We marked the loss of another Beatle this past week as well - George Harrison passed away nine years ago on November 29. The 40th anniversary edition of All Things Must Pass was re-released on November 26, and right now you can download a free track from the album when you sign up for email updates at his official website.
It was reported this week that Aretha Franklin has pancreatic cancer. My prayers and best wishes go out to the Queen of Soul.
I was sorry to hear today of the passing of R. L. Burnside, Jr., the son of the late Mississippi hill country blues legend R. L. Burnside; his wife Marlena had passed away just a few weeks before. He wasn't an active musician like his father or his brothers, but he would sometimes sit in during their performances. I was lucky enough to see him once - at the 2009 North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, where I snapped this photo of him singing with his brother Duwayne. My condolences to the Burnside family on their loss.
Many happy returns to Jakob Dylan, who turns 41 today. I thought Women + Country was his best work to date and one of this year's finest albums, so I was a little disappointed to see it overlooked come awards time. If you've not heard it, you owe it to yourself to check it out; it's one of those rare records that you can listen to start to finish - not a bum track in the bunch.
Yesterday would have been Jim Morrison's 67th birthday, and today came the news that he was finally granted a posthumous pardon by the state of Florida for his indecent exposure and profanity conviction stemming from the infamous Doors Miami concert on March 1, 1969. Not everyone was happy to hear this; according to the Miami Herald, former Miami police office Angel Lago "said it sent the wrong message to the nation's youth, and that a pardon was tantamount to accusing officers involved in the incident of perjury." Patricia Kennealy Morrison, who claims to have married Morrison in an unofficial, Celtic pagan ceremony, wanted the conviction expunged rather than pardoned. "The pardon says that all of his suffering and all that he went through in a trial, everything both of us went through, was negated," she told the Associated Press.
Morrison's former band members, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger, were pleased, however; they've long maintained that he never flashed the crowd. Outgoing Florida governor Charlie Crist defended the state clemency board's decision, made at his recommendation. Speaking to the Miami Herald, Crist said, "It strikes me that everyone deserves a second chance. You have to have the capacity for forgiveness."
Hear, hear, governor; let's hope that Hudspeth County, Texas will show the same sort of mercy towards Willie Nelson. His recent felony marijuana possession charge was bumped down to a misdemeanor when it was determined that he was carrying 4 ounces instead of the originally-reported 6. The misdemeanor charge carries with it a maximum sentence of 1 year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Nelson is reportedly being represented by attorney Joe Turner, who had his '94 possession charge dismissed.
The response to Nelson's arrest from the media has taken the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Department by surprise. Even Snoop Dogg has weighed in on the situation:
For his part, Willie has taken the high road (no pun intended) and has asked his fans to contribute to the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office Gifts for Children Program, which ensures county schoolchildren will receive a visit from Santa Claus at Christmas. I'd expect no less from a true class act like him.
I love a good mystery as much as I love good music, and the story of Jim Sullivan and his album U. F. O. has both. He was a favorite around Malibu in the '70s and recorded with Phil Spector's musicians, but stardom always seemed just out of his reach. Then one day he hit the road, leaving California and his family behind for Nashville. He thought maybe he could be successful there, but he disappeared somewhere along the way. To this day his fate is unknown; his car was found abandoned in New Mexico, and he had apparently taken nothing with him - not even his guitar.
Light in the Attic Records has re-released U. F. O. in CD, LP, and MP3 format. I'm quite enchanted by his voice; it has a West Coast-Gordon Lightfoot sort of quality to it - smooth, robust, but lonely, and touched with a melancholy sweetness. I look forward to hearing the album in its entirety.
In Rolling Stone #1119, fifty musicians were asked to contribute playlists of their favorite music. RS is releasing those lists online by the week; here are some of my favorites so far.
RS also recently published an online gallery of its Top 10 Rockers Who Found God. As far as #2 choice Bob Dylan is concerned, I have to admit that I get very tired of the was-a-Christian-is-now-Jewish-again argument. For one, Dylan never stopped being Jewish; for two, he has never publicly renounced his Christian beliefs; and for three, he has never stopped performing the songs. He may not beat people over the head with the Bible anymore, but I'll argue that in songs such as "Every Grain of Sand" (please see also the version on Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3), the revamped "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking," or "'Cross the Green Mountain," glimpses of his faith are still evident.
And then, of course, there's this marvelous quote from an interview last year with Bill Flanagan in which they discuss Christmas in the Heart:
BF: You really give a heroic performance of O’ LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM The way you do it reminds me a little of an Irish rebel song. There’s something almost defiant in the way you sing, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” I don’t want to put you on the spot, but you sure deliver that song like a true believer.
BD: Well, I am a true believer.
One of the best essays on this subject I've ever read is Alan Jacobs' "The Songs Are My Lexicon," which Dylan's old website used to host. Isn't Web Archive a beautiful thing?In other Dylan news, the Wall Street Journal's John Jurgenson asks the musical question Should Bob Dylan Retire? In my humble opinion, people should only be allowed to inquire about such things when, like Mr. Dylan, they have also enjoyed forty-plus years of success in the music industry and have produced a body of work that has immeasurably influenced the course of popular musical history.
Not to mention kicking out the jams some 100 nights per year for the last 21 years and counting . . .
Gonna put my best foot forward, stop being influenced by fools.
Tomorrow, Sotheby's will auction Dylan's original handwritten lyrics for "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The estimated value of this fragile yet historical sheet of paper? $200,000-$300,000. If anybody's wondering what sort of Christmas gift to get for the Dylanologist who has everything . . .
Update (12/10/2010): Dylan's lyrics were sold today, and for more than originally estimated. Accept It: Dylan's Lyrics Are Sold at Auction (ArtsBeat/NY Times)
And finally, tonight Paul McCartney sang the original lyrics to "Yesterday" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - with a little help from his host. I don't know about you, but now I'm craving scrambled eggs and waffle fries. I'll pass on the tofu wings, though - sorry, Sir Paul!
