From Memphis To Mars

Love is a marathon, sometimes with puke... The Old 97's - Longer Than You've Been Alive

The Old 97's new album is aptly named Most Messed Up.  The first song released from it is the self biographical Longer Than You've Been Alive; a very funny tune with lines: "We’ve been in nightclubs and we’ve been in bars, honkytonks and theaters from Memphis to Mars; Most of our shows were a triumph of rock, although some nights I might have been checking the clock"

Rock and roll has been very, very good to me...

It's Decoration Day

It's Decoration Day... - The Drive-By Truckers

Jason Isbell was a member of The Drive-By Truckers for 3 albums. During this period the band really hit their stride with three excellent song writers; Isbell along with Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley. On the album Decoration Day, the band was in top form, each writer putting his stamp on the album; Hood with Sink Hole and Heathens, Cooley with Marry Me and Isbell with Outfit and the epic title track Decoration Day. If you compare the Truckers to their heroes and fellow southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, then Decoration Day is their Freebird.

The song is a red-neck, modern day update of sorts of a Hatfields-McCoys type family feud.  This story is about the Lawsons and the Hills and told from the point of view of a son of the now deceased Hill patriarch.

Roger, Wilko, Over and Out

Wait a minute baby, what you going to do?  You can call me crazy, but I want you... Wilco Johnson, Roger Daltrey - I Keep It To Myself

It is exciting to hear THE VOICE, Roger Daltrey rocking out once again.  This time, the legendery singer of The Who is paired with another renowned British rocker, Wilko Johnson of Dr. Feelgood fame.

Dr. Feelgood represented the early 70's pub rock movement, with a punk spirit that was severeral years ahead of it's time.  During the era when British art rock was in vogue, the Feelgoods played rough and tough R&B music befitting of early Rolling Stones or Chuck Berry.

In early 2013, Johnson was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.  He decided to spend his remaining days rocking out rather than fading away. Daltrey jumped at the chance to record the final record with Johnson and the album contains mostlsy gems from Dr. Feelgood’s past.

The story reminds you a bit of the making of Warren Zevon's final album The Wind.

For a guy who once sang "I hope I die before I get old", the 70 year old Daltrey sounds great to these ears.

Coldplay is in My Head

My mouth waters to be fed and you're always in my head... Coldplay - You're Always in My Head

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon continues to get great bands on the show.  Coldplay played a new tune entitled You're Always in My Head. Another song from the forthcoming Coldplay album Magic.

 

Ringo Bells

Bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky; I know this love of mine will never die and I love her... The Beatles - And I Love Her

The new Broken Bells record After the Disco is on par with their fine 2010 debut.  I love this band's unique sound which features The Shin's James Mercer's quirkiness  and soulful singing and Danger Mouse righteously modern beats and sounds.  Highlights of the new album include Holding On For Life, Perfect World and No Matter What You're Told.

On Letterman they covered The Beatles with Ringo (sort of).  Listen closely and you can hear a bit of I Am the Walrus.



Ringo rocks!!

Flashback: Down in the Tube Station At Midnight

The distant echo of faraway voices boarding faraway trains... The Jam - Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

The Jam never quiet made it big in the US, but they were right there with The Clash in their home country of England.  Paul Weller and company were the next generation of mods in the royal line of The Who and The Kinks.  One of their songs that I always liked was the very English Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.

The song begins with the singer going down into England's version of the subway system at late at night.  He's heading home after a long shift of work.  It's cold, lonely world there as he sees a newspaper and it's depressing headlines..

The distant echo of far away voices boarding far away trains
To take them home to the ones that they love and who love them forever

The glazed, dirty steps, repeat my own and reflect my thoughts
Cold and uninviting, partially naked, except for toffee wrappers
And this morning's papers, Mr. Jones got run down
Headlines of death and sorrow, they tell of tomorrow
Madmen on the rampage, and I'm down in the tube station at midnight

 

He reaches for change in his pocket and pulls out a coin, perhaps an English shilling.  He puts the coin in the slot and pulls out a purple ticket.  Rough sounding men ask him for money and his thoughts immediately turn to his wife waiting for him at home.

