Down The River to the Wrecking Ball

Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound; I can feel my heart begin to pound... Bruce Springsteen - No Surrender

I am going to see Bruce Springsteen at the YUM Center in Louisville, KY this weekend.  This will be my 14th Springsteen concert.  It all started in 1980 on The River Tour.  After that show I was hooked!!  Since that time I collected all his music and up until his recent 2 tours, I had seed them all; failing to see him only on the Seeger Sessions and Working On a Dream Tours, in which he came nowhere near my town.  I have seen Bruce in 2 states and 4 different venues.  Here's the list:

• 1980 - The River Tour (1 show)
• 1984 - Born in the U.S.A. Tour (3 shows)
• 1988 - Tunnel of Love Tour (1 show)
• 1992 - Human Touch/Lucky Town Tour (1 show)
• 1996 - The Ghost of Tom Joad Solo Tour (1 show)
• 2000 - The Reunion Tour (2 shows)
• 2002 - The Rising Tour (2 shows)
• 2005 - Devils and Dust Solo Tour (1 show)
• 2008 - Magic Tour (1 show)

It's Only The Shins

I've been down the very road you're walking now; It doesn't have to be so dark and lonesome ... The Shins - It's Only Life

I've been listening to The Shins latest Port of Morrow. It's has taken several listens, but it is really growing on me. Check out the video to It's Only Life

The Black Keys Tour Rehearsal

Well I'm so above you and it's plain to see but I came to love you any way...  The Black Keys - Lonely Boy

I got to see The Black Keys in Cincinnati, OH back in early March at the beginning of thier El Camino Tour.  It was a night to remember in a lot of ways, but the concert was excellent with the Keys ripping through the new material, as well as their best from earlier albums.

Back in December prior to the tour, the Keys recorded the rehearsals and are now releasing a 6 song EP of thier "live in the Studio" perfomances.  The songs are available on itunes now but will released as a CD in a few weeks.

The Black Keys
TOUR REHEARSAL TAPES

1. Dead and Gone (Live In Studio)

2. Gold on the Ceiling (Live In Studio)

3. Lonely Boy (Live In Studio)

4. Next Girl (Live In Studio)

5. Run Right Back (Live In Studio)

6. Tighten Up (Live In Studio)

1964 Once Again

 

If there's anything that you want; If there's anything I can do; Just call on me and I'll send it along with love from me to you... The Beatles - From Me To You

 



I just wanted to do a quick review of the show that I saw last night 1964... The Tribute.  The show was played outdoors at our local festival which just added to the fun.  The band was very engaging dressed and acting the part of the Fab 4.  They were funny between songs and spot on with their sound and mannersims.  The focus of the music, as you would imagine, was the early Beatles from 1962-66.  They played all the early classics.  If you get a chance to see them, let them take you back to 1964.  Great fun, great fun!!

 

 

 

The Beatles 1964

Just let me hear some of that rock and roll music, any old way you choose it... The Beatles - Rock and Roll Music

I am excited to be seeing The Beatles tribute band 1964 this weekend.  As a big fan of the Fab 4 I have enjoyed seeing several of these acts including Rain, 1964 and Get Back.  I have also seen LOVE in Las Vegas and a tribute to John Lennon (A Day in the Life).

Obviously these don't compare to seeing Paul McCartney in Cincinnati, OH in 2011.  Seeing Paul live was as close to seeing The Beatles as I'm ever going to get.  Wow!  What a great show!   Paul played songs from his great Band on the Run album as well as classic Beatle songs.

This may not be the real thing, but tomorrow night let's pretend for a few hours that it is 1964.

Magical Mystery Tours Again

Roll up, roll up for the Magical Mystery Tour! Step right this way!... The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

From http://thebeatles.com:

Watch Magical Mystery Tour On The Big Screen!

To celebrate the release of Magical Mystery Tour, the restored film will be shown on the big screen for the very first time and include some never before seen footage and interviews.

br /> Goo goo goo joob goo goo goo joob

The Corners Best of 2011

I can't help it if I fall in love with you again, I'm calling just to let you know it dawned on me... (Wilco - Dawned On Me)

2011 was a great year for me personally and another fine year in terms of music. As usual, there was music that seemed to come from nowhere: The Decemberists, The High Dials, R.E.M. (sounded a bit like earlier R.E.M.); music from old reliables: Wilco and John Hiatt. I saw some great shows this year: John Prine, Steve Earle, My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers and much to my surprise Paul McCartney.

Sadly we lost some artists including the great Clarence Clemons. Bruce Springsteen is planning to release new music and tour in 2012, but it is hard to imagine E Street without the Big Man. The White Stripes and R.E.M. annouced their breakups from their web pages. Music will continue in 2012, but let's look back.

