This week's musical miscellany

A belated happy birthday to Jimi Hendrix, who would have been 68 on November 27.  Here's something to wake you up this morning!



"Here I come, baby/Comin' to get you . . ."

Willie Nelson, 77, was arrested on Friday in Sierra Blanca, Texas for possession after a search of his tour bus at a checkpoint turned up 6 ounces of marijuana.  Nelson, who claimed the marijuana was his, and two others (or three, depending on your source) were charged and released after posting a $2,500 bond.  Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West told the El Paso Times that Nelson could possibly get 180 days in the county jail if convicted.

In an exclusive to CelebStoner.com on Sunday, the legendary country singer advocated for a new political movement.  "There's the Tea Party.  How about the Teapot Party?  Our motto: We lean a little to the left.  Tax it, regulate it, and legalize it.  And stop the border wars over drugs.  Why should the drug lords make all the money? Thousands of lives will be saved."  There's now a Teapot Party Facebook Page, which has already garnered over 4,000 fans as of this posting.

I've never toked in my life, so I don't really have an argument pro or con on this subject.  All I will say is that it must have been an awfully slow day in that corner of Texas.  I totally understand the principle of no one being above the law, but his predilection for marijuana has got to be one of the worst-kept secrets in the music business.  And, too, as a friend of mine put it - who would have wanted to be the one to put the handcuffs on Willie Nelson?

"All the Federales say/They could've had him anyday/They only let him slip away/Out of kindness, I suppose . . ."

Update: Earlier today, the Huffington Post published Nelson's mugshot from his arrest.  I will not post the photo here, as I find that sort of thing rather tacky.  Instead, I will share these photos that I took during his recent concert at the House of Blues in New Orleans.  Though I've been listening to him all my life, it's my only time to see him live so far, and it was certainly a night to remember.

After the concert was over, he did something I've never seen a performer of his stature do - he walked up and down the front of the stage, signing autographs and shaking hands.  I count myself lucky to have gotten both my ticket signed (thanks in part to the young lady who was standing right in front of me) and a handshake.  As he stretched his hand down to me, he realized that he couldn't quite reach me.  Instead of giving up, he stepped up onto the very lip of the stage and leaned down until he could grasp my hand.  A small thing, perhaps, but it touched me (no pun intended) to see him make that extra effort to connect with a fan.  To me, it says volumes about who he is, and I'm glad that I had the chance to both witness and experience his generosity and spirit.  

"Nothing was delivered/And I tell this truth to you . . ."  If you want to arrest someone, arrest the asshole who walked into an Amherst, Massachusetts pizzeria after Bob Dylan's Nov. 19 UMass/Amherst concert, claimed to be a member of Dylan's entourage (as the security video shows, he was wearing some sort of tour credentials), ordered $3,900 worth of pizzas supposedly for Dylan and crew - and then never picked up the order.  The owner was stuck with 178 pizzas he couldn't sell, and gave some of them away to homeless shelters while trashing the rest.

As someone who spent several years working in the foodservice industry, I understand the hurt this put on that establishment, especially in these uncertain economic times (to say nothing of using Dylan's name to legitimize this stupid prank).  Granted, the manager admits that they didn't get a deposit on the order, which they absolutely should have done for one that expensive.  The largest pizza order I ever delivered was for 40 pies, and they were paid for by credit card in advance.  But they trusted the person who was wearing the authentic-looking passes, and what restaurant wouldn't be excited at the prospect of delivering food to Bob Dylan?  I don't know what, if any, recourse there may be for the pizzeria, as nothing was actually stolen from them.  But I DO know my sympathy is NOT with the prankster.

"Nothing was delivered/But I can't say I sympathize/With what your fate is going to be/Yes, for telling all those lies . . ."

"Some of these bootleggers, they make pretty good stuff . . ."  Or not.  In other Dylan news, his name has now been added to the popular download site Dime-A-Dozen's "Not Allowed Artists and Bands" list.  According to a posting on one of Dime's forums, "an increasing archive of boot and official (concert) recordings shall soon be available on BobDylan.com."

