The SATs.

I struggled with the analogy section on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). You viewed a pair of words, and then you were asked to choose from five other pairs of words which relationship most closely resembled that of the first pair.   For example, “Paltry is to significance as _______ is to _________.” where the blanks are the two words in one of the answer choices.

PALTRY : SIGNIFICANCE

A. redundant : discussion

B. austere : landscape

C. opulent : wealth

D. oblique : familiarity

E. banal : originality

For those scoring at home, the correct answer is E.  Now in light of the recent death of Prince, and listening to his music, I am left thinking about a musical analogy.  SouthSide Johnny & the Asbury Jukes is to Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band as Morris Day and The Time is to Prince.  The sound (a mix of soul & rock n roll), home cities (Minneapolis, MN & Asbury Park, NJ respectively) and of course multiple collaborations (live and in the studio).  I do not think these are examples of emulation or that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  To say the least, the music left behind by Prince and the catalog of songs that continue to live with Springsteen are on another level.  However, I believe that there can be a time and place in which music can do something more than overlap. 

There has always been talk of there being a “Seattle sound” (aka grunge music) which revolved around Seattle's independent record label Sub Pop, but if you look at the different bands of that 1990s era, they do not embody the same analogy. I do not believe that Nirvana's “Nevermind”, Pearl Jam's “Ten”, Soundgarden's “Badmotorfinger” or Alice in Chains' “Dirt” fit together like Bruce Springsteen does on the Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes 1991 album, “Better Days” or even the Prince produced Morris Day and The Time’s 1981 album “The Time”. 

When I listen to the song, “Cool” and close my eyes, I feel that I could be listening to Prince.  I am now unable to listen to Sinead O’Connor’s version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” without thinking of the Prince (with Rosie Gaines) version that was eventually released.  Then there is the seamlessness of Springsteen & SouthSide John Lyon’s voices on “It’s Been a Long Time”  and knowing that they each happily know the next line coming in the song.  Or that it will never be too long before they both grace the stage at the legendary Stone Pony.

I will never know why Morris Day and John Lyon did not reach the same heights as their musical counterparts, but in light of their being so many tribute bands around these days, it is nice to know that the music will live on.  And of course to bring it full circle, Bruce Springsteen opened his recent performance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with Prince’s epic song, “Purple Rain”.  RIP – Prince Rogers Nelson. 

           

Thanks for reading.