Sunday Open Thread

Celebrate!

We were down for over 8 hours today. I’m not one for hyperbole, but it took me back to the dark days of the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-80… 444 days/8 hours what really is the difference? I just wanna celebrate.

Feeling Minnesota

This song sums up today’s Cowboys-Vikings game.

In any case… there’s nothing to say but to tip my hat especially to the Vikings defense. The game would’ve been a lot closer if not for the Vikes D.

This’ll Make You Smile

Music Video Friday

The College Widow got me thinking…  I really do like that video of James Brown performing “Gravity,” and it’s Friday…

Back in the Old Dirty Harry’s Place days Floyd, John Nolte and I had a tradition of sharing moments from classic films that we loved on Fridays (John carried the tradition on to Big Hollywood and an [...]

G-R-A-V-I-T-Y!

“On the 3rd planet from the Sun, I’ve been trying to get the funky job done!”

Wow!  Mighty Skip has just made my month!  And in a month that includes Christmas that’s sayin’ something’.  I really like James Brown and I am a big fan of his song, “Gravity.”  I hesitate to [...]

Monday Night Mashup

Eclectic Method Goes Phish from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

This mashup was commissioned by Phish from an outfit called The Eclectic Method to introduce a concert they performed in Indio, CA on Halloween that was a cover of the entire Rolling Stone’s album Exile on Main Street. It is as advertised — a mashup from [...]

Sunday Open Thread

More Please!

Those damn Swedes and their whimsy! Life needs more of this.

If they turned recycling soda cans into a basketball game more people would recycle — or if they suck you might have more trash on the ground — but it would be more fun and less preachy. I want stairs that sound like [...]

It’s Lucy

This is Lucy Vodden… childhood friend of Julian Lennon and the “Lucy” of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds fame. She passed away today in Britain at age 46 of lupus.

“I remember Julian and I both doing pictures on a double-sided easel, throwing paint at each other, much to the horror of the classroom [...]

Top 5 Musical Collaborations

I was listening to my tunes the other day and this song came up:

I’m not thinking supergroups or disparate people who get together all the time (think Rat Pack), but one-offs — probably just a song or two, but maybe an album or live performance.

In no particular order– and in addition to Iggy Pop and [...]

Deep Cuts

Milton “Gummo” Marx….

Most bands of any staying power have a string of well-known songs whether top 10 hits or concert staples…. What are your top 5 deep cuts? For the Beatles example… not “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” or “Eleanor Rigby”, but that unknown — relatively speaking (it is The Beatles after all) [...]

I’ll Take “Aptly Named Songs” for $800 Alex.

When your 9-year old son plays “Ode to Joy” on the piano…. you think… “That’s about right.”

Monday Open Thread

It Ain’t Just a City in Russia

They be a band… Arc Angels coming to The House of Blues this summer… Anaheim on July 16-17. Doyle Bramhall II, Charlie Sexton, and Chris Layton (of Double Trouble — as in SRV and…). Texas super group had an all-too brief moment in the sun in the early 1990s, but they still get [...]

Whispered Words

I’m a big fan of Eric and sincerely admire all that he’s been able to accomplish with his talents, for want of a better word.  I look forward to reading his music reviews, if for no other reason than that I enjoy the occasional blood pressure spike as much as the next guy.

Because he doesn’t [...]

De Gustibus Est Non Disputandum

Chacun a sont gout.

Here’s a site that highlights one-star Amazon reviews of classic movies, books, and albums (do they still call them “albums?”).  I wish I’d thought of this—but give me a week, and I will have.

Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones sucks. Always did and always will.
Charlie Watts can’t play, please. [...]

I Wish It Was Greek To Me

Part of the joy of teaching at a liberal arts university with a teaching emphasis (meaning we don’t have a “publish or perish” ethos here) is that I get to put my English and Philosophy degrees to use and teach an undergrad survey Humanities course every so often (think a Western Civ class — [...]

Etwas Tanzen für Fritz

Quiz Time!

What the devil does this mean?!?!

and cause never was the reason for the evening, or the Tropic of Sir Galahad…

Bow Chicka Bow Wow

Revelation #9

There are other songs that are its equal, but I’m not sure if I can think of a song that surpasses the Beatles’ cover of the Shirelles’ “Boys” as a pure, Rock & Roll song.  That’s Richard Starkey nailing the  lead vocals and George’s solo is perfect.  Every lead guitarist wannabe should study this solo until [...]

See, Chuck, It Always Comes Back To Rundgren

Chuck, if you’ve had time to follow the debate today about young kids and “hooking up,” Floyd summed up in words what only Rundgren can do in music.

Oedipus Rick

I’m not sure whose mother Rick schtupped to bring down the Greek tragedy that was his Thursday, but — besides feeling some German superiority over his Polish folly (sorry dude — somethings are ingrained)… his travails, made me think of this — for you Ricardo.

