March 7, 2007
The Food Pyramid
Y’know, I can’t just concentrate on one ideal meal. I need to enjoy food as a day-long ritual of flavors, people, scenes, textures, smells - and sounds.
Yes, music and food go hand-in-hand. Imagine the scene in a restaurant with the right music: perhaps some quiet jazz in a dim coffee house, or relaxing sonatas in a 5-star bistro, or 50’s rock tunes at a car-hop. And at it’s best, music can also invoke memories of good eating. From specific dishes, to wait staff, to the whole scene and culture of food and foodies, music can bring you back.
It makes me hungry to think about it.
Let’s dive right in shall we?
- “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast” - Frank Zappa (from Apostrophe (’)
)
Let’s open with some breakfast. Nothin’ quite like pancakes, especially at the local church function. And Frank Zappa doesn’t disappoint. The manic xylophone riff that opens this song is so energetic that coffee is almost an afterthought. And Frank’s description of the crowd at the breakfast is something uniquely…. well, Zappa. What more is there to say, other than STOP SAUSAGE ABUSE! - “Coffee In The Pot” - Supergrass (from Road to Rouen
)
Okay, enough of the manic pancake breakfast. Let’s head down to Rouen, where there’s coffee in the pot and a much more relaxed attitude. As far as Supergrass songs go, this is one of their more oddball efforts. The samba-shuffle, steel guitar instrumental featured here is a marked contrast from their usual Britpop sound. - “Cook Of The House” - Wings (from Wings At The Speed Of Sound
)
Cooking options galore, presented by your kitchen tour guide, Linda McCartney. Yup, it’s Paul’s better half who wrote this song about being the cook of the McCartney household. Given that Linda was an accomplished vegetarian cook and wrote three excellent cookbooks, this song is a natural fit. Say what you will about Linda’s musical abilities, this song is not bad. She harbored no fantasies about being a master musician, and the lighthearted nature of “Cook Of The House” fits perfectly with her personality. It’s true: Paul’s first wife was the keeper. - “Cheese And Onions” - The Rutles (from The Rutles
)
Once you’ve heard The Lovely Linda wax poetic about being a live-in chef, why not settle on a British staple: cheese and onions. This song premiered on “Saturday Night Live,” when Neil Innes was musical guest. His imitation of John Lennon’s voice and composition style was so spot-on that bootleggers originally thought this was a real Lennon song. From this song, Eric Idle and Innes started a legend that would last a lunchtime: The Rutles, the tongue-in-cheek tribute to The Beatles that features more amazing parodies of Fab Four songs than should be legally available on the same disc. - “Cheeseburger In Paradise” - Jimmy Buffett (from Songs You Know by Heart
)
Since it’s lunchtime, why not take the cheese and onions and slap ‘em on an all-beef patty and call it a meal? That’s the thought of Jimmy Buffett in this song, one of his famous tales of beach bumming life. - “Rejected Commercial Jingles: Cheetos®” - Paul & Storm (from Opening Band
)
A quick commercial interruption for something that goes perfectly with your cheeseburger: Cheetos®! Of course, this jingle talks about something a bit… erm…. abnormal in terms of eating behavior, but that’s okay. - “Vegetables” - The Beach Boys (from Smiley Smile
)
Time for a mid-afternoon snack, and it’s said that most people don’t eat enough vegetables. Brian Wilson was aware of this back in 1967, so he and Van Dyke Parks penned this ditty about the edible flora. Originally intended for the aborted SMiLE! album, this song was resurrected for Smiley Smile, one of the few tracks from the original sessions to survive the axe (and Brian’s neuroses). Fun fact: one of the people heard munching on carrots is Paul McCartney, who was visiting the Boys to play them an acetate of the then-unreleased Beatles magnum opus, “A Day In The Life.” So you could say that this session very likely marked the end of SMiLE! - at least until Brian completed and re-recorded the song cycle in 2005. - “Heinz Baked Beans” - The Who (from The Who Sell Out
)
Apparently John Entwistle really wanted his baked beans when he wrote this interlude from The Who’s 1967 concept album, The Who Sell Out. The whole album is laid out like a radio program, with fake commercials placed between regular songs. The effect is a lot of fun, and it still stands the test of time. Also, the album had a positive effect for the band, as bits about Rotosound guitar strings and Premier drums landed the band a lot of free equipment. Fun fact: vocalist Petra Haden recorded an a cappella version of this album that’s worth a listen. - “Cups And Cakes” - Spinal Tap (from This Is Spinal Tap
)
An “early” Spinal Tap song that evokes the innocence of British youth: teatime, a cuppa, and a lovely cake. Manners, of course, are of great importance. - “Food” - Nellie McKay (from Pretty Little Head
)
How could I make it this far into the set without including this song from the wonderfully weird Nellie McKay? This song is a juxtaposition of happiness (”We’re gonna get some food in the house tonight”) with an overall feeling of guilt over how the food was obtained. You could argue that this song is a subtle knock against non-vegans, as the song chronicles factory farm procedures from the eyes of farm animals - not a pretty picture. But in the end, the people are full and ready to sleep - or is it the animals that have been overfed to make them fat for slaughter? You be the judge. - “Eggs And Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan Michelson)” - Tom Waits (from Nighthawks at the Diner
)
At the end of the day, we slip into a vinyl bench at Emma’s 49er to sip and sup with the usual diner crowd. The windows are thick with nicotine stains, and the late-night crowd is settling into their routine. The greasy comfort food orders keep racking up, and the genial, weather-worn waitress asks how we want our pie - a la mode, if you will. I love how Waits manages to capture the entire ambiance of a classic Silver City diner in this song: the easy blues arrangement is smoky and dark, and Waits’ “I gargled Drano” voice is a perfect vehicle for the potent lyrics about lost love, loneliness and too much drinking.
Download: “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast” - Frank Zappa (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Coffee In The Pot” - Supergrass (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Cook Of The House” - Wings (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Cheese And Onions” - The Rutles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Cheeseburger In Paradise” - Jimmy Buffett (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Rejected Commercial Jingles: Cheetos®” - Paul & Storm (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Vegetables” - The Beach Boys (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Heinz Baked Beans” - The Who (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Cups And Cakes” - Spinal Tap (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Food” - Nellie McKay (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “Eggs And Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan Michelson)” - Tom Waits (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)Download: “The Food Pyramid” playlist (xml)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
If you want it all and want it in a single file:
Download: “The Food Pyramid” (zip)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)
April 6th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Top compilation mate, particularly Brian Wilson, Tom Waits and Nellie McKay.
April 9th, 2007 at 1:53 am
Thanks a ‘mil for the kind words!