Oh Yeah... About Last Night

Heh, heh..... Geez, I got all excited and had to tell a few friends about it. You see, I have a really hard time finding ANYTHING on TV worth watching so... when I do, I feel I have to tell people.

Scrolling through the cable listings I came across one of those 'The Making Of' shows which happened to be about a CD that has spent an unreasonable amount of time in my car's player these last few weeks. It was one of those 'OMG..... Holy Crap!...... Hallelujah!!' moments.

So, Bryan Ferry (ex of Roxy Music fame) covers Bob Dylan on 'Dylanesque'. The sound used on the TV show was a rough studio mix and not the same as on the CD so I found some vocals and instruments standing out at times. This show is also available as a DVD release (which I just found on Amazon.) According to the credits Brian Eno provides some electronic 'atmospherics' but I didn't see him throughout. I did recognize the bass player as being the guy who recorded and toured with David Gilmour for the 'On An Island' release - Guy Pratt. Other back-up musicians include journeyman Robin Trower on guitar and an apparently VERY young, very talented Oliver Thompson also on guitar. (Ollie turns in some incredibly controlled slide work.) Ferry does a great job on vocals, harmonica and Farfisa organ.

While I've said some less than favorable things about Ferry (on a personal level) in the past he managed to change my mind with the short interview portions between songs. His public persona used to be based pretty much solely on 'image' with a capital 'I'... lots of glam with little seemingly to back it up. I was glad to hear he had a good deal of insightful things to say about Dylan, his music, it's writing and the times it was written in.

Here's a link to the portion of the show where they perform 'The Times They Are A'Changin' as well as a short interview segment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7xM1UpK0nE&feature=related

Musical Interlude

Roaming about here I found this marathon version of 'Comfortably Numb' for Robin. It was released on David Gilmour's DVD 'Remember That Night'; recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall in May 2006. Released August 2007. This features vocals by David Bowie. (Beware the laser effects - they almost put me into a seizure.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM0Pl80Zf00&feature=related

JPW's and my favourite track from Gilmour's 'On An Island' CD - 'Take A Breath'. Video from an AOL Sessions recording done in New York two days before Lynda and I saw him perform at Toronto's Massey Hall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KboVg6SEABM&feature=related

Back to the DVD for a short vocal 'Find The Cost Of Freedom' with David Crosby and Graham Nash. Beautifully done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Y0SMitMpk

I've run out of time - see ya!

Music Fix

In response to a recent review of John Mellencamp's most recent CD by Glen at 'The Worldwide Glen', I'd told him that would be my next purchase. Oooopps! Turns out I lied.

For the last while I've been trying to build a DVD music library of acts I enjoy and I tend to treat myself to something new when I'm down or feel in need of some small reward. I couldn't afford myself when I was drinking and subsequently have saved literally thousands of dollars in sobriety so.....a little music now and then doesn't hurt. (Rationalization? Whatever works.)

Browsing through the store I found a 2000 release by Jeff Beck on CD that I thought I already had; 'You Had it Coming'. It turns out I hadn't. I've heard half the songs in one form or another elsewhere but there are some other gems here, too. Doing a search of his website brought me the news that there's a web only release of another 'official bootleg' from his tour last fall of the western U.S. - I'll be ordering that baby a little later tonight; I can't seem to get enough of his playing. He was also supposed to be recording some new material during that tour but I can't track down any news regarding that.

The DVD I picked up at the same time is Neil Young's 2006 release 'Heart Of Gold'. The first disc is the concert he and the band performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and features all the songs from his 'Prairie Wind' CD followed by a selection of his greatest hits which coincide with the theme. I was enthralled for the full 100 minutes. Besides the core band, he had on different songs, a brass section, strings, a guitar orchestra, choir and a number of back-up singers including his wife Pegi and the breath-taking Emmylou Harris. (I've had a schoolboy crush on her since she came on the scene back around 1970; her heart shaped face makes my heart go pitter-pat) I haven't viewed the second disc as yet but it includes rehearsal footage, interviews and 2 bonus tracks.

He mentions in pre-song intro's that he'd lived in Winnipeg when he was young but he also spent a few years about 15 miles west of here in Pickering and a couple more in the village of Omemee, 60 miles east. His late father, Scott, was a famous newspaper columnist for the Toronto Telegram.

Music is soooo gooood for the soul!!!

A look back at Xmas and New Years

We didn't go over the top with gift giving this year but one thing I appreciated getting was some new clothes. A nice pair of pants, 4 shirts and a couple of ties; all of it for work. It's really nice to have some clothes that fit and look new. I used to weigh in around the 155-160 mark but when I stopped drinking I lost about 15lb of booze weight. Over the last few months I've lost another 5-7lb so now I'm in around the 135 mark - not much spread over a 5'11" frame. So, like I said, it's nice to have something that fits - snug at the waist, the butt doesn't sag and the collars don't gape.

For the first time we didn't go out for New Years or have people in as I had to be up and at work early NY day. Lynda and I watched the Alison Krauss/Union Station DVD that I'd rec'd for Xmas. Fantastic musicianship. It was over before the news came on so we saw how the year was ushered in around the world before it reached us. A fantastic firework display from Sydney Harbour.

There were a few cross country phone calls checking in with my kids, Mom and my brother's families. Lynda made it up to see a bunch of her family on Boxing Day.

Much as I enjoy celebrating the season it's always a relief to have it behind me again and feel the stress level come down.

Things are in a state of flux at my workplace again so there's some anticipation as to how that will shake out over the next couple of weeks. Situation normal - what will be, will be. Pitter patter - let's get at 'er!