T-Bone Wolk was a brilliant bassist who, though likely not a familiar name, was a familiar presence on stage and television since the 1980s. Born in Yonkers, New York, Wolk, like so many of our rock heroes, decided on the night he first saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, that he was going to be a musician. And within a few years, Wolk was playing in local garage bands. His first break came in the early ’80s when he was asked to fill in for Will Lee in the Late Show With David Letterman band. Wolk would later be the bassist for the Saturday Night Live house band. In 1981, Wolk was hired to play in the Hall & Oates band, with whom he spent over 20 years. He also co-produced several of their records. As a session player or producer, Wolk also worked with, among others, Carly Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Harry Nilsson, Roseanne Cash, Elvis Costello and Billy Joel. T-Bone Wolk died of a heart attack on February 27, 2010.
Thanks to T-Bone’s friend, Michelle Aquilato for the sad news.
The weather here on the East Coast has sucked the last bit of life out of the people who technically should be used to it by now. Everyone from Manhattan and Matawan to Tarrytown and Teaneck is bitching as if they just canceled "Glee." "But what the hell do you expect from February," he says as he pulls the last remaining hair from his head, while watching the slush get slushier.
FERK IT!
Here's a winter storm triple play for you. In between shoveling snow, de-icing your loved one, and stocking up on batteries and bourbon, enjoy these three ZIPS.
First up, by request, a little Jeff Beck. This is a stellar, if a bit low-fi recording of a show I attended and still remember vividly.
Jeff Beck, Mo Foster, Simon Phillips, and Tony Hymas on tour behind Jeff's just released "There & Back" CD. This is the late show from NYC's Palladium, 10/12/80. TRACKLIST Star Cycle El Becko Too Much To Lose The Pump Cause We've Ended As Lovers Space Boogie Freeway Jam Led Boots Diamond Dust Scatterbrain Blue Wind Goodbye Pork Pie Hat - You Never Know Going Down
Next up is SNOW JOB, some summertime fun to help get your mind off of this soul-numbing shit that has been blanketing the New York and New Jersey area. This mix reeks of summer almost as much as that dude selling hot dogs on the corner of 42nd & Broadway.
TRACKLIST Summer's Cauldron - XTC Grass - XTC Saturday In The Park - Chicago A Summer Song - Chad & Jeremy Summer Samba - Walter Wanderley Red Rubber Ball - The Cyrkle Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer Summertime Thing - Chuck Prophet & Daryl Hall It Must Be Summer - Fountains Of Wayne Let Him Run Wild (New Stereo Mix) - The Beach Boys The Summer Sun - Chris Stamey Groovin' (Mono Mix) - The Young Rascals The Rain, The Park, & Other Things - The Cowsills That Sunday, That Summer - Nat King Cole Theme From "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith
Last but not least, a little gem for all you Todd Rundgren fans. This was a one-off benefit from April of 1987, to support installing condom machines in clubs. No really! Backed by Bourgeois Tagg, whose record "Yo-Yo" was just produced by Mr. Rundgren, here is a unique set of music, featuring some Todd favorites, altered a bit to drive this baby home...so to speak. (Bonus Letterman tracks not included.) ZIP FILE
Written in 1964 and never officially released until "The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3" in 1991, Bob Dylan's "Mama, You've Been On My Mind" sits strongly atop the list of not only my favorite Dylan songs, but of my favorite songs of all time.
Recorded first by Joan Baez in 1965 as "Daddy, You've Been On My Mind" for her "Farewell Angelina" record, and covered by so many since, this is a love song like no other, and it never fails to render me useless after each listen.
Perhaps it's the color of the sun cut flat An' cov'rin' the crossroads I'm standing at, Or maybe it's the weather or something like that, But mama, you been on my mind.
I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset, I am not pleadin' or sayin', "I can't forget." I do not walk the floor bowed down an' bent, but yet, Mama, you been on my mind.
Even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow, Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow. It don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow, But mama, you're just on my mind.
I am not askin' you to say words like "yes" or "no," Please understand me, I got no place for you t' go. I'm just breathin' to myself, pretendin' not that I don't know, Mama, you been on my mind.
When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror. You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near. I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear As someone who has had you on his mind.
