or becoming famous or for doing things that make your parents proud. These are the peak years for earning wrinkles, which are kind of like the markers of character and why old people look so interesting.

And to a certain extent this concept has me more mentally rebellious than I might have been at 18, ready to roll with the flow, have more fun and be more creative. The dark side of this from the perspective of potential is in the fact that I had to blow 20 years to get here.

Take Tom Waits. Now, here's a guy who knew what he was from Day 1, yet it wasn't what the pseudo-stars of today would call "branding," even though it technically is. But with Waits, his characters and machinations and styles and sounds are all natural. Enjoy this video from a 1976 episode of the Mike Douglas Show, in which he sings "Eggs and Sausages" before smoking cigarettes and conversing with Mike on stage for about five minutes.

All this talk of devil's three ways and lucky pierre's in my last post is likely to ensure I'll never be vice president or even get another steady job.

However, it did remind me of another reason I love Norman, or specifically why I love where I live in Norman. I'm close to the bars, and although I'm not nearly as proficient with the ladies as Barney, this video did come to mind.

A conversation I had with a guy at work tonight reminded me how damned small this world is. This person knows people you know, and you know people they know, and in Oklahoma, it's far too small. That's why my "advice" for youngsters just getting out of college nowadays is to be nice to everybody, unless it's time not to be nice. Roadhouse reference.

You never know who knows who. I'll be at the grocery store, and the barista will be slower than Stephen Hawking at a swim meet, and I have to remind myself that she could be a patron at my next gig or the daughter of my boss or the lucky pierre later that weekend.

It's just not wise to piss people off unnecessarily.

Hence the question last night about accepting the shots. I don't to offend the patron, and I enjoy having a good time. But experienced musicians one and all will tell you that drunkenness is not cool at gigs. Now, I wasn't intoxicated by any means, but I realized that the "piano guy" at "piano bars" is going to have to deal with this sooner or later.

As the summer winds down, and as I near birthday No. 38, I typically think about plans for the next year. Part of those plans include this blog, and while it's been focused on reality television the past year, it certainly hasn't been because it's a passion of mine. There are a few shows I enjoyed and some I enjoyed making fun of, but I wanted to see how much traffic I could build doing this.

I think it's run its course, and if you don't mind -- I think my plan for ryanwelton.com for the next year is to shoot from the hip. Like in this post. Focus some on music, but mostly shoot from the hip. Ramblings. Nothing terribly focused.

There is a site I'll be developing, a blog site, next week while I'm on vacation. And I'm excited about it. It is a simple experiment in hyperlocal blogging, and there won't be a heck of a lot of lap-over between the two sites, but there could be some.

I had considered retiring ryanwelton.com in lieu of the other site, but I decided against it in the name of evolution. In 25 years, it could be fun to see the map, the outline if you will of this site's travels.

Also, some of you had inquired about my next gig. As soon as I hear from Othello's, I'll be spreading the word like wildfire. I'm hoping to play some OU-football weekends for sure. Should be great crowds. But I'll post that info right here.

And if any of you know of bars, lounges, etc., with pianos in them, let me know. As soon as my Othello's schedule is in place, I'll be contacting a number of other venues in Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Tulsa and Dallas. Heck, I might even look to some of the casinos across the state. Surely, they have li'l watering holes with a piano and a mic at the side.

Something about the best-laid plans. I know there's a quote there somewhere.

Alas, I totally intended on attending my 20th high school reunion last weekend, so much so that I paid the money to reserve my spot. I had written a couple of blog posts referencing the event.

Long story short and without the drama, I got a chance to play a gig, a second one for me at Othello's here in Norman, and I can't regret that one little bit. My first show wasn't bad for a first show, but this one was better.

And, it looks like I'm getting a few more gigs throughout the fall. Like I've said to anybody who will listen, I'm a moron for not having pursued solo live gigs earlier. M-O-R-O-N.

No, I'm not the second-coming of Billy Joel or Elton John; however, we had a darned good time, and I'm going to take advantage of it. If your venue has a piano and a mic, I'm coming to play. So, just mark it down. I would play six nights a week if possible.

I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge feeling bad for missing the reunion, but it just wasn't even a hard choice for me.