They did this once before; there used to be a page on the old website that had quite a few live and archival recordings of songs hosted on it.  I wonder if they will do that again, or offer some sort of free or subscription service for live performances, either to watch/listen to after the fact or in progress, similar to the Allman Brothers' Moogis site.  Besides this old webpage - and, of course, the Bootleg Series - Sony/Columbia has made various live cuts available over the years on promo discs, to the point that I find it hard to believe that Dylan doesn't have every one of his concerts recorded.  And too, every "official" release has sounded vastly superior to any fan-produced bootleg recording I've heard.  I know a lot of fans will be disappointed at not being able to find "their" show online for free anymore, but I look forward to seeing what Sony/Columbia has to offer.  If it allows us more live gems of this quality, I'll be happy:



While you're at it, darlings, how about an official, uncut version of Renaldo and Clara, pretty please?

"We always did feel the same/We just saw it from a different point of view/Tangled up in blue . . ."

Something that bobdylan.com IS now encouraging is for fans to "Review the Reviews" of recent Dylan concerts.  I wish they'd post the one from NPR that I wrote about last week - now THAT would give the fans something to talk about!  Heh heh heh . . .

"Disillusioned words like bullets bark/As human gods aim for their mark . . ."

Robert Plant is scheduled to appear as the musical guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Dec. 9, according to hennemusic.com.  He was also recently the subject of the BBC Two profile Robert Plant: By Myself, in which he discusses his life and career.  It's no longer available on the BBC's website, but if you wish you may view it here.  

It was announced last Thursday during the New Orleans Saints/Dallas Cowboys game that the Black Eyed Peas will perform during the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show.  To everyone who bitched about The Who this past year - I hope you're happy.

And just for that . . .



"But I know that the hypnotized never lie/Do ya?!"

Finally, if you missed the acclaimed new documentary LENNONYC on PBS this past week, you can now watch it online in its entirety.

Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.

Thanksgiving is a special night . . .

It's that time of year again . . . when we Americans cook too much, eat too much, and indulge in self-loathing for days on end afterwards.  Yep, it's Thanksgiving, folks, and to celebrate here's a musical smorgasbord for your enjoyment. Bon appetit!

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a trip to Alice's Restaurant.  Don't forget your shovels, rakes, and implements of destruction!

And just for fun, here's a clip from the 1969 movie.  I want you to sit down on that bench and watch this - now, kid!




The Band's Last Waltz was held at San Francisco's Winterland theater on Thanksgiving Day 1976.  The price of admission to the concert included Thanksgiving dinner, which was catered for 5,000 people. How much were tickets, you might ask?  A mere $25 apiece - certainly a princely sum 34 years ago. The mind boggles at to what such a soiree would cost the concertgoer of today!

Here's my all-time favorite version of "Up On Cripple Creek."  The vocal interplay between Levon and Rick is priceless.

"When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go
Straight down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico . . ."




The Band + The Staple Singers = a match made in heaven.  Take a load off, Fanny, and let them take you there.



If you don't have the film, you can visit Wolfgang's Vault and listen to the concert in its entirety for free (you'll have to sign up for an account). Here's one of my favorite deep cuts from that night.

Listen to more The Band at Wolfgang's Vault.

Another must-see in our house every year is the 1987 John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  Starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy, it never fails to make me laugh - and cry.  Here's one of the lighter moments:  Del Griffith playing air piano to Ray Charles' "Mess Around" - while driving.  I mean, who hasn't done this?



You Can't Take It With You is a Frank Capra gem from 1938 starring Lionel Barrymore, Jimmy Stewart, and Jean Arthur.  Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Kaufman and Hart play, it's a hilarious and touching story about friendship, enjoying life, and being thankful for what you have.  This is the final scene from the film, and I agree with Grandpa that a lot of the world's problems could be solved if we just sat down and made music together.  If you've never seen this, find it and watch it in its entirety - they don't make movies like this anymore.



NPR has compiled a fantastic Thanksgiving playlist with a little something for everyone.  "Country Pie," "Drinkin' Wine Spoodie Odie," and "Shortnin' Bread"?  Sounds like my kind of Thanksgiving!  Pass the "Cornbread and Butter Beans" please, and remember to "Be Thankful For What You Got."

