Best Second Acts & Spiritualized Review
This week it's the "Comeback Kids" of rock and roll. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot highlight some of the Best Second Acts in music history.
Music News
Dick Clark, an adult even more youthful than Jim or Greg, died this week at age 82. The "world's oldest teenager" helped put rock and roll on the map through American Bandstand. As Greg explains, he was the bridge between the teens and the grown-ups and introduced people to a number of important acts including James Brown, Buddy Holly, and Ike and Tina Turner. While not the hippest of music fans, he also provided a platform for acts like Public Image Limited and a young Madonna. Though perhaps that was much to his chagrin.
Best Second Acts
Go ahead..."call it a comeback." This week Jim and Greg highlight some of rock and roll's best Second Acts. These artists either fell into obscurity or went down a bad path before reemerging successfully, perhaps better than before. Famous examples include Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Elvis Presley, who told the world he wasn't yet down for the count at his '68 Comeback Special. There's also Santana, whose record Supernatural went 15 times platinum in 1999, decades after his heyday in the late '60s. And don't forget about Cher, who at age 53 had the number one song "Believe." Here are Jim and Greg's favorite "Comeback Kids."
Jim
- Paul Weller
- Tupac Shakur
- Everlast
- Mission of Burma
Greg
- Marvin Gaye
- Portishead
- Roy Orbison
- Robyn
Sweet Heart Sweet Light Spiritualized
Jason Pierce, the force behind Spiritualized, isn't shy about returning to his inspirations, album after album. There's the noise/melody combo of the Velvet Underground, German art rock, gospel music and free jazz. But melding those elements together well is no small feat. He does it again on Sweet Heart Sweet Light, which Greg says is good, but only 2nd tier. He'd refer listeners back to 1997's Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. The new one is just a Burn It. Jim is forced to bite his tongue when he hears this, as he sees Sweet Heart Sweet Light as Spiritualized's most optimistic album to date. Pierce has battled a lot of pain and fought liver disease, and the musical result is a masterpiece. Jim says Buy It.
Featured Songs
- Les Elgart, "Bandstand Boogie," Television Themes: 16 Most Requested Songs, Sony, 1996
- Freddy Cannon, "Palisades Park," Palisades Park (single), Swan, 1962
- Elvis Presley, "Trouble Guitar Man," '68 Comeback Special, NBC, 1968
- Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing," Midnight Love, Columbia, 1982
- Paul Weller, "Sunflower," Wild Wood, Go! Discs, 1993
- Dusty Springfield, "Second Time Around," Dusty...Definitely, Philips, 1968
- Cher, "Believe," Believe, Warner Bros., 1998
- Portishead, "Silence," Third, Island, 2008
- Tupac Shakur, "Changes," Changes (single), Interscope, 1992
- Roy Orbison, "(All I Can Do Is) Dream You," Mystery Girl, Virgin, 1989
- Everlast, "What It's Like," Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, Tommy Boy, 1998
- Aphex Twin, "Digeridoo," Digeridoo, Outer Rhythm, 1992
- LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out," Mama Said Knock You Out, Def Jam, 1990
- Mission of Burma, "Max Ernst's Dream," ONoffON, Matador, 2004
- Robyn, "Dancing on My Own," Body Talk Pt.1, Konichiwa, 2010
- Spiritualized, "Freedom," Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Fat Possum, 2012
- Spiritualized, "Hey Jane," Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Fat Possum, 2012
- Actress, "The Lord's Graffiti," R.I.P., Honest Jon's, 2012
- Aretha Franklin, "Call Me," This Girl's In Love You, Atlantic, 1970
- Murder By Death, "The Devil in Mexico," Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?, Eyeball, 2003
- The Byrds, "It Won't Be Wrong," Turn! Turn! Turn!, Columbia, 1965
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