BW's Saturday #73

 

Tribute

 

A lovely tribute to those we lost in 2025.

The chart and code might be too small to read, but I was quite moved seeing #37.

 

 

(h/t hpunch)

 

 

 

Merry Christmas Everybody

 

Wherever you go, whatever you do, I wish all of you wonderful people a day filled with the joy and the spirit and the good things about Christmas Day.

Travel safely. Be kind. Embrace Mariah Carey. 

 

December 24th, 2005

 

 

At 6:00 P.M., 20 years ago today, NYCD closed its doors for the last time.

There are days when I miss it tremendously. And then there are days when I realize what a horrible person I became towards the end, and I miss it less. Well, let's just say, I miss the good ol' days and not the bad ol' days of losing money hand over fist, while customers, both regulars and irregulars, just stopped coming by. Our last day was less of a celebration and more like a wake.

It's not the merriest of Christmas messages, but it's an anniversary nonetheless. 

About three minutes before we locked up and went off to our families for Christmas Eve, we put "So Long My Love" by Frank Sinatra on the stereo and shut out all of the lights.

It was a good run.

 

 

The Elbow Patches Pop With Power

 

The songs comprising "Achingly Familiar" were intended to be the next album by The John Sally Ride. Regrettably, the cruelest tragedy struck the band with the sudden passing of legendary bass player, Sal Maida, earlier in the year. A player of Maida’s status is truly irreplaceable, so unsurprisingly, the band could not go on. ( For those expecting an album addressing the agonizing loss and sadness so recently faced, this is not that record. There are plans to honor the great Sal Maida in the works for next year ). John Dunbar decided to revive one of his multiple musical projects, The Elbow Patches, to present this new batch of tunes. 

That is taken from The Elbow Patches Bandcamp page. And what a batch of tunes it is.  I don't even mind the drumming!

 

 

With the exception of accordion played by producer Len Monachello, "Achingly Familiar" is Dunbar doing it all and it works like a charm. I've listened to "Achingly Familiar" twice now, as well as going back to hear a few of my favorites on their own, and it was pure pop joy; a record worthy of The John Sally Ride name.

You can and should check out the whole record over here!

 

 

Macca Junior And A Forgotten Gem

 

 

I know I listened to James McCartney's debut "Me" back in 2013. What I don't know is why I didn't play it again until this past weekend. He recently released a new single, which I liked, and that led me back to "Me." I loved this record enough to play it a second time and I can't figure out why it didn't hit me the first time around. It's ten different Paul McCartney records in one. How could it not be?

James writes like his dad. "Me" sounds like a number of different Paul styles. There are a few grungy little rockers that sound like they could have been on "Back To The Egg." There are songs with simple but compelling instrumentation, like dad's solo records McCartney's "I," II," and "III." But "Me" mostly reminds me of Paul's "Chaos & Creation In The Backyard" in both style and structure.

James McCartney plays almost everything on "Me" and Paul appears on a number of tracks, as well. As I already mentioned, I wanted to listen again almost immediately after the first spin. I hope you can hear what I am hearing. Then again, maybe you have been listening since "Me" was first released, and if that is the case, why the hell didn't I get the memo? 

 

 

Songs Of The Week, 2025: 12/13-12/19

 

Duquesne Whistle- Bob Dylan
Walk A Thin Line- Fleetwood Mac
Gawd Above- John Fullbright
I Am That I Am- Peter Tosh
Something Is Slipping My Mind- The Rails
Play This Game- Utopia
Inside Out- Silver Ginger 5

 

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Duquesne Whistle- Bob Dylan
(From "Tempest," an album that I think has aged really well, this was the first single, which still kills.)

Walk A Thin Line- Fleetwood Mac
(I've never warmed to "Tusk," or to double albums in general. This could use a nice single disc edit. Please include this song, if you're doing the edit. And if any fans of The Cure are reading, how about nice 45 minute, single disc edits of "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" and "Disintegration?")

Gawd Above- John Fullbright
(The opening one-two punch of "Gawd Above" and "Jericho" set the table for what I thought might be the best record of 2012. "From The Ground Up" is a very good album, but nothing that followed was as strong as those two opening tracks.)

I Am That I Am- Peter Tosh
(Cleveland Jeff says "Equal Rights" is the best reggae album of all. When I play it, it's hard to disagree.)

Something Is Slipping My Mind- The Rails
(Stunning harmonies and a gorgeous melody will get me every time.)

Play This Game- Utopia
(Speaking of harmonies, here are Todd Rundgren and the boys and one of their most power poppiest.)

Inside Out- Silver Ginger 5
(Ginger Wildheart's one and done side project was a hard, fast and REALLY LOUD affair. It's full of big choruses and pop hooks, if you can deal with what sounds like 40 guitars on every song. This is one of the easiest tracks to digest.)

 

 

Lower case zip valid until 12/24. 8AM.

Upper case zip is the old way, for those who have been having good luck with it.