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Salutations™!!
Today is the 54th anniversary of The Byrd’s Younger Than Yesterday album. This song contains one of my all-time favorite tunes, and this is me playing that. A couple of things here. Yes, it’s a Bob Dylan cover. But, like most Bob Dylan songs, I like them way better when someone else does them. This is certainly the case here. I don’t like Dylan’s version but I absolutely love this one. The other thing, I picked this one because the other covers that I found all sounded like arse. This is still a cover of that cover but done by Roger McGuinn was was the one singing it on the album. Enjoy!
Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!
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“Crimson flames tied through my ears, rolling high and mighty traps. Pounced with fire on flaming roads, using ideas as my maps. ‘We’ll meet on edges, soon,’ said I, proud ‘neath heated brow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” – “My Back Pages” (Dylan)
little drops of honey onto a biscuit. She’s so powerful that you can hear the diaphragm inside the microphone cringe. No joke; she pegs the needle in many of the songs, especially in “My Dearest Darling.” I’m running out of adjectives and adverbs to describe how amazing she is. No one that has been to a wedding in the last 30 years hasn’t heard “At Last!” and that’s never a bad thing. She feels this music and in return you have no choice but feel it, at least as long as you’re listening. Again, I’m starting to ramble. This is a great album and you absolutely should get lost in it. DUGx1000!
I think what he’s trying to do with this album is respectable. I just can’t get past his diarrhea of the mouth; in real life, though, not on this recording. I believe notoriety, for good or bad, has an impact on people’s success. While it turns a lot of people off that he is how he is, some really like his outspokenness. And, as they say, any press is good press. His storytelling is quite intricate. Plus, there’s a few “skits,” scattered throughout the album, that center on a fictional fraternity called Broke Phi Broke, that prides itself on a non-worldly and simple lifestyle. Kanye’s “character” sneaks to do some of his “art” to make some money and also buys clothes and takes a bath. These things are against the rules of the fraternity. A few of my faves on here would be “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Roses,” “Bring Me Down” (featuring Brandy), “Addiction,” “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” (that features Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds are Forever”), “We Major.” There’s actually some good vocals on this album, too. It’s not exactly hip-hop but certainly not not-hip-hop.There are a lot of pop elements involved here, as well. I dug it and I think you will, too.
thing that is really worth my time listening to on this version. Did not dig (as a whole).
far as I know) and “Help Me” (and I didn’t even know that was her). Again, not something I went out looking for and I had absolutely no exposure to it as a kid. Now, all that being said. This gal is going places! “Help Me” is on this album and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I guess I had never paid attention before. A lot of it reminds me of Lynn Ahrens’ work on Schoolhouse Rock but it was around the same time as this and yes, I LOVE Schoolhouse Rock. I don’t know if it was listening to this more laid-back stuff after the mostly crap that the Cream album was, but I really enjoyed this album. This is making me want to go back and listen to the aforementioned songs that I dismissed to give another chance. I like the singer-songwriter and folky aspect, but there’s also hints of jazz and soft rock in there. I like it. The whole album is great and just like The Who previously, I’d be amiss to pick just a few. I’d like to own both of them on vinyl. DUG!
the Phil Spector/Jerry Leiber penned “Spanish Harlem” is quite excellent, too. I could see Ma Mère listening to this as she liked the folk stuff and while this isn’t Peter, Paul and Mary, it’s still good stuff! I like this album a good bit! Dug!
length. That’s okay and all, just wow. Yeah, I don’t know that I’d have gone out looking for this, but I’m glad I listened. Dug.
one screaming through most of the songs. I don’t know how Iggy has any voice left. It was a decent album with some really good stuff on it, but I wouldn’t say it was great. I will, however, say that I dug it.
reggae as of late. Really, though, if I’m going to listen, it has to be Marley. The other stuff doesn’t have the same effect for me. But, I’ll definitely go with dug!!
disappointing. Anyway, I dug this album. It was righteous. My only complaint was that I had to work so hard to find it. I could have listened to it in around 30 minutes, but because it wasn’t readily available on anything (and with some of them album being removed), it took me almost an hour to piece it together. Boo!
