Boss: Trapped in Seattle
I made it the whooole day without falling for an April Fool’s prank. That is until I read the Backstreets review of last night’s show in Vancouver, BC. Good God, I believed the Anne Murray bit. I believed until I saw the Photoshopped Weird Al on stage with Bruce. *shakes head*
Here’s the opener from Seattle a couple of nights ago: Jimmy Cliff’s “Trapped” – a tune that also made it into last night’s non-April Fool’s Vancouver set list!
Trapped (mp3 from Seattle, March 29th)
Ever heard the Jimmy Cliff original? Vastly different than the E Street version…
Jimmy Cliff – Trapped (LastFM full track)
Rave On!
The Raveonettes are undoubtedly one of my favorite bands of recent years. They incorporate elements of garage, girl groups, surf and wall of sound in ways that somehow manage not to sound passe. I’m also enamored with their harmonized vocals, which always seem to grab me. Last year, the band issued its fourth release, Lust Lust Lust, which just recently made it to U.S. shelves (with bonus tracks – score!).
The album continues the band’s trademark sound. Initially I didn’t feel it was too different from 2005’s Pretty in Black. But the more I listen to it (particularly since picking up the US version), I find myself reevaluating my take a bit. Granted, the band’s previous three releases each have a more distinct sound from each other. Lust Lust Lust seems to me a combination of Pretty in Black’s focus on girl group-style pop with the garage emphasis of 2003’s Chain Gang of Love. The result = a splendid rock album with pop sensibility and an awareness of its roots.
“Aly, Walk with Me” opens the album, and has been obsessing me for the last week following the band’s performance on Letterman. Check it:
The Raveonettes – Aly, Walk with Me (mp3)
And for good measure, here’s the video for “Dead Sound”:
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=SH8nJks6Vqs 336 278]Review: Citizen Cope with Alice Smith in Tempe
While a mass of humanity took in Fergie’s (disappointing? gasp!) set across Town Lake at the Tempe Music Festival, we smart ones were filing into the Marquee Theater to take in D.C. / Brooklyn artist Citizen Cope. It was billed on the venue’s web site as “an evening with no support”. But I was pleasantly surprised when a tall, slender female figure took the stage at 8:10 and tore the roof of the joint with a short four song set…
Seeing George Michael
I’m going to see George Michael in concert. In June.
There, I said it! Say what you will, brothers and sisters, but George’s music has always connected with me. I’m a sucker for his voice, the great melodies he puts together, and dammit, I’m not afraid to share it with the world! Actually, that shouldn’t surprise any of you who have spent any amount of time here.
I count Faith and Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 as two of my favorites. “Kissing a Fool“, “Father Figure“, “Freedom 90“, “Waiting for the Day“…. and as a Prince fan, “I Want Your Sex” has always ranked high in my Raunchy & Funky Hall of Fame.
But if I had to pick one George Michael song for my desert island iPod, I ‘d pick “A Different Corner”, from Wham’s third and final album, Music from the Edge of Heaven. Sublime, beautiful, filled with aching & longing. If you write ol’ George off for any reason, maybe you should take his advice, open your mind, and “listen without prejudice.”
Boss: “Something” in Columbus
photo from Backstreets.comThe Boss made his Magic stop through Columbus on Monday night, and the crowd got treated to not one, not two, but three tour premieres:
Something in the Night (mp3, live from the show) – a killer rocker-ballad from Darkness on the Edge of Town. They shorten it up a bit, but no less powerful. The Boss can still belt out the wails in this one: “Waaaaaaaa-aaaaaaa!” Love it.
You’ll Be Comin’ Down (mp3, live from the show) – This is one of my favorites from Magic, and somehow it didn’t see its live debut until this week. Hopefully it becomes a set list staple, and I see it live in Anaheim in 12 days!
