I've never been too good with names, but I remember faces
Gonna keep this one short and sweet, sort of like this great song by The Lemonheads.
Another band I absolutely loved in my high school years, but the "It's a Shame About Ray" album holds up pretty well I think despite being nearly 20 years old. Call me biased, but there was so much great music in the early to mid 1990s. Of course there's always been drivel, but you could actually hear real bands on Top 40 radio stations--real people with real talent and not the auto-tuned clap-trap out there today.
This tune is just a three-minute gem, and The Lemonheads were amazingly talented in making them.
--Music is good.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Track 69: "Sex Machine" by James Brown
I'm ready to get up and do my thang
Since it's Track 69, it only seemed logical and right to include a track with some sexual overtones and this version of "Sex Machine" is some funky shit indeed.
Has there ever been a better front man in history than the Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, the late, great, funky as hell James Brown?
I'm not even sure how I got it, but I had a "James Brown's Greatest Hits" tape in high school, and every Friday became "James Brown Friday"--with the Godfather blasting as loud as it could in my '84 Chevy Cavalier.
This version off the live album "Love Power Peace" recorded in Paris in 1971, and the entire album is so awesome, tight, and just funky as all get out. James Brown's command of his band is unparalleled--often imitated, but never duplicated. And just dig how he counts it off at the beginning--so fucking dope.
Since it's Track 69, it only seemed logical and right to include a track with some sexual overtones and this version of "Sex Machine" is some funky shit indeed.
Has there ever been a better front man in history than the Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, the late, great, funky as hell James Brown?
I'm not even sure how I got it, but I had a "James Brown's Greatest Hits" tape in high school, and every Friday became "James Brown Friday"--with the Godfather blasting as loud as it could in my '84 Chevy Cavalier.
This version off the live album "Love Power Peace" recorded in Paris in 1971, and the entire album is so awesome, tight, and just funky as all get out. James Brown's command of his band is unparalleled--often imitated, but never duplicated. And just dig how he counts it off at the beginning--so fucking dope.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Track 68: "Natty Dread" Charlie Hunter covering Bob Marley
With Jimmy Buffet on Track 67, I touched on an artist that is both someone I don't really listen to all that much anymore as well as one that is just perfect to listen to in the summertime. Bob Marley fits both of those categories as well.
And just like any white guy who drank beer in high school and college, of course I went through a Bob Marley phase. No doubt Marley is a legend; his politically-charged lyrics and sing-along songs essentially put reggae on the map. And I think it's safe to say that without Bob Marley, no white person would have ever listened to reggae.
While I'll never lose respect for reggae or Bob Marley, I'm kinda over them. Both of them. I fully understand that no other music genre on the planet quite defines an entire nation and its history like reggae, but I just don't care much for it--at least to the point where I still actively listen. (I think being the keyboard player or rhythm guitarist in a reggae band may very well be the easiest job on the planet).
I discovered Charlie Hunter when I interviewed him back in 2002--and I was introduced to a lot of stuff through him. He had just released "Songs from the Analog Playground," his first album to feature vocalists--and it was through that record I was introduced to Norah Jones. (In 2005 I got see Hunter play at during New Orleans Jazz Fest in Preservation Hall, and it was a definite highlight of the trip for me).
Hunter also introduced me to his incredibly unique seven-string guitar. The instrument has four guitar strings and three bass guitar strings--and by some miracle Hunter alone supplies the groove and melody in his music. He's released records in duo, trio, quartet and quintet settings and they're all great. But my favorite is his Blue Note Cover Series version of Bob Marley's "Natty Dread."
There's some really great funky-jazz on this album and at times Hunter's seven-string sounds more like an organ than it does a guitar. His take on "No Woman, No Cry" is absolutely gorgeous. But there's just something summery and wonderful about his version of "Natty Dread."
--Music is good.
And just like any white guy who drank beer in high school and college, of course I went through a Bob Marley phase. No doubt Marley is a legend; his politically-charged lyrics and sing-along songs essentially put reggae on the map. And I think it's safe to say that without Bob Marley, no white person would have ever listened to reggae.
While I'll never lose respect for reggae or Bob Marley, I'm kinda over them. Both of them. I fully understand that no other music genre on the planet quite defines an entire nation and its history like reggae, but I just don't care much for it--at least to the point where I still actively listen. (I think being the keyboard player or rhythm guitarist in a reggae band may very well be the easiest job on the planet).
I discovered Charlie Hunter when I interviewed him back in 2002--and I was introduced to a lot of stuff through him. He had just released "Songs from the Analog Playground," his first album to feature vocalists--and it was through that record I was introduced to Norah Jones. (In 2005 I got see Hunter play at during New Orleans Jazz Fest in Preservation Hall, and it was a definite highlight of the trip for me).
Hunter also introduced me to his incredibly unique seven-string guitar. The instrument has four guitar strings and three bass guitar strings--and by some miracle Hunter alone supplies the groove and melody in his music. He's released records in duo, trio, quartet and quintet settings and they're all great. But my favorite is his Blue Note Cover Series version of Bob Marley's "Natty Dread."
There's some really great funky-jazz on this album and at times Hunter's seven-string sounds more like an organ than it does a guitar. His take on "No Woman, No Cry" is absolutely gorgeous. But there's just something summery and wonderful about his version of "Natty Dread."
--Music is good.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Track 67: "The Wino and I Know" by Jimmy Buffet
And the wino and I know/the joy of the ocean/like the boy knows the joy/of his milkshake in motion
Add Mr. Jimmy Buffet to the list (along with Track 66’s Jackopierce) of bands/musicians I listened to in high school that didn’t really carry over into adulthood—or my apparent lack thereof.
But say what you want about Jimmy Buffet—sure his stuff is a tad corny and nearly every song he has ever written involves getting drunk at the beach—but the dude is more or less a living a legend. Despite a lack of any mega-commercial hit albums, Buffet has been around for nearly 40 years and his tours sell-out in nano-seconds. His legion of fans—Parrotheads (sort of like Deadheads with jobs and access to bathing facilities)--are amongst the most devoted music fans on the planet. And outside of his career, Buffet’s empire has expanded to include restaurants, retail stores, his own brand of tequila, books and likely much more than I just skimmed over on Wikipedia.
Though I’m hardly a devoted Parrothead and rarely listen to Buffet anymore, there’s just something about Jimmy Buffet and summertime. When 99.9% of your songs involve getting drunk on a beach, I suppose it’s hard not to be associated with summertime. But regardless of your opinions on Jimmy Buffet, the guy’s a fantastic songwriter and storyteller.
“The Wino and I Know” is a lesser known of Buffet’s songs, but easily my favorite. And I have my friend Chris Vaught to thank for drilling this song into my head during our high school years. (He also introduced me to Jackopierce). Chris was the first guy I knew that owned the Buffet box set “Boats Beaches Bars and Ballads” and was a cohort on my first (and only thus far) Jimmy Buffet concert—which was a drunken good time for all involved…from what I barely remember at least.
--Music is good.
Add Mr. Jimmy Buffet to the list (along with Track 66’s Jackopierce) of bands/musicians I listened to in high school that didn’t really carry over into adulthood—or my apparent lack thereof.
But say what you want about Jimmy Buffet—sure his stuff is a tad corny and nearly every song he has ever written involves getting drunk at the beach—but the dude is more or less a living a legend. Despite a lack of any mega-commercial hit albums, Buffet has been around for nearly 40 years and his tours sell-out in nano-seconds. His legion of fans—Parrotheads (sort of like Deadheads with jobs and access to bathing facilities)--are amongst the most devoted music fans on the planet. And outside of his career, Buffet’s empire has expanded to include restaurants, retail stores, his own brand of tequila, books and likely much more than I just skimmed over on Wikipedia.
Though I’m hardly a devoted Parrothead and rarely listen to Buffet anymore, there’s just something about Jimmy Buffet and summertime. When 99.9% of your songs involve getting drunk on a beach, I suppose it’s hard not to be associated with summertime. But regardless of your opinions on Jimmy Buffet, the guy’s a fantastic songwriter and storyteller.
“The Wino and I Know” is a lesser known of Buffet’s songs, but easily my favorite. And I have my friend Chris Vaught to thank for drilling this song into my head during our high school years. (He also introduced me to Jackopierce). Chris was the first guy I knew that owned the Buffet box set “Boats Beaches Bars and Ballads” and was a cohort on my first (and only thus far) Jimmy Buffet concert—which was a drunken good time for all involved…from what I barely remember at least.
--Music is good.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Track 66: "Mexican Tune" by Jackopierce
And in the morning time I find myself hiking with long boots and a cane, with a small rucksack on my back, along the banks of the Powder River...where Crazy Horse kicked Custer's ass sideways
Not all of my favorite bands from high school have made the transition into adulthood (or my apparent lack thereof). And Jackopierce is one of those bands.
The acoustic, folk-pop duo of Jack O'Neil and Cary Pierce (see how they came to their band name?) was a definite favorite of mine in my high school years. And I'll still say that their album "Bringing on the Weather" is quite solid--and there are several great songs on their other records as well. But I pretty much called it quits with Jackopierce once I saw them perform while I was in college.
A few friends and I made the road trip from Clemson to Greenville (about 25 miles) to see Jackopierce. And while they didn't sound bad at all, their douchey stage presence and looks (they were both in uber-tight shirts and lots of bullshit rock posturing which doesn't work well when all you have is an acoustic guitar). Maybe I was just too cool. Who knows. But it wasn't my favorite concert of all time. (And currently Counting Crows holds the low-esteemed position of worst concert I've ever seen).
So while I may not be a Jackopierce fan per se anymore, their music is still on my iPod and yesterday the shuffle function reintroduced me to my favorite Jackopierce song--"Mexican Tune." The spoken word, improvisational, stream of consciousness lyrics sort of retell the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn, and I have to say it's pretty awesome--even if it's something I'm not really into anymore.
--Music is good.
Not all of my favorite bands from high school have made the transition into adulthood (or my apparent lack thereof). And Jackopierce is one of those bands.
The acoustic, folk-pop duo of Jack O'Neil and Cary Pierce (see how they came to their band name?) was a definite favorite of mine in my high school years. And I'll still say that their album "Bringing on the Weather" is quite solid--and there are several great songs on their other records as well. But I pretty much called it quits with Jackopierce once I saw them perform while I was in college.
A few friends and I made the road trip from Clemson to Greenville (about 25 miles) to see Jackopierce. And while they didn't sound bad at all, their douchey stage presence and looks (they were both in uber-tight shirts and lots of bullshit rock posturing which doesn't work well when all you have is an acoustic guitar). Maybe I was just too cool. Who knows. But it wasn't my favorite concert of all time. (And currently Counting Crows holds the low-esteemed position of worst concert I've ever seen).
So while I may not be a Jackopierce fan per se anymore, their music is still on my iPod and yesterday the shuffle function reintroduced me to my favorite Jackopierce song--"Mexican Tune." The spoken word, improvisational, stream of consciousness lyrics sort of retell the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn, and I have to say it's pretty awesome--even if it's something I'm not really into anymore.
--Music is good.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Track 65: "Box of Rain" by The Grateful Dead
Maybe you'll find direction around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you
I re-discovered the Grateful Dead's masterpiece 1970 album "American Beauty" over the weekend. And just like the Beach Boy's "Pet Sounds" a week before, I fell in love with this record all over again.
I have no idea when or where I heard this album for the first time, but I'm sure I was mind-blown. For a band most known for extended psychedelic improvisational jams, "American Beauty" almost came as a shock to me when I first heard it. It's roosty, folky-Americana at its best and literally every song on the album is perfect in it's own way. I remember playing this album at a family beach trip in Charleston some time during the late 1990s, and even my parents enjoyed it!
It's also pretty cool that four different Dead members sing on the album--something you definitely don't see these days. Ron 'Pig Pen' McKernan's "Operator" is a great little ditty, of course Jerry Garcia's voice shines on tunes like "Ripple," "Friend of the Devil" and the gorgeous "Brokedown Palace." Bob Weir (the one Dead member I got to interview back in my music journalist days) contributes the classics "Truckin" and "Sugar Magnolia." But it's bassist Phil Lesh (who only does lead vocals on a just a few tunes in the Dead's vast catalog) who sings my favorite song on the album--and one of my favorites of all time. (And as a side note, David Grisman, who has popped up on the Playlist a couple of times now)
Longtime Dead lyricist Robert Hunter wrote some incredible lyrics to this album, and the band does some really beautiful harmonies throughout. Something about "Box of Rain"just instantly makes me happy--and if you ask any devoted Deadhead what the draw of the band was--and still is for that matter--I'm sure that phrase is likely to pop up.
It just makes me happy.
--Music is good
I re-discovered the Grateful Dead's masterpiece 1970 album "American Beauty" over the weekend. And just like the Beach Boy's "Pet Sounds" a week before, I fell in love with this record all over again.
I have no idea when or where I heard this album for the first time, but I'm sure I was mind-blown. For a band most known for extended psychedelic improvisational jams, "American Beauty" almost came as a shock to me when I first heard it. It's roosty, folky-Americana at its best and literally every song on the album is perfect in it's own way. I remember playing this album at a family beach trip in Charleston some time during the late 1990s, and even my parents enjoyed it!
It's also pretty cool that four different Dead members sing on the album--something you definitely don't see these days. Ron 'Pig Pen' McKernan's "Operator" is a great little ditty, of course Jerry Garcia's voice shines on tunes like "Ripple," "Friend of the Devil" and the gorgeous "Brokedown Palace." Bob Weir (the one Dead member I got to interview back in my music journalist days) contributes the classics "Truckin" and "Sugar Magnolia." But it's bassist Phil Lesh (who only does lead vocals on a just a few tunes in the Dead's vast catalog) who sings my favorite song on the album--and one of my favorites of all time. (And as a side note, David Grisman, who has popped up on the Playlist a couple of times now)
Longtime Dead lyricist Robert Hunter wrote some incredible lyrics to this album, and the band does some really beautiful harmonies throughout. Something about "Box of Rain"just instantly makes me happy--and if you ask any devoted Deadhead what the draw of the band was--and still is for that matter--I'm sure that phrase is likely to pop up.
It just makes me happy.
--Music is good
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Track 64: "Whipping Post" Bonerama covering the Allman Brothers Band
And I don't know why I let that mean woman make me out a fool
The 2005 New Orleans Jazz Fest was one of the best times I can barely remember. I am sure that the few days I spent in the Big Easy easily took a few years off of my life span, but it was an incredible time in an awesome city.
It was my first visit to New Orleans and I cannot say enough good things about my experiences. The musical highlights are almost too many to list but a brief run-down would include: Elvis Costello, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charlie Hunter at Preservation Hall, the Trey Anastasio Super Jam, and Mike Gordon with the Benevento/Russo Duo. It was a great time--we ate like kings, drank like gutter-winos, and crammed a ton of music into a few days.
But my favorite surprise act of my Jazz Fest experience was undoubtedly Bonerama. My group ended up wanting to see the quintessential New Orleans funk band The Funky Meters and Tipitina's--only we didn't have tickets to the sold out show. We milled about outside the venue for about an hour scoring tickets, and the whole time this energetic swampy funk was spilling out of the venue.
As we walked in the opening band announced it would be their last song and they ripped into this jazz-funk cover of the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post" and it totally fucking ruled. I've always loved the wail of the trombone--so what could be better than a New Orleans-bred jazz-funk band fronted by five trombone players, and backed by a guitar, drums and a sousaphone instead of a bassist? And is there a better name on the planet for such a band than Bonerama? Say it with me one time and you'll agree...BONERAMA!!!