Here are three versions---a recent live performance from last year at the Kennedy Center by the great Allen Toussaint, a version I only heard for the first time yesterday by a reunited Dion & The Belmonts from 1967, and today's birthday boy, George Harrison recorded during the "Let It be" sessions.
After reading the Rolling Stone cover story about Jeff Beck & Eric Clapton, I became even more frustrated than I was while writing Monday's post about last Thursday's show. These two giants sat comfortably in Beck's living room, sipping tea and eating toasted cheese sandwiches while trading Elmore James licks and heaping praise upon each other for the work they'd done on such classics as "Five Live Yardbirds," "Beck-Ola," and "John Mayall's Bluesbreakers." Clapton raves about "Shapes Of Things." Beck raves about "Telephone Blues," a Bluesbreakers b-side.
"When Eric is in full flower, in the blues, you can't get close to that. The timing-the actual breakdown of the phrases--is so unique."
They mention an Albert Collins' tune, Lonnie Mack's "Wham," which Beck starts to play, as well as a Charles Mingus suite as possible set choices for the upcoming tour.
Also in the article, Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers talks about Clapton's historic guest spot with the band during last March's NYC run at the Beacon Theatre. "He went back in time a little with his attack, the overall letting go." The article goes on to say that Haynes was especially blown away by Clapton's meaty soaring the second night during "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed."
"His solo was filled with reckless abandon."
Clapton said, "I haven't played like that since 1967."
WE KNOW DUDE!!
And now, "I've Got A Rock & Roll Heart."
(I kid.)
Here are both "Elizabeth Reed" and "Telephone Blues."
TELEPHONE BLUES
ELIZABETH REED (Clapton kicks in at the 7:28 mark)
My apologies for today's truncated Tuesday post. This is due to a combination of computer issues and very little to write about in the way of new releases. But here's what we've got, with most commentary pulled from Amazon for your convenience.
ALKALINE TRIO- THE ADDICTION It's been 11 years since Alkaline Trio released their first full-length album. In that time, they've toured the world, sold over a million records, and expanded their sound radically beyond their original straight-ahead punk style, incorporating production slick enough to earn them mass exposure on outlets like MTV's The Hills. Now with This Addiction, their seventh album and first for Epitaph, the Chicago rockers are heading back to their roots.
DEADSTRING BROTHERS- SAO PAULO Deadstring Brothers delve into the grit and sweat of dirty blues scooped from the fields of the Delta and polish it in the toxic waters of the Detroit River; the smell of their motor oil, strong coffee and whiskey-stained beards narcotic. Few bands channel the sonic groove generated at the headwaters of our rock and roll DNA like Deadstring Brothers.(WOW! Wish I wrote that.)
MY PICK OF THE WEEK
JOHN ELLIS & DOUBLE WIDE- PUPPET MISCHIEF Second release from saxophonist Ellis, with New Orleans' greats Matt Perrine, Jason Marsalis and Brian Coogan rounding out this unique band that offers original material with obvious roots in New Orleans jazz, but with rhythms and attack that could be found in just about any genre of music, including klezmer, funk and even punk. This CD also includes an expanded Double-Wide with the addition of Gregoire Maret on harmonica and Alan Ferber on. trombone
John Ellis is a unique composer, and with the blistering chops of the one and only Matt Perrine on sousaphone (no one can do what this man does on that instrument), the gritty groove of Brian Coogan on organ, and the impossible playing of Marsalis on drums, every second of "Puppet Mischief" will leave you focused.
ESSRA MOHAWK- PRIMORDIAL LOVERS Ranked by none other than Rolling Stone among the top 25 albums of all time, ‘Primordial Lovers’ is Essra’s acknowledged masterpiece, and it comes here with no less than FIVE bonus tracks! Passionate, poetic, personal, and—despite chord and meter changes seldom heard on “rock” albums—catchy, this album holds up to repeated listening, revealing layer after gorgeous layer.
MORELAND & ARBUCKLE- FLOOD They are traditionalists and innovators at the same time, influenced by Mississippi blues and traditional country music and bluegrass to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath! They are the winners of Indie Acoustic Project 2008 CD of the Year award.
