Willie Nelson - "Just Breathe"

 

A month ago, we went to the Outlaw Music Festival in Va Beach.  It was an outstanding lineup: Allison Krauss & Robert Plant, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson.   Unfortunately, Willie Nelson was sick and while he was originally projected to return to the tour in time for the Va Beach show, he did not join until the next show on the tour.  I missed a chance to see Willie Nelson in Norfolk in 2008, and I had hoped this would be a chance to make up for that.  He's 91, so realistically my chances of seeing him live are running out.

Allison Krauss and Robert Plant were the opening act, and were definitely the highlight of the show -- we would definitely see them again.  For example, their interpretation of "When the Levee Breaks" was darker, more predatory and menacing that Led Zeppelin's version.  Drew had seen them a couple of times before, so I sort of knew what to expect, but they exceeded my expectations and we would definitely see them again.

I saw Bob Dylan once in college (ca. 1988) and he's not exactly a showman.  I mostly enjoyed his show here, even though he purposefully did some of his most obscure songs. His set fit the bar room, honky tonk aesthetic of this tour, but I certainly would have appreciated at least a couple more of his classics.  

Since Willie was still too ill to perform, Lukas played his set.  He looks and sounds like a lot like his father, and they made the best of the situation.  We enjoyed the set, but we couldn't quite shake the feeling that we were watching a Willie Nelson tribute band.  

Even with the limitations, we enjoyed the concert and it was an evening well-spent (even though it was a million degrees).  But the song that I am choosing to mark the event is not one that they performed, but one that we heard in between sets.  It is a cover of Pearl Jam's 2009 "Just Breathe", a single from their 2009 LP "Backspacer", a late-career "hit" for Pearl Jam that I always enjoyed.  I did not know until that evening that Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson did this as a duet for Willie's 2012 LP "Heroes".  It's a great song, and they turn in an inspired cover, and I could not help but think of Johnny Cash's work with Rick Rubin.  

Pearl Jam: Just Breath (studio), Live at Austin City Limits (2009)

Willie Nelson (Featuring Lukas Nelson): Just Breathe (studio), Live at Farm Aid (2012)

Pink Floyd - "Animals"

I listened to Pink Floyd's 1977 LP "Animals" this weekend, something that I'm not sure I've done in 25+ years.  I certainly listened to it enough during and immediately after college, but it was an LP I never acquired on vinyl or CD.  Despite not having listened to it in so long, it's an LP that I think of frequently.  More on that later.

To begin, it's arguably Pink Floyd's most "forgotten" LP, if normalized for the status of the band at the time.  Sandwiched between landmarks of 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon" and 1979's "The Wall", and even 1975's slightly lesser masterpiece "Wish You Were Here", with no singles released and song running times of "1:24", "17:04", "11:28", "10:20", and "1:24", "Animals" is a singularity in their canon.  You could make an argument for "Obscured by Clouds" or "More", but those were movie soundtracks and probably should not count.  Even "Atom Heart Mother" had radio-friendly"Fat Old Sun", and "Meddle" had concert favorite "One of These Days".  Maybe "Ummagumma"?  But it doesn't feel right to compare Pink Floyd ca. 1969 to Pink Floyd ca. 1977 -- they were two very different bands in the space of about 8 years. 

This not to say the LP was not consequential -- in addition to providing an iconic cover (for example, see The Orb's 1993 tribute), did well on the charts, and generally had a cultural impact, if for no other reason than its associated tour providing the inspiration for "The Wall".*   It's just this: when's the last time you listened to this LP?  Even though you probably also quite like it?  

Why do I think of "Animals" more than I listen to it?  The reason is a theory that I hope to pursue further in future posts: "Animals" is the kind of LP that rounds out and strengthens a band's discography.  While every band wants to have a run of "Dark Side of the Moon", "Wish You Were Here", and "The Wall", most bands need more "Animals".  And you know who has released several "Animals"-level LPs?  Radiohead.  Not to belabor the Pink Floyd -- Radiohead analogy too much, but I would argue that their last three LPs, "In Rainbows", "The King of Limbs", and "A Moon-Shaped Pool", are all "Animals"-quality: important LPs that round out and strengthen the Radiohead discography, while still being obscured by LPs like "The Bends", "OK Computer", and "Kid A".  Think about it. 

Standout songs: All, but with special mention to "Dogs". (Full LP)

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final Score: 9/10

* Also, the lyrics give us a preview of "The Wall": It's the same "stone" in both "Dogs" ("Who was dragged down by the stone") and "Hey You" ("Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?").

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Live KEXP 2023-03-25

 

This is for Terry, who recently turned us all on to Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (aka Pigs x7) a UK metal band that he's seen in concert (just once, I believe).  They straddle the stoner, doom, psychedelic genres, and like all such bands, they have a significant sonic debt to Black Sabbath (though on their second track, "Big Rig", there's also a definite Rage Against the Machine influence). I've yet to explore their full discography, but I've certainly liked what I've heard so far.  KEXP concerts are always excellent, and this one does not disappoint.  I don't see any nearby shows on the schedule now, but hopefully this will change in the future. 