 

I fumble for change, and pull out the Queen, smiling, beguiling
I put in the money and pull out a plum, behind me
Whispers in the shadows, gruff blazing voices, hating, waiting
Hey boy, they shout, have you got any money?

But I say, I've a little money and a take away curry
I'm on the way home to my wife, she'll be lining up the cutlery
And now she's expecting me
Polishing the glasses and pulling out the cork
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight

 

The men begin to beat him.  The men smell of English pubs and of Wormwood Scrubs, a prison in the London Burough of Hammersmith and Fulham. 

 

 I first felt a fist, and then a kick, I could now smell their breath

They smelt of pubs and Wormwood Scrubs
And too many right wing meetings, my life swam around me
It took a look and drowned me in its own existence

The smell of brown leather, it blended in with the weather
It filled my eyes, ears, nose and mouth
It blocked all my senses, couldn't see, hear, speak any longer
I'm down in the tube station at midnight

As he lays there beaten he sees graffiti and advertisement posters on the subway walls.  Then right before he loses consciousness he realizes that they have his home keys and he fears for his wife's safety.

I said, "I was down in the tube station at midnight" Hey

The last thing that I saw as I lay there on the floor
Was 'Jesus Saves' painted by an atheist nutter
And a British Rail poster read
'Have an away day, a cheap holiday, do it today'

I glanced back on my life and thought about my wife
'Cause they took the keys, and she'll think it's me
I'm down in the tube station at midnight
The wine will be flat and the curry's gone cold
I'm down in the tube station at midnight

Don't want to go down in a tube station at midnight
Don't want to go down in a tube station at midnight
Don't want to go down in a tube station at midnight
Don't want to go down in a tube station at midnight

 

Down on E Street

Sparks fly on E Street when the boy prophets walk it handsome and hot... Bruce Springsteen - The E Street Shuffle

Finally The E Street Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the recipient for Musical Excellence this past week.  This was long overdue, but all is well now down on E Street.

The E Street past and present consists of Roy Bittan, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, Nils Lofgren, Vini Lopez, Patti Scialfa, David Sancious, Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, and Steven Van Zandt.

This video caught my ear a few weeks ago.

Yes, all is well down on E Street...

Coldplay is Magical

Call it magic when I'm with you and I just got broken, broken into two; Still I call it magic when I'm next to you... Coldplay -Magic

Coldplay's will release their 6th album, Ghost Stories on May 19.  Their first single off the new album is Magic, a little tune about a relationship breaking apart.  The song may be personal to Chris Martin who recently split with his wife Gwyneth Paltrow.

Jack White Returns

I was sitting there in a comfortable chair and that was all that I needed... The White Stripes - Take, Take, Take

The release information on Jack White's new album has been announced on his website:

"Jack White presents his new album Lazaretto, to be released June 9th/10th on Third Man Records. Lazaretto inhabits an exciting place in White’s expansive discography as the follow-up to 2012′s gold-certified international #1 Blunderbuss, and will be preceded by first single and title track “Lazaretto,” to be released later this month. While we await the debut of that first official single, listeners can experience a first taste of new music from the album and watch the video for new instrumental track “High Ball Stepper.”"



2014 is shaping up to be a really good year for music!!

Kentucky, I Will Be Coming Soon

Kentucky, you are the dearest land outside of Heaven to me... The Everly Brothers - Kentucky

I saw the Old Crow Medicine Show several years ago.  Towards the end of the show or maybe in the encore, they pulled out this Everly Brothers' chestnut from many years ago.  This tribute to my home state has been redone once again by Norah Jones and Billie Joe Armstrong on their terrific Everly Brothers tribute album Foreverly.


In honor of our beloved Wildcats...