Pressing On: "I'm Not There"

I'm Not There? Rock Turtleneck is.
One of the upsides of working the week of Christmas in New York City is the long lunch. With virtually no one around, only a fool would pass on the opportunity to catch a film at lunchtime, especially when I'm Not There is playing a mere block away at the Film Forum.

If you are a Bob Dylan fan, you are well familiar with the concept of Todd Haynes's art-house masterpiece: six actors play various facets of the Dylan myth, woven together in a perspective-changing act of cinematic cubism that Dylan himself used in "Tangled Up In Blue."

I loved the film and like to think I picked up on even the most obscure references, from the '66 Dylan-Lennon limo ride to the Basement Tapes outtake "See You Later Allen Ginsburg." But while Cate Blanchett's brilliant spin on the Thin Wild Mercury Bob of '65-'66 has gotten the most press, for me the highlight of the film featured Christian Bale as another Dylan doppelganger named Jack Rollins.

We see Jack Rollins as the "Times They Are A-Changin'"-era Dylan early in the film, the reluctant "voice of a generation" who turns his back on fame to become a preacher in a California church basement. Later, the film catches up with Rollins in the 1970s as he serminizes the small crowd sitting in folding chairs and breaks into Dylan's "Pressing On." (The actual singer is the great John Doe of X, and it is one of the highlights of the mostly excellent I'm Not There soundtrack.)

To me, the "Pressing On" scene summed up Dylan's true essence. More than a shape-shifting mirage or people-hating put-on artist, Dylan is someone who simply presses on, who never lets himself stay in a rut, who follows his muse, hones his craft, trusts his instincts, respects his fans and heeds his calling. Herewith, the "Pressing On" clip from I'm Not There, followed by a great Dylan perfomance of "Pressing On" by Dylan himself on one of his early-80s gospel tours (the original track is on Saved). The venues couldn't be more different, but the feelings they inspire couldn't be more alike.

YouTube: Christian Bale as Jack Rollins (sung by John Doe) "Pressing On," from I'm Not There


YouTube: Bob Dylan, "Pressing On," Massey Hall, Toronto, April 20, 1980

And the Oscar Goes To... Heaven

Rock Turtleneck has been an obituary-palooza in recent weeks, marking the passing of Dan Fogelberg, Ike Turner, and that dude from Quiet Riot - man, the holidays are rough. But in terms of musical import, the passing of Oscar Peterson, one of the true jazz giants, trumps them all.

Oscar Peterson was born near Montreal in 1925 and grew up to be considered, along with Art Tatum, the most fleet-fingered ivory-tickler in jazz history. As today's New York Times obituary notes,

"Mr. Peterson was one of the greatest virtuosos in jazz, with a piano technique that was always meticulous and ornate and sometimes overwhelming. But rather than expand the boundaries of jazz, he used his gifts in the service of moderation and reliability, gratifying his devoted audiences whether he was playing in a trio or solo or accompanying some of the most famous names of jazz."

I could go on and on about Oscar Peterson's superlative technique, employment of dynamics and stunning harmonic themes. Actually, I couldn't, because I know virtually nothing about jazz piano, and even less about music theory. But as the clips below demonstrate, one need not be a scholar to recognize genius in action. Once you're done, head to your favorite music retailer and class up your music collection with a little Oscar Peterson - really, how much classic rock and shoegazing indie-pop can we listen to? RIP & TCB, OP.

Oscar Peterson Trio, "The Theme" (WARNING: EXTREMELY HOT)


Oscar Peterson Trio with Nat King Cole & Coleman Hawkins, "Sweet Lorraine"


Oscar Peterson & Count Basie, "Slow Blues"


Oscar Peterson Trio Live at Newport, Sometime Before Dylan Went Electric

Merry Crimble: The Beatles' Fan Club Christmas Records

As if giving the world “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Please Please Me," “Twist and Shout,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, “Yesterday,” “Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out,” Rubber Soul, Revolver, “Paperback Writer/Rain,” “Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever,” Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, “A Day in the Life,” Yellow Submarine, The White Album, “Hey Jude/Revolution,” Let it Be and Abbey Road weren’t enough, each Christmas from 1963 to their demise in 1969, the Beatles also gave their fan club members a tasty slice of British comedy and daft surrealism.

The Beatles’ Christmas Records are one of the few things in the Fab catalog that have remained completely unreleased. It’s actually surprising, since together they clock in at a tidy 43:42 and would make a surefire Christmas best seller. But it’s a moot point - the Rock Turtleneck black market connections have come through again.

These seven greetings are a fascinating slice of the Beatles’s off-the-cuff genius and chemistry. And if you’re a Beatlemaniac it’s a thrill to hear something for the first time. It’s also interesting to see how these records (and their artwork) reflect where they were musically and spiritually at the time in their official LPs and 45s. So download ‘em all, burn a CD, whip up some egg nog and some cups of tea and call your Fab Friends.

mp3: 1963. The Fabs seem as surprised by their exploding popularity as everyone else. Dig Ringo’s impromptu version of “Good King Wenceslas.”






mp3:1964. At the height of Beatlemania, John promises his forthcoming book of poems and drawings "will be the usual rubbish but it won’t cost much.”






mp3: 1965. In the year of the Butcher cover, the Fabs also do a hilarious hatchet job on “Yesterday.”






mp3: 1966. “Meanwhile, high in the Swiss Alps, two elderly scotchmen munch on a rare cheese,” says Ringo and it only gets weirder from there. Looks like someone’s been dropping some acid.




mp3: 1967. This one contains “Christmas Time is Here Again,” which was released in edited form on the CD single of “Free as a Bird” with the Beatles Anthology project in 1996.





mp3: 1968. A yuletide White Album, with an acoustic Xmas ditty from Paul, sound collage from John and snippets of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Helter Skelter” and even a cameo from Tiny Tim.



mp3: 1969. The end is near. At this point they can’t even keep Yoko off the Christmas record.

From all of us at Rock Turtleneck, Merry Crimble and Happy Goo Year!

From the Marina to the Big House: R.I.P. Dan Fogelberg & Ike Turner

The Yacht Rock sail blows at half mast as we mourn the loss of a true titan of super-mellow, bell-bottomed seventies soft rock singer-songwriters: Dan Fogelberg, who succumbed to prostate cancer Sunday at age 56. In the late 70s, when mellow gold like Ambrosia and Firefall was the currency of AM radio, Fogelberg out-mellowed them by a mile with hits like "Longer," "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne." In my own experience, I have found it virtually impossible to utter the word “Fogelberg” without saying “mellow” shortly thereafter. Just try it. See, I told you couldn’t.

The post-Fogelberg era begins only days after a death at the far opposite end of the rock & roll spectrum. Ike Turner, 76, was a mean sonofabitch, but he was also a talented mofo and one of rock & roll’s true trailblazers.

In 1951, he co-wrote and played on “Rocket ’88,’” by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats. With its distorted guitar and above all, attitude, it’s considered by many to be one of the first true rock & roll songs. It was the first big hit for Sun Records, the greatest label of all time, and paved the way for B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and a Tupelo hillbilly named Elvis Presley.

Of course, Ike also discovered a naive, wildly talented teenager from Nutbush, TN named Anna Mae Bullock and turned her into Tina Turner. The Ike & Tina Turner revue blazed across this country and around the world through the 60s and 70s. They were one of the most electrifying live acts to ever grace a stage, despite (some might say because of) the unsavory things that may have happened offstage. He did some time in the clink in the late 80s while ex-wife Tina was simply the best. But he came back strong in his later years and his CD Risin' with the Blues won the Grammy for best blues album in 2006.

Herewith, some choice Ike and Dan YouTube moments. RIP, gentlemen.

Dan Fogelberg, "Same Old Lang Syne"


Dan Fogelberg, “Longer”


Jackie Brenston (featuring Ike Turner), “Rocket ‘88’”


Ike & Tina Turner, "River Deep, Mountain High"


Ike & Tina Turner, "Proud Mary"


Ike & Tina Turner, "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (Tres Risque!)

King of the Forest

Ironically, the more courageous Robert Plant has been in his choices as a solo artist, the more he resembles the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. And with back-to-back triumphs in recent weeks, he’s King of the Forest.

By all accounts, Monday’s Led Zeppelin reunion show (in tribute to late Atlantic Records honcho Ahmet Ertegun) was one for the ages, with the band at their tight-but-loose best.

This is only weeks after releasing the best solo record of his career, and one of the best albums of the year by anyone: Raising Sand, his collaboration with bluegrass bluebird Alison Krauss and conjurer of Americana T-Bone Burnett.

Then again, Plant has known it’s good to be the king for a long time: he was already a rock legend by the time he was 20, with a voice summoned from Valhalla’s highest peaks, perfectly matched to Jimmy Page’s sky-splitting riffs and Bonzo’s mighty foot-tom. He was blessed with a majestic, flowing mane of golden locks, a matter-of-fact magnificence with which to command a stage in open silk shirt and tight trousers, an affinity for the world’s music and peoples, a steady stream of Zeppelin royalties to keep the coffers full and Platinum Preferred Member Rewards Plus status at the Riot House in LA.

Plant has long been a champion of roots music, rewriting blues standards into Zep classics like “Whole Lotta Love” and “When the Levee Breaks” and working early rock classics like Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody” into Zeppelin’s live medleys. But in his post-Zeppelin solo work, he often strained to sound contemporary, and as a result many of his 80s records sound rather dated today.

Raising Sand, however, sounds timeless. Burnett, member of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue and producer of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack (which featured Krauss), wisely taps into the musical groundwater that runs ‘neath this great land of ours. Vintage guitars abound, as do plenty of tremolo and reverb, spooky drums, steel guitar, gypsy violins. Its vibe is similar to the late-night radio swamp of Dylan’s Time Out of Mind (amazingly, already ten years old.).

Raising Sand is a triumph in part because Plant does his most powerful singing in years by singing quietly. Rather than imploring the listener to squeeze his lemons, he simply relies on the natural timbre of his voice. Locking in harmony with Krauss, they achieve moments of aching beauty.

This record, which consists entirely of covers, has one great performance after another. Highlights include “Killing the Blues,” “Polly Come Home” and a fun Everly Brothers cover called “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On).” It’s one of those records that rewards both superficial and close listening. Put it on at a cocktail party and it will sound great in the background, or listen on some noise-cancelling headphones and dig the sophisticated singing and rhythms.

While the world clamors for the mighty Led Zeppelin mothership to once again circle the globe, the prospect of a Plant-Krauss tour promises to be the complete opposite – quiet, intimate, full of surprises – yet in its own way, just as enticing.

Put ‘em up: highlights from the Plant/Cowardly Lion canon for your listening and viewing pleasure:

mp3: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Killing the Blues,” Raising Sand
mp3: Led Zeppelin, “For Your Life,” Presence (Played live for the first time at Monday's Led Zeppelin show.)
mp3: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, “My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It,” Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records
mp3: Led Zeppelin, “Thank You,” The Complete BBC Radio Sessions
mp3: The Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), “If I Were King of the Forest,” The Wizard of Oz soundtrack

YouTube: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)"


YouTube: Led Zeppelin, "C'mon Everybody/Something Else" (Live, Royal Albert Hall, 1970)

Bad Boy: John Lennon Remembered

December 8th is the 27th anniversary of John Lennon’s assassination. Since then, his his musical character has been assassinated repeatedly by his widow Yoko Ono. John, Yoko will remind us, was a Utopian dreamer. A lover of humanity. A champion for the downtrodden. A crusader for peace. A namby-pamby who dared to… Imagine.

Well Rock Turtleneck is here to reclaim John Lennon’s true legacy as one of the great balls-out rockers of all time. A nasty scruff from Liverpool who imagined infusing old time rock & roll with the hurt and anger of his youth. A pill-popping, booze-swilling sonofabitch who imagined using his beautiful voice to express not only Utopian dreams but earthly desires. A driving, underrated rhythm guitarist who imagined that sanding down the finish of his trusty Epiphone Casino would help him get tones as raw as his emotions.

As the alternate take of Double Fantasy’s “I’m Losing You” (recorded with Cheap Trick) shows, his commitment to furious rocking was alive right to the end.

Herewith, for your listening and viewing pleasure, some of our dearly departed John Lennon’s most rocking moments. Yer blues, John.

YouTube: The Dirty Mac, “Yer Blues,” The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus, 1968


mp3: The Beatles, “Bad Boy,” Past Masters I
mp3: The Beatles, “Leave My Kitten Alone,” Anthology I
mp3: The Beatles, "You Can't Do That"(live), Anthology I
mp3: The Beatles, "Help!" (live), Anthology II
mp3: The Beatles, “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey,” The Beatles
mp3: Plastic Ono Band, "Money," Live Peace in Toronto
mp3: John Lennon,“I Found Out,” John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
mp3: John Lennon, "I'm Losing You," (w/Cheap Trick), Anthology

YouTube: The Beatles, “Revolution,” The David Frost Show, 1968

Walken: R.I.P. Larry Walken

Last week a friend, former co-worker and fellow ad-writer named Larry Walken passed away unexpectedly and tragically. While we weren’t best friends, we bonded as music lovers and collectors, and would often trade CDs of artists we thought the other would enjoy.

Like Larry, I have wide-ranging tastes. And while he would stop by my office singing the praises of Rilo Kiley, Nancy Sinatra or Kings of Leon, it seemed like I was always trying to push some sort of Wilco-related project on him:
“Have you heard the Mermaid Avenue albums?” “Wilco’s new live record is fantastic,” “Do you know Uncle Tupelo?” "What did you think of the Loose Fur CD?" Thus when he asked if I had any new music to share, it jokingly became any non-Wilco music.

Thinking about Larry the other day, I suddenly remembered that, amazingly, Wilco actually has a song called “Walken.” What more fitting tribute to a fine, funny gentleman?

So without further adieu, here is Wilco with "Walken" from Sky Blue Sky, plus an appropos tune Larry turned me onto: “So Long Babe” by Nancy Sinatra. RIP and TCB, Larry.

mp3: Wilco, “Walken”
mp3: Nancy Sinatra, “So Long Babe”
YouTube: Wilco, “Walken”