THURSDAY THIRTEEN . . . 13 VOICES I MISS . . .

One of my biggest complaints about today's popular music--so much of it sounds alike. Turn on the radio and listen. Now imagine the voice you're hearing without the music in the background. Uh-huh, most of the guys are yelping, grunting or whining, while most of the girls are stuck on wail, scream or purr. Ain't a whole lot of straight-up sanging going on (smile). Yeah, I said it. Meant it too. Where have all of the distinctive voices gone? Where are the songs and the voices we'll want to listen to 10, 20, 30 years from now?

The following is a list of distinctive voices . . . voices of singers who are no longer with us . . . voices that still make me smile whenever I hear them on the radio. My list is in no particular order and in all honesty could continue on well past the number 13.

THIRTEEN VOICES I MISS . . .

1) MARVIN GAYE

2) LUTHER VANDROSS

3) MINNIE RIPERTON

4) LOU RAWLS

5) JOHNNY TAYLOR

6) PHYLLIS HYMAN

7) DONNY HATHAWAY

8) CURTIS MAYFIELD

9) SARAH VAUGHAN

10) JAMES BROWN

11) DAVID RUFFIN

12) TUPAC

13) BIGGIE

So . . . which/what voices are on your list?

After you're finished here, you might want to jump over to Malcolm's Pop Culture Dish and check out his Thursday list of 13 "TV Shows I Would Love To See In Reruns Again."

HAVE MUSIC . . . WILL TRAVEL . . .

I just returned home after having visited 4 cities in 2 weeks. It was fun, though a bit tiring, like traveling with the family can sometimes be. Had it not been for the music, I probably wouldn't have made it beyond a couple of days (smile). Really, I mean, What's a road trip without music? Please, I don't even want to think about it.

When the hubby and I first started traveling together, umpteen some years ago, our musical preferences/differences were something we had to sort out. I like my music loud. He doesn't. While I enjoy a variety of music, I prefer R & B, hip-hop and jazz. The hubby can only take a limited amount of hip-hop, prefers "smooth" jazz, and is even more OLD SCHOOL than am I when it comes to his preferences in R & B.

Moreover, I'm pretty sure, had ole boy been traveling alone, he would have listened to nothing but CLASSICAL music. I don't have anything against classical music. It's all right. I mean, I can listen to it for a good, solid 10 minutes or so . . . before I'm overcome by an overwhelming desire to slit my own wrists or somebody else's throat (LOL).

In recent years, I've managed to assemble a collection of mutually agreed upon cds. These are tunes we both enjoy and have little problem listening to over and over again. On our latest road trip, I managed to sneak in a best of Stephanie Mills collection and that went over well enough to become part of the permanent rotation. But when I dropped a best of Aretha collection on ole boy and tried to get him to join me in a "Freeway of Love" sing-along, he wasn't having it. Though, I think I heard my son humming in the backseat to "Chain, Chain, Chain" so there may still be hope (smile).

The following is currently the mutually agreed list of tunes we listen to when we set out on long road trips:

1) Next Exit (Grover Washington, Jr.)

2) Cache (Kirk Whalum)

3) Hang Suite . . . & . . . Now (Maxwell)

4) Ride (Boney James)

5) What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)

6) Best of Smooth Jazz (Vols.1-4; Various Artists; Warner Bros)

7) When Skies Are Grey (Ron Carter)

8) Bill Withers (Greatest Hits)

9) Kemistry . . . & . . . Kem II (Kem)

10) Bang!Zoom (Bobby McFerrin)

11) Always & Forever: The Classics (Luther Vandross)

Of course, had it been left to me, there would have been some Common, Coltrane, Miles, Badu, Jaguar Wright, Ndegeocello, India Arie, Jill Scott, Raheem DeVaughn, some old Isley Brothers and Al Green, some Heather Headley, Cassandra Wilson, some Lauryn Hill, a bit of T.I and the list goes on . . .

So, what do you listen to when you are on the road?

THURSDAY 13 . . . MY 13 FAVORITE CONCERTS . . .

I've never really had the desire to participate in a meme before, but Malcolm over at Pop Culture Dish inspired me. After reviewing his 13 favorite concerts, music-lover that I am, I decided to list my own 13. The following are some of my favorite concerts, though in no particular order . . . well, except for Prince ones (smile). Unlike Malcolm, I'm horrible at remembering years--so, my list doesn't include any.

1) Prince, Vanity 6 & The Time I was a BIG Prince fan, back in the day. This is probably my all-time favorite concert. Those folks put on one HELL of a SHOW.