The Moody Blues - "Go Now"

 

Denny Laine, co-founder of both The Moody Blues and Wings, died last month.  Most people consider Wings as just a Paul McCartney solo project, and that's mostly true, but few realize that Laine was a constant member of the band (along with Linda), pretty much from start to finish. In addition to other various projects, Laine was also a member of Ginger Baker's Air Force.  

Although he left before what we now consider the "classic lineup" of The Moody Blues, he did sing lead on the "Go Now", which wasn't their first single, but probably their earliest single that still gets airplay today.  It was only today that I learned that "Go Now" is actually a cover of a song originally recorded by Bessie Banks, with her version predating the The Moody Blues version by a few months.  Normally I credit the original artist, but The Moody Blues version is a great way to remember Denny.  

The Moody Blues - "Go Now"

Wings - "Go Now" (live, 1976)

Bessie Banks - "Go Now" 

Angels of Light - "I Pity the Poor Immigrant"

 

Almost three years ago, Miles Seaton, a founding member of Akron/Family, died in a car accident.  I learned of Akron/Family, one of the coolest bands you've never heard of, from Butch Lazorchak during one of our many musical exchanges.  I struggle to define Akron/Family, but imagine Tortoise and other post-rock bands, channeling 1967-era Brian Wilson.  

My favorite LP of theirs is the "Akron/Family & Angels of Light".  The story behind this LP is a little complicated: it's a split LP, ostensibly between two bands: Akron/Family and Angels of Light, but Akron/Family plays on all the Angels of Light tracks.  

Angels of Light is the neofolk persona of Michael Gira, founder of the noise rock band The Swans.  I'm a big fan of The Swans and have several of their LPs, but did not know about Angels of Light until Butch turned me onto them.  Michael Gira runs his own record label, Young God Records, and was the first to sign and promote Akron/Family, with Akron/Family serving as the backing band for many Angels of Lights releases.  

The full LP deserves its own review (see the Pitchfork review: "...Gira's fatherly measuredness is a nice foil to Akron's hyperkinetic mini-opera..."), but for the moment I'll just spotlight their cover of Bob Dylan's "I Pity the Poor Immigrant", from his 1967 LP "John Wesley Harding".  I'm a sucker for obscure Dylan covers, as well as Gira's drawling baritone.  

For the moment, Akron/Family is defunct, and Seaton's death might keep it that way.  Fortunately, they left a significant discography to explore.  

Angels of Light (with Akron/Family) - "I Pity the Poor Immigrant"

Bob Dylan - "I Pity the Poor Immigrant" (live 1976, with Joan Baez)

I pity the poor immigrant
Whose strength is spent in vain
Whose heaven is like ironsides
Whose tears are like rain
And who eats but is not satisfied
Who hears but does not see
Who falls in love with wealth itself
And turns his back on me

 

The Boomtown Rats - "Rat Trap"

 

Garry Roberts, the lead guitarist and co-founder of The Boomtown Rats, died just over a year ago.  The Boomtown Rats were never really big in the US, but I recall a couple of their videos from the early days of MTV.  Their biggest hit, in the US anyway, was "I Don't Like Mondays", which is a fine song.  

But I'd rather remember Roberts & company for their 1978 single "Rat Trap", from their second LP "A Tonic for the Troops".  "Rat Trap" is credited as the first "punk / new wave" single to hit #1 on the UK singles chart.  Which is of note, but is it really punk / new wave?  To my ear, this sounds like it would be at home on Bruce Springsteen's 1975 LP "Born to Run".  I don't even mean that as a criticism, just an observation that saxophone, the storytelling, the song length -- this doesn't sound remotely "new wave" to me, much less "punk".  

Regardless, it's a great song, and Garry Roberts was an instrumental part of the band construction and sound.  The US audience is more familiar with frontman Bob Geldof, from his role in Live Aid, and playing the role of "Pink" the movie "Pink Floyd -- The Wall".  

The Boomtown Rats - "Rat Trap" (Live Aid, 1985-07-13)

Bonus link - "I Don't Like Mondays" 

The Pogues - Live at the Town and Country Club (1988-03-17)

 

Shane MacGowan, best known as the frontman for The Pogues, died a few weeks ago.  If you know anything about Shane MacGowan, you're probably surprised he made it to 65.  

I first learned of The Pogues in my final year of college, courtesy of my roommates (I can't recall if it was Jason, Frey, or Terry -- perhaps all of them).  With their (then) unique blend of Irish folk and punk, their LPs were in heavy rotation at our house on Wharton Street.  Only later in life was I able to understand what they were doing as an Irish/UK equivalent of what, for example, the Violent Femmes were doing in the US.  

To mark Shane's passing, I turn to their 1988 video release, "Live at The Town & Country Club London 1988", of a St. Patrick's Day concert, featuring collaborations with Joe Strummer, Steve Earle, Kirsty MacColl, Lynval Golding, and others.  The video was edited down to about an hour, but the setlist for the full concert makes me hopeful that and extended release could happen in the future.   

Aside from an occasional reunion, The Pogues haven't been active since 2014.  But in 1988, just a year or two before my discovery of them, The Pogues were at their height.  

MacColl (2000), Stummer (2002), guitarist Philip Chevron (2013), bassist Daryl Hunt (2022), and now MacGowan (2023) -- all featured in the 1988 video -- sadly have all passed.  This single concert may be the greatest collection of artists you've never (or barely) heard of. 

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night