My love affair with "Whipping Post" began in college when I discovered the 20-plus minute version on the stellar Allman Brothers live record "Live at Filmore East." And my favorite college bar (Backstreet's in Clemson, SC) always served $1 PBR bottles and had the "Filmore East" album on it's juke box. So for $5, I could enjoy a few beers and play "Whipping Post" and "Mountain Jam" on the jukebox and those two songs would supply at least an hour of music!
And though I have a feeling I may be wrong--this may be my first summer since college that regrettably will not include an Allman Brothers Band concert. As I came to grips with that sad fact, I remembered stumbling in on my favorite 2005 Jazz Fest experience--and that was seeing Bonerama play the ever-loving shit out of "Whipping Post."
Say it one more time with me...BONERAMA!
The 2005 New Orleans Jazz Fest was one of the best times I can barely remember. I am sure that the few days I spent in the Big Easy easily took a few years off of my life span, but it was an incredible time in an awesome city.
It was my first visit to New Orleans and I cannot say enough good things about my experiences. The musical highlights are almost too many to list but a brief run-down would include: Elvis Costello, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charlie Hunter at Preservation Hall, the Trey Anastasio Super Jam, and Mike Gordon with the Benevento/Russo Duo. It was a great time--we ate like kings, drank like gutter-winos, and crammed a ton of music into a few days.
But my favorite surprise act of my Jazz Fest experience was undoubtedly Bonerama. My group ended up wanting to see the quintessential New Orleans funk band The Funky Meters and Tipitina's--only we didn't have tickets to the sold out show. We milled about outside the venue for about an hour scoring tickets, and the whole time this energetic swampy funk was spilling out of the venue.
As we walked in the opening band announced it would be their last song and they ripped into this jazz-funk cover of the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post" and it totally fucking ruled. I've always loved the wail of the trombone--so what could be better than a New Orleans-bred jazz-funk band fronted by five trombone players, and backed by a guitar, drums and a sousaphone instead of a bassist? And is there a better name on the planet for such a band than Bonerama? Say it with me one time and you'll agree...BONERAMA!!!
My love affair with "Whipping Post" began in college when I discovered the 20-plus minute version on the stellar Allman Brothers live record "Live at Filmore East." And my favorite college bar (Backstreet's in Clemson, SC) always served $1 PBR bottles and had the "Filmore East" album on it's juke box. So for $5, I could enjoy a few beers and play "Whipping Post" and "Mountain Jam" on the jukebox and those two songs would supply at least an hour of music!
And though I have a feeling I may be wrong--this may be my first summer since college that regrettably will not include an Allman Brothers Band concert. As I came to grips with that sad fact, I remembered stumbling in on my favorite 2005 Jazz Fest experience--and that was seeing Bonerama play the ever-loving shit out of "Whipping Post."
Say it one more time with me...BONERAMA!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Track 63: "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys
And it wouldn't it be nice to live together in the kind of world where we belong
After seeing a really great show by She and Him in Atlanta Friday night, I left knowing two concrete facts of life: 1. Zooey Deschanel playing a ukulele is the cutest thing ever. 2. The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't it be Nice" is the greatest summer song of all time.
M. Ward and Zooey's take on "Wouldn't it be nice" for the encore could not have been better and it inspired me to revisit "Pet Sounds." I came to this American masterpiece a little late in life; yet another musical cornerstone I owe to my buddy Patrick Hill.
I am currently on my third listening of "Pet Sounds" of the weekend and have fallen in love with this record all over again. There's not much point in espousing what a glorious album it is, but I will say it sounds like the soundtrack to some fantastic lush summer dream--where everything is bright and shiny, the pretty girls smile at you, and the sun is wearing sunglasses like he just came off the Raisin Bran box.
And it all starts with "Wouldn't it be Nice."
And here's a bit of She and Him's encore from Friday night. There was a strict no camera/smart phone policy, so thanks to the ninja who shot this! Even Zooey's flubs are adorable.
After seeing a really great show by She and Him in Atlanta Friday night, I left knowing two concrete facts of life: 1. Zooey Deschanel playing a ukulele is the cutest thing ever. 2. The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't it be Nice" is the greatest summer song of all time.
M. Ward and Zooey's take on "Wouldn't it be nice" for the encore could not have been better and it inspired me to revisit "Pet Sounds." I came to this American masterpiece a little late in life; yet another musical cornerstone I owe to my buddy Patrick Hill.
I am currently on my third listening of "Pet Sounds" of the weekend and have fallen in love with this record all over again. There's not much point in espousing what a glorious album it is, but I will say it sounds like the soundtrack to some fantastic lush summer dream--where everything is bright and shiny, the pretty girls smile at you, and the sun is wearing sunglasses like he just came off the Raisin Bran box.
And it all starts with "Wouldn't it be Nice."
And here's a bit of She and Him's encore from Friday night. There was a strict no camera/smart phone policy, so thanks to the ninja who shot this! Even Zooey's flubs are adorable.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Track 62: "Don't Look Back" by She and Him
Don't look back all you'll ever get is the dust from the steps before/I don't have to you see every day, but I just want to know you're there
Dear blog enthusiast (yes, you),
My sincere apologies for no posts in a total of (gasp) five entire days. I can only hope you didn't find another self-important music blog to waste otherwise valuable time with during my brief hiatus.
But back to our regular scheduled program and another fantastic collaboration/side project: She and Him.
Even though I was already a fan of M. Ward, and despite already owning both of the She and Him albums (conveniently titled "Volume 1" and "Volume 2) I truly and deeply owe more than my life to one of my favorite new friends, Julie Benz-Pottie, for introducing me to this wonderful act.
Despite really liking (did I mention owning?) both of the She and Him albums, and even knowing words to several of their songs AND my non-gay man crush on M. Ward, I don't even possess the required vocabulary to properly thank her for bestowing on me the gift (in form of suggestion) of She and Him.
So as a hackneyed form of thanks, I will pimp her blog in mine. Surely, her fantastic blog (Julie Vs. Vegetables) chronicling her triumphant battle against everyone's least favorite food group will experience the "Pantsari Bump" of at least .25 readers after Track 62 goes live on the Interweb.
I liked She and Him the instant I heard it. M. Ward's knack for catchy low-fi arrangements really give the true star of the band, Zooey Deschanel, a chance to shine. Yes, in case you didn't see the movie "Elf", Zooey Deschanel is not only a ridiculously cute actress, she is also a great singer.
And both She and Him albums are chock full of wonderful (this is the only band I have ever used the word "wonderful" to describe) pop songs. There's a definite throw-back vibe going on as well. A bit of a doo-wop, early 60's, vaguely-Motownish sort of sound in the music and lyrics. And both records are packed with catchy, fun, simple tunes that just ooze bubblegum goodness.
On another positive note, I'll be seeing She and Him with none other than the author of Julie Vs. Vegetables this Friday night in Atlanta with a few other folks lucky enough to know her. Not only was she kind enough to share this band with me, but she's also been so generous as to float me the cost of the ticket until I get paid next Tuesday and shit.
Although I featured "Don't Look Back" for Track 62, I'm going to be as utterly selfless as Julie and share some more She and Him with you as well. "Gonna Get Along with You Now" (this is actually a song written my Milton Kellem in 1951).
"Black Hole" is off the Volume 1 record and the line "I'm alone on a bicycle for two" gets me every time.
Dear blog enthusiast (yes, you),
My sincere apologies for no posts in a total of (gasp) five entire days. I can only hope you didn't find another self-important music blog to waste otherwise valuable time with during my brief hiatus.
But back to our regular scheduled program and another fantastic collaboration/side project: She and Him.
Even though I was already a fan of M. Ward, and despite already owning both of the She and Him albums (conveniently titled "Volume 1" and "Volume 2) I truly and deeply owe more than my life to one of my favorite new friends, Julie Benz-Pottie, for introducing me to this wonderful act.
Despite really liking (did I mention owning?) both of the She and Him albums, and even knowing words to several of their songs AND my non-gay man crush on M. Ward, I don't even possess the required vocabulary to properly thank her for bestowing on me the gift (in form of suggestion) of She and Him.
So as a hackneyed form of thanks, I will pimp her blog in mine. Surely, her fantastic blog (Julie Vs. Vegetables) chronicling her triumphant battle against everyone's least favorite food group will experience the "Pantsari Bump" of at least .25 readers after Track 62 goes live on the Interweb.
I liked She and Him the instant I heard it. M. Ward's knack for catchy low-fi arrangements really give the true star of the band, Zooey Deschanel, a chance to shine. Yes, in case you didn't see the movie "Elf", Zooey Deschanel is not only a ridiculously cute actress, she is also a great singer.
And both She and Him albums are chock full of wonderful (this is the only band I have ever used the word "wonderful" to describe) pop songs. There's a definite throw-back vibe going on as well. A bit of a doo-wop, early 60's, vaguely-Motownish sort of sound in the music and lyrics. And both records are packed with catchy, fun, simple tunes that just ooze bubblegum goodness.
On another positive note, I'll be seeing She and Him with none other than the author of Julie Vs. Vegetables this Friday night in Atlanta with a few other folks lucky enough to know her. Not only was she kind enough to share this band with me, but she's also been so generous as to float me the cost of the ticket until I get paid next Tuesday and shit.
Although I featured "Don't Look Back" for Track 62, I'm going to be as utterly selfless as Julie and share some more She and Him with you as well. "Gonna Get Along with You Now" (this is actually a song written my Milton Kellem in 1951).
"Black Hole" is off the Volume 1 record and the line "I'm alone on a bicycle for two" gets me every time.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Track 61: "Down with Disease" by Phish
Waiting for the time when I can finally say/this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way
I'll be seeing Phish here in Atlanta for the 3rd and 4th of July, so Track 61 is serving a purpose of getting me fired up on the half-day Friday before the holiday weekend.
It will be the first time I've seen Phish perform since 2004--what was then the band's 'farewell' festival called Coventry in Vermont. The festival was basically a cluster-fuck. Torrential down pours the days before the event turned the festival grounds into a mud pit. It backed up traffic--my group spent a good 30 hours waiting to get in--to the point where a lot of people abandoned their cars on the interstate and walked to the festival.
And granted I am sure the band was going through a lot of emotions with it being their final show, but the music really wasn't good at Coventry--especially coming from such an amazingly gifted and tight band.
My interest in Phish has waned over the last few years--chalk it up to changing tastes and the fact that the band wasn't around to put out new music. But for a few years of my life Phish was my favorite band. Their 1999 New Year's festival in the Florida Everglades--Big Cypress--will always be one of the best times I've ever had in my life.
So when Phish got back together last year it really created a lot of excitement amongst my friends--who are avid Phish fans. But for whatever reason, I didn't really care. I rarely listen to them anymore, but really am looking forward to the two shows this weekend. If nothing else but for the chance to see some old pals, but I am sure the shows will be incredible. Maybe I'll become a 'phan' once again.
"Down with Disease" is one of the many quintessential Phish songs. I love the funky bass intro, Trey Anastasio's guitar licks are absolutely smoldering, and it's nearly impossible not join in with the sing-a-long chorus. And this live version really captures the energy and visual stimuli of a Phish show. Arguably one of the best light shows out there (and this video is from 1995). At times it looks like the Mothership is landing!
But hearing and watching this made me get pumped up to see Phish again!
Happy 4th of July weekend!
--Music is good.
I'll be seeing Phish here in Atlanta for the 3rd and 4th of July, so Track 61 is serving a purpose of getting me fired up on the half-day Friday before the holiday weekend.
It will be the first time I've seen Phish perform since 2004--what was then the band's 'farewell' festival called Coventry in Vermont. The festival was basically a cluster-fuck. Torrential down pours the days before the event turned the festival grounds into a mud pit. It backed up traffic--my group spent a good 30 hours waiting to get in--to the point where a lot of people abandoned their cars on the interstate and walked to the festival.
And granted I am sure the band was going through a lot of emotions with it being their final show, but the music really wasn't good at Coventry--especially coming from such an amazingly gifted and tight band.
My interest in Phish has waned over the last few years--chalk it up to changing tastes and the fact that the band wasn't around to put out new music. But for a few years of my life Phish was my favorite band. Their 1999 New Year's festival in the Florida Everglades--Big Cypress--will always be one of the best times I've ever had in my life.
So when Phish got back together last year it really created a lot of excitement amongst my friends--who are avid Phish fans. But for whatever reason, I didn't really care. I rarely listen to them anymore, but really am looking forward to the two shows this weekend. If nothing else but for the chance to see some old pals, but I am sure the shows will be incredible. Maybe I'll become a 'phan' once again.
"Down with Disease" is one of the many quintessential Phish songs. I love the funky bass intro, Trey Anastasio's guitar licks are absolutely smoldering, and it's nearly impossible not join in with the sing-a-long chorus. And this live version really captures the energy and visual stimuli of a Phish show. Arguably one of the best light shows out there (and this video is from 1995). At times it looks like the Mothership is landing!
But hearing and watching this made me get pumped up to see Phish again!
Happy 4th of July weekend!
--Music is good.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Track 60: "Killing the Blues" by Robert Plant and Allison Krauss
And then you ask me... just to leave you/to set out on my own and get what I needed/You want me to find what I've already had.
Initially I wasn't sure what to expect when I heard that Robert Plant and Allison Krauss were releasing an album together. Led Zeppelin is easily my favorite band ever and it just seemed odd, but really intriguing, that Zeppelin's golden god and the bluegrass beauty would ever be in the same room much less create music together.
As much as Led Zeppelin was a dark, mysterious, and badass rock and roll band, the group had plenty of acoustic songs and a pretty broad sound. And of course my ever-growing interest in bluegrass music (and the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack) eventually led me to Alison Krauss. Krauss is uber-accomplished as a solo artist, and her band Union Station is full of phenomenal talent, and she easily has one of the most gorgeous voices ever (not to mention being a gifted fiddle player).
So it's obvious that Plant and Krauss make an odd pair, but the album "Raising Sand" is pretty incredible. Produced by T-Bone Burnett (the same guy behind the "Oh Brother" soundtrack and the music from the recent film "Crazy Heart"), the record sort of finds the middle ground between Krauss and Plant's musical worlds without sounding like it came from either. It's a pretty laid back album overall, but utterly gorgeous--sort of dark, sparse, oddly psychedelic at times and the two vastly different voices sound strangely perfect together.
"Killing the Blues" was actually written by John Prine and it's not the first time I've ever fallen in love with someone else singing one his songs (check out Susan Tedeschi doing "Angel from Montgomery" sometime and you'll see what I mean). So now I wonder why I don't have any John Prine in my collection?
This one of those tunes I don't listen to very often, but every time I hear it it blows me away.
--Music is good
Initially I wasn't sure what to expect when I heard that Robert Plant and Allison Krauss were releasing an album together. Led Zeppelin is easily my favorite band ever and it just seemed odd, but really intriguing, that Zeppelin's golden god and the bluegrass beauty would ever be in the same room much less create music together.
As much as Led Zeppelin was a dark, mysterious, and badass rock and roll band, the group had plenty of acoustic songs and a pretty broad sound. And of course my ever-growing interest in bluegrass music (and the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack) eventually led me to Alison Krauss. Krauss is uber-accomplished as a solo artist, and her band Union Station is full of phenomenal talent, and she easily has one of the most gorgeous voices ever (not to mention being a gifted fiddle player).