2) Prince & Shelia E. The hubby (who back then was the boyfriend) and I camped out all night for this show. We bought tickets for ourselves and about 10 of our friends and relatives.

3) Al Jarreau The hubby and I have seen Jarreau several times. My favorite show was an outdoor concert on Mud Island (in Memphis). There was a light rain and a breeze coming off the Mississippi River that night . . . and I was young, in love and sipping on wine coolers (smile).

4) B. B. King I saw B. B. up close and personal (front row seats) on Beale Street and in a club bearing his name, no less.

5) Phyllis Hyman and Kirk Whalum Whalum is a hometown (Memphis) boy who can blow one heck of a bad sax. I saw up on stage one night with the late, great Phyllis Hyman.

6) Grover Washington I was blessed to see the late Mr. Washington in a small club in Memphis one night. He was extremely personable and a great performer.

7) Rachelle Ferrell, Will Downing and Jonathan Butler Yes, I'm a a jazz fan. Loved the show, but I'm still mad that Rachelle and Will didn't sing their duet.

8) Stephanie Mills I saw her years ago at the Mid-South Fair in Memphis. I don't think she gets the credit she deserves. Sistergirl has some chops.

9) Maze All I can say is, the haze and the contact high was something else (smile).

10) George Benson Another one of those great outdoor concerts on Mud Island.

11) Jeffrey Osborne Even after all of these years, I'd love to see him again.

12) Cameo I still have the poster my hubby bought me at the show.

13) Maxwell and Angie Stone What can I say . . . Angie was cool, but Maxwell is MY BOY!

POP CULTURE MUSINGS . . . OLD SCHOOL MIX STYLE . . .

1) Am I the only one who agrees with J. Anthony Brown (of Tom Joyner fame) that most of today's young, female R & B singers sound (and often look) like roosters on crack?

2) Am I the only one who finds it ironic (if not highly questionable and wrong) that the only two couples on Grey's Anatomy who are NEVER seen getting any play are the two, married African American couples?

3) Does anyone besides me ever wonder why there aren't more brothers (African Amercian males), who can actually sing (like a Reuben Studdard) making it into the early (much less the final) rounds of American Idol?

4) Is anyone besides me cheering the August 7th release of Soul Food - The Second Season on dvd! Dag, it's about time . . .

5) Am I the only one who thinks both R. Kelly and Avant look like they ought to be wearing some really thick a$$ prescription glasses?

6) Am I the only one who prays the Queen of Soul (Aretha) never suffers a Janet Jackson-like wardrobe malfunction?

7) Does anyone besides me think the rapper T.I. puts you in mind of a light-skinned Rakim (from Eric B. and Rakim fame)?

8) Does anyone besides me think Prince has gotten prettier (better looking) with age?

9) Am I the only one who wonders what Al Sharpton, Verdine White, Nick Simpson, Michael Jackson and his royal badness, Prince, would look like without a perm?

10) Am I the only one who has found herself being threatened with bodily harm (and by a relative, no less) when I merely pointed out that quite often when Mary J. sings live, she sounds flat and off key?

11) Does anyone besides me pray that Lauryn Hill gets it together and comes back out strong?

12) Does anyone besides me think "blue-eyed" R & B singers from back in the day like Tina Marie, Jon B., Lisa Stansfield and hell, even Boz Scaggs and the Hall & Oates sounded way more soulful and authentic than folks like Joss S., Justin T. and Amy W.? I mean, come on now, I'm just saying . . .

Anyway . . . what do you think? (smile)

ALL OF THE POPULAR TV SHOWS . . . I'VE NEVER WATCHED

I'm probably one of the few who wasn't too terribly miffed by the way the HBO series "The Sopranos" ended. But I'm also probably one of the few with a television, cable and working electricity who never watched a single episode of the series. It wasn't anything personal or even a matter of taste, I just never carved out the time required to watch an entire epioside and as a result find myself hooked.

In general, I'm not big fan of television. Given a choice I'd rather see a movie, go to a play, listen to some music, read a good book, talk on the phone, work on a writing project . . . okay, do just about anything other than plop down in front of the tube with remote in hand. Perhaps, in another post I'll delve into the reasons behind my lack of a TV habit.

The end of "The Sopranos" prompted me to think about the number of other popular television shows I've never watched as well as those I currently and consistently opt to take a pass on when I do sit down and snuggle up with the remote.

