Fighting Piranhas on Easter
Easter sort of snuck up on me this year, although I suppose it came the first Sunday in April just like every other year. Not that there are many traditions in Apt. 104, but at least I could have bought groceries last week in case my local market is closed today.
As far as today’s post, I went back and forth on what I could do. A couple of years ago I found some old, old blues songs that were somewhat religious in nature and thought those might make good Easter fare. I also thought about going tongue-in-cheek with the Cramps’
Songs the Lord Taught Us.
In the end, I went with this White Stripes song because of two lines: “It’s Easter morning, and there’s no one around / So I unroll the cement and walk into the town.” Like a lot of Jack White’s lyrics, it’s ambiguous, possibly meaning everything or nothing or a little of both. Either way, it’s an apt description of Easter morning around these parts.
This particular recording comes from the White Stripes’ July 14, 2007, show at the Savoy Theater in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.
I Fought Piranhas (live).mp3 Labels: Detroit, garage rock, holiday, White Stripes
'Fell In Love With A Girl'
This past weekend I bought the new White Stripes live disk,
Under Great White Northern Lights. I went the route of going to my local big box retailer to get a physical copy so I could get the bonus DVD.
The set documents the White Stripes’ 2007 trek across the Great White North, and while the CD is the expected collection of live hits, the DVD contains a few surprises. During the three-week tour, Jack and Meg made stops at several out-of-the-way towns and played some unorthodox venues, such as local cafes and bowling alleys. Hardly settings where you’d expect to find one of the biggest bands in the world. Snippets of these stops, along with the infamous one-note show in St. John’s, Newfoundland, are all on the DVD.
One other thing that came from watching the DVD is a new appreciation, or perhaps sympathy, for Meg. Fans generally know very little about her. She mostly keeps quiet, allowing Jack to speak on behalf of the band. Because of her taciturnity, it’s hard to know where Meg stands. In every scene with Jack, she’s walking behind him, rather than alongside him. The primary focus is always on him, in all meetings with reporters, fans, and public officials. They talk about that at one point on the DVD, and Meg says the decision to let Jack do all the talking is hers; she doesn’t want to talk. She’s very soft-spoken and is actually sub-titled throughout the 90-minute film.
But I think her feelings come out at the end of the movie. In the final scene, Meg is sitting beside Jack at a piano as he plays a solo version of the ambiguous “Holy Ghost.” She’s at first swaying slowly, in time with the music. After a while, the camera catches what looks like a tear on her cheek, but it moves away too fast to be certain. But the next time the camera zooms on her, she’s unmistakably crying. When the song ends, Jack gives her a quick, one-armed “cheer up, pal” kind of hug, which quickly becomes a real hug and you see the affection between them. That unexpected moment of intimacy is something that made the entire movie for me, and made Jack and Meg seem real, not just a “deserted cartoon” that Jack wrote.
I ripped “Holy Ghost” from the DVD, so the sound isn’t 320 kbps quality, but it’s decent. It’s also, as I mentioned, a solo piano version, so it's different than the
Get Behind Me Satan version.
White Moon (solo piano version).mp3 Labels: Detroit, movies, new stuff, White Stripes
Down the Holiday Trail, pt. III
My personal little slice of Christmas spirit and why I’d prefer to shop online: I went this morning to a big box retailer, looking for two specific items and an unspecific one. I couldn’t find the two specific items and decided not to get the third.
While at the store, I was subjected to crowds, rudeness, and a couple of people who apparently decided it was more important to shop than bathe. I also caught sight of an individual unironically wearing full
Ed Hardy gear, including a hat carefully cocked and tilted. That made me laugh, which made the whole trip worthwhile.
Enjoy today’s music.
