Happy Birthday John Coltrane

Happy Birthday to my favorite jazz artist. No one could create so much emotion from their instrument like Coltrane. Below is 90 blissful minutes of proof!

Bob Dylan Quote of the Day

No...this isn't another example of the magnificent lyrical poetry Dylan has been writing since 1962. This is a quote from his recent Rolling Stone cover story. I freaking love this!!

From Spinner.com:

This is what Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone about people who criticize him for copping lyrics from Japanese authors and Civil War poets, and how it pertains to his decision to go electric in the '60s:

"These are the same people that tried to pin the name Judas on me. Judas, the most hated name in human history! If you think you've been called a bad name, try to work your way out from under that. Yeah, and for what? For playing an electric guitar? As if that is in some kind of way equitable to betraying our Lord and delivering him up to be crucified. All those evil motherfuckers can rot in hell."

"A Benediction": Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band, Wrigley Field-Chicago, IL

As the heavens opened and a massive rain began to fall Saturday night in Chicago, Bruce Springsteen looked to the sky and told the crowd "it's good.....like a benediction." I am not a religious man but as a veteran of 10+ Bruce concerts, I have often thought that his shows must be like what church does for many. Bruce and his fans just happen to worship at the alter of rock and roll!

At this point his career, no one should need me to tell them how communal and downright spiritual an experience a Bruce show can be. I certainly didn't need any more validation of that, but once again The Boss exceeded all of my already ridiculous expectations! For me, the fact that Bruce chose to play completely off-stage by the crowd in the pouring rain for the entire last hour of the show just proved how much he really cares about his fans. That gesture kept everyone from caring about their wet hair or soaking bodies and brought everyone that much closer together. It really was a magnificent thing to behold.

Oh, how was the music? Let's just say that in a show that featured amazing and moving guest appearances by hometown natives Eddie Vedder ("My Hometown", "Darkness on the Edge of Town")and Tom Morello ("Death to My Hometown, "This Depression", "Ghost of Tom Joad", "Badlands"), those appearances weren't necessarily the highlights for most. For me, that highlight was the crazy fun, rain-drenched "Born to Run> Rosalita> Dancing in the Dark> Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" sandwich!

Listening to Bruce perform 1980's "The Ties that Bind" live, it was as if time went back and the band had never made the 11 albums in-between. The beauty of his show is that the old fit perfectly next to majestic performances of the new material, mostly because Bruce is still signing about the themes that affect all of us; work, love, community, sense of purpose, ghosts, right and wrong, and hope for a better world. Seeing Bruce perform the new song "We Take Care of Our Own" (a little over a week after President Obama used it after his convention speech) was one of the most moving performances I have seen him do. Not because he is singing some left-wing, Democratic anthem but because it is a song about asking the questions we should ALL be asking, and Bruce sung it as if he needed the answers....NOW!

"Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see
Where's the hearts that run over with mercy
Where's the love that has not forsaken me
Where's the work that'll set my hands, my soul free
Where's the spirit to reign rain over me
Where's the promise, from sea to shining sea
Where's the promise, from sea to shining sea"

After 28 years of seeing Bruce Springsteen live, I can honestly say that my passion and enthusiasm for him is only stronger in 2012 then it was in 1984. How many career artists can you even think to say that about? Just like when he was first starting out as a struggling musician, I know he still needs us, the music community still needs him, and I know for certain that the older I get, the more I realize how much I need Bruce!

Setlist:
The Promised Land
The Ties That Bind
No Surrender
Hungry Heart
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
My City of Ruins
E Street Shuffle
Pay Me My Money Down
This Depression (with Tom Morello)
My Hometown (with Eddie Vedder)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (with Eddie Vedder)
Because the Night
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Who'll Stop the Rain (solo acoustic)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
Badlands (with Tom Morello)
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land (with Morello and Vedder)

Happy 60'th Joe Strummer!

"A few years before his death, a GQ writer asked Strummer if he had any regrets. "No," he said. "I never think like that. Never." He added, "And anyway, the hell with it. Life's about your friendships, the way you love your partner, the way you care for your children. that is what life is about."

As hard as this is to believe, today would have been Joe Strummer's 60'th Birthday. His loss was a huge loss for so many reasons. Many of them are below....

Here is a wonderful tribute by Jeff Whelan that is much better than anything I could write.

New Aimee Mann

What's better then a new Aimee Mann album? Not much, but a killer video for the title track featuring actress Laura Linney as an Aimee Mann robot is hard to beat. I just love this!!

Oh...and the new album is pure Aimee pop goodness. Check it out!

17 Years Ago.....

It was 17 years ago today I noticed the local radio station had been playing an unusual amount of Grateful Dead music that day. Then my co-worker came in and broke the news. As a huge Deadhead who had seen and heard Jerry's major decline in the past couple of years, I was still completely shocked and frankly still am. He was one of those rare artists who seemed timeless....as if they would and had to live forever. You simply couldn't imagine a world without them.

With the amazing amount of music he left us with, he has never really left me. Below is a show I was blessed to attend and the way I love to remember Jerry....full of life, creativity, and sweet music!!

Neil Young and Crazy Horse on the Road!

The ever-awesome Neil Young and Crazy Horse are back on the road for the first time in 8 years supporting the newly released "Americana" album; Neil's collection of American folk/rock standards. In typical bizarre Neil fashion, the shows are featuring only one song from the album while the setlists have featured no less than five never before heard original tunes. The new songs range from a reflective acoustic ditty about Neil's love of older music to the fiery garage rave-ups The Horse do so well.

One has to assume this stuff will come out on a new studio album at some point but like all things Neil Young.....who knows?! Enjoy some of the great new tunes below (song titles taked from the Sugar Mountain fan site.


"Born in Ontario"



"Twisted Road"



"For the Love of Man"



"Psychedelic Pill"