A medium-sized tangent to start things off (before the main topic of Labi Siffre):
There are those who listen to the music before the lyrics, and then there are those who need serviceable lyrics before they jump on-board with a song. Everyone leans in one of these directions, yet it’s certainly never cut and dry. It’s a slowly-peeled discovery to find the direction a person gravitates, and always an illuminating discovery. You can probe by asking some questions, though it’s never very fun to just come right out and ask somebody what they are picking-up first – the music or the lyrics.
Nevertheless, it’s a fundamental aspect of listening to music that perhaps many people don’t ask themselves, or ask one another. For me, it’s a basic yet crucial question to ask oneself, and can be quite revealing of personality. Whether it’s a spotlight on your own personality or someone you are close to, or even just a person whom you actually take stock in their musical opinion, there is often something to be gleaned from the answer. What may be gathered is the possible musical preferences of someone from the past as well as indicators for the future, and can be either the slightest or largest illuminator of someone’s musical tendencies, which is indelibly linked to a person’s greater identity and personality.
To determine which way someone leans, I’ve found there are some handy shortcuts you can take – especially if the person you are talking with enjoys Hip-Hop. With a Hip-Hop fan, especially in today’s polarizing state of the genre, you can ask very quickly which artists they like and get a sense of whether lyrics or music matter more. Sure transcendent artists like Kendrick Lamar can muddy the waters because they come consistently with both. However, if you get artists like the A$AP Mob, Drake, Post Malone, 21 Savage, Migos, Travis Scott, or any of the collection of mumble rappers out there as your answer, chances are you are talking to a music first person. The cadence of the rapper, the mood/attitude, and style of sound are defining factors for them. If you get an answer like Jay-Z, Eminem, Chance the Rapper, Joyner Lucas, Kid Cudi, Logic, Joey Bada$$, or Pusha T, you are more than likely talking with a “lyrics first” guy or gal. Of course, these are steep generalizations, yet they can come in handy when trying to make a simple point. I know the way I am wired, at the very least when it comes to music, as I’ve wandered in many a deep and introspective session of music exploration; I am resoundingly a music-first man.
Yes, I can conclude with complete certainty I lean heavily to that side – always have and probably always will. But what does this say about me? What are the greater assumptions to be made? Not really sure, yet it is a curious aspect of personality to consider. It often takes three or four listens to the same song before I am really listening to the words probably because I am so heavily consumed in the mood and atmosphere of the sound and then in the emotion and attitude of the vocals. So maybe on that third or fourth listen do I start to even begin to care to understand the words, or the lyrics as a composition. Is there a message in the song, are there lyrical themes, or even skill in the wordplay? I’m not drinking the coffee till I’ve gotten the cream and sugar mix figured out and given a couple spoon swirls. For some strange reason (and I may be on an extreme pole in this aspect), I’m fixated on the musical statement and sound production for a great long while before the lyrics have an inkling of import.
Perhaps it’s also in the way the song is crafted and produced; does the artist deliberately place the lyrics front and center or is the music emphasized and the singing tucked behind a wall of sound? The reverb-heavy and distorted vocals of many Indie Rock bands are case in point for the music-first espousers. Listen to a group like Youth Lagoon, Woods, or even bigger bands like The Black Keys, and you will start to understand the musical reference and nostalgia within the sound are more important than any of the words. Compare that against singer-songwriters or Folk artists who often have the vocals as crystal clear and up-front as possible. With these forms of music there is generally a simple guitar strum or basic melody gently rocking in the middle distance like a piece of driftwood behind the heady waves of words.
Now the reason I bring all of this up is to say that even when an artist or band is trying their absolute best to make me listen to the lyrics first- to feel emotion through the words and lyrical sentiment- I am resisting and latching onto just the inflection in the voice. In all sincerity I am probably vaguely present with the lyrics and mostly just attune to the dissonance or synchronicity within the spirit of the music.
My effort to ignore the lyrics is rarely futile. Only on the rarest of occasions have there been exceptions to the norm. I reckon it takes a special kind of songwriter, one that writes a song with such lyrical heft and concerted meaning in the words I can’t ignore the lyrics.
This brings up the unbelievable artist Labi Siffre, and his underrated Folk and Soul masterpieces. I was listening to a Spotify playlist curated by the excellent modern band Whitney, and two tracks jumped out to me, and in particular the beautiful songwriting. The two songs were “Cannock Chase” and “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying”.
