Sep 112014
Not the Hot Yoga class I was seeking! In this week’s All-Star Jam, why don’t you see if you can stretch out topics of discussion for the rest of us?
Not the Hot Yoga class I was seeking! In this week’s All-Star Jam, why don’t you see if you can stretch out topics of discussion for the rest of us?
Speaking of the spiritual —
I can’t wait for this:
Dream Weaver: A Memoir; Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison by Gary Wright
http://www.thedreamweaver.com/
I will probably skip over big chunks of the meditation parts, but what is the real story behind the dissolution of Spooky Tooth, its reformation with the future leader of Foreigner Mick Jones, and the heady days when “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive” ruled the airways? I really wanna know!
I haven’t had a chance to sit down with this yet, but I hope to in the coming days:
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/can_tangerine_dream_amon_duul_ii_and_so_many_more_on_the_german_rock_nigh
Probably way more than you want to read about The Replacements on The Tonight Show this week . . . but hell, backstage pix w/Keef!
http://blog.thecurrent.org/2014/09/replacements-on-the-tonight-show-with-jimmy-fallon/
My latest addiction seems to be one of Oats’ recommendations, Wussy. They’re really swell. I’ve just got one record, but I’ve been playing it way too much, so they’re gonna probably be real big with me.
I could have linked the cut of this song from the album, but I picked this lousy sound live version because I think it’s cool.
http://youtu.be/DYyysX7Q0tQ
I notice this week that the Replacements played “Alex Chilton” on TV, while U2 have a new song, “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone).” I thought “Alex Chilton” was a solid tribute to a musical hero, while “The Miracle” seems like some kind of coat-tail riding. I wondered what are everyone’s favorite songs that are “tributes” to other musicians and which tributes fall short of their mark.
Here the Mpls Strib’s rock writer’s think piece on The Mats reunion — $$ and divorce?
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/274790091.html
It’s OK with me — does anybody remember The Cure’s lap around the US a few years back — playing arenas? I went — what’s wrong with a bit of nostalgia?
https://d262ilb51hltx0.cloudfront.net/max/600/1*HhFFYsgsswnxa2oYIBdIxg.jpeg
I heard Dire Strait’s “Calling Elvis” a few weeks ago and I actually didn’t hate it as much as I did when it came out.
Bob Dylan by David Bowie = Good
Rock and Roll Heaven by the Righteous Brothers = Bad, very bad
I don’t begrudge a victory lap to anyone who was influential but was denied a decent paycheck the first time around.
Even though the Replacements have long been in my Rock and Roll Holy Trinity, I am far from being a purist: I genuinely like All Shook Down; I think Unsatisfied is hugely overrated; while I love Bob, I don’t begrudge the band for axing him and bringing Slim on board; I think Hootenanny is largely annoying, etc.
I saw them 3 times during their first run but the best show I’ve ever seen was the first Westerberg solo tour (with the same drummer and guitarist on the current tour). They were great in Denver last year and I’m looking forward to seeing them again in Queens, a week from today.
These are great songs played by a great band. All the people who have never gotten over Bob should stop trying to pee on the parade and just to deal with it.
Yeah, he likes them, too. I’m sure he knows why he likes them more than me, but I just like the record I got. A lot.
Nice little write-up (and video I’d never before scene) of Brubaker, Philadelphia’s undisputed King of the Punks in the early ’80s.
http://www.philebrity.com/2014/09/12/r-i-p-brubaker-2014/
I don’t begrudge any artist the opportunity to earn their next paycheck, especially any musicians who were at the fore of a movement. Hell, I barely like the Replacements, but they need to pay the bills, and they probably didn’t get to pay as many bills while they were around as they deserved. Let them make money. I saw the performance on Jimmy Fallon and it was thoroughly professional and engaging. I barely like that song, “Alex Chilton,” but they did it well. They’re good enough eggs, in my book. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of eggs, either, but let them earn some dough! It’s stupid that that the sell-out theme would kick off an article in 2014. Does anyone still believe the music business is anything but terrible?
In the multiple-artists tribute category, Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music” immediately comes to mind. I can listen to that song all day. The way the rhythm guitar works with kick and snare pattern alone is worth the price of admission.
Conley also wrote a TERRIBLE song in honor of his mentor, Otis Redding. I think it’s called “Tribute to a King,” or something grandiose like that. I find the song to be cringe-worthy.
A great song in tribute to a single artist…mmm, Bowie’s Dylan song is already claimed… I couldn’t stand Cat Power until she put out some Memphis album, which includes a song called “Aretha, Sing One for Me.” I like this song a lot. The album also contains a song that may be a message to Bob Dylan (“Song to Bobby”?). I have no idea if she wrote either song or what, but that’s a good album. (I’m blanking on the name, but it may be Jukebox or something like that.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PZHIT42gUM
I’ve since heard other records by Cat Power that make me forgive her for recording the least-respectful, shittiest version of the song that best upholds the true values of rock ‘n roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PZHIT42gUM
Wow.
Speaking of nostalgia, I was fortunate enough to catch X last weekend playing songs from the first 4 albums. It’s been a long time since they headlined a tour outside of the west coast. I was more than happy to plunk down my 35$ for a ticket, even though that’s usually a little steep for me. It was however very much worth it, as Mr Moderator at the Philly show would probably agree.
There’s nothing wrong with nostalgia as long as you maintain a certain degree of integrity and despite some missteps in the late 80’s integrity is something X has never lost.
Once in a blue moon I’ll have on one of the music stations on cable tv. On Comcast it’s Music Choice. There are a few different genres I might choose but most often it’s the golden oldies one.
Is anyone else a fan of the little “facts” they flash up briefly? They are often head-shakingingly pointless or irrelevant or stupid and therefore can be quite funny This morning I saw the following one while “One Summer Night” by the Danleers played –
“The Danleers were a one-hit wonder when they failed to find any other successes after One Summer Night.”
Integrity? Check out Exene’s twitter & Facebook pages sometime.
My wife and I used to play “name that tune” using those channels, good channel surfing fun! I would nail the 80’s channel and had a pretty good rate on the classical channel (where we modified it to “name the composer”) and she was stupidly good at the soft rock channel (she worked in a bank that piped in that stuff). Some of those “facts” are pretty thin, for sure.
I don’t recall in my comment stepping into the minefield that is Exene’s political views.
You know, there come times when it’s necessary to separate the crazy artist from the art. Exene’s opinions on things that have nothing to do with music – and they didn’t have much to do with whatever sociopolitical things she was commenting on, if memory serves. Her JOB is to be the woman who sings with X, and she did that just fine when I saw her. I’m sorry if I’m being insensitive, but those videos appeared and suddenly people acted as if a person who hasn’t run a brush through her hair in 35 years should somehow hold normal, reasonable views! There are, however, times I have trouble separating the artist’s views/actions from his or her art (eg, Woody Allen and his daughter-bride – I’m not even getting into allegations of abuse by the other adopted kids; he’d already crossed the line long before that). Despite my willingness to overlook Exene’s stupid YouTube commentaries on things she knows nothing about, I guess I can understand you having a beef with them.
I also have that Comcast thingie & besides the “facts”, there’s also the photos that they occasionally show of the band playing that sometimes are inappropriate, such as a piccy of Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac when “Tusk” is playing for example.
I thought Ginger Baker was the crankiest member of Cream, but I could be wrong:
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/jack-bruce-calls-led-zep-lame-jimmy-page-crap-179860/