Mojo Workin'
The millenium "best of singers" list arrives
by Ron Wynn, Jim Ridley, and Bill Friskics-Warren
As the millennium draws nearer, the inevitable outpouring of lists naming the “best of” or “greatest ever” in fields from science to literature to sports has begun. Given the highly subjective nature of such exercises—and their inevitable biases and/or distortions—all you can be certain of when reading them is that they will alienate and anger far more people than they satisfy.
That was certainly the case when a group of literary “experts” selected the 100 best novels of the 20th century for the Modern Library a few months ago; the same was true of the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest films list, and controversy has engulfed Time magazine’s issues featuring their choices for the century’s greatest heroes in current events, sports, medicine, etc.
Now the British monthly Mojo, arguably the finest international pop music publication available, has entered the fray with its current issue dedicated to “The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time,” irrespective of category. Leaving aside the issue of how one can objectively compare, for instance, an opera diva, a soul shouter, a country interpreter, and a jazz stylist, the magazine didn’t turn to journalists or fans for their opinions. Instead, Mojo utilized a distinguished panel of 175 singers—from Vic Chesnutt to Elvis Costello, from Steve Earle to Rod Stewart, from Martha Reeves to R.L. Burnside.
The results are certain to ignite a furor on both sides of the Atlantic. Generally speaking, my own Top 20 choices would second most of the panel’s, though not necessarily in the order assigned. From 20 to 2, Mojo ranked Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, George Jones, Nina Simone, Hank Williams, Van Morrison, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Nat King Cole, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, John Lennon, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra. At No. 1: Aretha Franklin, who was selected by 57 of the 175 voters.
Eye-popping exclusions included Enrico Caruso, Barbra Streisand, Aaron Neville, R. H. Harris, Rev. James Blackwood, Marian Anderson, and Rev. Claude Jeter, just to name some personal favorites who missed the cut. Other results that aren’t easily digested include Louis Armstrong at 70 (!), Smokey Robinson at 67 (!!), and Bob Dylan tabbed ahead of Bing Crosby and just outside the top 10, surpassing Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and a host of others with far superior pure vocal instruments. You can find Mojo at Mosko’s, Tower, and other kiosks around town. Let the arguments begin.
—Ron Wynn
Towering Signal
Nashville doesn’t have a community radio station yet, but it has the next best thing: Vanderbilt’s excellent college station 91 Rock, WRVU-FM. The only major difference between 91 and the community-radio model espoused by groups like Radio Free Nashville is its lack of public access: only Vanderbilt students, faculty, and alumni may host a show there. In terms of programming, however, 91 takes risks no other Nashville station will dare—it defies the rigid formatting and lack of imagination (not to mention the virtual segregation) that keeps most local radio so mediocre.
91’s fall schedule brings back several long-running faves. Monday still carries the early-evening pairing of Mike Brill’s “Buster’s Ball” swing set and Karina Bull’s “Mad Pad” exotica show. Eric Watts’ cool “91 Soulsville” R&B show returns on Wednesday afternoon. The standard-setting Friday night block of hip-hop, reggae, and old-school funk continues as usual, while Sunday’s roots-music fest—which includes Traci Todd’s award-winning “George, the Bluegrass Show,” the “That’s All Folk” program, and the 25-year-old “91 Blues” show—remains unchanged. One of 91’s most popular recent additions, Friday morning’s alt-country “Blue Plate Revolution,” has become a fixture in its 8 a.m. drivetime slot.
To those, 91 adds such intriguing oddities as Tuesday night’s “With a Slam and Flick,” which layers snippets of everything from Miles Davis to Adolf Hitler. Sunday night’s “Origins of Hip-Hop,” hosted by 91 program director Eothen Alapatt (a.k.a. DJ Egon, host of Friday’s “911 Emergency”), corrals interviews with the likes of Hair composer Galt McDermott and film composer Lalo Schifrin. It’s followed by Brian Boling’s and Chris Davis’ dizzyingly eclectic shows, which range from krautrock to ’60s punk and audio collages.
If you’ve dreamed of a station where Bollywood pop and zydeco, local arts coverage and Grateful Dead tapings, and industrial clatter and pro-wrestling commentary can coexist peaceably, tune in to 91.1 on your FM dial. For a full schedule, drop by the Sarratt main desk or consult 91’s web site at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/wrvu.
—Jim Ridley
Farewell
Rockabilly singer “Groovy” Joe Poovey, 57, died in his sleep last week at his home in Dallas. Best known for writing “Ten Long Fingers” and “Move Around”—as well as several of Johnny Paycheck’s Little Darlin’ sides, including “He’s in a Hurry (To Get Home to My Wife)” and “The Late and Great Me”—Poovey regularly performed on The Big “D” Jamboree in Dallas from the early 1950s until the show closed in 1966. As “Johnny Dallas,” Poovey was also a popular North Texas deejay. A retrospective of his work, including his country recordings for the Simms and Little Darlin’ labels, is due out on Dragon Street Records early next year.
—Bill Friskics-Warren
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