However, whether or not I attempt to sing "I Kissed A Girl" for the humorous amusement of partiers again is a whole other story. I do have an idea about what I might do with that song. An interesting idea. Could be very humorous and interactive. My thought is that if there is ever somebody at one of my gigs who really, really, really wants to get up and sing, they can sing "I Kissed A Girl."

The other thing that came up Saturday night, a musician's issue I suppose, is whether or not to accept alcohol as a "tip" during a show. I like to have a great time, no doubt, but I take gigs and music and playing seriously, and a lot of the stuff I play is fairly sophisticated. It requires my faculties. And while three shots didn't faze me too much, I am pretty sure my personal limit to play effectively is three over the course of a gig. Max.

When I played with a band, it was never a big deal because I was just the keyboardist. Nobody was paying attention to me anyway.

If there are any other musicians out there, what's the best way to "kindly refuse" booze during a show? What's the etiquette out there? Basically, I just tried delaying taking the shots as long as I could without making the guy feel bad. He was having a good time, and I didn't care to insult him.

Ah, it's not a huge deal, and I don't know what other musicians do. However, I tend not to eat anything for at least three or four hours before playing, so three shots definitely puts a kick in my engine. However, the more I gig, the more I could see this being something I have to learn how to manage -- being cordial yet firm.

Last but not least, I didn't hydrate nearly well enough before the show and during the show. How do I know this? When I don't hydrate well enough and then play for 5-6 hours in a day, which I did on Saturday, the underneaths of my fingernails get super sore. During the gig. Bruised even.

On the other hand, three shots will make that pain go away right fast.

As soon as I know what nights I'm playing in September and October, I'll post them to the site and get the word out.

I don't want to poo poo my generation, musically. However, the 1980s really don't do much for me -- not now.

Oh, back in the day, I was convinced the decade was super underrated. And while the early half of the 1980s was pretty solid, it had little to do with mainstream pop. The "angry young man" movement combined with new wave, the second British invasion and even touches of urban cowboy music made 1980-83 really interesting.

But 1988?

Wow, not a good year for music.

However, I've reviewed Billboard's Hot 100 countdown and put together what I think are the 10 best songs from 1988. Not the songs as I liked them then, no. This is a look back at the music from the year 1988 with a ranking of how I like those songs today.

10. The Valley Road - Bruce Hornsby

Bruce always had great lyrics and Earthy, jazzy progressions, but I am not a fan of Hornsby's use of electronic drums.

9. Devil Inside - INXS

The Aussie band's best single was its first, "The One Thing" from 1983.

8. Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson

I think I liked this a lot more as a teen. Now, I'm not sure I can stomach it, but thankfully Tuck Andress rescued it. One of the best guitarists of the 1980s. Or of any time.

7. Piano In The Dark - Brenda Russell

Honestly, Brenda has had 100 better songs than this, and this one is a classic of the decade. Brenda is one of the best R&B, adult contemporary songwriters in history. If you were aware of her catalog, you'd be like: She wrote that? She wrote this?

6. Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin

Make fun if you'd like, but McFerrin is an American treasure. He's a master jazz vocalist who got a ton of exposure in 1988 with a novelty song. He's one of a handful of artists I'd pay $200 to see live. His concert series with Chick Corea was phenomenal on CD. Check out this version of "Blackbird."

5. Wishing Well - Terence Trent d'Arby

Song was ahead of its time, and so was Terence's ego. He always thought way more of himself than anybody else. Good voice though.

4. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses

In retrospect, Guns & Roses is a fairly underappreciated band critically.

3. Nite & Day - Al B. Sure

Like it more today than I did 20 years ago. It's smooth.

2. Time & Tide - Basia

Not sure that this was exactly 1988, but I can't leave it off the list. In retrospect, I'm pretty surprised Basia didn't have a bigger career.

1. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman



I never would have said this 20 years ago. However, this is by a mile, a monster mile, the best song from 1988. Great words. Great musicality. Great soul. Stands the test of time. And what's amazing is that this song was so adult for an entire musical generation that prided itself on its collective lack of seriousness. Somebody needs to remake this song.

Love to search for obscure videos and old music on YouTube, and tonight I found these delights from the 1980s.

Agnetha Faltskog - "Shame"


An obscure song to Americans from a member of Abba. Her one big hit here in the States was called "Can't Shake Loose," but this was always my favorite.

The Dream Academy - "Life In A Northern Town"


Incredibly underrated, this tune inches up each passing year closer to the echelon of "classic." Production wise, this song always seemed to be a bit dated.

Rupert Holmes - "Him"


Incredibly dorky dude, which I can appreciate given my dorkdom, but what a terrific writer.

Fleetwood Mac - "Gypsy"


This IS a classic, hands down.

Journey - "Girl Can't Help It"


American Idol's Randy Jackson makes several appearances in this one.

Typically, I don't post the original of a song I'm covering online for two reasons. First, you usually know the song I've worked up, but in this case, I'm not so sure.

If you're not familiar with Ferras (pronounced fuhr-AHS), then you're missing out on one HELL of a talented guy. He's a terrific singer and player, which leads me to the second reason I typically don't post the original of a song I'm doing.

Because it usually knocks mine right out of the water. But that's OK because this kid deserves every bit of positive attention we can muster for him.

He's sick. Off the chain. However you'd like to put it.

Here's me:

Here's the kid wonder, Ferras:

A few days ago, I intimated that one of the best new songs of 2008 was Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," and I wish to amend that statement.

With half the year left, this tune IS THE SONG OF THE YEAR. It embodies pop brilliance, simplicity, thick production and phenomenal lyrics.

But was it ripped off from an indie band from Brooklyn, N.Y.?

For some of you, this is old news. You've seen the YouTube comparison clip:

Damn that Chris Martin some of you are surely saying after watching that YouTube post, right? Well, I say wait a doggone second.

I write. I play. I know my theory, and I've got some pretty strong opinions on this one.

If you know your Nashville Numbering System, you know "Viva La Vida" is 1-2-5-3. If we're following the bass line, it begins with a D-flat, goes to an E-flat, to an A-flat and then an F. The structure of the tune repeats and repeats without any changes, although the melody certainly changes.

The verse and the chorus have the same structure. As I said, I think "Viva La Vida" is a phenomenal pop song, and I like it as an early favorite for a 2009 Record of the Year Grammy.

On the other hand, Creaky Boards claims that Coldplay ripped this song from their composition, "The Songs I Didn't Write."

The irony is thick, and it seems like this could be a con, but I spent some time checking out this band and the whole of this particular song, and I have to say: I dig it. They have a nice pop, indie sound. However, the primary similiarity between the two songs (Listen to "Songs I Didn't Write") is in their hooks.

For Coldplay, the 1-2-5-3 hook is the entire song. For Creaky Boards, it merely encompasses about half their song. What you don't see or hear in the YouTube song is the parts of "Songs I Didn't Write" that are completely different, structurally, from the Coldplay soon-to-be smash.

However, yes, they are structurally similar at a basic level.

Melodically, they're not nearly as close. And, when one really examines the chords behind each song, we realize that Coldplay's song is actually, in terms of theory, more sophisticated, using an A-flat chord on top of the D-flat, an A-flat SUS on top of the E-flat, an A-flat and then an F minor 7.

Instead of those variations, Creaky Boards is using what sounds more like a minor chord, a third, a third and a minor chord. When combined with the 1-2-5-3 structure, the compositions seem eerily similar to the novice.

Then again, Creaky Boards' lead singer claims Chris Martin showed up at one of their gigs, where they played this song. If it can be documented that he did, Martin would likely need to prove that "Viva La Vida" had been written seven months before, as he's claimed in the press.

If brought before a judge, without direct evidence of theft, I suspect this claim is tossed fairly quickly. Copyright claims based on general similarities with basic structures are pretty thin.

Back in 1989, and I don't mind repeating this: I don't think it's a secret. But I worked with a local Norman writer and musician who was and is very popular within the Christian music community both here and in Nashville. He even went to write for a Brentwood, Tenn., based publisher and landed a hit song with a woman named Cynthia Clawson.

This cat is a good, good writer.

And one of the songs he had given to me on a demo, for my listening pleasure, was a track he had written and taken to Nashville about a year or two before, I think. It not only sounded like Don Henley's "The Last Worthless Evening," it was note for note for note.

