George Harrison's Birthday

Today, February 25th, is George Harrison's Birthday. Harrison lived a life rich with spiritual awareness.

Sharing his life's outlook through his well conceived albums, Harrison's solo output, while not as commercially successful as Lennon's or McCartney's, never disappointed.

I vividly remember heading to the record store the day any George Harrison record hit the racks. I couldn't get home fast enough to rip the plastic off of the cover, run the discwasher brush over the pristine vinyl surface and set the needle into the groove and listen to the magic coming out of the speakers.

George Harrison, The Quiet Beatle...

Abbey Road - A "Listed Building"

The BBC is reporting that Abbey Road Studios has now been made a listed building which will protect it from any plan to radically alter it. Abbey Road has been given Grade II status because of its historical merit.

It sure is good to see that all of this is working out well and a significant piece of contemporary history will be preserved as well as continue to be utilized.

Johnny Cash - American VI

Today "American VI: Ain't No Grave" is released. The album is comprised of the last recordings of John Cash.

From the press release: During these sessions, in May of 2003, less than four months before he passed, Cash lost his wife June Carter Cash due to surgical complications. According to Rubin, "Johnny said that recording was his main reason for being alive. I think it was the only thing that kept him going."

I will have more to say about the record after I've had a chance to digest it. Outside of Cash's original Sun Recordings, I have found Cash's American Recordings produced by Rick Rubin to be the strongest work of his career.

From "American VI: Ain't No Grave," here is A Satisfied MInd written in 1955 by J.H. "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes.

Elizabeth Fraser - Moses

Here's a terrific tune to get the week started...

Elizabeth Fraser (formerly of the Cocteau Twins) makes a comeback with her new single, Moses.

I just cannot get enough of this song. The song's layers interweave to create a beautiful soundscape that supports Fraser's inescapable vocals. The vinyl 12"EP is released as a limited edition of only 500 copies.

Here's hoping the release of Moses is an indication of more to come from this incredible artist.

EMI Denies Abbey Road Studios to be Sold

Great news! Public pressure has caused EMI to back off the sale of Abbey Road Studios. From an article by AFP EMI says, "In mid-2009, we did receive an offer to buy Abbey Road for in excess of 30 million pounds (34 million euros, 46 million dollars) but this was rejected since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI's ownership," EMI said in a statement.

"EMI confirms that it is holding preliminary discussions for the revitalisation of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties."

Danny Federici, Member of the E Street Band

Satch and I were lucky enough to witness the extraordinary performance of Danny Federici playing again with the E Street Band while fighting melanoma. It happened on the night of March 20, 2008, but it still feels like yesterday.

The performance of Sandy included here was magical and, near the end of the song, it felt like the entire fieldhouse was choking back tears of joy. He also played on Spirit in the Night and The Promised Land.

Danny again joined the band for the encore. Kitty's Back - t ripped right out of the box, but then it went higher and higher until it felt like we were witnessing the band jamming together back in 1974. They were playing for each other, in a public concert, in a way that I'd never witnessed any band perform. The music transcended performance and went to a place where the player's histories, hearts and minds connect in a way that is indescribable. (And I've been going to Springsteen shows since 1976.)

Danny passed away less than a month after the performance. Springsteen wrote a beautiful eulogy for Danny.

Abbey Road Studios - BBC Radio 2 and The Independent

The furious fire about the potential sale of the Abbey Road Studios continues to burn.

The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 on February 18 was dedicated to the music made at Abbey Road Studios. Listen to the show here. Scroll down and listen to chapter three for the latest information about The National Trust purchasing the studios.

And today The Independent published an article, "Abbey Road's Greatest Hits" where some leading figures talk about their favorite music that was recorded at Abbey Road.

David Gilmour - Mihalis

I've been in a prog rock mood lately. Going back and listening to the solo albums made by members of Pink Floyd is always enjoyable and often times yields fine rewards. I'm still in search of Richard Wright's album, Wet Dream. Here's "Mihalis" from David Gilmour's first solo LP.

