RADIO HANNIBAL

A few quick takes on Bob Dylan

I could write about Bob Dylan ad nauseum.  Some people do.  He is the greatest American songwriter.  That's what President Obama called him when giving him the Medal of Freedom yesterday at the White House.  I totally agree.  Did you see the shot of Bob and the prez?  Priceless.  Check out the video, Obama couldn't keep from laughing. 

A local musician friend of mine here in Cleveland was in New York City mastering his new album a few months back.  The engineer says Dylan had recently been in the studio finishing up an album.  That was news to me.  I still haven't heard anything of a new Bob Dylan album.  I do hope it's true since the man has been on a roll for the past 13 years or so.

Some people complain about his gruff voice these days.  Hell, they were complaining about his nasally voice in the early 60s.  Then they didn't like his twang on Nashville Skyline.  I love the fact that he can change his vocal style to suit his age and physical ability.  It's yet another dimension to his well-tended enigma.  Again, look at that photo. 

I miss his radio show on Sirius.  It ran three seasons, the last being the shortest.  They are all classics.  He and the crew created wonderful theater of the mind hearkening back to the radio days of the 1930s and 40s. They keep running them though.  It is hard to tire of them.  Actually I found a site that digitized and tagged them all so I'll have them always.  It's a must for a radio fan like me. 

The world would just not be the same without Bob Dylan.  There are so many stories about the man, some astonishing, some head scratching, some hilarious.  And then there's the songs.  The best body of work in popular music. 

 

McCartney coming to Spotify after all

There's some holes in Spotify that are too big to ignore.  Popular artists who, for whatever reasons, haven't figured out that this is the future. 

Bob Dylan caught on a couple of months ago and now all of his material is available on Spotify.  Just scrolling down his page brings joy.  The Beatles aren't part of the revolution.  Not surprising since it took them so long to make their music available on iTunes.  The same goes for the individual Beatles solo careers as well.  They, too, are absent from Spotify.  That is until last week when Paul McCartney put the newly released re-master of Ram on the popular streaming site.  

Apparently he's down with Spotify.  He just wants to make sure what's presented there sounds good.  To further bolster this idea it seems his re-master of McCartney, released in late 2010 has also shown up on Spotify.  Although Band On The Run has also been re-mastered it is not available.  So I'm not sure what to make of this.  

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth is what I say.  The newly polished up Ram sounds terrific, even just as a stream.  There's sounds I'd never picked up on before.  It's a delightful listen. 

Here's hoping Sir Paul adds more of his catalog sooner than later and that the estates of Lennon and Harrison take notice.  Oh yeah, and Ringo too.

 

My top five rock films

I was talking with a friend the other day about our favorite rock films.  I'm not speaking of concert movies.  I'll save that list for another time. This list is for movies about rock music or where rock music is integral to the story. 

1.  High Fidelity - This movie, starring John Cusack, is as much about love realtionships as it is about music.  In the lead character Rob Gordon's mind music and love are intimately entwined.  The film is full of so many insider,hipster music references that it may not resonate with others like it does with me.  It's based on the novel of the same name by British writer Nick Hornby.  I belong to a music message board where I go by the name Rob Gordon, complete with a John Cusack icon. 

2.  Almost Famous - Based on writer/director Cameron Crowe's true life experience as a teenage reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, it's a movie that makes me energized about the power of music every time I watch it.  The cast is terrific and includes a college classmate of mine, Frances McDormand, and an early look at Zooey Deschanel, not to mention Philip Seymour Hoffman as rock critic Lester Bangs.  The fact that Cleveland plays an important role in the film makes it that much more special for me.

3.  Hard Day's Night - Probably my favorite feel good movie of all time.  If I need to regain some of my youthful spirit I simply watch the Beatles in timeless black and white as they live the life we all desire. 

4.  This Is Spinal Tap - Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner and the rest nail the excesses of rock stardom in this hilarious parody of a heavy metal band.  We watch them fall from star status to has-beens in the course of 82, laugh-filled, minutes.  The bonus footage contains my favorite scene, the late Bruno Kirby, who plays a chauffeur, in his underpants singing Frank Sinatra for the band. 