Now, I don't have any communication with the writer to whom I refer, but he still lives in Norman. And he was always above the fray with this sort of thing. I think he understood what kind of industry the music biz could be, but he was always so grounded that I think it never bothered him to the point of considering a lawsuit.

In this case, if I recall it correctly, there was some concern that a producer on Henley's "End of the Innocence" CD (was that the title of it?) had access to this guy's songwriter demo and, hence, suspicions were super high.

Yet there are a finite combination of notes possible in music, believe it or not, and it is theoretically possible that two people have the same general thoughts and even the same specific thoughts, separately, as to a melody.

While I hope the controversy drums up some support for Creaky Boards' musical efforts, it shouldn't diminish Coldplay's greatness in the least. From a theory perspective, "Viva La Vida" is super basic, and it's likely that it sounds like many songs written out there in the world, parts known and unknown.

Sometimes, it happens.

To prove actual theft, the party claiming copyright infringement had better be able to establish uncanny theoretical and melodical similarities along with proof that the other guy had access to that song before the other was written.

And to me, the first part of that just isn't strong enough. Yep, the songs are roughly similar, but I assure you, they're not THAT similar.

We're nearly in the throes of the summer TV season, and I'm expecting to cover at least three shows: So You Think You Can Dance, Nashville Star and Big Brother. Heck, one of those has already started, and I'm behind the proverbial 8-ball.

However, there's a reason for the recent absence.

For the first time in three years, I'm embarking on a night of live music. And, for the first time ever, it will be me alone.

*** This Saturday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Othello's in Norman on Campus Corner. ***

I've played with bands. I've played some jazz quartets, a trio and even a cabaret duo. But this is just me, and you can expect a ton of standards and jazz classics as well as a few pop tunes and some originals. It'll be kind of a mix between dinner club music and a piano bar show.

I'd be lying to you if I didn't acknowledge some anxiety about the whole thing, which could lead to even more entertainment. Imagine if I pass out at the piano. Or keel over from a stroke during a song. Seriously, you may see something you've never seen before.

But hopefully it's merely the beginning of me playing live across central Oklahoma way more often than once every three years. Feel free to drop by anytime, but be sure to tell the folks at the bar what a punk, er, talent I am.

Blogs will resume next week. Ciao.

MTV's first and, probably, only edition of "Rock The Cradle" has come and gone with the one and only rightful winner winning. That would be Crosby Loggins.

For those of you who did not watch, the show featured a handful of singers, all sons or daughters of famous musicians. Long story short, the competition came down to Loggins, Jesse Blaze Snider and Chloe Lattanzi.

Most critics panned the show, and others referred to it as hideous, a nightmare, etc. However, I have to say: Kenny Loggins' kid is good in his own right. Vocally, he sounds like the lead singer from America and his vibe is heavily acoustic.

Crosby's road to victory here was in his willingness to loosen up. Look, I empathize with that completely. I'm going to play my first solo gig in more than a decade in three weeks, and I'm as tight as ... uh, well, let's not go there.

On the other hand, he did have a formidable challenger in Snider, the offspring of Twister Sister frontman Dee Snider, who believes his son "kicks ass," as he said 567 times during the course of the six-week or so show.

But to me, Snider's potential, his upside isn't so much in music. I think the guy should get into television. He's got the look. He's charismatic. He's well-spoken.

The third person to make it to the final week was Olivia Newton-John's daughter, Chloe. You're going to laugh, scoff and think me a complete moron, but I think the chick has something. No, not a disease ... I mean some talent.

She has a very funky, dark, sexy Amy Winehouse meets Evanescence type of vibe. Chloe is heavy on the vibrato, and the show made her seem like an emotional mess. However, she's clearly a singer whose sense of style, purpose and identity is unique. Lattanzi also clearly wants no part of being a teenybopper.

She's not quite there yet, but I am not disinterested. I'm very curious to see what she does from here.

Bottom line: Loggins deserved this. And by this, I mean the win and the $100,000 and the recording deal. Mind you, the kid comes from a millionaire family and already has a touring band. However, the music biz is mega tight right now, so even celebrity kids need exposure.

However, I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge that part of the reason I rooted for Crosby was because of his dad. Kenny Loggins is one of those musicians whose great work was truly superior but whose bad music was truly terrible.