BUTCH WALKER- I LIKED IT BETTER WHEN YOU HAD NO HEART Fifth album from accomplished pop songwriter / producer [Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Pink, Simple Plan, Pete Yorn, Weezer] and former member of Marvelous 3 [Freak Of The Week]. Taylor Swift was blown away [via Twitter] by his recent cover of You Belong To Me.(And who doesn't need a record that blows away Taylor Swift.)
Since the shows were announced, I felt determined, but not quite comfortable about seeing Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton together. I knew three things--
1. I wouldn't be able to afford the ticket.
2. The fantasy set list consisting of Yardbirds material, mixed with the best each of these still dynamic guitarists has to offer would NOT be performed.
3. Jeff Beck would probably kill, while God would most certainly phone it in.
I've seen them both too many times to believe it would have been any different. Still I searched for a ticket, pulling the one-armed bandit in the guise of a fair and unbiased ticket seller named Ticketmaster, only to get offered seats not far from the Sbarros on 32nd and 7th, for a mere $179 per. (More than half of Madison Square Garden for that night, was being sold at $254 a ticket, the new norm.) I gave up...mostly because of the money, partly because I knew, once the shows were over, I'd have seen the set lists and will have been disappointed or thrilled, depending on how you looked at it.
I was right.
While it is probably wrong of me to criticize a show I did not see, I think it is pretty safe to say that even if Eric Clapton was on top of his game, (after listening to the show, I decided he was not,) there is no excuse for his sorry, lazy, and uninspired set list.
Eric Clapton 01. Driftin' - acoustic 02. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out - acoustic 03. Running On Faith - acoustic 04. I've Got A Rock 'N Roll Heart - acoustic 05. Tell The Truth 06. Key To The Highway 07. I Shot The Sheriff 09. Little Queen Of Spades 10. Cocaine
"I've Got A Rock & Roll Heart?" Really? This wasn't necessary before the phone commercial. As a matter of fact, his acoustic sets haven't been necessary since 1992's "MTV Unplugged" was released, and even then, that mortal sin known as "Acoustic Layla" was unforgiveable. This man can still play guitar, but I can't imagine anyone paying good money to see this man sit on a folding chair.
Jeff Beck's set, on the other hand, offered new material and a 30 piece orchestra. And yes, El Becko tends to play the same material, but it's the good material. Plus, if anyone has seen Jeff Beck lately, you will have witnessed a man on fire. Beck just gets better and better. He gives the fans what they want, something more artists should be doing these days, when concert tickets cost more than root canal. Here is what he played: Jeff Beck 01. Eternity's Breath 02. Stratus 03. Led Boots 04. Corpus Christi Carol 05. Bass solo featuring Rhonda Smith 06. Hammerhead 07. Mna Na Heireann 08. Brush With The Blues 09. Big Block 10. A Day In The Life 11. Nessun Dorma
Hmmm...is that really giving the fans what they want? I'm confused.
Maybe I am being unfair. I'm guessing most paid whatever they paid, to see the boys play together. Here's how that turned out: Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton 01. Shake Your Moneymaker 02. Moon River 03. You Need Love 04. Outside Woman Blues 05. Little Brown Bird 06. Wee Wee Baby 07. (I Want To Take You) Higher 08. Crossroads - encore
I think I may have ranted myself into a corner. This may be personal. Ticket prices and the fact that in this economy, shows like this still prove to be a tough ticket at almost $600 a pair, even though Clapton seems to care less and less these days, just get my shorts all twisted.
Who is going to these shows? Is it all rich people? Do you think this audience expected that fantasy set list, or do you think they were happy to hear acoustic versions of "Running On Faith" and "Driftin'?"
Here's what I would have paid $254 to see:
JEFF BECK
1. Beck's Bolero 2. Shapes Of Things 3. I Ain't Superstitious 4. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat 5. (insert new song) 6. (insert new song) 7. Freeway jam 8. Cause We've Ended As Lovers 9. A Day In The Life 10. Nessun Dorma (why not?) ERIC CLAPTON (all electric, using a Gibson SG. Hey, it's my fantasy.)
1. I Ain't Got You 2. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad 3. Badge 4. Bell Bottom Blues 5. Let It Rain 6. Stormy Monday 7. White Room 8. Comin' Home 9. The Core (I love "The Core") 10.Layla (electric version please) ERIC & JEFF Well, I guess anything would be fine after those two killer sets I just mentioned.