Must Be Santa.mp3 ~ Bob Dylan
Jingle Bells.mp3 ~ Pearl Jam
Story of the Magi / Silent Night.mp3 ~ White Stripes
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.mp3 ~ Christina Aguilera
Santa Baby.mp3 ~ Madonna
Labels: holiday, Pearl Jam, White Stripes, Xtina
The 12 Days of Xmas (day 10)
On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
Christmas Eve Eve. Are you done shopping yet? I used to have an uncle who would work until 5 p.m. every Christmas Eve,
then set out to do his shopping before coming over for dinner. He drove my mom nuts.
A fair mix of rock-oriented Xmas tunes tonight. I’m including “Danny Says” even though it’s not really a Christmas song. The line, “It’s not Christmas if there ain’t no snow,” just seems to really strike home as I sit here in 73 degree weather. You’ll note that this is Tom Waits’ version; oddly enough I have this but I don’t seem to have the Ramones’ original.
Run Rudolph Run.mp3 ~ Lemmy
Danny Says (Ramones cover).mp3 ~ Tom Waits
We Three Kings.mp3 ~ Reverend Horton Heat
Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight).mp3 ~ Ramones
Back Door Santa.mp3 ~ The Black Crowes
Hey Santa Claus.mp3 ~ The Chesterfield Kings
Jingle Bell Rock.mp3 ~ The Ventures
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!.mp3 ~ Brian Setzer Orchestra
Silent Night / A Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis.mp3 ~ Tom Waits
Story of the Magi / Silent Night.mp3 ~ The White Stripes
Labels: covers, holiday, White Stripes
John the Revelator
The other day, when I was posting music by Lonnie Pitchford, I found another interesting song on the
Harry Smith Connection album: a version of “John the Revelator” by Ethel Caffie.
At the risk of sounding ignorant, all I really knew about this song was that the White Stripes had covered it and I assumed it was a traditional blues or folk song. My original thought for today’s post was to post Caffie’s version alongside the White Stripes’ version. As I dug around a little, though, I learned more about the song. I also learned exactly who John the Revelator was.
By way of some background, I’ve pretty much lapsed in my church attendance and religious studies. If I have ever heard the name “John the Revelator” outside of the context of the song, I’ve long since forgotten.
So, for my fellow heathens, here’s today’s lesson: John the Revelator is/was St. John, one of Jesus’ Apostles. In addition to several other New Testament works, he also wrote the Book of Revelations. Hence, “Revelator.” Tradition holds that St. John was exiled to the island of Patmos where he received a vision of Christ. It was there that he wrote of his revelations.
Now, as far as the song, it
is a traditional gospel/blues song. In the chorus, John is writing “the book of the seven seals.” As far as I could find, the earliest recorded version is from Blind Willie Johnson, dating to 1930. And after all that trouble, the White Stripes don’t even have a full version of the song; they just included part of it in their song “Cannon” from their debut disk.
Just from looking around, I know there are dozens of versions of “John the Revelator” out there. I read that both Beck and the Blues Brothers have covered it, but I couldn’t find those versions. Here are just some of the ones I enjoyed the most.
Cannon.mp3 ~
White StripesJohn the Revelator.mp3 ~
Blind Willie JohnsonJohn the Revelator.mp3 ~
Son HouseJohn the Revelator.mp3 ~
Ethel CaffieJohn the Revelator.mp3 ~
Gov’t MuleJohn the Revelator.mp3 ~
Chicken Legs WeaverLabels: blues, covers, White Stripes
2008 Grammys
The Grammy Awards air tonight on CBS, live from Los Angeles. There was a lot of concern about whether the show, like the Golden Globes, would be a bust because of the writer’s strike. Apparently those in charge decided since the show is about music, they don’t need writers. Whatever.
I’ll probably tune in. A lot of years I don’t, but this year I’m interested in seeing how the White Stripes and Amy Winehouse fair. The White Stripes are up for four awards, including Best Alternative Album and Best Rock Song (“Icky Thump”), but, unfortunately, are not scheduled to appear or perform.
Amy Winehouse is slated to perform via satellite after Visa issues, then her decision not to fly to the States after all. She’s up for six Grammys, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year (“Rehab”).
