Country Rock
Notting Hillbillies in Newcastle (Redux)
Mar 7th
I stumble across this show quite frequently in my travels through iTunes, and I was reminded again of it this morning while picking around on my acoustic guitar. I was toying around with the beautiful guitar parts of the Dire Straits tune “Why Worry”, and decided to punch it up in iTunes so I could play along. Up came this live version by the Notting Hillbillies – a relatively short-lived group from the early 1990’s made up of Mark Knopfler, Steve Phillips, Brendan Croker, and Guy Fletcher.
I posted this show back in 2006, and thought I’d bring it back for those who want to hear a laid back, tight-knit group of friends playing some great music. The Dire Straits covers are especially great – particularly the Calypso version of “So Far Away”.
The Notting Hillbillies – Why Worry (mp3)
Download the whole show here (zip).
THE NOTTING HILLBILLIES
Swan Hunter Shipyard
Newcastle, England
July 6th, 1993
1. Intro
2. Calling Elvis
3. So Far Away (Calypso version)
4. Your Own Sweet Way
5. Run Me Down
6. Why Worry
7. Railroad Worksong
8. Feel Like Going Home
9. Setting Me Up
10. Outro
Check out the Notting Hillbillies’ one and only album: Missing…Presumed Having A Good Time
Ryan Bingham on Letterman: “The Weary Kind”
Jan 12th
If you caught the end of Letterman on Monday night, you caught Ryan Bingham’s “The Weary Kind” – a Golden Globe nominated tune from Crazy Heart (a movie which by all accounts is fantastic). The song was written by Ryan and T-Bone Burnett.
I’m still waiting for the opportunity to catch Ryan live. Until that day, performances like this hit the spot. Make sure to watch the funny exchange between Dave and Ryan afterward.
NEW: John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen – “When Will I Be Loved”
Aug 4th
In 1973, John Fogerty released his solo debut album, The Blue Ridge Rangers
On September 1st, John’s back with a whole new collection of favorite tunes, with The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. Once again, the record is produced and arranged by Fogerty, but this time around, he brings some friends into the studio to help out with the playing and singing. Among them, Timothy B. Schmidt and Don Henley on Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party”, and one Bruce Springsteen on the Everly Brothers classic “When Will I Be Loved”.
The Boss is a long time fan of Fogerty’s, and it’s great to hear the two of them together, covering such a great tune…
Listen: John Fogerty w/ Bruce Springsteen – “When Will I Be Loved”
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→ Pre-Order The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
Here’s the track listing:
- Paradise (John Prine)
- Never Ending Song of Love (Bonnie Bramett/Delaney Bramlett)
- Garden Party (Rick Nelson)
- I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me) (Buck Owens)
- Back Home Again (John Denver)
- I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (Ray Price/Rusty Gabbard)
- Change in the Weather (John Fogerty)
- Moody River (Gary Bruce)
- Heaven’s Just a Sin Away (Jerry Gillespie)
- Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’ (D. Deckleman/J. Guillot/J.D. Miller)
- Haunted House (Robert L.Geddins)
- When Will I Be Loved (Phil Everly)
Bruised Orange – Anger Management with John Prine
Jun 23rd
Some days are better than others. And when I find myself with my patience thinning (way too frequently as I get older, it seems), I always think of the chorus of this John Prine song…
You can gaze out the window get mad and get madder,
throw your hands in the air, say “What does it matter?”
but it don’t do no good to get angry,
so help me I know
The sage advice of John Prine. What good does it really do to raise your voice? To pound your fist? To yell an expletive that your neighbors can probably hear from the street? With reality slapping you in the face every day – bills, a family to support, short tempered kids (where’d they get THAT from?), stupid drivers – well, it’s hard not to lose your cool.
And when I feel it coming on, I always try to take myself to this John Prine song..
For a heart stained in anger grows weak and grows bitter.
You become your own prisoner as you watch yourself sit there
wrapped up in a trap of your very own
chain of sorrow.
Stop. Take a deep breath. Put everything into perspective. And don’t sweat the small stuff.
Stay cool, peeps.
John Prine – Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) [mp3]
From Bruised Orange
Take a look at this 1980 Soundstage special, with John driving around his hometown in Illinois, telling the story behind the song…
New Raul Malo – Lucky One
Feb 10th
Former Mavericks frontman Raul Malo will be releasing his first album of original material in eight years on March 3rd. Lucky One was recorded over the last couple of years at Raul’s Nashville home. Co-producing several of the tracks is Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin.