Knowing these songs exist and that these two giants could have thought about it and played them, how can anyone be satisfied with how the actual ahows turned out, even at half the price?
Here are some tunes from last Thursday. See what you think.
I'm afraid the theme of this Weekend Mix is nothing more than what I've been listening to. I tend to latch onto a handful of songs, and just play them until I can play them no more. I've done this recently with "The Golden State" by John Doe & Kathleen Edwards, "Girls In Their Summer Clothes" by Bruce Springsteen and I see it about to happen with "Little Lion Man" by Mumford & Sons. (Look that record up and dive in. It's killing me.)
TRACK LIST
Bus Stop - Fountains Of Wayne (faithful cover by one of my favorite bands of one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands) The Night I Heard A Scream - 20/20 (from "Look Out," a lost power pop classic) Action - The Sweet (you all know this, but do you really? as my friend Bobby says, "I can't believe how much is going on in this song.") Everything Will Never Be Ok - Fiction Plane (loved this record by Sting's son Joe Sumner and band. went nowhere and it should have. I think he sounds just like his dad...when his dad wasn't a dick...that week.) All Night Long - The Animals (The Animals do Zappa who was really doing the blues.) Wilson Joliet- John Cale (from my second favorite John Cale album, the long unavailable and so brilliant "Honi Soit") Girl (Instrumental) - The Beatles (don't get excited. this is a fake instrumental, but I love it nonetheless.)
Poison Love - Johnnie & Jack (love Doug Sahm's version. love Buddy Miller's even more. love the recent Soundstage duet between Buddy and Shawn Colvin even more. here is the original. love that, too) Hickory Wind- Keith Richards (from a Gram Parsons Tribute DVD. where's that new Keef solo album?) Come To Realise - Ron Wood (can't think of a shittier sounding record than Ron Wood's "Gimme Some Neck," but it does have some killer stuff on it)
Golden - A Girl Called Eddy (GORGEOUS! another record you need to search out and listen to. and where the hell are YOU, Eddy?) Keep On Tryin' - Poco (never knew this song until I saw Timothy B. Schmit, Todd Rundgren and Dave Edmunds do it on a Ringo Starr All-Starrs tour.)
Angel Come Home - The Beach Boys (miss you Dennis.) Where The Boys Are - Get Wet (I know I saw these guys at The Ritz in 1982 and I know Paul Shaffer had something to do with them. Oh, I remember the album being on "Boardwalk Records." That's all I know.)
Don't Hang Up - 10cc (I once sang this whole song in Washington Square park with an old friend Lisa, who knew every word to every 10cc song. The guys playing chess were not amused.)
Today marks a year that we lost the great Snooks Eaglin. If there was anyone who embodied the spirit, love, and warmth of New Orleans, it was Snooks.
I have many memories of Snooks Eaglin, dating back to the very first time I set foot in the great city of New Orleans, as well as some great NYC memories, too. Snooks played here a lot, but I was told that after 9/11, he was afraid to fly. Normally, I'd give an earful to someone with that mentality, but coming from Snooks, I found it endearing. I think I would have just said, "I know, man. I know." He had done enough.
Barring some miracle, it doesn't look like I'm getting to New Orleans for this year's Jazz Fest. First time I'm missing it in 10 years. I guess I'll just have to listen to some Snooks and miss them both.
Here's a quick mix of some of my favorite Snooks Eaglin tunes. The mix opens with a (very short) story from Herman Ernst and then a live version of "Josephine" from a WWOZ tribute to Snooks from last March, with Ernst, David Torkanowsky, and George Porter Jr. The rest is all Snooks.
1. Snooks Story 2. Josephine 3. Profidia 4. By The Water 5. My Love Is Strong 6. (Mama) Talk To Your Daughter 7. Would You 8. I Get The Blues When It Rains 9. Red Beans 10. Young Boy Blues 11. Guess Who 12. Tomorrow Night ZIP FILE
I'd like to thank my friend Mike for sending me the link to Uncle Gil's Rockin' Archives. I've been walking around like Quasimodo for the last three years, thanks to the ludicrous amount of time I spend in my painfully uncomfortable wooden chair in front of my computer, not to mention that I will probably need lenses from the Mount Palomar Naval Observatory soon, as my eyesight is going the way of Ronnie Milsap. I really didn't need another reason to spend more time playing on blogs. But, boy this is one cool place.