Some of the more popular shows (both old & new) I've never watched an entire episode of include:

1) CSI (nope, none of them)

2) The Flava of Love (after tuning in for a few minutes I realized that I gag too easily to ever be a fan of this show)

3) Miami Vice

4) Dallas (still don't know who shot JR and don't really care)

5) Beverly Hills 90210 (rich kids with problems have never interested me)

6) Frasier (sorry, I wasn't big on Cheers either)

7) Everybody Loves Raymond (except for me, I guess)

8) Judging Amy (just never made time to watch it)

9) Murphy Brown

10) Hill Street Blues

11) ER (don't like blood or hospitals)

12) Friends

13) The Fresh Prince (Will Smith's goofiness has always been a turn off)

14) Wayan Brothers (again, the goofiness factor turned me off)

15) Lost (Actually, I saw part of an episode and enjoyed it. But the 2nd time I tried to watch, I give-up midway through. I was too lost to enjoy it.)

16) Star Trek (Never watched any of the "new" ones. Of course, I enjoyed the original back in the day.)

17) Dukes of Hazzard (oh, please)

18) WKRP In Cincinnati

19) Cagney & Lacey

20) Family Matters

21) The Jamie Foxx Show

Oh no, this is hardly the half of them. These are just among the first to come to mind. I doubt if too many folks have a list quite as extensive as my own, but I'm sure there is something on the boob-tube that everybody and their mama seems to rave over, but thus far you've managed to avoid. If you feel like sharing your pics, or commenting on my list of "never watched" shows, be my guest.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS . . . Books You Want To Read (Or You've Tried To Read) But Can't Seem To Finish . . .

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a large pile, bookshelf full or hidden stash of unread books. The majority of those books are probably titles you fully intend to read, but just haven't found time for yet. You probably also have quite a few that are just for "show" or reference, if you will--books you look at or flip through, every now and again, but don't feel the need to read from cover to cover. And then there are always those books that you honestly don't know how in the heck found their way into your possession and that you wouldn't read unless your life depended on it.

But how many of you are willing to 'fess up to owning books that you want to read, that you've tried to read and that your know durn well you oughta read, but for whatever reason, you've failed everytime you've attempted to do so?

Well, what follows, I'm NOT proud to say, are the top 3 on my List of Unfinished Books.

1) Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)

As I mentioned over at the BookSeller Chic's blog, I've been trying to read this book since I was a kid. Seriously, the first attempt was like in the 9th or 10th grade. The second attempt was probably 3 0r 4 years later, when my brother was assigned the book in school. I've even tried watching the doggone movie . . . hmm, never made it through that either. As much as I truly do enjoy the way this book begins, I'm not sure why I can't seem to make it more than halfway through the story before I toss it aside. Must be some sort of weird, psychological block. Or could be, it's just too doggone long.

2) The Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)

Yes, I know this is a truly shameful confession. What self-respecting, supposedly well-read, Black woman, writer-wanna-be, over the age of 35 hasn't read THE INVISIBLE MAN? Ahh . . . me. Yes, I do understand the beauty, the depth and the significance of the work. Believe me, I've tried to make myself finish it and will, no doubt, try again one day. But there's something about the story that just won't grab and hold my attention. I'm not sure, but ADD is a good possibility . . .

3) The Salt Eaters (Toni Cade Bambara)

Once again, y'all . . . I am so ashamed. As much as I adore GORILLA, MY LOVE, you'd think THE SALT EATERS would be an easy read for me to tackle. Not so. Every 7 years or so, I pick up this book and vow to read my way to the end, only to give up somewhere in the middle. I think the problem is, I just don't "get it." Okay, this last time ( 2 years ago or so) I came a little closer to understanding it than in previous years, but apparently not enough to wanna keep plowing through. Other than THE SALT EATERS, the only other book I've ever felt compelled to slam against a wall is Flannery O'Connor's WISE BLOOD. But even the latter I managed to finish and without wanting to choke somebody.

So, those are my 3. Anyone else feel like 'fessing up?

FIVE FAVORITE ALBUMS OF ALL TIME . . . NARROWING THEM DOWN . . .

A couple of weekends ago, the hubby passed me an article from his weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal (January 20-21, 2007). I don't know where I've been, but I didn't know the WSJ published a weekend edition. Anyway, the article was in the paper's music section (huh, the WSJ has a music section too?) and it dealt with Smokey Robinson's top five favorite albums of all time.

