Music: What are you listening to today?
In the spirit of the books and movies threads, here's one to talk about what you're listening to lately and what you have discovered. Tell us if you like it, what it reminds you of, anything you like, short or not, simple or not.
Like the books thread, I'd ask that we keep it mostly to stuff we are listening to or going to listen to soon, or have just finished listening to (that is, like a log more than a resume).
Below is my first entry.
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Bonnie Raitt, by Bonnie Raitt.
My understanding is that this was her first record, which she made when she was 21. Nine out of the eleven songs are covers; the two she wrote are "Thank You" and "Finest Loving Man," and both are good.
I really liked this album. Bonnie's voice is much sweeter here than I've heard her before, and very warm, traveling between notes more fluently, and not yet as raspy sounding as it became. (Which I also like in its own way.) Despite the sweetness of her voice she manages to put some heart into the bluesy material, and sings with what sounds like a real love for the lyrics. It's great to hear someone who doesn't just walk through lyrics. She sounds like she really thought and felt her way through the songs. Many of the most gifted and popular singers out there don't, winding up leaving a lot of a song's power still on the table, so to speak.*
From an Amazon.com review:
Bonnie wrote two of the songs here (Thank you, Finest loving man) but relied mainly on covers, beginning with a cover of Bluebird (written by Stephen Stills, famous as a member first of Buffalo Springfield then of Crosby Stills and Nash). One of Bonnie's major influences, Sippie Wallace, is represented by two songs (Mighty tight woman, Women be wise) while Bonnie also covers Any day woman (Paul Siebel), Walking blues (Robert Johnson) and Since I fell for you (Bud Johnson) among others.
I really enjoyed Walking Blues a lot and wanted to hear it immediately again, but decided to let the rest of the album play out instead of interrupting its flow. The album is good enough that I think I'm going to listen to it again.
By the way, it's in the Rhapsody's catalogue, if you have that service. It's also at Amazon, and the MP3 256kbps download is on sale there for $2.99. You can listen to samples there too.
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*This reminds me of a biography of John Denver that I saw on PBS the other day. I'm not a big Denver fan, but the biography was so good that this is the second time I felt compelled to watch it. Anyway, in it his manager said that at a particular concert Denver sounded exceptionally good, and it seemed like the audience noticed it. His manager recalls saying something like, "Your voice was incredible today. How did you do it?" Denver replied that he was trying to do what he learned from Placido Domingo when they worked together. He said he was amazed by how deep Domingo's art was; he didn't just sing a line, but put the right emotion into it word by word. If he was going to sing about a piece of steel, his voice would sound like steel. Every line was emotionally full, clear, and precise.
I got a bit of a feeling of that in this Raitt album. Raitt very much inhabited those songs when she sang. Unlike some spoiled divas, the newly emergent Raitt got across the feeling that she was glad to be there.
From the days when Jerry had black hair...
Saunders kills...
+ horns.
Merl Saunders has a discography worthy of deeper exploration on it's own merit
Litany of the Saints
Broken YouTube LinkNot sure if I have posted this before... but I am listening to it today.
Señor Coconut - Kraftwerk
Never got into Phish, but I'm curious. Which album do I absolutely need to hear from start to finish?
Never got into Phish, but I'm curious. Which album do I absolutely need to hear from start to finish?
Don't start with studio work; the experience is best consumed live - to which, imo, 1997 is the place to begin.
The prose below comes from a younger than I bud of mine:
11/17/97 is a fine way to start. This show is exceptional. During their '97 Fall (aka “Phish Destroys America”😉 Tour, the band was at their absolute peak of creativity and musicianship. They introduced elements of funk into their style of intensely technical/improvisational music giving an “anything goes” aesthetic to their approach and allowing for the music to open up and breathe. Consuming an entire show can be a commitment, but at least listen to the entire 5 song first set (Tweezer => Fire) without distractions. It's Phish at their greatest powers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayOzLedK...
Setlist, etc. from Phish.net: https://phish.net/setlists/phish-novembe...
Great music to lawn mow by...
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Ian Dury had so much good stuff, with or without The Blockheads, - but whenever I remember his name, it's always Adrian Mole that comes to mind.
Blasting some great metal, as always
Dammit Belinda - I've had that light on for so many years... I'm beginning to believe you're not being completely honest.
apologies in advance for a brief derail but saw this vid recently quickly followed by a memory flood
if the summary of my primary musical influences could be condensed into three hundred thirty three seconds this is an appropriate summary
as a bonus the video characters reflect self-perception at that time of life
and the Neil Peart jazz influence quickly sprung forward towards Miles and the rest is history
Spoiler
what occupies your ears
for the next hour?
Went to see a Janis Joplin tribute with my mother and my sister. Not my idea. The lady imitating Janis was very good, and I'm not certain I could pass the Pepsi challenge with the vocals. But I imagine there would be more electricity if it were the 1960s and the real 27 Club Janis were up there. My mother was likely the only person in the theatre to have seen her IRL, along with some semi-mystical family friend called Niall who died young, at the Albert Hall, supported by some band called Yes, whom she had never heard of. She said Janis moved around more on stage. I don't know whether she got the Woodstock Janis or the Robert Crumb Janis that night, and suspect she doesn't, and I doubt it even matters. What matters is the time, which you cannot replicate.
I'm not into the entire canon, but is this the GOAT opening to a live album?
Did the tribute band play this? (Janis.)
The opened with it, but messed around with it.
I know tribute bands are popular, but like most things in this century, I don't get it. I saw the Pixies, the Cocteau Twins, the Fall and the Smiths at the correct times in their careers, and have no interest in recreating that. Why not listen to the original on headphones, and spend your theatre money on something else?
I'm with you on this. I saw Janis later in 1969. I think they may have ended with this song or maybe broken with it. When Janis was on stage she moved as much as she wanted. She was the Alpha
The opened with it, but messed around with it.
I know tribute bands are popular, but like most things in this century, I don't get it. I saw the Pixies, the Cocteau Twins, the Fall and the Smiths at the correct times in their careers, and have no interest in recreating that. Why not listen to the original on headphones, and spend your theatre money on something else?
I'm with you on tribute bands, but I know people who love them. Seems crazy to me to spend 60 bucks on a ticket to see a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, even if the lead singer did a great impersonation of Stevie Nicks.
(Yes, someone sent me a short video of her twirling around.)
Oh, and my wife could do "Mercedes Benz" and you'd swear it was Janis.
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my friends all drive poorshes
i must make a mends
seeing a tribute band at your local bar for free is fun. maybe it depends on a specific band vs. a time period tribute band (i.e. 80's, 90's etc.)
paying a lot of $$$ to see a tribute band anywhere is lol.
Oh ya, so nice
