... my favorite drummer (along with Keith Moon) Ringo Starr has recently put out his best album in years. It is a fine one. Aided by artists such as Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Lucius and Larkin Poe and produced by super-producer T-Bone Burnett, Ringo’s Look Up is a country flavored joy. Burnett tends to bring out the best in whoever he works with and he has done it here once again.
My favorite Concert of 2025: The Avett Brothers / Houndmouth
I wrote about it in a previous blog:
The Avett Brothersare amazing in concert. First of all, they are uber talented singers and fantastic musicians, but they also connect with the audience so well. Friday night, they played about 2 1/2 hours of passionate, fun music. Their set covered their entire catalogue, and the audience knew the songs, singing along at any opportunity.
This was a hard one. I saw 2 other great shows last year:
(1) Burton Cummings at the Lexington Opera House (I wrote in a previous post)
I was fortunate enough recently to get to see Burton Cummings formerly of The Guess Who. For a man in his late 70's he looked great and still had his voice. He played a great set that included all of the great Guess Who classics and even his great solo song Stand Tall. The Canadian played keyboards and even flute on Undone.
(2) The Minus 5, The Baseball Project, Chris Stamey & more at the Mountain Stage in Charleston, WV
I wanna see Dale Murphy in the Hall of Fame, Forget about the cheaters and all the steroid eaters... The Baseball Project - To The Veterans Committee
This was my 3rd time attending a live Mountain Stage, a radio show that is recorded in Charleston, WV. The show is recorded for broadcast at a later date and featured a stellar lineup of Loose Cattle, Bob Mould, Chris Stamey, The Minus 5 & The Baseball Project. The host of the show was Charleston's own Conor Knighton, an actor and correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning.
I am a major fan of the 1980's power pop/college rock band The dB's. It was great to see the former leader of that band, Chris Stamey. He performed side 1 of his latest album Anything is Possible. His band included a string and flute section and sounded terrific. One of the highlights was when Stamey and the band played a fine rendition of Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder), a cover of The Beach Boys' classic song from Pet Sounds.
The Minus 5featured R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on bass guitar and Mike Mills on keyboards, along with Scott McCaughey on guitar and vocals, Steve Wynn on guitar and Linda Pitmon on drums. The Minus 5 leaned heavily on their just released new album Oar on, Penelope!
playing 3 new songs including the power pop sound ofLet the Rope Hold, Cassie Lee. The band played 6 songs in total and after a short break came back on stage, with Peter Buck switching to guitar and Mike Mills on bass.
Other than that, the exact same band as noted by the host, but under the name of The Baseball Project, who also played 6 songs as well. Highlights included Mike Mills singing To the Veteran's Committee, his ode for Atlanta Brave's Dale Murphy and Disco Demolition, a song about Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, Chicago back in 1979.
Doo-Ron-Rona and the Duke of Earl - they were friends of mine... The Guess Who (Burton Cummings) - Clap For the Wolfman
I was fortunate enough recently to get to see Burton Cummings formerly of The Guess Who. For a man in his late 70's he looked great and still had his voice. He played a great set that included all of the great Guess Who classics and even his great solo song Stand Tall. The Canadian played keyboards and even flute on Undone.
The Guess Who was a very underappreciated band that produced an impressive singles list and some fine underrated albums. One of my favorite albums of theirs is 1969's Wheatfield Soul which features These Eyes and I Found Her In a Star. Another favorite of mine is 1974's Road Food. This one feature Star Baby, Road Food & Clap For the Wolfman. Burton introduced Clap for the Wolfman, saying that he got to know the Wolfman on their appearances on The Midnight Special and became friends. So, he wrote the song in tribute to him...a fine tribute.
If you go, the bottomless cup runs out... The Jayhawks - Bottomless Cup
Tim O'Reagan is known as the drummer, backup vocalist and occasionally lead singer for the seminal Americana band The Jayhawks. He has also written and/or co-written many songs for the band including the fantastic Bottomless Cup featured below.
In 2005 he released a self-titled solo album. I discovered the album recently and I highly recommend it. O'Reagan's songs are very melodic and Americana sounding. His voice reminds you of a Lennon/Dylan combination. Some of the highlights for me include the opening tract These Things, River Bends, Just Like You, etc...
