Harmonica Day

 

Welcome to the last round of featuring songs that didn't leave out the harmonica. Let's start with an old song by Ewan MacCall which has been covered by many artists over the years. One of the finest versions is by The Pogues.

At the start of his career, there was hardly a single photo of Neil Young in which he wasn’t seen playing a harmonica.

It’s hard to believe that ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ is already 50 years old and still sounds as fresh as it did back then.

I’ve never really been into Canned Heat’s blues rock/boogie, but this song had to be included in this series.

The same goes for the pop-rockers Supertramp.

Next week will probably feature a series focusing on hand clapping.

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

1970: Neil Young

1978: Talking Heads

1961: Aretha Franklin

1972: Focus

1986: Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

1989: 10.000 Maniacs

1968: The Zombies

1982: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

1978: Gloria Gaynor

1984: Frankie Goes To Hollywood

1994: Nirvana

1968: Cloud Nine

1965: Santana

1979: Madness

1979: Marianne Faithful

Rewind

 

 First of all, it's good to know that The Feelies are still around and that they haven't lost the desire to release new material. It was unexpected to hear that they released a new album full of cover versions the recorded during the last decades until now. 

All songs have the typical touch of the band: fast played twangy guitars over a hectic drums ans inspired by The Velvets and Lou Reed. I loved them from the first time I listened to Crazy Rhythms a ground breaking album back in 1980.

Now they covered songs by Patti Smith, Neil Young and Iggy Pop and made them sound like one of them. Some may say who needs another couple of cover versions and I say probably only me and other nostalgics who have always liked this sound.

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Another Wednesday and another journey through music history with songs that were famous at the time or that were simply part of my musical development.

1974: Golden Earring

1977: Boz Scaggs

1971: Carole King

1982: Africa Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force

1983: Tears For Fears

1965: Otis Redding

1969: Creedence Clearwater Revival - I prefer the version by The Blue Aeroplanes from 1995

1966: The Troggs

1967: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

1970: Neil Young & Crazy Horse

1962: Dick Dale and the Deltones

Sixty Five

 

Today I turn 65 and another year has passed far too quickly and I reflect on everything that has happened in these years. We are getting older and that is inevitable. And transience is a theme that crops up in every genre of music, from rock n' roll to country and blues. And songs that have dealt with getting older, the past and everything in between. It's impossible to pick a favourite, especially when you consider how much choice is out there. That's why I limited myself to the songs that came to me spontaneously and that have stayed with me over the years.

Monday's Long Song

 

During the weekend I compiled an ICA for JC's long running series. And I have to say that it wasn't easy to select only ten songs by Neil Young from his more than 40 years lasting career. One of those that didn't reached the final list was Cowgirl In The Sand from Neil Youngs second album and is an example what kind of music we could expect from him and Crazy Horse. The album is filled with classics of overflowing guitar passages over a folk floor and a masterpiece of a rock song.

Neil Young - Cowgirl In The Sand

Ameica - Don't Vote The Wrong Man Again

Four years ago I visited a friend in Florida for a couple of weeks and I wasn't aware that during these days something happened I didn't expected. I remember when we sat together day day before election and discussing how the first woman in American history will govern the country sure that Hillary Clinton will win this election. What we saw on television next morning we couldn't believe. The blockhead won and we asked how this could happen. Surely not only because he always repeated 'Make America great again' or the hatred against Mexican immigrants. Probably because he played himself to the gallery as the one and only leader in the world. Since four years he hired and fired staff, ruled his country like a business man without the ability to compromise, set the world nearly on fire and ignored the pandemic. Donald Trump showed the world what he is - an arrogant prig preaching 'Trump first'. I hope that the Americans will correct this mistake in history today. Many artists opposed Trump to use their music and here are some examples.

Tom Petty - I won't back down

Neil Young - Rockin' in the free world

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes

Homegrown

 

A few weeks ago an unexpected album by Neil Young was released. Homegrown was recorded 45 years ago but never released yet because Mr. Young thought it was too depressive. But successfully he changed his mind and gave us an album with excellent songs between Harvest and  Tonight's The Night. Simply blues rock and ballads assisted by members of The Band. An excellent release that is on heavy rotation in my home

Monday's Long Song

Norway's Torgeir Waldemar released during the last years albums and each was different to the others. From acoustic rock songs to a fuzz dominated album over a mixture of both he tried everything between. Now he released Love and he left all behind. The whole album carries the spirit of early Neil Young with harmonies I didn't heard during the last years and reminds me at the best times of CSN&Y.  The leading song of this album is the epic Black Ocean, that opens proceedings in storm gathering, clattery background percussion and jittery synths before it turns into syncopated rhythms and fuzz guitar with an tribal-funk groove. This song sums up everything this fantastic album if offering you.

Powderfinger

40 years ago Neil Young released an album a lot of folks could agree too. Live Rust was probably the link from the punk and new wave addicted to the old school Rock 'n' Roll. This record was the swansong to the old times that were forgotten now that we had much more new and fantastic music to explore. It showed him at a top level to say good bye to the music he made for many years. From this time on he was a still companion to my musical education. A friend from my younger days that I don't want to miss.

Neil Young - Powderfinger

Slowness

As far as I know The Cure made a great performance at Glastonbury this year and now many people talk about them and their influence in music history and how they work well on stage after all these years. They were always a band I loved from deep in my heart and I played for a few month in a band playing their songs. After all I wasn't good enough to play bass and I quit - probably too soon. But it makes me smile when new bands follow their footsteps nowadays. One of those band sis Slowness a band from San Francisco/NYC. Their latest record has some songs on it that would fit easily on Cure's Disintegration added with some kind of Neil Young or guitars you could hear sometimes on records by The Fall or Spacemen 3. I know this sounds weired but give them a listen and you might agree with me. One of those new records that made fun to me and will be played in my house often this year.

Mayday Again

As fast one year passes one gets aware when there is another International Workers Day is back again. In Germany it is a public holiday since the Nazis declared it in 1933 but the main idea behind got lost during the decades. Less people know August Spies when he organized a strike for an eight hour shift and fair payment that ended in th Haymarket affair. In our younger times we went to celebrate the ideas but now I am too tired for and will go for a walk in the countryside. But the ideas of international solidarity is not dead and will be important in the upcoming years. Here some songs that could be played in this context.

Zuma

After a period listening to electric music and acid house I came back to a record from the mid 70's when it was a time to change the musical preferences. New and great records was released and I jumped on this kind of music. But often I came back to the heroes of my younger days. So I picked out an album that impressed me much when it was released and was very different to the usual sound of this era. I have to admit that I had always a fondness for American west coast music and Canadian guitarist and singer/songwriter Neil Young was one them. He was a member of Buffalo Springfield and made a few great albums under his own name. But there was one album that showed him at the peak of his career. Zuma from 1975 is an album which shows the abilities of him very well. Working on his guitar play that I never heard before and combined with his sad voice made it great. When I come back to this record it feels like I am at home again.

Neil Young - Danger Bird
Neil Young - Cortez The Killer