5.  Dig! - Ondi Timoner struck gold when she decided to make a documentary about a rock band.  The result is hardly a documentary but more of a drama as we watch the rise of one band, The Dandy Warhols and the fall of another, The Brian Jonestown Massacre.  It's a disturbing movie as we witness the raw reality of Anton Newcombe's mental illness and self-destructive nature.  There is humor though, most notably via Newcombe's bandmate/court jester Joel Gion.  This movie is about as real a look inside the life of a band as you'll find. 

The Neil Young discography - Shakey II, part 18

This discography analysis is written by contributer JT of Perth, Australia (follow him at @thesonofnoone on Twitter).

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
American Dream (1988) (unavailable on Spotify)

TRACKS (Neil or co-write only):

1) 'American Dream' - Where's Bobby McFerrin when you need him? This is sub-Phil Collins stuff right here. And that's a shame because on Neil's 1987 European Tour with Crazy Horse, this song wasn't bad at all, in fact it was much better than what we've got here. And what the hell is this stuff? Because it's barely recognisable when compared to the CH versions. As George Harrison put it... "isn't it a pity?" 3.0

2) 'Got it Made' - Neil co-write with Stills. A better song, but not much better. This one sounds like it should've been part of the 'Cocktail' soundtrack (there's a few 80s songs that fall into the "sounds like they should be in [insert movie here]" category. Neil's contribution seems miniscule, so I won't spend too much time on this one. 5.0

3) 'Name of Love' - I actually don't mind this song. Neil gets to be Neil, CSN do the backing harmonies to great (i.e not overbearing) effect and the song doesn't suffer the same fate as many of the others on the album. Should actually get some more live plays than it has. I'm actually surprised how much I enjoy this song. 6.5

5) 'This Old House' - Well, there you go - another really good song. Simple, yet effective. You can tell this is an Old Ways-era song, but you can't tell why the hell it was never released back then. Honestly, compared to the shit that came out, this is like the second coming of 'I Believe in You'. Again, CSN don't overdo it on the harmonies. Sure, they lay them on thick, but for some reason... they work. 7.0

8) 'Drivin' Thunder' - Another co-write, this one nowhere near as good as the last - which is saying something. Almost like Stills was trying to outdo Stevie Ray Vaughan. Not a good song - again, not to sure what Neil's contribution was. 3.0

13) 'Feel Your Love' - Well, here goes. I fuckin' LOVE this song. It's no masterpiece - but it's beautiful. Take this and put it on Freedom, and it would've fit as well as 'Sail Away' did onRust Never Sleeps. And if it doesn't reach those heights, then that's OK. Put this puppy on Harvest Moon and you've got the second best song on the album, no contest (it's still a fair way behind the best song - which you'll have to wait and see what it is). Too good to be on this shitty album. Too good for any of Neil's previous 5 albums. 9.0

VERDICT: One gem, another good song, and a couple that could've been good. The less said about the co-writes, the better. OK, enough of this... I've got a feeling that Neil's ready to let rip...

 

Neil Young
Eldorado [EP] (1989) (unavailable on Spotify)

TRACKS:

1) 'Cocaine Eyes' - Hell yeah - listen to that guitar! Hear the drums pound. This shit is raw and awesome. Great echo on the vocals. Great fuckin' song. How awesome is it that this came out in 1989 and yet if it had come out in 2008 it would've sounded just as awesome and it wouldn't have dated a second. Great to hear Neil letting rip. Been waiting a long while for that treat. 9.0

2) 'Don't Cry' - Masterpiece #23. What the fuck is this? This just burrows its way into your soul and sits there ready to twist and wrangle your body when it's played. Sure, it's got some hokey sound effects, but listen to the way Neil sings!! This is a revelation, and I don't mean that lightly. Neil matches his great, impassioned delivery with some guitar work that's out of this world. I first heard this song so many years ago, and I can safely say that I've never not been knocked right out by it. I know some will disagree, but this is the first masterpiece since 'Powderfinger' (but it won't be the last). 10.0

3) 'Heavy Love' - Keep giving me more. C'mon! Feed that shit this way. What we have hear is another great song on the great, lost Neil Young release. Sure, three of these songs are onFreedom, but this is where they belong - this is their home. It's like Neil had been shackled for so long (yet still managed some great music such is the measure of the man), that when the chains were broken he decided to go as hard as he could, not stopping to survey the wreckage. 'Heavy Love' is brilliant. Great melody and again, the guitar playing is first-rate in the Neil Young world. Short, sharp bursts that leave you breathless. Unbelievably brilliant. 9.5