I've made numerous passes through Uncle Gil's archives, finding so many amazing records, rare and out of print. Johnnie & Jack, for instance, a fave of the great Buddy Miller or Leon Payne, the man who wrote "I Love You, Because" and "Psycho," the early 80s, Elvis Costello live staple. I also discovered this absolutely ridiculous track from Conway Twitty.
It was customary in the 60's and I guess the early part of the 70's, for internationally successful artists to re-record their hits in different languages for separate markets. We are all familiar with "Sie Liebt Dich" and "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" by The Beatles, right?
Here is Conway Twitty's hit "Hello Darlin'" in Russian. Maybe it shouldn't have made me laugh so hard, but it did.
"Little Willie," (you know, that cool-ish, Norah Jones, side project) session man and guitarist extraordinaire Jim Campilongo releases a smart collection of originals and covers, showcasing not only his chops on the axe, but his impeccable taste. This is not one of those guitar-player geek "show-off" records. There is real music here, with some killer versions of songs by The Stooges, Duke Ellington, and Jagger/Richards.
Yes, banjo-driven music can be cool and accessible. It's not always about Jed Clampett, and on their Nonsuch debut, the Carolina Chocolate Drops will suck you in with their good time grooves. The jam band kids love'em.
New York born, but nothing but New Orleans in his blood, the insanely talented Josh Charles releases his debut, with some heavy talent on board. Watching Charles play piano will no doubt bring to mind his heroes, James Booker and Dr. John, and with the good Doctor's band on board for this recording, Charles shows his soul and soulful vocals, as well. Great debut!
It's not too early in 2010 to call a record the "best of the year" when it is this good. Curran and band are kicking my ass with Little Richard-inspired rock and roll, authentic production and giant balls. Check out my Huffington Post piece over HERE and give it a listen.
Power pop cult figure, talented sideman, and smart songwriter in his own right, ex-Jellyfish/Grays alum Jason Falkner sees his 2007 release finally get US distribution. Tweaked a bit with a few remixes, and two vinyl only bonus tracks, "I'm Ok, You're Ok" is a worthwhile release with some truly infectious melodies.
I am hearing a little bit of XTC's "English Settlement," and The Beatles' "White Album" here. Mojo magazine heard the same, as well as Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk." There's some amazingly catchy music on "Measure," but be forewarned, it runs 77 minutes and that's about 40 minutes too long when you're not XTC, The Beatles, or Fleetwood Mac.
At first glance, this may look a nightmare for purists. I am not a purist and I was thinking, "What the hell is this randomly picked group of artists doing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band?" But after one listen, or in my case now, about a dozen listens, you'll know.
This record, recorded to benefit Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program, is absolutely wonderful. It is not a showcase, per se, for the special guests, which include Tom Waits, Del McCoury, Steve Earle, Ani Difranco and Richie Havens, though every one them (I'll get to the full roster in a second) shines on their collaboration. My fear was that the artists would try to make these standards more like themselves and I just wasn't in the mood for My Morning Jacket covering "Louisiana Fairy Tale." But it's not like that. Every single artist embraces the tradition and delivers.
The band sounds great, as they run through familiar musical territory, and the vocals by the guests are truly inspired. FULL LINEUP: Louis Armstrong Andrew Bird Terence Blanchard Pete Seeger Dr. John Blind Boys of Alabama Brandi Carlile Cory Chisel Ani DiFranco Steve Earle Merle Haggard Richie Havens Jason Isbell Jim James Angelique Kidjo Amy LaVere Anita Briem Del McCoury Buddy Miller Paolo Nutini Tom Waits
There really isn't a bad track here, but I have to admit, the Richie Havens track is otherworldly. Go buy this NOW!
This record was about to be uploaded as part of my "Lost Tracks" series, but it now sees the light of day on CD. Yes, I know "Just As I Am" and "Still Bill" are considered to be "the ones," but trust me on this. "'Justments" is Bill's best!