Igot to see the Jayhawks in concert last year. They were fantastic.
If you should ever leave me, well, life would still go on, believe me... The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Brian Wilson died today. He was 82.
For the past several years, I have listened to The Beach Boys quite a bit. I have gained a real appreciation for their music. In 2022, I got to see Brian Wilson, along with Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin in concert. Although it wasn't the young vibrant Brian Wilson, I am glad to have seen him.
Well the joint was jumpin', going 'round and 'round... Chuck Berry / The Rolling Stones - Around and Around
I can remember watching a rerun of this clip, probably 14 years after it was shown live on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. I was in High School and my friend and I both laughed at and loved the way Mick Jagger clapped as he sang.
The Rolling Stones recorded this Chuck Berry classic on their 1964 EP Five By Five.
Tom, get your plane on time, I'll know your part will go fine; fly down to Mexico... Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy in New York
Simon & Garfunkel released their final album in 1970, Bridge Over Troubled Water. The great album contained the song The Only Living Boy in New York. It's a brilliant song and sounds great with headphones.
From what I have read, Paul Simon was left in the studio to finish the album as Art Garfunkel had flown to Mexico to film the movie Catch-22. Paul refers to Art as Tom, because they used to perform as Tom & Jerry.
I discovered Josh Lee Turner on YouTube just before Covid and became a big fan of his channel. The first video that I saw of his was with the cast of The Simon & Garfunkel Story doing the Buffalo Springfield classic For What It's Worth and I was hooked. I think I watched every one of his videos. To top it off, I ended getting to see The Simon & Garfunkel Story in 2000, just prior to the lockdown. It was a fantastic show, and Josh Lee Turner was the guitarist. This video captures his talent as well as the greatness of this song.
I paid all my dues so I picked up my shoes, I got up and walked away... Roger Daltrey - Giving It All Away
The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey released 3 great solo albums in the 1970's:
His firstwas 1973'sDaltrey, an acoustic affair with songs written by Leo Sayer, David Courtney and Adam Faith.
The next was 1975's Ride a Rock Horse, a more R&B sounding record. Russ Ballard contributed several songs for this album including the fantastic Near to Surrender.
The final of the three was released in 1977 and titled One of the Boys. Daltrey brought out some big names on this one including bandmate John Entwistle, Eric Clapton, Rod Argent, Mick Ronson and others. Paul McCartney even wrote the song Giddy for Daltrey. This album sounds more like a Who record than the others.
That little voice in my head's all that keeps me from sinking down come sundown... Bruce Springsteen - Sundown
Bruce Springsteen's releases since the 1980's have been somewhat uneven. I think his 2 best albums since his run of great albums, are 2002's The Rising and 2019's Western Stars.
The Rising struck the right chord after the horrific events of September 11, 2001 (911). The album was somber, but somehow uplifting. It was easily one of the best albums of that decade.
Western Stars was a complete unexpected genre change and complete winner. I read interviews where Bruce said that he wanted to release different types of music. In 2006 he released an album of traditional folk music sans The E Street Band. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions sounded like it would have been at home at a 1960's hootenanny. Then in 2022 he released Only the Strong Survive, an R&B covers album. The album was solid, but maybe not spectacular.
On Western Stars Bruce hit his stride... in cowboy boots. The album is a throwback to 1970's west coast sounds of the music of Glen Campbell / Jimmy Webb. The songs are lush and full and contain stories about loners and drifters.
I've underestimated your effect on me or maybe I was too blind to see... The Greenhornes - Underestimator
The Raconteurs released the great album Broken Boy Solider in 2006. What initially seemed to me to be a Jack White vehicle, later I realized I underestimated the importance of the other 3 members. First, I really got into Brendan Benson's great power pop type music. Then later I discovered Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler's band The Greenhornes. Their sound is reminiscent of 1960's garage rock and in particular The Animals. I guess it is no coincident that they recorded with Eric Burdon in 2012.
I have been collecting their music, but some of their discs are hard to find or really expensive. I guess to sum it up I will quote the great Michael Scott - "Next time you will estimate me".
