Patriotic Paeans

I just this week finished watching the final episode of West Wing, Season 7, having crammed all seven seasons into the last month or two in what was a very lazy marathon. Great show. I’d never watched it before, as back in high school, when it was actually on TV, I was pretty disinterested in politics. But I’ve come around, and over the last month became relatively obsessed with the show. Anyways, don’t mean to talk too much about television, but the end of my episode-watching marathon has left me feeling patriotic. So this week, I’ll talk about a couple of my favorite patriotic tunes.

The first (and my favorite) comes from the Father of Soul himself, Mr. Ray Charles. His take on “America the Beautiful” is remarkable. Before discovering this version, I’d only previously heard the song sung by my elementary school chorus, and needless to say, the chorus’s version lacked any real sense of fervor or emotion. Maybe it was all the cracking voices. But then here comes Ray, taking the song at a leisurely pace, singing his heart out and imbuing the song with a real, soulful power. It’s a recording that’ll just make you feel good. So give it a listen.

Ray Charles – America the Beautiful (YSI) (filesavr)

The second comes from another fine vocalist, the King himself, Mr. Elvis Presley. It’s a live recording of a trio of traditional American tunes, aptly titled “American Trilogy.” The three songs included are “Dixie,” “All My Trials,” (a Bahamian lullaby that became associated with the folk music revival of the 60s) and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The highlight of the track comes at its close, as Elvis belts out the chorus of “The Battle Hymn” for the second time over a building brass accompaniment. The moment when he climbs up to the final note gives me the chills, though it’s admittedly more than a little cheesy. But hey, this is patriotism we’re talking about.

Elvis Presley – American Trilogy (YSI) (filesavr)

And finally, there’s Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock performance of the Star-Spangled Banner. It’s a provocative interpretation of the nation’s anthem, embodying the country’s chaos and violence as well as its beauty. Furthermore, it showcases Hendrix’s exploration of the range of timbres made possible through distortion and feedback. He was one hell of a guitar player, and used his technical abilities here to create an unforgettable artistic statement.

Jimi Hendrix – Star-Spangled Banner (Live at Woodstock) (YSI) (filesavr)

And there you have it, a patriotic musical fix. Fuck yea.