Every once in awhile, the Pencil Storm Editorial Board publishes a column of e-mail journalism, i.e. Grown Men E-Mailing One Another About Some Rock & Roll Topic Even THEY Don’t Care Much About, and then we subject our readers to said opinions. Today’s subject - such as it is - is yacht rock.
Colin Gawel
From:@gmail.com
To: Jeremy Porter
Cc: Ric Cacchione
Sat, Mar 8 at 12:34 PM
Sounds good! I missed Erica and Aaron Lee Tasjan for…. Yachtopia at the Rumba Cafe. Something Erin’s friends planned and I committed to months ago.
Every single song played by the band I would turn off in five seconds. But the band was good and folks were loving it.
Also, I’d never heard “Baker Street” live and today at the coffee shop I learned Ambrosia are dudes and not chicks. Who knew?
Ricki, this show would be your worst nightmare.
Jeremy Porter
From: @gmail.com
To: Colin Gawel
Cc: Ric Cacchione
Sat, Mar 8 at 1:51 PM
This is hilarious.
I love a lot of yacht rock, but not all.
Ricki C.
From:@sbcglobal.net
To: Colin Gawel, Jeremy Porter
Sat, Mar 8 at 3:59 PM
Colin - Actually, having to sit through an hour of bluegrass would be my worst nightmare. Sometimes I can get through 3 or 4 songs just kind of admiring the artistry of how complex bluegrass is, but I still hate banjoes of any kind with a passion.
Other genres of music I hate more than yacht rock - (in order from worst to "best") reggae (all sounds the same to me, just like bluegrass) / English synth pop / any other synth pop / rap & any modern "pop" music / modern country music.
Actually I hate pretty much anything not played on electric or acoustic guitars with drums, playing actual rock & roll.
Old song lyric of mine - "I love Willie Nelson / I love Iggy Pop / I love anybody who doesn't know when to stop / Playin' action-packed rock & roll / Action-packed rock & roll."
Also, any songs with shitty lyrics (or zero THOUGHT in the "lyrics," i.e. modern pop). I believe good/great lyrics can sometimes save a bad melody, but a great melody cannot save bad lyrics.
We should do a combined blog sometime about our LEAST favorite forms of music.
Yacht rock not even close.
Ricki C.
ps. Best yacht rock song EVER! "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac. (And b-side of the single back in '76 - the Stevie Nicks-penned "Silver Springs" - pretty fucking great also.)
Jeremy Porter
From: gmail.com
To: Ric Cacchione
Cc: Colin Gawel
Sun, Mar 9 at 12:30 PM
I love Rumours but don't think "Go Your Own Way" is yacht rock. Some may disagree. "Dreams" and "Landslide" probably are.
Yacht Rock adjacent at best. xx
Jeremy Porter
From: @gmail.com
To: Ric Cacchione
Cc: Colin Gawel
Tue, Mar 11 at 3:18 PM
It does beg the question though - what exactly is Yacht Rock?
AI says:
a smooth, melodic genre of music that was prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Think of songs that blend elements of soft rock, jazz, and R&B, often characterized by lush production, catchy melodies, and sophisticated arrangements. Imagine relaxing on a luxury yacht with a gentle breeze and the sound of waves—Yacht Rock is the perfect soundtrack for that vibe.
Some of the quintessential Yacht Rock artists include:
Steely Dan: Known for their intricate arrangements and jazzy influences.
Michael McDonald: With his soulful voice, he contributed to the genre both as a solo artist and with the Doobie Brothers.
Toto: Their hit "Africa" is a classic example.
Christopher Cross: His song "Sailing" is often considered the epitome of Yacht Rock.
By that logic, my decree that GYOW is not yacht rock tracks. Frankly, it rocks too hard to be yacht rock.
I was going to review the HBO doc "Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary" for Pencil Storm but I couldn't get around to it. It wasn't a terrible documentary, but it was so honed in on Steely Dan and a couple other key players (McDonald and Cross) that I just felt the focus was way too narrow and I didn't get nearly as much out of it as I'd hoped. There was no mention of "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" or "Baker Street," both of which I'd call essential. I get that it was also centered on that podcast that sort of sparked the revival, and filmmakers are free to make the films they want to make, but I was hoping for a wider-sweeping study of the phenomenon, not a textbook history of Steely Dan and how they hate the tag.
Ric Cacchione
From: @sbcglobal.net
To: Jeremy Porter, Colin Gawel
Thu, Mar 13 at 10:51 AM
yeah, it kinda figures an AI would like Yacht Rock - no soul.......
YACHT ROCK
NOT YACHT ROCK
YACHT ROCK
NOT YACHT ROCK
YACHT ROCK
NOT YACHT ROCK