4) 'On Broadway' - "Gimme that crack!!". Not normally a fan of 'Neil does someone else's song' , but I'm willing to make an exception here. Neil kills it on this song - finding the perfect song that he can cover, turning the song into more of an indictment on the city lights and how they mask the true nature of the beast. Not up to the standard of the rest of the EP, but then again - what is?!? 8.0

5) 'Eldorado' - Masterpiece #24. No one writes stuff like this. No one. Love how Neil just raises the intensity with each verse. Love how he drops this bomb on his guitar, and then goes and drops another that makes Hiroshima seem like a firecracker. Love this - "in Eldorado town there lives a great bullfighter. His eyes are screaming blue, his hair is red as blood and when the gate goes up the crowd gets so excited. And he comes dancing out, dressed in gold lami. He kills the bull and lives another day!". Love it, love it, love it. Couldn't be anything but a 10.0

EP RATING: 10.0

VERDICT: At 25 minutes in length, this is actually longer than Everybody's Rockin'. What a difference 20 seconds makes. This is, as I said before, the single great lost Neil Young release. Fuck Time Fades Away (as much as I love it), that people don't know this is a travesty.

Neil Young
Freedom (1989) Spotify

TRACKS:

1) 'Rockin' in the Free World' - Sure, you've all heard this before. Love the dickheads at the end trying to singlong to a song they're probably hearing for the first time. Love Neil's guitar sound, love the biting vocals. You just know that he was prowling the stage, spitting out these lyrics to a crowd who knew they were witnessing one of the first performances of what would quickly become a classic. 9.0

2) 'Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero, Pt 1)' - Not yet a masterpiece, but as close to one as can possibly be. To understand why I can't give this a 10.0, you need to have immersed yourself in the version from Weld for as long as I have. That version is simply perfection - one of the best things Neil's ever done. This here is brilliant, but there's a difference between the brilliance there and the brilliance here. And that difference, my friends, is the reason for this only getting a 9.5

3) 'Don't Cry' - See Eldorado [EP] review. 10.0

4) 'Hangin' on a Limb' - A little bit meh. Not a lot, but just a little. Not a fan of the Linda Ronstadt/Neil Young combo to be honest, and that's especially so on an album that contains so many classics. Sure, it's fine on the first side of American Stars & Bars, but here it just doesn't sit right. Although, having said all that - it would've fit on Harvest Moon and would've been better than quite a few songs there. 6.5

5) 'Eldorado' - See Eldorado [EP] review. 10.0

6) 'Ways of Love' - Similar to 'Hangin' on a Limb', this song would've been a perfect fit for something like Comes a Time, but here it only serves as a distraction until the brilliant stuff starts back up again. Not a bad song at all - just not sure of its purpose here (although, to be fair - the sequence of this album has always baffled me). 7.0

7) 'Someday' - I know I should hate this song. Its production is quite ghoulish (to say the least), but damn if there's not a helluva lot of charm here. The Bluenotes pop their heads back in (amongst the plane and train noises) and play their part. I can't actually find the right words to say about this song, so I'll just leave it alone and rate it. 6.5

8) 'On Broadway' - See Eldorado [EP] review. 8.0

9) 'Wrecking Ball' - Masterpiece #25. Neil/Piano? Aural Viagra right there... One of the more traditional songs (verse, chorus, verse, chorus etc) that Neil's ever written, but I'm not sure he's ever written a more beautiful song. I get lost in it, I wish I could play it and I wish I could sing it. Singing stuff like this for your girl would guarantee you a great night in the sack.10.0

10) 'No More' - Masterpiece #26. Took a long time to see the charms of this song. To me, it was always the other song that Neil played when he did 'Rockin' in the Free World' on SNL in 1989. But that's being completely unfair and unreasonable to the song, because it stands on its own as a brilliant song and utterly deserving when it gets called (by me and hopefully a few more) a masterpiece. Again, great singing and great playing make the song into something that other bands strive their whole career for, only to fall far too short on every occasion.10.0