The official is embedded disabled….

Steyn on Hammerstein and… TOAST!

 

Toooooast

Is my fav’rite snack

Mooooost

Days I burn it black.

 

Read the whole thing!

For Hyunchback and Kenn C

Close…

or this

Matt Guitar Murphy!

This is Willie Dixon!

Republican? Havana Daydreamin’!

 Jimmy Buffet, Democrat Yes… THAT Jimmy Buffet.

It doesn’t surprise me that more musicians, especially rock musicians, are not Republicans.  What does surprise me is that they would back any party at all.  Isn’t rock all about revolt, revolution, anti-authority?  How is either monolithic, entrenched, PAC and lobbyist infested party anti-authoritarian?  Aren’t both parties the bleedin’ definition [...]

Like a Phoenix

 

Joaquin Phoenix says he’s through with acting.  Nothing personal, but this guy never clicked with me.  He’s probably a nice enough guy, but whenever I saw him in movies he seemed like a guy playing a character, not the character.  Oh well, I know nothing about acting and the folks who do think he’s got [...]

While My Game Controller Gently Weeps

I didn’t know there is an “AppleCorps Four,” and Giles Martin, son of George Martin is still in the game and that’s SIR Paul McCartney to you!

(from wired.com)

A Beatles-branded interactive music game along the lines of Rock Band and Guitar Hero will give gamers and music lovers a chance to play songs from every stage [...]

How’s This for Spooky, M23?

M23 comments how one of the old Halloween photos in the cholera post is particularly spooky because of the faded quality of the old photo.  I agree.  One of the most spooky things I encountered this past year is this old recording of Claire de Lune.  I highly recommend following the link, reading the article [...]

SRV for Kath

from MTV Unplugged

The Art of Noise

It’s nice to know they actually played instruments. They were better — and worse — than their Max Headroom flirtation.

Just. Wow.

Here’s Eddie Adcock’s website.

How do you Like Me Now, Chuckie?!

O.K., for those of you keeping score, yesterday Charles Foster took me to task for posting what he claimed was a boring music video. It was a video made in the 70’s of a British band of three guitarists and a drummer, performing a pop song in a store front in the open, in [...]

Nothin’ Matters but the Weekend!

Pop week continues at threedonia.com.  The Kings.  These guys get it right.  This video compilation is perfect because the amalgam of performances simultaneously captures the trap The Kings find themselves in and the outstanding attitude they have as performers.  A couple of musicians from Canada struck lightning in 1980 with a pure pop tune (er, tunes), “This [...]

Talk About, “Pop Music!”

 A few days ago Floyd, by way of ubergroup, “M,” entreatied us to “talk about, Pop music.”  Yesterday I wrote about a martian who came to earth to discover rap; and bars, and cars, and guitars…  Well, for today’s exercise threedonia.com asks the question, “How would you explain pop music to a martian?”  This is it folks.  The Record’s, [...]

Eric: The Origins of Rap Pre-Date J. Geils

I’m sure there is a history of rap and its been painstakingly documented somewhere.  Musical poetry is nothing new.  It certainly pre-dates Homer and he was plying his trade about 3,000 years ago, which even predates Peter Wolf.  In the 50’s and 60’s “beats” were setting poems to music and free form poetry (made up [...]

Debbie Meets the Man from Mars

 

Eric and JohnFN had a little fun yesterday with some rap videos that got me to thinkin’…  Rap is over 30 years old!  30 years.  When I was a kid the movie “American Graffiti” was released and it spawned a television show, “Happy Days.”  Suddenly 50’s nostalgia was in vogue.  My parents graduated High School [...]

Guitar for Dummies

So I spent a little time at the piano yesterday, trying to learn a new song by ear.  Unless it’s a really basic rock, blues or hymn I’m never too sure what to do with the left hand.  So, I google’d for some help.  Sure enough, the guitar chords for the song were on-line.  I [...]

Did Someone Say “Pop”?

Before MTV and the Buggles…. there was Pop Music!

then this….

Time for Pop!

 

 Yesterday’s XTC video has me in a Pop music mood.  What better time to resurrect the “Remember when MTV played Music videos” segment.  I am a Todd Rundgren fan and I especially like a lot of his stuff with Utopia.  Rundgren has always been an experimentalist and some of Utopia’s stuff is a [...]

Eric… I think you meant “Shaddap You Face”

Steyn’s Song o’ the Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(from http://www.steynonline.com/content/view/1373/28/)

 
AUTUMN LEAVES
Steyn\’s Song of the Week
Monday, 22 September 2008
Song of the Week #101
by Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert and Johnny Mercer

A truly great song for the season isn’t about the calendar, or the weather. It’s about the seasons of life and love. In spring a young man’s fancy turns to… The things we did last [...]