So it's obvious that Plant and Krauss make an odd pair, but the album "Raising Sand" is pretty incredible. Produced by T-Bone Burnett (the same guy behind the "Oh Brother" soundtrack and the music from the recent film "Crazy Heart"), the record sort of finds the middle ground between Krauss and Plant's musical worlds without sounding like it came from either. It's a pretty laid back album overall, but utterly gorgeous--sort of dark, sparse, oddly psychedelic at times and the two vastly different voices sound strangely perfect together.
"Killing the Blues" was actually written by John Prine and it's not the first time I've ever fallen in love with someone else singing one his songs (check out Susan Tedeschi doing "Angel from Montgomery" sometime and you'll see what I mean). So now I wonder why I don't have any John Prine in my collection?
This one of those tunes I don't listen to very often, but every time I hear it it blows me away.
--Music is good
Monday, June 28, 2010
Track 59: "Waiting on My Wings" by The Word
One of the coolest side projects I got introduced to as a lowly paid, under-read freelance jamband writer was The Word.
Though I've never gotten to see The Word perform live, I've done stories on all three bands represented in the supergroup --keyboard giant John Medeski (of the avant garde jazz-funk trio Medeski, Martin and Wood) pedal steel phenom Robert Randolph (of Robert Radolph and the Family Band) and brothers Cody (drums) and Luther Dickinson (guitar) and Chris Chew (bass) who make up the trio: the North Mississippi Allstars.
The group formed just on the cusp of Randolph becoming all the rage of the jamband world in 2001. Randolph's amazing pedal steel prowess was formed by playing in the House of God church in New Jersey--so it only seems fitting that when be combined with Medeski and the NMAS that the supergroup would put a funky new spin on traditional gospel music.
The Word released their self-titled album in 2001 and it's a great instrumental record. If you've ever been to church, you're sure to recognize some songs like "At the Cross," and "I'll Fly Away" (I gave "I'll Fly Away" a nod back on Track 3 of ye old blog).
Though Randolph's energetic pedal steel playing takes center stage on most tracks, Medeski is a Hammond organ monster, and the NMAS prove to be a super-tight backing band--and the whole group lays down a great mix of gospel-tinged, funky, bluesy rock.
I tried to find some more info on the origins of "Waiting on My Wings" on wikipedia, thinking it would have roots as a traditional gospel tune...and I found nothing. So we'll just assume it's an original by The Word.
Randolph's pedal steel absolutely smokes on this tune, Medeski's organ makes your guts vibrate, and the NMAS expertly handle the myriad of tempo changes. Plus you get to hear some electric washboard.
This is a smokin' jam indeed.
--Music is good.
Though I've never gotten to see The Word perform live, I've done stories on all three bands represented in the supergroup --keyboard giant John Medeski (of the avant garde jazz-funk trio Medeski, Martin and Wood) pedal steel phenom Robert Randolph (of Robert Radolph and the Family Band) and brothers Cody (drums) and Luther Dickinson (guitar) and Chris Chew (bass) who make up the trio: the North Mississippi Allstars.
The group formed just on the cusp of Randolph becoming all the rage of the jamband world in 2001. Randolph's amazing pedal steel prowess was formed by playing in the House of God church in New Jersey--so it only seems fitting that when be combined with Medeski and the NMAS that the supergroup would put a funky new spin on traditional gospel music.
The Word released their self-titled album in 2001 and it's a great instrumental record. If you've ever been to church, you're sure to recognize some songs like "At the Cross," and "I'll Fly Away" (I gave "I'll Fly Away" a nod back on Track 3 of ye old blog).
Though Randolph's energetic pedal steel playing takes center stage on most tracks, Medeski is a Hammond organ monster, and the NMAS prove to be a super-tight backing band--and the whole group lays down a great mix of gospel-tinged, funky, bluesy rock.
I tried to find some more info on the origins of "Waiting on My Wings" on wikipedia, thinking it would have roots as a traditional gospel tune...and I found nothing. So we'll just assume it's an original by The Word.
Randolph's pedal steel absolutely smokes on this tune, Medeski's organ makes your guts vibrate, and the NMAS expertly handle the myriad of tempo changes. Plus you get to hear some electric washboard.
This is a smokin' jam indeed.
--Music is good.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Track 58: "End of the Line" by the Traveling Wilburys
Well it's all right, remember to live and let live/well it's all right, the best thing you can do is forgive
When it comes to side-projects and collaborations, the collection of amazing talents in one put-together band will never be better, and possibly less handsome, than the Traveling Wilburys.
On their own, each member--Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison--account for some of the most influential musicians EVER in the history of rock and roll. The band released two albums together, oddly titled "Traveling Wilburys Volume 1" and "Volume 3" (not sure what happened to "Volume 2," perhaps the Wilburys were fans of prime numbers).
The band was done when Roy Orbison passed away in late 1988. And it's sort of hard for me to believe that I was 11 when "Handle with Care" and "End of the Line" were hits, but great songs are always timeless and they certainly stuck with me. In 2007, the group's two albums were re-released as "The Traveling Wilburys Collection" and it's an absolute must-have.
There's really not much more to say, other than enjoy this hot as hell Friday.
--Music is good
When it comes to side-projects and collaborations, the collection of amazing talents in one put-together band will never be better, and possibly less handsome, than the Traveling Wilburys.
On their own, each member--Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison--account for some of the most influential musicians EVER in the history of rock and roll. The band released two albums together, oddly titled "Traveling Wilburys Volume 1" and "Volume 3" (not sure what happened to "Volume 2," perhaps the Wilburys were fans of prime numbers).
The band was done when Roy Orbison passed away in late 1988. And it's sort of hard for me to believe that I was 11 when "Handle with Care" and "End of the Line" were hits, but great songs are always timeless and they certainly stuck with me. In 2007, the group's two albums were re-released as "The Traveling Wilburys Collection" and it's an absolute must-have.
There's really not much more to say, other than enjoy this hot as hell Friday.
--Music is good
Monday, June 21, 2010
Track 57: "Sitting Here in Limbo" by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
Well, they're putting up resistance/but I know my faith will lead me on
Find your nearest Deadhead and ask if they have any bluegrass albums in their record collection. If the answer is "yes" I bet you a nickel it's the self-titled "Old and in the Way" album. The group that featured the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, John Kahn, Peter Rowan and the late great Vassar Clements was "the" bluegrass album for Deadheads. It's some terrific bluegrass music and also the first of a handful of truly great albums by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.
If you're a fan of either musician (or not for that matter) and haven't seen the documentary film "Grateful Dawg,"stop reading right now and watch it and then come back...
...so by now you would agree that me saying the documentary perfectly tells the story of the musical relationship between Jerry Garcia and David "Dawg" Grisman would be superfluous, redundant and unnecessary. The "Old and in the Way" album was released in 1975 and it would be over 25 years before Garcia and Grisman would collaborate again, but if you've ever heard any of the duo's music, it sounds like they played together every day over that quarter-century.
They released six-albums together (one being the soundtrack to "Grateful Dawg") and the vast array of music the two cover speaks infinitely of just how musically well-versed Garcia and Grisman were together. The albums in include bluegrass and folk standards, Miles Davis covers, old English sea shanties, and even children's music.
And I just do not get tired of hearing Garcia/Grisman take on Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting Here in Limbo." Garcia just sings the hell out of it, and when his guitar locks in with Grisman's mandolin you feel those notes right in your heart. The rhythm section from Grisman's quintet add just the right touches. Not a bad song for a Monday.
Find your nearest Deadhead and ask if they have any bluegrass albums in their record collection. If the answer is "yes" I bet you a nickel it's the self-titled "Old and in the Way" album. The group that featured the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, John Kahn, Peter Rowan and the late great Vassar Clements was "the" bluegrass album for Deadheads. It's some terrific bluegrass music and also the first of a handful of truly great albums by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.
If you're a fan of either musician (or not for that matter) and haven't seen the documentary film "Grateful Dawg,"stop reading right now and watch it and then come back...
...so by now you would agree that me saying the documentary perfectly tells the story of the musical relationship between Jerry Garcia and David "Dawg" Grisman would be superfluous, redundant and unnecessary. The "Old and in the Way" album was released in 1975 and it would be over 25 years before Garcia and Grisman would collaborate again, but if you've ever heard any of the duo's music, it sounds like they played together every day over that quarter-century.
They released six-albums together (one being the soundtrack to "Grateful Dawg") and the vast array of music the two cover speaks infinitely of just how musically well-versed Garcia and Grisman were together. The albums in include bluegrass and folk standards, Miles Davis covers, old English sea shanties, and even children's music.
And I just do not get tired of hearing Garcia/Grisman take on Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting Here in Limbo." Garcia just sings the hell out of it, and when his guitar locks in with Grisman's mandolin you feel those notes right in your heart. The rhythm section from Grisman's quintet add just the right touches. Not a bad song for a Monday.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Track 56: "The Collins Missile" by Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon
But the Collins Missile broke before I got to use it/I couldn't find the fuse and the dials wouldn't turn/it seemed to lack the features that made me want to choose it
When Phish began a 26-month hiatus in October 2000, there were a lot of disappointed heady phans. But the band's members still made a great deal of music during that time with a bevy of side projects. Guitarist Trey Anastasio got the most attention with his own side band and as part the trio OysterHead with Les Claypool and Stewart Copeland. Keyboardist Page McConnell formed Vida Blue with Oteil Burbridge and Russel Batiste. Drummer Jon Fishman played with Pork Tornado and toured with the Jazz Mandolin Project. But bassist Mike Gordon's solo output trumped them all.
In those 26 months Mike "Cactus" Gordon release his directorial-debut film "Outside Out" and a solo record "Inside In" that was the film's soundtrack (and is a really cool, funky and odd record). He also directed the movie "Rising Low" which documented the recording of the amazing Gov't Mule album "The Deep End" (Gordon also played on the record, along with about two-dozen of the greatest bass players ever in rock, stay tuned and you might hear some it down the road).
But the absolute best thing the Phish hiatus ever produced was Gordon's collaboration with acoustic guitar wizard Leo Kottke. I first heard some of Kottke's solo stuff in college, on a barely-remembered trip down to Statesboro, GA to see some friends. (Kottke's album "6 and 12 String Guitar" is phenomenal and the track "Vaseline Machine Gun" is just awesome in both name and content).
So when Kottke and Gordon released the album "Clone" in 2002, my Phish-geek friends and I were excited. And after digesting "Clone" it was apparent Kottke's masterful finger-picking and Gordon's bass just seem like they were made for one another. Any Phish fan can tell you that Gordon is a tad off-center, and though I don't know enough about Kottke's bio to comment on it, I will say the name "Vaseline Machine Gun" may be a nod to an off-center personality as well.
But I can't say enough good things about this collaboration (their 2nd album "Sixty Six Steps" is also fantastic). A really warm, melodic sound (almost a tropical vibe), some great instrumental playing and healthy doses of eccentric and eclectic charm just makes it an absolute pleasure to listen to. Cool music and quite quirky. It's a fitting description.
I'll be honest and say Kottke and Gordon have better songs than "The Collins Missile," but this one is my favorite. But don't worry about the previous sentence making sense. Just enjoy what is easily the most geeky and awkward love song of all time.
My lyrical interpretation goes as follows: weirdo has fight with his lady, so he sets up his build-your-own-rocket and aims it her house as a sign of his affection.The missile doesn't work but weirdo feels his effort was at least enough, and hopes the lady will help bridge their gap. Two days later the rocket shoots off, and now it's for sure in the hands of the lady.
Again that's my interpretation, call me a hopeless romantic. Either that or it's the best super-geeky awkward break-up revenge song of all time...
When Phish began a 26-month hiatus in October 2000, there were a lot of disappointed heady phans. But the band's members still made a great deal of music during that time with a bevy of side projects. Guitarist Trey Anastasio got the most attention with his own side band and as part the trio OysterHead with Les Claypool and Stewart Copeland. Keyboardist Page McConnell formed Vida Blue with Oteil Burbridge and Russel Batiste. Drummer Jon Fishman played with Pork Tornado and toured with the Jazz Mandolin Project. But bassist Mike Gordon's solo output trumped them all.
In those 26 months Mike "Cactus" Gordon release his directorial-debut film "Outside Out" and a solo record "Inside In" that was the film's soundtrack (and is a really cool, funky and odd record). He also directed the movie "Rising Low" which documented the recording of the amazing Gov't Mule album "The Deep End" (Gordon also played on the record, along with about two-dozen of the greatest bass players ever in rock, stay tuned and you might hear some it down the road).
But the absolute best thing the Phish hiatus ever produced was Gordon's collaboration with acoustic guitar wizard Leo Kottke. I first heard some of Kottke's solo stuff in college, on a barely-remembered trip down to Statesboro, GA to see some friends. (Kottke's album "6 and 12 String Guitar" is phenomenal and the track "Vaseline Machine Gun" is just awesome in both name and content).
So when Kottke and Gordon released the album "Clone" in 2002, my Phish-geek friends and I were excited. And after digesting "Clone" it was apparent Kottke's masterful finger-picking and Gordon's bass just seem like they were made for one another. Any Phish fan can tell you that Gordon is a tad off-center, and though I don't know enough about Kottke's bio to comment on it, I will say the name "Vaseline Machine Gun" may be a nod to an off-center personality as well.
But I can't say enough good things about this collaboration (their 2nd album "Sixty Six Steps" is also fantastic). A really warm, melodic sound (almost a tropical vibe), some great instrumental playing and healthy doses of eccentric and eclectic charm just makes it an absolute pleasure to listen to. Cool music and quite quirky. It's a fitting description.
I'll be honest and say Kottke and Gordon have better songs than "The Collins Missile," but this one is my favorite. But don't worry about the previous sentence making sense. Just enjoy what is easily the most geeky and awkward love song of all time.
My lyrical interpretation goes as follows: weirdo has fight with his lady, so he sets up his build-your-own-rocket and aims it her house as a sign of his affection.The missile doesn't work but weirdo feels his effort was at least enough, and hopes the lady will help bridge their gap. Two days later the rocket shoots off, and now it's for sure in the hands of the lady.
Again that's my interpretation, call me a hopeless romantic. Either that or it's the best super-geeky awkward break-up revenge song of all time...
Monday, June 14, 2010
Track 55: "Spirit of the Radio" by Rush
All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted/not so coldly charted it's really just a question of your honesty, yeah your honesty
I could have easily thrown this Rush track out there during repeat artist week a few Tracks ago, but I'm glad I didn't. Because after seeing the Rush documentary, "Beyond the Lighted Stage," last week I was so pleasantly reminded about what an insanely awesome band Rush is.
The movie played one night only across the country and I had to go to Kennesaw, GA of all places (the only theater in Atlanta showing it for some reason) to see it. I can unequivocally say this is the best doc I've ever seen about a rock band, utterly fantastic, and it made me fall in love with Rush all over again.
It was a pretty interesting crowd, lots of overweight middle-aged dudes in black Rush tour t-shirts, a smattering of younger folks and a handful of ladies (the chicks don't dig the Rush too much). But the film was such a cool, extremely well-done testament to the greatest cult band of all time.
There were lots of testimonials from famous musicians--Les Claypool, Jack Black, Gene Simmons, and Kirk Hammet--all espousing the musical brilliance of this band. I don't even know what else to say other than watch this trailer for the film:
Unfortunately two of my best Rush-geek friends had prior engagements and were unable to attend. But I did get to see the movie with Creative Circus Advertising Department Head, my former teacher, mentor, and all around cool guy Dan Balser. On the long ride to Kenensaw we got to catch up and share stories of how we got introduced to Rush.
Dan told me he heard "Spirit of the Radio" for the first time on the radio in 1984 and had to pull over and listen to the song because he was so blown away. So track 55 is for you, Dan!
