Thanks, Slokie! I sense there are more than a few Townspeople who will benefit from a peaceful viewing of the following clip.
Jun 282008
Jun 272008
The Stones had an easy time of things against Rod Stewart, if you ask me. I think I would very grudgingly concede Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out as a tie, but probably not if you really pushed me. One thing I learned is that Rod and the Faces are great once in awhile, but every day gets boring pretty quickly. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought I liked them more. Maybe that’s why I have such a low tolerance for bands like The Black Crowes.
Anyway, I think while mopping up after the fight, I’ve found some things worth keeping from the winners. Sure, they’re just sweaty towels and discarded paper cups, but I think they’re worth checking out. Cleaning up in an early round, I found a towel outside the ring, and when I wrung it out I found a song called “Criss Cross” that could replace any of the slow songs on Goat’s Head Soup and make things better.
The Rolling Stones, “Criss Cross”
I also found a paper cup with “Waiting on My Friend”, which would one day bring Mick Taylor an unexpected royalty check. He had to sue the band for the lifetime supply of Twinkies.
The Rolling Stones, “Waiting on My Friend”
I also found an unused roll of tape called “Living in the Heart of Love”. I really like this one. I like how Keith’s vocals are different from whatever Mick is singing. It’s jarring, but it’s cool.
The Rolling Stones, “Living in the Heart of Love”
I know that everyone says that Vinyl Rules, man! But here’s an example of one of the limitations of the medium. This round had to be cut short because lp’s generally lose it sonically over that 45 minute mark. That and people weren’t sure that the Stones’ generally white audience would like a slow funk song like “Fingerprint File” was originally recorded. So they sped it up, and we get a slightly Chipmunky Mick Jagger.
The Rolling Stones, “Fingerprint File”
The Rolling Stones, “Fingerprint File (slower version)”
The second version is supposedly from the original acetate. Pretty cool, huh?
And to shed a little light on BigSteve’s comments about “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” and its video, supposedly Mick and Ronnie were at Ronnie’s house and Mick had the idea for the song. They worked on it, together with David Bowie. Kenny Jones was called in later and did drums to make it better (he lived closer than Charlie). It was given to Keith to check out, and Keith wiped every electric guitar Ronnie put on the tape. Rumor has it that the video is Ronnie’s original demo. I think it’s one of the best records the Stones have ever made. They’ve botched it live every time, but the record itself is just perfect.
The Rolling Stones, “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (video version)”
There’s plenty more, but for now this will give you a nice look at what was happening outside the ring.
Jun 272008
Most of us would agree that Neil Diamond‘s appearance in The Last Waltz – and Robbie Robertson‘s production of his 1976 album Beautiful Noise – constitute an unlikely rock collaboration. Excluding completely staged, novelty collaborations, like Pat Boone dueting with Ozzy Osborne, what unlikely rock collaborations are really worth our tracking and discussion?
Holiday television special duets are acceptable.
Jun 272008
My apologies to The Great 48 and the Halls of Rock for not visiting the e-mail account where “G48” sent me the following report and tracks. Thanks, Great One.
The Great 48 wrote:
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I realize this is not Jazz Town Hall, but allow me a moment. I discovered tonight [6/17] that my favorite contemporary jazz musician, the Swedish pianist Esbjorn Svensson, died over the weekend in a scuba diving accident outside Stockholm.
Svensson was the leader of the Esbjorn Svensson Trio (more commonly shortened to E.S.T.), whose albums I recommend unreservedly. A lyrical pianist in the style of Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, or Tommy Flanagan, Svensson was capable of spiky free improv or speedy bop-influenced showboating, but his natural style fell towards the melodic and stately. He didn’t really go towards pretty for pretty’s sake, but he understood that jazz doesn’t have to be “difficult” to be good. He will be missed.
MP3s are from E.S.T.’s 2004 album Seven Days of Falling.
E.S.T., “Ballad for the Unborn”
E.S.T., “Why She Couldn’t Come”
Jun 262008
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for: judgment day – and more importantly the end of the painful, pathetic, final rounds of what started out, just a week ago, a fierce Battle Royale of possibly mind-blowing proportions. I don’t know about you, but I feel completely drained, wasted, like Rod and his nipple slip.
Jun 262008
Forget the battle between Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, ca. 1976. I’m more interested in the battle between Little Stevie Wright and Rod Stewart! You be the judge!
“Hard Road”, Stevie Wright
HVB
Jun 262008
In 1975, Faces mercifully wind down with a final tour. Rod Stewart’s not doing so well. He’s so out of it on this Midnight Special appearance that in his Tara Reid-like stupor he doesn’t have a clue that his nipples have, like, totally slipped out of his scoop neck top!
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