11) 'Too Far Gone' - If they'd only have kept this as a 'Deep Forbidden Lake' rip-off, it would've been much better. As it is, the electric overdubs don't really do the song justice. It's such a fine little song, it would've been perfectly served by three men and three instruments... Neil Young guitar, Ben Keith - Banjo, Frank Sampedro - Mandolin. There, done and dusted - brilliant song. As it is, it nearly gets ruined by the electricity striking throughout. 7.0

12) 'Rockin' in the Free World' - Masterpiece #27. As powerful as the acoustic take is, it can't match this here. This is primal fury distilled into 4:42. Sure, it's been played probably too much and covered by far too many people who don't really understand the song at all, but that doesn't dilute its brilliance. Fresh ears always reveal it to be just as amazing as the first time you heard it. 10.0

ALBUM RATING: 9.0

VERDICT: Almost a perfect album. But for that to happen (again), Neil will have to wait until next year. But until then, what a way to end the eighties... a time when Neil Young was ridiculed and pilloried for following the muse. OK, so I didn't always agree with his choices, but I don't think he shouldn't have made them. After all, I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason, so who are we to know that if Neil had never made Old Ways, this album may never have been made. And I just don't think I could deal with that - because this album is one of my favourites... only let down by a couple of weak(er) songs. 

NEXT: The 1990s. Yay! But not today - I need sleep now.

Cleveland Rib Cook-Off has some good bands this year

This year's, let me get this full title straight, 21st Annual Marc's Great American Rib Cook-Off here in Cleveland has a better line up of musical acts than I've seen in awhile.  It's no Taste of Chicago, which annually blows away any line up Cleveland's ever pulled together, but it's still a good one. 

I'm hard pressed to think of a better band to kick off a holiday weekend than the B-52s.  They'll take the stage Friday night in what should be a blast.

Todd Rundgren has always had a special place in Cleveland's heart and vice versa.  We're home to one of his biggest fan bases on the planet.  Really, is there anyone in Cleveland who isn't a fan of this man?  He performs Saturday night. 

Sunday night belongs to Staind.  Well, three out of four ain't bad.  Staind was part of the nu metal scene of the 1990s, a genre I found loathsome.  Much to my dismay this sound became known as alt. rock, redefining that encompassing term for the worse. 

On a side note, you can hear plenty of nu metal acts and some other, less than cutting edge, songs on the new local Clear Channel radio station 99X, 99.1 FM.  It's actually a side band of WMMS, 100.7, that's being re-transmitted on 99.1.  It's signal strength is as weak as the format.  That's probably all I'll ever say about the brand new station that already sounds so played out. 

Monday afternoon at the rib cook-off belongs to the reggae fans as The Wailers bring irie to Cleveland.  My business partner and great friend Packey Malley will be introducing the band, once known as the backing group to Bob Marley.

Like I say, it's not too shabby a line up.  Add to that a weather forecast that's summer perfect and we Clevelanders are in for something special. 

The social aspect of streaming music

In the days when there just weren't that many choices as far as what to listen to while you were out on the street I always got a thrill in sharing the music.  It's no wonder I came up with the personal mission statement nearly 20 years ago, "to enrich people's lives through the sharing of music". 

There was a time when radio was the dominant music choice in the car.  More specifically there was a time when one radio station dominated the radio.  Remember the feeling when you were cranking a song on the radio in your car and you'd pull up next to another car who'd be blasting the same tune?  You'd give each other a knowing smile, a nod or shout your approval over the music.  You were bonded. 

Those days are gone.  The demise started with the Walkman which was much more portable than the boombox.  And it was less disruptive to those around you.  But rock and roll is supposed to be disruptive.  The sound of music on the streets began to disappear.  That was accelerated by the mp3 player and the ubiquitous earbuds on so many pedestrians. 

With everyone now keeping their music to themselves the lost camaraderie in sharing made me sad.  Then along comes streaming music and Spotify.  By default, Spotify tells all your Facebook friends what you're listening to all the time.  You can go into "private session" but why? 

Are you that embarrassed by what you listen to?  Not me.  I don't care if everyone knows I'm listening to the Partridge Family or Justin Bieber.  My musical palette is totally eclectic.  Some will certainly scoff at what I may be listening to, but someone else may think, hey, I'd like to listen to that right now too.  And there I am, living my mission statement, enriching someones life through the sharing of music.    