This version is from the "Rush in Rio" concert DVD . And coming soon to a pretentious, under-read music blog near you: my favorite side-project/collaboration songs.
--Music is good.
I could have easily thrown this Rush track out there during repeat artist week a few Tracks ago, but I'm glad I didn't. Because after seeing the Rush documentary, "Beyond the Lighted Stage," last week I was so pleasantly reminded about what an insanely awesome band Rush is.
The movie played one night only across the country and I had to go to Kennesaw, GA of all places (the only theater in Atlanta showing it for some reason) to see it. I can unequivocally say this is the best doc I've ever seen about a rock band, utterly fantastic, and it made me fall in love with Rush all over again.
It was a pretty interesting crowd, lots of overweight middle-aged dudes in black Rush tour t-shirts, a smattering of younger folks and a handful of ladies (the chicks don't dig the Rush too much). But the film was such a cool, extremely well-done testament to the greatest cult band of all time.
There were lots of testimonials from famous musicians--Les Claypool, Jack Black, Gene Simmons, and Kirk Hammet--all espousing the musical brilliance of this band. I don't even know what else to say other than watch this trailer for the film:
Unfortunately two of my best Rush-geek friends had prior engagements and were unable to attend. But I did get to see the movie with Creative Circus Advertising Department Head, my former teacher, mentor, and all around cool guy Dan Balser. On the long ride to Kenensaw we got to catch up and share stories of how we got introduced to Rush.
Dan told me he heard "Spirit of the Radio" for the first time on the radio in 1984 and had to pull over and listen to the song because he was so blown away. So track 55 is for you, Dan!
This version is from the "Rush in Rio" concert DVD . And coming soon to a pretentious, under-read music blog near you: my favorite side-project/collaboration songs.
--Music is good.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Track 54: "All Along the Watchtower" Dave Matthews Band covering Bob Dylan
But you and I have been through that, and this is not our fate/so let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late
Capping off a run of Bob Dylan covers, it would be an egregious error of any pretentious blogger not to include "All Along the Watchtower" on an Ultimate Playlist.
And though I have no scientific evidence to support this claim, I think it's safe to say that "All Along the Watchtower" is easily the most covered song in music. Ever. The list of bands that have covered this tune include include Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam, U2, Neil Young, Taj Mahal, the Indigo Girls, Richie Havens and my favorite band from my high school years the late Sourwood Honey. (I'm sure that list barely scratches the surface).
Sure, Hendrix's version trumps them all, but I have to give a nod to the way the Dave Matthews Band interprets this song. (And yes, I do like DMB in small doses). "All Along the Watchtower" is pretty much a guaranteed staple at any DMB show (I know I've seen it performed every time in the handful of shows I've seen). And though I think it's a little lame to perform the same song for every encore, the band absolutely kills this tune.
I first saw DMB at the gymnasium at The Citadel in Charleston, SC during my high school spring break in 1995 (one of the best vacations I've ever had) and of course the band encored with "All Along the Watchtower." That summer, maybe three months later, the band did its first amphitheater tour. You Tube displays 534 results when I searched for DMB doing "All Along the Watchtower," but I only had one version in my mind--the best I've ever heard this band do. This version appears of 1994 "Recently" EP." Released before the group was one of the biggest bands in the world, this version is awesome. You can tell it was recorded in a small club, when the DMB was a young, hungry band--a decade before they were rich enough to just casually dump their tour bus sewage tank on unsuspecting tourists in Chicago. http://tinyurl.com/38hq7of
Capping off a run of Bob Dylan covers, it would be an egregious error of any pretentious blogger not to include "All Along the Watchtower" on an Ultimate Playlist.
And though I have no scientific evidence to support this claim, I think it's safe to say that "All Along the Watchtower" is easily the most covered song in music. Ever. The list of bands that have covered this tune include include Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam, U2, Neil Young, Taj Mahal, the Indigo Girls, Richie Havens and my favorite band from my high school years the late Sourwood Honey. (I'm sure that list barely scratches the surface).
Sure, Hendrix's version trumps them all, but I have to give a nod to the way the Dave Matthews Band interprets this song. (And yes, I do like DMB in small doses). "All Along the Watchtower" is pretty much a guaranteed staple at any DMB show (I know I've seen it performed every time in the handful of shows I've seen). And though I think it's a little lame to perform the same song for every encore, the band absolutely kills this tune.
I first saw DMB at the gymnasium at The Citadel in Charleston, SC during my high school spring break in 1995 (one of the best vacations I've ever had) and of course the band encored with "All Along the Watchtower." That summer, maybe three months later, the band did its first amphitheater tour. You Tube displays 534 results when I searched for DMB doing "All Along the Watchtower," but I only had one version in my mind--the best I've ever heard this band do. This version appears of 1994 "Recently" EP." Released before the group was one of the biggest bands in the world, this version is awesome. You can tell it was recorded in a small club, when the DMB was a young, hungry band--a decade before they were rich enough to just casually dump their tour bus sewage tank on unsuspecting tourists in Chicago. http://tinyurl.com/38hq7of
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Track 53: "Don't Think Twice it's All Right" Susan Tedeschi covering Bob Dylan
I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind/You could have done better but I don’t mind/You just kinda wasted my precious time/But don’t think twice, it’s all right
Another great one in the Bob Dylan cover song genre...
I credit my fascination with slide guitar giant Derek Trucks to introducing me to Susan Tedeschi, who also happens to be Mrs. Derek Trucks.
They met while Tedeschi's band dis a tour opening for the Allman Brothers Band (Derek has been in the ABB for pretty much this entire decade, and his uncle, Butch,is the band's founding drummer) and are likely the most musically talented married couple alive (now that Britney and K-Fed are finito, of course). But I've been lucky enough to see the two share the stage a couple of times together, and it's really magic. Derek Trucks is easily the best young guitarist alive right now and Tedeschi's old-soul, Southern-fried bluesy voice is nothing short of perfect. They have a sort of side-project together, The Soul Stew Revival (which features Derek's younger brother, Duane, on drums on occasion) and I sincerely wish they'd make a Soul Stew Revival album.
But Tedeschi is uber-accomplished in her own right and I'm just beginning to venture into her solo stuff. Her version of "Angel from Montgomery" is superb. But when I stumbled across her "Live from Austin City Limits" album and this cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice it's All Right," I was sold.
Only Bob Dylan could write lyrics this scathing and turn them into such an endearing song. Of course, Susan Tedeschi's voice just makes it all the more gorgeous. And big ups to Johnny Cash's version as well.
Another great one in the Bob Dylan cover song genre...
I credit my fascination with slide guitar giant Derek Trucks to introducing me to Susan Tedeschi, who also happens to be Mrs. Derek Trucks.
They met while Tedeschi's band dis a tour opening for the Allman Brothers Band (Derek has been in the ABB for pretty much this entire decade, and his uncle, Butch,is the band's founding drummer) and are likely the most musically talented married couple alive (now that Britney and K-Fed are finito, of course). But I've been lucky enough to see the two share the stage a couple of times together, and it's really magic. Derek Trucks is easily the best young guitarist alive right now and Tedeschi's old-soul, Southern-fried bluesy voice is nothing short of perfect. They have a sort of side-project together, The Soul Stew Revival (which features Derek's younger brother, Duane, on drums on occasion) and I sincerely wish they'd make a Soul Stew Revival album.
But Tedeschi is uber-accomplished in her own right and I'm just beginning to venture into her solo stuff. Her version of "Angel from Montgomery" is superb. But when I stumbled across her "Live from Austin City Limits" album and this cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice it's All Right," I was sold.
Only Bob Dylan could write lyrics this scathing and turn them into such an endearing song. Of course, Susan Tedeschi's voice just makes it all the more gorgeous. And big ups to Johnny Cash's version as well.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Track 52: "Girl from the North Country" Sam Bush covering Bob Dylan
If you go where the snowflakes storm/where the rivers freeze and the summer ends/see for me she has a coat so warm/to keep her from the howling winds
Continuing the theme of some of my favorite musicians covering Bob Dylan and the plethora of bluegrass tunes I've been doing lately (I told you I love bluegrass in the spring!)...
Sam Bush makes his second appearance on the Ultimate Playlist (see Track 49) with an amazing cover of Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." The original version lives on the record "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" and there's a great version where Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash do a duet of the tune on Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" album. But it was Sam Bush that introduced me to the song.
Bush was one of the first 'big' stories I did as a fledgling freelancer, and he really helped introduce me to a world of bluegrass that I would begin to love. The dude's been playing mandolin and fiddle since he was a kid and has been a major player in whole "newgrass" genre since he was a teenager. He was a co-founder of Newgrass Revival, a band that opened for the Grateful Dead on occasion, also featured banjo giant Bela Fleck, and basically helped introduce traditional bluegrass to the brave new world. He pops up on a lot of my favorite bluegrass records by folks like Bela Fleck and Tony Rice
Learn more about Sam Bush here: http://tinyurl.com/32m8c5k
Though the freelancing gig was extremely low paying, it did have its perks in lots of free CDs and lots of free concerts. And Bush's "Peaks of Telluride" CD was one of my first favorites. It's a live album, compiled from Bush's numerous visits to the famed Telluride Bluegrass festival. Again, it's a testament to what two dudes with two chunks of wood can do. Dobro-god Jerry Douglas really adds a lot of color to this song, with some mighty fine pickin' and a singin' from Mr. Sam Bush. And of course it doesn't hurt to start with a masterful blueprint from Bob Dylan.
--Music is good
Continuing the theme of some of my favorite musicians covering Bob Dylan and the plethora of bluegrass tunes I've been doing lately (I told you I love bluegrass in the spring!)...
Sam Bush makes his second appearance on the Ultimate Playlist (see Track 49) with an amazing cover of Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." The original version lives on the record "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" and there's a great version where Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash do a duet of the tune on Dylan's "Nashville Skyline" album. But it was Sam Bush that introduced me to the song.
Bush was one of the first 'big' stories I did as a fledgling freelancer, and he really helped introduce me to a world of bluegrass that I would begin to love. The dude's been playing mandolin and fiddle since he was a kid and has been a major player in whole "newgrass" genre since he was a teenager. He was a co-founder of Newgrass Revival, a band that opened for the Grateful Dead on occasion, also featured banjo giant Bela Fleck, and basically helped introduce traditional bluegrass to the brave new world. He pops up on a lot of my favorite bluegrass records by folks like Bela Fleck and Tony Rice
Learn more about Sam Bush here: http://tinyurl.com/32m8c5k
Though the freelancing gig was extremely low paying, it did have its perks in lots of free CDs and lots of free concerts. And Bush's "Peaks of Telluride" CD was one of my first favorites. It's a live album, compiled from Bush's numerous visits to the famed Telluride Bluegrass festival. Again, it's a testament to what two dudes with two chunks of wood can do. Dobro-god Jerry Douglas really adds a lot of color to this song, with some mighty fine pickin' and a singin' from Mr. Sam Bush. And of course it doesn't hurt to start with a masterful blueprint from Bob Dylan.
--Music is good
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Track 51: "Tomorrow is a Long Time" Nickel Creek covering Bob Dylan
There is beauty in that silver singing river/there is beauty in that sunrise in the sky/but none of these and nothing else can touch the beauty/that I remember in my true love's eyes.
I should probably listen to more Bob Dylan. Much the same way a devout Catholic should read The Bible more frequently. Or how a serious NASCAR fan just can't seem to have enough decals of Calvin urinating on a Ford logo right all over his truck's windows.
But what's pretty cool is how many of my favorite bands and musicians will throw a Bob Dylan cover out every now and then, so I guess it evens out.
I came across Nickel Creek through my hand-to-mouth freelance journalism days and immediately fell for this band. The three prodigious talents--brother/sister Sean (guitar) and Sara (violin) Watkins and Chris Thile (mandolin)--were all reared in traditional bluegrass. They can absolutely pick and have terrific voices that combine for some overwhelming harmonies. They've played Bonnaroo, had videos on Country Music Television, and even have a Pavement cover song in their arsenal--so their mix of bluegrass, folk, and pop really has a broad appeal. And of course it doesn't hurt that they all are quite attractive.
--shameless article plug: http://tinyurl.com/33893q4--
Nickel Creek could easily have a few songs fitting of my recent bluegrass instrumental kick, they certainly have more Playlist-worthy songs as well, but their cover of Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time" just floors me. The song's off their last (for now?) album "Why Should the Fire Die?" album and honestly was the first time I'd ever heard this Bob Dylan song. It just proves what an amazing lyricist Dylan was for writing lyrics that make you want to pull your heart out of your chest and take a bite because the words are so moving. And Nickel Creek owns it. It's gorgeous. The playing and Sara Watkin's voice both make my special place tingle in the best way.
Forgive the cheesy video, but I think it's funny that it was made by Faye-tastic Films. Though I'm confident the amazing woman who raised me to be the blogger you are currenty reading has no knowledge of what entails uploading a video to You Tube. But Faye-tastic is pretty awesome.
The band's last tour in 2007 was called "Farewell for Now," and there's been some solo stuff out from all three members--check out Chris Thile's new group The Punch Brothers, really cool stuff--but here's to hoping Nickel Creek play again.
--Music is good
I should probably listen to more Bob Dylan. Much the same way a devout Catholic should read The Bible more frequently. Or how a serious NASCAR fan just can't seem to have enough decals of Calvin urinating on a Ford logo right all over his truck's windows.
But what's pretty cool is how many of my favorite bands and musicians will throw a Bob Dylan cover out every now and then, so I guess it evens out.
I came across Nickel Creek through my hand-to-mouth freelance journalism days and immediately fell for this band. The three prodigious talents--brother/sister Sean (guitar) and Sara (violin) Watkins and Chris Thile (mandolin)--were all reared in traditional bluegrass. They can absolutely pick and have terrific voices that combine for some overwhelming harmonies. They've played Bonnaroo, had videos on Country Music Television, and even have a Pavement cover song in their arsenal--so their mix of bluegrass, folk, and pop really has a broad appeal. And of course it doesn't hurt that they all are quite attractive.
--shameless article plug: http://tinyurl.com/33893q4--
Nickel Creek could easily have a few songs fitting of my recent bluegrass instrumental kick, they certainly have more Playlist-worthy songs as well, but their cover of Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time" just floors me. The song's off their last (for now?) album "Why Should the Fire Die?" album and honestly was the first time I'd ever heard this Bob Dylan song. It just proves what an amazing lyricist Dylan was for writing lyrics that make you want to pull your heart out of your chest and take a bite because the words are so moving. And Nickel Creek owns it. It's gorgeous. The playing and Sara Watkin's voice both make my special place tingle in the best way.
Forgive the cheesy video, but I think it's funny that it was made by Faye-tastic Films. Though I'm confident the amazing woman who raised me to be the blogger you are currenty reading has no knowledge of what entails uploading a video to You Tube. But Faye-tastic is pretty awesome.
The band's last tour in 2007 was called "Farewell for Now," and there's been some solo stuff out from all three members--check out Chris Thile's new group The Punch Brothers, really cool stuff--but here's to hoping Nickel Creek play again.
--Music is good
Monday, May 31, 2010
Track 50: "Lois Ann" by Railroad Earth
Though I could easily go on and on with the bluegrass instrumental cuts, in the interests of keeping the Ultimate Playlist a little more exciting (I know you are having the BEST time reading this right now), I'm going to shift gears a little bit with the next few tracks. So I hope you enjoy this Memorial Day track, and coming soon to a pretentious music blog near you: various artists covering Bob Dylan songs.
