The Plot Thickens

I found a piece of information today about someone of power in my life.  It explains alot of why they act they way they do.  It also ties into a part of my past that I thought was neatly tucked away.  It is what you get when you cross a career person with someone who did the minimum.  It is a clash of ideals.  Since I see this person often, I have to play nice.  The tunes for today's theme of controlled rebellion is inspired by Bob Dylan.  The first is section from the film I'm Not There featuring the song "Ballad of a Thin Man."  The next comes from the same movie.  It is "Going to Acapulco."   The song  "Tangled Up in Blue" has the most obscure line about a 13th Century Italian Poet.  Which one is it?  Here is some discussion on the topic.  Another classic from Blood on the Tracks is the song "Shelter from the Storm."   Two great songs to get this to a close are: "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" ; and "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)."


Music for today:

Grateful Dead
December 2, 1973
Boston Music Hall
Boston, MA
listen here
This is the audience recording.  Part of the soundboard was released as Dick's Picks 14.

The Big Dance With A Twist

My Gopher team lost in the first round to Xavier today 65-54.  Well, so much for a heroic charge to the title game.  There was also some speculation that our coach may be going to greener pastures. You just led our team into a dark alley then abandoned them when most of them will be coming back next year. I hope that this is not truly the case.  So we toast your honor with this song.  Now that the formalites are over, it is time to let loose and get all twisted with this New Wave stuff.  Let's start it off with "Rapture" by Blondie.  Since it is apropo for some of the players to feel slighted, this next tune should answer many questions: "Once in a Lifetime."  The nest song is the first public performance of "Message in a Bottle" by The Police.  It is time to kick it out with The Ramones by hearing them do the tune. "Blitzkrieg Bop."  A discourse of New Wave and Punk would not be complete without having some Patti Smith thrown into the mix.  Here is the tune "Because the Night" (It was cowritten by Bruce Springsteen).  Time to put on the dancing shoes and kick it up.  Let's hear it for The B-52's doing "Private Idaho."

Music for today:

Jerry Garcia Band
December 22, 1976
Keystone Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
listen here (look up under jgb 12-22-76)

March Madness

The first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament started with the begining game on Tuseday. The rest of the field started today.  So far, there have been two games that I am aware that have went into overtime.  It is going to be a barnburner of a run for one lucky team.  My Golden Gophers start their run Friday morning against Xavier.  I will be interested to see how far they actually get.  Here is the song for all of the players and fans of basketbal: "Basketball Jones."

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
July 1970
Festival Express Train
Canada
This is a fresh release of material that was recorded on the train.  It is mastered by Charlie Miller.

Grateful Dead
December 1, 1973
Boston Music Hall
Boston, MA
listen here

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

This is the day I like the best.  I like to celebrate my Irish heritage, and this day is the perfect day to do just that.  I did keep it low key on account that I had to spend time with my daughter.  We enjoyed the day by having a Shamrock shake and listening to the CD "Drunken Lullabies" by Flogging Molly.  We have history with that disc.  Here is "Rebel of the Sacred Heart" from that disc.  It wqouldn't be the holiday without The Pogues doing "If I should fall from the grace of God."  For those who imbibe and carouse, this next song is the perfect example of the end result of the all that partying: "Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced."  When talking about the music of Ireland, the rebellious nature towards the English Rule does play a major factor.  This song "The Merry Ploughboy" puts it in a nutshell. There should be of course a discussion of real traditional muic of Ireland.  The first example comes from the town of Doolin.  I had visited Doolin and caught live traditional music that was fantastic.  The next comes from Cruises in County Claire.

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
November 30, 1973
Boston Music Hall
Boston, MA
listen here

Flogging Molly
Drunken Lullabies CD

Brendan Mulholand, Brendan Hendry, and Paul McSherry
Tuned Up CD (traditonal Irish Music)

Various Artists
Music at Matt Molloy's CD (collection of traditional Irish music)

Happy St. Urho's Day

Today is the day that Finnish people celebrate St. Urho driving all the crickets from Finland so that they wouldn't eat the grape crops.  Or, so the story goes.  This holiday (look under Nonhistorical Traditions) was created back in the 1950's as an answer to St. Patrick's Day.  There is a giant statue of St. Urho in the town of Menagha, MN.  It is town near where my ex-wife's family is from.  I bring this all up in the hope of mending some fences.  It is rather strange that two from very different cultures would come together, but it did happen.  I offer this poem by Garrison Keillor as an olive branch.  In small town life in Minnesota, St. Urho's day does get it's parade just like any other holiday.  What would a blog entry be without an example of the local fare of Finnish Folk music?  So, let the people wear the purple and green, and let the celebrating begin!!

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
November 28, 1973
Seastone Sessions
listen here (look up under Grateful Dead 11-28-73 Seastone)

Picking On The Weak And Fraile Mind

Today, I did something that I kind of dreaded doing, but it was necessary to prceed to a healther me.  I met for the pysch evaluation.  I was asked alot of background questions that lasted for at least an hour.  After that was done, I had to do the MMPI by hand.  I did not have the use of a computer this time.  I have to meet back up in two weeks.  They will tell me then if I am sane enough to get gutted like a fish and eat less for the rest of my life.  All of this to be healthy, so I can last a few more years.  So, I came up with a few gems for this auspicous occasion.  The first being by Patsy Cline: "Crazy."  I believe I brought this up on another entry, but seeing how they systemmatically tore my brain apart, it fits quite well: "They're coming to take me away, haha."  What would a blog about insanity be without the Prince of Darkness doing "Crazy Train"  The next song does not ride the edge nearly as close as I would like, but it still shares the sentiment rather well with Elton John doing "Madman Across the Water."  The last song sums up an entire piece that I can relate to on some levels.  It also explains in a nutshell why it so damn hard to rely on others for help.  The song is "Outside the Wall" which is the last song to The Wall by Pink Floyd.

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
November 25, 1973
Feyline Field
Tempe, AZ
listen here

Those Are Some Small Feat

There is a strange connection between the groups Little Feat and the Grateful Dead.  The first is a jam with Jerry Garcia and Kenny Gradney while they were on board the train for the Festival Express.  Kenny Gradney was the bass player for Delaney and Bonnie when they played the festival.  There is great footage of them jamming together in the film.  Little Feat got their start when Lowell George was asked to leave Frank Zappa's band for writing a song that glorified drugs.  The song was "Willin'."  In a collection of interviews from Rolling Stone magazine, Mick Jaggar and Jimmy Page were both asked who their favorite American band was at the time the  interview was done.  They responded Little Feat.  Here is a prime example of why they were so good; it is "Dixie Chicken."  The group put out the finest live album ever.  it rivals that of Allman Brothers Band at the Fillmore East and The Who's Live at Leeds.  It is called Waiting for Columbus.  If you don't have this, you must run NOW to your local store and gather this gem in to your collection.  Trust me.  It is that fantastic.  I will wrap this up with the classic "Time Loves a Hero."  Oh, just one more thing,  the song "Willin'" got covered by Linda Ronstadt, and a portion was featured in a well known Sci-Fi movie The Abyss.  Now the end has come, Lowell George did some producing for the Grateful Dead on their album Shakedown Street.  There are some outakes available with Lowell joining the band.

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
November 23, 1973
County Coliseum
El Paso, TX
listen here