Abbey Road Studios - FOR SALE

As previously noted, EMI is on its last legs. And, as most entities these days businesses only care about the cash and couldn't care less about their legacy. That there is even the possibility that Abbey Road Studios could be sold and redeveloped into something other than what is has been since 1929.

The history of Abbey Road Studios is rich and incredibly important. Many pop/rock artists have recorded seminal albums in these hallowed studios. Best known for being the studio where the Beatles recorded their magic, the studio has produced an incredible amount of classical music and film scores.

The latest word is that The National Trust may purchase the studio. The trust had seen "an astonishing outpouring of public emotion" after word got out that EMI was going to sell the property.

Also, Paul McCartney mentioned, on BBC's Newsnight, that there was a possibility that a bid might be coming forward to purchase Abbey Road Studios, "There are a few people who have been associated with the studio for a long time who were talking about mounting some bid to save it. I sympathise with them. I hope they can do something, it'd be great. I have got so many memories there with the Beatles.

"It still is a great studio. So it would be lovely if somebody could get a thing together to save it."

BTW, a great read about the magic of the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios is Geoff Emerick's book, Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles.

John Hiatt - The Open Road

As many of you know, I'm a big and huge fan of John Hiatt. Way back in the mid 1970s, I first got hooked while playing Hiatt's album, Overcoats, on WEAX (then Tri State U's radio station) .

John's career has taken a lot of twists and turns. Taking off out of Indianapolis before finishing high school*, Hiatt headed south in search of a life in music. He has become a national treasure, a troubadour commenting on politics, relationships and life's journey. He continues to hone his craft - he has become an accomplished guitarist and an excellent singer. He's had the songwriting thing figured out for a while now (<-sarcasm), but he continues to plow ahead with new ideas and he hasn't lost his perspective on the world in which we live. John truly is one of America's great songwriters.

I'm really looking forward to Hiatt's new album, The Open Road, which is being released on my birthday, March 2, 2010. He's teamed up with a new "combo" - Kenny Blevins (former Goner and Sonny Landreth) on drums, Patrick O'Hearn on bass and Doug Lancio on guitars. (I'll always be partial to John's work with the Goners and the Nashville Queens.) The Open Road is the second outing with this "combo" so I'm hoping that they have gelled and the new record is classic Hiatt. Hiatt's first album, Same Old Man, with this combo was somewhat uneven and, compared to past albums, felt uninspired.

The first single, the title cut from the album, indicates that Hiatt is back with a real keeper.

1. The Open Road 4:33
2. Haulin’ 4:06
3. Go Down Swingin’ 3:38
4. Like A Freight Train 5:59
5. My Baby 4:10
6. Homeland 4:46
7. Wonder of Love 3:52
8. What Kind Of Man 3:50
9. Movin’ On 4:43
10. Fireball Roberts 4:27
11. Carry You Back Home 3:36

Here's a preview of The Open Road (30 sec. snippets)

*In 2006 John Hiatt completed his High School Diploma at his daughter's high school.

Video - Bob Dylan - Blood In My Eyes

For some reason I'm in the mood for this song to set the tone for today.

Bob Dylan at the White House - Video

Ron's Music Stuff 8 Tracks Mix for February 2010

Photography Exhibit

The Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe is holding and exhibit entitled "The Art of Sound."

From their website: "(the exhibit is) an extensive survey of more than 50 classic photographs portraying iconic personalities from the field of music as captured by renowned photographers. All genres of music are represented including opera, pop, jazz, classical and rock."

This looks to be an excellent exhibit with a very nice cross-section of artists and images. Check it out online or in person in Santa Fe. Man, I wish I was in Santa Fe...


Bob Dylan, 1975, Ken Regan

Dylan at the White House

Bob Dylan performed The Times They Are A-Changin' as a part of "In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement."

In performing The Times They Are A-Changin,' Dylan's chose to convey one of his most direct messages to those in political power.

Today as the United States sits at a political crossroads, Dylan singing this song in the White House, the symbol of the world's greatest political power, is relevant, poignant and appropriate. The only problem is that many of the politicians that heard the message probably think Dylan is singing about somebody else...

Audio - Bob Dylan - White House 2010

Super Bowl Sunday - The Who!