I first introduced Railroad Earth to the Ultimate Playlist with Track 19 "Seven Story Mountain." I did a handful of stories on them during my freelance days and they are hands-down my favorite band that my hand-to-mouth writing days introduced me to. The New Jersey sextet (one of the few bright spots in NJ's history) is just fantastic--mixing bluegrass, folk and rock with some worldly influences (Celtic, Indian), and the improvisational nature of a jam band. Think of them as The Band meets "American Beauty"-era Grateful Dead meets Bob Dylan meets a pile of bluegrass instruments.
The presence of a drummer immediately makes Railroad a little atypical for a bluegrass band, but the band can absolutely pick. And Todd Sheaffer's lyrics and knack for writing catchy songs are nothing less than superb (see Track 19 for concrete evidence). But the collective band just has such a keen sense of melody.
So, to close out the bluegrass instrumental portion of this program(for now), I present "Lois Ann." A really pretty song, and if the melody doesn't get stuck in your head, just know that you are making some barely-read blogger very upset.
--Music good.
I first introduced Railroad Earth to the Ultimate Playlist with Track 19 "Seven Story Mountain." I did a handful of stories on them during my freelance days and they are hands-down my favorite band that my hand-to-mouth writing days introduced me to. The New Jersey sextet (one of the few bright spots in NJ's history) is just fantastic--mixing bluegrass, folk and rock with some worldly influences (Celtic, Indian), and the improvisational nature of a jam band. Think of them as The Band meets "American Beauty"-era Grateful Dead meets Bob Dylan meets a pile of bluegrass instruments.
The presence of a drummer immediately makes Railroad a little atypical for a bluegrass band, but the band can absolutely pick. And Todd Sheaffer's lyrics and knack for writing catchy songs are nothing less than superb (see Track 19 for concrete evidence). But the collective band just has such a keen sense of melody.
So, to close out the bluegrass instrumental portion of this program(for now), I present "Lois Ann." A really pretty song, and if the melody doesn't get stuck in your head, just know that you are making some barely-read blogger very upset.
--Music good.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Track 49: "Jamgrass 741" by Sam Bush and David Grisman
Another instrumental "bluegrass" number for ya...
Sometimes it's just amazing what a man and a chunk of wood can do. That's sort of the underlying appeal to me of bluegrass and acoustic music. There are no no effect pedals to hide behind or any of that reprehensible auto-tuning, it's just simply the music. A few dudes and a few chunks of wood.
I heard the term 'hill billy jazz' from mandolin stud Sam Bush. Bush was the 3rd article I ever had published, and was sort of my first big-fat-hairy-deal musician I got to speak to on the telephone. Here's a link to that story: http://tinyurl.com/32m8c5k
And it's cool to think of bluegrass that way...at least the more modern stuff that Sam Bush and his ilk created. There's a group of badass musicians (Sam Bush, David Grisman, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, etc) who all have their own groups and various side-projects that sort of keep them in open-door musical relationships. And each musician puts their own unique spin on the traditional music.
By this point you read the article on Sam Bush (ha!), so you know he's the real deal. So when I learned that he and David Grisman were cutting an album together I was pretty damn excited. Grisman is also a mandolin stud, putting his own Latin-tinged improvisational jazz spin on the instrument. Grisman was my first cover story, a big-fat-hairy-deal in its own right. Here's a link to the story: Grisman: http://tinyurl.com/2g56bhf
Now that you're two articles and several wasted minutes deep in this track on the Ultimate Playlist, you should at least have a basic comprehension on how great just the notion of an album by Bush and Grisman would be. And I must say the actual record is even better. Though musicians from Grisman's quintet make appearances, most of the tracks are just two giants throwing down. Again, it's a testament to what two dudes with chunks of wood can do: Sam Bush can also saw a mean one off on the fiddle, and Grisman picks just about every mandolin-related instrument on the planet on the album "Hold On We're Strummin."
I'll always be a sucker for a pretty melody in a bluegrass song (and you'll assuredly here more soon) but "Jamgrass 741" is a bit aggressive. A tad in your face. A musical exploration of two dudes and two chunks of wood. There is some mighty fine pickin on this one.
--Music is good.
Sometimes it's just amazing what a man and a chunk of wood can do. That's sort of the underlying appeal to me of bluegrass and acoustic music. There are no no effect pedals to hide behind or any of that reprehensible auto-tuning, it's just simply the music. A few dudes and a few chunks of wood.
I heard the term 'hill billy jazz' from mandolin stud Sam Bush. Bush was the 3rd article I ever had published, and was sort of my first big-fat-hairy-deal musician I got to speak to on the telephone. Here's a link to that story: http://tinyurl.com/32m8c5k
And it's cool to think of bluegrass that way...at least the more modern stuff that Sam Bush and his ilk created. There's a group of badass musicians (Sam Bush, David Grisman, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, etc) who all have their own groups and various side-projects that sort of keep them in open-door musical relationships. And each musician puts their own unique spin on the traditional music.
By this point you read the article on Sam Bush (ha!), so you know he's the real deal. So when I learned that he and David Grisman were cutting an album together I was pretty damn excited. Grisman is also a mandolin stud, putting his own Latin-tinged improvisational jazz spin on the instrument. Grisman was my first cover story, a big-fat-hairy-deal in its own right. Here's a link to the story: Grisman: http://tinyurl.com/2g56bhf
Now that you're two articles and several wasted minutes deep in this track on the Ultimate Playlist, you should at least have a basic comprehension on how great just the notion of an album by Bush and Grisman would be. And I must say the actual record is even better. Though musicians from Grisman's quintet make appearances, most of the tracks are just two giants throwing down. Again, it's a testament to what two dudes with chunks of wood can do: Sam Bush can also saw a mean one off on the fiddle, and Grisman picks just about every mandolin-related instrument on the planet on the album "Hold On We're Strummin."
I'll always be a sucker for a pretty melody in a bluegrass song (and you'll assuredly here more soon) but "Jamgrass 741" is a bit aggressive. A tad in your face. A musical exploration of two dudes and two chunks of wood. There is some mighty fine pickin on this one.
--Music is good.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Track 48: "When Joy Kills Sorrow" by Bela Fleck
I mentioned in Track 47 about trying something new and adventurous with the ole Ultimate Playlist blog--doing "theme" portions of tracks. After a handful of 'repeat artists' tracks, musicians making there 2nd appearance on the Playlist, the next few tracks will be bluegrass-tinged instrumentals. And though I love the tight vocal harmonies of bluegrass music, some of my favorite songs of the genre are instrumentals. There's just something perfect about what a collection of acoustic instruments can produce...so I hope you enjoy the next few entries of instrumental songs as much as I do.
I touched on "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park" album as being of my go-to albums when spring rolls around, but it's also tough to beat some bluegrass music on a gorgeous, sunny spring day.
Banjo maestro Bela Fleck has made a number of appearances on the Playlist already. He first popped in the incredible "b Song" for Track 6 with bassist Edgar Meyer, again with his amazing band The Flecktones for Track 26 "A New South Africa", and he's also part of Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet on the gorgeous Track 41 "Fall on My Knees".
Maybe I am a bit Fleck-obsessed, but the man just has so much awesome music and is definitely one of my favorite musicians on the planet. And one of my favorite albums of his (of which there are several) is "The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from The Acoustic Planet Volume 2." Obviously from the title, Fleck has done a few "Acoustic Planet" albums (the first is him playing with a number of different jazz musicians, and the most recent 3rd edition "Throw Down Your Heart" finds Fleck taking the banjo on a journey through Africa, playing a lot of traditional African music--a really great album).
But "The Bluegrass Sessions" never fails to get some play when spring rolls around. And it doesn't hurt that Fleck has some of the greatest bluegrass musicians on Earth playing with him on this album--Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Earl Scrugs, Tony Rice and the late, great Vassar Clement just to name a few. There's some fantastic songs on this album, some amazing picking, and it's a must-have record for anyone who digs the bluegrass.
The melody in "When Joy Kills Sorrow" is just so charming, infectious and pretty--a perfect companion to any sunny Sunday afternoon. I just love how each musician on the track sort of 'leads' a section, trading off the melody. Such a great song.
And as a Sunday bonus, I decided to add "The Over Grown Waltz" to Track 48 and give you a Bela Fleck double-shot, so you now have two reasons to own "The Bluegrass Sessions." I used the word 'lovely' to describe The Allman Brothers song "Little Martha," and I think "The Over Grown Waltz" is also quite deserving of the adjective. Such a beautiful melody, perfect for a sunny Sunday. Lovely indeed.
--Music is good
I touched on "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park" album as being of my go-to albums when spring rolls around, but it's also tough to beat some bluegrass music on a gorgeous, sunny spring day.
Banjo maestro Bela Fleck has made a number of appearances on the Playlist already. He first popped in the incredible "b Song" for Track 6 with bassist Edgar Meyer, again with his amazing band The Flecktones for Track 26 "A New South Africa", and he's also part of Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet on the gorgeous Track 41 "Fall on My Knees".
Maybe I am a bit Fleck-obsessed, but the man just has so much awesome music and is definitely one of my favorite musicians on the planet. And one of my favorite albums of his (of which there are several) is "The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from The Acoustic Planet Volume 2." Obviously from the title, Fleck has done a few "Acoustic Planet" albums (the first is him playing with a number of different jazz musicians, and the most recent 3rd edition "Throw Down Your Heart" finds Fleck taking the banjo on a journey through Africa, playing a lot of traditional African music--a really great album).
But "The Bluegrass Sessions" never fails to get some play when spring rolls around. And it doesn't hurt that Fleck has some of the greatest bluegrass musicians on Earth playing with him on this album--Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Earl Scrugs, Tony Rice and the late, great Vassar Clement just to name a few. There's some fantastic songs on this album, some amazing picking, and it's a must-have record for anyone who digs the bluegrass.
The melody in "When Joy Kills Sorrow" is just so charming, infectious and pretty--a perfect companion to any sunny Sunday afternoon. I just love how each musician on the track sort of 'leads' a section, trading off the melody. Such a great song.
And as a Sunday bonus, I decided to add "The Over Grown Waltz" to Track 48 and give you a Bela Fleck double-shot, so you now have two reasons to own "The Bluegrass Sessions." I used the word 'lovely' to describe The Allman Brothers song "Little Martha," and I think "The Over Grown Waltz" is also quite deserving of the adjective. Such a beautiful melody, perfect for a sunny Sunday. Lovely indeed.
--Music is good
Friday, May 21, 2010
Track 47: "The Coast" by Paul Simon
This is a lonely life/sorrow's everywhere you turn/that is worth something when you think about it/that is worth some money
After a few minutes of extensive thought and deliberation today, I decided that since I've been doing repeat artists for past few entries, I would sort of spin that for future entries and dedicated a handful of tracks to genres/a single band/etc to just sort of stretch the depth of the Ultimate Playlist.
I am sure you are excited.
But in closing out the repeat artists portion of this program (for now)...
I touched on my huge love of Paul Simon back on Track 14 with "Gumboots" from the impeccable "Graceland" album. And though Simon and Garfunkel's "Greatest Hits" was one of the first CDs I ever owned (I also got Zeppelin 1 for Christmas that year), and the duo's songs will always have a special place in my heart, the double-live album "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park" takes the prize for my favorite of Paul Simon's music (and that's saying a lot).
The "Concert in the Park" album is just amazing. Recorded on August 15, 1991, it's Paul Simon with a 14-piece band, back-up singers and two CDs worth of the African-influenced hits from "Graceland"and "Rhythm of the Saints" and several Simon and Garfunkel gems.
This album is always one of my go-to records when spring starts to come around, preferably windows-down and driving anywhere. I've been wanting to write about this tune for a while, and oddly enough it was storming here today (complete with marble-sized hail for a few minutes) and when I started listening to "The Coast" the storm stopped and the sun came out for the first time today (albeit briefly). Surely, it wasn't coincidental.
This is a must-own album in my opinion, especially if you spend anytime on a deck on sunny days with cold beer and other human beings you know well in the vicinity. It will be hard to truly express how much I love this song. The compelling groove, the crystalline melody of the lead guitar and visualizing the Simon's lyrics--it just gets me every time. HORNS. The way the song fades back in after the African chant section is a nice a touch as well...And, my sweet lord, THE HORNS.
If the horns don't get you right in your chest, and you're not singing along to the "oooh-wah" parts by the end of this song, you may seriously want to think deeply about your role in this universe.
--Music is Good
After a few minutes of extensive thought and deliberation today, I decided that since I've been doing repeat artists for past few entries, I would sort of spin that for future entries and dedicated a handful of tracks to genres/a single band/etc to just sort of stretch the depth of the Ultimate Playlist.
I am sure you are excited.
But in closing out the repeat artists portion of this program (for now)...
I touched on my huge love of Paul Simon back on Track 14 with "Gumboots" from the impeccable "Graceland" album. And though Simon and Garfunkel's "Greatest Hits" was one of the first CDs I ever owned (I also got Zeppelin 1 for Christmas that year), and the duo's songs will always have a special place in my heart, the double-live album "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park" takes the prize for my favorite of Paul Simon's music (and that's saying a lot).
The "Concert in the Park" album is just amazing. Recorded on August 15, 1991, it's Paul Simon with a 14-piece band, back-up singers and two CDs worth of the African-influenced hits from "Graceland"and "Rhythm of the Saints" and several Simon and Garfunkel gems.
This album is always one of my go-to records when spring starts to come around, preferably windows-down and driving anywhere. I've been wanting to write about this tune for a while, and oddly enough it was storming here today (complete with marble-sized hail for a few minutes) and when I started listening to "The Coast" the storm stopped and the sun came out for the first time today (albeit briefly). Surely, it wasn't coincidental.
This is a must-own album in my opinion, especially if you spend anytime on a deck on sunny days with cold beer and other human beings you know well in the vicinity. It will be hard to truly express how much I love this song. The compelling groove, the crystalline melody of the lead guitar and visualizing the Simon's lyrics--it just gets me every time. HORNS. The way the song fades back in after the African chant section is a nice a touch as well...And, my sweet lord, THE HORNS.
If the horns don't get you right in your chest, and you're not singing along to the "oooh-wah" parts by the end of this song, you may seriously want to think deeply about your role in this universe.
--Music is Good
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Track 46: "Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin
In the days of my youth/I was told what it means to be a man/now I've reached that age/I've tried to do all those things the best I can
Continuing with the repeat artists theme, this is just another in a long, long line of killer Led Zeppelin tunes.
I espoused my love for the Zep back on track 11 with "Whole Lotta Love" which is just an evil, dirty, and sexy tune. But it's hard to beat track 1 of the band's first record, "Good Times Bad Times." It's just 2:47 of pure and potent rock, and easily one of my favorite Zeppelin songs ever (of which there are several).
But I actually owe Phish for giving me one of my best live music memories in the form of a cover of "Good Times Bad Times." Phish's millennium festival, Big Cypress, on an Indian reservation to help ring in the 2000s was quite simply the best time I've ever had. I had just graduated from college two weeks before, was with about 95% of my best friends, and there was just a cool sense of going to one of the farthest corners of the country in the midst of the Y2K hullabaloo...would there still be a home to go back to after the festival was over?
In the interest of saving space on the Interweb, I can't possibly explain at length what an amazing experience it was. The band did an afternoon set on 12/30, followed by a full show that night, another day set on 12/31 and rung in the New Millennium with a superb midnight to sunrise show. Hand's down this will always be the musical highlight of my life, and though my love of Phish has waned over the years, I will always fondly remember this event.
