By Loud Atlas
Walk down the street and you probably don't realise the talents that your fellow humans possess. Magicians, sword swallowers, photographers, interpreters, snake milkers – the whole gamut of human experience is out there. Some people are naturally blessed with their talent, while others hone a craft over decades and use their genius for (hopefully) the greater good.
This last week our talented community of music afficionados nominated a range of songs about talents and geniuses. Some are well-known, and others not quite, as we shall hear.
I'm easily pleased by a talented radio DJ who can talk over a long introduction and then have everything wrapped up just in time for the artist to sing their first word. It can be a little annoying if it's a great intro (the longer version of "Bat Out of Hell" springs to mind), but it works wonderfully well with songs that linger and gradually build just like our first track.
It's not hard to work out who the "Little Albert" is of our opening number from Sparks. He, of world-changing theories and sticky-out tongue fame, is Herr Einstein himself. His extended family are pushing his parents to think about the bright future the lad has, convincing them that his Talent Is An Asset. A proper genius. Clever punning in there too.
Having a talent or natural gift can be a blessing and a curse. Hooray for all that enjoyment and satisfaction in pursuing a new potentially lucrative hobby. But as spiritually and soulfully fulfilling as it can be, now that you've been noticed, what next? Being labelled as a rising star (or an Up and Comer) can add a lot of pressure, as we hear from the self-conscious rockers Sprints.
Some people's musical talents don't just transform themselves but can leave an indelible mark on a genre or part of the world, too. Here Tony Allen & Hugh Masekala pay tribute to their old friend in Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same). Fela Kuti was one of those musicians who was a pioneer of his genre and also a social and cultural linchpin. That's pretty genius.
Where one genius exists, another is surely to follow eventually, influencing further generations down the line. Niña Pastori remarks on the misunderstood Genios ("Geniuses") of Paganini and Chopin (who were "creators of a new feeling"). They've inspired the likes of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, she proclaims. In all the translations I've read through, though, I can't work out who the singer is mentioned here: "and someone who maybe cried listening to David Seed". If you know, drop me a line. Clearly Dave has a talent for flying under the radar!
Digging musically into one's own ego in a reflective way takes quite the talent. Kendrick Lamar raps his way through his past lives – reportedly John Lee Hooker and Dinah Washington or Billie Holiday, depending on the source – and how he's been Reincarnated into who he is today. The most recent carnation of himself is rapper at the top of his game, before conversing with God who encourages him to use his gifts and talents for good. Lyrically dense, as ever, and fascinating too.
And from one distinct style of rapping to another. Perhaps the Einstein of the classical music world, Mozart was a child prodigy in 18th-century Vienna (he famously wrote his first piece, "Minuet in G (KV 1)", aged five). Fast forward a couple of hundred years and Austrian new wave artist Falco paid tribute to him in his own novel way. Rock Me Amadeus is about as gloriously genre-bending as it gets.
Give a sportsperson a pitch, a field, an open space and bat, ball or shuttlecock and no doubt they'll gladly show off their talents. Our Don Bradman celebrates the über-talented Australian cricketer in this charmingly crisp 1930s song, sung here by Len Maurice. One of the greatest who ever lived across any sport, he clearly was very good at what he did. And if you're into this kind of thing, his Test batting average of 99.94 is perhaps one of the greatest sporting achievements ever recorded.
Another contender for greatest sportsperson ever is Diego Maradona, Argentinian genius on the football pitch, but flawed character off it. La Vida Tómbola ("Life Is A Tombola") explores how he was adored during a game, and revered for his power and influence elsewhere ("If I were Maradona I would appear on Mondovision / To tell FIFA that they are the big thief"). Manu Chao's song was used in the 2019 documentary of the late footie star.
A man dedicated to the development of the Manchester music scene, Tony Wilson used his talents to sign the likes of Joy Division, New Order and The Happy Mondays. His premature death led Mike Garry to write a poem which was then set to music by Joe Duddell called St. Anthony: An Ode To Anthony H. Wilson. He left quite the legacy behind (the spoken word song itself mentions many a talented person, and check out the video as well!).