At the top of Smokey's list of albums was none other than one of my all time favorites, Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' (1971). I wasn't surprised by that pick. I'd dare say you'd be hard pressed to find any true-blue, socially conscious R & B fan who doesn't appreciate the raw, bitter soulfulness of Marvin's 'What's Going On'. Even as a teen, I seldom made it through the entire album with tearing up at some point.

Now, Smokey's next choice, Carole King's 'Tapestry' (1971) did come as a bit of a surprise. I can't say that I've ever really sampled any of Ms. King's work, but I trust Smokey's taste and if he says it's a winner, I'm willing to roll with him. Also, the fact that the album sold more than 10 million copies and won four Grammy awards, is an indication that a lot of other folks agree with him.

Third on SR's list was 'Talking Book' (1972) by Stevie Wonder. Why I don't own his album or cd is a mystery to me. Actually, I'm pretty sure the fact that my folks never owned it, and therefore I couldn't steal . . . I mean borrow it from them is a big part of why I don't currently own a copy. I do intend to rectify that situation ASAP! And rest assured, I have heard and do love much of the music from that album, including "Superstitution" and "You Are The Sunshine of My Life."

Coming in at number four on SR's list was Natalie Cole's 'Unforgettable With Love' (1991). I can't say that I'm a big fan of Ms. Cole's voice. Some of her early work was all right, but she generally sounds like she's whining and singing through her nose to me. But if I were to buy any of her work, I'd probably choose 'Unforgettable' too.

Last on Smokey's list was an album, I'm ashamed to say, I didn't even know existed! Maxwell's Ascension (Never Wonder) 1996 was released shortly before his platinum-selling, full length 'Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite' (1996). I'm a HUGE Maxwell fan, so how this got past me is a mystery. 'Ascension' only contains six tracks and I've probably heard them, but I need to own that bad boy . . . Anyway, the fact that it made Smokey's top five, is interesting. As much as I truly love me some Maxwell, I can't say that I would put him in my top five . . . possibly my top ten, but not my top five of ALL-TIME.

What would I include on my top five list of albums? Good question. I know I once said if I were ever on a deserted island and could only listen to 3 albums, they would be the following by Marvin Gaye, 'What's Going On', (1971) 'Let's Get It On' (1973) and 'I Want You' (1976). But you know, after reviewing Smokey's list, I think I'd like to make a few tweaks to my own top 5.

Certainly, at the top of my list, just like Smokey's would be Marvin's 'What's Going On' (1971). According to Smokey, Marvin told him the album was written by God. I don't doubt it. Divine inspiration is all up in that bad boy.

Next would probably be something by Aretha . . . either 'I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You' (1967) (I'll be dog if my mama didn't play the heck out of this album when I was growing up) or else Sister Ree's gospel classic 'Amazing Grace'.

Of course, I'd have to have some jazz. My first choice would be 'Kind of Blue' (1959) by Miles Davis, which contains my all time favorite jazz tune 'Blue In Green.' Just recently I learned a couple of interesting facts about the album 'Kind of Blue': it was recorded in just 2 days and it's the best-selling jazz album of all time. As messed up as Miles was, his genius for music is undeniable.

My next jazz choice would be Kirk Whalum's 'Cache' (1993). For those of you who don't know, (you durn well oughta) brother Whalum is a tener saxophonist with Memphis roots. 'Cache' is one of those cds the hubby and I enjoy listening to when we take our road trips. My favorite cuts on the album are 'Fragile' (which was written by Sting) and 'Love is A Losing Game.'

The last selection on my list . . . and I know those of you who have been counting are saying, hey that's 6, but no, I'm counting my Aretha selection as 1 (smile) . . . the last selection is one a lot of folks, even those who think they know me, will find odd. 'Bang!Zoom' (1995) by Bobby McFerrin rounds out my top five. And before you go there, NO, this is none of that sickning, 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' crap.

The album/cd 'Bang!Zoom' is nothing like that. There's something pure and almost tribal about the way McFerrin uses his voice as an instrument on this album. It owns the distinction of being another one of those rare albums that the hubby and I are in mutual agreement about and listen to when we're on the road. When our son was a toddler and we were still cutting his hair and using our kitchen as a makeshift barbershop, we'd always start by popping 'Bang!Zoom' into the cd player. I think because it was soothing. My favorite song on the album has to be 'Freedom Is A Voice'.

The title alone says it all (smile), especially for those of us who have struggled to have our voices heard.

So, think about it for a moment. What are your top 5 favorite albums of all time? If you're open to sharing, tell us about your list in the OSM's comment section.