Being a native Hoosier and living all but nine months of my life in the greater Indianapolis are, one would think that I'd be writing all about the Colts and today's Super Bowl.

But rather than that I thought that I'd write a little about the halftime entertainment. Pete and Roger have their hands full of playing up to last years twelve minutes of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's powerhouse. I think they can handle it.

The Who are iconic. Nobody has done more to stretch the art form of Rock and Roll than has Pete Townshend. Roger Daltrey's vocal prowess is beyond compare. Entwistle's playing has inspired generations of bassists. Keith Moon's controlled wild abandon gave rock and roll drumming a dimension bigger than just holding down the beat. Many claim The Who cannot be The Who when half of the original members are gone. I say balderdash. Pete and Roger have carried on and made great music, much of it underrated by the "critics."

The story goes that Pete wasn't too keen on reforming The Who after they "retired" back many years ago. He had plenty of dough coming in from song writing royalties but Roger and John were hurting financially. And, Pete had a small string of excellent solo albums under his belt. Finally Pete agreed to give the band a go and they've been going at it, albeit off and on since. This is just a guess, but I believe that after Pete heard and felt the power of The Who and their music he realized the importance of what they had created. And, pre-recession, the big money major acts were bringing in wasn't bad either.

This evening, for twelve minutes, on arguably the world's biggest stage, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will defy their age and deliver the message and promise of Rock and Roll.

From a Billboard article, here is Pete Townshend on the Super Bowl setlist:

"We're kinda doing a mashup of stuff," the guitarist tells Billboard. "A bit of 'Baba O'Riley,' a bit of 'Pinball Wizard,' a bit of the close of 'Tommy,' a bit of 'Who Are You,' and a bit of 'Won't Get Fooled Again.' It works -- it's quite a saga. A lot of the stuff that we do has that kind of celebratory vibe about it -- we've always tried to make music that allows the audience to go a bit wild if they want to. Hopefully it will hit the spot."

Bob Dylan Covers The Rolling Stones

Here's Dylan covering Brown Sugar from the early show at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 5, 2002.

This was an amazing evening of music where Dylan played two shows and only six songs were repeated.

Charlie Sexton was pretty sick that evening but gave it everything. The band from this leg of the "Never Ending Tour" is still my favorite contemporary Dylan back-up band. Charlie and Larry Campbell were a guitar tour de force.

Making this evening even more memorable, we were actually able to briefly meet Dylan after the show. Even scored an autograph!

Bob Dylan - Brown Sugar

Doubt Cast on Survival of EMI

Financial Times publishes an article about the dire situation in which EMI finds itself...

It looks like the music industry is meeting the fate that has been predicted for many years. If, by June 14, 2010, £120 million is not raised by investors believing in a new strategic plan, all may very well be lost.

It is, finally, time for these music behemoths to fail. For years and years they haven't been effective purveyors of product and artist discovery and development. Not to mention how they continue to screw artists out of royalties.

It is time, finally, for a new structure, one that cares about the art of making music, and those that make it, to be reconstructed. It will probably take a generation or two, but it needs to happen.

In my lifetime I've seen record companies go from an artist, and fan, centered business to a bunch of creepy suits and bean counters who really think Lady Gaga et al is their answer. I've witnessed the best and the worst; and it's time for the worst to go away.

Somebody forgot to throw the Auto-Tune switch to "On" for Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's performance with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon was pathetic. I guess somebody forgot to turn on the auto-tune for her mic. I fear that her real talent was on display for all to see, and unfortunately hear. This auto-tune thingy has been helping artists for the last several years achieve vocal tonal accuracy on their recordings and concerts, even if their ability is marginal. Ever wonder why the pop music of today sounds so perfect and devoid of any soul? Auto-tune, and other digital technologies, have a lot to do with it.

Last year Time Magazine blew the doors off this scandal with this article.

Wikipedia has more about auto-tune.

I'm sure the current crop of music executives love this as now they can find the person with the right look and the willingness to do whatever they think will sell and make their talentless vocals perfect thereby manufacturing a pop superstar, you know, like Lady Gaga... Zappa warned us about this.