 

The sweet seduction of Dolly Parton

I'm reading film critic, Roger Ebert's book Life Itself.  It's a great book.  His writing is engaging and it's full of terrific stories and a feel of joie de vie. 

Of course he mentions encounters and relationships with movie stars and other celebrities.  An interview with Dolly Parton intrigued me and has me wondering. 

In 1980 he was at a press junket for the movie 9 To 5. Here's what Ebert had to say.  "In Dallas for the premiere of 9 to 5, I had an uncanny experience and on the plane home to Chicago I confessed it to Siskel: I had been granted a private half hour with Dolly Parton, and as we spoke I was filled with a strange ethereal grace. This was not spiritual, nor was it sexual. It was healing and comforting. Gene listened, and said, 'Roger, I felt the exact same thing during my interview with her.' We looked at each other. What did this mean? Neither one of us ever felt that feeling again. From time to time we would refer to it in wonder."

Now I began to think about interviews I'd seen with her on TV.  The only ones that come to mind are with David Letterman.  These aren't private like the one Ebert had but if you watch you'll see what he may be talking about. 

Parton is one of those guests that Letterman always seems to be captivated by.  And I'm not talking about an attraction to her breasts, though that's hard to avoid.  Watch Parton.  She's so charming and at ease.  I can easily see falling under her spell. 

I'm convinced she has that sort of magnetic personality.  As if she's there for only you.  Ebert and Siskel felt it and I'll bet Letterman would attest to it as well.  In other words, Dolly Parton could be a cult figure.  Lucky for us she uses her powers for good. 

 

A little respect for the passing of two giants of disco

There was a line drawn in the sand when disco came to town.  And if you were a rock and roller you were supposed to hate disco.  No questions asked. 

At a Chicago White Sox game they took to blowing up disco records in the middle of the field one night as part of a promotion.  That's how intense the vehement of the rockers could be when it came to disco. 

And when our favorite rock musicians began to incorporate disco into their music we were stunned.  How could The Rolling Stones, The J Geils Band, even The Grateful Dead succumb to it? 

Being a fan of all sorts of music I secretly held onto the belief that there was some good disco music.  I liked the energy, the beat was uplifting and positive.  Besides, a good melody and hooks trumped whatever genre a song was associated with. 

The past few days have seen the passing of two giants of the disco era, Donna Summers and Robin Gibb.  Both losing their battles with cancer. 

I prefer the early works of both artists.  Donna Summer teamed up with Giorgio Moroder to take over the dance club scene before she went on to top 40 fame.  Incorporating the sound of German electronic music Donna Summer created a sound very foreign to pop music of the time.  There was the rumor that she was actually masturbating while she recorded the vocal track for "Love To Love You Baby". 

Robin Gibb, part of the three brother Australian group the Bee Gees, was my favorite.  I always envisioned him with his long hair, finger stuck in one ear while he harmonized with his siblings. 

The Bee Gees will mostly be remembered for their disco hits of the mid to late 70s but it was their sixties pop songs which I will always cherish.  Though sole survivor Barry, Maurice died in 2003, sang lead on the majority of their later songs Robin did sing lead on a number ofthem in the early days.  His wavering falsetto so distinctive as in the fist verse of this live version of "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart". 

 

The Neil Young discography - Shakey II, part 17

This discography analysis is written by contributer JT of Perth, Australia (follow him at @thesonofnoone on Twitter).

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Life (1987) Spotify

TRACKS: 

1) 'Mideast Vacation' - Awesome. Great kickoff to another underrated album. This is one of those great 'visual' songs where you can picture Neil, bouncing along with the beat - M16 in hand while carrying out the song. Neil's delivery is fantastic also - what I wouldn't give for him to have half this conviction in anything he did these days. So yeah, great song and I think tongue is firmly in cheek when he sings it, but that doesn't lessen its impact. 8.0

2) 'Long Walk Home'- You see, if this song were on Old Ways, it would've had 20 sessioners all doing their part and the song would've been ruined. Here, it's left to settle and stand on its own (for the most part), unlike 'Once an Angel' was on Old Ways. Not sure I buy what's being said, but as always with this 'problem', that's the fault of the listener, not the song. My lack of real knowledge about US problems in the mid-to-late 80s means I can't really relate to this song too much. But it doesn't mean I don't like it. 6.5

