I could easily sit down, bring up the Stones’ “Waiting on a Friend” in iTunes, put it on repeat, and listen to it for 24 straight hours. Love the song, always have, and never tire of hearing it. So I was intrigued today when I was nerdily scouring my web site statistics, and noticed someone had hit my site by searching for “Luna - Waiting on a Friend”. I have Luna’s 1994 release ‘Bewitched‘, which I really like (especially “Great Jones Street”), but I haven’t heard much Luna since. But I certainly am familiar with their soothing vibe.
So off I went to eMusic to download post haste. And I’m glad I did. They put their laid back twist on a great song, and though no one will ever touch the original, this is a great second.
I finally picked up my first Daniel Lanois solo album. Every time I’ve heard his solo stuff I’ve been drawn to it: spare, atmospheric, and rich. Lanois, of course, is the producer extraordinaire behind U2, Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, and scores of other artists. From 1988 to 2001, he set up shop in Kingsway Studios on Esplanade Avenue in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Here’s a taste from Shine, his 2003 release. Bono joins him on this one. It was written during the All You Can’t Leave Behind sessions.
I had this one on an old mix CD I recently pulled out. It’s nice to unearth a gem like this once in a while. You don’t get better than a Ry Cooder traditional ballad with the Chieftains backing him up. Beeyoootiful….
The Chieftains w/ Ry Cooder: Coast of Malabar (mp3) - from The Long Black Veil (1995)
I heard this on Radio Paradise yesterday, and was instantly forced into stress-free relaxation mode. Koop is a group from Stockholm, Sweden, led by Magnus Zingmark and Oscar Simonsson. They’ve got some very cool jazz and swing vibes going on. As it’s put in their bio: “the swing of the 1930s, the exoticism of forgotten orchestras and entertainers performing on late 40s yacht cruises to Jamaica.”
They have Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano singing on a few tracks on their latest album, Koop Island, including this song. Her voice just puts me in a nice place.
Koop: Koop Island Blues (mp3)
Buy Koop Island (only available as an import in the US).
This tune is kicking me in the pants right now. Citizen Cope has that satisfying blend of soul and a rootsy acoustic vibe that I’m enjoying more and more with each listen. “More Than It Seems” just plain grooves, in a slow, pleading sort of way.
Memphis born, and reared in Texas and Washington DC, Cope now calls Brooklyn home. His third official release, Every Waking Moment, was just released on September 12th. Like many folks, “Sideways”, a Cope tune that Carlos Santana chose for his Shaman album a few years ago, first turned me on to the man. But whether you’ve heard of Citizen Cope or not, listen to this tune, and watch the video below. Like me, you may itch to hear more…
Citizen Cope: More Than It Seems (mp3) - from his Sept. 12th release, Every Waking Moment
Nice little vignette of Cope tunes and interview clips (in WMP high bandwidth)…..
‘Tis a good thing to hear a well written, beautifully sung song. The words of Kris Kristofferson and the voice of Rosanne Cash come together quite nicely in “Lovin’ Him Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)”. The song (”Lovin’ HER” was the original) first appeared on Kristofferson’s 1971 album The Silver Tongued Devil & I, and has since been covered by the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, and even Tina Turner.
Just a nice song that’s prompted me to pick up this tribute to Kristofferson.
Rosanne Cash: Lovin’ Him Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) [mp3]
I had a nice “terrestrial radio” moment today. Since I signed up for Sirius Satellite Radio almost a year and a half ago, my non-satellite radio moments are pretty much limited to the parking garage at work (because I lose my signal). So it was a nice surprise when I turned on Phoenix station KDKB (tag line: “Everything that Rocks”), just when they fired up side 2 of the Stones’ Tattoo You uninterrupted. It was perfect: “Worried About You” started when I turned on my car; “Tops”, “Heaven”, “Ain’t No Use in Crying” took me all the way to the freeway exit, and “Waiting on a Friend” finished when I was pulling into my neighborhood. Magic I tell you.
This was the album that was out when the Stones entered my consciousness in 1981, thanks to my older brother. It wasn’t until a few years later that I began to unearth the wonder found in the Stones catalog. What a musical discovery: Tattoo You, Exile on Main Street, Sticky Fingers, the two Hot Rocks albums, It’s Only Rock and Roll, Black and Blue, Some Girls, Emotional Rescue, Beggars Banquet. Those albums were my introduction to the Stones.
Hearing side two of Tattoo You reminded me about the timeless quality of their music. People can joke all they want about the sixty something Stones touring today, but the fact is their music is as fresh and relevant as ever.
Side one of Tattoo You gives you the driving rock of “Start Me Up”, “Hang Fire”, and “Little T&A”. But when side two hits, it’s time to mellow out, sit back, and take in some down tempo classics from the Glimmer Twins.
Just like I discovered the music of the Stones in my mid teens, so too will countless teenagers today. Never close yourself off from the great music of the past based solely on today’s stereotypes. There would be no Killers, Strokes, Hives and all the other darlings of today’s music scene without the Rolling Stones.
And as far as the perfect tune to listen to after breaking it off with your sweetie, you don’t get any better than “Waiting on a Friend”… “Dont need a whore / dont need no booze / Dont need a virgin priest / But I need someone I can cry to / I need someone to protect…”. And a Sonny Rollins saxophone solo to boot? Sheesh….
The Rolling Stones:Tops (mp3) | Waiting on a Friend (mp3)
New to the Stones? My recommended albums to get started:
I like it when this happens. You know when you hear a great song for the first time, a tune that just connects with you? Where you have the innate ability to know that you’ll be listening to the song 5-10-15 years down the road? And for me, in this digital world, the kind of song that goes straight to the CD burner so you can carry it around with you, listen in the car, etc?
I found that song of the moment yesterday. “Things Will Change and Go My Way”. Pete Droge. Song 6 on 2003’s Skywatching. Great tune, and a great album, and I can tell you this after owning the album for just over 24 hours.
I’ll be reviewing Pete’s new album, Under the Waves, very soon. For now, travel back 3 years in time and put your ears to this gem.
Thanks in part to a friendship with Mike McReady of Pearl Jam, Pete Droge secured a contract with American Records in the early 90’s, and released a fantastic album called ‘Necktie Second’ in 1994. The single that really caught my attention back then was “Sunspot Stopwatch”. With clever lyrics, and obviously influenced by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, the tune sucked me in to Mr. Droge’s world, and led me to the debut album, which is great from start to finish.
The song that made the biggest impact, “If You Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself)”, was featured on the soundtrack to Dumb and Dumber (YouTube clip). It’s pretty much the most electric and uptempo song of the album. But it’s the more relaxed, acoustically oriented tracks that are my favorites: “Faith in You”, “Fourth of July”, “Hardest Thing to Do”. The album is produced by Pearl Jam buddy and producer extraordinaire Brendan O’Brien, who also produced Springsteen’s ‘The Rising’ (always a Boss connection!), and Soundgarden and Neil Young and Stone Temple Pilots and on and on.
Droge just released his fifth album, Under the Waves, last Tuesday. You can hear the album streaming on his web site or his Myspace page. I just picked up his fourth album, Skywatching, on eMusic, and am listening to it right now, and digging it immensely.
So take a listen to this great tune from Droge’s debut, and show the fella some love by checking out his links below.
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