But Phish closed out the first set of their evening show on 12/30 with a cover of "Good Times Bad Times"and I just lost it. I'm a fairly even-keeled, calm dude, but I went nuts when they played this song. At the time it was my new favorite band covering one of my favorite songs by my all time favorite band--and it completely fucking ruled. They nailed it, and when Phish bassist Mike Gordon played all of John Paul Jones' bass-fills, I just broke out in laughter (my natural, instinctual gut reaction to anytime music blows me away).
And unless Led Zeppelin reunites and I am able to get front row tickets, live music for me, in that wonderful moment in the Florida Everglades, will be the best it's ever been.
--Music is good.
Continuing with the repeat artists theme, this is just another in a long, long line of killer Led Zeppelin tunes.
I espoused my love for the Zep back on track 11 with "Whole Lotta Love" which is just an evil, dirty, and sexy tune. But it's hard to beat track 1 of the band's first record, "Good Times Bad Times." It's just 2:47 of pure and potent rock, and easily one of my favorite Zeppelin songs ever (of which there are several).
But I actually owe Phish for giving me one of my best live music memories in the form of a cover of "Good Times Bad Times." Phish's millennium festival, Big Cypress, on an Indian reservation to help ring in the 2000s was quite simply the best time I've ever had. I had just graduated from college two weeks before, was with about 95% of my best friends, and there was just a cool sense of going to one of the farthest corners of the country in the midst of the Y2K hullabaloo...would there still be a home to go back to after the festival was over?
In the interest of saving space on the Interweb, I can't possibly explain at length what an amazing experience it was. The band did an afternoon set on 12/30, followed by a full show that night, another day set on 12/31 and rung in the New Millennium with a superb midnight to sunrise show. Hand's down this will always be the musical highlight of my life, and though my love of Phish has waned over the years, I will always fondly remember this event.
But Phish closed out the first set of their evening show on 12/30 with a cover of "Good Times Bad Times"and I just lost it. I'm a fairly even-keeled, calm dude, but I went nuts when they played this song. At the time it was my new favorite band covering one of my favorite songs by my all time favorite band--and it completely fucking ruled. They nailed it, and when Phish bassist Mike Gordon played all of John Paul Jones' bass-fills, I just broke out in laughter (my natural, instinctual gut reaction to anytime music blows me away).
And unless Led Zeppelin reunites and I am able to get front row tickets, live music for me, in that wonderful moment in the Florida Everglades, will be the best it's ever been.
--Music is good.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Track 45: "Blue Sky" by the Allman Brothers Band
Don't fly, Mr. Bluebird, I'm just walkin down the road...
Back to back posts?! OMG! WTF?! Maybe I'm feeling industrious. Maybe the creative juices are gurgling in my blood stream. Maybe I just heard this tune on the iPod while walking Bertha around the neighborhood on a perfectly humid early spring evening with the sweet smells in the air just sort of sticking to me.
I'm going to keep repeat-week going with my 2nd Allman Brothers Band track. I love track 21 "Little Martha" just because it's such a lovely, lovely song. But I really can't think of a much better windows-open sing-along tune than "Blue Sky."
It's just deliciously Southern and great to sing along to anytime you have the sun in your face. And of course Dickey Betts shows you why he's one of my favorite guitarists ever--he's just so melodic and hits some perfect notes.
I'm sure whatever reasons the band had for booting Betts out of the ABB back in 2002 (I guess?) were completely logical and justified. And even though I love this band and they ABSOLUTELY KILL LIVE, I will always wish Dickey Betts was still playing with the Allman Brothers Band.
--Music is good.
Back to back posts?! OMG! WTF?! Maybe I'm feeling industrious. Maybe the creative juices are gurgling in my blood stream. Maybe I just heard this tune on the iPod while walking Bertha around the neighborhood on a perfectly humid early spring evening with the sweet smells in the air just sort of sticking to me.
I'm going to keep repeat-week going with my 2nd Allman Brothers Band track. I love track 21 "Little Martha" just because it's such a lovely, lovely song. But I really can't think of a much better windows-open sing-along tune than "Blue Sky."
It's just deliciously Southern and great to sing along to anytime you have the sun in your face. And of course Dickey Betts shows you why he's one of my favorite guitarists ever--he's just so melodic and hits some perfect notes.
I'm sure whatever reasons the band had for booting Betts out of the ABB back in 2002 (I guess?) were completely logical and justified. And even though I love this band and they ABSOLUTELY KILL LIVE, I will always wish Dickey Betts was still playing with the Allman Brothers Band.
--Music is good.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Track 44: "Chinese Translation" by M. Ward
What do you do with the pieces of a broken heart?
I was hoping to get a little further into the tracks, quantity-wise, before I started repeating artists, but there's really not much rhyme or reason to how I come up with the songs for this blog, so I guess it's really not a big deal. Songs just sort of pop in my head, or I'll hear them for the first time in a long while, or I just know a song is awesome as hell and is blog-worthy. But chances are there will be a lot of repeat artists on the Playlist, because well, most of my favorite bands/musicians have more than one great song...duh.
I spoke of my relatively new-found, non-gay, man-crush on M. Ward on Track 8 with the superbly chill "Here Comes the Sun Again." I really have only been listening to M. Ward for a couple of years, and it's easy to say he's one of my most favorite "new" musicians. There's just something invitingly simple and really gorgeous about his songs. He's got a great knack for hooks and there's just something cool and easy about his sort of Indie-folk-crooner voice.
I was floored the first time I heard "Chinese Translation" off of the album "Post War" (which is a GREAT record). The cool acoustic intro, the pumping rhythm, the spacey/melodic electric guitar tones--it's just a great sounding song.
But the song itself tells a pretty cool story. Young man goes on a journey, sails across the sea, climbs a mountain to find the proverbial wise old man on the mountain top. He asks the all-important three questions and the old man breaks into a song about how he was once a young fool who sailed across the sea, climbed a mountain to find a wise old man, asked him three questions, and the old man broke into a song...just one of those stories that could perpetuate itself infinitely.
And this is just one of those songs I could listen to over and over and over....
I was hoping to get a little further into the tracks, quantity-wise, before I started repeating artists, but there's really not much rhyme or reason to how I come up with the songs for this blog, so I guess it's really not a big deal. Songs just sort of pop in my head, or I'll hear them for the first time in a long while, or I just know a song is awesome as hell and is blog-worthy. But chances are there will be a lot of repeat artists on the Playlist, because well, most of my favorite bands/musicians have more than one great song...duh.
I spoke of my relatively new-found, non-gay, man-crush on M. Ward on Track 8 with the superbly chill "Here Comes the Sun Again." I really have only been listening to M. Ward for a couple of years, and it's easy to say he's one of my most favorite "new" musicians. There's just something invitingly simple and really gorgeous about his songs. He's got a great knack for hooks and there's just something cool and easy about his sort of Indie-folk-crooner voice.
I was floored the first time I heard "Chinese Translation" off of the album "Post War" (which is a GREAT record). The cool acoustic intro, the pumping rhythm, the spacey/melodic electric guitar tones--it's just a great sounding song.
But the song itself tells a pretty cool story. Young man goes on a journey, sails across the sea, climbs a mountain to find the proverbial wise old man on the mountain top. He asks the all-important three questions and the old man breaks into a song about how he was once a young fool who sailed across the sea, climbed a mountain to find a wise old man, asked him three questions, and the old man broke into a song...just one of those stories that could perpetuate itself infinitely.
And this is just one of those songs I could listen to over and over and over....
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Track 43: "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel
Cold beer, hot lights, my sweet romantic teenage nights...
Growing up in the 80s, I was, of course, aware of Billy Joel. But I wasn't until later in high school and a little bit of college that I got exposed to more of Joel's catalogue than the MTV hits of the 80's. And a large part of my exposure to Billy Joel is credited to Mike Mastin, one of my best friends from high school and college roommate for a couple of years. He is an absolute Billy Joel freak, and even played "She's Got a Way" as the first dance at his wedding.
I almost forget about Billy Joel. He's just not someone in my regular rotation of tunes and I'm sure his inclusion on the playlist may have perplexed some of the blog followers (and by "blog followers" I mean my parents, who I am quite sure are the only loyal readers. God bless parents). Sure, Billy Joel had some cheesy tunes in the 80's, but who didn't? And as sort of corny as they sound today "Uptown Girl" and "Longest Time" are still great songs.
And Joel is a consummate performer, musician and songwriter. And on top of it all, a really fantastic story teller. Whether you think you do or not, I would almost guarantee that most anyone knows every word to "Piano Man." And tunes like "Goodnight Saigon" and "Ballad of Billy the Kid" are just great tunes, and great stories with some great musicianship behind them. Billy Joel just has an amazing knack for sing-along-songs that get stuck in your head.
But the moment I heard "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" all of Joel's other tunes just immediately paled in comparison to me. I love how the song is structured--there's some romance, some jazz, some rock, and some dramatic string arrangements. And Joel's lyrics about Brenda and Eddie are just superb. I am sure we all know a couple like Brend and Eddie from high school.
As an addendum, I once saw Chicago-based jamband Umphrey's McGee do a cover of this song at a show in Charleston, SC many years ago...and they absolutely nailed it.
Track 43 is for you, Mike!
Growing up in the 80s, I was, of course, aware of Billy Joel. But I wasn't until later in high school and a little bit of college that I got exposed to more of Joel's catalogue than the MTV hits of the 80's. And a large part of my exposure to Billy Joel is credited to Mike Mastin, one of my best friends from high school and college roommate for a couple of years. He is an absolute Billy Joel freak, and even played "She's Got a Way" as the first dance at his wedding.
I almost forget about Billy Joel. He's just not someone in my regular rotation of tunes and I'm sure his inclusion on the playlist may have perplexed some of the blog followers (and by "blog followers" I mean my parents, who I am quite sure are the only loyal readers. God bless parents). Sure, Billy Joel had some cheesy tunes in the 80's, but who didn't? And as sort of corny as they sound today "Uptown Girl" and "Longest Time" are still great songs.
And Joel is a consummate performer, musician and songwriter. And on top of it all, a really fantastic story teller. Whether you think you do or not, I would almost guarantee that most anyone knows every word to "Piano Man." And tunes like "Goodnight Saigon" and "Ballad of Billy the Kid" are just great tunes, and great stories with some great musicianship behind them. Billy Joel just has an amazing knack for sing-along-songs that get stuck in your head.
But the moment I heard "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" all of Joel's other tunes just immediately paled in comparison to me. I love how the song is structured--there's some romance, some jazz, some rock, and some dramatic string arrangements. And Joel's lyrics about Brenda and Eddie are just superb. I am sure we all know a couple like Brend and Eddie from high school.
As an addendum, I once saw Chicago-based jamband Umphrey's McGee do a cover of this song at a show in Charleston, SC many years ago...and they absolutely nailed it.
Track 43 is for you, Mike!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Track 42: "So What" by Miles Davis
I was a senior in college when I first got into jazz. It was sort of a backwards discovery for me--a lot of bands I was getting into then (Derek Trucks Band and Medeski Martin & Wood just to name a couple) are both heavily jazz influenced. And the more stuff I accumulated from those bands, the more I began to notice a Miles Davis cover here, a John Coltrane or Thelonius Monk cover there. Around the same time I read a biography of the Allman Brothers Band ("Midnight Riders", a really interesting read) and the book talked about how Dickey Betts and Duane Allman (two of my favorite guitarists ever) both could not get enough of Miles Davis' album "Kind of Blue."
I started tuning into NPR's jazz hour and just really started digging the music. The more I listened to the one true American art form, the more I began to see its influence in other bands I was getting into at the time (the Grateful Dead, Phish, the whole jam band scene pretty much). There's just something amazing instrumental music can do that songs with vocals can't--groove meets melody meets exploration and it all comes back together, almost magically.
Needless to say, "Kind of Blue" was the first real "jazz" album I ever purchased. And it's a fucking masterpiece. Released in 1959, "Kind of Blue" has been certified quadruple platinum and is the best selling jazz album of all time. And it's just a perfect Sunday morning/drink some coffee/watch CBS Sunday Morning kind of record.
I feel sort of pretentious even putting this track on the Playlist, because it's a whole musical universe I have only discovered a portion of. Though I was enthralled watching the entire Ken Burn's "Jazz" series on PBS and have amassed a good bit of jazz stuff, I'm more enthusiast than aficionado, and writing about jazz requires a vocabulary that I don't even possess.
But the more Miles Davis stuff I got into the more apparent it became that he was a visionary. After digesting "Kind of Blue" I got into some of his fusion stuff--and it still amazes me the same guy that made such a really cool, chill (dare I say sexy) sounding record like "Kind of Blue" could put out something as insanely amazing and amazingly insane as "Bitches Brew."
After reading his autobiography ,simply called "Miles," I came up with a simple explanation: Miles Davis was just one of the baddest motherfuckers that ever lived (sorry Mom, I know I dropped the F-bomb twice in this post, but it was necessary).
"So What" is just such a cool song, and how cool to have found actual video of the quintet (Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Cannonball Adderly (alto sax), Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) performing it!
I started tuning into NPR's jazz hour and just really started digging the music. The more I listened to the one true American art form, the more I began to see its influence in other bands I was getting into at the time (the Grateful Dead, Phish, the whole jam band scene pretty much). There's just something amazing instrumental music can do that songs with vocals can't--groove meets melody meets exploration and it all comes back together, almost magically.
Needless to say, "Kind of Blue" was the first real "jazz" album I ever purchased. And it's a fucking masterpiece. Released in 1959, "Kind of Blue" has been certified quadruple platinum and is the best selling jazz album of all time. And it's just a perfect Sunday morning/drink some coffee/watch CBS Sunday Morning kind of record.
I feel sort of pretentious even putting this track on the Playlist, because it's a whole musical universe I have only discovered a portion of. Though I was enthralled watching the entire Ken Burn's "Jazz" series on PBS and have amassed a good bit of jazz stuff, I'm more enthusiast than aficionado, and writing about jazz requires a vocabulary that I don't even possess.
But the more Miles Davis stuff I got into the more apparent it became that he was a visionary. After digesting "Kind of Blue" I got into some of his fusion stuff--and it still amazes me the same guy that made such a really cool, chill (dare I say sexy) sounding record like "Kind of Blue" could put out something as insanely amazing and amazingly insane as "Bitches Brew."
After reading his autobiography ,simply called "Miles," I came up with a simple explanation: Miles Davis was just one of the baddest motherfuckers that ever lived (sorry Mom, I know I dropped the F-bomb twice in this post, but it was necessary).
"So What" is just such a cool song, and how cool to have found actual video of the quintet (Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Cannonball Adderly (alto sax), Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) performing it!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Track 41: "Fall on My Knees" by Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet
Goodbye, little darling, I'm gone...
Spring weather was made for bluegrass music. There's a few go-to Springtime albums for me, but I always find myself listening to a ton of bluegrass when the weather starts to get nice.
I credit my longtime buddy Patrick Hill and banjo maestro Bela Fleck for introducing me to Abigail Washburn. Washburn was part of the all-female bluegrass group Uncle Earl (who, oddly enough, had an album produced by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin fame). Patrick books bands at the Earl and told me to come check out Uncle Earl one night a couple of years ago (Uncle Earl @The Earl..weird) and I really dug the show. There's just something about a cute girl that can pick and sing that simply astonishes me.
All cheesy-sexism aside, when I learned that Washburn had formed a group that Bela Fleck was a part (not to mention he's not getting top-billing in the band name), I was immediately interested. And I cannot say enough about how fantastic the two Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet albums are that I have: "The Sparrow Quartet EP" and an album just called "Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet."
