After a small two day vacation, it's time to go back to work to work
Saturday. And we're trying to dry out but once again another fucking
rain storm coming just in time this week. We can't stay dry enough to
dry things out. And now I can't find my fracking copy of CCR's Green
River. Amazing how 5000 cds I have and when one disappears I can't find
it. GRRRRR.
1. Limelight-Rush 1981 New Rush live album, the public rejoyce!
But I have the forty five of this song when it came out. My best friend
is the biggest Rush fan I've known. So much to the point that I
haven't played my Rush stuff, except for this. I also told him if you
get any type of band put together I'll be happy to play this song. But
you have to learn U Can't Touch This in return.
2. Straight Ahead-Brian Auger's Oblivion Express 1974 The only
thing I found at a forgettible Tri City trip this week. I didn't go to
Madison for this?!? Lotta scratchy forty fives that would have found a
home had they not been in a Rock River flood. I'll put one or two up
later in this list.
3. Cheney's Toy-James McMurtry 2008 I love protest albums of this
day and age. I think James is the best protest writer of this time, he
understands our hatred and our pain of the two bozos who have for seven
years tanked us into the Great Depression Two. James is everything that
wasn't present on Neil Young's Living With War album. The other best
protest writer of this era? Al Jorgensen of Ministry.
4. Bastards Of Young-The Replacements 1985 Minneapolis was where it
was at back around the time this album came out. Such great indee
music from these guys and their counterparts Husker Du. But once these
guys signed with the major labels the end was in sight.
5. Go And Say Goodbye-Buffalo Springfield 1966 Seen the actual
forty five of this at the Salvation Army at Moline but it was too far
gone for me to even pick it up as a reference copy.
6. This Train-Waylon Jennings 1994 Waylon's second homecoming with
RCA only came up with one album (Waymore's Blues Part Two) and so so
reviews but upon further listening this album does hold up very well.
These sessions would later evolve into The Highwaymen's Road Goes On
Forever.
7. Over You Again-Willie Nelson 2008 The outlaw today. Willie is
the only outlaw remaining. I'm surprised I even bought a album that was
co produced with Kenny Chesney. Not desperation really, the new Willie
is his best in years.
8. Meet Me On The Fourth Floor-Brownsville Station 1973 B Side to
the I'm The Leader Of The Gang. Hard to figure it was 35 years ago that
Brownsville was on the charts. ('Geez dad, you listen to THIS when you
were teenagers?') And by the way Dad, what did you do before the
internet and cellphones?
9. Love Don't Live Here-Lady Antebellum 2008 New country song that
would pass as a Americana the last decade or rock and roll back in the
80s. It's country cuz somebody overdubbed a steel guitar into the
song. You're going to be hearing a lot from this band if you turn on
GAC. But GAC's programming is getting to be a lot suspect anymore.
They play very few videos but they still play Brad Paisley's Fifth Gear
Promo every other day. Or The Cliche ridden Nashville Hit Men thingy.
And the price of programming is this? Same video documentries every
other day. Sure hope digital TV better cuz analog is the fucking pits.
10. I Am The Sword-Motorhead 1993 Where else can you go from
country to hard rock to Lemmy then the Crabb Top Ten. Culumus channel
would have a cow if their radio station had a limitless playlist of all
genres.
And I wish I can find that damn CCR CD.
Reviews:
James McMutry-Just Us Kids (lightning rod)
Continuing the Bush
Bashing with the album that Neil Young should have done with Living
With War. This might be his best release yet with kick ass songs such as
Cheney's Toy, Bayou Tortours and more songs about the great depression
(Hurricane View, God Bless America (pat mcdonald must die) and the
pratfalls of playing in a band and getting replaced by session musicians
when the big moment arrives (Ruby And Carlos). The digipak sucks though
which is docked a point. But don't let that deter you from buying this,
this might be the best so far of the year.
Grade A minus
Lady Antebellum (Capitol)
The
next big thing in country music, starts out as hard rockers then
regressed as the record progresses. A bit more melodic and less abrasive
than Sugarland but with the usual country flair toward those weepy
ballads that are all over this album, though there's nothing here that
matches the catchiness of their hit single Love Don't Live Here and
Looking For A Good Time, which sounds somewhat like Georgia Satellites.
After that, they go with that safe country rock that seems to be the
norm but thankfully these guys write their own material and don't have
to rely on the Nashville Cliche Men that you hear so much on country
radio. You say you don't listen to country radio? Well ain't you the
bodacious one. Nevertheless Lady Antebellum isn't too bad, but I think
they would make a good Americana band if they leave the fiddles and
steel guitar out.
Grade B minus
Pick hits: Love Don't Live H
ere, Looking For a Good Time
Fun fact: Hillary Scott is the daughter of Linda Davis, minor female country artist of the 80s and 90s.
Asia-Phoenix (EMI)
The original band is back and rocking like it was 1983 all over
again. Beats anything John Payne sings. Without the echoey Mike Stone
productions of the classic years, Asia still has lots of John Wetton
overdubs, the usual love gone wrong songs (Never Again, Alibis) and a
bit more progressive rock to it (No Way Out) and a bit more sunnier
outlook from Wetton (An Extraordinary Life) Phoenix picks off where
Alpha ended. But I always thought Astra was a better album despite
Mandy Meyer taking over for Steve Howe. Oh, don't worry about John
Payne and the other Asianites, they're playing under the Asia Featuring
John Payne banner. Accept no subsitutes. Grade C plushttp://paxamrecords.com/
Pick Hits: Sleeping Giant/No Way Back, Never Again, An Extraordinary Life
BTW, Ryan Adams wants to talk to you. Visit his website on his
thoughts and why smoking a pack of cigarettes a day can inspire you to
write five albums a year. And being called too indulgent. http://paxamrecords.com/
BTW..my brother took the CCR CD and brought it back
