It's Been a While

Mornin' loyal reader(s...hmmm, maybe not so much with my hiatus)! Yes, I understand that this site has been, how do you say, ummm, so totally and unbelievably neglected that I've been dodging social service calls for months. But that won't happen again, or it might, I'm not really here to make promises (I'm here to entertain...wait, what? I don't do that either? Damn).

First blog back I figured I'd go totally lazy and rip off a theme a good friend of mine often implements. I'm gonna set the 'ol iPod (yep, I have and iPod now...feed the machine!) on shuffle and listen to 10 songs. In the time of listening for those 10 songs I'll write something about each one, but only in the time of the song playing...no more! Ok, this should be interesting as I'd say 15% of my iPod music I've never heard...annnnnnd go!

1) Last Tube - Trey Anastacio
Well we've got pleeeenty of time to write here. Last Tube clocks in at just over 11 min, harking back to my jam band phase during the first few years of college. This was Trey's 3rd solo effort and a favorite of mine sophomore year. At the time I was in the first encarnation of my current band (it's always been Me and Brad and some assortment of other people) and we were all about the jam bands: Phish, The Dead, The Allmans, Zeppelin (ok, not totally jam...but just amazingly awesome). You'd think our style would be reflected by those influences but we weren't really good enough to have our influences shine through...but we had promise! In fact the friend I stole this idea from was the lead singer and harp (not the string kind, the awesome blues reedy kind) player. Oh, so the song...eh, it's ok. It's supposedly a continuation of the Phish song "First Tube" but they aren't that similar and the old adage that sequels are never as good as the original rings very true.

2) I'm in an Awful Mood - T-Bone Walker
Ah, the blues, a fitting choice. This is a from a collection I got from the Dr. (of momentum that is) way back when mp3's were some kind of futuristic innovation and Shawn Fanning was just getting high in his dorm room instead of pissing off Metalica. This collection was one of my first hardcore journey's into blues.

3) Come Pick Me Up - Counting Crows
Amazing song! As you all know (or should damnit!) this is a Ryan Adams tune from his 1st solo album Heartbreaker. Its a really raw portrayal of a girlfriend who just totally screws you (and your friends) over and (GASP!!!) steals your records! The Crows do a good cover and this song was my first realization of a musical relationship between Adam Duritz (lead singer Counting Crows) and RA. They have written songs together numerous times that appear on both bands albums. Most notably, "Answering Bell" from RA's album Gold has Duritz singing backup vocals and appears (I'm pretty sure) in the video which is a trippy Alice in Wonderland with Elton John...awesome.

4) Til The Morning Comes - Neil Young
Damn a short one. Haven't listened to this a hell of a lot. After the Goldrush is a pretty good album. I had a huge Neil phase in college but its waned alot since then. Ummm, ok, songs over.

5) Green Onions - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Score, another cover tune! Green Onions is an instrumental tune from one of my favorite R&B groups Booker T & the MGs. Before you say, "yeah, well never heard of him or that song...I'm gonna go look at pr0n on the internets" let me retort with "yes, you've def heard this song...and you liked it!". Tom Petty adds a nice edge and rockness to the tune...Booker T was proud I'm sure. I had the priveledge to see Booker T light up the keys with Clapton at the Garden (Boston...I won't call it that OTHER name it was in the 90's), great show.

6) Stairway to Heaven - Stanley Jordan
Well, then, the iPod is determined to have it's own theme. Sadly, I don't think I've ever heard this cover off Zeppelin's most famous (though not their best) song...didn't even know I had this! Jordan is another artist the Dr. got me hooked on. He's a guitar player who makes one guitar sound like at least two, its truly amazing. By playing the guitar like a keyboard (and turning the action waaay down low) he can comp the bass chords and play melody at the same time. Oddly enough, he was discovered in the subway playing for people and he turned down a record deal to stay on the subway circuit. A year later he relented and began a very successful career as a jazz guitarist.

7) Fresh Feeling - The Eels
Yeah, not much to say about this one. I got this album (Souljacker) from the Dr. during his Eels phase a couple years ago which, coincidently, got started by me (I think...correct me if I'm wrong) and the 2 or 3 Eels songs I had in the music vault. Their albums aren't bad but usually they just aren't my style. Too much Butthole Surfer sound...damn you Johnny Depp!

8) Insomnia and the Hold in the Universe - Live
My 2nd favorite band when I was a teenager. The first band I got obsessed with was Stone Temple Pilots (who are actually on the iPod a ton lately) then it was Live and finally sophmore year of high school Blind Melon took over the reins as my favorite band ever (RA is not a band so he can never threaten Blind Melon...just to clarify my ranking scheme). This song is a middle of the road tune off a middle of the road album (Secret Samadhi). The album has some great tunes ("Rattlesnake", "Graze" and "Lakini's Juice") but was def a fall off from the great Throwing Copper album. Live rebounded with their 4th album The Distance to Here,which is actually my favorite album from the band.

9) The Last Remaining Light - Audioslave
A track from the supergroup consisting of 90's rock icons' ((Rage Against the Machine + Soundgarden) * ∞ < Guns 'n Roses + STP) self-titled album...which I haven't listened to that much. I'm gonna listen for a few min and then give my thoughts on this rarely heard track...eh, def not the best song off this album. So what's the last song...

10) Cosmic Friend (Live) - The Black Crowes
The show that started a craze. This is from the Crowes tour in 2001 where everyone who bought their album Lions could download shows online...for free!!! This of course caused some controversy and problems and yadda yadda yadda. This is from the show I attended at Great Woods on June 11th (wow, that's over 7 years ago). I've seen the Black Crowes a bunch of times and, while they always bring it, I'd say this was 3rd on my list. First being the greatest show ever (not headlined by Ryan Adams) when the Crowes played with Jimmy Page and Kenny Wayne Shepherd opened...not a bad show for your first concert. Then I'm inclinded to think that when their show at the Providence Performing Arts Center was next. "Cosmic Friend" is a good tune but I never liked it as much as the other songs off Lions. A fitting end to our list however, as this song closed that show.

So there you have it, my first blog in a long time...and I stole the idea (I'm like Metalica...oh, snap!). There's a ton of stuff that's happened over the last few months but I'm not gonna tell you...ha!

Ok, maybe one day...if you're good.