Thank you to The Lovely Lindaâ„¢ for issuing such a fun challenge!
It’s amazing how image-oriented the music industry has become over the years. If you look back through the years at rock and other popular music forms, it doesn’t take long to notice that most of the hit-makers are “body beautiful” types: the folks who were looking for somebody who “fit the suit,” so to speak. After the hit-making power of such skinny folk as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Sandra Dee, the A&R reps for all the record labels started looking for artists who looked right - singing was hardly a necessity.
The result? You saw a lot of one-hit-wonders who looked great but were terrible performers. Yes, some of the good performers also looked good (e.g. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Jones), but it was the rare occasion when somebody of non-traditional size or shape made it big.
Let’s face it: for every Paul Simon, Paul Williams or Randy Newman (who were dwarfed by their co-performers), there were myriad more tall, chiseled performers being thrust forth. David Crosby? Not a chance he’d make it as a pop star if he had to start out these days. And Odetta? Nope. Meat Loaf largely made it big because he looked like a freakish opera star - and he performed music that can be classified as opera moderne in many respect. John Popper (of Blues Traveler) had gastric bypass surgery recently because of his obesity, thus losing a lot of weight and looking more “pop star” compared to his former appearance.
So let’s hear it for the folks who made it through the wringer, regardless of their size!
- “Band On The Run” - Paul McCartney (from Back in the U.S. Live 2002
)
Yes, Sir Paul is quite svelte - he hasn’t had much baby fat since the 1970s, and his veggie diet is noted for promoting a thin physique. But his latest touring band features the drumming presence of Abe Laboriel, Jr., a guy who resembles a hyperactive Buddha. His drumming is very spirited, and totally matches the energy that Macca puts into his live performances. This reading of “Band On The Run” kicks with as much energy as the 1973 original - if not a wee bit more, due in no small part to Abe’s stick work. Click here to see a clip of Abe performing with Macca in 2000.
- “Creeque Alley” - The Mamas & The Papas (from Deliver
)
Ah, “Mama” Cass Elliot - such a tragic figure. She was a wonderfully large woman. Yes, she was unhappy with her body image, and tried many times to get her weight down to that of fellow “mama,” Michelle Phillips. But Cass was a big presence on stage because of her voice - and what a voice it was! She could make a tune her own without butchering, without resorting to the excessive melisma that makes modern singing so bloody awful. My choice for this selection, “Creeque Alley” (pronounced “creaky,” per the late Denny Doherty), is a great song that tells the story of the formation of The Mamas & The Papas, all the while maintaining a tongue-in-cheek attitude that mixes will with the four-part harmonies.
- “Brian Wilson” - Barenaked Ladies (from Gordon
)
Barenaked Ladies (BNL) succeeded because they never aspired to be hit-makers. This Canadian outfit rode up through the college circuit in Canada (along with peer group Moxy Früvous), their popularity spreading south in the early-1990s. Once BNL made it big on the U.S. college scene, their popularity caught the eye of hit radio, with “One Week” becoming a Billboard hit. As a result, older BNL songs entered the popular arena, with “If I Had $1,000,000,” “Be My Yoko Ono,” and “Hello, City” becoming recognizable songs on alternative, college and AOR radio. “Brian Wilson” is a fun tribute to the reclusive Beach Boys founder, who spent much of the 1970s….
- “Marcella” - The Beach Boys (from Good Vibrations: Thirty Years Of The Beach Boys
)
….gaining a lot of weight and hanging out in a sandbox. However, every so often in the 70s, Brian would come out of his shell with new Beach Boys songs. “Marcella” is one of the most under-rated Beach Boys songs, recorded in a time when the Wilson style of song had fallen out of favor. It was great to hear Brian and Al Jardine unearth this song on Wilson’s 2006 Pet Sounds tour.
- “Who Are You [Lost Verse Mix]” - The Who (from Who Are You
)
C’mon - you’re thinking to yourself “who in that band wasn’t skinny?” And it’s true: for most of its heyday, The Who had four skinny (and drugged-up) members in the band. But by 1978, time and substance abuse had taken their toll on the four Who members - especially on Keith Moon, their explosive drummer. By the time the band was recording Who Are You (and filming The Kids Are Alright
), years of alcohol abuse and excessive eating had made Keith a wee bit overweight. If you look at the cover art, you’ll see that Moon is seated in a backward-facing chair. This was done to hide the fact that his gut stuck out quite a ways, belying his slim, trim rocker persona. But his drumming was better than ever - click here to see a clip of Moon performing “Who Are You” in early 1978 to see him in action. Moon died less than a month after the release of Who Are You, shortly after a party where he hung out with Paul McCartney.
So you get a playlist that’s not only full of portly performers, but is also somewhat cyclical - go fig!
(For the curious: in the picture are (clockwise from upper-left) Brian Wilson, Cass Elliot, Steven Page [BNL], Tyler Stewart [BNL], Keith Moon [kneeling], and Abe Laboriel, Jr.)
Download: “Band On The Run” - Paul McCartney (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
Download: “Creeque Alley” - The Mamas & The Papas (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
Download: “Brian Wilson” - Barenaked Ladies (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
Download: “Marcella” - The Beach Boys (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
Download: “Who Are You [Lost Verse Mix]” - The Who (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
If you want it all and want it in a single file:
Download: “I’m Big Boned” (zip)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
I’m pretty picky about the hip-hop I listen to, so it only makes sense that I’ve become hooked on a rare breed of performer: K-OS is a Canadian-born musician of Trinidadian decent, and his music is as diverse as his background. His newest album, Atlantis (Hymns For Disco) is a genre-hopping feast that’s equal parts hip-hop, rock, soul, rap, reggae, and r&b — there’s something for everyone in there. K-OS flows like Will.i.Am before he started to suck, and his lyrics are pretension- and rap-cliché-free. He’s got a pretty decent singing voice, too — his warm vocals pleasantly recall reggae legend & frequent Massive Attack collaborator Horace Andy. 
There’s something nicely democratizing about heavy-set musicians — sure, some of them play it for laughs (j’accuse 
For our playlists this month, we’re joined by our second Selective Service draftee, the lovely and talented Linda S., who delivered her idea to us thusly:
