Led Zeppelin -- "Over the Hills and Far Away"
I'm not a huge Zeppelin fan but my daughter (age 6) has taken a shine to them. This is nostalgia for me -- one of the first songs I learned how to play on guitar.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
6/29/2012
Neil Young and Crazy Horse -- "Powderfinger"
Classic Americana from one of its finest practitioners. The crackle coming from that amplifier would inspire legions of imitators.
Classic Americana from one of its finest practitioners. The crackle coming from that amplifier would inspire legions of imitators.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
6/28/2012
Bruce Springsteen -- "Eerie Canal"
Another Seeger Sessions track, and another modern retelling of an old classic. My kids listened to this song (along with Springsteen's "John Henry") over and over all the way to Topeka and back.
Another Seeger Sessions track, and another modern retelling of an old classic. My kids listened to this song (along with Springsteen's "John Henry") over and over all the way to Topeka and back.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
6/27/2012
Bruce Springsteen -- "John Henry"
The Boss aquits himself well in this track from The Seeger Sessions. It's an acoustic version of the old folk classic, but not necessarily a traditional performance (of course, you'd never find drums in a genuine folk performance of the song), but it suits the style of Springsteen's more recent mode, which is a big inclusive (but still muscular) sound. Springsteen has gone in and out of vogue among the music store hipsters, but I've always been a fan.
The Boss aquits himself well in this track from The Seeger Sessions. It's an acoustic version of the old folk classic, but not necessarily a traditional performance (of course, you'd never find drums in a genuine folk performance of the song), but it suits the style of Springsteen's more recent mode, which is a big inclusive (but still muscular) sound. Springsteen has gone in and out of vogue among the music store hipsters, but I've always been a fan.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
6/26/2012
Neil Young & Crazy Horse -- "Oh Susannah"
Sometimes Neil Young is off. Sometimes he's on. When he's on, he's really on. Sometimes you get exasperated with him and start to think that he's never going to produce something memorable again, and then you get something like this, a very distinctive reworking of an old song you've been hearing all your life that makes you see the hidden genius within it. Thanks, Neil Young.
Sometimes Neil Young is off. Sometimes he's on. When he's on, he's really on. Sometimes you get exasperated with him and start to think that he's never going to produce something memorable again, and then you get something like this, a very distinctive reworking of an old song you've been hearing all your life that makes you see the hidden genius within it. Thanks, Neil Young.
Monday, June 25, 2012
6/25/2012
The Clash -- "Living in Fame"
A Mikey Dread dub of "If Music Could Talk" and one of many curiosities on Sandinista! Takes a while to grow on you, never likely to become a favorite, but still worth listening to every now and then.
A Mikey Dread dub of "If Music Could Talk" and one of many curiosities on Sandinista! Takes a while to grow on you, never likely to become a favorite, but still worth listening to every now and then.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
6/24/2012
The Who -- "Young Man Blues"
Another song that achieves its best expression on Live at Leeds, an album that shows the band at its absolute best -- this is the kind of musicianship that only comes with playing together night after night after night for years, so that each member of the band seems to know what the others are going to do before they do it. There are moments here when no one is playing rhythm -- Keith Moon plays the drums like a lead instrument instead of a rhythm instrument, and who knows what John Entwhistle is doing to his bass guitar. Pete Townsend is just making a lot of noise.
The Who certainly knew what to do with a Mose Allison tune. True to their words, this is maximum R & B.
Another song that achieves its best expression on Live at Leeds, an album that shows the band at its absolute best -- this is the kind of musicianship that only comes with playing together night after night after night for years, so that each member of the band seems to know what the others are going to do before they do it. There are moments here when no one is playing rhythm -- Keith Moon plays the drums like a lead instrument instead of a rhythm instrument, and who knows what John Entwhistle is doing to his bass guitar. Pete Townsend is just making a lot of noise.
The Who certainly knew what to do with a Mose Allison tune. True to their words, this is maximum R & B.
Friday, June 22, 2012
6/23/2012
The Who -- "Sparks"
The version from Tommy may be canonical, but the version from Live at Leeds is phenomenal -- the one I'd rather listen to.
The version from Tommy may be canonical, but the version from Live at Leeds is phenomenal -- the one I'd rather listen to.
6/22/2012
The Clash -- "English Civil War"
One of the first Clash songs that I really went crazy for. I still drive around sometimes listening to this in the car ... with the volume turned way up.
I happen to like the Sandy Pearlman production on this album, even though the heavy layering of the guitar tracks means that you can never quite get this song to sound right when you are trying to play it on your own guitar at home. A great adaptation of a traditional melody, and a reminder of what it's really like when Johnny comes marching home.
One of the first Clash songs that I really went crazy for. I still drive around sometimes listening to this in the car ... with the volume turned way up.
I happen to like the Sandy Pearlman production on this album, even though the heavy layering of the guitar tracks means that you can never quite get this song to sound right when you are trying to play it on your own guitar at home. A great adaptation of a traditional melody, and a reminder of what it's really like when Johnny comes marching home.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
6/21/2012
Horace Andy -- "Zion Gate"
Just recently figured out that this is the original verion of the dub of the same title (by King Tubby) that I dearly love. Great voice ....
Just recently figured out that this is the original verion of the dub of the same title (by King Tubby) that I dearly love. Great voice ....
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
6/20/2012
Cream -- "Badge"
One of my favorite songs from when I was in high school, still in my classic rock phase. I'm pretty much a sucker for anything in a-minor, and I have spent hours learning that guitar solo. This is definitely an Eric Clapton song, more like one of his solo outings than it is like the rest of what he did with Cream, and I'm generally not much of a Clapton fan, but there's also the George Harrison aspect of the song, which evens it out a little bit. The appeal of the song, to me, is partly nostalgic, but it's also, I think, a genuinely good song, though I can't quite figure out what makes it good. It's not in the usual sphere of things for me.
The British preference for the word "queue" (where we would say "line") is on display here as well. That doesn't affect the quality of the song; it's just something I always note when I hear it. I always thought "cue" when I was 17, and I wish someone had been there to tell me what a queue was.
One of my favorite songs from when I was in high school, still in my classic rock phase. I'm pretty much a sucker for anything in a-minor, and I have spent hours learning that guitar solo. This is definitely an Eric Clapton song, more like one of his solo outings than it is like the rest of what he did with Cream, and I'm generally not much of a Clapton fan, but there's also the George Harrison aspect of the song, which evens it out a little bit. The appeal of the song, to me, is partly nostalgic, but it's also, I think, a genuinely good song, though I can't quite figure out what makes it good. It's not in the usual sphere of things for me.
The British preference for the word "queue" (where we would say "line") is on display here as well. That doesn't affect the quality of the song; it's just something I always note when I hear it. I always thought "cue" when I was 17, and I wish someone had been there to tell me what a queue was.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
6/19/2012
Hank Williams -- "Move It On Over"
Hank Williams simply has to be the greatest American songwriter ever. There's no Shakespearean genius at work here, nothing too complicated or sophisticated. What you have instead is a kind of simple, crude vernacular that cuts straight to the heart of what music is supposed to do: it infuses you with feeling and makes you want to move. "Move It On Over" is simple genius, a song that does what American folk music does best, which is to take a crummy situation and make a bouncy little tune out of it. Williams had the appeal of a folk artist and the studio support of the commercial recording industry -- the two mechanisms could only have fused together in such a seamlessly productive way at this precise historical moment, the late 40s and early 50s, before the commercial aspect of things had taken over completely.
Hank Williams simply has to be the greatest American songwriter ever. There's no Shakespearean genius at work here, nothing too complicated or sophisticated. What you have instead is a kind of simple, crude vernacular that cuts straight to the heart of what music is supposed to do: it infuses you with feeling and makes you want to move. "Move It On Over" is simple genius, a song that does what American folk music does best, which is to take a crummy situation and make a bouncy little tune out of it. Williams had the appeal of a folk artist and the studio support of the commercial recording industry -- the two mechanisms could only have fused together in such a seamlessly productive way at this precise historical moment, the late 40s and early 50s, before the commercial aspect of things had taken over completely.
Monday, June 18, 2012
6/18/2012
The Rolling Stones -- "Sway"
Mick Jaggers' conscience catching up with him? Does he have one? I think he must, but it must only rarely have reared its head.
Supposedly, there is no Keith Richards playing on this song, just the two Micks: Jagger on rhythm and Taylor on lead. The rhythm track isn't in one of Richards' characteristic open tunings, I think. This gives the song a pretty distinctive sound: Stonesy but not Stonesy. Mick Taylor gets a little carried away at the end, but I can forgive him for that.
Mick Jaggers' conscience catching up with him? Does he have one? I think he must, but it must only rarely have reared its head.
Supposedly, there is no Keith Richards playing on this song, just the two Micks: Jagger on rhythm and Taylor on lead. The rhythm track isn't in one of Richards' characteristic open tunings, I think. This gives the song a pretty distinctive sound: Stonesy but not Stonesy. Mick Taylor gets a little carried away at the end, but I can forgive him for that.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
6/17/2012
Cream -- "Tales of Brave Ulysses"
It's easy to poke fun at what seems to us now as acid-inspired foolishness, but when you really listen this is still some pretty mind-blowing stuff. First of all, there's sheer talent: not just Clapton, but the excellent drumming of Ginger Bruce and the bass and vocals (I'm always a sucker for the higher registers) of Jack Bruce, who was most responsible for establishing the ethos of the band. This is a true power trio. Personally, I find Clapton's post-Cream career to be tepid and uninspiring. This stuff, however, is trippy and bright -- the stuff of myth.
It's easy to poke fun at what seems to us now as acid-inspired foolishness, but when you really listen this is still some pretty mind-blowing stuff. First of all, there's sheer talent: not just Clapton, but the excellent drumming of Ginger Bruce and the bass and vocals (I'm always a sucker for the higher registers) of Jack Bruce, who was most responsible for establishing the ethos of the band. This is a true power trio. Personally, I find Clapton's post-Cream career to be tepid and uninspiring. This stuff, however, is trippy and bright -- the stuff of myth.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
6/16/2012
Stonewall Jackson -- "Life to Go"
One of the quintessential prison songs of country music. Why didn't Johnny Cash ever record this one? It seems custom suited to him.
One of the quintessential prison songs of country music. Why didn't Johnny Cash ever record this one? It seems custom suited to him.
Friday, June 15, 2012
6/15/2012
Stone Garden -- "Oceans Inside Me"
Heavy psych from the potato state (i.e., Idaho), 1969. Twenty-two years later, this is the same sound that would erupt as "grunge." It's better in this earlier incarntion, though, having a freshness to it that is blunt and startling. The contemporary band that they most sound like is Cream. Good stuff.
Heavy psych from the potato state (i.e., Idaho), 1969. Twenty-two years later, this is the same sound that would erupt as "grunge." It's better in this earlier incarntion, though, having a freshness to it that is blunt and startling. The contemporary band that they most sound like is Cream. Good stuff.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
6/14/2012
The Clash -- "Last Gang in Town"
The Clash's second album, Give Em Enough Rope, has always been widely criticized as overproduced. I would argue otherwise. What do the people want? A repeat of the first album? That would open the band up to worse criticism -- worse for them, at least, because The Clash was not a band that sat still or repeated the same formulas from one album to the next.
The Clash was ideologically fronted by Joe Strummer, but the musical aesthetic of the band was solidly defined by Mick Jones, a man who understood the value of having a 24-track recording studio at his disposal. The ramschackle production of The Clash's first album was one kind of stylistic approach to recording music. This time around, with hard-rock producer Sandy Pearlman at the helm, the sound was bound to be different, but it's still The Clash. If there is a critique I have for this album, it's that most of the songs (when you listen to the album all the way through) have a sameness of sound that does not seem to fit in with the band's aesthetic, but I never find any of the individual tracks grating, and indeed several of my favorite Clash songs are on this album. There are no reggae tracks here, no rockabilly, no harmonica -- just straight-ahead rock and roll with a lot of attitude. It's still miles away from what Pink Floyd was doing.
There are many great moments on this album, but "Last Gang in Town" is an underappreciated one. True, the song might go on a little too long, but it sounds like the band is having fun. The absolute highlight of this track, though, is a moment at which Jones indulges in one of his little rock and roll fantasies: halfway through the first guitar solo, when the melody from the lead-in to the chorus is played in harmony. Punk purists would say that if you play a lead simple and loud, one track is enough. Jones wanted to try something else. The result is what I can only call the British punk sublime.
Listen to this in your car when there's no one else around, and turn the volume up.
The Clash's second album, Give Em Enough Rope, has always been widely criticized as overproduced. I would argue otherwise. What do the people want? A repeat of the first album? That would open the band up to worse criticism -- worse for them, at least, because The Clash was not a band that sat still or repeated the same formulas from one album to the next.
The Clash was ideologically fronted by Joe Strummer, but the musical aesthetic of the band was solidly defined by Mick Jones, a man who understood the value of having a 24-track recording studio at his disposal. The ramschackle production of The Clash's first album was one kind of stylistic approach to recording music. This time around, with hard-rock producer Sandy Pearlman at the helm, the sound was bound to be different, but it's still The Clash. If there is a critique I have for this album, it's that most of the songs (when you listen to the album all the way through) have a sameness of sound that does not seem to fit in with the band's aesthetic, but I never find any of the individual tracks grating, and indeed several of my favorite Clash songs are on this album. There are no reggae tracks here, no rockabilly, no harmonica -- just straight-ahead rock and roll with a lot of attitude. It's still miles away from what Pink Floyd was doing.
There are many great moments on this album, but "Last Gang in Town" is an underappreciated one. True, the song might go on a little too long, but it sounds like the band is having fun. The absolute highlight of this track, though, is a moment at which Jones indulges in one of his little rock and roll fantasies: halfway through the first guitar solo, when the melody from the lead-in to the chorus is played in harmony. Punk purists would say that if you play a lead simple and loud, one track is enough. Jones wanted to try something else. The result is what I can only call the British punk sublime.
Listen to this in your car when there's no one else around, and turn the volume up.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
6/13/2012
The Wrens -- "Ex-Girl Collection"
How many guitar tracks can you possibly layer on one song? The Wrens set out on this track to find out the answer.
The thing is, each guitar that I can distinguish in the mix seems vital; each one makes it own contribution to the sound. They all jangle together well, so that at the end of the song when it drops down to just one scratchy rhythm track, you can still hear the sound of all the other guitars ringing in your head.
Lyrically, by the way, the song is a real downer, confessional in a way that seems to make it a real put-down to oneself. Maybe the speaker of the song is a real a-hole, but he makes up for it, partly at least, with his finely tuned sense of melody.
How many guitar tracks can you possibly layer on one song? The Wrens set out on this track to find out the answer.
The thing is, each guitar that I can distinguish in the mix seems vital; each one makes it own contribution to the sound. They all jangle together well, so that at the end of the song when it drops down to just one scratchy rhythm track, you can still hear the sound of all the other guitars ringing in your head.
Lyrically, by the way, the song is a real downer, confessional in a way that seems to make it a real put-down to oneself. Maybe the speaker of the song is a real a-hole, but he makes up for it, partly at least, with his finely tuned sense of melody.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
6/12/2012
Sonic Youth -- "100%"
The purists out there might look down on me for this, but this is the Sonic Youth song that transformed me from someone who had kept hearing about Sonic Youth but never listened to them to someone who went out and bought their albums. And there's no denying it, this song is a masterpiece of noise and melody. It happened to coincide with the grunge revolution (meet the new boss, same as the old boss but with dirtier hair and flannel instead of spandex), but don't hold that against this song. The finely orchestrated wash of noise at the beginning of the song is spot-on, inimitable. The brief coda at the end is simulateneously something to look forward and something to dread beause it signals the end of a short but nearly perfect track. Play on repeat.
The purists out there might look down on me for this, but this is the Sonic Youth song that transformed me from someone who had kept hearing about Sonic Youth but never listened to them to someone who went out and bought their albums. And there's no denying it, this song is a masterpiece of noise and melody. It happened to coincide with the grunge revolution (meet the new boss, same as the old boss but with dirtier hair and flannel instead of spandex), but don't hold that against this song. The finely orchestrated wash of noise at the beginning of the song is spot-on, inimitable. The brief coda at the end is simulateneously something to look forward and something to dread beause it signals the end of a short but nearly perfect track. Play on repeat.
Monday, June 11, 2012
6/11/2012
Tom Waits -- "Fumblin' With the Blues"
The aging hipsters who still revere him might balk at this, but in the 1970s Tom Waits was, basically, Billy Joel with an edge. The edge was what made the difference. There's a nice minor-key swing to this number. My favorite song on The Heart of Saturday Night.
The aging hipsters who still revere him might balk at this, but in the 1970s Tom Waits was, basically, Billy Joel with an edge. The edge was what made the difference. There's a nice minor-key swing to this number. My favorite song on The Heart of Saturday Night.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
6/10/2012
Neko Case -- "John Saw That Number"
There's some pretty psychedelic stuff in Revelation. John the Revelator must have been taking halluciongens, or perhaps he was spending a lot of time in a cave experiencing sensory deprivation -- a traditional tactic for mystics. Fortunately, you don't have to be experiencing a psychedelic vision to enjoy this song (Revelations, however, is another story). What Neko Case captures here is gospel in the truest sense, that full-bodied moment of feeling when the spirit is in you. It's the meeting of body and spirit, and the best way to feel it is to fill your lungs with air, then belt it out. Religiously, I'm not really sure about much of anything. Music -- that's something I can believe in.
