Nowhere To Run

No matter how many times I hear it, Born In The USA gets under my skin.  I’m not even American, but the story, the heartache, the anguish  … they’re universal.

It’s also kick-ass rock and roll.

Before You Accuse Me

I have heard and seen frequent criticism of Eric Clapton that when he performs live he makes no attempt to connect to the audience.

To which, I say this: Watch Eric’s face.  He is lost in the music, which is where you’re supposed to be.

So Many People In The Same Device

Have a listen to Nice Nice Very Nice by Ambrosia (and Kurt Vonnegut).

Here are the lyrics:

Oh a sleeping drunkard
Up in Central Park
Or the lion hunter
In the jungle dark
Or the Chinese dentist
Or the British Queen
They all fit together
In the same machine

Nice, nice, very nice
Nice, nice, very nice
So many people in the same device

Oh a whirling dervish
And a dancing bear
Or a Ginger Rogers and a Fred Astaire
Or a teenage rocker
Or the girls in France
Yes, we all are partners in this cosmic dance

Nice, nice, very nice
Nice, nice, very nice
So many people in the same device

Amen.

Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

Every year when I see who is getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, my reaction is either “it’s about time” or “why them?”  Maybe sometimes both.

This year, I got to thinking: what makes a band deserving anyway?  So I listed my 10 favourite bands and looked for the similarities.  Here’s the list:  The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Who, The Rolling Stones, CSNY, The Kinks, Dire Straits, Jethro Tull, U2.

OK, that’s more than 10, but nevermind.  And I know your list is different and that’s cool.

But what sets them apart?  Genre/subcategory?  Nope.  Great musicianship?  Mostly, but not – with the greatest respect to those listed – universally.  Killer song writing?  It helps, I suppose.  Clothes?  Just kidding.

Maybe it’s a combination of curiosity and fearlessness.  I tend to think of my favourite artists as explorers, trying new ideas, poking around in unfamiliar places.  Even after they’ve forged their own sound and persona, there’s a restless drive to seek out the new and see what it has to offer.

That drive, that curiosity, that willingness to try something new is why the music of these bands still sounds fresh and exciting.  That spirit of exploration keeps the music young.

Just My Tears And The Orchestra Playing

Maybe it’s because I’ve heard them, like 7,000 times, but some songs are like symphonies.  Take, say, Third Stone From The Sun or Dazed And Confused.

As you listen to the ebb and flow, the music continually morphs into an entirely different vibe.  As you pick up on the nuances that drive those translations, you gotta think: this is musical genius of a higher order, like Wagner or something*. 

Or maybe it’s just because I’ve heard them 7,000 times.

* Yeah, I know.  Wagner was an opera guy, and not really known for his only symphony, which, as it turns out, was once conducted by Engelbert Humberdinck, whose namesake performed music which – especially compared to Hendrix or Zeppelin – was not particularly symphonic.

See how I worked that in?

At The Station

I dunno.  Listening to White Room by Cream, I just think that Jack Bruce was the most underrated singer in rock.

It’s A Low Down Dirty Shame

I’ve decided I’m only listening to the Blues until the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup again.  Luckily, I have thousands of songs, so I probably won’t get bored.

A Higher Place

The thing about Tom Petty is, like, when you hear one of his songs, you go, I wrote that, didn’t I?

Same Old Thing Happens Every Day

I have no quarrel with those who would choose Chuck Berry, but if I had to explain rock and roll to an alien I would play I’m Down by The Beatles.

Eight Miles High

Sometimes, when I’m grooving to the music and everyone else is busy yacking, I just feel sorry for them.