An incarcerated talent is the subject of our next song from Courtney Marie Andrews. She sings of receiving Paintings From Michael and ponders on the creativity of someone who lives on the vulnerable margins of society. A moving and thought-provoking song, with lovely piano much like the Joni Mitchell of old.
Talents are everywhere, but perhaps not where you think they are. Sometimes they can come literally spewing out, like in Amateur Rappers, where one can become a comedian of tasteful/less jokes and even develop a hypothetical talent to train dogs in a post-apocalyptic world. The talent of rapping is gloriously sent up in this meta-like weird and wonderful song from The Burning Hell. Extra-long video warranted!
Bo Diddley's quite the cocksure young man. Not only proficient at twanging his iconic square guitar in the most rhythmic way possible, he's also The Greatest Lover In The World to top it all off. What a guy.
To finish we'll hear what it is To Be Young, Gifted and Black. The song was inspired by Nina Simone's late friend, the playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry. In this live version recorded for her Black Gold album she gives more context to her feelings about performing the song, which I think adds a new dimension to it. To combine this fine tribute to her friend and create a song to speak across generations is frankly a pretty genius idea. Clever clogs.
Over in the B List, you'll hear more songs about talents and genius, including: a famous bridge builder, an exiled emperor, more footballing wizardry, a towering architect and a sweetly-plucked tribute to an influential bossa nova composer.
The Accomplished Acuity A-List:
Sparks - Talent Is An Asset (severin)
Sprints - Up and Comer (happyclapper)
Tony Allen & Hugh Masekala - Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same) (Nicko)
Niña Pastori - Genios (Maki)
Kendrick Lamar - Reincarnated (barbryn)
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (SweetHomeAlabama)
Len Maurice - Our Don Bradman (Nicko)
Manu Chao - La Vida Tombola (pejepeine)
Mike Garry & Joe Duddell - St. Anthony: An Ode To Anthony H. Wilson (Uncleben)
Courtney Marie Andrews - Paintings From Michael (Nicko)
The Burning Hell - Amateur Rappers (Uncleben)
Bo Diddley - The Greatest Lover In The World (TarquinSpodd)
Nina Simone - To Be Young, Gifted and Black (Naguchi)
The Brilliance B-List:
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love (BanazirGalbasi)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads - There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards (TarquinSpodd)
Joni Mitchell - Twisted (amylee)
Sister Sledge - He's The Greatest Dancer (SweetHomeAlabama)
Salah Ragab & The Cairo Jazz Band - A Tribute to Sun Ra (Nicko)
Jorge Ben Jor - Camisa 10 Da Gávea (pejepeine)
João Gilberto - Um Abraço No Bonfá (Nicko)
Johnny Cash - Tennessee Flat-Top Box (TarquinSpodd)
Pixies - Alec Eiffel (TarquinSpodd)
General Humbert ft. Mary Black - Isle of St. Helena (treefrogdemon)
Sweet - Alexander Graham Bell (SweetHomeAlabama)
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing - Brunel (Carpgate)
The Decemberists - Ben Franklin's Song (Naguchi)
Guru's Wildcard Picks:
The Replacements - Talent Show
Where talented people go to show off their gifts, with all the nerves and expectation that come with it.
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Original Broadway Cast - I Speak Six Languages
A common trope in musicals - there's usually a character bragging about how great they are. Here's Marcy (played by Deborah S. Craig) singing smugly about her spectrum of talents at the Spelling Bee.
Gnarls Barkley (Cee-Lo Green & Danger Mouse) - Boy Genius
Hot off the press, from the much-anticipated new album Atlanta. Great to have them back.
John Clark - Professor Frink
A seven-minute ode to the boffin of The Simpsons. Mmm-GLAVIN!
Young, Gifted and Black: Nina Simone got inspiration from her friend the playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Gifted and great: songs about talent and genius. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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