Had an interesting music weekend last weekend. My wife was on third shift, so she left for work at 8pm and got home at 8am Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So 1st night sat at the bar at Azur and had the special (BBQed goat ribs, woo-hoo!) and listened to The Real Deal Willie Eames. Then Saturday, it was Internationally Renowed Guitarist, the Inimitable Ben Lacy. I sat with a musician / computer geek friend and his wife and 8-week old daughter; then some of my neighbors (Lacy fans) came in; then a young guy from work and his friend came in. Both nights I wound up getting to sleep 2:30-3:00am and sleeping in with the wife until noonish.
Finally, Sunday night went out to Lynagh's to see Willie Eames' 3 piece band, The Tall Boys. Great stuff, Hendrix meets Captain Beefheart, very eclectic drumming. Willie was playing an ES-335, a TubeScreamer, a Vox wah-wah, and a 1968 Super Reverb amp (like mine). Chatting with Willie, he mentioned after we had talked Friday, his wife had found the reference in an earlier post to Willie playing the Steinberger. Woo-hoo, another reader, welcome aboard to this wild ride!
Actually, seems like this blog is becoming all about music. I have hit a wall with cognitive science, until I get over my realization that music, language, large brains, basically all of human civilization, was sexually selected, i.e., primarily evolved because chicks dug it.
I have downloaded Python for doing some data work for Google Sky. I also signed up as a Google App developer. Maybe when I retire. After coding 8 hours at work most days, I don't feel much like coding in the evenings -- too many years of night consulting jobs, I guess.
I was supposed to be out of town Wednesday, so I'd told the gang at O'Neills I wouldn't be there. I wound up being in town, decided to take a night off and play and sing in the basement. I love my song book, it is great fun to be able to do songs that I really love: "Unfaithful Servant", "King Harvest", "Jawbone", "Such A Night", "Anna Begins" ...
I have a ton of new music:
- Van Morrison "Keep It Simple" has gone from 3 to 4 stars -- not a bad song on the album.
- Currently listening to Disc B of E of "The Carter Family -- 1927-1934". Special guest appearances by Jimmy Rodgers (yodelay-dee-hee). Around 125 tracks, I've listened to about 30. I surely prefer old-timey country to modern. This will be 3 stars maybe a few 4s. Too bad it's about 20-30% hymns ...
- Matt Sweeney and Bonnie "Prince" Billy, "Superwolf". This is Will Oldham who did the great vocal on the Bjork song "Gratitude" -- plus I had another recommendation of his work. Need more listens.
- Aimee Mann, "@#%&*! Smilers" -- at least it's not a @#%&*! Christmas album! Nothing real catchy, probably 3 stars.
- Delbert McClinton "Feelin' Alright" (1993) and "Cost of Living" (2005). The 1st one sounds like, Delbert needed some quick cash. The 2nd one has some good tunes. Probably both 3 stars.
- My Morning Jacket, "Still It Moves" (2003). Interesting stuff, 3.5 stars?
- Adele, "19". My oldest daughter pointed me at this. 4 stars, and 5 for the track 3, the ever so catchy "Chasing Pavements". I watched her perform this on YouTube on Letterman, then spotted the original video. Wait a minute, I've seen that video before -- I checked my piece of Hotel Russell stationary from when I was in London in March, and there it was, "Chasing Pavements". So, is the song really that catchy, or did I respond to it so strongly because it had planted a seed in my brain in March?
- John Mayer, "Millenium" -- haven't got around to listening to it yet.
- The Yardbirds, "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago, 1964-1968". After that live album I got, I had to hear the originals. So, 27 tracks for $19 from amazon.com. I did remember the timing on "I'm Not Talkin'" correctly, they do it differently on the live album. And, the guitar solo on "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is still one of my favorite of all time. I've probably listened to it 5 times since I got it.
- Hank Ballard, "Finger Poppin' Time" and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (1960). So the prior Wednesday I saw Matt Knowles at Lynagh's playing with Johnny Roy and the Rub Tones. They did "Finger Poppin' Time" -- great song, probably hadn't heard it in 30 years. So I mentioned that to Willie Eame's chatting the following Friday, and he said, yeah, Hank Ballard, who wrote and originally recorded "The Twist", other big hit "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" -- also a great song. So I downloaded them both and worked up "Let's Go ...".
- The Tall Boys (of Kentucky), eponymous, 2007. The same eclectic stuff I heard Sunday at Lynagh's. More electric that what I usually listen to anymore, still, there may be a 4 star tune or two on it.
- Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" -- seems listenable, nothing jumping out after 2 listens, 3 stars.
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