After watching The Wire at Townsman Alexmagic’s place, we switched over to catch the second half of this historical musical meeting — Keely Smith, Kid Rock and some sax player I initially mistook for Corey Feldman.
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Feb 102008
My 10-year-old son asked me a few days ago what Jimi Hendrix‘s music was like. I raved about his guitar playing, telling him of my belief that no one’s come close to playing guitar as powerfully and effortlessly as he did. “You’ve heard it before,” I told him, but my efforts to hum out riffs of songs he’d heard in the car while I played Smash Hits failed to ring a bell for him. I told him I’d play him some records this weekend. That was the end of our discussion.
Friday night, conveniently, VH1 Classics played the kind of great/kind of depressing documentary The Jimi Hendrix Story. I called my boy over to the TV during a performance clip. About halfway through the song he said, “His guitar playing is amazing, but his voice is just OK.” He watched another 10 minutes with me, making connections to that Guitar Hero game, which he’d just played for the first time at a friend’s house the day before. “Now I see why you get extra points when you do this,” and he jerked an imaginary guitar neck into the air while making a Rock Face.
This morning I showed him the above video, one of my favorite live clips of the guy. As it wrapped up he asked me if he could start taking guitar lessons this summer. Thank you, Jimi!
Feb 102008
From his appearance in our first post to his death this evening…Can we hear it again?
Feb 102008
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Train wreck or triumph? Amy Winehouse, the soul singer whose messy personal life has ravaged her promising career, will emerge from a London rehab clinic later on Sunday to perform live via satellite at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
It is perhaps one of the most keenly anticipated appearances in the 50-year history of the music industry’s top awards show — and not just because she will likely sing her big hit, “Rehab.”
“I’m going to be glued to it,” said Howard Benson, a nominee for producer of the year. “She’s a real, true talent. Her personal stuff notwithstanding, her music definitely speaks from the heart.”
Truly, whether you like the music or not, does anyone share in Howard Benson’s mock-sincere anticipation about her heartfelt music?
Feb 092008
Feb 092008
I was out trolling the Web for more information on the Stones masterpiece “Moonlight Mile,” when I found this:
… a performance that rendered me pretty speechless. The inanity of the band’s song choice, however, got me thinking about all the covers I’ve heard that were just *wrong*, for so many reasons. I’m not sure any of the ones that sprang to mind were as bizarre and ill-conceived as this one, but I thought I’d throw the topic out there for consideration.
And the sky’s full of snow… and the sky’s full of snow…
HVB
Feb 082008
Under glass?
Please stay with me tonight until I fall asleep. I’m afraid I may be entering the belly of the beast. Unlike you, I’ve never gotten into Cat Power. I’ve got enough of my own troubles; I don’t need to live vicariously through hers. The sultry voice only goes so far with me. The coffee-table soul she’s been getting into over the last couple of releases is better than what she used to do, but I don’t entertain too often. Those few I do entertain want to check out the real stuff. So here goes, an Insta-Review of Cat Power’s second album of covers. Is the well running dry, or is she revisiting her newfound roots? Either way, I’m scared.
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