I'm basically a fan of everything Bela Fleck is a part, and I was blown away by The Sparrow Quartet. It's really just amazing music--sort of front-porch classical/bluegrass music. Washburn and Fleck on banjo, Casey Driessen on fiddle and Ben Sollee on a cello (which is really just a big-ass fiddle and them boys can saw one off I tell you what!), and Washburn's superb voice make for a really cool combination.
Washburn's vocals and the arrangements and dynamic of this tune really made it a favorite the instant I heard it.
And as a bonus, here's a live video of Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet doing another beauty "A Fuller Wine"
Spring weather was made for bluegrass music. There's a few go-to Springtime albums for me, but I always find myself listening to a ton of bluegrass when the weather starts to get nice.
I credit my longtime buddy Patrick Hill and banjo maestro Bela Fleck for introducing me to Abigail Washburn. Washburn was part of the all-female bluegrass group Uncle Earl (who, oddly enough, had an album produced by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin fame). Patrick books bands at the Earl and told me to come check out Uncle Earl one night a couple of years ago (Uncle Earl @The Earl..weird) and I really dug the show. There's just something about a cute girl that can pick and sing that simply astonishes me.
All cheesy-sexism aside, when I learned that Washburn had formed a group that Bela Fleck was a part (not to mention he's not getting top-billing in the band name), I was immediately interested. And I cannot say enough about how fantastic the two Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet albums are that I have: "The Sparrow Quartet EP" and an album just called "Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet."
I'm basically a fan of everything Bela Fleck is a part, and I was blown away by The Sparrow Quartet. It's really just amazing music--sort of front-porch classical/bluegrass music. Washburn and Fleck on banjo, Casey Driessen on fiddle and Ben Sollee on a cello (which is really just a big-ass fiddle and them boys can saw one off I tell you what!), and Washburn's superb voice make for a really cool combination.
Washburn's vocals and the arrangements and dynamic of this tune really made it a favorite the instant I heard it.
And as a bonus, here's a live video of Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet doing another beauty "A Fuller Wine"
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Track 40: "Tangled Up in Blue" by Bob Dylan
I wondered if she changed at all, if her hair was still red...
Just because no ultimate song list is complete without something from Bob Dylan.
Though I'm hardly a Bob Dylan die-hard, only a nit-wit wouldn't recognize one of the complete giants of American music.
Enough's been said about Dylan's genius, so I'm going to go shy on the word count for track #40.
I will say that Sourwood Honey was my first introduction to this song, and it was a Dylan favorite before I even heard Dylan's version.
Just because no ultimate song list is complete without something from Bob Dylan.
Though I'm hardly a Bob Dylan die-hard, only a nit-wit wouldn't recognize one of the complete giants of American music.
Enough's been said about Dylan's genius, so I'm going to go shy on the word count for track #40.
I will say that Sourwood Honey was my first introduction to this song, and it was a Dylan favorite before I even heard Dylan's version.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Track 39: "Back in the High Life Again" by Steve Winwood
We'll be back in the high life again
All the doors that closed one time will open up again
We'll be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in
Admittedly, this song is draped in a little bit of 80's cheese (especially the overcoat-laden video). But Steve Winwood is pretty awesome. The guy was only 14 when he wrote and sang "Gimme Some Lovin" with The Spencer Davis Group and went on to do some awesome work with Traffic and Blind Faith.
But this song in particular brings about a really fond musical memory of mine. Anyone that's been to Bonnaroo knows what an awesome cluster-fuck of live music it can be. 80,000 people and nearly a hundred bands on multiple stages makes for a pretty unique experience. The festival is a beast, and the only thing harder than trying to sleep in the late-June Tennessee heat for three days is the nagging feeling that whatever band you may be checking out at the time, there are a handful of great shows you are missing.
The 2004 Bonnaroo was a pretty cool experience for me. I went on a free ticket and a press pass (courtesy of the Bonnaroo Beacon, a daily paper put out at the festival that I contributed a few stories to). It sounds a lot cooler than it actually was, but at the time was sort of the pinnacle of my freelance writing days. But aside from a free ticket, attending a few press conferences, and trying to find a way to write and email a story sans-laptop at the festival, the press pass turned out to be not as cool as I had originally dreamed.
It also rained at Bonnaroo that year, like a bastard. I went to the fest with a few good pals (including my buddy and now neighbor Sean Higgins who is a HUGE Winwood fan)and it stormed just before Winwood's set. Stormed like a bastard. Before the storm broke I remember looking at the guy and was amazed at the clear division--bright and sunny on one side ominous and scary as hell on the other.
Probably the coolest part of Winwood's set was seeing him play the Traffic song (and frequent Widespread Panic cover) "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." And right when Winwood went into the chorus for the first time a well-timed bolt of lightning struck perfectly in the distance behind the stage.
At one point during the show he appeared alone, with just a mandolin, and after a few chords I knew it was "Back in the High Life Again." And there, newly drenched from a late-June downpour, on a muddy field with about 50,000 people, and a delicious, cold beer, all was right with the world.
I got to see Winwood again a couple of summers ago open for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And thought it was a great homage to the guy when Petty brought him out during the Heartbreakers' set and they covered "Gimme Some Lovin" and the awesome Blind Faith song "Can't Find My Way Home." Music is so good.
All the doors that closed one time will open up again
We'll be back in the high life again
All the eyes that watched us once will smile and take us in
Admittedly, this song is draped in a little bit of 80's cheese (especially the overcoat-laden video). But Steve Winwood is pretty awesome. The guy was only 14 when he wrote and sang "Gimme Some Lovin" with The Spencer Davis Group and went on to do some awesome work with Traffic and Blind Faith.
But this song in particular brings about a really fond musical memory of mine. Anyone that's been to Bonnaroo knows what an awesome cluster-fuck of live music it can be. 80,000 people and nearly a hundred bands on multiple stages makes for a pretty unique experience. The festival is a beast, and the only thing harder than trying to sleep in the late-June Tennessee heat for three days is the nagging feeling that whatever band you may be checking out at the time, there are a handful of great shows you are missing.
The 2004 Bonnaroo was a pretty cool experience for me. I went on a free ticket and a press pass (courtesy of the Bonnaroo Beacon, a daily paper put out at the festival that I contributed a few stories to). It sounds a lot cooler than it actually was, but at the time was sort of the pinnacle of my freelance writing days. But aside from a free ticket, attending a few press conferences, and trying to find a way to write and email a story sans-laptop at the festival, the press pass turned out to be not as cool as I had originally dreamed.
It also rained at Bonnaroo that year, like a bastard. I went to the fest with a few good pals (including my buddy and now neighbor Sean Higgins who is a HUGE Winwood fan)and it stormed just before Winwood's set. Stormed like a bastard. Before the storm broke I remember looking at the guy and was amazed at the clear division--bright and sunny on one side ominous and scary as hell on the other.
Probably the coolest part of Winwood's set was seeing him play the Traffic song (and frequent Widespread Panic cover) "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." And right when Winwood went into the chorus for the first time a well-timed bolt of lightning struck perfectly in the distance behind the stage.
At one point during the show he appeared alone, with just a mandolin, and after a few chords I knew it was "Back in the High Life Again." And there, newly drenched from a late-June downpour, on a muddy field with about 50,000 people, and a delicious, cold beer, all was right with the world.
I got to see Winwood again a couple of summers ago open for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And thought it was a great homage to the guy when Petty brought him out during the Heartbreakers' set and they covered "Gimme Some Lovin" and the awesome Blind Faith song "Can't Find My Way Home." Music is so good.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Track 38: "Squeeze Box" by The Who
Come on and squeeze me like you do,
I'm so in love with you,
mama's got a squeeze box daddy never sleeps at night
You know that whole saying about people being either Beatles or Rolling Stones fans? And certainly not to slight two of the greatest bands in rock and roll history, but I'd much rather choose between The Who and Led Zeppelin.
I've been on a big Who kick this week and listened to Quadrophenia in its entirety yesterday. I think it's one of the greatest double-albums in history and really shows of that bombastic arena rock thing that The Who basically perfected. The band has/had it all--a fantastic front man in Roger Daltry, an insanely powerful rhythm section in Johh Entwistle and Keith Moon (rip Who original Who rhythm section), and possibly one of the greatest guitarist/songwriters ever in Pete Townshend.
Actually got to see The Who perform Quadrophenia in its entirety in the summer of 1997 (I think?) and the entire concert was just amazing. And thought the band pretty much killed the halftime show at this year's Super Bowl.
But it's hard to pick just one song from Quadrophenia, let alone any one song from The Who's amazing catalog of music. There are easily 20 or so Who songs that are Playlist worthy, but there's something just perfect about "Squeeze Box."
It's fun, catchy, and, oddly enough for a British rock band, has a bit of a bluegrass tinge. And, fittingly, a great tune for a sunny Friday afternoon.
And this is a video of Tenacious D covering "Squeeze Box" at the VH1 Honors The Who.
I'm so in love with you,
mama's got a squeeze box daddy never sleeps at night
You know that whole saying about people being either Beatles or Rolling Stones fans? And certainly not to slight two of the greatest bands in rock and roll history, but I'd much rather choose between The Who and Led Zeppelin.
I've been on a big Who kick this week and listened to Quadrophenia in its entirety yesterday. I think it's one of the greatest double-albums in history and really shows of that bombastic arena rock thing that The Who basically perfected. The band has/had it all--a fantastic front man in Roger Daltry, an insanely powerful rhythm section in Johh Entwistle and Keith Moon (rip Who original Who rhythm section), and possibly one of the greatest guitarist/songwriters ever in Pete Townshend.
Actually got to see The Who perform Quadrophenia in its entirety in the summer of 1997 (I think?) and the entire concert was just amazing. And thought the band pretty much killed the halftime show at this year's Super Bowl.
But it's hard to pick just one song from Quadrophenia, let alone any one song from The Who's amazing catalog of music. There are easily 20 or so Who songs that are Playlist worthy, but there's something just perfect about "Squeeze Box."
It's fun, catchy, and, oddly enough for a British rock band, has a bit of a bluegrass tinge. And, fittingly, a great tune for a sunny Friday afternoon.
And this is a video of Tenacious D covering "Squeeze Box" at the VH1 Honors The Who.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Track 37: "Hungry like the Wolf" by Duran Duran
Dark in the city, night is a wire
Steam in subway, Earth is afire
I grew up in the 80s--back when MTV actually played music, when New Coke was all the rage, when Rocky IV showed us all that American hard-work can triumph over Communism, and when Michael Jackson was still sort of black.
As a kid, Duran Duran was easily my favorite band. I loved "The Reflex," "Wild Boys," and "View to a Kill" still ranks (in my opinion) as the best song to a James Bond film ever.
During one summer (I was maybe around 8 or so) my brother and his friend Brett Wicker (Brett was over at our house just about all the time) got into playing Dungeons and Dragons. Of course I had to get in on the action and named my knight Duran in honor of my favorite band at the time.
Unfortunately, Duran met his demise and was killed in battle (epically and heroically, I surely imagine) by some sort of hob-goblin. I was crushed. I cried. And never played Dungeons and Dragons again.
For my 23rd birthday I was doing some bar hopping in Columbia's Five Points (during the 3-4 months I spent back in Columbia after graduating college, before moving to Charleston) and just happened to walk in on an acoustic show of Josh Roberts and Ryan Monroe. At the time the two were in the Columbia-based Captain Easy. Monroe now plays keys for Band of Horses and Roberts fronts his own band Josh Roberts and the Hinges. And they did a really cool and hilarious cover of "Hungry like the Wolf."
A few months ago I was at a bar playing trivia with some friends (I tend to pride myself on my grasp of trivial knowledge, especially the music questions). The question was name the song that contains the lyrics "steam in the subway, Earth is afire."
And guess whose team got the question right?
I tried to find the original video for the song on You Tube, but none of them would allow embedding (dang). But I did happen to find a video of this tart doing some sort of sexy (fully clothed) interpretive dance. Which is silly as hell but kind of awesome.
Steam in subway, Earth is afire
I grew up in the 80s--back when MTV actually played music, when New Coke was all the rage, when Rocky IV showed us all that American hard-work can triumph over Communism, and when Michael Jackson was still sort of black.
As a kid, Duran Duran was easily my favorite band. I loved "The Reflex," "Wild Boys," and "View to a Kill" still ranks (in my opinion) as the best song to a James Bond film ever.
During one summer (I was maybe around 8 or so) my brother and his friend Brett Wicker (Brett was over at our house just about all the time) got into playing Dungeons and Dragons. Of course I had to get in on the action and named my knight Duran in honor of my favorite band at the time.
Unfortunately, Duran met his demise and was killed in battle (epically and heroically, I surely imagine) by some sort of hob-goblin. I was crushed. I cried. And never played Dungeons and Dragons again.
For my 23rd birthday I was doing some bar hopping in Columbia's Five Points (during the 3-4 months I spent back in Columbia after graduating college, before moving to Charleston) and just happened to walk in on an acoustic show of Josh Roberts and Ryan Monroe. At the time the two were in the Columbia-based Captain Easy. Monroe now plays keys for Band of Horses and Roberts fronts his own band Josh Roberts and the Hinges. And they did a really cool and hilarious cover of "Hungry like the Wolf."
A few months ago I was at a bar playing trivia with some friends (I tend to pride myself on my grasp of trivial knowledge, especially the music questions). The question was name the song that contains the lyrics "steam in the subway, Earth is afire."
And guess whose team got the question right?
I tried to find the original video for the song on You Tube, but none of them would allow embedding (dang). But I did happen to find a video of this tart doing some sort of sexy (fully clothed) interpretive dance. Which is silly as hell but kind of awesome.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Track 36: "C. Brown" by Widespread Panic
Charlie really likes his friends
But in his heart he knows that sometimes a dog is as good as any man
Trying to do as we should
That doesn't always rhyme with doing what feels good
Track 1 of my Ultimate Playlist began with "Linus and Lucy." The piano-jazz Charlie Brown theme has always been a life-long favorite song. And when I first heard Widespread Panic's "C. Brown" in high school, I immediately loved it.
I am by no means a "Spreadhead." I do like the band and have seen them several times, but have never toured with them in my dad's SUV, I don't have a 'WSP' sticker on my car, will never own or use Croakies and the only place I wear a visor is on the golf course. But with that disclaimer, Widespread Panic is a great band with some fantastic songs. And, of course, "C. Brown" is my favorite. And the line "sometimes a dog is as good as any man" is just utterly brilliant and part of my own personal philosophy.
I love the piano in this tune, it's joyous and bright, and somewhat reminiscent of the "Linus and Lucy" melody. And I absolutely love the song's ending, and it's a major reason I like Widespread Panic and the band's ability to reveal a dark under-belly.
The song's about Charlie Brown being typically dissed over the course of a day by his friends--he's stood up at the school bus stop and gets the proverbial football yanked away right before kicking it. And then, Charlie Brown reaches the tipping point:
Charlie has drawn a gun
Right there in the square he catches Lucy on the run
Aims his eye, cocks his head
In a cloud of dust, dear old Lucy's gone
Charlie's only trying the golden rule
Draw unto others as they have been drawn to you
This is just a great song. And just like "Linus and Lucy" it makes me smile every time I hear it. And though it may be a somewhat devious grin, it's a smile nonetheless.
But in his heart he knows that sometimes a dog is as good as any man
Trying to do as we should
That doesn't always rhyme with doing what feels good
Track 1 of my Ultimate Playlist began with "Linus and Lucy." The piano-jazz Charlie Brown theme has always been a life-long favorite song. And when I first heard Widespread Panic's "C. Brown" in high school, I immediately loved it.
