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| Fats? More like PHATs, amirite? ...I'll show myself out |
In which I contemplate the roots of rock n' roll, and think about blueberry pie. Mmm, pie.
TL;DR:
More after The Cut>>>
1.) Blueberry Hill
"I found my thrill/Oooon Blueberry Hill".
This is the only song on the album I'd hear before–a staple on any 'Best of the '50s' albums–and is coincidentally the album opener. It's a swinging, mid-tempo number and shows off what Fats is best at: swanky piano driven numbers like this.
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| I'm just going to leave this here. |
"Bend your legs and pigeon toes"
Naughty, naughty! With songs like this, it's easy to see how he was the contemporary of artists like Elvis Presley and Louis Prima. It's suggestive and sassy in a way that modern audiences most likely find endearing. I feel like he'd end the song with a massive wink and a smile.
The groovy sax solo in the middle is a highlight of this somewhat more uptempo song where Fats just wants to know why you're not satisfied by him. Can't you see he's trying?! You're a jerk.
(I'm just kidding, I love you, have some cute wittle aminals:)
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| How can you be upset after seeing this? |
4.) Blue Monday
How are ya, Blue Monday? Work weeks suuuuuck, a universal truth highlighted in this song about working for the weekend. Work hard, play hard is this guy's motto, but is it worth it for that killer hangover come Sunday? We never find out, but Imma go with a resounding "Yes". Suck it, Monday.
This is a short but sweet one that I think we can all relate to on one level or another.
5.) So Long
"Don't know where I'm going/But so long"
You can just feel how songs like this laid the groundwork for later artists. The piano is great and vaudevillian. The lyrics and music match each other in ways I can't articulate clearly, but yes. Yes this. Plus it's barely over 2 minutes long, so you have no excuse for not checking it out. Unless, you know, you just don't want to, which I guess is fine, you jerk
6.) La-La
"La la/la la/la la la/Don't know why I'm in love with you"
This one seems to capture that happy mindless feeling that often comes with falling in love.
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| An artists' rendition of the aforementioned phenomenon |
Not dissimilar to others on the album, like "What's the Reason..." (though I prefer that one).
"Nooooobody knows the troubles I've seen" +
"Good times gonna come" +
Shades of "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
Add honey chili
Stir well
Et voilà!
"Ohhhhhh/You done me wrong/...And I ain't gonna cry no more"
There are virtually no words in this song, but rather long refrains of "oh"–this is a song to be felt rather than interpreted.
"And I'll be feeling so glad/I'll never wish I was dead"
A jilted lover singing about the ups and downs of love, with its 1-2-punch. To be without love is to essentially be dead, which only love can then reverse.
10.) The Fat Man's Hop
A slow to mid-tempo, relatively short instrumental. Moving right along.
11.) Poor, Poor Me
"Poor, poor me/I need someone to love me"
In essence, the '50s rhythm-and-blues version of
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| Minus the intense amounts of overdubbing, spandex, and hairspray |
12.) Trust In Me
"Hey, pretty baby/I wanna talk with you/Come and go with me/I'll make everything alright"
I'm sorry, but the words read like bad pickup lines. Yes, I know I'm looking at this with my 21st century feminist-leaning lenses, but damn it if those are just about the only lenses I own. Overall, it's in keeping with the rest of the album thematically and musically.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
In general, this album focuses on feeling over specificity (ex. lyrics), and is at once mellow and energizing in the way that solid 1950s music can be. Tons and tons of artists have cited him as a major influence, great artists at that. In my case, I appreciate the album for its legacy more than its own content. Still, I can definitely understand how people get into this, and there are some tracks that I'll likely revisit.
Personal standout tracks:
"Blueberry Hill", "Honey Chili Chile", "Blue Monday", "So Long"
You didn't have a TL;DR for this one! Also, not my favorite, but I see what you mean about appreciating it as a foundation for other music.
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