Eartyme's Dustin Ogdin lists the 7 Roots Music Staples I'm Thankful For.  And indeed, he is spot on - for without any one of these crucial elements, American music as we know it today would simply not exist.

I'm a fan of Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild's writing.  His latest Huffington Post entry, about his encounters over the years with the members of the Beatles, reminds me of why I fell in love with music to begin with.  Likewise, the Wall Street Journal's Evan Newmark gives thanks to, and draws an interesting comparison between, writer Saul Bellow and Bruce Springsteen.

And last but not least, Thanksgiving just would not be complete without "The Thanksgiving Song."

"Thanksgiving is a special night
Jimmy Walker used to say "Dy-no-mite!"  That's right!"



May you and yours be blessed, on this Thanksgiving and always.

Facebook Campaign: Neil Young to Perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Yes, I started this, for no other reason than because it would be hilarious to see them together.  It worked for Betty White's fans, didn't it?

If you'd like to see Neil Young perform with Jimmy Fallon (as Neil), "like" this page and tell your friends.

In the meantime, here's a peek backstage immediately following Bruce Springsteen's performance with Jimmy last week.

This week's musical miscellany

Lots happening this week, so let's get to it.  First things first - happy birthday to Dr. John!

I acknowledged what's arguably been the biggest music news of the past week - the release of The Beatles' catalogue on iTunes - in an earlier blog posting.  However, I was chuffed to learn from the New Musical Express that the most downloaded song so far has been - you guessed it - "Hey Jude."  Hey, 50,000,000 Beatles fans can't be wrong, right?

Both Rolling Stone and MOG Music Network published great interviews with Daniel Lanois this week.  In the interview for MOG, he said this about his own personal aesthetic:

DL: If there’s a flavor that lives on in my work, it would be that I’m hoping to provide somebody with some kind of a life-changing experience, and I think that’s the job of art: to cause somebody to look at their own life, and through the art, they might want to modify something in their own life and be part of the movement.

I can say this - Lanois' aesthetic has certainly changed my life.  In a future post I'll discuss the night I first heard Bob Dylan's album Time Out Of Mind, and how I knew from that moment on I would never be the same again.

He also had this fascinating quote about the difference between Dylan's and Neil Young's approach to songwriting:

DL: First of all, I should say that it was nice to work with an American national treasure [in Dylan] and now a Canadian national treasure [Young]. Bob’s lyrical journey occupies a lot of space through a work day, and it’s really what it’s all about. Neil’s just a little more casual about it and says, “Well, that’s what I wrote and that’s what we’re singing.” Maybe after a few days go by and I look at the lyrics, I realize Neil is a heavy-duty lyricist. But he makes less of a fuss about it.

From RS we learned that, among other things, he's got some Robert Plant recordings he's sitting on and that "we'll maybe put them on the next Black Dub record."  May I be the first to say yes, please!

And speaking of Black Dub, here's their NPR Tiny Desk Concert.  I think Tiny Desk Concerts should be mandatory at every workplace, but that's just me.

It was 38 years ago this week that Danny Whitten died tragically of an overdose.  Here's a fine blog posting from my friends over at Thrasher's Wheat in remembrance.

The Marin Independent Journal reported on Friday that Joan Baez was recovering from minor injuries sustained after falling from a tree on her property.  Feel better soon, Joan!

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is pursuing a posthumous pardon for Doors frontman Jim Morrison, according to Wednesday's New York Times.  Morrison was tried and convicted in 1970 of two misdemeanor counts of profanity and indecent exposure, stemming from incidents that allegedly occurred onstage during a concert in Miami in 1969.  He died in Paris while appealing his conviction.

It's never been unequivocally proven that Morrison actually exposed himself on stage, and at any rate this seems very tame considering what's happened at some concerts since then (Marilyn Manson, anyone?).  Pardon him, already!

The accolades are rolling in for the new Bruce Springsteen box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story.  I've not listened to it yet, but the fab press it's garnering has certainly piqued my interest.  If you're also hankering for an earful, you can preview the previously unreleased tracks - gathered into a stand-alone album called The Promise - on Spinner.com.

And for those of my generation who think "Because The Night" is a 10,000 Maniacs song, get a load of this:

While we're discussing The Boss, he visited Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday.  Here's Springsteen and "Neil Young" delivering their heartfelt cover of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair."   

