Category: Music
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Eric Clapton ‘Culturally Appropriates’ Robert Johnson
Talk of 'cultural appropriation,' as knuckleheaded leftists use this phrase, is bullshit. But bullshit is the stock-in-trade of the divisive and destructive Left. Now enjoy the white boy's blistering performance. Finally, with all due respect and gratitude, give a listen to Robert Johnson. ……………… London Ed responds: No problem with ‘cultural appropriation’, which is the…
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Bob Dylan on Moby Dick
Bob Dylan finally gave his Nobel Prize for Literature lecture. I'm impressed. Besides his musical he mentions his literary influences. He cites many of the books I read as assigned readings in high school, books he claims to have read as assigned readings in grammar school! I'm talking about some serious tomes: Moby Dick, Ivanhoe,…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Grave Matters
Mattie Earp was the first common-law wife of Wyatt Earp. She is buried in the Pinal Pioneer Cemetery a little east of where I live. I located her gravesite a few days ago and took the picture to the left. 'A. T.' abbreviates 'Arizona Territory.' More photos and commentary later, perhaps. For now, a few tunes. Carter…
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Friday Cat Blogging! Catfish Blues
Cultural appropriation and an egregious insult to cats! Canned Heat, Catfish Blues, circa 1967. I forgot how good and distinctive Henry Vestine's guitar work is on this cut. From their first album, Canned Heat. I bought it when it first came out. Mint condition still. Not for sale! Heard 'em live at a club called…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Amateur Nite
There is a lot of unsung talent out there in the Land of YouTube. Check out the 'classic' covers by this cutie who goes by the name of Sayaka Alessandra: Dream Lover. Che bella ragazza! Bobby Darin's original. Then He Kissed Me. The Crystals' original with the famous Phil Spector 'wall of sound.' The Beach…
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The Lou Reed Ruckus
Can one take a walk on the wild side in a safe space? Apparently not. Related articles The Decline of the West Proceeds Apace A Case Against Withdrawal The Age of Feeling or the Age of Pussies?
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: ‘Strange’ Songs
In three categories: Rock, Religion, Romanticism. Cream, Strange Brew Doors, People are Strange Doors, Strange Days Mickey and Sylvia, Love is Strange, 1956 Stanley Bros., Rank Strangers. Utterly deplorable. Eva Cassidy, Wayfaring Stranger Johnny Cash, Wayfaring Stranger Frank Sinatra, Strangers in the Night To be is to do (Socrates). To do is to be (Sartre).…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Session Players and Sidemen: Bruce Langhorne
We raise our glasses tonight in tribute to the unsung session players who added so much to our Boomer soundtrack. Back in the '60s we assiduous readers of liner notes came across the name 'Bruce Langhorne' again and again. The mood of so many of those memorable tunes by Dylan, Baez, Peter, Paul, and Mary,…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Weather Conditions
Earl Scruggs and Friends, Foggy Mountain Breakdown Ella Fitzgerald, Misty. Beats the Johnny Mathis version. A standard from the Great American Songbook. Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze. Not from the Great American Songbook. And presumably not about weather conditions. Cream, Sunshine of Your Love Tom Waits, Emotional Weather Report Art Garfunkel and James Taylor, Crying in…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Leaving, Good Bye, Farewell
Lynn Anderson, Red River Valley. A very satisfying version. Stevie Nicks' effort is a bit overdone. A spare Woody Guthrie version. Classic Americana. No Woody, no Ramblin' Jack Elliot, no Dylan. Bob Dylan, Farewell. Oscar Isaac and Marcus Mumford, Fare Thee Well. Fabulous. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, What's So Good About Goodbye? Paul McCartney,…
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Holy Saturday Night at the Oldies: Render unto Caesar . . .
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's . . . Have you stateside readers settled accounts with the Infernal Revenue Service? If yes, order up one scotch, one bourbon, and one beer and enjoy this live version of Taxman featuring Harrison and Clapton. Stevie Ray Vaughan's blistering version. . . . and render unto God…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: ‘Foolish’ Songs
April Fool's Weekend found me in a fool's paradise, LaLaLand. So I'm seven days late and several dollars short, but here for your auditory amusement are some tunes in celebration or bemoanment of human folly the chief instance of which is romantic love. Who has never been played for a fool by a charming member…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: An Appeal to Obstructionist Dems
Wilbert Harrison, Let's Work Together. Canned Heat cover. The original beats all covers. Youngbloods, Get Together Jackie De Shannon, Put a Little Love in Your Heart Jackie De Shannon, What the World Needs Now is Love. Love trumps hate, Nancy Pelosi. And while we've got this cutie (Jackie, not Nancy!) cued up: When you Walk…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Street Songs
Rolling Stones, Street Fighting Man Gerry Rafferty, Baker Street. From the far-off and fabulous summer of '78. Bob Dylan, Positively 4th Street. This isn't Dylan, but a creditable cover. Johnny Rivers' version, endorsed by Dylan in his Chronicles, vol. I. Simon and Garfunkel, 59th Street Bridge Song Martha and the Vandellas, Dancing in the Street…
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Saturday Night at the Oldies: Ten from the Billboard Top 100 from 25 February 1967
The Seekers, Georgy Girl. Chart position: #5 The Australian group's first hit (1965) was I'll Never Find Another You. Sonny and Cher, The Beat Goes On. Chart position: #6. Inane lyrics. "The teeny bopper is our new born king." Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Lovin. Charted at #7. Captures the Dionysian drive of R &…