Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan
Today, May 24th is Bob Dylan’s 68th birthday. America’s musical poet has released 33 albums and has written and performed some of the most influential and popular songs of this century, some of which appear on Greatest Songs lists.
Let’s take a listen to some of Dylan’s timeless songs below:
Here Comes the Rain, Again!
Here in NYC, it’s been raining, and raining. So, in honor of all the water that keeps falling from the sky, let’s enjoy some “rain” songs.
“Here Comes The Rain Again” – Eurythmics
“Rain King” – Counting Crows
“Rain” The Beatles
“It’s Raining Again” – Supertramp
“The Rain Song” – Led Zeppelin
“Rhythm of the Falling Rain” – The Cascades
“Purple Rain” – Prince
“Blame It On The Rain” – Milli Vanilli
“A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” – Bob Dylan
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
And my favorite rain song: “November Rain” – Guns N’ Roses
On the sunny side, we have Blind Melon singing “No Rain” and George Harrison telling us it’s alright with “Here Comes The Sun.”
Bob Dylan: His Music & Influence
Bob Dylan changed folk music. But his legendary persona is undermined by an erratic and confusing recording career. As Bob Dylan releases his 33rd studio album today, WNYC”s Soundcheck debates his music and influence.
Listen: Subterranean Homesick Smackdown
Joe Cocker: Hymn For My Soul CD Review
Joe Cocker’s Hymn For My Soul is truly an inspired event. He has recruited the best musicians, and chosen to cover songs from varied artists and genres, all offering hope for our world’s current state.
Hymn For My Soul starts things off on a funky note with Cocker’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s classic, trumpet-and-sax-filled, You Haven’t Done Nothin’. George Harrison’s Beware of Darkness and CCR’s Long As I Can See The Light get covered here quite nicely. Bob Dylan’s Ring Them Bells and The Beatles’ Come Together, the final track, are definite highlights. Another standout song on Hymn For My Soul is River’s Invitation, the Percy Mayfield-penned song that has been covered by Southside Johnny and Aretha Franklin, among others.
Hymn For My Soul isn’t solely made up of classics though. Two selections that shine on this record are the recent songs One Word (Peace) by The Subdudes and the title track Hymn 4 My Soul by blues artist Andy Fairweather Low.
Joe Cocker’s unmistakable voice brings new life to these songs. Hymn For My Soul is edgy, soulful, and funky – a real winner.
Click on the links below to watch some of Joe Cocker’s performances and videos.
Joe’s legendary Woodstock performance of With A Little Help From My Friends
Was (Not Was) Says Boo!
Was (Not Was) has released a new album, finally. After more than sixteen years, the funky Was Brothers are back with Boo!. Both brothers have been using their talents elsewhere: Don was producing Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones albums, and David was working on film scores. But now, the Detroit duo is back with Sweet Pea Atkinson and Sir Harry Bowens making some groovy, soulful sounds on Boo!.
The funkiest songs on Boo! are the opener “Semi-interesting Week,” “Your Luck Won’t Last,” “Big Bad Hole”, “Crazy Water” — a highlight for Sweet Pea’s vocals — and “Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (co-written by Bob Dylan).
The techno, outer space-sounding “Needletooth” doesn’t work here, at least not for this listener. “Forget Everything” is a bit strange too, but works a little better.
But it’s not all high-spirited songs on this album. There are some nice slow grooves too. “It’s a Miracle” and “From the Head to the Heart” are great additions to this funky reunion party. Kris Kristofferson, with his gravely serious voice, makes an interesting appearance singing “Green Pills in the Dresser,” the final track.
There’s a fine group of soul masters helping Was (Not Was) on this new set. James Gadson on drums, Marcus Miller on bass, and the renowned Booker T on Hammond join in to make Boo! a great return for Was (Not Was).
Welcome back, boys! Your fans do ask that you don’t keep us waiting another decade before we hear from you again.
If you need a refresher on Was (Not Was) click below:
Happy Birthday, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison was born on this day in 1936, in Vernon, Texas. For his sixth birthday, Roy asked for a harmonica, but his father Orbie Lee gave him a guitar. And the rest is history.
The main thing that contributed to Roy’s success, aside from his tenor voice, was that his songs were completely original in structure, sound, and style. He was an innovator. Roy was a pioneer in rock and roll, and his career spanned more than four decades. He got his start in Memphis at Sun Records, with the other music pioneers: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
His hits include Only the Lonely, Crying, Blue Angel, Running Scared, Dream Baby, In Dreams, Blue Bayou, You Got It, and his biggest hit Oh Pretty Woman.
Late in his career, he joined Bob Dylan, George Harrison (Beatles), Jeff Lynne (ELO), and Tom Petty to form the supergroup Traveling Wilburys. Their hits include Last Night, Handle With Care, Tweeter and The Monkey Man, Heading For The Light, and End of the Line.
Roy died at the age of 52 in Dec. 1988. The Traveling Wilburys won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Group in 1990. For more on the Traveling Wilburys click here.
Let’s watch some of his performances.
We’ll start with a 1960 performance of Only The Lonely.
Roy on The Johnny Cash Show in 1969 singing Crying
Crying (with kd lang)
His last hit, You Got It.
For a complete biography, visit : www.royorbison.citymusicnetworks.com
The Mystix: Blue Morning CD Review
The Mystix serve up a delectable mix of blues, R&B, country, and rock with Blue Morning. These musicians are at their finest, and have crafted an album full of soul that could easily become a new favorite of any music lover.
Jo Lily – the band’s front man – plays acoustic and slide guitar, and sings with the raspy voice of Tom Waits, Dr, John, and Bob Dylan. Bobby Keyes, who has recorded with greats like Jerry Lee Lewis and Ben E. King, plays guitar and his excellent skill dazzles. He can switch from funky blues style to rock riffs effortlessly. Bassist Marty Ballou and drummers, Marty Richards and Dennis McDermott, round out the Boston-based group. Keyes and Lily co-produced the CD.
While all ten songs on Blue Morning are good, some standout a little extra. A Change in Jane is a ballad that would fit nicely on one of Dylan’s later albums or pass for one of Van Morrison’s movie songs. It’s strong on images, and because it’s a short song, it leaves you wanting more. The spirited rhythms on the aptly named New Orleans set the scene for a rollicking street party in The Big Easy. New Orleans is the liveliest song on Blue Morning. Another lively tune is The Mystix’s cover of Rattled. And while the Traveling Wilburys: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison are and were the masters, The Mystix’s version just might beat the original.
The title track slows things down a bit. It’s a heartbreak song that offers the hope that there’s always a new day, offering a new start. Which Side of Heartache is a weepy country tune and is reminiscent of The Tennessee Waltz. Hi-Line closes Blue Morning. It conjures up the image of an empty bar when the last shot of whiskey has been served and the final song is coming to an end.
The Mystix’s Blue Morning is a solid album that mixes genres seamlessly. It’s got something for everyone. Blue Morning is an excellent example of how good songwriting and instrumentation can create a perfect listening experience.
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