3) 'Around the World' - For songs that were mostly recorded live with Crazy Horse and then taken into the studio for tweaking - there's not too much Crazy Horse-ness to be found. Apparently the guys were a bit dumbfounded when they found themselves playing this material in concert, but they don't do a bad job. So what have we got here... big beat? Hell yes. Old black? Check. Anyone expecting a standard Crazy Horse album will be disappointed, but I'm not one of them. I dig this stuff. Sure it's not 'Powderfinger', but then again - what is?7.0

4) 'Inca Queen' - Much has probably been made of the 'Inca' aspect of this song, and how it's a cousin to 'Cortez the Killer' and 'Like an Inca', but if expect something along those lines - you might be disappointed. Sure, this is a fine song - one of the best of the album in fact. But I don't really see it as a cousin (or sibling) to the other songs, as much as I don't think the other two are really related to each other. But dig the song for what it is, a great ballad with some awesome Willie Nelson-esque acoustic guitar and production that could've been too much, but ends up being just enough (perhaps that's the David Briggs influence coming through?). 7.5

5) 'Too Lonely' - What makes Neil Young so good? Well, to me it's how unlike anyone else he is. Why do I mention this? I mention it because 'Too Lonely' doesn't sound like a Neil Young song at all - it sounds like something someone else wrote when trying to write a 'Neil Young' song and as a result I just can't love it as much as I should. Sorry about that. 5.0

6) 'Prisoners of Rock and Roll' - "That's why we don't wanna be good". Hell yeah. Almost masterpiece. Best song on the album? Could well be. Should be the closing song to every single NY & Crazy Horse concert ever, a manifesto to their being, a mission statement for anyone wanting to know anything about the band. Sure it's slight, stupid and goofy - that's the fucking point. A fuck you from every band struggling to break free from an overbearing label, run by people who understand figures, not music. Why isn't this more well known?? 9.0

7) 'Cryin' Eyes' - Suffers from the same syndrome as 'Too Lonely'. This sounds like someone else trying to do Neil Young. It's not a bad song, but there's none of the little idiosyncrasies that pepper themselves throughout Young's music, nothing that when you listen to it, you sit and say that it can't be anyone else playing that song. Sure, there's the voice - but in this case... it's not enough. 4.5 

8) 'When Your Lonely Heart Breaks' - Bingo. And with one song he redeems himself (yet again). This song is masterful. Some of the best singing of Young's career, and the sparse accompaniment is the only necessary course to take. Strike my "best song" quip about 'Prisoners of Rock and Roll', this one takes the cake. I could listen to this song forever. Not sure what's needed to elevate up to a masterpiece, but if I heard it I wouldn't have to dock it half a point. 9.5

9) 'We Never Danced' - I know I should say something about this being the return of Jack Nitszche to the fold and how good the song is, but I don't see what some others are talking about when they profess their love for this song. To me, it sounds like the love theme to the 'Masters of the Universe' film with Dolph Lundgren. Good melody, just not enough else to make me jump up and down, or run down the street and grab the nearest person to tell them how good it is. 5.5

ALBUM RATING: 7.0

VERDICT: More of the same goodness from Neil. Not a step up or a step back from Landing on Water, but an album which is just as good. I like this album a lot, I just don't think it's the second coming. Montana, I'd love to know what makes you put this in your top 5 Neil albums of all time, because I'm sure beat as to what makes this better than any of the masterpieces that would have to miss out from that list. But anyway - there's a few absolute gems here, and that bodes well for those who think he was in a slump.