Personally, I can listen to "Footloose," but it rather makes me cringe. I'm still not sure what "Heart-a-light" is, although I know the song's title is "Heartlight." And, all that Pooh Corner adult-hippie music makes me crazy.

But 96.9299364 percent of everything Kenny's done musically is wonderful. If you're ever in Oklahoma and need a pianist, I know your songs. Look me up.

Anyway, I thought I'd rank Kenny's Top 5 tracks of all time, just the stuff he performed, not counting songs he wrote for others, such as "What A Fool Believes."

5. "Keep The Fire"

There is not one video on YouTube for this song. However, the 1979 minor hit had that quintessential Loggins groove to it.

4. "The Real Thing"

As this video shows, Loggins was also the perpetrator of several terrible hairdos back in the day. This is truly shiteous. However, it's a great song. By the way, for Idol fans, did you know that the loser's song this year, "Celebrate Me Home," done by Ruben Studdard is actually a Kenny Loggins song?

3. "This Is It"

Also from the "Keep The Fire" album, "This Is It" is the first Loggins song I remember. It was the inspirational track for the 1981 Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who won the NIT, beating Syracuse.

A little trivia for those who didn't know, but Loggins apparently wrote this song for his sick father. However, this has evolved into one of the great "sports" songs of my generation. Believe me, this might get played right before "Eye of the Tiger" next time OU is in a national title game.

2. "Danny's Song"

Done originally with music partner Jim Messina, this is simply a classic.

1. "Heart To Heart"

I throw around some hyperbole, and I sometimes declare songs among my favorites when maybe they're borderline. However, Loggins' 1982 hit -- which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard chart (remember it like it was yesterday) -- is truly my favorite pop song of all time.

If I made a list of all the pop music in the history of the world, this song would win out as being my all-time favorite. It's soulful, beautiful, funky. The lyrics are romantically urgent, sort of the "This is It" of sappy songs. And it came from a brief era of what I'd call deep blue-eyed soul, from roughly 1981 to about 1983, where pop music inspired me directly.

Heavy keyboard. Heavy soul. Still very pop.

How does Madonna stay pop culturally relevant?

By invoking other hot names from the music industry to work on her new album, that's how. Sure, Madge is the biggest female pop star of my lifetime, and -- yes -- she's absolutely still relevant in the music game.

But is her new album, Hard Candy, actually any good? Or is it merely a production piece?

One of the things I look for in any new CD is a musical or lyrical theme, something to cohesively tie it all together. Unfortunately, the first thing I notice about Hard Candy is that it sounds a little bit like Timbaland and a little bit like Pharrell Williams.

Neither sound is bad, but neither is Madonna.

Take the first single from the CD, "4 Minutes To Save The World." Yes, I like it. Yes, the video is cool. But it also sounds like nothing more than a Timbaland production, which can not only become tiresome, it will also be dated in three years.

Song to song, there are a few gems on the CD. Take the chorus from "Candy Shop," which opens the CD. The song is totally unremarkable UNTIL that chorus, when a jazzy-minded Queen of Pop employs some really cool progressions. Well, her producers employed those. Nevertheless, sounds really cool.

The best song on the CD by a mile is "Dance 2Night," a duet with Justin Timberlake, who partners with her on "4 Minutes." It invokes sounds from her days working with Jellybean Benitez, and dare I say it's downright hot. A mega hot track, and it's guaranteed to be a hit.

And if you're a fan of the 80s and that whole vibe, this is the one single to check out on the entire disc. In fact, here's a YouTube video with the music in it:

However, from "Give It 2 Me," to "Heartbeat" to the Pharrell Williams track "Beat Goes On," Madonna's new CD is completely unremarkable. This release comes on the heels on what I thought was her best album in at least a decade if not ever, "Confessions on a Dance Floor," which seriously was a brilliant dance record.

That CD was also well-produced, but it was cohesive, not merely a collection of mostly throw-away singles. Even worse, the singles on Hard Candy are so clearly influenced by others that it comes off as totally derivative.

Take "The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You," which is 100 percent derivative of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ..." On the face of it, it's a good track, but we've come to expect more from Madonna.

So, let's get to the questions ...