I believe there are two kinds of people in the world: those who "get" Bob Dylan, and those who don't.  Or, put another way: those who expect Dylan to conform to their expectations of him, and those who know better.  Why am I ranting, you might ask?  NPR's Bob Boilen went to see Dylan's concert in Washington, D. C. this past weekend, and was left wanting:

But truth be told, it just wasn't good. Anyone who sees Bob Dylan live knows that his songs are often barely recognizable from the originals. I usually applaud artists who change their songs and find new ways of breathing life into them, but rarely is that true of Bob Dylan. Usually the melodies are gone, the singing is often staccato, small phrases stripped of their singable signatures. In the gym at George Washington University, it was nearly impossible to make out the words if you didn't already know them.

I've heard this argument time and time again, and quite frankly it just gets old.  Look, I understand that Dylan has always been an acquired taste, and even more so nowadays.  He's finally gotten that rough, hoarse, wizened old bluesman's voice he's been coveting since he was 20, and he NEVER plays the song EXACTLY as it is on the record.  He's constantly reinventing his songs, tinkering with them sometimes to the point that yes, they are unrecognizable upon first listen.  Personally, I love that; it doesn't detract from my enjoyment at all.  The one time I've seen him live (April 29, 2006 in Jackson, MS) I was actually able to guess most of the songs within a few bars, with the exception of "Just Like A Woman" - I thought for sure we'd gotten "Every Grain Of Sand"!

And sometimes it can even deepen the song's meaning.  That same night I heard an unforgettable version of "Desolation Row" that, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans, I found deeply cathartic.  It had an almost calypso-like feel to it - a nod to our tropical location, perhaps?  Yet the mood was anything but calm and sunny.  By the end of the song the band was hammering on the beat, and Dylan was spitting, howling, and snarling the words.  He sounded positively pissed - and I can't be too sure, but from where I was sitting, it seemed almost as if he was enjoying giving voice to this anger.  It destroyed me all over again, and it lifted me up - it said all of the things I wanted to say, and so much more eloquently than I could ever hope to.  If I never see him in concert again, I will always be grateful to him for that one performance of that one song.  

About four songs in I found myself wishing Dylan had left his talented band in the bus.  I wanted him to step out from behind the keyboard, engage the crowd, strap on an acoustic guitar and sing. But I suppose that would be a bore to him.  He seems more interested in keeping himself entertained than the audience, frankly, and who could blame him? Dylan has done over a hundred shows a year for the past 22 years, so I guess the thrill of reinventing his tunes is the primary motivation.

*Ding Ding Ding!*  We have a winner, folks!  Dylan doesn't do this for us; he's never done this for us.  He does this for himself.  I'm not saying you have to like it, nor am I saying you can't bitch about it - I'm saying that bitching about it is pointless.  If there has been a single constant element in his career, it has been change.  He has never stood still - Dont Look Back; I'm not there/I'm gone - and this, in my opinion, is what keeps him relevant and interesting.  All I can suggest to those fans who are stymied by the Dylan of today is to try and find meaning within his art that is applicable to your own life.  

In other Dylan news, Right Wing Bob's Sean Curnyn quotes Crain's New York Business in stating that literary agent Andrew "The Jackal" Wylie is shopping around several book deals on Dylan's behalf.  Possible tomes include a book of poetry (yes, please), a collection of song backstories (ditto), and the next installment of Chronicles (sometime in my lifetime?).  Hmmm . . . wonder what went sour with Simon & Schuster?  

And finally, here's an interview from the Wall Street Journal with Bootleg Series co-producer Steve Berkowitz.  This, dear readers, is the kind of job I want to have when I grow up. 

Song of the moment: Twilight

It's late in the evening on a relatively warm, Deep South November Sunday.  That, and the Facebook posting of a dear friend, put me in mind of this song.



This demo is from the 2005 Band box set A Musical History.  Curated and produced by Robbie Robertson, it includes many rare and unreleased tracks such as this one.  With no disrespect intended towards the other members of The Band - I love them all equally and subscribe to no feuds, for it was together that they created this timeless, elegant music - I find this version more haunting and full of meaning than the one originally released on the 1975 compilation The Best of The Band.  The image that this recording conjures up - of Robertson hunched over his piano, alone, quietly breathing the words to this song - is eerily fitting and impossible to get out of my head as I listen.