There's some pretty psychedelic stuff in Revelation. John the Revelator must have been taking halluciongens, or perhaps he was spending a lot of time in a cave experiencing sensory deprivation -- a traditional tactic for mystics. Fortunately, you don't have to be experiencing a psychedelic vision to enjoy this song (Revelations, however, is another story). What Neko Case captures here is gospel in the truest sense, that full-bodied moment of feeling when the spirit is in you. It's the meeting of body and spirit, and the best way to feel it is to fill your lungs with air, then belt it out. Religiously, I'm not really sure about much of anything. Music -- that's something I can believe in.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
6/9/2012
The Sonics -- "Louie Louie"
Possibly the best version of this song -- certainly the most savage.
Possibly the best version of this song -- certainly the most savage.
Friday, June 8, 2012
6/8/2012
Elvis Costello -- "The Beat"
One of the best tracks from my favorite Elvis Costello album. The band is tight -- great drums and organ -- and Costello himself uses the whammy bar on his Jazzmaster pretty effectively. The lyrics are not quite literary, exactly, but they are clever.
One of the best tracks from my favorite Elvis Costello album. The band is tight -- great drums and organ -- and Costello himself uses the whammy bar on his Jazzmaster pretty effectively. The lyrics are not quite literary, exactly, but they are clever.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
6/7/012
Das Racist -- "Puerto Rican Cousins"
I'd be pretending if I tried to make anyone think that I knew anything about rap/hip-hop, but I can recognize quality material when I hear it. These guys are clever, and they say things that white boys like me can't get away with saying. I'm fine with that -- and I'm glad somebody gets to say it.
I'd be pretending if I tried to make anyone think that I knew anything about rap/hip-hop, but I can recognize quality material when I hear it. These guys are clever, and they say things that white boys like me can't get away with saying. I'm fine with that -- and I'm glad somebody gets to say it.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
6/6/2012
The Dream Syndicate -- "Tell Me When It's Over"
One of the best guitar riffs of the 1980s -- and you get to hear it over and over in this song. The highlight, though, is when it disappears toward the end of the song. That's when you realize just how good a riff it is.
One of the best guitar riffs of the 1980s -- and you get to hear it over and over in this song. The highlight, though, is when it disappears toward the end of the song. That's when you realize just how good a riff it is.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
6/5/2012
The Ethiopians -- "Everything Crash"
The amazing thing about Jamaican music from this era is that people could write songs about the desperation and political strife of their lives and make it sound like a party. This isn't to trivialize what this music does, just to say that the celebration of life continues regardless of circumstances. Everything around The Ethiopians may have been falling apart, but the horns and the harmony have it together here.
The amazing thing about Jamaican music from this era is that people could write songs about the desperation and political strife of their lives and make it sound like a party. This isn't to trivialize what this music does, just to say that the celebration of life continues regardless of circumstances. Everything around The Ethiopians may have been falling apart, but the horns and the harmony have it together here.
Monday, June 4, 2012
6/4/2012
Calexico -- "Fade"
7:44 of mood and melancholy, vibes and muted trumpet. At this point, I think I could recognize a Jon Convertino drum beat with a blindfold on.
7:44 of mood and melancholy, vibes and muted trumpet. At this point, I think I could recognize a Jon Convertino drum beat with a blindfold on.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
6/3/2012
The Clean -- "Are You Really on Drugs?"
Though not as edgy (despite the title of this song) or as innovative as their earlier material, The Clean's Mister Pop as a pretty strong outing for a band that was nearly thirty years old when this came out. Here's my favorite track from the album. I was very fortunate to see these guys live in 2010 -- relatively few Americans ever get the chance.
Though not as edgy (despite the title of this song) or as innovative as their earlier material, The Clean's Mister Pop as a pretty strong outing for a band that was nearly thirty years old when this came out. Here's my favorite track from the album. I was very fortunate to see these guys live in 2010 -- relatively few Americans ever get the chance.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
6/2/2012
Pavement -- "Summer Babe [Winter Version]"
Though not my favorite song on Slanted & Enchanted, this is the song that got me hooked on the band. In retrospect, though I would have had a harder time back in the day, Pavement is the best band of its era ....
Though not my favorite song on Slanted & Enchanted, this is the song that got me hooked on the band. In retrospect, though I would have had a harder time back in the day, Pavement is the best band of its era ....
Friday, June 1, 2012
6/1/2012
Bill Monroe and Doc Watson -- "The Banks of the Ohio"
My favorite version of this classic murder ballad. Monroe and Watson's voices complement each other perfectly, and there's none of the usual clutter common to much bluegrass in this live duet recording.
My favorite version of this classic murder ballad. Monroe and Watson's voices complement each other perfectly, and there's none of the usual clutter common to much bluegrass in this live duet recording.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)