SynchroniciWog #7: Broken Toy

On August 2 I posted SynchroniciWog #1; since then I’ve created nine more, and this week’s wog is number 7 (hey, nobody said I had to do them in synchronilogical order!). This one is based on Keane’s moody ballad from Under the Iron Sea, Broken Toy. This set is for moderate and brisk walking only, though all the songs are from the current millennium, and all are melody-oriented and echo darkly around the edges. Highlights, IMHO, including powerwalking to Coldplay’s White Shadows and gliding across Snow Patrol’s The Golden Floor. Strap on your skis at Podwogging.com.

Grungie Chords

That the 90s was an anxious, rage-filled decade can be shown by popular music. Besides Rap, Rock embraced a stunningly raw singer named Curt Cobain and his band Nirvana, with a dark, sometimes depressing spirit that dared look inner pain in the face and not blink. Nirvana was just the start of a whole slew of Seattle groups, including Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots, who brought Grunge into the national musical consciousness. Cobain’s suicide put a damper on the movement, but there’s no denying his influence on the decade, especially on groups like Radiohead. This week’s wog features 37 minutes of Grunge. If at all possible, enjoy. Find the list, pace times, etc. at Podwogging.com.

Neil Young: Wog of Gold

All the best folk-rockers morph more times than a Saturday morning cartoon, and venerable Neil Young is no exception. This Canadian always had his roots in country, way back to his days with Buffalo Springfield and CSN&Y, but it was as a solo performer that he has truly fulfilled his artistic vision. Controversial, unafraid of political or personal repercussions, he has doggedly pursued his craft for five decades, and we are all better for it. I can’t think of another North American singer-songwriter other than Bob Dylan who’s had his persistence, style, and musical dedication. This wog’s for you, Neil, at Podwogging.com.

Let’s Give ‘Em a Five

In addition to possessing a large cranium, the human animal is blessed with clever fingers and clever hands. Since musicians rely on these body parts as much as their sense of rhythm, it’s only natural that references to them would work their way into songs, either metaphorically or literally. This week’s wog features all songs in which fingers and hands play a part, either in the band name or song title. Among other offerings you’ll find Crazy Fingers by the Dead (ironically, Captain Jerry was missing one) and Too Many Hands by the Eagles, as well as songs by Powderfinger and Badfinger. This is also a very light walk...unless, of course, you choose to walk on your hands. Get the skinny at Podwogging.com.

Affirmative, Captain

Few bands have reinvented themselves so successfully as the Yes, the architects of some of the most complex (some say most bombastic) British Progressive Rock from the 1970s. Not even Pink Floyd could match them for obscure, mystical lyrics or the eclectic mashing of baroque, hard rock, and cosmic noodling. But by the 80s, with disco, funk and New Wave having taken over, Yes changed their tune with the critically-acclaimed album 90125, and followed that up with a similar offering with Big Generator. Though they remained solidly progressive, they added catchy melodies and more consistent rhythms.

But Yes rose to fame on the strength of 1972’s Fragile, and this week’s wog includes three songs from that spectacular album as well as the epic Siberian Khatru from their mind-blowing album Close to the Edge. Sometimes the beat gets lost in the musical epiphanies, but for the most part these songs provide enough rhythm for a wog through a river running right over your head. Dive in at Podwogging.com.

Get It Together And Wog, Man.

Farm out, right arm, out of space! Here’s a trip back to the days when everyone was sick of the Pigs and the Oppressive War and just wanted to hang out and get back to the land and make the scene. Some say the ill-starred Altamont Concert was the death knell of the hippies, but the desire to pursue a simpler life according to youthful ideals continued well into the 70s…even to today, in fact. So this week’s wog features songs steeped in that ethos, by such groups as Canned Heat, the Youngbloods, the Rascals, and the inimitable Thunderclap Newman. And hey, say hi to your old lady, okay? From Podwogging.com.

LA Harmonic Convergence

The Mamas and the Papas were one of the first groups to drag 60s folk music kicking and screaming into pop stardom. Their hummable (and woggable) melodies bopped along with great harmonies, and while their sound dated rather quickly, they’re still an enjoyable listen if you’re burned out on metal or rap. This week’s wog is rather lightweight and only 33 minutes, but if you want to relax you could do worse. Find the list at Podwogging.com.

This week I’ll be taking a break from wogging and the next post will be in two weeks.