Boss Alert
Amazon has an exclusive live video of Bruce and his Seeger Sessions Band performing “John Henry” in the studio.
Check it out here:
Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band: John Henry (video)
Join the Caravan of Love
Showcasing another great song from my mid-teens (Ickmusic: The High School Years!), our focus shifts once again to 80’s R&B…..
In 1984, bassist Marvin Isley, keyboardist Chris Jasper, and drummer/guitarist Ernie Isley split off from the 70’s icons of R&B, the Isley Brothers, and formed their own group, Isley Jasper Isley. They scored big quickly with a #1 hit on the R&B charts in November and December 1985: “Caravan of Love”.Sure it’s a bit sappy and idealistic, but it still sounds great 20 years later, and the world would be wiser for heeding the song’s advice. But unfortunately there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening… Happy Sunday!
Mellencamp’s Big Daddy
Damn the torpedoes, tonight my attention turns to John Mellencamp, and a couple of gems off his 1989 release ‘Big Daddy’. I’ve always paid attention to John’s work, and have several of his albums, though I really haven’t paid much mind to the last 10-12 years. On every album, there would always be a song or two that I got very excited about, but most of the time the rest of the tunes just didn’t stack up for me.
But man, he’s had some great tunes over the years: the early stuff obviously… “Jack & Diane”, “Tumblin’ Down”, “Authority Song”… and later on with tunes like “Key West Intermezzo”, “Last Chance”, and “Now More than Ever.”
But it’s these couple of tunes from ‘Big Daddy’ that rank right up there as my all time JM faves. “Jackie Brown” is my favorite. Beautiful acoustic guitars, and haunting lyrics about a down and out and desperate man…
Is this your grave, Jackie Brown?
This little piece of limestone that says another desperate man took
himself out.
Is this your dream, Jackie Brown?
Going nowhere and nowhere fast
We shame ourselves to watch people like this live.
But who gives a damn about Jackie Brown?
Just another lazy man who couldn’t take what was his.
One helluva life Jackie Brown.
Forevermore, Jackie Brown
Amen and amen – Jackie Brown?The last hidden track on ‘Big Daddy’ is a cover of the Hombres’ “Let it All Hang Out”, a barnburnin’ rocker that get your feet a-shakin’.
John Mellencamp:
Jackie Brown(mp3) |Let it all Hang Out(mp3) – both from Big DaddyBruce goes back to Freehold
In November of ’96, Bruce returned to his hometown, Freehold, New Jersey, to perform at a benefit for the St. Rose of Lima School. It was his first performance there in nearly 30 years. He wrote a song especially for the occasion: “In Freehold”.
He pulled the song out a few years later on tour w/ the E Street Band. This one comes from a July 18, 1999 performance at the Continental Arena at the Meadowlands. It’s a loose, witty, hilarious, and ultimately bittersweet tune. There’s a good deal of crowd noise here, but it doesn’t take away from the quality, it only enhances it, as you really feel the intimate interaction with the crowd.
Bruce Springsteen:
In Freehold(mp3) – recorded live, Meadowlands, NJ, 07-18-99Steve Forbert’s Strange
Just passing along another tune heard on Sirius Disorder… another singer-songwriter type that I’ve heard of, but never has gone much beyond that. But thanks to non-terrestrial, non-commercial radio, the good tunes just keep on coming. A lot of tunes that have been around a while, that never made a blip on my music radar.
Forbert’s first album, ‘Alive on Arrival’, was released in 1978. Ten years later, he made a comeback of sorts with ‘Streets of this Town’, produced by E Street Band bassist Gary Tallent. This particular song comes from his 2000 release, ‘Evergreen Boy’. Take a listen.
Steve Forbert:
Strange(mp3) – from Evergreen Boy.- Steve Forbert’s Official Site
Going Global with Joe
Dick Rude, a long time friend of Joe Strummer, is releasing an hour long movie on DVD this summer entitled ‘Let’s Rock Again!’.
