One day I’m gonna post a comment about somebody other than Stevie, I promise. Kalamu, I think I must have been at the same show as you back in 2001 — at Snug Harbor, and like you, I had never thought of “I Just Called” as a sad song. Like Mtume, I have always been in the “detest” camp when it comes to that recording. But the interpretation forced me to think about the meaning behind that song and made me realize that Stevie is the master of a certain kind of deception. He is quite skilled at making a sad song sound happy. Think about it: “My Cherie Amour” with its la-la-laaa-la-la-la hook but its lyrics about being constantly overlooked, “Overjoyed” with its happy sounding title but lyrics about being overlooked, this feature track, if we are to accept that maybe it is about a lover on the outs, and the song “You and I” that has been sung at so many black weddings, but when listened to closely seems to be a “well, at least I tried / it was nice while it lasted” kind of song.

I think it’s quite a feat to be able to turn that trick once. The fact that he has done it repeatedly suggests a certain unappreciated mastery. It’s that track record of Stevie’s that makes me think that Lemmler was onto something hearing sadness where the superficial listener hears a sappy kind of joy.

- Jarvis

I also hung this post onto today’s Ladda (Monday). I put the music always on the bottom rungs, holds everything together.

Thank you,
Editilla~New Orleans Ladder