Over by the wildwood
Hot summer night
We lay in the tall grass
'Til the morning light
If I had my way I'd never
Get the urge to roam
A young man serves his country
And an old man guards the home


Don't send me no sweet salutations
Or silly souvenirs from far away
Don't leave me alone in the twilight
'Cause twilight is the loneliest time of day


I never gave it a second thought
It never crossed my mind
What's right and what's not
I ain't the judgin' kind
I can take the darkest, oh
Storms in the sky
We've all got certain trials
Burnin' up inside


Don't put me in a frame upon the mantle
For memories grow dusty, old, and gray
Don't leave me alone in the twilight
'Cause twilight is the loneliest time of day


Don't leave me alone in the twilight
'Cause twilight is the loneliest time of day

Song of the moment: Hey Jude

As of today, the music of that little band from Liverpool called The Beatles is finally available to purchase on iTunes.

Though this certainly won't make or break them, it's newsworthy nonetheless, as Apple had been negotiating for years for the rights to sell their music through its digital download service.

Whenever I think of The Beatles, "Hey Jude" is usually the song that first comes to mind.  It's one of my very favorites, not least because it has some happy memories associated with it.  According to Paul McCartney, the inspiration for the song was John Lennon's son Julian.  Lennon had just left Cynthia, Julian's mother, for Yoko Ono, and McCartney has said he penned the song, originally called "Hey Jules," to comfort the young boy (Barry Miles, Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, p. 465).  For my money, he did a fantastic job, as I find it impossible to feel sad after listening to it.

Here's the Fab Four's promotional video for the song, filmed at Twickenham Studios on September 4, 1968.  Apparently Ringo Starr had just rejoined the group after leaving two weeks before, but if there's any acrimony on his part, you can't tell it here.  He's arguably the happiest one onstage, rocking back and forth on his drumset and singing at the top of his lungs.  Between that, Paul's puppy-dog eyes staring deeply into the camera, John's nonchalant smacking of his gum while singing, and George's air of calm at the eye of the storm, I never tire of watching this.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad, 
take a sad song and make it better. 
Remember to let her into your heart, 
then you can start to make it better.

Jude, don't be afraid, 
you were made to go out and get her. 
The minute you let her under your skin, 
then you begin to make it better.

And anytime you feel the pain, 
hey Jude, refrain, 
don't carry the world upon your shoulder.

For well, you know that it's a fool 
who plays it cool 
by making his world a little colder.

Na, na, na, na, na na, na, na. na.

Hey Jude, don't let me down. 
You have found her, now go and get her. 
Remember to let her into your heart, 
then you can start to make it better.

So let it out and let it in
hey Jude, begin, you're waiting for someone to perform with. 
And don't you know that it's just you? 
Hey Jude, you'll do, the movement you need is on your shoulder.

Na, na, na, na, na na, na, na. na.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad, 
take a sad song and make it better.
Remember to let her under your skin, 
then you begin to make it better, better, better, better, better, better, oh!

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, hey, Jude.

(Lyrics courtesy of The Beatles' website)

Happy birthday, Neil Young

He's 65 today, and long may he run.

To kick off my celebration of all things Shakey, I'll begin with the song that started it all for me.  Here's Neil performing "Helpless" with The Band at The Last Waltz.  From their ragged-but-right barbershop harmonies to the ethereal counterpoint of Joni Mitchell from behind the scrim, it's nothing but pure magic from start to finish.  Favorite moment: At 4:04, when Neil saunters over and joins Rick and Robbie on their mic.

My favorite album of Neil's is Harvest Moon.  I've raised a few eyebrows among fellow Neilers with that choice, but I stand by it.  I don't say it's his best; I say it's my favorite - there's a difference.  Harvest Moon has a romance to it - a gentle, disarming sweetness, and a depth of feeling, that I find utterly irresistible.

Here's a lovely performance of "Harvest Moon" from the concert film Neil Young: Heart Of Gold (now apparently out of print), filmed at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium during the 2005 Prairie Wind concerts.  Dig the harmony vocals of Neil's wife Pegi and the ever-flawless Emmylou Harris, as well as that broom action.



