-
Recent Posts
300 in 10?
I need to write
36 posts in
32 days.Subscribe
Get email notifications of new posts You know, don't you, that I'd never misbehave with your contact info, right?
Monthly Archives: September 2002
Huffamoose?
uffamoose — just hearing the name, you know you’re in for something unusual. Along with the unusual comes some superior storytelling, and more than a little fun.1997′s “We’ve Been Had Again”(a pretty obvious play on the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”) has two of the most touchingly romantic songs I know of, and one that’s pure unadulterated fun. Continue reading
Definitely Glamour
t’s hard to say if it feels like yesterday or a hundred years ago that I first heard Maia Sharp’s song “Brownstone” on the now defunct San Diego station KUPR. From her debut album “Hardly Glamour”, that ambiguous familiarity is inherent to the album itself; every track sounds like I’ve heard it before. Maia’s voice, deeper than most female singers you hear on pop radio, is warm and reassuring. Her songwriting and musicianship exude the same warmth and professionalism, making for one of the most enjoyable albums I’ve discovered in years. I’m not sure why it’s taken me five years to track it down, and now that I have, I regret the pretermission. I’ll make up for it by being particularly verbose in today’s review.If you’d like to read all about Maia’s famous songwriter father, or her struggles with the never-released album “Tinderbox”, I’m sure you can find all the details elsewhere. I’m only going to talk about her music. Continue reading
Comment: Finding Iz
From Leogennaro8:”I too was mesmerized and stopped dead in my tracks as the credits began to roll, when I heard that voice and rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I didn’t even realize he was singing the timeless song because I was so moved by the voice and, although I am not a musician, I know when something is good. I was blown away and didn’t want the credits or this song to end. I skimmed through the bio and wanted to share my same feelings immediately because I, too, was blown away by the clarity of the voice, and reading the bio you say he is dead? What an absolute shame for such a talent that can move emotions to be gone. I am a bit confused though. Didn’t Finding Forrester come out after 1997? When did he record this?” Continue reading
Used Songs – Step Right Up
t’s typical of Tom Waits that his retrospective album compiled from his first six releases is called, not “Greatest Hits” but “Used Songs.”Waits is a songwriter’s songwriter. The first track on his first album, “Ol’ ’55″, was also one of the earliest tracks recorded by the Eagles, on their top 20 debut album. Although Tom’s recording evince fine musicianship, one doesn’t listen to a Tom Waits album for the guitar playing. The first attraction is a desire to see whether it’s possible to sing an entire album in that unbelievably gravelly low voice. It’s not long until you’re so wrapped up in the stories he tells that even that remarkable voice is secondary to the tales it tells. Continue reading
Warren Zevon Diagnosed with Inoperable Cancer
xcitable Boy Warren Zevon, 55, (“Werewolves of London”, “Excitable Boy”, “Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me”) was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer last month, according to a Reuters news release.Zevon has collaborated with the Everly Brothers, R.E.M., and Jackson Browne, but his biting wit was best displayed in his solo works spanning the last 33 years. Warren is heading for the studio for a final recording session. Continue reading
New York State of Mind
ne year ago today, lives changed forever; some ended, some forever scarred, but at the same time, some began. Yes, there are children celebrating their first birthday today, because, in spite of the occasional madness in the world, life does indeed go on.More than one of those who perished were men I consider brothers from a religious standpoint; not helpless victims, but voluntary victims — firefighters who, knowing they were risking their own lives, didn’t hestitate to enter the dual inferno to help others. Continue reading
The Watchtower, All Along
ritten by “Bob Dylan and recorded on his 1967 album “John Wesley Harding”, “All Along the Watchtower” is one of those songs which seems to work no matter who’s performing it. Certainly, only a Dylan purist would complain of its treatment at the hands of “Jimi Hendrix, whose version is certainly the best known among casual rock listeners.Perhaps not as well known is “U2′s cover on their big live album, “Rattle and Hum.” If we are to believe the clips from the movie, the band figured out the song in the trailer just before the show, with Bono scrambling to find someone who knew all the lyrics. Hendrix didn’t; at least, he mangles some lines pretty badly. U2′s version is a bit clearer, although not adventurous by any means. Continue reading
Listen Closely Now
ou may not recognize the name George Baker, and in fact, there is no George Baker in the George Baker selection. But if you’ve been listening to music in the US or Europe at any time during the last thirty years; in fact, if you’ve been to the movies, you’ve almost certainly heard their song “Little Green Bag.” Making it to number 5 on the US charts when it was released in 1969, it took the spotlight thirty years later as the title song for the 1999 movie “Reservior Dogs.” A raucous and fun number, it features snappy basslines, infectious guitar, and the almost-Tom-Jones voice of Johannes Bouwens, the Dutch singer/songwriter behind the group.But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I want to know what a little green bag has to do with anything. Think about it; which makes more sense, poetically or otherwise: Looking back On the track For a little green bag or Looking back On the track For a little greenback ? Continue reading
Come Away with Norah Jones
hile we’re on a “Norah Jones’ roll, we might as well make it a clean sweep. I got my copy of her debut album “Come Away with Me” on Thursday, and I’ve listened to it almost constantly.”You’ve probably heard “Don’t Know Why” on your favorite radio station. The first time I heard it on KPRI here in San Diego, it was arresting. Norah’s voice is smoky sweet and subtly powerful, but just as powerful was the piano accompaniment. I’ve long been a fan of country pianist Floyd Cramer, who played with such luminaries as Chet Atkins. The piano on “Don’t Know Why” sounds so much like Cramer; his style and grace, a musical maturity not found in many keyboard players today. I was astonished to learn that the sultry singer was also the accomplished pianist. But then, “Come Away with Me” is full of surprises; surprises, but no disappointments. It is a delightful collection from start to finish. Continue reading
Comment: Racing Toward the Future
egarding “Racing Toward the Future, One Second at a Time, this comment from artlung:”Norah Jones is great, for sure. I saw her live last month and she’s a dynamic performer. She did an awesome version of Tenessee Waltz. I grabbed some alternate stuff of hers on Limewire, and there are some sound clips on norahjones.com.” Continue reading