What do Jaco Pastorius, Stevie Wonder, & Prince have in common, aside from not making good music anymore? (Jaco has a good excuse.) The three of them, amazing musicians but not drummers by trade, managed to not only get behind the kit once in awhile, but when they did, they played such bad ass shit, that these three songs always come up when I talk about some of my favorite drum moments in music.
It will be hard to ignore Jaco's bass playing on "Teen Town," since that is really the whole point of the song. But damn, if that groove and those fills aren't one of a kind.
Prince's "Tamborine" is a bit of a throwaway, but still one of my favorite tunes on "Around The World In A Day." The groove is nasty, and the little snare and bass drum fills throughout are slick, but it's what happens between 1:55 and 2:08 that just knocks me out.
"I Love Every Little Thing About You," from Stevie's "Music Of My Mind" is the most amazing of the three, and not just because Stevie is blind. (Though I've been playing drums for 40 years, I can see just fine, and still miss cymbals every now and then.) The way he kicks in, the relentless groove, the fills over the last choruses, all of it just makes me wanna sell my sticks and buy a kazoo.
The great Dale Hawkins has passed after a long bout with colon cancer.
I'm not great with the obituary thing.
So I will just say this---
I had the pleasure of seeing and meeting Dale Hawkins on two separate occasions, while he was performing during the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans. His enthusiasm on stage and his warmth off stage were highlights of both trips to the Crescent City.
This was a lot harder to do than I thought. As I searched for what I thought would best represent Jules Shear, I realized I couldn't possibly stop at just 45 minutes of music. Then I thought, maybe I didn't have to. I'll just compile it and let you unzip and do what you want with the music. It will need to be sequenced.
90% of what I chose for this mix is either no longer in print or has never been released. I feel good about that.
Finally, and here's where I might twist a couple of you, I chose NO Jules & The Polar Bears. (That should be ok, since those CDs are still in print.) I've always preferred solo Jules over the Polar Bears, even though I have a sentimental place in my heart for "Got No Breeding," as it was one of the free albums I got for subscribing to Creem Magazine.
Some random notes:
"Watch Dog" was produced by Todd Rundgren
The "Raisins In The Sun" are Jules Shear, Harvey Brooks, Jim Dickinson, Paul Q. Kolderie, Chuck Prophet, Sean Slade & Winston Watson.
The "Reckless Sleepers" are Jules Shear, Jimmy Vivino, Brian Stanley & Steve Holly.
Prior to "Dawson's Creek," Paula Cole had some street cred.
"Long Way Across Tennessee" is Jules and The Band, from a collection of demos for the never completed "Jules & The Band" album.
"Never Again Or Forever" is Jules' acoustic version of a song he wrote for Rick Danko, that appeared in completed form on "Healing Bones."
"Within Myself" is a still unrecorded killer, recorded live at NYC's Village Underground.
"Healing Bones" was produced by Peter Van Hooke & Rod Argent.
"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" is "Bag Of Soup," a one-off featuring Jules, Marshall Crenshaw, & Graham Maby. That full show from Tramps can be found over here.
Track List and origin is below. I love everything on here. Hope you do, too. And please, go buy what's in print.
Whispering Your Name ("Watch Dog")
Trap Door ("The Great Puzzle")
Deep ("Allow Me")
Be Nice To Me ("Sayin' Hello To The Folks")
Hard Enough ("Allow Me")
Last In Love w/with Paula Cole ("Between Us")
Candy From A Stranger ("Raisins In the Sun")
You Might Show Up ("More")
The Great Puzzle ("The Great Puzzle")
Baby, Baby (I Still Love You) ("Sayin' Hello To the Folks")
The Sad Sound Of The Wind ("The Great Puzzle")
Love Will Come Again ("Watch Dog")
Long Way Across Tennessee (Unreleased)
Never Again Or Forever ("Unplug This")
The Tide Has Turned ("More")
All Through The Night ("Watch Dog")
A Prayer (For Those Not Here) ("Healing Bones")
If She Knew What She Wants ("The Eternal Return")
Within Myself (Unreleased)
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (Unreleased)
If We Never Meet Again (Reckless Sleepers' "Big Boss Sound")
For just 3 minutes, get Ron Palillo's face out of your head and embrace the pop perfection of John Sebastian's "Welcome Back." Then, sink your ears into another beauty, the possibly inadvertent Sebastian homage from Jules Shear, "The Mystery's All Mine," off of Jules' just about perfect 1992 release, "The Great Puzzle."