As Neil's fans know, he can turn on a dime.  For every album of mellow country-rock, he's got another full of electric fire and brimstone.  Here's Neil with Crazy Horse Live At The Fillmore 1970, performing "Down By The River."  I'm not one usually for extended guitar jams, but I never tire of listening to the dueling axes of Neil and Danny Whitten.  Neil once said: "Hey, every musician has one guy on the planet that he can play with better than anyone else.  You only get one guy.  My guy was Danny Whitten" (Shakey, p. 389).  Listen and hear why.



Neil's restless pursuit of his muse is what I find most fascinating about him; he can sing about loving his baby one minute, and shooting her the next - and there's something about that quavering, fragile tenor of his that makes you believe him, no matter what he's singing about.  We human beings are nothing if not in a constant state of change, and more than anyone else Neil's music brings that home for me.

His latest album is the Daniel Lanois-produced Le Noise, and for my money it's the best thing he's done in years.  It's just Neil alone with a guitar, and was recorded inside Lanois' L.A. mansion.  As simple as that sounds, don't be deceived (or denied!) - it's anything but simple.  At an age when many of his contemporaries are content to rest on their laurels, Neil is still seeking, still searching, still asking questions, still willing to try new things.  Because of this he is still creating exciting music, and this particular record is one of the most moving and powerful I've ever heard - from anyone.

In the following video, Lanois discusses the album's genesis and his work process at length.  Besides working his sonic wizardry on the songs after they were recorded, he used the structure of the house itself to help create and shape their sound.  Fascinating stuff.  (Mr. Lanois, if you are reading this and are in need of an apprentice, I am available and willing to relocate!)



Le Noise: The Film is the visual equivalent of the sound on the album - expansive yet intimate, and shot through with an aura of light.



This year's Bridge School Benefit Concert was especially noteworthy for the reunion of the surviving members of Buffalo Springfield (which I mentioned in my very first blog posting).  In recent interviews Richie Furay has hinted that we may see more of "Buffalo Springfield Again," and Rick Rosas has also expressed hope that this will happen.  Keeping my fingers crossed over here, guys!

Here's one of my favorite videos from the reunion - Neil singing "I Am A Child," followed by Richie on "Kind Woman."



For all of its highs and joys, 2010 has also been a tough year for Neil.  He lost two of his dearest friends and collaborators, L. A. Johnson and Ben Keith, and just this week his electric car project LincVolt was badly damaged in a three-alarm warehouse fire in San Carlos, California.  Neil, if you see this, I'd just like to say that "what we lose in the fire is never gone," and the thoughts and prayers of many are with you - on your birthday and always.

This week's musical miscellany

The legendary New Orleans band The Radiators are hanging up their rock and roll shoes after 33 years together, Keith Spera reported in Tuesday's Times-Picayune.  They will honor all currently scheduled gigs through next June, so catch 'em while you can!  I myself am looking forward to seeing them, the Honey Island Swamp Band, Papa Grows Funk, Jon Cleary, and the Rebirth Brass Band at Sunday's New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival on Oak Street in Carrollton.

Another musical event of note in the Big Easy this weekend is the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation.  It's Sunday from 11-7 pm at the Old U.S. Mint on Esplanade.  Admission to both festivals is free.

In other NOLA music news, music journalist Alison Fensterstock sent out this tweet on Wednesday:

AlisonF_NOLA Alison Fensterstock 

We hear the Mother-In-Law Lounge is closing, again. Final garage sale scheduled for Dec. 4th and 5th.

10 Nov Favorite Retweet Reply

Very sad news indeed, as Ernie K-Doe's Mother-in-Law Lounge is an irreplaceable New Orleans historical and cultural landmark.

I've been grooving lately to an advance copy of Gregg Allman's new album, Low Country Blues.    Produced by T Bone Burnett, it consists of 11 classic blues and soul covers and one original, "Just Another Rider," co-written with Warren Haynes.  I heard Allman perform this song live back in May at Bluesville at the Horseshoe Casino in Robinsonville, Mississippi.  Check it out:



The album is currently scheduled to drop on January 18, 2011, and is highly recommended.  I predict it will be another feather in T Bone's storied cap, and a triumph for Allman.