Higher” and “Everyday People.” Larry Graham, you, sir, are a beast of a bass player. I love funk bass and wish I were more versed in it. Lots of grit and dirt on this album and I love it! It’s funny to hear a laid-back “Somebody’s Watching You” right after the flash of “I Want to Take You Higher.” The virtuosity on this album is astounding, to me. Variety and style, too. And, really, I’d never paid attention to the lyrics of “Everyday People,” but holy smokes that’s an awesome song. I’ve always liked the song but when you read the lyrics, especially along with the song, it’s a fantabulous ditty. I’d say it’s coming into my top 1000 or so of songs as we speak. Honestly, I don’t know that I could name 1000 songs off the top of my head. That would be a feat, huh? Sly shows his bass chops on the last song of the album, “You Can Make It if You Try.” Good job, but I prefer Larry Graham. The only thing I could say is wrong with this album is the nearly-14 minute “Sex Machine.” But, really, that moves along pretty easily. This is an album that I’d love to find on vinyl. I know I say that about most funk albums, but this one is heavy and I want it. DUG!!
anyway. Give me the Beatles anyday. Speaking of which, Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me” (recorded here) features the lyric, “Here come old flat top” just like “Come Together” from Abbey Road. There was some stink about that but it was settled. Some of why I don’t care for this record is the blues aspect. We know how I am about that. I like the more polished late-60s-through-early-90s Stones, if I’m going to listen to them at all. Another thing, twelve songs and only four are written by them. Again, I know it’s still really, really early in their careers, but that perplexes me. I have to say that I do not mind the RS originals but their covers on this, drives me up the wall. Meh.
songs about dancing and it not only not be cheesy but be relevant and serious. ‘Cause really, who doesn’t just want to funk out? “Groovallegiance” features a very rare bass solo, but I didn’t find clarification if it’s “Bootsy,” “Boogie” or “Skeet” that’s playing said solo. All three as listed as personnel but nothing is necessarily denoted as who does what where. It’s awesome no matter whom it is. “Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?!” is truly a rock song. The whole album is about breaking through to something more. This song proves exactly what the title suggests, wrong. “Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo-Doo Chasers)” wins the award for the longest song title on the countdown (at least that I can tell). It’s pretty much saying that the world can be a “shite hole” and there are those that perpetuate that assumption. We’ve all gone in the crapper, if you will. A great (almost) 11 minute song, that. I am pretty certain that “Bootsy” is playing the bass on “Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll)” as he’s a co-writer. All in all this is a great funk/rock album. I have really gotten in to most everything in that genre that I’ve heard in this countdown, thus far. Yay, me and dug!
Dylan I know and that’s a good thing. “Isis,” “Mozambique” are mesmerizing. They are so easy to listen to but strangely complex. “One More Cup of Coffee” which I believe has Emmylou Harris singing backup is sad and beautiful. Although, the story isn’t bad, I don’t really care much about “Joey.” It drags, it’s whiny and it’s eleven minutes long. It seems that one got some negative attention for glorifying gangsters. Yikes! I do like the Mexican-style of “Romance in Durango.” Reminds me of some stuff Ma Père would listen to when I was a child. He’s not Mexican but liked Marty Robbins and such. “Sara” is an almost pleading, directly personal direction of songwriting as it was about his wife. It wasn’t often, at least that I can figure, that he did that. That’s one of my favorite songs on this album. I’d own this album if I could skip “Joey.” Dug!
the first single. I have that on a Time-Life compilation, which I’m sure is Sounds of the 70s. You can hear the imperfections in the drumming and other instruments, but I think that adds to the uniqueness. At the beginning of side two, he gives a small tour of studio sounds like hum and hiss. It was odd hearing it. “Marlene” has xylophones and such on it and at one point sounds just like that new chime that Facebook uses for it’s Instant Messenger and I kept thinking someone was messaging me. Side four is comprised of songs that were done with full ensembles. Musicians include Mark Klingman, Rick Derringer, Vicki Sue Robinson and Edward James Olmos (yes, that Edward James Olmos, vox). The third released single was “Hello It’s Me” which is a side four song. The second was “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and the fourth was “Wolfman Jack” which is probably the worst song on the album and it was released TWO years after “Hello It’s Me.” There was another album released before “Wolfman Jack” came out. I don’t understand that. Anywhat! Overall I thought the album was fantastic, but really, Rundgren could have cut that down to about eleven songs and left it as an LP. Most of it was filler, some of which sounded very much like other songs on the album and could have been done away with or released two separate albums. It was too much. But, because I liked the material, I’m still going with a “dug” here.
Useless Things Need Love Too 