"HOMELESS" PAUL SIMON (1986)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

A cappella is the greatest test of how good a song is. It’s all about the voices, the lyrics and the melody. There’s nowhere else to hide. It can expose some songs as thin or forgettable – and it can also help us to recognize and appreciate the beauty and power of a song. On an album as iconic as Graceland, we’re treated to an a cappella track by Simon in collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo called “Homeless”.

It is a delightful track and it always was since the day I bought my Graceland cassette. “Homeless” is a track that demonstrates an extra measure of thoughtfulness and creativity – going beyond the conventions of the day to deliver something that feels right at home with the rest of the album yet still has its own individual identity. The choice to go a cappella is highly appropriate as the lyrics talk about the simplicity of a moonlit night mirrors the stripped down approach to the music.

“Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake. Homeless, homeless.”

"IN YOUR EYES" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

One of the most memorable movie scenes from the 80’s is when Lloyd Dobler lifts his boombox high above his head outside of Diane’s house with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” blaring from the speakers. At the time, most guys — myself included — knew immediately that Lloyd made us all look like second rate romantics in that single moment. Some of us were pathetic enough to copy the move with our own love interests because we were too unoriginal to think of our own thing. Whether you’re guilty as charged or not, the scene is engrained in the mind of every 80’s child — and the scene is nothing without the song.

I remember the first few times I heard “In Your Eyes” I didn’t and I couldn’t fully appreciate it for what it was. The more you listen to it, the more you realize it’s far more than just a great pop song. It’s sage, not sappy. It’s world music, not worldly. And it remains ambiguous as to whether “In Your Eyes” is about romantic love, or love of God, or both. I bet Lloyd had no idea.

“All my instincts, they return. The grand facade, so soon will burn. Without a noise, without my pride. I reach out from the inside.”

"DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES" PAUL SIMON (1986)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Dating back to the Simon & Garfunkel years, Paul Simon was often viewed as the driving force and persona in that duo. But if Graceland taught us anything, it’s that Simon was born to collaborate and not steal the spotlight. It’s one of those rare albums that become instant classics the minute they’re released.

Every song is gold on Graceland, but the last track on Side 1 was one of my favorites in all its unrock & roll glory. After Simon’s trip to South Africa, he brought back a local choral group with him to New York City to record “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”. It starts off a cappella, slips into a world beat groove exactly at the 1:00 mark and oozes with joy for its duration.

“People say she's crazy. She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes. Well that's one way to lose these. Walking blues.”

"BIRIMA" YOUSSOU N'DOUR (2019)

On a spring day in 1992, I had the pleasure of seeing Youssou N’Dour perform live at Foxboro Stadium for Earth Day. I had heard limited doses of him before, but I didn’t know much about HiS music. But even back then, N’Dour was already considered a crossover mastermind. Over the years, he has collaborated with hundreds of artists, including Sting, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel and Neneh Cherry.

N’Dour is a rare talent in the music world because he’s able to glide in and out of many different genres so effortlessly. Last year, he re-recorded one of his most well-known songs, “Birima” with Seinabo Sey. This version is beautiful, invigorating and, in my opinion, even better than the original.

"TIMES" NOMADIC MASSIVE (2019)

Both George Floyd’s death and the ensuing violent protests show us that there’s too much “us vs them” and not enough unity. Not enough understanding. Not enough love. We can all benefit from looking at systems and structures that bring people together, rather than cause more division. Sometimes it happens in the simple act of making music. That’s the one thing I admire most about Nomadic Massive. Its intentionality in bringing together different races and cultures, because music gets richer when we’re more inclusive. “Times” is a sharp commentary on the now—not from one, but from many voices.

“Brains wired to liars. Dreams to be hired. Now their past is now expired hashtag TPS. And wanna rest to avoid this madness. Cuz this world seems to be lost without a GPS. Which road to follow. Times we do borrow. And spit like arrows and change what’s tomorrow.”