Here’s a free & clear mp3, courtesy of Fantasy Records, Raul’s new label. Seriously, I could listen to Raul Malo sing the phone book…
Raul Malo - Lucky One (mp3)
Links: Pre-Order Lucky One
Calling out to the Old 97’s
Jun 8th
Where are the Old 97’s? I know they have some tour dates scheduled, but we haven’t seen any new studio stuff since 2004, when they released their debut on New West Records, Drag It Up
The guys are apparently still together, though I need to figure out if a new album is in the works. They left Texas a while ago. I believe lead singer Rhett Miller still lives in NYC (Rhett lived right near ground zero with his girlfriend on 9/11/2001), and bassist and singer Murray Hammond lives in L.A.
Though they have an arsenal of barnstorming, shit-kicking songs that will knock your pants off and have you hopping around like Hee Haw’s Grandpa Jones, I especially enjoy the slowed down Old 97’s. Here are a couple of great down-tempo Old 97’s tunes…
Old 97’s: Salome (mp3) – from Too Far to Care
Old 97’s: In the Satellite Rides a Star (mp3) – from Drag It Up
Old 97s Official Site.
Joe Ely with the Boss in Dublin
Sep 3rd
This would make a great St. Patrick’s day post, but it’s only September, and I’m way too impatient to sit on this show for too long. The date is St. Patty’s Day 1996. The location is Dublin, Ireland. Joe Ely and Bruce Springsteen both find themselves overseas on their latest tours (Joe for Letter to Laredo, Bruce for The Ghost of Tom Joad).
It was the last night of Joe’s tour, playing in front of a raucous Dublin crowd. And lo and behold, who’s in the house but his friend Bruce, who comes on stage to join Joe for a handful of the last few songs of the evening. I’d call this a pretty decent way to celebrate a St. Patty’s Day…
By the way, I’m curious, does any Bruce / Ely aficionado out there know how far back Springsteen and Ely go, where / how they met, etc.?
Joe Ely
March 17, 1996
Dublin, Ireland
w/ special guest Bruce Springsteen
Gallo Del Cielo
Ranches & Rivers
Spanish Love Scene
Rode Goes On Forever
Boxcars
Saint Valentine
I Saw It In You
Run Preciosa (fades out)
Bluebird
Letter To Laredo
Gangster Of Love (Sung by lead guitarist Jesse Taylor, RIP 1950-2006)
Me & Billy The Kid
Road Hog
BBQ & Foam
All Just To Get To You *
Oh Boy *
Settle For Love *
1000 Miles From Home
My Eyes Got Lucky
Fingernails Medley *
Blowin’ Down The Road *
* with Bruce Springsteen
It’s Been a Long Time Comin’
Jun 23rd
Bruce and the band have been pulling out some good ones on the final few shows of the tour. Here’s the Seeger Sessions take on one of my favorites from ‘Devils & Dust’, a great tune called “Long Time Comin”. This one stays pretty true to its original version, more so than any of Bruce’s other material that have been given the Seeger Sessions makeover. It’s a nice country rock feel to it with the slide guitar and the full band.
More to come!
Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: Long Time Comin’ (mp3) – live in Detroit, Michigan, June 16, 2006
- Original from Devils & Dust
Gone for Good
Mar 10th
Here’s a great live version of a great indie-country (indiecow? countrindie?) song, sung by a great singer, James Mercer of the Shins. Do enjoy.
James Mercer: Gone for Good (mp3) – live 07 Jan 2004 – studio version comes from Chutes too Narrow
We’ll go Stepping Out
Mar 9th
Thanks to those of you who have followed me from my old web address to another one, and now finally to this one. I promise, this is the last stop! As you can see, I finally got my domain sorted out, and got my Wordpress blog transferred over to it. For you bloggers out there, I definitely recommend Wordpress. Blogger / Blogspot is a great way to get started, but if you’re ready to make a leap to better blogging software with cooler and more robust features, look at Wordpress.
First off is the Waco Brothers. Jon Langford, founding member of the Mekons, formed alt-country-rock-punk band the Waco Brothers in the mid-90’s. Jon’s from the UK, but expatriated to Chicago, and obviously has a soft spot for that American rootsy country sound with a whole lot of brash punk sensibility thrown in. This one’s great, and reminds me of a drive back from Las Vegas years ago with this tune cranked (truly the wickedest city in the world).
Waco Brothers: Wickedest City (mp3) – from Do You Think About Me
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