There is a certain amount of blasphemy about to be put forth in this space. Saturday night, I was having a conversation about music--a wide ranging, animated, completely engaging conversation, by the way--and my friend was putting forth that there are certain artists that, although you may never want to buy an entire album of their work, they have an album's worth of brilliant material scattered over the course of their career. He specifically brought up Leonard Cohen.

I have to agree. "Suzanne" is one of the most tender, poignant fragile songs ever recorded, but I don't know if I necessarily need to hear the rest of that album. But put "Suzanne" together with "Hallelujah", and "Everybody Knows", and "Dance Me to the End of Love", and you're on to something interesting. Leonard Cohen is one of those artists that people tend to discover through covers of his songs; oftentimes, the cover is far superior to the original . I hold Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" up as case in point. End of discussion. Lou Reed could go here. Cherry pick Lou's catalog, and you'll find one of the greatest rock albums ever. Neil Young, same guiding principle. Some artists are meant to be known, and I will go so far as to say, better realized, by other artists shining a light on their work. See? Blasphemy.

Who makes your list? Discuss in the comments.

Labels: jeff buckley, leonard cohen, lou reed

Writer's block. I know I suffer from it. Lately, not so much a block, but just being too busy to put down anything coherent or meaningful. Maybe after I go record shopping on Saturday, I'll be a little more inspired. The instance of my record shopping is not unusual, but the company is the key new element.

When I'm feeling unsettled, I find it hard to write. Whether that's for a good reason or bad reason, I struggle to bring my brain to text. So, when I stumbled across this list today, I originally felt inspired. Chuck Klosterman has made a living out of what I merely dabble in here, on my best day. I always hope that people reading my rants about music get as much enjoyment from reading them as I do writing them. And his choices are particularly interesting, particularly Southern Rock Opera. Y'all know how I feel about the Truckers ;) But, the more I thought about this list, the more I realized, listening to certain albums only makes me want to write about THOSE ALBUMS, and if it's a favorite album, I've likely told you the story 100 times already.

But still, music does inspire creativity and thought. Even if it's just to relay to you what the particular song, or collection of songs, means to me, it's still creation. And we are not here to merely exist, but to create. Not so much finding ourselves, but creating ourselves. And my old friends, Bob, Ani, and new ones like Craig and Patterson and Cooley, make that process so much more tolerable.

I'm in a sharing mood, musically, right now. Hopefully, I'll have lots to think about, and bring to you, after my excursion.

Labels: Life, music

I may or may not be rocking out to this song later this evening. I also may or may not be dressed in leopard skin spandex and a fish net t-shirt while doing so.

Happy Halloween, kids... ;)

Nothin' But A Good Time - Poison

Southern gothic gutter punk goodness. This band opened for the Gaslight Anthem last week, and as soon as the show was over, I went out to the merch table and bought their cd; they were THAT good.

A little Nick Cave, a little Squirrel Nut Zippers without the horns, a little Cramps without the psycho part of psycho-billy.

Loving them. You should too.

'52 Ford - Murder by Death

Labels: murder by death

It's during the fall that I miss you the most, when I get around to realizing that I do, still, miss you. All that high thin sunlight, brilliant blue sky, the firestorm of color all around us. I look around, and I see all the world falling over itself to be bigger than life, and I remember nothing specific, but the feeling of so many moments just wash right through me.

You were the thunderbolt, the raging inferno, the Sharpie to my heart. And I breathe in the cool, crisp air, and hear the rustling of leaves, and wish I were walking with you, nowhere specific, just to be walking with you again.

How is it at all fair that we found each other so young?

Another fall comes and goes, and every where I go, I am reminded, and am glad to have known you.

Keep Hangin' On - Husker Du

Labels: Husker Du, the past is never far behind

This is a song from their first EP, which I did not previously have, and bought before leaving the venue last night. They closed the show with this song, and it just further proves why this band is a force to be reckoned with, and why they bring me such joy.

The show was short, as the House of Blues apparently still caters to the Euro-dance night that the club that stood in its place for years always did. But I wish all multiple act shows were as well oiled as that one. First band, Broadway Calls, hit the stage promptly at 6, broke down at 6:30, second band (Jesse Malin = DOUCHE) around 6:45, third band, Murder by Death, onstage by 7:50, and Gaslight by 9:00.

It was weird being at an all ages show again; the crowd was an interesting mix of people, and kudos to those two moms I saw standing off to the side while their upper middle and high school aged kids rocked out to the pop punk goodness all night.

But the Gaslight Anthem were fantastic. I love the sense of romance and big dreams from "the boys from Little Eden" that they constantly send out to their fans. I love the fact that "The 59 Sound" made me cry as I listened to it live, because although they don't know him, GA wrote a song about Andrew as poignant and as rousing as he would have wanted it to be.

But this song, the closing number, I stood there letting it wash over me, wishing Liz was with me to hear this song, because, if she doesn't already have it, it will become her latest song crush. It certainly is mine.

"I'll love you forever,
if I ever love at all,
with wild hearts,
blue jeans, and white t-shirts..."

Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts - The Gaslight Anthem

Labels: gaslight anthem, live music

The Gaslight Anthem owes a debt of gratitude to this song for one of the tunes on their first album.

Hopefully, I'll hear their "version" this evening at the House of Blues. For now, Billy Bragg and Wilco will serve just fine.

This song sort of feels like fall, everything about this season is sort of rendered in a minor key.

Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key - Billy Bragg and Wilco

Labels: billy bragg, wilco