Top 10 CDS of 2011

1. The Decemberists - The King is Dead - The music is classic "folk rock" with a twist of R.E.M. Peter Buck plays on several songs and you can hear the R.E.M. influence.. Highlights include Down By the Water, The Calamity Song, Rox in the Box and This Is Why We Fight. The lyrics are interesting and the CD is solid throughout.

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2. Wilco - The Whole Love - Another outstanding outting from Chicago's best. Jeff Tweedy and company seem more confident and the CD is more even than recent releases Highlights include Dawned On Me, Born Alone, Capitol City, Standing O and The Art of Almost.

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3. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.'s comeback album was short live whent the band annouced thier breakup later in the year. This release hearkens back to earlier R.E.M. Highlights include Mine Smell Like Honey, It Happened Today, Uberlin and Oh My Heart.

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4. My Morning Jacket - Circuital - I must admit that after 2008's CD of the year Evil Urges, I was a bit disappointed with Circuital. It's not that it is not a fine record, my expectations were probably too high. Circuital contains several really good songs including Victory Dance, First Light, Circuital and Outta My System.

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5. The High Dials - Anthems For Doomed Youth -Music like this is a breath of fresh air. They don't make music like this anymore or do they? The High Dials play homage to the 60's or 70's but manage to still sound fresh. Plenty of highlights abound, but Teenage Love Made Me Insane, I'm Over You (I Hope It's True), Uruguay and Snowed In should be heard.

6. John Hiatt - Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns
7. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive

8. Old 97's - The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2
9. The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
10. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

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Top 10 Songs of 2011

1. The Decemberists - Down By the Water
2. The Decemberists - The Calamity Song
3. Wilco - Dawned On Me
4. R.E.M. - Mine Smell Like Honey
5. The High Dials - Teenage Love Made Me Insane
6. The Decemberists - This is Why We Fight
7. R.E.M. - It Happened Today
8. My Morning Jacket - First Light
9. The Decemberists - Rox in the Box
10. Wilco - Born Alone

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Top Concert 2011

2011 was really a fantastic year in terms of concerts. I saw John Prine, My Morning Jacket, Steve Earle and The Avett Brothers. However, the best concert of the year was hands down (or hands up) Paul McCartney at The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH. Paul was fantastic, sounded and looked great. He ran through classic song after classic, from The Beatles All My Lovin', Blackbird, Elanor Rigby to his great solo stuff from Band On the Run, Mrs. Vanderbilt and Jet. One of the best concerts that I have ever seen period.

Good Bye Ear X-Tacy

And there goes your freedom of choice, there goes the last human voice and there goes the last DJ... (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - The Last DJ)


It's sad times as the local music stores fade. One of my favorites Ear X-tacy in Louisville, Ky annouced it's closure this week. This store along with Lexington KY's CD Central are 2 of the best music stores that I have ever visited. Digital music has it's good points, but there is nothing like searching through those music bins looking for the rare, hard to find, out of print or even a common everyday disc. Time moves forward, but I long for the old days. Ear X-tacy you will be missed.

The Local Record Store

Buys every rock and roll book on the magazine stand; Every dime that he get is lost to the jukebox man... (The Beatles - Bad Boy)

The one thing about life is that it constantly changes... for worse and for better... all at the same time. The same goes for music. We lose great artists and we gain great artists. The styles and trends constantly change; I grew up really loving 1960's era music...The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and so forth. As a teenager I can remember pouring through record bins looking for those records and the latest releases. In those days there were good record stores all around. Later in my college days I discovered Cut Corner Records in Lexington, KY. The store was magical. It had rare albums and records from groups that I was just discovering. As records gave way to cd's, Cut Corner Records became CD Central.

I still visit CD Central whenever I am in Lexington. Another one of my all time favorite record shops is in Louisville and is the famous Ear X-Tacy. We need to support these stores any chance we get.
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Paul McCartney On the Run in Cincinnati

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song... (Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed)

I saw Paul McCartney in Cincinnati, OH at The Great American Ballpark last thursday. What a great show! Paul looked fit and young for a man of 69; he acted like a man enjoying what he was doing and sounded like Paul McCartney. The setlist included classic after classic; 5 songs from Paul's Band on the Run album and some of Paul's great Beatle songs from All My Lovin' to Blackbird to Eleanor Rigby... Paul did tributes to George Harrison playing Something on ukelele and to John Lennon with A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance.

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The show started with the appropriate Hello Goodbye and finished with an awesome medley from Abbey Road Golden Slumber/Carry That Weight/The End. The band did an excellent job of recreating the sounds of the records. Fantastic....