The Clash – “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais” single (1978)
The Clash – “Safe European Home” from Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978)
The Clash – “Rudie Can’t Fail” from London Calling (1979)
“Safe European Home” tells the now-famous story of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones’s disappointing trip to Jamaica. Thematically, it echoes one of their best singles, “White [...]
Entries from May 2009
May 31, 2009
A Clash Triptych
May 26, 2009
“I can stay awake all night”
I caught Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in Alexandria, VA over the weekend and thought it a terrific show. Will’s brother Ned opened the set in the duo Old Calf which was also very good. Oldham’s band was really excellent: great singing and very tight. They even played Glenn’s and my favorite selection from the Superwolf collaboration.
As [...]
May 21, 2009
“Give a man gin, give a man cards, give an inch he takes a yard”
If you think Tom Waits has been conspicuously absent from this space, it’s only because our reverence for his work needs no garish display. So I offer only this track from his Orphans comp to indicate what I love about him.
Tom Waits – “Fannin Street” from Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (2006)
Who the fuck is [...]
May 19, 2009
Fishing at 3 a.m.
Henry Thomas – “Fishing Blues” (1928) from The Anthology of American Folk Music (1952)
I know that I posted this before, but last night I was awoken at 3:30 am by a neighbor blasting this song at full volume. Infuriating, but at least the guy’s got good taste. Please enjoy at any time that won’t piss [...]
May 17, 2009
Live, live?
Live – “Selling the Drama” from Throwing Copper [1994]
The band Live (ryhmes with jive) represents several firsts for me. This album, Throwing Copper, was the first album I ever acquired on CD. This song, “Selling the Drama,” was the first song of theirs that I heard on the radio, and subsequently made me a fan. [...]
May 13, 2009
Greatest American Band
I’ve been on a steady diet of Creedence for the last three weeks or so. This happens to me now and again, where I can’t be satisfied by but one band/artist. And the 1969/70 CCR catalog is a good one to sustain a body.
Their second album, Bayou Country, came out in January 1969, Green [...]
May 4, 2009
“I got wild, staring eyes – and I got a strong urge to fly”
I understand and agree with most of the criticism of Pink Foyd’s The Wall as a bloated, self-indulgent concept album. Consequently, while it played almost constantly on my car stereo during my junior year of high school, I now can barely listen to it. But I also know that many of you will agree that [...]