Some other interesting performances: The Foo Fighters will perform with 20 unsigned musicians as part of an orchestra. Three of these musicians will vie to be a featured instrumentalist during the performance of “The Pretender.” Arranging and conducting will be Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.
It may also be entertaining to see Rihanna onstage with the reunited Time. Morris Day. Jimmy Jam. Terry Lewis. Very cool stuff. Oh-ee-oh-ee-oh.
And of course, John Fogerty is going to make his Grammy debut tonight, somewhere in the area of 40 years after CCR’s first album was released. He’ll perform alongside Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard as part of a “Cornerstone of Rock” segment. “When I was a young guy, none of the people I liked got Grammys. That's just the way it was,” Fogerty said at a Grammy week event Wednesday night. “They honored a lot of great people, but they just weren't in my musical universe. Then something changed 15, 20 years ago, where they started kind of getting a little hipper, honoring rock and pop and even rap. It seems to be not just reserved for old, gray white men anymore, kind of like our politics.”
Love is a Losing Game (acoustic).mp3 Amy Winehouse, AOL Sessions
Rehab (acoustic).mp3 Amy Winehouse, AOL Sessions
Icky Thump (live).mp3 White Stripes, live MSG; July 4, 2007
Effect and Cause (live).mp3 White Stripes, live, unknown date.
Gunslinger.mp3 John FogertyProud Mary (live).mp3 John Fogerty, live World Café; Oct. 26, 2007
Jungle Love.mp3 The TimeWhile I’m here, I may as well weigh in with my guesses as to who’s going to win some of the bigger categories:
-Record of the Year: “Rehab”
-Album of the Year: Graduation, Kanye West (Kanye beats Amy? Sort of a toss-up, but I think her personal issues are going to keep voters from allowing her to sweep.)
-Song of the Year: Amy comes back to win this one with “Rehab.”
-Best New Artist: Feist. Amy Winehouse is nominated, but she’s not really new. I don’t even know who the hell the other nominees are.
-Best Pop Performance: who cares.
-Best Pop Album: toss-up between Amy Winehouse and Paul McCartney. Probably Amy.
-Best Rock Performance: C’mon – do you even read this blog? I’m not rooting against the White Stripes for anything.
-Best Hard Rock Performance: QotSA over not just Ozzy, but the Foo Fighters. Although the Foos
are performing. Hmmm....
-Best Rock Album: The Boss for
Magic. He and John Fogerty are both way over-due, but it’s Springsteen in a photo finish.
-Best Alternative Album: Icky Thump. Duh.
Not to slight the rap and R&B categories, but I don’t listen to enough of either anymore to even make a half-assed guess. Probably whatever Jay-Z and/or Timbaland are involved in.
Labels: Amy Winehouse, classic rock, current events, hip-hop, live music, White Stripes
Conquista
At least I think “
conquista” is the Spanish word for “conquest.” Which becomes important because the White Stripes’ latest single release is likewise titled “Conquest” and features a mariachi version of the song. See how neatly I managed to tie all of this together?
“Conquest,” the second single from
Icky Thump, was released Dec. 18. The tracks “It's My Fault for Being Famous,” “Honey, We Can't Afford to Look This Cheap,” and “Cash Grab Complications on the Matter” appear respectively on black, white, and red versions of the vinyl releases, with the latter featuring the aforementioned version of “Conquest.”
The B-sides were co-produced by Beck, who also contributed vocals and piano to “Being Famous” and played slide guitar on “Honey.”
In other White Stripes news, the band has been nominated for four Grammy Awards:
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM:
Icky ThumpBEST ROCK SONG:
Icky ThumpBEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP:
Icky ThumpBEST LIMITED PACKAGING: limited edition “Jack and Meg”
Icky Thump USB drives
No word on whether Jack and Meg plan to appear or perform at the Feb. 10 awards show.
