Elvis Costello and Friends Play Dead

In what has to be the greatest television show in history, Elvis Costello's "Spectacle" featured an episode with guests Allen Toussaint, Levon Helm, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson, and Larry Campbell. That would be cool enough, but imagine my surprise when they busted into the Grateful Dead classic "Tennessee Jed"!

A fantastic version of this kicks off Levon's excellent "Electric Dirt" release from last year, but this is a kick just to hear Costello sing it and to relish in Toussaint and Thompson's great musical flourishes. Jerry Garcia would be very proud.

After years of trying to explain to people that The Dead were far richer then just stoned, noodling jam musicians, you have no idea how happy I am that folks are finally noticing how great their songwriting was. This may just be one of my favorite covers of all time!

Wilco Cover Neil Young

One week from tonight I will be seeing Wilco in Madison, WI and I sincerely hope they play this one!!

The band learned the Neil Young/Buffalo Springfield classic "Broken Arrow" for a Music Cares benefit show that took place a couple of weeks ago in which all the artists played Neil tunes. By all accounts, their performance of this bizarre, challenging track was the evening's highlight. It seems the band liked it enough that it showed up in the encore of their tour opener the other night.

Check it out for yourself and see why Wilco continues to be one of my favorite working bands....

And the Best Anti-Drug Song of All Time is......

Don't, Don't, Don't Do it!!!!!!