Neil Young & the Bluenotes
This Note's For You (1988) Spotify

TRACKS:

1) 'Ten Men Workin'' - Yeah... it's not bad. A bit too much like what you'd expect from a "Neil Young with a horn section" song. But having said that - the playing's good but not too great (which is a plus), and Neil seems to be having fun, playing some very different guitar licks to what we're used to. So, weighing that up against the somewhat familiarity of the song... this one gets a 6.5

2) 'This Note's For You' - Everyone probably knows the video, but the song itself isn't too memorable. Of course, there's the memorable (if not over-quoted) "ain't singing for Pepsi, ain't singing for coke, don't sing for nobody, makes me look like a joke, This note's for you" opening line(s), but there's not much to elevate this above the slight curio status that it holds in my eyes (and ears). Cool video though. 6.5

3) 'Coupe de Ville' - This is more like it. Just the kind of potential that you'd hope Young would reach. That distant, muted trumpet (eerily reminiscent of 'Meeting Across the River') is the stuff of dreams, and Young's completely understated use of Old Black (I think) is just what the song ordered. Damn, we're only three songs in and we've already got the album's best song. 8.5

4) 'Life in the City' - Starts out sounding like the theme song to Monday Night Football - and that's not something to be happy about. Ends up sounding like something you'd find on the soundtrack to 'Lethal Weapon 2', which is only slightly better. Lucky for the something that the song is utterly redeemed by the second half of each verse, when it kicks into gear and suggests to you that this isn't another excursion in ordinary. 6.0

5) 'Twilight' - Sounds like a Sting song. And not one of the ones he wrote when in The Police - one of his solo songs. And that's never a good thing. "Don't be lonely, don't be sad, 'cos you're the best thing that I ever had" may be his worst lyric ever. Old Black saves the song from disaster, but even then it's only barely saved. 3.0

6) 'Married Man' - See 'Ten Men Workin'' and dock a point and a half. 5.0

7) 'Sunny Inside' - Well, hang on a little minute there. How's that for a 'In the Midnight Hour' intro? Sweet. Now this is more like it. Not exactly what I'd expect from this album - but I'm not turned off by it, in fact I might have to listen to this puppy again. Can't talk now... listening. 7.5

8) 'Can't Believe Your Lyin'' - Back to the normal-ness then? More than that, back to the sub-par. Not Neil's finest hour, not even his finest three minutes. I feel so bad about not writing much about some of these songs, but they're so deflating, I honestly can't bear to bring myself to say anything. 4.0

9) 'Hey Hey' - Kinda like 'Welfare Mothers' for the Bluenotes age. Not saying that it's as good as 'Welfare Mothers', but it's just got that same trashy quality to it. Again, great guitar playing (surely Old Black is the album's MVP?), but the horns are just a bit un-adventurous aren't they?? There's not excitement or zap! to them at all. 6.0

10) 'One Thing' - Perfect end to the album. Again, it's the guitar that brings it home. If nothing else, this album gave Neil another avenue by which to explore his axework. And if I have nothing else to thank this album for, thanking Neil for his guitar playing is more than enough. The sax work is probably a little too '1988', but that's OK since the album came out in 1988. Up there with 'Coupe de Ville' for the best song on the album. 8.0

ALBUM RATING: 6.0

VERDICT: Neil makes it back onto Reprise with nothing to write home about. Compared to what the Bluenotes and Neil were doing live at the time, this album's a disappointment, and a step back from his final two Geffen records. Lucky for us, we have the benefit of hindsight and we can see what corners his solo career would take next (after a brief little sojourn), so we can't be too upset. However I can imagine that if I were a Neil Young fan back in the day, I'd be a little disheartened and feeling that years of support were being ignored. Not saying the album's a disaster (far from it), but it's no Rust Never Sleeps, although you already knew that.

NEXT: Neil makes good on a promise... one we all wish he hadn't.

Saturday Night Live season ender should be a music lover's delight

I really, truly enjoy Saturday Night Live.  The current cast of the past few seasons have really honed their craft, and head writer Seth Meyers along with the rest of the writers have a good batting average with more hits than misses. 

I'll bring that up with some of my peers and they'll tell me the show was much funnier long ago and it sucks now.  The thing is we, as humans, tend to remember the good, not the bad.  There were plenty of bad sketches in the early days of SNL.  You just aren't reminded of them.  It's similar to saying music today is so poor compared to when "I" was growing up.  If that's the way you feel you may as well put on that pair of comfortable shoes and head to the mall for your morning walk. 

Speaking of music and Saturday Night Live, this Saturday's season finale should be a gas with Jumpin' Jack Flash himself, Mick Jagger, as host.  He'll be joined by guitar god Jeff Beck, Arcade Fire and The Foo Fighters.  What's that old man in the comfy shoes, who's Arcade Fire, you ask?