The one-hour film was shot over the last 18 months of Joe’s life. “It has been my blessing to share with the world an intimate portrait of such a passionate and humble man,” Rude said in a statement “Joe was a true hero. His music changed people’s lives. His love affected me profoundly. I am proud of the story he has allowed me to tell, but I would trade it all in a heartbeat to have him back.” Let’s Rock Again! opens with a montage of Clash-era footage of Strummer before ultimately settling into his stint fronting the Mescaleros. The film includes some stunning live performance footage and both frank and amusing interviews with Joe. (- from Strummersite.com)
Here’s a preview tune from the movie, a Mescaleros live version of “Global a Go-Go”. Hop on over to Stummersite for more info on the movie, and other Joe / Mescaleros stuff.
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros:
Global a Go-Go(live) (mp3) – Original version found on Global a Go-Go, released in the summer of 2001.Get Funky with Cameo and Zapp
Larry Blackmon and the boys from Cameo start the weekend off right with one of their hits on the R&B charts, from their pre-“Word Up”, pre-“Single Life” days. These guys will always have a spot reserved in the Ickmusic Hall of Fame. My buddy Chris and I saw them three times when we were in high school. Two of the few funky white boys in attendance at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee. Same place we saw Zapp with the late Roger Troutman. Those were the days…
Cameo:
Flirt(mp3) – buy Cameo’s Greatest Hits.Zapp:
Dance Floor(mp3) – buy Zapp IIPrince’s Party House
I tell you, sometimes this blog just writes itself. The latest Prince news is that the landlord of his rented West Hollywood home (70,000 smackers a month!!), Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, sued him for violating the lease agreement. The list of infractions drills right to the core of the eccentric purple man:
- “painting the exterior of the [house] with purple striping”, ‘Prince symbol’, and the numbers ‘3121’.
- “installing purple monogrammed carpet” in the master bedroom.
- the installation of plumbing, piping, and excavation of a “large hole” for the presumed purpose of a private beauty salon.
You mean I’m not the only one who has a home beauty salon in a hole? I feel so unoriginal now!
Man, 70 G’s a Month…
Prince:
Housequake (7 Minutes mo’ Quake)[mp3] – from the 12″ extended remix single of “Hot Thing”. Original version found on Sign o’ the Times.- Full Yahoo Article.
- See the Smoking Gun article for the court documents.
On the Mellow Side with Garcia and Grisman
This is more of an end of the weekend mellow post, but it’s just gonna have to do as a beginning of the week-er. One of the tunes that Bruce and his Seeger Sessions Band performs on the new album is “Shenandoah”. I’ve been fond of the song since I was a kid. We used to sing it in music / choir class in 8th grade (shout out to Mrs. Wynstra at Jerstad Jr. High in Racine, WI!! – holla!).
One of my favorite renditions of the song is done by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman on their ‘Not for Kids Only’ album, released in 1993. The mandolin shines on this song, especially during the ending lullaby melody.David Grisman & Jerry Garcia:
A Shenandoah Lullaby(mp3) – buy Not for Kids Only- Bruce and The Seeger Sessions Band will be playing New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30th. Rats (that I won’t be there)!!
- Random: Check out the Superficial.com for the full Scientology South Park episode that Tom Cruise successfully blocked from re-airing on Comedy Central.
Rev it up Boss!
In Bruce news, if you haven’t heard, Bruce is scheduled to release a whole album of folk tunes popularized by Pete Seeger. If there’s one thing we know, it’s Bruce loves his folk! The acoustic-oriented “quiet” albums like Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad, and his last release, Devils & Dust. So two in a row! Rare for the man. I’m looking forward to it, though it’s been widely noted that I would buy an album comprised only of Bruce farts and belches.
The new one will be called “The Seeger Sessions”, and features a whole bunch of folks joining in to play…. Sam Bardfeld, Jeremy Chatzky, Lisa Lowell, Frank Bruno, Soozie Tyrell, Mark Pender, Charles Giordano, Ed Manion, Larry Eagle, Mark Clifford, Patti Scialfa, and Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg. Soozie is the violin player that’s been touring with Bruce & the E Street Band. I’ll have to do some serious Googlin’ to find out more about the rest.
Find out more about the album on Bruce’s web site.
Here’s a Woody Guthrie tune that Bruce performed at a W.G. Tribute, which made its way on to the album ‘Til We Outnumber ‘Em. If you have young kids, crank this up, they’ll love the “vroom boom chick boom”s….
Bruce Springsteen:
The Car Song(mp3) – from Til We Outnumber ‘Em.