I am by no means a "Spreadhead." I do like the band and have seen them several times, but have never toured with them in my dad's SUV, I don't have a 'WSP' sticker on my car, will never own or use Croakies and the only place I wear a visor is on the golf course. But with that disclaimer, Widespread Panic is a great band with some fantastic songs. And, of course, "C. Brown" is my favorite. And the line "sometimes a dog is as good as any man" is just utterly brilliant and part of my own personal philosophy.
I love the piano in this tune, it's joyous and bright, and somewhat reminiscent of the "Linus and Lucy" melody. And I absolutely love the song's ending, and it's a major reason I like Widespread Panic and the band's ability to reveal a dark under-belly.
The song's about Charlie Brown being typically dissed over the course of a day by his friends--he's stood up at the school bus stop and gets the proverbial football yanked away right before kicking it. And then, Charlie Brown reaches the tipping point:
Charlie has drawn a gun
Right there in the square he catches Lucy on the run
Aims his eye, cocks his head
In a cloud of dust, dear old Lucy's gone
Charlie's only trying the golden rule
Draw unto others as they have been drawn to you
This is just a great song. And just like "Linus and Lucy" it makes me smile every time I hear it. And though it may be a somewhat devious grin, it's a smile nonetheless.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Track 35: A Drivin N Cryin double-shot
I think it's a safe bet, that if you went to college anywhere below the Mason Dixon line during the 1990s, you probably have been involved in a drunken group sing-a-long of the Drivin N Cryin song "Straight to Hell."
And of all the bands that made up the proverbial soundtrack to my high school and college years, Drivin N Cryin is probably at THE top of the pile.
As one of my favorite bands of all time, DnC has given me a lot over the almost 20 years I've been a fan. I've lost track of the amount of times I've seen them live. Mostly because there were a ton of them, and also because every show ended with a drunken group sing-a-long of "Straight to Hell."
Though the band has some radio hits and a few videos back when MTV still showed bands, they largely remain unknown for folks outside of the Southeast. But what a fantastic band. Simple, straight-forward Southern Rock with such great, excellently written songs. DnC's arsenal of riff-heavy Southern anthems is nearly astounding, but they also have a a more rootsy-acoustic (slightly bluegrassy) side to them as well. The band's singer-songwriter, Kevn Kinney (yes Kevn without an 'i'), could very well be the bastard, blue-collar child of the Ramones and Bob Dylan.
Basically Drivin N Cryin plays rock and roll the way it should be played.
"Scarred But Smarter"
Karma or justice, whatever you call it
it's really there just keep looking for it
Track 1 off the band's first album. This is such a great rock song and one my favorite all time songs to hear live. This live version is from a sort of rare live EP "Live on Fire." And my god, does it rock.
"Honeysuckle Blue"
Have you ever seen the Blue Ridge Mountains boy,
or the Chattahoochie,
or the Honeysuckle Blue?
Though DnC had a few hits like "Build a Fire," "Fly Me Courageous," and of course "Straight to Hell," "Honeysuckle Blue" will always be THE Drivin N Cryin song. The guitar riff, the "whoa oh oh," just some really cool lyrics. "Honeysuckle Blue" is one of those songs that all Southern Rock tunes should be compared to.
And of all the bands that made up the proverbial soundtrack to my high school and college years, Drivin N Cryin is probably at THE top of the pile.
As one of my favorite bands of all time, DnC has given me a lot over the almost 20 years I've been a fan. I've lost track of the amount of times I've seen them live. Mostly because there were a ton of them, and also because every show ended with a drunken group sing-a-long of "Straight to Hell."
Though the band has some radio hits and a few videos back when MTV still showed bands, they largely remain unknown for folks outside of the Southeast. But what a fantastic band. Simple, straight-forward Southern Rock with such great, excellently written songs. DnC's arsenal of riff-heavy Southern anthems is nearly astounding, but they also have a a more rootsy-acoustic (slightly bluegrassy) side to them as well. The band's singer-songwriter, Kevn Kinney (yes Kevn without an 'i'), could very well be the bastard, blue-collar child of the Ramones and Bob Dylan.
Basically Drivin N Cryin plays rock and roll the way it should be played.
"Scarred But Smarter"
Karma or justice, whatever you call it
it's really there just keep looking for it
Track 1 off the band's first album. This is such a great rock song and one my favorite all time songs to hear live. This live version is from a sort of rare live EP "Live on Fire." And my god, does it rock.
"Honeysuckle Blue"
Have you ever seen the Blue Ridge Mountains boy,
or the Chattahoochie,
or the Honeysuckle Blue?
Though DnC had a few hits like "Build a Fire," "Fly Me Courageous," and of course "Straight to Hell," "Honeysuckle Blue" will always be THE Drivin N Cryin song. The guitar riff, the "whoa oh oh," just some really cool lyrics. "Honeysuckle Blue" is one of those songs that all Southern Rock tunes should be compared to.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Track 34: "Red Barchetta" by Rush
Well-weathered leather, hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
I don't know how much simpler I could say it. Rush is awesome.
I was in 8th grade when I first came across THE Canadian power trio. A kid on my soccer team, Chris Pellicer, would always play either the cassettes of "Classic Yes" and Rush's "Exit Stage Left" when his mother would drive us to soccer practice. I immediately loved progressive rock. Yes and Rush especially seemed to fit perfectly into my explorations into classic rock--similar to Led Zeppelin and The Who--but with a step in a different direction musically.
The double-disc "Rush Chronicles" was my first Rush purchase and the amount of awesome rock songs on that album is absurd. But Rush has been at it well over 30 years now and it's the amount of music the band can create with just three people is nothing short of amazing.
This band has mega-chops, especially drummer Neil Peart, who also is the song-writer for the band. Most band's drummer's songs equate to nothing more than filler--a bathroom break at a concert--but Peart's lyrics are uber-intelligent and highly-advanced, just like his drumming skills.
In 1991, Rush was my first live concert ever. Their "Roll the Bones" tour came through the Carolina Coliseum, Primus opened, and I saw the show with my brother, Matt. Liking music is one of the few things I do better than he.
I got to see the band fifteen years later at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta and Rush just defies aging.
"Red Barchetta" is just such a cool tune and easily my favorite Rush tune. According to the infallible Wikipedia, the song is loosely based on the short story "A Nice Morning Drive." In the post-petrolem future, gasoline has been outlawed. And the narrator ventures to his uncle's cabin to take his prized 50+ year old sports car (a Red Barchetta) out for a weekly spin. He's encountered by enforcement vehicles (he is breaking the Motor Law after all), but through some bad-ass driving he eludes them. And heads to back to share a drink with his uncle.
So that's Rush in a nutshell. Their version of the quintessential rock song about "driving" seems like something out of some Orwellian or Ray Bradbury future. But the music is amazing--dramatic changes, ridiculous drum-fills, ebbs and flows--and undoubtedly a great song for the road.
So track 34 goes out to Chris Pellicer (who I haven't seen or heard from since my freshman year of college), my brother Matt P., Dan Balser (Creative Circus dept. head and big Rush fan), and my buddy Tillman Smith who ravenously loves this band.
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
I don't know how much simpler I could say it. Rush is awesome.
I was in 8th grade when I first came across THE Canadian power trio. A kid on my soccer team, Chris Pellicer, would always play either the cassettes of "Classic Yes" and Rush's "Exit Stage Left" when his mother would drive us to soccer practice. I immediately loved progressive rock. Yes and Rush especially seemed to fit perfectly into my explorations into classic rock--similar to Led Zeppelin and The Who--but with a step in a different direction musically.
The double-disc "Rush Chronicles" was my first Rush purchase and the amount of awesome rock songs on that album is absurd. But Rush has been at it well over 30 years now and it's the amount of music the band can create with just three people is nothing short of amazing.
This band has mega-chops, especially drummer Neil Peart, who also is the song-writer for the band. Most band's drummer's songs equate to nothing more than filler--a bathroom break at a concert--but Peart's lyrics are uber-intelligent and highly-advanced, just like his drumming skills.
In 1991, Rush was my first live concert ever. Their "Roll the Bones" tour came through the Carolina Coliseum, Primus opened, and I saw the show with my brother, Matt. Liking music is one of the few things I do better than he.
I got to see the band fifteen years later at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta and Rush just defies aging.
"Red Barchetta" is just such a cool tune and easily my favorite Rush tune. According to the infallible Wikipedia, the song is loosely based on the short story "A Nice Morning Drive." In the post-petrolem future, gasoline has been outlawed. And the narrator ventures to his uncle's cabin to take his prized 50+ year old sports car (a Red Barchetta) out for a weekly spin. He's encountered by enforcement vehicles (he is breaking the Motor Law after all), but through some bad-ass driving he eludes them. And heads to back to share a drink with his uncle.
So that's Rush in a nutshell. Their version of the quintessential rock song about "driving" seems like something out of some Orwellian or Ray Bradbury future. But the music is amazing--dramatic changes, ridiculous drum-fills, ebbs and flows--and undoubtedly a great song for the road.
So track 34 goes out to Chris Pellicer (who I haven't seen or heard from since my freshman year of college), my brother Matt P., Dan Balser (Creative Circus dept. head and big Rush fan), and my buddy Tillman Smith who ravenously loves this band.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Track 33: "The Waiting" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Just as a song came to me that perfectly captured my feelings of finishing up school at The Creative Circus (see track 32), I found the perfect tune for the post-graduate feelings of "what the hell do I do now?"
The job hunt is on! It's as exciting as it is uncertain. I am dying to get started on my career...and also sweating it. Severely. With each day the finite amount of money in my checking account takes another hit and the looming feeling that I have to get a job--any job--is constantly on my mind. I'm not against working some part-time gig to help make ends meet, I'm just over it. I've done all those jobs before, it's a big reason why I decided to go back to school, and now that I'm done and KNOW exactly what I want to do--I only want to do that!
I love Tom Petty, much for the same reasons I like CCR, it's just music that's perfectly simple and simply perfect. Petty is another favorite song-writer whose catalog of music is just amazing. So many stellar songs, but "The Waiting" has always been a favorite.
"The waiting is the hardest part," perfectly sums up what I am going through right now. Sending out feelers, making contacts, hoping that some creative director out there at some great shop sees my stuff and thinks I'd be a great fit. It's been an intense two years, and I'm proud of the portfolio I made and now I am just waiting on my career to begin.
There's a snippet of "The Waiting," with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder singing the lead vocals on the Tom Petty documentary "Running Down a Dream." And I was glad to have found the whole track on You Tube. The documentary is truly fantastic and a must-see. And Vedder just sings the ever-loving shit out of this tune.
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Just as a song came to me that perfectly captured my feelings of finishing up school at The Creative Circus (see track 32), I found the perfect tune for the post-graduate feelings of "what the hell do I do now?"
The job hunt is on! It's as exciting as it is uncertain. I am dying to get started on my career...and also sweating it. Severely. With each day the finite amount of money in my checking account takes another hit and the looming feeling that I have to get a job--any job--is constantly on my mind. I'm not against working some part-time gig to help make ends meet, I'm just over it. I've done all those jobs before, it's a big reason why I decided to go back to school, and now that I'm done and KNOW exactly what I want to do--I only want to do that!
I love Tom Petty, much for the same reasons I like CCR, it's just music that's perfectly simple and simply perfect. Petty is another favorite song-writer whose catalog of music is just amazing. So many stellar songs, but "The Waiting" has always been a favorite.
"The waiting is the hardest part," perfectly sums up what I am going through right now. Sending out feelers, making contacts, hoping that some creative director out there at some great shop sees my stuff and thinks I'd be a great fit. It's been an intense two years, and I'm proud of the portfolio I made and now I am just waiting on my career to begin.
There's a snippet of "The Waiting," with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder singing the lead vocals on the Tom Petty documentary "Running Down a Dream." And I was glad to have found the whole track on You Tube. The documentary is truly fantastic and a must-see. And Vedder just sings the ever-loving shit out of this tune.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Track 32: "Theme from The Flintstones" by the George Barnes Quartet
As of tomorrow, I will be officially done with my two-year Copywriting program at The Creative Circus in Atlanta. And I've been thinking for a few weeks about what track on my Ultimate Playlist I'd pick to coincide with the momentous day. And I had nothing I felt could truly some up the experience. Until today.
Oddly enough I was driving home from school, tying up the very last loose end of something that has occupied literally every waking moment of my life for the last two years, when this song came on the iPod. And a beaming smile grew on my face immediately.
The transition from thinking about school all the time to not at all (other than the full-time job I now have to find a real full-time job) really hasn't hit me yet and I know it will be strange at first. And I'm terrified of 'growing up and getting a job' (for about the 3rd time in my life) about as much as I'm excited about it. Except this time I also get to have the burden of student loan debt!!! USA...USA...USA
I discovered this George Barnes CD (I know nothing about the guy other than he was a fantastic jazz guitarist) thanks to mandolin genius David Grisman. I did a story on him back in my freelance writing days and somehow got added to the mailing list of his very own Acoustic Disc label and subsequently got this CD.
I just love the super clean tone to Barnes' guitar and there's just something about the groove of upbeat jazz songs that I've always really enjoyed.
And when the song came on today (totally randomly from playing on "shuffle"...or was it totally random?) it just sort of let me enjoy the moment and let the feelings of finishing up with school sink in a little bit. It's been a really fun and really stressful two years and I've got to say I'm pretty proud of what I accomplished. I also can't get enough of shamelessly plugging my website www.mark-pantsari.com. And chances are, if I see you in person, I'll try and lay a business card on you.
Come Monday, I'll face the full-time stress of the full-time process of finding a full-time job. But until then I just want to be like Fred Flintsone when that work whistle ends his day at the quarry and he slides down the trunk of his elephant-crane-thing--Bursting with joy. Yabba-Dabba-Doo!
A heartfelt and most sincere "Congrats" to the Winter 2010 Creative Circus grads!!!
Oddly enough I was driving home from school, tying up the very last loose end of something that has occupied literally every waking moment of my life for the last two years, when this song came on the iPod. And a beaming smile grew on my face immediately.
The transition from thinking about school all the time to not at all (other than the full-time job I now have to find a real full-time job) really hasn't hit me yet and I know it will be strange at first. And I'm terrified of 'growing up and getting a job' (for about the 3rd time in my life) about as much as I'm excited about it. Except this time I also get to have the burden of student loan debt!!! USA...USA...USA
I discovered this George Barnes CD (I know nothing about the guy other than he was a fantastic jazz guitarist) thanks to mandolin genius David Grisman. I did a story on him back in my freelance writing days and somehow got added to the mailing list of his very own Acoustic Disc label and subsequently got this CD.
I just love the super clean tone to Barnes' guitar and there's just something about the groove of upbeat jazz songs that I've always really enjoyed.
And when the song came on today (totally randomly from playing on "shuffle"...or was it totally random?) it just sort of let me enjoy the moment and let the feelings of finishing up with school sink in a little bit. It's been a really fun and really stressful two years and I've got to say I'm pretty proud of what I accomplished. I also can't get enough of shamelessly plugging my website www.mark-pantsari.com. And chances are, if I see you in person, I'll try and lay a business card on you.
Come Monday, I'll face the full-time stress of the full-time process of finding a full-time job. But until then I just want to be like Fred Flintsone when that work whistle ends his day at the quarry and he slides down the trunk of his elephant-crane-thing--Bursting with joy. Yabba-Dabba-Doo!
A heartfelt and most sincere "Congrats" to the Winter 2010 Creative Circus grads!!!
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