Evolution: A Million Polaroid Music Notes

Back when I was a very small child, around 6 or 7 years old, my favorite song was Rock the Boat by the Hues Corporation.

Rock the Boat was most famous for being a one hit wonder, but, more importantly, has been cited as being one of the first disco hits of the 70's.

By the time I turned 8, I was all in with the blue-eyed soul of Hall and Oates.

When I was a teen, I lived the sounds of Rock, Metal, and Punk, but always had a soft spot in my heart for the Hues Corporation's biggest hit.

So last night, I saw a band covering the soft hits of the 70's called Overboard: The Love Boat Band. Apparently, at one time, they made their living aboard Pacific Princess Cruises, but now find themselves washed ashore.

When they broke out their version of Rock the Boat, it wasn't like anything I remembered, but by no fault of the band. Because I had a cochlear implant, the music was warped. The implant tunes down the guitar, turns the vocalist into a chipmunk, and muddies the bass and drums. But as the song wore on, my brain filled in some of the distorted parts.

Sitting in the bleachers of a minor league stadium, I had a bit of an existential crisis.

How did a single, by a stable of Black Artists, which helped launch Disco, and was enjoyed by a kid, become this soft rock hybrid, performed by middle of the road White Artists, and barely enjoyed by a borderline senior citizen?

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