It’s My Fault for Being Famous.mp3 Conquest (acoustic mariachi version).mp3Labels: garage rock, new stuff, rock, singles, White Stripes
End of Year Anti-List
I had something else I was going to post tonight, but I’ll get to that in the next couple of days. I need to address this “best of” thing first.
Every year about this time, all sorts of lists appear featuring various takes on the perceived best albums/songs/bands/TV shows/sex toys/what-have-yous of the previous 12 months.
Last year, my first end-of-year blogging, I didn’t do a Top 10 list. This year, with a couple more months under my belt, I still have no intention of making a Top 10 list. I have a two-fold reason for not doing this. First, same as last year, I probably haven’t heard 10 albums released this year that I would consider “keepers.” I’ve spent as much time listening to Hank III’s
Straight to Hell, which was released in 2006, as I have anything from this year. The handful of new albums I’ve heard this year – and may still listen to
next year – isn’t large enough to rate an entire list.
Which brings me to my second point with these lists. If I made a list full of records I like, what the hell does that mean to you? When I see a Top 10 list filled with albums I didn’t like in March, why would I feel different just because they’re on a list in December?
If you really feel like you need a list as some sort of closure or whatever, Large Hearted Boy has a
Master List of End-of-Year lists.
Consider this post the start of my holiday Grinchiness. And, just for the record, my favorite album of 2007 was The White Stripes’
Icky Thump.
Icky Thump.mp3 Live, Madison Square Garden 7/24/2007Icky Thump.mp3 Live on Conan, 6/18/2007Icky Thump.mp3 album versionLabels: live music, White Stripes
Jack White at the Garden Bowl
After I posted up a couple of live Jack White tracks
the other day, reader Jennifer was the only person to drop a note saying she would like to hear the rest. That leads me to assume one of the following must be true: 1) No one cares to hear anymore Jack White; 2) People skimmed the post thinking, “Blah, blah, blah, where's the music?”; or 3) The rest of you were too shy to leave a comment.
Based on the hits the post got, I'm assuming option one isn't true. Therefore, I can only guess most of you were too shy to leave a comment saying, “Yes, post the Jack White.” But thanks to Jennifer I'm going to. So at least leave a comment thanking her.
I know nothing about this show except it was recorded at the Garden Bowl in Detroit, on March 6, 2001. Also I read that the Garden Bowl claims to be America’s oldest active bowling center.
In consideration to that, along with the fact that a cold is laying me low this weekend, I’m going to forego my usual rambling and get right to the music.
Hotel Yorba.mp3 Rated X.mp3 Cold Brains.mp3 I’m Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman.mp3 Fragile Girl.mp3 Dyin’ Crapshooter’s Blues.mp3 Black Jack Davey.mp3 You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket.mp3 Who’s to Say.mp3 We’re Going to be Friends.mp3 The Same Boy You’ve Always Known.mp3 Baby Blue.mp3Labels: covers, live music, White Stripes
In which we return to the White Stripes rumor mill
Not exactly breaking news, but almost two months after canceling their tour and seemingly dropping off the face of the earth, the White Stripes announced last week they are releasing three new songs and a new video.
According to a post on their
Web site, “The White Stripes have just filmed an exciting new video and recorded three never before heard original songs (with a special collaboration) and one unique new version of a song from their latest album
Icky Thump.”
The
Candy Cane Children fan site is rife with speculation on not just the three new songs, but with whom Jack and Meg have collaborated. Most posters there think “Conquest” will be the single, but guesses as to the guest spot range from Patti Page to Alicia Keys.
While we wait for more news, here are a couple of Jack White songs. The first is a traditional folk song from the
Cold Mountain EP; the other two are from a June 3, 2001, show Jack did at the Garden Bowl Bar in Detroit, Mich. And if anyone’s interested, I
do have a few more tracks from that show....