My friend Carol Caffin runs a beautiful blog dedicated to the memory of her friend, The Band's Rick Danko.  Here's Rick performing a bittersweet cover of the Grateful Dead song "Ripple," from his final solo album Times Like These.  He's joined on the track by fellow Band-mates Levon Helm and Garth Hudson.



Speaking of The Band, here's an interview with Robbie Robertson from the National Museum of the American Indian's blog.  Robertson is currently featured in their exhibition "Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture," and in the Q&A he discusses his Native American heritage and how it has influenced his music-making.

And one more Band-related item: Garth Hudson Presents A Canadian Celebration of The Band drops on November 16.  The album features such artists as Bruce Cockburn, the Cowboy Junkies, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Neil Young, and Garth plays keyboards on every track.  Sounds like a winner to me!

Though we celebrated Gram Parsons' birthday here last week, I wanted to share today's post from the fine LA-based music blog When You Awake on the story behind the song "Return of the Grievous Angel."

Finally, just for fun, courtesy of MOJO Magazine: How many Bob Dylan album covers can you name?  Try it - it's tougher than you'd think!

Happy birthday, Gram Parsons

He would have been 64 today.

To celebrate his memory, here's a few of my favorite songs/videos.  The first is my preferred version of his most famous duet with his protégée Emmylou Harris, Boudleaux Bryant's "Love Hurts."  It's taken from a radio interview that Gram, Emmylou, and N. D. Smart recorded for Boston's WBCN station during the 1973 Fallen Angels tour.  It opens with a snippet of their conversation with host Maxine Satori, and then segues into the song.  The bone-chilling beauty of their harmonies shines through the inferior sound quality of the tape.  They always sang this one like they meant it.

This recording is included on the Rhino Records collection Gram Parsons: The Complete Reprise Sessions, a set which I highly recommend.



Next up is my favorite clip from Gandulf Hennig's fine documentary film Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel. Fellow Flying Burrito Brother and Mississippi native Chris Ethridge explains the genesis behind their song "Hot Burrito #1."  Film of Gram is sadly scarce; this doc contains some of the only footage of him known to exist.  Yet the all-too-brief glimpse of we have of Gram singing this song sold me immediately on his charm, charisma, and ability to put a song across to his audience.  And he knew it, too - notice at 1:11 how he turns to his bandmates with a huge grin on his face.

(I had the good fortune to meet Chris Ethridge at a symposium in his hometown of Meridian earlier this year.  He's a very sweet man, and when he speaks of Gram it's obvious how much he still loves and misses him.  Ethridge still performs around the Meridian area; I need to make it back up there and catch him live someday soon.)



Next up is another live video of Gram - again from the Fallen Angels tour, this is he, Emmylou, and company performing "Big Mouth Blues" during their four-night residency at Liberty Hall in Houston, Texas.  Present at these shows was a young Steve Earle, who has said that he "left a little bit in love and absolutely certain of what I was going to be when I grew up."  Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt joined the band on stage during the third night; it was the first time Ronstadt and Harris met, and another made-in-heaven vocal match was born (David N. Meyer, Twenty Thousand Roads, pp. 388, 390 - the most recent and thorough bio of Gram to date).

The video is grainy and plagued with a few pitch problems, but still worth viewing to see Gram and Emmy in action.  It's from an out-of-print Sierra Records VHS called Together Again For The Last Time.  Sierra is about to release an ambitious, decades-in-the-making box set, Gram Parsons: The Early Years, which will include a newly-remastered DVD of this film complete with bonus footage.



Finally, here's a fan video of my favorite Gram-penned song, "A Song For You."  The photographs are of turn-of-the-20th-century Florida and Georgia, where Gram divided his childhood.  It opens with a brief audio segment of Gram explaining the meaning behind the song; this is also included on The Complete Reprise Sessions.



The fine blokes over at Missing Parsons, in conjunction with the Sin City Social Club, have opened their guestbook for fans to post birthday greetings for Gram.  These will later be added to the Room 8 guestbook at the Joshua Tree Inn, where Gram spent his final earthly moments.  From these entries they will choose one winner to receive their book Live Fast, Die Young: Misadventures in Rock & Roll America, as well as a copy of the soundtrack CD and a T-shirt.