Sherry Darling (mp3, live from the show) – From Side1 of The River. Always elicits the party atmosphere
Bob and Tom on the 4th of July (Part Two)
As promised, here’s the second part of this nice collection of tunes from the July 4th, Dylan/Petty show way back in old ’86. An interesting note about “Rainy Day Women” – Howie Epstein plays slide guitar, and Mr. Tom moves over to bass. The last few songs of the night are missing from this collection for some reason (all Bob tunes) – I won’t torture you with what’s missing, I’ll focus on the positive – and that is, the rest of this killer set!
On a Petty side note, did you all hear about the Mudcrutch album and mini-tour? Mudcrutch was Petty’s pre-Heartbreakers band in the early-mid 70’s. They were the house band at Dub’s Diner in Gainesville, Florida before they moved out to Hollywood (into the great wide open). They only released one single, “Depot Street”, in 1975 (on Shelter Records). On April 12th, the original members (Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Danny Roberts, Benmont Tench and Randall Marsh) will kick off a tour in the non-pretentious little enclave of Malibu, California. An album will follow on April 29th. You can check out the tour dates here (all California, for now). You can check out and pre-order the new album by clicking on the cover…
Enjoy, and make sure to check out Part One if you haven’t already.
Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Buffalo, NY
July 4th, 1986Part 2
1. I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know
2. Band Of The Hand
3. When The Night Comes Falling
4. Lonesome Town
5. Ballad Of A Thin Man
6. Bye Bye Johnny
7. Even the Losers
8. Spike
9. Refugee
10. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
11. Seeing The Real You At Last
12. Across The Borderline
13. Thank God (Mt. View, CA 8/05/86)Steve Earle performs Copperhead Road on Letterman (1988)
Steve Earle performing “Copperhead Road” on Late Night, 1988. I miss Letterman in the old NBC studio (now Conan’s). Look, Paul Shaffer with hair (sort of)!
New Patty Larkin: Watch the Sky
Patty Larkin has been one of the consistent, high quality mainstays of the contemporary folk-singer-songwriter scene since she emerged in the mid-80’s. Her latest, Watch the Sky, was released on Vanguard Records in January. Patty shows her guitar prowess on this record – playing all sorts of gee-tars: acoustic, electric, lap steel, National, baritone, and bass! If you’re a gearhead, be sure to check out the Guitarbox area of her web site for all the techy guitar details.
Here’s one of my favorites off the record. Be sure also to check out the mesmerizing lap steel on the instrumental, “Bound Brook”. Really a great album all the way through.
Patty Larkin – Phone Message
Buy Watch the Sky
Meanwhile at Bob Marley’s
This tour guide at Bob Marley’s estate will brighten your day. Trust me…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MorR04iLtMw]
Freedom! Bob and Tom on the 4th of July (Part 1)
Tom Petty and Bob Dylan-RS 478/479 (July 17, 1986) - photo by Aaron Rapoport
It would be most fitting to post this 4th of July show on Independence Day but given that this is my first post on my new host (Hostmonster), and we’ve got a new theme and some new banners, I’m feeling free and refreshed, so here goes.
3 cheers to Michael for the awesome banners! Michael is indeed the sh-t.
This show comes from a great tour that took place over the summer of 1986: Bob Dylan with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I was in the midst of my high school years, and there were two things consuming my life at the time (besides my studies, of course): Prince and girls. So while I was busy gallivanting about on this particular 4th of July – probably drinking Old Style beer on a Lake Michigan beach (while the girls drank White Mountain or Seagram’s wine coolers) – Bob, Tom & the boys were on the shores of another great lake, playing their hearts out in Buffalo, New York.
Here comes a two-parter. I’ll hit you with part deux in a few days. For now, take in some of the show….
Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Buffalo, NY
July 4th, 1986Part 1:
1. So Long Good Luck & Goodbye
2. Positively Fourth Street
3. Clean-Cut Kid
4. Emotionally Yours
5. Trust Yourself
6. We Had It All
7. Masters Of War
8. Straight Into Darkness
9. One Of These Days
10. The Waiting
11. Breakdown
12. To Ramona
13. One Too Many Mornings
14. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