Wayfaring Stranger.mp3 Cold Brains (Beck cover).mp3 Dyin’ Crapshooter’s Blues (Blind Willie McTell cover).mp3Labels: alt.country, live music, rock, White Stripes
"I Don't Believe We've Played This Barn Before" part 2
As promised, here is part two of the White Stripes’ July 24 appearance at Madison Square Garden, in NYC. Part one is a couple of posts down, or if you’re lazy and/or have a broken “page down” key, you can click
here.
The
KEXP blog has a great review of this show – actually, pretty much everything I’ve read has been positive – but the best thing about the review is a comment left by a guy calling himself RacerX: “My 15-year-old daughter wanted to see the White Stripes at the Garden for her birthday. We made the 300-mile trip, stayed in a pricey hotel, and had seats at the very back of the Gardens. You know something? It was a killer great show.
“It was a pricey trip to the city, but man, 15-year-old girls don’t really like to hang out with their dad, even if he is a cool musician. But she dug the whole scene. A great show and pricey trip. Dad and teen-age daughter bond: priceless”
I thought that was a very cool comment.
The White Stripes will restart their North American tour next month with two shows in Austin, Tex.
9/15/07: Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival, Zilker Park
9/16/07: Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
9/18/07: Chula Vista, CA - Coors Amphitheatre
9/19/07: Inglewood, CA - The Forum
9/21/07: Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
9/24/07: Anchorage, AK - George M. Sullivan Sports Arena
9/26-27/07: Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
9/28/07: Nampa, ID - Idaho Center
9/29/07: West Valley City, UT - The E Center
9/30/07: Jackson, WY - Snow King Resort
For more dates and to buy tickets, check out either
White Stripes.com or Pollstar’s
artist itinerary.
300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues.mp3 You Don’t Know What Love Is.mp3 Fell in Love With a Girl.mp3 Ball and Biscuit.mp3 Blue Orchid.mp3 I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself.mp3 Little Ghost.mp3 We’re Going to be Friends.mp3 Little Bird.mp3 Catch Hell Blues.mp3 My Doorbell.mp3 Seven Nation Army.mp3 Boll Weevil.mp3Labels: live music, rock, White Stripes
"I Don't Believe We've Played This Barn Before" part 1
The White Stripes are wrapping up the first part of their U.S. tour with a show tonight in Mississippi. That show, in Southaven, to be precise, looks to be about as close as they’re going to get to South Florida. Not that I can blame Jack and Meg - it's hot, it’s humid, there’s “activity” in the Caribbean. Why come here? Certainly not just so
I CAN SEE YOU PLAY!While I sulk about that and about the storms that are no doubt going to form and come tearing straight up The Florida Turnpike, I can take consolation in the fact that my fellow White Stripes fans are out there, recording devices in hand (or pocket, or wherever), making sure we can live vicariously through their tapings.
This recording, from the Madison Square Garden show just a few nights ago (July 24) shows the White Stripes in full effect. “If there were any doubts that the White Stripes – consisting solely of guitarist Jack White and his ‘big sister’ drummer Meg – could rock out the cavernous Madison Square Garden, the duo erased them with their debut there,” commented Frank Scheck, writing for
Reuters news service.
The sound quality on this recording is pretty decent – probably three to three-and-a-half on a scale of 1-5. Enjoy part 1 of this and I’ll post part 2 in a couple of days.
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground.mp3 When I Hear My Name.mp3 Jolene.mp3 Hotel Yorba.mp3 Cannon.mp3 Icky Thump.mp3 Do.mp3 Death Letter.mp3 In the Cold, Cold Night.mp3 A Martyr for My Love for You.mp3 I’m Slowly Turning Into You.mp3 I Think I Smell a Rat.mp3 Wasting My Time.mp3Labels: live music, rock, White Stripes
As far as today’s post, I went back and forth on what I could do. A couple of years ago I found some old, old blues songs that were somewhat religious in nature and thought those might make good Easter fare. I also thought about going tongue-in-cheek with the Cramps’ Songs the Lord Taught Us. 