1. What grade do you give this album? C+

2. What's the best song on the CD? Dance 2Night

3. Would you buy this CD? Nope. But I might buy "Dance 2Night."

One of the best acts in music was in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, and no it wasn't Kanye West.

It was the opening act on a card featuring three of them. If only I could have paid $10 to go see Pharrell Williams' side project called N*E*R*D, I would have.

But, no, I would have had to pay $75 to see them and Lupe Fiasco (who apparently did not perform due to illness) and Rihanna and Kanye, and while it would have been a great scene, I suspect, to me, the best music would have come at the very beginning.

Influenced heavily by groups like Steely Dan and The Police, N*E*R*D takes that funk and rock vibe and twists it into something unique, entertaining and utterly competent. I've pushed N*E*R*D on anybody who will listen, and I will again today.

Here are two of my favorites, the first being "Things Are Getting Better" and the second being "The Way She Dances."

I'm sure Norman, Okla., has had bigger concerts (Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones to name a few), but I doubt it's had better.

The Polyphonic Spree, a 23-piece symphonic rock choir came to historic downtown Norman for a two-hour celebration of music and performance, part of our first-ever Norman Music Festival, which looked and felt as if it was a giant success generally.

However, I'm guilty as can be for underestimating the Spree, a group whose first major CD I bought three years ago but had never taken the time to see live.

Wow, that was a mistake. Tim DeLaughter's brainchild is meant to be seen in person. The Polyphonic Spree is one half rock show and one half church choir gone mad, and frankly there was more charisma on that stage than I've ever seen in a performance anywhere, anytime by anybody.

For all I wrote about the Chainsaw Kittens and various other bands appearing in our Oklahoma paradise on Saturday, I should have spent every second imploring you to come see the Spree.

Dressed in pseudo Army outfits for the first part of the show, The Polyphonic Spree played a lot of its initial hits, many of which I didn't get to hear because I was helping Toad get his festival-sitting equipment (i.e., chairs) back to his house, less than a half-mile from the festivities.

However, I was sure to return, and I got back in time to see them perform the Paul McCartney classic, "Live and Let Die." This YouTube clip from another user is better than the video I took, although I might try to get that posted soon as well.

The Polyphonic Spree is primarily known for original music in terms of its repertoire; however, they paid homage to Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips and, I hear, they're working in a ton of Tripping Daisy songs. Daisy was DeLaughter's original band before going on hiatus to run Good Records near downtown Dallas.

Speaking of covers, they showed off their version of Nirvana's classic, "Lithium," and again, instead of inflicting my poor video on you, I'll show you a better online version of the performance, this time from a fan in Atlanta.

However, it's the group's originals and originality that have fans worldwide hooked. At one point, thinking the show was over but prepared for an encore, I see the entire group in white robes -- different from the military outfits they wore through the first part of the gig -- running through the audience to get back to the stage.

I was literally next to them as they ran by, and I'm thinking, "How cool would it be to be part of The Polyphonic Spree?"

Do they need an extra piano player?

What has me excited is that it seems as if the Spree isn't a one-hit wonder. The music I've heard on the band's new album, The Fragile Army, is better than what's on its previous albums, including "Running Away."

However, my favorite thus far from what is actually the Spree's third album is "We Crawl," whose video gives people a glimpse at the people who make up the band.

What makes this group tick with fans though is the live performance, and I am pretty sure I've never seen a better live performance. We're lucky in Norman that this was a free gig, and I definitely hope The Polyphonic Spree will consider a return at some point.

But even if you have to drop some hefty dollars, I can't encourage you enough to go see The Polyphonic Spree in person.

Some musicians throw everything that comes to them against the wall, hoping for success, hoping for praise but content merely to experiment.

Paul Davis made the absolute most of his gift.

The soft rock icon of the 1970s and early 1980s died today, and while he had only a handful of hits, every one of them was brilliant. From the perspective of a vocalist, a musician, a songwriter, the long-haired Mississippian was great at creating great music.

Considering I was never even near a radio until 1982, 12 years into my young life, it was understandable that I had yet to hear of "I Go Crazy," which set the standard for chart consistency back in 1977, staying something like 40 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100.

However, Tammi Zwirtz was sure I'd remember "65 Love Affair.

