Fuck it dude….

Well somone had to do it…

(not recommended if you don’t like the word, “fuck”…)

Hello handsome!!

More of the ’74 serendipity.  Two of the funniest films of all time, and definitely of my childhood, were made in that year.

Gene Wilder, Marty Feldmen, Teri Garr, et al in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.  Funny as hell in the day and still is.

And of course Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles .

Mel Brooks was having a stellar year.

Of course, astute observers will recognise the “other Jeffrey Lebowski” (David Huddleston) playing Olson Johnson… (next to Howard Johnson, The Rev. Johnson, Van Johnson, Harriet Johnson, Gabby Johnson and Dr Sam Johnson.)

Cat covers Bob… (and Creedence with Neil, does her own, sings to Jools…)

Okay she’s covered Bob several times so why am I so late to this?

Yes,  it’s awful quality video (virtually un-watchable) but I think I would have shit and died a happy man seeing Cat Power and Neil cover Creedence at the 2008 Bridge School Benefit.  That gig is on my list…

As an aside; this is why most artists aren’t too stoked about people videoing their performances  and posting them on youtoob.  It makes them sound and look like shit.  Not too difficult to understand really is it?

To remind of Chan’s ability, here’s her ode to Bob.  Her performance of this at at her gig at The Gov,  Jan 2010 was unbelievable .

Here she is on Jools Holland’s show.  As some youtube commenter said, Jools Holland should have been given a Knighthood for broadcasting these two performances.  Her smile at 2:35, during “Lived in Bars”  breaks my heart in a good way.  And when she sits down at the end of that song or raises her fists in “The Greatest” ; it pretty  much seals the deal for me.

I was sold, I became a fan and as Jools says; “I love her”.

How could you not….

everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we…

The title is from The Cranberries debut album; the images are from my phone and the clip is from The Cranberries again:

Ferris recut

A clever recut of the Ferris Bueller trailer to portray a more serious dramatic film.  Works well. Great choice of music from Woodpigeon

Just beautiful…

Iron and Wine’s “Tree by the River” via La Blogotheque and Nick Maggio’s always readable A Time to Get.   I found the second version surfing around YouTube.  I think the mandolin adds some subtle beauty and I’m loving Samuel’s vocals in the bridge.  As I said, just beautiful.

I’ve included the lyrics here, not because of their unusual depth or meaning but because of the real beauty in their simplicity.

Mary Anne, do you remember
the tree by the river
when we were seventeen?

Dark canyon wall, the call and the answer
and the mare in the pasture
pitch black and baring its teeth.

I recall the sun in our faces,
stuck and leaning on braces,
and being strangers to change.

Radio and the bones we found frozen,
and all the thorns and the roses
beneath your window pane.

Now I’m asleep in a car, I mean the world
to a potty-mouth girl,
a pretty pair of blue-eyed birds.

Time isn’t kind or unkind, you liked to say.

But I wonder to who
what it is you’re saying today.

Now I’m asleep in a car, I mean the world
to a potty-mouth girl,
a pretty pair of blue-eyed birds.

Time isn’t kind or unkind, you liked to say.
But I wonder to who
what it is you’re saying today.

Mary Anne, do you remember
the tree by the river
when we were seventeen?

Dark canyon road, I was coy in the half-moon;
happy just to be with you,
and you were happy for me.

More ’74 Serendipity

Enough of the sad passing of musicians.  It’s been too much, too soon.

I really think there is something behind the ’74 serendipity.  If I find a song I really like from the 70’s, it invariably ends up being from ’74 or ’75. 

September Gurls from Big Star’s 1974 album Radio City.  Beautiful piece of ’70’s pop/rock that made it into Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs, despite the album being virtually unknown in the ’70’s.

And here’s The Bangle cover form the early ’80’s.



And just ‘cos I can, here’s Susannah Hoffs (ex Bangles) and Matthew Sweet with a great cover of the Stone Poneys Different Drum, written by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees.  

Beautiful RocKwiz cover

Following yesterday’s sad news regarding the death of two great Australian musicians, the internets have been alive and buzzing with Australian music news. One site OZMusicMusings presented this beautiful cover of Tom Waits’ Come on up to the House by the RocKwiz crew. Brian Nankervis and Julia (touched me on the shoulder, called me “darling”) Zemiro can sing?

Well done people.

Here’s Tom’s version with brilliant video.

Passed on Musicians 2011 #2. Steve Prestwich & Harvey James

Only the third week in January and we sadly add two names to the Passed on Musicians 2011. 

Steve Prestwich, drummer from Cold Chisel and Little River Band and Harvey James, guitarist form Sherbert. Respectively 56 and 58.  Cancer got them both on the weekend.

Whilst Steve will be primarily remembered for being the drummer for Cold Chisel, one of Australia’s biggest bands of the 80’s, and then The Little River Band, as a solo artist he wrote some beautiful countrified, folksy tunes.  I remember seeing “The Steve Prestwich Band Live @ The Basement” late one night on the ABC and being amazed at how lyrical and musical Steve was.  Despite being a long term Cold Chisel fan, I didn’t know he wrote “When the War is over” and “Forever Now“.  I can’t post any of Steve’s solo stuff so here he is with Cold Chisel from 1979. One of my favourite Cold Chisel songs:

Of course one of the great nights of my teenage years  is tied in to Steve Prestwich and Cold Chisel. It was after The O Ball  (’82?) I think and David Fisher got us (me, David, Todd?) back stage via Phil Small.  After hanging around back stage for a while, the band moved onto The Arkaba with, somehow,  us in tow.  So there we were, at The Arkaba sitting with Cold Chisel, drinking beer and chatiing about music.  And then, to top it off, The Dugites came onstage….

Harvey James should be close to your heart.  He was the guitarist in Sherbert. Howzat! is the only album you ever bought wasn’t it?

(Watching this reminds me of why I was never a huge fan of Sherbert)

Goodbye Steve and Harvey.

“Oh, he’s very popular Ed…

… the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads; they all adore him. They think he’s a righteous dude.”

Query: third greatest film ever made?