Playoffs? Day 2

Out here in the fields...

It's the time of the year where the Super Bowl hype will soon begin. I generally enjoy the hoopla; the game, the food, the commercials - the half time show... Through the years there have been some great half time shows (U2, Tom Petty & Paul McCartney) and some controversial ones. As the world knows by now the Boss and his band of merry men, The E Street Band, are going to perform their version of the super bowl shuffle. Timed with the February 1 show is the release of Working On a Dream, Bruce's and the Boys (and Girls) lastest project. Having heard 2 songs through early releases, Working On a Dream and My Lucky Day, I have high expectations for both the CD and the Halftime Show.
[Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Super Bowl ad]

After going 0-2 yesterday, we shall overcome or at least continue.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins

Baltimore Ravens:
The Counting Crows released their fantastic debut cd in 1993 August and Everything After. The CD produced by producer extraordinaire T-Bone Burnett, whose list of production include The Wallflowers' Bringing Down The Horse, Los Lobos' How Will The Wolf Survive?, O Brother Where Art There soundtrack, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss's Raising Sand and many others. August and Everything After contained the hits Mr. Jones and Rain King, as well as other excellent songs including Sullivan Street, Anna Begins, Omaha and Raining In Baltimore.

[The Counting Crows - Raining in Baltimore (lyrics)]

Ravens are black birds and members of the crow family, ironcially enough. In 1968 The Beatles released the sprawling double album know as The White Album. The classic album flows together, despite being almost like 4 solo albums merged together. One of the Paul McCartney gems was Blackbird, an ode to the civil rights movement. Paul sings "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly; All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise".

[Paul McCartney - Blackbird]

Miami Dolphins:
Bono sang on U2's 1997 Miami: "Weather 'round here chopping and changing; Surgery in the air; Print shirts and southern accents; Cigars and big hair; We got the wheels, petrol's cheap; We only went there for a week; Got the sun, got the sand Got the batteries in the handycam... "

The Notorious Byrd Brothers released in 1968 was the fifth album by The Byrds. The group in constant change having just booted David Crosby and about to add Gram Parsons to their fold and to go on to record and release their Alt-Country landmark Sweethearts of the Rodeo. Dolphin's Smile from Notorious was written by The Byrds' big three Roger McGuinn, David Crosby and Chris Hillman.


[The Byrds - Dolphin's Smile]

My Pick: Baltimore Ravens over Miami Dolphis 17-15


Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles:
The 1993 Oscar award winning film Philadelphia contained a terrific soundtrack. It featured the Academy Award winning song by Bruce Springsteen; The Streets of Philadelphia, as well as a great song by Neil Young; Philadelphia.

[Neil Young - Philadelphia (live Academy Award Show]



The Steve Miller Band released a powerful song and album in 1976 both titled Fly Like An Eagle. The song went to No. 2 on the charts and became a hit again when Seal remade the song for the movie Space Jam.Minnesota Vikings:

The Hold Steady are from Brooklyn, NY with Minnesota roots. Many of their songs reflect those roots such as Stuck Between Stations from 2006's Boys and Girls in America: "He loved the Golden Gophers but he hated all the drawn out winters. He likes the warm feeling but he’s tired of all the dehydration; Most nights were kind of fuzzy, but that last night he had total retention; These Twin Cities kisses sound like clicks and hisses".

[The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations (live on Letterman)]

In 1995 I attended the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and saw many artists, including Los Lobos. The Wolves played great songs from throughout their catalogue. Late in their set they played homage to Neil Young with his Cinnamon Girl. From their 1999 CD This Time comes the song Viking.

[Los Lobos - Viking]

My Pick: Philadelphia Eagles over Minnesota Vikings 24-18