The first track I heard, which coincidently comes quite early in the album is the song above, “Cannock Chase”. I didn’t understand the title so I had to look it up, whereupon I discovered it is a heavily forested area of English countryside. From this point it wasn’t too far of a jump to assume Labi is a British artist, which was quickly confirmed after a bit of online research. Born to a British mother and a Nigerian father, Siffre had a complex career of many different musical forms, artistic departures, peaks and valleys. He started off as a Jazz guitarist moving in the circles of musicians in the Jazz club circuit of Soho London before releasing solo work in the early 70s, including his eponymous debut in 1970, The Singer and The Song (1971), and the masterpiece Crying Laughing Loving Lying in 1972. All three of these albums are decidedly more Folk than the Jazz-Funk fusion displayed in some of his other work in the 70’s. Indeed, Siffre enjoyed a resurgence in the late 90’s and 2000’s when Hip-Hop artists started sampling his work, most notably Eminem and Miguel’s use of the insanely catchy bass and drum beat from “I Got The…..”, a Jazz Fusion song on his genre-defying album Remember My Song (1975), which is also an incredibly underrated and masterful album. This song and it’s connection to Eminem’s record-breaking track “My Name Is” was mentioned in one of my previous posts. Remember My Song jumps around, between songs showcasing his bona fides as a Jazz pianist, and as a composer with songs that blend Rock, Funk, and Soul, yet there are several really beautiful Singer-Songwriter type tracks like “Old Time Song” and “Another Year” also on the album.
But the real focus should be on Labi Siffre’s album Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972) and how it has inexplicably drifted within the undercurrents for so long. Yes, Labi Siffre as a musician deserves more praise, but specifically this album deserves more. He shares some similarities to another under-the-radar artist I discussed in a previous post, Rodriguez, in the sense they are both gifted songwriters who place urgent lyricism high in the mix. Parallels can also be drawn to Simon & Garfunkel, the hushed and pacifying vocals and overtures within the chorus, and that may be true, but I will insist this album deserves the same accolades as an album like Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970). It’s also no wonder a band like Whitney, who obviously celebrate the great heritage of Folk music and Soft Rock from the 70’s, would choose to highlight this artist in their Spotify playlist, because this is an album featuring warm pastoral tunes that have inspired many modern bands, especially the ones with appreciation of past virtuosos. The title track below, much like “Cannock Chase”, lead with pristine vocals that allow the tremendous songwriting to shine, yet both also let tender melodies to mix-in, accompanying the vocals perfectly. “Cannock Chase” is a flawless track for its ability to take both horn and orchestral arrangements that neither bely or outshine the vocals, which stand sturdy even without the musical support. “Crying Laughing Loving Lying” is more straightforward musically, with some sumptuous guitar-picking serving as a backbone, complemented by flourishes of bluesy earth-toned electric guitar. The guitars playing second to the vocals is completely understandable, when considering the mesmerizing quality of the lyrical composition.
These songs just make me feel all sorts of tender, even when I don’t want to. You try to be a stoic, uncompromising man and these gorgeous songs come up to you like a warm blanket and drape your shoulders. The reassuring, melodic vocals feel like a safe place, a nurturing bosom- they are unequivocally lush, rustic, and elegant. Most importantly, I could not ignore the lyrics. Whether it was the strange and contradictory combination of urgency and reassuring calmness in his voice, or the actual content of the lyrics, I was completely involved in the meaning of the words from the first listen.
Curiously, this album reminds me of another gem that just happens to have a similar style and tone, from the same period and with similar album artwork: Bill Withers’ incomparable album Just As I Am (1971). Both albums share the same lyrical prowess, musical warmth, and soulful intertwining of Folk, R&B, beatific imagery, and pastoral soundscapes. Bill Withers is also sampled quite often, as you may recognize the guitar and humming on “Grandma’s Hands”, which were famously sampled in Blackstreet’s “No Diggity”.
Again back to Crying Laughing Loving Lying: this album deserves a full listen, and works remarkably well either played late at night in a dark living room, illuminated with the hushed glow of a single lamp. It works equally well in the broad and glaring sunlight of summer dusk or an autumnal afternoon. Either way, this is a beautiful album, cohesive and expertly-crafted all the way through.
Here are a few more goodies, as well as a link to the entire album
Most people will probably recognize the sweet and tender song “My Song” below. A gem, also from this gem of an album.
You might also recognize that it has been sampled by Kanye West on his song “I Wonder”
Another couple of songs from other Labi Siffre albums showcasing his great songwriting abilities. “Bless the Telephone” is a simple acoustic number, short and sweet. “Rocking Chair” showcases Labi’s more bluesy and skilled guitar work. To be completely honest, The Singer and The Song (1971), his album prior to Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972), is another classic that dare I say is almost as good, but not quite, as I think Crying Laughing Loving Lying is a more cohesive and honed album.
Also, the aforementioned Spotify playlist by Whitney is worth a casual stroll as it is quite lovely – a mix of Folk, Blues, Jazz, Garage Rock, and Soft Rock and everything in between.
