Yacht Rock
Listen and laugh, listen ironically or just listen. Or simply listen because it’s great music.
Listen and laugh, listen ironically or just listen — because it’s damn good music.
One day early, here is your Monday Morning Playlist.
As the summer concludes and you’re loading up the yacht to go celebrate Labor Day, be sure to bring your music.
Your Yacht Rock.
If you don’t have any, I’m here to help (can’t help with the yacht though).
Believe it or not, there was a time when FM radio stations played almost anything, cocaine wasn’t considered addictive and AIDS didn’t exist. Music was made and played for joy and wasn’t solely driven by the profit motive.
Yacht Rock is of that era. The sound channels the famous Laurel Canyon sound that begat CSN (sometimes Y), Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, etc. Not quite the ‘60s and not yet all in the ‘80s, Yacht Rock is nestled in the ‘70s…give or take. I suspect Yacht Rock was meant to be more cheeky than derogatory. In either case, it failed. Yacht Rock is kinda cool.
If you’ve ever been to the dentist (and I hope you have) the odds are good you’ve heard these songs. If you’re younger and your parents are Baby Boomers or Gen X’ers, you may see them get a slight smile as their eyes glide off into the distance when some of these songs play.
That said, it doesn’t mean these songs are bad. Quite the contrary.
These songs include:
One written by Neil Young
More than one errant Doobie Brother
A band whose album cover was designed by a pre-SNL Phil Hartman and loaded with guys who helped shape the Laurel Canyon sound
Actress Katy Segal (Married with Children, Sons of Anarchy) sang back-up for one of the bands
Arguably the most recognizable sax solo in popular music
One has a xylophone — for some reason
An artist who was high school and college friends with Steve Miller
One artist who played the sister to Fonzi’s one true love on Happy Days (who may or may not have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury from the Malachi Brothers)
One band is named after a dildo
Another band is led by the guy who was the Engineer on the fourth best selling record of all time
Another band served, more or less, as the de facto band on the best selling album of all time
In other words, none of these artists are hacks.
I will admit that collectively these artists may have snorted most of Colombia or be somewhere between the first and twelfth step and have probably been embroiled in more lawsuits than President Donald Trump.
But no judgment here.
I’ll also concede that these artists collectively may have millions of albums and singles sold, some are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (if that matters) and others have more artistic and industry credibility than any modern artist could hope for.
Sure, some of the songs may be a little cheesy, but that doesn’t necessarily make them bad. Does it?
No. Not at all: