Love this cover, which seems just a bit dangerous in German. It only had 136 plays when I found it, so chances are you haven’t heard it yet.
Author Archives: peter
New Tunes From Hans Condor
The boys from Nashville have recorded two new songs, at 3am and drunk, they say, after a raucous gig in June. The production is muddy, the vocals are shouted, there is no reason to love these the way I do, but then again here are all the rock moves you could possibly want in a beguiling package that manages to be fresh and classic at once.
Some of it is the awesome upfront bass playing, some of it is the way guitar solos suddenly pop up majestically, and some of it is the amazing thrash they put together. But the incredible part for me is the way all of this lands at the junction of influence of so many great bands, from the Stones to the Pistols to the Replacements, without sounding like any of them particularly.
I gave them a buck for each track, and suggested they come to New York. I’ll let you know when they get here.
Eric Burdon, “Hold On I’m Comin'” Meets Sam and Dave, “Hold On I’m Comin'”
Enjoy.
But then there is this!
Eric Burdon, “Gotta Serve Somebody”
Rock n roll style.
Bob Dylan, Slow Train Coming
This period of gospel Bob would be problematic, except that so much good music came out of it.
Crawling From the Wreckage
This live version from 1980, is like the studio version, full of Lowe-isms while popping Dave Edmunds up front. I’m sure that’s Elvis Costello introducing the tune, by the way.
I’m not sure of the pedigree of this Graham Parker version. He wrote the song, of course. It’s certainly styled less to please pop, more skiffle and Dylan than Chuck Berry. But Parker knows how to sing and that drummer knows how to make a shoe box rock. For better or worse, you decide that, Parker gives his words more attention here.
Ornette Coleman is Dead!
I went to an Ornette Coleman tribute Hal Wilner put on in the park near my house just about one year ago today.
Ornette is a jazz guy, perhaps the most popular of the free jazz players, and a musical giant. What I learned a year ago was that Lou Reed loved Ornette, but then so do many. I remember at poker games in the loft on Lispenard Street I would sometimes put Ornette on as a distraction, but somehow the beauty of his sounds won the day more often than I won the hand.
This one is live from Prince Street in 1970, same neighborhood as the poker (though 10 years earlier), and chosen especially because of the groovy vibe. (That’s Charlie Haden on the bass, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Ed Blackwell on the drums. )
45th Anniversary Review of Sticky Fingers
I remember reading the review of Sticky Fingers in Rolling Stone, when the record was new, and thinking how sad the reviewer’s job must be to be disappointed in this fantastic record. Today Slate’s Jack Hamilton reviews the original album (not the new double and triple disk versions meant to cash in on enthusiasm for the anniversary) and it’s a much happier and appropriate piece, and he mentions those less than enthusiastic reviews.
Because we’ve posted most of the songs from the album here over the years, especially the terrific Sway and the majestic Moonlight Mile, here is a version of Wild Horses from the Flying Burrito Brothers, which came out a year earlier than the Stones’ version.
The Belles, Melvin
Was listening to a compilation of girl garage bands in the 60s, and came up this one from The Belles, which seems particularly fitting, given that baseball’s Melvin Upton Jr. is off the DL. Finally!
The Senders, of New York City
Well, that was my mistake. There are two bands called the Senders. This is the one that Gene was talking about in a previous post (with a great video by Sophie Lo). You can learn more about them and see lots of videos here.