Formed in the mid ’60’s by a group of friends that often performed at the same cafes in L.A. (or as the above poster states, “Eight high-octane musicians who met and jammed in the great peanut butter octopus that is Los Angeles”), Sweetwater serves as a perfect icon for the word Hippie. Integrated musically as well as racially, over the course of three albums they created a potpourri of sound that if it were released today would most likely fall under the rubric of “freak folk.” Sweetwater toured with The Doors for much of ’68 and ’69 and were the second act to perform at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, coming on after Richie Havens.
In December of ’69, while recording their sophomore album for Reprise Records—Just For You—twenty-year-old lead singer Nancy (Nansi) Nevins was in a serious car accident. As a result she suffered severe brain trauma and damaged her vocal cords, putting her in a coma for weeks and necessitating physical therapy for years (Howitt, n.d.). Although she had participated in much of the recording process she was unable to perform in support of the album, and the band simply lost momentum.
“Compared To What” ——–———Click To Listen
Albert Moore (flute/vocals)
Nancy Nevins (vocals/guitar)
August Burns (cello)
Alan Malarowitz (drums)
Elpidio Cobian (conga drums)
Alex Del Zoppo (keyboards)
Fred Herrera (bass)
Like It? Buy It.
The track I bring you today is “Compared To What” off of 1970’s Just For You, with lead vocals handled by flute player Albert Moore (The one depicted in an authentic Amish hat). Sweetwater’s Baroque-folk-jazz fusion works perfectly for Gene McDaniels’ anti-war anthem; McDaniels being a little remembered soul singer who passed away earlier this year on July 29, 2011. Disenchanted with the United States, particularly the escalating conflict in Vietnam and the state of race relations in the late 1960s, McDaniels took a brief sojourn from the Nation. During this period, in 1967, Mcdaniels wrote “Compared to What.” This “scathing critique of social realities in the United States” (Neal, 2011) was initially recorded and released as the opening track on Roberta Flack’s 1969 debut album, First Take. More recently John Legend and The Roots recorded the song for their 2010 album of cover songs, “Wake Up!”
However, I prefer Sweetwater’s more frenetic interpretation. The song begins by dragging the groove along as the flute and cello weave in and out seamlessly, before it all bursts into a souladelic freak-out of a man in pursuit of authenticity. Despite how busy the music may seem at times, and the number of chefs in this kitchen, each ingredient comes across as perfectly measured. Sweetwater have altered Mcdaniels’ lyrics somewhat, which I have reproduced below:
“Compared to What”
Well, I love this life, this life I love
A-Hangin’ on, with push and shove
Possession it is my motivation
And it’s hangin’ up the God-damn nation
And it Looks like I always end up in a rut
You know I’m Tryin’ to make it real
— compared to what? baby!
The President, well he’s got his war
Folks don’t know what it’s for
No one gives us rhyme or reason
If you have one doubt, they call it treason
And it looks like I always end up in a rut
I’m tryin’ to make it real —Try!
I’m tryin’ to make it real —Try!
compared to what? baby!
The President, he’s got his war
Folks don’t know what it’s for
No one gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
I say we’re chicken fat, all without one gut.
We keep Tryin’—Try!
We keep Tryin’—Try!
Tryin’ Tryin’ Try!
Tryin’ to make it real
Don’t care if we die
Tryin’ to make it real
Just keep on tryin
John he’s dead and gone and
Martin he didn’t have long and
Old folks putting us on and
I have got to be me
I have got to be myself
I cant be no one else
I gotta be for real
I just gotta try to be real
Make me real
I gotta be for real
Tryin’ to make it real
Gotta make it real
So real
And here’s a video of John Legend and The Roots soulful, yet more restrained rendition:
Ref:
Neal, M. A. (2003). Real, Compared to What: Anti-War Soul. Popmatters. Retrieved on
December 26th from http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/030328-iraq-neal
Getting Out Our Dreams and Sony Music Entertainment (Creators). johnlegendVEVO
(Poster) (2010, Sep. 13). John Legend & The Roots – Compared To What (Live In
Studio) [Video] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGth8iG90j0
Howitt, B. (n.d.) Sweet Water. Bernie’s Musical Views. Retrieved on December 26th
from http://berniehowitt.com/sweetwater.htm
McDaniels, G. (1967). Compared to What [recorded by Sweetwater] On Just For You.
[CD] Reprise. (1970)/Collector’s Choice. (2005)
A Mouthful of Pennies 
perhaps this makes me sound like a jerk, but I find this to be the definition of tepid protest music. Unlike Swampdogg’s version of Sam Stone or a comparable soul tune, this one is perfect for a mainstream update from the likes of John Legend and The Roots. Though you’re absolutely right that the musicianship in the Sweet Water version is impressive and interesting, the song’s sentiment itself is largely formless and goes down remarkably easy. As you know, most of the time someone says they’re ‘”keepin it real” or “tryin to be real”, that’s most likely the opposite of what they’re doing.
And you are absolutely right, it does make you sound like a jerk…Ha!….Also I kind of think that’s the point of the song, “Keeping it real…compared to what?”
Hmmm, to make it clear, the lyrics above are for the Sweetwater rendition of the song. They changed several words (“lie” to “life”) and edited out several verses. I can only guess as to why, but my feeling is to allow more room for the numerous musicians to flex their muscles, and in the end their version certainly seems more in line with the “hippie” ideals that they can be viewed to embody. McDaniels’ full, original lyrics are much more harrowing, and could never be dismissed as “tepid.”:
1. Love the lie and lie the love
Hangin’ on, with a push and shove
Possession is the motivation
that is hangin’ up the God-damn nation
Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)
Tryin’ to make it real — compared to what?
2. Slaughterhouse is killin’ hogs
Twisted children killin’ frogs
Poor dumb rednecks rollin’ logs
Tired old ladies kissin’ dogs
Hate the human, love that stinking mutt (I can’t stand it!)
Try to make it real — compared to what?
3. The President, he’s got his war
Folks don’t know just what it’s for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We’re chicken-feathers, all without one gut (God damn it!)
Tryin’ to make it real — compared to what? (Sock it to me, now)
4. Church on Sunday, sleep and nod
Tryin’ to duck the wrath of God
Preacher’s fillin’ us with fright
Tryin’ to tell us what he thinks is right
He really got to be some kind of nut (I can’t use it!)
Tryin’ to make it real — compared to what?
5. Where’s that bee and where’s that honey?
Where’s my God and where’s my money
Unreal values, crass distortion
Unwed mothers need abortion
Kind of brings to mind ol’ young King Tut (He did it now)
Tried to make it real — compared to what?!