No, she and I did not have a love affair in the sixth grade. My infatuation, as the entire city of Muskogee knew, was clearly on one Heather Casey. On the other hand, Tammi was really good at roller skating, and I recall that she really liked this song.

It's funny how memories get lodged in our brains, but for 26 years, I have associated Davis' 1982 hit with somebody I only knew for a handful of months. And with reference to something (skating) that I cannot do at all.

And neither of these had anything to do with "Freeze Frame," by the J. Geils Band, which is the actual all-time best skating song ever. For people who know how to skate.

When I saw that Davis had really, really long hair, I had this sense of dissonance about him, like it wasn't quite right. Most of his music, I could tell at even this young age, had a soulful element to it, much like contemporaries like Kenny Loggins and Leon Russell and, heck, even Dan Fogelberg.

As I got older and especially today, I realize how stupid it is to pigeonhole how somebody should look relative to his or her style of music. However, that's just maturity taking hold.

What never changed over the years though is my appreciation of Davis' music, in particular a song from that same year, 1982, that got to No. 11 on the Billboard charts. "Cool Night" was a staple on Tulsa's KRAV 96.5 for years and on favorites playlists I'd put together.

Love how he just kept on changing keys at the end of this. However, it was never Davis' complexities that attracted fans worldwide, it was his simplicity. He kept music simple and soulful.

Loved Fogelberg, but he most certainly got his due and his tributes and whatnot after he passed. This guy, Paul Davis, I fear not enough folks will even notice he's gone.

So, thought I'd do my part to ensure Google search gets a big blog dosage of the late and definitely great Paul Davis.

Oklahoma is looking for an official rock-n-roll song, a state rock tune. By commission of the Oklahoma Historical Society, lawmakers today approved a proposal that calls for the society to take nominations and then put the songs up to a vote of the people.

There will be a process by which an approved panel would narrow the list down to 10 finalists. We the people would vote on it from Sept. 1 through Nov. 15, and it would then be put forth to the Legislature in 2009.

The official Oklahoma rock song.

What shall it be? A lot of the hip, alternative crowd would point to the Flaming Lips, and to that, I say a hearty "right on," but for me, they're just not popular enough. Not mainstream enough. Not even rock enough.

I absolutely think the state rock song of Oklahoma should be a tune recognizable by at least 60 percent of the populus. However, upon initial research, I could not really find much in the way of a tie between Oklahoma and rock-n-roll.

Not an obvious one. Our ties are with country music, mostly, although I suppose we could nominate Chris Gaines, the rock alter ego to Garth Brooks. I kid. I still say that was the best album Garth ever did.

However, there is a duo whose ties to both Oklahoma and to the roots of rock-n-roll are so pure that I think immediately to them when I think of rock-n-roll's history in the Sooner State.

That's right. I think of Hoyt Axton and his momma, Mae Boren Axton. And while I'm sure the OHS will get plenty of terrific nominations, I already have my three -- all with a tie to the Axton family tree and, therefore, to Oklahoma.

No. 3: "Joy To The World" -- Three Dog Night

Penned by Hoyt Axton, this has the temperment of a song I think most Oklahomans could get behind. It's happy. It's fun. It's definitely rock, and Oklahomans have been singing this at karaoke bars for the past 20 years.

No. 2: "Heartbreak Hotel" -- Elvis

Written by Hoyt's mother, this tune skyrocketed Elvis Presley to fame. I'm not sure the downer sentiment will fly with voters, the whole bluesy heartbreak vibe, but there is a major historical tie between Oklahoma and this song.

No. 1: "Never Been To Spain" -- Three Dog Night

First, this is technically a country song. However, Three Dog Night is a classic rock band, with a bit of West Coast country before the Eagles made that sound come alive.

However, read along with the words. I can only choose to interpret what Hoyt might have meant when he wrote, Well, I never been to heaven ... but I been to Oklahoma, and it's one of my favorite lyrics in all of music.

If it were totally up to me, this would be the official Oklahoma rock song:

Now, there is no rule that the rock song has to have anything to do with Oklahoma or have any tie to the state, but my hunch is that the historical society would prefer if the song had some element about it related to our state.

With that said, is there somebody obvious I'm missing? Besides Hanson and All-American Rejects? On a more serious note, how about Leon Russell or Elvin Bishop?

I could vote for Tight Rope ...