Most fans know the role Joshua Tree plays in Gram's story, but I've been surprised to find how many aren't aware that his final resting place is actually in Metairie, Louisiana.  Gram's stepfather Robert Parsons collected his remains after the infamous corpse-burning episode and flew them to New Orleans, where they were interred in a private ceremony at the Garden of Memories on Airline Drive.  For many years, only a simple, circular stone marker the size of a 45 record marked his gravesite, much to the consternation of his fans.  In 2005, shortly before Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, his family replaced this with an ornately carved bronze slab.  The new marker remains, though oxidized by the floodwaters.  You can see images of both gravestones here.

I've visited his Metairie grave three times now.  As I was leaving the cemetery that first time, I felt a deep sadness over the thought that he was buried in a place he didn't want to be, and surrounded by strangers to boot.  Yet as I made my way back to I-10, a casual glance at a road sign revealed a fact startling to this student of the blues: Airline Drive also happens to be the southern terminus for Highway 61.  Now I can't imagine that that's the reason Robert Parsons chose this cemetery for Gram's burial.  Nevertheless, in some way I found it oddly apropos - what better place for him to rest than alongside America's storied musical road?

You may bury my body down by the highway side
(Spoken: Baby, I don't care where you bury my body when I'm dead and gone)
You may bury my body, ooh, down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit can catch a Greyhound bus and ride
- Robert Johnson, "Me and the Devil Blues"

It don't matter where you bury me
I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
- Emmylou Harris, "All My Tears" (Julie Miller)

(Gram Parsons' grave, taken by me on October 11, 2009)

This week's musical miscellany

This week the cable/satellite TV network Ovation has been celebrating "American Revolutionaries: Rock N Soul" with a series of fine music films and documentaries.  So far, the lineup has featured Johnny Cash: Half A Mile A Day, Jim Jarmusch's Neil Young: Year Of The Horse, Legends of Rock 'N' Roll  Live, Jimi Hendrix: American Landing, and Mahalia Jackson: The Power And The Glory - all highly recommended.

Tonight, Ken Mandel's Masters Of American Music: Bluesland airs at 9 pm EST.  The 1993 PBS doc traces the development and influence of the blues on American music and culture; the artists profiled include B. B. King, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, and Chuck Berry.  I've not seen this before, and I'm looking forward to it.  Ditto for tomorrow night's Janis; the 1974 Howard Alk biopic of rock's first female superstar will also air at 9 pm EST.

Both films have encore showings immediately following at 11 pm EST, and if you missed any of the others, Ovation will rebroadcast them at various times over the weekend.  Check out their schedule here.

Other items I've enjoyed this week: to celebrate the recent release of Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series Vol. 9 and the Original Mono Recordings box set, Columbia Records has produced both a short documentary film about the recording of the Witmark Demos and a cute faux-retro PSA advising us all to "Stick With Mono!"



Rolling Stone also debuted a new music video for Dylan's "Guess I'm Doing Fine," which uses archival footage of both Dylan and New York in the '60s.



If you're on the fence as to whether or not the Mono box is worth it, this review on Soundspike details the sonic differences between these remastered reissues and their previous CD incarnations.  I know what I want for Christmas this year!

I discovered a great new (to me) music blog the other day, courtesy of the fine folks at No Depression. Dustin Ogdin's tale of how he finally came to appreciate the music of Dylan and Peter Rowan in some ways mirrors my own musical journey.

One producer/musician I'm always eager to listen to is Daniel Lanois.  He's about to take to the road with his latest project, Black Dub, and you can preview the band's new album on NPR.

Robert Plant's recent appearance with the reformed Band of Joy at the BBC Electric Proms is available for listening here.  Better hurry, though - it will only be online for one more day!

While I'm waiting for Life and Vintage Vinos to arrive in my mailbox, I see Keith Richards has just told BBC Radio 6 that the Rolling Stones are working on new material and that a tour is in the works for 2011.  Listen to the interview here:



And in other Keef news, proof that sometimes angels do indeed have dirty faces.