tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324756152024-03-07T01:36:13.186-05:00Rock TurtleneckServing Aging Hipsters Since 2006.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-91909643488402152662014-04-08T00:37:00.000-04:002014-04-08T00:50:24.826-04:00Kurt Cobain, David Bowie and Don Draper: The Men Who Sold the World<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmd9AAqeY6wQLigjM40rvYDsZeFUmC5XJfKtQBrfpfRpFMpTwIRJZq4EBZnWDk6lMqGkA1brSmcNylKdqTkK5JP9CPLjUvO0PcyIoEMLtyHOI7VOm617DvhYt5AjhK4do9Gobpg/s1600/tumblr_m4tfcqkiwO1r12n3yo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmd9AAqeY6wQLigjM40rvYDsZeFUmC5XJfKtQBrfpfRpFMpTwIRJZq4EBZnWDk6lMqGkA1brSmcNylKdqTkK5JP9CPLjUvO0PcyIoEMLtyHOI7VOm617DvhYt5AjhK4do9Gobpg/s1600/tumblr_m4tfcqkiwO1r12n3yo1_500.jpg" height="418" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“</span>I
guarantee we will screw this song up<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">”</span> says <b>Kurt Cobain </b>as he and his band <b>Nirvana</b> launch into a cover of <b>David Bowie<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>s <span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“</span>The Man Who Sold the World<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">”</span></b> on their epic <i>MTV Unplugged</i> performance in the fall of
1993. Kurt, <b>Dave Grohl</b> and <b>Krist Novacelic</b> (along with <b>Pat Smear</b> and <b>Laurie Goldstein</b>) nailed it on the first try. But the rest of Kurt's life, of course, was a disaster. </div>
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Hearing this brilliant performance a few days ago, on the
20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Kurt<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>s suicide, it was hard not to wonder if Kurt chose it
because he knew he had the world and he wasn<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>t interested in hanging onto it. Many
have noticed that the show<span style="font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">’</span>s décor has a funereal quality to it, and some wonder if
the show was his way of saying goodbye, a few months early.</div>
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When Nirvana played it, "The Man Who Sold the World" was a relatively obscure song in the Bowie <i>oeuvre</i>, the title track of
one of his pre-Ziggy Stardust records. Few in the audience seem to recognize it.<br />
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Not surprisingly, it immediately leapt in stature after Kurt made it his own. Of course it helps that it's a fantastic, futuristic song.</div>
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I saw Bowie on a tour with <b>Nine Inch Nails</b> in 1995 and before he sang the tune, he said
something to the effect that he was honored Kurt decided to sing it and would
love to have known why he selected it. Here's a wonderful version from a circa-'95 BBC special. </div>
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"The Man Who Sold the World" has reared its head again on the cultrual landscape, this time in the Season 7 trailer for <b><i>Mad Men</i></b>, playing over trippy graphics by legendary
designer <b>Milton Glaser</b>, who is well known for his poster of <b>Bob Dylan</b>, a visionary cat who had a Cobain-like following but somehow managed to make it to the other side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZ2pUc727vaVUdaEW_8mWI_ZATDDXRS-ubYFzhjp5w9bYAvK3u28Y2YhOilDjQ8AFH9cTRhKT72eltDSf5o4WHh8sPMCf1JzVep1X5yZrJKmQIeqb6KaDO55MdsTmnz9lJrO5Tg/s1600/Mad-Men-Draper-Season-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZ2pUc727vaVUdaEW_8mWI_ZATDDXRS-ubYFzhjp5w9bYAvK3u28Y2YhOilDjQ8AFH9cTRhKT72eltDSf5o4WHh8sPMCf1JzVep1X5yZrJKmQIeqb6KaDO55MdsTmnz9lJrO5Tg/s1600/Mad-Men-Draper-Season-3.jpg" height="210" width="400" /></a></div>
Is using "The Man Who Sold the World" <i>Mad Men </i>creator <b>Matthew Weiner</b>'s way of saying that Don Draper's suicide as inevitable as Kurt's seems in hindsight? Is it a hint that Don, an ad-Man Who Sold the World to the world, is going to pull a Cobain, a quarter century before Cobain? </div>
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Or maybe Don will be murdered by his estranged, unstable blonde wife, as some suspect Kurt was. </div>
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I guess we'll find out when <i>Mad Men </i>concludes its seventh, final and tortuously dragged out season, which starts this weekend and ends 12 episodes later sometime next year. Is this any way to thank your fans? Maybe we'll be the ones checking out early.</div>
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<b>Buy on iTunes:</b></div>
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Nirvana, <i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mtv-unplugged-in-new-york/id115509">MTV Unplugged in New York</a></i></div>
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David Bowie, <i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-man-who-sold-the-world/id697190979">The Man Who Sold the World</a></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-37805815489181573572014-03-14T11:34:00.000-04:002014-03-14T11:55:06.290-04:00Future Islands: The New Wave of the Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Many thanks to fellow copywriter
and music lover <b>David Stemler</b> for pointing me in the direction of a great band
I’d never heard of: <b>Future Islands</b>. I’d heard that they were on <b>David Letterman</b>
that week, but had missed the show and moved on with my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So I checked out their performance on YouTube and was totally mesmerized (as was Letterman), for a couple of reasons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One, the song <b>“Seasons
(Waiting on You)”</b> is irresistible, a hook-filled New Wave synth-pop delicacy that took
me back to those weekly Tuesday "New Wave Nights" at Huskies Bar & Grill at the <b>University of
Connecticut</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Two, the band’s singer,
<b>Samuel T. Herring</b>, is one of the more unusual frontmen to make the scene in some time.
He’s one of those people whose body doesn’t match the voice, and vice versa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Herring looks like <b>Marlon Brando</b> in <i>On the Waterfront,</i> sounds like <b>Roland Gift </b>from
<b>Fine Young Cannibals</b> (with some neanderthal-ish vocal inflections) and dances in a style that is completely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sui generis</i>. (More on that later.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1Ee4bfu_t3c" width="560"></iframe>)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hxs2E73o2HgzHqVtBaCO3zERenbsruL6QdzwlqMm6XRofKBkzh72oNv4ax4_Nfn_ObpTeAi1k0itlcy7j8OBpG0J987nQVGO-N1Sbtnn8R-Z-OvRrkxHgZLTc0z7TCZ-E0Acig/s1600/dance2_396jpg_396x222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hxs2E73o2HgzHqVtBaCO3zERenbsruL6QdzwlqMm6XRofKBkzh72oNv4ax4_Nfn_ObpTeAi1k0itlcy7j8OBpG0J987nQVGO-N1Sbtnn8R-Z-OvRrkxHgZLTc0z7TCZ-E0Acig/s1600/dance2_396jpg_396x222.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was trying for days to
think of what Herring's dancing and grunting reminded me of, but I couldn’t figure it out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then it hit me: it was the cringe-worthy, deeply disturbing dance "for charity" that <b>David Brent </b>(aka <b>Ricky
Gervais</b>) did on the original, far superior BBC version of <i><b>The Office</b></i>. With both Brent and Herring, I am horrified yet cannot look away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/06GoD-_NOWY" width="560"></iframe>)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICGZPeqlLRkLFeqJIxuIBo6IMQuKDoUOURUls1EbfzCfZxyvQ1-g1E8aKesmu1BAClts_Gqm5Mw2MJB7y6zeAmos4C6ZeiF9U5gvKkrvOPxiH_Fsw8OMLhbLn9QvpYcBj1921fQ/s1600/Future-Islands-Singles-608x608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjICGZPeqlLRkLFeqJIxuIBo6IMQuKDoUOURUls1EbfzCfZxyvQ1-g1E8aKesmu1BAClts_Gqm5Mw2MJB7y6zeAmos4C6ZeiF9U5gvKkrvOPxiH_Fsw8OMLhbLn9QvpYcBj1921fQ/s1600/Future-Islands-Singles-608x608.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was going to say that
Future Islands, who formed in North Carolina and are now based in Baltimore, is
a very promising new band. But, after doing a little research, I’ve learned they
have already released three albums. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Their fourth, <b><i>Singles</i></b>, which contains “Seasons
(Waiting on You),” comes out <b>March 25</b> on the prestigious <b>4AD</b> label. I will be picking it up and you should
too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You can pre-order <i><b>Singles</b></i> by <b>Future Islands</b> (and get “Seasons” now) on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/singles/id791124020">here</a>. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-28641120562293247972014-03-06T07:15:00.004-05:002014-03-06T17:38:46.826-05:00Beck's Morning Phase: Album of the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioj6Z0NLLnIAplr4uf-SH4xSM6MThpdy7Y3pdowkzcfGn2jMmV_BmpUBN4tIZFH-qYhEfQMY7tGr8QpiAY0BeegDzBW-aO8sOuhivr8ReJ9Jv_s4pFD-lllzSzcPi34Mf3C9xWTw/s1600/Beck-%E2%80%93-Morning-Phase-Full-Stream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioj6Z0NLLnIAplr4uf-SH4xSM6MThpdy7Y3pdowkzcfGn2jMmV_BmpUBN4tIZFH-qYhEfQMY7tGr8QpiAY0BeegDzBW-aO8sOuhivr8ReJ9Jv_s4pFD-lllzSzcPi34Mf3C9xWTw/s1600/Beck-%E2%80%93-Morning-Phase-Full-Stream.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_A6TuYWq1M_2MW0dq5ccFcpUQJMSYvdW8YS7X2iHlrmSxbsOj0MIlM7kmkdpzC55QrWHCRfD1vKJORr8K6hNcl0s9BhNxCo06oQ8-cJrS4MLJECbcVCl90n-cASaslj7VPykoAg/s1600/beckcover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_A6TuYWq1M_2MW0dq5ccFcpUQJMSYvdW8YS7X2iHlrmSxbsOj0MIlM7kmkdpzC55QrWHCRfD1vKJORr8K6hNcl0s9BhNxCo06oQ8-cJrS4MLJECbcVCl90n-cASaslj7VPykoAg/s1600/beckcover.jpeg" height="177" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got it for $9.98 plus tax</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Tuesday, during my lunch hour, I walked over to the Best Buy near my office and picked up a CD of the brand-new <b>Beck</b> album <i><b>Morning Phase</b></i>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took the physical media off the sparsely populated, sad- looking New Releases rack, brought it to the checkout counter, took it home, unwrapped the cellophane, peeled the annoying sticker across the top off, and put the CD in my iMac to add to my iTunes folder. Then I transferred the song files to my iPhone for convenient, on-the-go enjoyment. I've been listening to it non-stop ever since.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was surely the same ritual I went through when Beck released his last record, the <b>Danger Mouse</b>-produced <i><b>Modern Guilt</b></i>, way back in 2008. But it didn't seem like a lot of work back then.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, I could have saved about six steps by directly downloading the record from iTunes right onto my phone, but <b>Beck Hansen</b> took the care and the time to make a beautiful, melodic, cohesive and evocative album, already the high bar for album of the year. I felt like I needed to follow some sort of ritual as a gesture of appreciation to one of my musical heroes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Morning Phase</i> is being billed as a follow-up to 2003's <i><b>Sea Change</b></i>, the <i>Blood on the Tracks</i>-ish record Beck wrote after breaking up with his longtime girlfriend, and one of his absolute best records (see the RT write up <a href="http://rockturtleneck.blogspot.com/2010/01/records-that-rocked-aughts-volume-5.html">here</a>).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTl4zqMdm0-PVWdh6qCfdpCgAA2-wxrdbOym3JdWb9AZ78aiSWq63T9oZhq_oClRz96iw8L6QmBfkv9bHkBuTLeDbU4lF4dhv1WXuiNaBIMjUX7r3FvjLPN9CaHL0EMcG2zAcLQ/s1600/beck-performs-morning-phase-on-snl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTl4zqMdm0-PVWdh6qCfdpCgAA2-wxrdbOym3JdWb9AZ78aiSWq63T9oZhq_oClRz96iw8L6QmBfkv9bHkBuTLeDbU4lF4dhv1WXuiNaBIMjUX7r3FvjLPN9CaHL0EMcG2zAcLQ/s1600/beck-performs-morning-phase-on-snl.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It has many of the same stellar musicians, string arrangements (courtesy of Beck's conductor/arranger dad <b>David Campbell</b>) and overall vibe. (1998's very underrated <b><i>Mutations</i></b> is also of this ilk, and a must-own if you are a fan.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Morning Phase</i> feels less like a follow-up and more like the opposite side of the same coin.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Morning Phase</i> is a little more hopeful and mature, as one might hope after ten years of personal and artistic growth. Rather than get into a song-by-song rundown, just take my word when I say the record has an arc and wholeness to it that call to mind classic albums of yore. It's good to know they still exist.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For someone who came to the world's attention as the genius goofball behind <b>"Loser"</b> and <i><b>Odelay</b></i>, it's interesting that his quote-unquote serious work is the most enduring. It's kind of like when someone silly like <b>Bill Murray </b>does a serious role and it turns out he's a better actor than all the Oscar-type capital-A Actors. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beck put in two sublime performances on <b><i>Saturday Night Live</i></b> this past weekend, redeeming a comedically abysmal show hosted by the guy from <i>Big Bang Theory</i>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First was the lead single <b>"Blue Moon,"</b> featuring some wonderful, <b>Fleet Foxes</b>-esque harmony singing with his bandmates.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" seamless="seamless" src="http://player.theplatform.com/p/NnzsPC/widget/select/bRT5teurpr1U?form=html" width="480"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;">Near the end of the show, he sang one of my other favorites from the record, the haunting <b>"Wave."</b> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;">One of the things I love about it is that it reminds me of my favorite tune by <b>Radiohead</b>, <b>"Pyramid </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: nowrap;"><b>Song."</b> For <i>SNL</i>, he was accompanied by a huge string section. The catering alone must have cost <br />a fortune.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" seamless="seamless" src="http://player.theplatform.com/p/NnzsPC/widget/select/falCOca0ETvM?form=html" width="480"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy <b><i>Morning Phase</i></b> on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/morning-phase/id797897966">here</a>. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or better yet, make a pilgrimage to your local brick-and-mortar </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">record retailer.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-60076889672691426452014-02-25T22:07:00.000-05:002014-02-26T10:16:43.374-05:00Happy 71st Birthday George Harrison: Savoy Truffles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6mCURRPsgdWwa-8yXh9ObymEHNoq8Xy-ETKo-bjhYeNQJo7kVdcaJ8uyOtoEupB17PolRYEIxhbhEZ2SqYrIotrmwAeJ3i3LTwPvDTcmIDTqtCJXWokrq59TajdSOcvoGde1Fg/s1600/130525872__424003c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6mCURRPsgdWwa-8yXh9ObymEHNoq8Xy-ETKo-bjhYeNQJo7kVdcaJ8uyOtoEupB17PolRYEIxhbhEZ2SqYrIotrmwAeJ3i3LTwPvDTcmIDTqtCJXWokrq59TajdSOcvoGde1Fg/s1600/130525872__424003c.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZUKJKU1yDCh2v52Ta8teL735spIqoCGCXPdh1Q7TDS-ZSpGh6-37CS06RDk0sGaTQMhklVaG8qVnCGfwHg35Fyyv8JBGiDrT5SQVVyT8vEWNTjXSC0kp-3rTDvlIHS4ULS-Z-A/s1600/tumblr_lkneibaUZq1qic1zfo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZUKJKU1yDCh2v52Ta8teL735spIqoCGCXPdh1Q7TDS-ZSpGh6-37CS06RDk0sGaTQMhklVaG8qVnCGfwHg35Fyyv8JBGiDrT5SQVVyT8vEWNTjXSC0kp-3rTDvlIHS4ULS-Z-A/s1600/tumblr_lkneibaUZq1qic1zfo1_500.jpg" height="200" width="177" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy 71st to <b>George Harrison</b>, who is no longer living in the material world but is no doubt celebrating in a spiritual one somewhere.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I was thinking of all the great little ditties that George contributed to <b>The Beatles</b>' albums when <b>Lennon & McCartney</b> threw him a bone: "I Need You," "If I Needed Someone," "Taxman," "It's All Too Much," "For You Blue," and many more. Of these, perhaps my favorite is <b>"Savoy Truffle,"</b> from Side 4 of the <b>White Album</b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Savoy Truffle" is indeed a truffle, a fun and funky piece of ear candy in a record that contains many flavors. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV48_tu6f4ssoSZxnWM12VIQQpCwS1uCmdFxZ1pf4yovPOJDozsArINEIx9pKb36HU4AIJFtWNfYdt5Z6iqduZzHhHP6Yv6x65bXHcP4SxrjbCdC_Rv14FKbGnLzfNPAAgVW52eQ/s1600/good-news-chocolates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV48_tu6f4ssoSZxnWM12VIQQpCwS1uCmdFxZ1pf4yovPOJDozsArINEIx9pKb36HU4AIJFtWNfYdt5Z6iqduZzHhHP6Yv6x65bXHcP4SxrjbCdC_Rv14FKbGnLzfNPAAgVW52eQ/s1600/good-news-chocolates.jpg" height="159" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The song is a cheeky ode to <b>Good News</b>, a Whitman's Sampler type of English chocolates that was a favorite of George's good buddy and fellow guitar god <b>Eric Clapton</b>, and featured flavors like Creme Tangerine, Ginger Sling, Coffee Dessert, and yes, Savoy Truffle.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slowhand</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> had a huge sweet tooth, and George was warning him in song that if he kept eating them, he'll "<i>have to have them all pulled out</i>," meaning his teeth. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a wonderfully literal video interpretation of "Savoy Truffle" that I found on <b>YouTube</b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LYD4_TinAz4" width="420"></iframe></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfnmgHCTrUTCLJ0woZUGwwkCkR0ocXqxl_UoFYkv3H-7bMkn6tydmZ4e3pw_UACoaQnJQK1-WY40hcFyNsDPX7L0t4nUDEcltMS-iJkwNvoVZ-9FLp__2BY2Eu5qvaeKNQxVvmw/s1600/pattie-boyd-style-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfnmgHCTrUTCLJ0woZUGwwkCkR0ocXqxl_UoFYkv3H-7bMkn6tydmZ4e3pw_UACoaQnJQK1-WY40hcFyNsDPX7L0t4nUDEcltMS-iJkwNvoVZ-9FLp__2BY2Eu5qvaeKNQxVvmw/s1600/pattie-boyd-style-11.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was only one <i>bon bon</i> that Clapton craved even more than the Savoy Truffle - George's shagadelic, super mod, Swingin' London model wife <b>Pattie Boyd</b>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, in 1974, a few years after Clapton wrote <b>"Layla" </b>and other assorted love songs for Pattie and her marriage to George fell apart, she took up with him. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were married throughout the 70s and most of the 80s.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a style befitting wife-swapping rock royalty, Harrison held no grudge against Eric or Pattie, saying something to the effect of "<i>I'd rather she take up with him than some idiot</i>."</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka-n2BMbCITAw9KEAZXfje1CBocbA1DKhAnt4oe9UDvmeSx6MBj7qGLKI3EQa75rYS85rHPp0BEgeoHg-j5VCG2Hxi2jyNqeNQo5hyMte1RB4y7xRaKdbcZpOOxi25woYHK3KZA/s1600/a2662f595689265e4a9f4c1c60b9b5f5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka-n2BMbCITAw9KEAZXfje1CBocbA1DKhAnt4oe9UDvmeSx6MBj7qGLKI3EQa75rYS85rHPp0BEgeoHg-j5VCG2Hxi2jyNqeNQo5hyMte1RB4y7xRaKdbcZpOOxi25woYHK3KZA/s1600/a2662f595689265e4a9f4c1c60b9b5f5.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boyd is surely #1 on the all-time list of rock muses, having inspired not only Clapton's best album, but his easy-listening 70s classic <b>"Wonderful Tonight."</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, on a much higher artistic plane, Pattie was also the inspiration for George's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"Something," </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which the rock-disdaining </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Frank Sinatra</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> famously called "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The best love song of the past 50 years</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">," even though he thought it was written by <b>Lennon/McCartney</b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's Harrison playing <b>"Something"</b> at the <b>Concert for Bangladesh</b> in 1971 with a drug-addled Clapton backing him on guitar and no doubt listening to George's lyrics and thinking, <i>she is pretty cute, isn't she</i>? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UKAp-jRUp2o" width="560"></iframe></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Birthday George! From all your fans on Earth.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Buy on iTunes:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-beatles-white-album/id401126224">The White Album</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/abbey-road/id401186200">Abbey Road</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/layla-other-assorted-love/id426392620">Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs</a></i></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-9953707460572727942014-02-15T12:19:00.003-05:002014-02-15T12:21:47.705-05:00Happy Belated Valentine's Day from David Bowie and Rock Turtleneck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last March, when <b>David Bowie</b> stunned his fans by releasing <b><i>The Next Day</i></b>, perhaps the greatest non-<b>Elvis</b> musical comeback of all time, with no advance press or interview junket. It may have been the best record of 2013, and I immediately gravitated to the track <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>"Valentine's Day." </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its floating melody and <b>Mick Ronson</b>esque guitar parts took me right back to the days of <i>Hunky Dory</i> and <i>The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars</i> -- days I didn't experience firsthand, only many years later as a Bowie connoisseur. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remarkably, "Valentine's Day" would have been among the better tracks on either of those records, which is high praise indeed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember thinking at the time, "<i>I must feature "Valentine's Day" on <b>Rock Turtleneck </b>next Valentine's Day.</i>" But as with so many thing in life, I forgot until it was too late. Or was it? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Herewith, David Bowie's melodic, urgent "Valentine's Day."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>The Next Day</i></b> is a brilliant album that touches on many of The Thin White Duke's sounds over the year, and creates some new ones, too. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While many sounds recall Bowie's early 70s triumphs or the dark genius of his <b>"Berlin Trilogy,"</b> (<i>Low/"Heroes"/Lodger</i>), the first single <b>"Where Are We Now," </b>has a stateliness and wisdom that places it solidly in the year A.D. 2013. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QWtsV50_-p4" width="560"></iframe></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing about this record that has always fascinated me is the cover - basically a white Post-It slapped over his iconic <b>"Heroes"</b> LP cover. What does it mean? My guess is that no one buys records anymore, so why even bother coming up with a cover concept. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Valentine's Day!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Buy David Bowie's </b><i><b>The Next Day</b> </i>on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-next-day/id590825692">iTunes</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-56287450409186336202013-11-04T23:28:00.000-05:002013-11-05T10:08:04.729-05:00I Saw Lou Reed Play One Song Live and It Was Amazing: Bob Dylan's "Foot of Pride"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alas, I never saw <b>Lou Reed</b> perform a full concert, but I did see him play one song, and it was amazing. It was at the <b>Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert</b> at <b>Madison Square Garden</b> in the fall of 1992. Among the performers were <b>George Harrison, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Chrissie Hynde, John Mellencamp, Eric Clapton, The Band, Willie Nelson, Johnny & June Carter Cash, Eddie Vedder,</b> and of course Bob to bring it all back home.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Epic performances were aplenty that evening, and one of the best was from Lou. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He came out pretty early in the show and started playing a two or three note drone and doing the talking-singing thing that he did better than anyone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I am a world-class Dylanologist but I couldn't place the tune; perhaps he'd decided to one of his own songs as a tribute?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The song turned out to be <b>"Foot of Pride,"</b> an <b><i>Infidels</i></b> outtake that had recently seen commercial release on the first installment of the ongoing <b>Bootleg Series</b>. Dylan's version had never really made an impression on me, but in Lou's hands it was mesmerizing, building in intensity and fury with each verse. And there were many verses.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much credit goes to the BobFest "house band" for the evening, led by bandleader/guitar slinger <b>G.E. Smith</b>; and including<b> Booker T, Steve Cropper</b> and <b>Duck Dunn</b> from <b>Booker T and the MGs</b>; and <b>Anton Fig</b> from <b>David Letterman</b>'s band on drums. They worked the dynamics of the tune perfectly and give it more power than <b>Mark Knopfler</b> could muster when he produced Dylan's version.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xyhni7" width="480"></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyhni7_foot-of-pride-bob-dylan-rare_music" target="_blank">foot of pride Bob DYLAN [rare]</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/mystralgagnant95300" target="_blank">mystralgagnant95300</a></i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lou, Bob, TP and Randy Newman </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things I like best about Lou's performance is the way he makes no attempt to hide the fact that he's reading the lyrics off a teleprompter — who but Bob could be expected to commit all 87 verses of "Foot of Pride" to memory, or even to know what the tune is about, beyond something like betrayal and redemption? I personally have no idea, but in Lou's hands, I loved it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, I payed face value for my ticket to that show - and I had good seats. The price to see all those legends? $80. Remember that the next time <b>The Eagles</b> come around.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Buy on iTunes</b>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lou Reed, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/foot-of-pride-live/id171503865?i=171504722">"Foot of Pride"</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bob Dylan, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/foot-of-pride/id157471642?i=157472462">"Foot of Pride"</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-15144252611605957532013-10-30T08:23:00.002-04:002013-11-05T10:10:11.704-05:00Satellites of Love: 3 Essential Lou Reed Covers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A lot of <b>Generation X</b>-ers like myself were introduced to <b>Lou Reed</b>'s genius through cover versions of his songs. Bands like <b>R.E.M.</b> and <b>U2</b> kept Lou's flaming torch alive in much the same way the English R&B groups of the 60s, like the <b>Yardbirds, Cream</b> and <b>the Rolling Stones</b>, spread the word about forgotten blues forefathers like <b>Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf</b> and <b>Son House</b>. Here are three of the best Lou covers from the 80s and 90s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>R.E.M., "Pale Blue Eyes"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">R.E.M. got into the habit of doing loose yet poignant <b>Velvet Underground</b> covers in the mid-1980s and putting them out as B-sides to singles like <b>"Radio Free Europe," "So. Central Rain"</b> and <b>"Superman."</b> I'm proud to say I still have some of those 45s in my archives. Back in the day, R.E.M. would often open a show with one of these tracks. In 1987, the three wonderful VU covers and other charming chum
appeared on their B-sides comp <b><i>Dead Letter Office</i></b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BTW, When people of my ilk refer to "classic R.E.M." they generally don't mean <b>"Losing My Religion,"</b> they mean stuff
like this, when <b>Michael Stipe</b> had a flowing mane and a noble air of reticence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Cowboy Junkies, "Sweet Jane" </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Canadian band <b>Cowboy Junkies</b> tapped into the divine when they recorded their 1988 LP <b><i>The Trinity Session</i></b> around a single microphone at Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity. The record featured a wonderful mix of originals and covers, with the clear highlight being a slowed down, reverb drenched version of the Velvets' most famous tune <b>"Sweet Jane."</b> I believe at the time, Lou said it was
one of his all-time favorite versions of one of his songs, which is high
praise as Lou covers are legion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 1989, the ethereal <b>Margo Timmons</b> and her bandmates played "Sweet Jane" for <b>Johnny Carson</b> on the <b><i>Tonight Show</i></b>. How hot was it? It was so hot that even Johnny liked it. That is weird, wild stuff, I did
not know that. (I miss Johnny too).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>U2 and Lou Reed, "Satellite of Love"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WMBtDLZ_FJHggqbkBPvtUheDCyzT1eJnohtBhiVGaye1_3Uz7NOyLZkHUmlQqNXSl-LmnyDjzEK2EMXcDH2B6Z4sLX-CwsQKT-Ty0NGbPu7szFdGnbFpEEWYppriqcwAgy5JtA/s1600/Satellite_Of_Love_ZOO_TV_Live_Broadcast_U2_Lou_Reed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WMBtDLZ_FJHggqbkBPvtUheDCyzT1eJnohtBhiVGaye1_3Uz7NOyLZkHUmlQqNXSl-LmnyDjzEK2EMXcDH2B6Z4sLX-CwsQKT-Ty0NGbPu7szFdGnbFpEEWYppriqcwAgy5JtA/s200/Satellite_Of_Love_ZOO_TV_Live_Broadcast_U2_Lou_Reed.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>U2</b> got all vanguardy and ironic for their 1992-93 <b>ZOO TV</b> tour in support of their masterpiece <b><i>Achtung Baby</i></b>. Much of their tour theatrics centered on the relationship between humanity and technology, which was very prescient considering the Internet and Apple were in the planning stages of taking over all of our lives. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the highlights of the show was perhaps the first-ever duet via satellite, an all-too apropos cover of the <b><i>Transformer</i></b> track <b>"Satellite of Love,"</b> one of my desert-island Lou songs. U2 has long made their love of Lou well known, having tossed in a few lines of "Satellite" and "Walk on the Wild Side" during their epochal version of "Bad" at <b>Live Aid</b> in 1985. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Buy on <b>iTunes</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>R.E.M.</b>, <i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dead-letter-office/id1014636">Dead Letter Office</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Cowboy Junkies</b>, <i><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-trinity-session/id299606787">The Trinity Session</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>U2</b>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/satellite-of-love/id475390461?i=475391722">"Satellite of Love"</a></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-56918308152073424442013-10-27T21:43:00.000-04:002013-10-30T06:57:59.285-04:00R.I.P. Lou Reed: He's Not Afraid to Die, the People All Called Him Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LtoR: Andy, Mo, Lou</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lou Reed</b>, who died today at age 71, was a rock star of both the highest and most subterranean order; he is on the short list of people who could be said more or less invented an entire genre of music. In Lou's case, it would be what is now known as alternative or underground rock. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lou worked briefly as a songwriter-for-hire, and used the chops he developed to explore the dark underbelly of life and love with simple chords and powerful expressions. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lou's work with the <b>Velvet Underground </b>laid out the blueprint for melodic yet challenging rock that the cool kids like and turn their friends on to. It's a template that was employed successfully by <b>Talking Heads, R.E.M., U2, Wilco</b> and countless others.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1985, a great lost Velvet Underground record was released under the title <b><i>VU</i></b>. It was recorded in 1968 after <i>The Velvet Underground</i> but before <i>Loaded</i>. I actually have no idea why it was shelved, but when it came out it got amazing reviews so I picked it up, based on the fact that I loved the VU songs like<b> "There She Goes Again" </b>that <b>R.E.M.</b> had been covering as B-sides to singles like <b>"Radio Free Europe."</b> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I brought the <i><b>VU</b></i> LP to college my sophomore year and it immediatlely became the soundtrack for our freewheeling, heavy late-night hemp-induced conversations. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unlike VU records like <i><b>The Velvet Underground and Nico</b></i> and <i><b>White Light/White Heat</b></i>, which featured extended and very dark instrumental interludes, <i><b>VU</b></i> was a collection of 10 exquisitely dark pop yet very accessible garage-rocky tunes, and it remains my favorite record of theirs to this day. You could play it at a party without scaring anyone away. Of all the great songs on the record, <b>"Stephanie Says"</b> is the tune that my friends and I gravitated to most, and the one that takes me back to that special time.</span></div>
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Reading the lyrics to <b>"Stephanie Says"</b> now, I wonder if Lou isn't Stephanie. Given his proclivities in the 70s, it wouldn't surprise me.<br />
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<i>Stephanie says that she wants to know
<br />Why she's given half her life, to people she hates now
<br />Stephanie says when answering the phone
<br />What country shall I say is calling from across the world
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<i>But she's not afraid to die, the people all call her Alaska<br />Between worlds so the people ask her 'cause it's all in her mind
<br />It's all in her mind
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<i>Stephanie says that she wants to know
<br />Why it is though she's the door she can't be the room
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<i><br />Stephanie says but doesn't hang up the phone
<br />What sea shell she is calling from across the world
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<i>But she's not afraid to die, the people all cal her Alaska<br />Between worlds so the people ask her 'cause it's all in her mind
<br />It's all in her mind
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<i><br /> </i><br />
<i>She asks you is it good or bad
<br />It's such an icy feeling it's so cold in Alaska,</i><br />
<i>It's so cold in Alaska, it's so cold in Alaska</i><br />
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<b>R.I.P. Lou.</b><br />
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Buy <b><i>VU</i></b> on iTunes <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-36530687712336664152013-10-21T07:44:00.000-04:002013-10-21T07:44:03.532-04:00Ten Years Gone: R.I.P. Elliott Smith<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTl0-i905DXPToKScU6ij3k1MLJHuSCzvvakOLHO8DZvVTiCENgWqBzuOkxSF8TmXczK4xTakKXOtYhpL8Ph-mnSTaT3r61VoDKhjiM3cnizUOqeZyw5n8ZVmdST01hAn1kdwYSw/s1600/elliotttriptyck5551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTl0-i905DXPToKScU6ij3k1MLJHuSCzvvakOLHO8DZvVTiCENgWqBzuOkxSF8TmXczK4xTakKXOtYhpL8Ph-mnSTaT3r61VoDKhjiM3cnizUOqeZyw5n8ZVmdST01hAn1kdwYSw/s640/elliotttriptyck5551.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was on the <b>Yahoo!</b> home page, of all places, where the top story was that today is the 10th anniversary of the death of <b>Elliott Smith</b>, for my money the most quietly powerful singer-songwriter of the past twenty years or so. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smith was genuinely gifted; he had the rare ability to break hearts and blow minds with the simplest of melodies and chords, and at the same time, his music was sophisticated. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a gift that very few possess, and for some reason, many of those who possess this gift, such as Smith and <b>John Lennon </b>and <b>Kurt Cobain</b>, seem to leave the world too early and under dark circumstances. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was said that Smith died of a self-inflicted stabbing wound to the chest after an argument with his girlfriend, and while he did have problems with drugs, he was sober at the time of the incident. It just seems like an unbearably gruesome way to go out, which is why some smell foul play.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, let's remember the music, not the nefarious circumstances. Elliott wrote one of my absolute favorite songs of my adult lifetime: <b>"Waltz #2 (XO)"</b> from his 1998 LP <b><i>XO</i></b>, his major-label debut record on <b>DreamWorks </b>records. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As advertised, "Waltz #2" is indeed in 3/4 waltz time, and weaves a forlorn tale of lost love and obsession. The tone of regret and sadness for me often calls to mind one of <b>Paul McCartney</b>'s masterpieces from <b><i>Revolver</i></b>, such as "For No One" or "Eleanor Rigby." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The studio version of "Waltz #2" is a baroque, Beatle-esque arrangement courtesy of <b>Jon Brion</b>, but the solo versions he played live were at least as powerful, such as this one from <b>Jools Holland</b>'s show.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elliott Smith left us lots of great records, but <i>XO</i> is in my opinion, his masterpiece and a great place to start. And yes, it does contain a <b>"Waltz #1"</b> - it is lovely too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy <b>Elliott Smith's <i>XO</i> </b>on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/xo/id3445049">here</a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-41278830490419953892013-10-13T18:17:00.000-04:002013-10-13T18:17:51.159-04:00Talking Heads' "Crosseyed and Painless": Good Music for a Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just read somewhere today that Talking Heads' greatest album <b><i>Remain in Light</i></b> was released this week in 1980, a mind-boggling 33 years ago.<br />
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The culmination of a genius trilogy produced by <b>Brian Eno</b>, <b><i>Remain in Light</i></b> is one of those records, like <b>The</b> <b>Beatles</b>' <i>Revolver</i>, <b>David Bowie</b>'s <i>Low</i> or <b>Bon Jovi</b>'s <i>New Jersey</i>, that always sounds ahead of its time, no matter how much time has passed. (Not coincidentally, <i>Low</i> was also produced by Eno.)<br />
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<i>Remain in Light</i> has blown my mind on a regular basis since I got the LP when I was in 10th grade or so, and its layered <i>melange</i> of neurotic white guy ticks and African polyrhythms still inspires me to this day.<br />
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(By the way, I just got the album on <b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/remain-in-light-remastered/id124922154">iTunes</a> </b>and discovered that the 30 years or so I've had the LP I've thought side one was the one that began with <b>"Once in a Lifetime"</b> - turns out that's side 2.)<br />
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In fact, just this past weekend I was driving to Ridgefield, CT to run my first-ever half marathon. It was foggy and early and I was searching for musical inspiration to get me pumped up on the drive. I don't run with music so whatever tunes I heard I would just imagine in my head as I ran.<br />
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I turned on the radio, <b><a href="http://www.1071thepeak.com/">107.1 The Peak</a></b>, an independent Westchester station that actually plays a good mix of interesting music, and <b>"Crosseyed and Painless,"</b> perhaps the greatest tune on <i>Remain in Light</i> started right up. I was immediatlely put into a trancelike state as I crossed the border from New York to Connecticut.<br />
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The tune played on a loop in my head throughout most of the race, and while I was neither crosseyed nor painless, I do feel like I spent a good deal of the race in a trancelike state, what is often called a "runner's high." Much of the Talking Heads extended band seems to be in a similar state in this fantastic clip from their 1980 tour.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/35E6q1lzRVg" width="420"></iframe><br />
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The augmented lineup the T-Heads assembled for their classic film <i><b>Stop Making Sense </b></i>is often thought of as the definitive live ensemble of the group, but for my money, it's the superfunky 1980 <i>Remain in Light</i> tour that was their peak, due in large part to the amazing playing of keyboardist <b>Bernie Worrell</b>, second bassist <b>Busta "Cherry" Jones </b>and twang-bar king <b>Adrian Belew</b>.<br />
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Here they are busting it out on another <i>Remain in Light</i> track, "The Great Curve." Belew really cuts loose on this one.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IUSoGl5pTKs" width="420"></iframe><br />
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I can't stress enough the transcendent, cross-cultural greatness of <b><i>Remain in Light</i></b>. Buy it now on <b>iTunes</b> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/remain-in-light-remastered/id124922154">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-48907623271613100472013-09-17T23:00:00.000-04:002013-09-17T23:02:42.721-04:00Bob Dylan’s Another Self Portrait (1969-1971): Voice of a Generation as Artisanal Cheesemonger<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><b>Bob Dylan</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> has
pioneered many things in his 52-year career – the seven-minute pop song, lyrics that mean something, lyrics that mean nothing, the
double album, the well-written, best-selling rock memoir, religious rock, the late-career comeback. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">But I had no idea until the release
of his latest <b>Bootleg Series</b> collection, <i>Another Self Portrait (1969-1971)</i>, that he may have also invented the
foodie farm-to-table movement way back in 1969.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Take a look at
Bob in the above photo. Does he look like the voice of a generation? The guy who
tracked down <b>Woody Guthrie </b>in a NJ hospital and sang all his songs to him at
his bedside? The guy who played the March on Washington minutes before <b>MLK</b> gave
his "I Have a Dream" speech? The afroed visionary who plugged in at Newport? The guy who turned <b>The Beatles</b> onto reefer? The
guy who shocked audiences by singing "<i>Even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked</i>"?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">No, he looks like
a Red Hook, Brooklyn food artisan, who charges $9 for an eight-ounce
satchel of his locally gathered granola at the <b>Union Square Greenmarket</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Dylan has always had a knack for matching his music and his look, and the music on <i>Another Self Portrait</i> reflects his upstate artisan vibe wonderfully (and vice versa). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">The tracks here are a combination of acoustic demos for tracks that would wind up on the 1970 LPs <b><i>Self Portrait</i></b> and <b><i>New Morning</i></b>, covers of old folk songs that were cast aside, and alternate versions that include luminaries like <b>George Harrison, David Bromberg </b>and<b> Al Kooper</b>, and by and large they are superior to what was released officially.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Take <b>"Pretty Saro,"</b> a traditional folk song that is glazed with honey-dripped vocals from Dylan in his best <b><i>Nashville Skyline</i></b> croon - it actually could be his prettiest vocal ever on record. Combine the organic sweetness of his voice with the video's vintage, curated photos from the National Archives and you have artisanal country-rock at its finest - take that, <b>Ray LaMontagne</b>:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Another beautiful cover, <b>"Copper Kettle,"</b> describes the joys of small-batch whiskey making. (A stripped down version appears on <i>Another Self Portrait</i>):</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCdEKx9qmGBt4SrOTwz-mHY3NwZ9uCiPvf6ceKHvZgVlAUdEdo0liteIpYB2jQtQPCQqYX66FZ5XCnA2-dnhwuZuCacVG6JKcb0og2lTWt5gXNQ8dbiQzFAAWStvOz9T_BzCBdQ/s1600/1970_by_Len_Siegler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCdEKx9qmGBt4SrOTwz-mHY3NwZ9uCiPvf6ceKHvZgVlAUdEdo0liteIpYB2jQtQPCQqYX66FZ5XCnA2-dnhwuZuCacVG6JKcb0og2lTWt5gXNQ8dbiQzFAAWStvOz9T_BzCBdQ/s200/1970_by_Len_Siegler.jpg" width="107" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Bob was living
the trustafarian hipster dream 40 years before it was in vogue – splitting his
time between a place in the village and a sprawling, farm upstate, jamming on vintage instruments with <b>The Band, </b>rocking the seersucker
and a scraggly beard, painting self portraits and putting them on his LP covers, road-tripping with <b>David Crosby</b> to pick up an honorary degree from Princeton, having a bunch of kids who called him Pa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Here's a fascinating in-depth look at Dylan circa 1970, released in conjunction with <i>Another Self Portrait</i>: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/72494889" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/72494889">Bob Dylan - Another Self Portrait Documentary Short</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/columbiarecords">Columbia Records</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">The only thing Woodstock-era Bob wasn’t doing back then is creating his own line of <b>artisanal goat cheese</b>, and given the other things that have come out of his archives, who's to say the next Bootleg Series won't be edible — and, of course, sustainable?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">I have been listening to <b><i>Another Self Portrait</i></b> for several weeks and I would put it on the very top tier of a pretty incredible series of Bootleg Series recordings that began in 1991. Dylan does some of his best-ever singing and it covers my personal favorite period in Dylan's long career. It's a wonderful album to get you through the fall and any other season for that matter. And it pairs nicely with an array of artisanal cheeses and meats. And perhaps a dry Reisling from the Finger Lakes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">If you buy <i>Another Self Portrait</i> on<b> iTunes</b>, spring for the version which contains his full, fantastic 1969 <b>Isle of Wight </b>concert with the Band - use the link below.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Buy <b><i>Another Self Portrait</i></b>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/another-self-portrait-1969/id669690518">iTunes</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=rockturtl-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00DW5IM9Q%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Amazon</a> </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-89612303892308445342013-09-02T13:58:00.000-04:002013-09-02T14:03:21.662-04:00Working in a Coalmine with Rock Turtleneck on Labor Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rock Turtleneck pays tribute to <b>Labor Day</b> and hard-working souls everywhere with the finest worksong ever written: <b>"Working in a Coalmine,"</b> written by New Orleans legend <b>Allen Toussaint</b>, made famous by <b>Lee Dorsey</b>, who took it to #8 on the Billboard charts in 1966, and memorably covered by <b>Devo</b> in the early 1980s.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coalmining seems like the hardest job imaginable - far more demanding than copywriter or blogger. One of the great things about this tune is that the song sounds like coalmining, and it's easy to imagine singing the song whilst mining for coal.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lee Dorsey</b>, "Working in a Coalmine"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that's Jools Holland in the record store.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's <b>Mr. Toussaint </b>playing his tune on... <b><i>Later with Jools Holland</i></b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Q</b>: Are we not coalminers?<b> A: </b>We are <b>Devo</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jools Holland is nowhere to be seen.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's go out with this exuberant version featuring Toussaint, <b>Dr. John, Irma Thomas and Miss Dolly Parton</b> from a 1989 TV special.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EIk5JY4OLLk" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-42609450491948757922013-08-28T22:24:00.003-04:002013-08-28T22:41:10.583-04:00Everybody's Twerking for the Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBRXimav0y_5B7NUjrR90EAMwDGZLTZnBCEWSphUxQkbYax8LRiKZslhp16T30ZZeBGM_VO2G_HOTVAW_YU8tQhVFFGh_E3UrmGUFJ4lu5-pi2yWvF9VpzrLY8C9ktZeGhGncJg/s1600/miley-cyrus-blurred-lines-vma-performance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBRXimav0y_5B7NUjrR90EAMwDGZLTZnBCEWSphUxQkbYax8LRiKZslhp16T30ZZeBGM_VO2G_HOTVAW_YU8tQhVFFGh_E3UrmGUFJ4lu5-pi2yWvF9VpzrLY8C9ktZeGhGncJg/s640/miley-cyrus-blurred-lines-vma-performance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our good friend <b>Bob Dylan </b>once sang that "<i>Sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace</i>," and it follows logically that sometime the worst possible influence on your kids and humanity in general would come as a Disney child star.</span><br />
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That is certainly the case with <b>Miley Cyrus</b>, who gave a truly horrific end-times-worthy performance with <b>Robin Thicke</b> and a bunch of stuffies at the <b>MTV Video Music Awards</b> the other night in Brooklyn, wearing only a skin-toned bikini and wielding a freewheelin' foam finger.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a pathetic attempt to gain attention and do life-support on what's left of her has-been career, a cynical way of saying "<i>I'm not your Hannah Montana anymore</i>."</span><br />
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But in addition to the tween-traumatizing simulated sex acts and rapper cliches, perhaps the most offensive thing about it was just how void of talent or originality she is. Her attempt to get in on the "twerking" fad, in which one shakes one's booty in an exaggerated, almost double-jointed manner, might have been actually interesting had it turned out she were actually a gifted twerker, or for that matter, had a booty. But not only can Cyrus not twerk, she can barely walk across the stage in a rhythmic manner.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To show twerking in its empiric ideal, Jon P., <b>Rock Turtleneck</b>'s Chief Twerkologist, points us in the direction of this video <b>"Twerk" </b>by a Southern-fried filth rapper named <b>Lady Twerk.</b> </span><br />
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Lady Twerk's eponymous ode is to twerking what <b>Chubby Checker</b>'s "Let's Do the Twist" is to the Twist or <b>Los Del Rio</b>'s "Hey Macarena" is to the Macarena: the definitive statement on an era-defining dance craze. As Lady Twerk's video clearly shows, twerking can be an art form when placed in the right, err, hands. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miley's foam finger rubbing her nether regions was a middle finger to the legions of artisanal twerkers out there. The morale of what RT hopes is a career-ending cautionary tale for our all-grown-up Ms. Montana? <i><b>Twerking ain't easy, girl - it's hard werk</b></i>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-56992133561964241752013-08-16T10:05:00.002-04:002013-08-16T10:13:47.756-04:00Celebrate Elvis Death Day with "Elvis at Stax"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z1S5cJewV_LFIjVH4XJeAJfODNaUR3l90O_w13BI5u2Abwone-mHOpIQvebNRFBuZIkgiBfa8ya4icH7CODxtItsrhek75UWQn9TuWa9dUbSf0Cuq1P7yqfFDHCwcA_xF0ihqw/s1600/elvisatstax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Z1S5cJewV_LFIjVH4XJeAJfODNaUR3l90O_w13BI5u2Abwone-mHOpIQvebNRFBuZIkgiBfa8ya4icH7CODxtItsrhek75UWQn9TuWa9dUbSf0Cuq1P7yqfFDHCwcA_xF0ihqw/s640/elvisatstax.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Elvis A(a)ron Presley</b> supposedly "passed away" on this day in 1977. We all know it's a hoax and a conspiracy generated to give <b>the King</b> some time away from the spotlight, but for the purposes of this post, let's just play along, shall we?<br />
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<b>Elvis</b> left behind a vast body, and a vast body of work, much of it overlooked during his lifespan. The most recent archival release from Elvis Presley Enterprises, <b><i>Elvis at Stax</i></b>, looks to be a true must own, and not just because there's a huge golden <b>TCB</b> medallion on the cover.<br />
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<i><b>Elvis at Stax</b></i> collects for the first time the series of 1973 sessions the King did at <b>Stax Studios</b>, Memphis's other legendary sonic cathedral. <b>Sun Studios</b>, as we all know, is where Elvis, <b>Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis </b>and so many others got their start in the 50s.<br />
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But across town was Stax, the hotbed of soul and funk where a few years later <b>Otis Redding, Booker T & the MG's, Wilson Pickett </b>and others wrote the book on Southern-fried soul and R&B.<br />
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Elvis went to Stax to shake things up and plus it was right across town. The results really <b>TCB</b>'d and, as this amazing cover and video of <b>Chuck Berry's "Promised Land"</b> shows, the King still had plenty of gas left in the tank.<br />
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<b><i>Elvis at Stax</i></b> is a welcome addition to the King's Katalogue. It's available in a deluxe 3-CD or single-disc or configurations - I say go whole hog, you know Elvis would.<br />
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Buy <b><i>Elvis at Stax</i></b>:<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/elvis-at-stax/id659316776">iTunes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=rockturtl-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00COCY67A%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Amazon</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-14564946411678012152013-07-18T22:46:00.000-04:002013-07-19T12:40:40.611-04:00Rolling Stone's New Cover: May it Blow Up In Their FacesWhen I first saw the cover of the new <b><i>Rolling Stone</i></b> (I'm sure you've seen it too) my first thought was "is than <b>Andy Samberg</b> from <i>SNL</i>? Or maybe one of the guys from <b>MGMT</b>? Or is one of the <b>Jonas Brothers</b> trying to be taken seriously?"<br />
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I don't get shocked easily but I have to say I was taken aback when I realized it was one of the terrorists who committed the Boston Marathon bombing whose name is not worth mentioning.<br />
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I believe in freedom of expression and of the press and all that stuff, but this crosses a line. <i>Rolling Stone </i>has noted this is a serious investigative piece about the bombing and what led to it, and the millenial generation and I am sure that is true. <i>Rolling Stone</i> does have legit journalism creds and I am all for a deep look at the bombing and the causes behind it. That said, the only reason to put this freak on the cover is to generate publicity and sales which will translate into money. Blood money.<br />
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I have been subscribing to <i>RS</i> on and off for decades. The magazine can sometimes be great, and it has helped me form a lot of my opinions about music and culture, but there has always been a lot of BS in <i>RS</i>. <b>Rock Turtleneck will be canceling its house subscription.</b><br />
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One of the big slogans from the hippie era that <i>Rolling Stone</i> still lives in was "<i>if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem</i>." This cover is part of the problem.<br />
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And the worst thing is, this is hardly the first time <i>Rolling Stone</i> has offended me with one of their covers.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-83468394207485811512013-05-21T19:07:00.001-04:002013-05-21T19:08:34.317-04:00I Need : ) fuel to Keep Me Happy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cWt_btWyE-g_v5pu3yCOtz3wk3j5iCR_wTlskNiohrRxyWXW3QrjeN-PPs9DxJoKW_zOdh559mTs5fYo42yv6IoAM_bJNcBW-8zrIWFYVQrOlxHxgPGBudDI2v6sJ36YPAmCvg/s1600/happyfuelhome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cWt_btWyE-g_v5pu3yCOtz3wk3j5iCR_wTlskNiohrRxyWXW3QrjeN-PPs9DxJoKW_zOdh559mTs5fYo42yv6IoAM_bJNcBW-8zrIWFYVQrOlxHxgPGBudDI2v6sJ36YPAmCvg/s640/happyfuelhome.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I try to keep my robust business and blogging lives separate, but they are coming together this week in what could be called a happy coincidence.<br />
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For a few months now I've been working with some very talented colleagues on an app called <b>: ) fuel</b> (as in "happy fuel"), and it just launched <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fuel/id645030722?mt=8">here</a> at the <b>Apple App Store</b>.<br />
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The premise of the app is very simple: with all the negativity that surrounds social media, <b>: ) fuel</b> is a fun, mobile way to spread happiness. Whether it's a photo, song, video, restaurant or a random thought, : ) lets you store the things that make you happy and fuel them forward to someone whose happy tank is running on fumes. <br />
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You can download <b>: ) fuel</b> at the <b>Apple App Store</b> free <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fuel/id645030722?mt=8">here</a>.<br />
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Many things make <b>Rock Turtleneck</b> happy, but of course music is at the top of the list. In fact one of the things that makes us most happy is actually called <b>"Happy"</b>: the <b>Keith Richards</b>-fueled barnburner that kicks off side 3 of <i><b>Exile on Main St.</b></i><br />
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Watching this clip from the 1972 film <i><b>Ladies & Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones</b></i> is to watch the band at its absolute best. The way Mick & Keith share the mike, one could easily forget that they can barely stand to be together anymore.<br />
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One of the inspirations for <b>: ) fuel</b> is the connection between happiness and health. Studies have shown that their is an unmistakeable link between the two, and if you are looking for proof, look no further than the Stones.<br />
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All of the band members in the 41-year-old clip above are still alive and musically active, including stoic lead guitarist <b>Mick Taylor</b>, who has rejoined the band for their 50th anniversary tour. (Bassist <b>Bill Wyman</b> left the band about 20 years ago but still plays regularly.)<br />
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The Stones seem happily re-inspired by having Taylor back in the band. They even played the Taylor-fueled showstopper <b>"Can't You Hear Me Knocking,"</b> with him for the first time EVER last night in Anaheim.<br />
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Just goes to show the importance of doing what makes you happy.<br />
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Buy <b>: ) fuel </b>at the App Store <a href="http://www.blogger.com/:%20)%20fuel">here</a>.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-43715482931250016572013-05-13T23:06:00.000-04:002013-05-13T23:10:11.556-04:00Vampire Weekend is Back with "Modern Vampires of the City" (And So Is Rock Turtleneck)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rock Turtleneck</b> has been on a well-deserved hiatus for a couple of months but we are back now for a fine reason: the release of <b>Vampire Weekend</b>'s third record <i><b>Modern Vampires of the City</b></i>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There aren't many bands around these days who follow the old-school record-release model by showing tremendous growth and a continuing sense of adventure with each full-length release, but Brooklyn-based Vampire Weekend<b> </b>is one of them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lead single from <i>Modern Vampires</i>, <b>"Diane Young"</b> is a leap forward musically, lyrically and thematically and is weird in all the right ways. It features the only creative use of <b>auto-tune</b> I've heard since the first auto-tuned hit song ever, <b>"Believe"</b> by <b>Cher</b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the Columbia-educated quartet blazing through the tune on <b><i>Saturday Night Live </i></b>a couple nights ago.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"Diane Young" </b>would appear to be a play on "dying young" and features some superlatively erudite lyric writing courtesy of leader <b>Ezra Koenig</b> (2nd from right, above):</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Irish and proud, baby, naturally</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But you've got the luck of a Kennedy</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So grab the wheel and keep holding it tight</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Till you're tottering off into that good night</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If Diane Young won't change your mind</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baby, baby, baby, baby right on time</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps the best part of "Diane Young" is the way he sings "Baby baby baby baby" like another RT favorite, <b>Elvis Presley</b>. Way to <b>TCB</b> gentlemen, you're keeping the right company.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy <b><i>Modern Vampires of the City</i></b> on <b>iTunes </b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/modern-vampires-of-the-city/id613184430">here</a>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-38605403612303998062013-03-17T13:51:00.000-04:002013-03-17T15:11:05.271-04:00Happy St. Paddy's Day from Rock O'Turtleneck & Van Morrison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If <b>Van Morrison</b>'s <i><b>Astral Weeks</b></i> is not in your collection, you should rectify the situation immediately, and St. Patrick's Day would be a fine time to do so.<br />
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Growing up as a budding music geek, I keep seeing <i>Astral Weeks </i>on many "Best of All Time" type of lists in <i><b>Rolling Stone</b></i> and elsewhere, and would see it name-checked as an influence by idols like <b>Peter Buck</b> of <b>R.E.M.</b>, but I never heard it until I was around 40, when I bought it on a whim on iTunes.<br />
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Unlike some records that are regulars on lists like that but I find a little overrated, such as <b>The Beach Boys'</b> <i>Pet Sounds</i>, <b>Captain Beefheart</b>'s <i>Trout Mask Replica</i> or anything by <b>Patti Smith</b>, <i>Astral Weeks</i>' lofty reputation is 100% well deserved. It is the sound of a burst of creative genius by a 23 year-old romantic Irish poet that was thankfully and miraculously caught on tape. The songs don't sound written so much as pulled from our musical collective unconsciousness.<br />
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<b>"Cyprus Avenue"</b> is my favorite track on the 1968 record, seen here in a phenomenal performance recorded at the <b>Filmore East </b>in 1970.<br />
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A few years ago <b>Van the Man</b> did some shows at the <b>Hollywood Bowl </b>and elsewhere where he played <i>Astral Weeks</i> in full - wish I'd gone. Van is a legendarily erratic performer (I saw him open for <b>Bob Dylan</b> in 1998 and he wandered around the stage like he was looking for his bus at the Port Authority), but he looks like he delivered the goods at these shows.<br />
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<b>Happy St. Patrick's Day to Van the Man</b> and my fellow Irishmen, both genuine and otherwise.<br />
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Buy <b><i>Astral Weeks</i></b> on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/astral-weeks/id256611439">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-23873532574421563062013-02-14T15:38:00.000-05:002013-02-14T15:38:05.611-05:00ABC Shows Us the ABCs of Love on Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anyone under the age of 40 or so will be forgiven for not remembering <b>"Valentine's Day"</b> by <b>ABC</b>, which is a shame, because its a melodramatic slice of<b> Roxy Music</b>-styled pop that is well worth knowing, a masterpiece of self-loathing that no doubt made young <b>Morrissey</b>'s songwriting world view bloom.<br />
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<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s" id="line_1">When the postman don't call on Valentine's Day</span>
<span class="line line-s" id="line_2"> </span></span></i><br />
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s" id="line_2">And Santa Claus don't come on a Christmas Day</span>
<span class="line line-s hover" id="line_3"> </span></span></i><br />
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s hover" id="line_3">That umbrella won't work on a rainy day</span>
<span class="line line-s hover" id="line_4"> </span></span></i><br />
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s hover" id="line_4">Don't ask me, I already know</span></span></i><br />
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ABC, led by the Bryan Ferry-ish <b>Martin Frye</b>, took their heavily orchestrated sound and worldview to the top on 1981's <b><i>The Lexicon of Love</i></b>, a Whitman's Sampler of romantic melodrama that also featured <b>"Poison Arrow" </b>and<b> "The Look of Love." </b><br />
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Any one of these tunes wold make an excellent Valentine's Day theme, but the <i>troika</i> of them together is enough to make even the toughest type-A curl up on their couch and wallow in self pity with a pint of <b>Chunky Monkey</b>.<br />
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<b>"Poison Arrow"</b><br />
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<b>"The Look of Love"</b><br />
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<b>Buy</b> ABC's <b><i>The Lexicon of Love</i></b> on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-lexicon-of-love/id386026">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-2384697314108962672013-02-05T14:00:00.002-05:002013-02-05T14:01:36.664-05:00R.I.P. Ed Koch: Mayor of the Late 70s New York Music Scene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As mayor of <b>New York City</b> from 1978 to 1989, <b>Ed Koch </b>not only saw over a near-miraculous socioeconomic recovery of a city that had been written off for dead, but also presided at perhaps the best time ever for the New York music scene.<br />
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Coincidence? Not hardly.<br />
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A lot of people who were alive back then when NYC was on the upswing but still gritty and grimy have fond feelings for those days.<br />
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Granted, the city is much safer now, and being mugged and surviving isn't the badge of honor it once was, but there was a character from back then that is gone now. A lot of that vibe can still be found in the great music that came out of downtown NYC. Here are three of <b>Rock Turtleneck</b>'s all-time favorites.<br />
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<b>Blondie. </b>Just last week, a friend told me that Blondie named their band after the name of Hitler's dog. I'm not even going to bother looking that up because I so want it to be true. It does seem appropriate however, as <b>Debbie Harry</b> resembles some sort of master-race Aryan ideal. Here they are doing <b>"One Way or Another,"</b> a sinister pop song <b>Mick & Keith </b>would be happy to have in their catalog. <i><b>Parallel Lines</b></i> also features "Heart of Glass" and "Hangin' on the Telephone," and is a must-own. <br />
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<b>Ramones. </b>They were punk way before <b>The</b> <b>Clash</b> and the <b>Sex Pistols</b>, but at the time they were also viewed by fellow downtown rockers as high-concept, with their matching outfits and made-up last names, which was taken from <b>"Paul Ramon," </b>the pseudonym <b>Paul McCartney</b> used to check into hotel rooms with at the height of <b>Beatlemania</b>. More importantly than any concept was the fact that they wrote songs that wouldn't have been out of place on <i><b>Meet the Beatles</b></i>. Their high-water mark was 1979's <i><b>Rocket to Russia</b></i>, which featured this ode to pre-Sandy <b>Rockaway Beach</b>. Here they are running through it at downtown music mecca <b>CBGB</b> in 1977.<br />
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<b>Talking Heads.</b> They came from all over the US, met at RISD, made it big in NYC, and brought the entire world into their sound. <b>"Pulled Up,"</b> the final tune on their landmark debut <i><b>Talking Heads: 77</b></i> sounds like it could have been written to Mayor Koch by New York City itself. <br />
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<i>I was complaining, I was down in the dumps</i><br />
<i>I feel so strong now that you've pulled me up</i><br />
<i>Pulled me up up up up up up up up up</i><br />
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<b>RIP & TCB, Hizzoner.</b><br />
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<b>Buy on iTunes:</b><br />
Blondie: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/parallel-lines/id14815509"><i>Parallel Lines</i></a><br />
Ramones: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rocket-to-russia/id251016657"><i>Rocket to Russia</i></a><br />
Talking Heads: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/talking-heads-77-remastered/id124925532"><i>77</i></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-12079536713096401162013-01-30T22:28:00.003-05:002013-01-30T22:32:53.812-05:0044 Years Ago Today: The Beatles Play the Rooftop <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It must have been something to step out for a bite and a pint in chilly January <b>London</b> and heard a racket coming from a nearby roof, only to realize it was England's favourite sons playing their new record.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrGXoqOdN6t7ShlDmOC5rXuRId9jS08_d-h1HPahtkc14n6rICK5K34P0gE0_la6eAuUy24OwqJ3RZ7ICJS41mE2oa8LefgEJbJuiGHdIX38QofThD3EhB-TRVjghaBfs6AerrA/s1600/roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrGXoqOdN6t7ShlDmOC5rXuRId9jS08_d-h1HPahtkc14n6rICK5K34P0gE0_la6eAuUy24OwqJ3RZ7ICJS41mE2oa8LefgEJbJuiGHdIX38QofThD3EhB-TRVjghaBfs6AerrA/s320/roof.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today is the 44th anniversary of <b>The Beatles</b>' final live performance together, on the rooftop of their company Apple in the <i>chichi </i><b>Saville Row</b> section of London.<br />
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<b>Rock Turtleneck </b>commemorated this anniversary <a href="http://rockturtleneck.blogspot.com/2009/01/i-hope-we-passed-audition.html">way back in 2009</a> as well, but the final live performance by the "<i>world's greatest tea room orchestra</i>," as <b>David Frost </b>once called them, bears repeating. </div>
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The lads were at each other's throats at this point, and <b>Yoko Ono</b> was attached to <b>John Lennon</b> like so much shrieking, conceptual Velcro. The band had less than a year left in them. But they were also show-biz pros, so when it was time to play they put all that stuff aside, delivered the goods and passed the audition. </div>
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Amazing to think these grizzled, jaded living legends were all still in their twenties at this point. <b>George Harrison</b>, the youngest Beatle, was all of 25.</div>
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If you have a few minutes, you can watch the entire show from start to finish on YouTube, featuring fave raves like <b>"Get Back," "Don't Let Me Down," "One After 909"</b> and <b>"I've Got a Feeling."</b><br />
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<b>Part I: </b><br />
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<b>Part II:</b><br />
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Last December, the Beatles' organization released <b><i>Magical Mystery Tour</i></b> on DVD for the first time - let's hope a deluxe <b><i>Let it Be</i></b> will be coming our way this Christmastime.<br />
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<b>Comprar</b> <b><i>Let it Be</i></b> de los Beatles en iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/let-it-be/id401151866">aquí</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-59407797999394007312013-01-28T22:22:00.000-05:002013-01-28T22:23:00.950-05:00Dig the Untamed Psychedelic Sounds of Tame Impala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFeoaf7H2s-SxKF3toFnkcarUz6tjMTP2PwgaU7Lr-LqIPBJ0dLSriBM0m7jbCfubjKYJ4QkqekqRHZ1c8YcjGForGcm08fp7f6-HarQrb2sNRjMeg-Ir9ZUNMX4qfmj6CtYGfg/s1600/Tame-Impala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFeoaf7H2s-SxKF3toFnkcarUz6tjMTP2PwgaU7Lr-LqIPBJ0dLSriBM0m7jbCfubjKYJ4QkqekqRHZ1c8YcjGForGcm08fp7f6-HarQrb2sNRjMeg-Ir9ZUNMX4qfmj6CtYGfg/s640/Tame-Impala.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbQpYMtTYMlnXzHrVyf1hDEztYVfonqB4Usp3YYRHgGUTcSQPab0jToc1TzJ5HVLLBm2uyg2yKU2P3ZuWxT1VibLnEBHS7ESUxt8ll4tP6U8aqxrLLX5OzYkMZUXfygjU0_5l5w/s1600/1f7b_TILONERISM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbQpYMtTYMlnXzHrVyf1hDEztYVfonqB4Usp3YYRHgGUTcSQPab0jToc1TzJ5HVLLBm2uyg2yKU2P3ZuWxT1VibLnEBHS7ESUxt8ll4tP6U8aqxrLLX5OzYkMZUXfygjU0_5l5w/s200/1f7b_TILONERISM.jpg" width="195" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A chance subway encounter with friend and fellow copywriter / music lover <b>Josh Fleitas</b> has led to <b>Rock Turtleneck</b>'s latest musical obsession: <b>Tame Impala</b>. This Australian band, described by some as the "<i>psychedelic project of guitarist/songwriter <b>Kevin Parker</b></i>" (I think he's the one on the right above) has been making waves for a couple of years, but somehow the RT radar didn't pick up on it until last week and we've never looked back. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their sophomore record <b><i>Lonerism</i></b> has already shot up to the upper echelons of RT's best of 2012 list. They recall <b>Elliot Smith, Badly Drawn Boy</b>'s first record, and above all, <b><i>Ram</i></b>-era <b>Paul McCartney</b>, particularly on their single <b>"Elephant,"</b> which also has a <i>soupcon</i> of <b>Norman Greenbaum</b>'s <b>"Spirit in the Sky."</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On their <a href="http://www.tameimpala.com/about">website</a>, Tame Impala describe their music thusly: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c2b11; line-height: 18px;"><i>Tame Impala make psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music. It's intended for moving one's body to, and it's intended for keeping still and observing other forms of movement. It's bombastic but it's swirling, think of the shoulder bones of a giant striding feline creature through some kind of tunnel. If Tame Impala's music reminds you of what you'd want to put on when you next visit your mind's engine room then they're happy. If not, whatever, it's just music. Put it on when the sun next shines. Basically it's all about the feeling</i>."</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c2b11; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds good to me. Here's a dreamy gem from <i>Lonerism</i> called <b>"Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"</b> that recalls another McCartney-related project, <b>The Beatles</b>' <b><i>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</i>.</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c2b11; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lonerism</i> is a trippy, melodic delight from down under, from beginning to end, and a surefire way you through the doldrums of winter.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c2b11; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Buy <b><i>Lonerism</i></b> by <b>Tame Impala</b> on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lonerism/id548653298">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c2b11; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-48954743441636566112013-01-22T23:15:00.002-05:002013-01-22T23:17:24.661-05:00The Star Lip-Synced Banner: Beyonce Fakes It At Obama's Innaugural<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reports that <b>Beyonce Knowles</b> stole the show at yesterday's inaugural for <b>President Barack Obama</b>'s second term were quickly replaced by reports that she <b>lip-synced</b> the whole thing to a recording she did the day prior. Personally, I find it almost impossible to tell, and the recording itself is excellent. But her people aren't denying it. Judge for yourself.<br />
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While not a huge fan of either's musical output, <b>Rock Turtleneck </b>bows at the altar of black <i>bootyliciousness</i> that is Beyonce and her husband <b>Jay-Z</b>; they make even a genetically flawless couple like <b>Brangelina</b> look kind of lame in comparison.<br />
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But if you are invited by the President, who has already been top dog for four years and is the first black president ever, and his inaguruation is on <b>Martin Luther King Day</b> no less, and the benediction is given by the widow of black martyr <b>Medgar Evers</b>, then, girlfriend you had better put the tape player on pause and sing live into that mike.<br />
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Beyonce's people said that it was a last minute decision and that even <b>Yo Yo Ma</b> finger-synced it at Obama's first inauguration. It's also been said that <b>Whitney Houston</b>'s legendary version of the SSB from Super Bowl XXV in 1991 was also pre-recorded. but the Super Bowl doesn't have the same kind of historical gravitas.<br />
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It wouldn't be all that surprising if not for the fact that Beyonce's whole diva persona is based on hard work and outperforming and outlasting all who stand in her way. She doesn't look like she's having fun, she looks like she's <i>achieving</i>. In light of these circumstances, <b>Rock Turtleneck moves that Beyonce's diva status be revoked immediately.</b> A true diva would pull an Obama-upstaging tantrum backstage and then give an incredible live performance that makes everyone forget what a pain in the ass she is, because that's what true divas do.<br />
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For Rock Turtleneck, the gold standard of soulful "Star-Spangled Banner"s was laid down by Mr. <b>Marvin Gaye</b> at the <b>1983 NBA All-Star Game</b>. He gave <b>Francis Scott Key</b>'s war-torn ballad just what it needed: a little slice of Sexual Healing. He turned it from a call to arms to a booty call.<br />
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Well done, Marvin. Let me freshen up - I'll be over in half an hour.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-38138858562090220182013-01-15T22:05:00.003-05:002013-01-15T22:05:37.154-05:00Buy a Song for Sandy Hook: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Like the rest of the world, <b>Rock Turtleneck</b> has been deeply saddened and affected by the horrible events at <b>Sandy Hook Elementary School</b> in <b>Newtown, CT</b> last month. Newtown is only a half-hour or so from the RT home base, and without getting into details, we have several friends who were directly affected by the shooting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Tina, Ingrid, Chris</td></tr>
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Music, that mighty healer, is doing its job in Newtown. <b>Chris Frantz</b> and <b>Tina Weymouth</b>, the world-class husband-and-wife rhythm section of <b>Talking Heads</b> and <b>Tom Tom Club </b>fame, who are longtime Connecticut residents, teamed up with producer/<b>CBGB</b> co-owner <b>Tim Hayes </b>and singer-songwriter-ukelelist <b>Ingrid Michaelson</b> to help a group of Sandy Hook students record a version of the <i><b>Wizard of Oz</b></i> standard <b>"Over the Rainbow" </b>to benefit the the non-profit <b>Newtown Youth Academy</b> and the <b>United Way of Western Connecticut</b>.<br />
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The choir was led by Newtown music teacher <b>Sabrina Post </b>and it was recorded at Chris & Tina's nearby home studio.<br />
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A few years back, the music associations RIAA and NEA voted "Over the Rainbow" the greatest song of the 20th Century by, and I think the Newtown version has already taken a place as one of the most touching versions ever.<br />
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This morning, the kids of Sandy Hook sang "Over the Rainbow" on <b><i>Good Morning America</i></b>, and even if you have the iciest of ice water running through your veins, this should thaw it.<br />
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<b>Please send $1.29 of love to Sandy Hook</b> <b>and download "Over the Rainbow" using the links below</b>. It's currently the #1 selling song on Amazon, and you can buy it on iTunes, too.<br />
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<b>Buy "Somewhere Over the Rainbow":</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandy-Hook-Somewhere-Rainbow-Michaelson/dp/B00B0NU0UQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358305089&sr=8-1&keywords=somewhere+over+the+rainbow+sandy+hook">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sandy-hook-somewhere-over/id593201392">iTunes</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32475615.post-58240528827122053522013-01-08T17:28:00.001-05:002013-01-08T17:28:50.358-05:00Lightning Bolt Birthday Boys: Elvis Presley & David Bowie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>January 8th</b> is the biggest birthday in rock music, as it is the birthday for two of its biggest, most original, most protean talents: <b>Elvis Presley</b> who "would be" 78 today, and <b>David Bowie</b> who turns 66. No other day is birthday to two icons of such stature.<br />
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I was pondering this morning what Bowie and the King might have in common, but I couldn't think of a single thing, other than the fact that both are incredibly charismatic. <b>Elvis</b> is American, <b>Bowie</b> is British; <b>Elvis</b> comes from blues and gospel, <b>Bowie</b> comes from Mars; <b>Elvis</b> is unabashedly masculine and heterosexual, <b>Bowie</b> is some sort of futuristic pan- or a- sexual prototype.<br />
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I started digging around online and found a <a href="http://www.5years.com/Triv2.htm">page of Bowie trivia</a> that pointed out that there are actually many things that <b>The King</b> and the <b>Thin White Duke </b>have in common.<br />
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For one, Bowie was a huge Elvis fan, and in 1972 flew from England to New York on a whim to catch an Elvis show at <b>Madison Square Garden</b>. Bowie caused quite the stir when he arrived mid-show in full <b>Ziggy Stardust</b> regalia, sitting near the front and attracting the attention of the King himself.<br />
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But the fact that fascinated most concerns lightning bolt on Bowie's face for his 1973 <i><b>Aladdin Sane</b></i> (aka "A Lad Insane") record, his first after <b><i>The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars</i></b> catapulted him to worldwide renown. I never gave the bolt much thought, and just assumed it was a way of giving the Ziggy character a fresh coat of paint for his new LP.<br />
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But it turns out that the lightning bolt was Bowie's homage to Elvis's then-new <b>TCB</b> logo, which of course features a lightning bolt as well. In Elvis's version, the bolt means "in a flash" as in <b>"Taking Care of Business in a Flash," </b>as in "<i>Elvis wants six peanut butter & banana sandwiches and three U. of Memphis cheerleaders in the Jungle Room and you better make it happen - pronto</i>."<br />
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When Elvis dreamed up his <b>TCB</b> worldview, he wasn't just <b>Taking Care of Business</b>, he was also <b>Taking Care of Bowie</b>. <b>Rock Turtleneck </b>wrote about <b>TCB</b> extensively in 2010 - you can read it <a href="http://rockturtleneck.blogspot.com/2010/08/happy-death-day-elvis-still-tcbing.html">here</a>. <br />
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Even though everyone though he was basically retired, Bowie gave the world a wonderful birthday present today by releasing a new song called <b>"Where Are We Now." </b>Sonically, it recalls the fabled <b>Berlin trilogy</b> of records he created in the 1970s with <b>Brian Eno</b>, but it also has a little of the world-weary stateliness of <b>Bob Dylan</b>'s <i>Time Out of Mind</i>.<br />
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Let's bring it all back home with the King, as in <b><i>King Creole.</i></b> Here our hero sings <b>"Mean Woman Blues"</b> and kicks ass in every conceivable sense of the term.<br />
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<b>Buy on iTunes:</b><br />
David Bowie, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/where-are-we-now/id590844404?i=590844603">"Where Are We Now"</a><br />
Elvis Presley, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mean-woman-blues/id261066640?i=261066862">"Mean Woman Blues"</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5