I don't remember too much of the "Welcome Back" LP, but "The Great Puzzle" was one of those records that I played repeatedly for weeks. Jules Shear has had a long, respected career, but for my purposes "The Great Puzzle" was the one.
All Music thinks so, too. "The Great Puzzle stands as Shear's high point, combining his never-failing gift of melody with tasteful, organic arrangements, highly personal yet universal lyrics, and probably his most consistent batch of songs to date."
I'd love to do a Jules Shear "Weekend Mix." Jules, if you're reading, do I have your blessing?
From the forthcoming release "Reform School Girl," here are Nick Curran & The Lowlifes with "Tough Lover." I cannot get enough of this song or this album. I've already called it my favorite album of the year on The Huffington Post and I'm thinking unless Todd Rundgren releases "Something/Anything 2" with all 4 members of The Beatles and James Booker guesting, it will remain that way come December.
Can you believe it's been 30 years? "Another Music In A Different Kitchen," "Different Kind Of Tension" and "Love Bites" all get remastered and have another CD tacked onto them, featuring the usual assortment of extries---B-sides, Peel sessions, demos and more.
Sequel to the live 70's classic, this set was recorded at NYC's Madison Square Garden in August of 2008. I went to one of these shows. For every song that made me say, "Wow! Neil is great!," there was a sister moment that made me wish I had a bag over my head.
New Orleans' funk brothers turn the Crescent City on its ass on this new release. With help from such greats as Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, John Boutte, Bo Dollis, and Corey Henry, Galactic take traditional New Orleans rhythms into the 21st century. My Huffington Post piece is HERE. Just in time for Mardi Gras.
2 CD retrospective featuring hits and rarities, clocking in at 90 minutes of music at a $20 list price. Couldn't Nonsuch Records have found 5-8 more songs to fill up the space and justify the cost? I know I could have and I'm not really that much of a fan. Or, how about getting rid of 3 songs and making it a single CD for $12? (I know, I know, that's the way the artist wanted it.) TRACKLIST
Disc 1 Trail of Broken Hearts 3:25 Constant Craving 4:37 The Air That I Breathe 6:14 Helpless 4:15 You're Ok 3:03 Western Stars / Nashville String Machine 3:14 The Valley 5:30 Summerfling 3:52 Miss Chatelaine 3:49 I Dream of Spring 4:02 Hallelujah 5:08
Disc 2 Help Me 4:00 Hush Sweet Lover 4:06 Beautifully Combined previously unreleased 2:43 Crying 3:48 Love For Sale 5:26 Golden Slumbers/The End 4:17 Barefoot 4:17 Moonglow 4:34 So In Love 4:35 Calling All Angels 5:19 Hallelujah previously unreleased / New Version / Version 5:36
Trip-Hop pioneers are back with only their 5th album in 20 years. Features guest vocalists Hope Sandoval, Damon Albarn, Martina Topley-Bird among others.
It's hard to ignore the similarities between Moorer's new release and K.D. Lang's "Ingenue," but that doesn't mean this collection isn't good on its own. Allison Moorer's voice is velvety, and the arrangements are lush but accessible. Good stuff....even if it sounds a lot like "Ingenue."
Exactly what it says, with an additional 5 tracks (IN BOLD) only on the DVD.
1 Boots of Chinese Plastic DVD 2 Don't Cut Your Hair DVD 3 Talk of the Town DVD 4 Message of Love DVD 5 Kid DVD 6 The Nothing Maker DVD 7 Don't Lose Faith in Me DVD 8 Back On the Chain Gang DVD 9 Love's a Mystery DVD 10 Rosalee DVD 11 I Go To Sleep DVD 12 Don't Get Me Wrong DVD 13 Tequila DVD 14 Stop Your Sobbing DVD 15 Day After Day DVD 16 Cuban Slide DVD 17 Break Up the Concrete DVD 18 Thumbelina DVD 19 Middle of the Road DVD 20 The Wait DVD 21 Tattooed Love Boys DVD 22 Precious DVD 23 I'll Stand By You DVD 24 Brass In Pocket DVD
