Sarah McLachlan

A Joan Baez Favorite

Here's Looking at You Kid

Great Lyrics Here

The Platters

It's impossible to remember our past without remembering "our" music

"Losing My Religion" – R.E.M.

A favorite song. A favorite video.


R.E.M. - Losing My Religion by WBRNewMedia
The phrase "losing my religion" is an expression we hear occasionally from the folks here in the South that means losing one's temper or civility, or "being at the end of one's rope." It's sometimes uttered in a voice of resignation during the dissolution of a love relationship.

Do You Know Shelby Lynne?

Shelby Lynne's early life was sad and hard.
Lynne was born Shelby Lynne Moorer in Quantico, VA, in 1968 and grew up mostly in Jackson, AL. Her father was a local bandleader and her mother a harmony-singing teacher, and as children, she and her younger sister Allison -- later a country recording artist in her own right -- sometimes joined their parents on-stage to sing along. However, Lynne's father was a violent alcoholic who at one point had her thrown in jail; when Lynne was 17, he shot his wife dead in the family's driveway, then turned the gun on himself.

I like her a lot.

"Old Time's Sake"

Want to learn more about her?

This long New York Times article covers all the ground.

Vincent (Starry Starry Night) Don McLean

A Van Gogh slide show set to music. I like this a lot.




A slideshow of Vincent Van Gogh's work set to the song "Vincent" by Don McLean. It's part of an art and creative writing lesson plan for the patients at Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield. Compiled by artist Anthony DiFatta, who also suffers from mental illness and teaches art to other adults with mental illness. His work can be found at www.anthonydifatta.net

Hallelujah

Covered here by Jeff Buckley (1966 – 1997) It sometimes seems only the good die young. He drowned in Memphis... perhaps on purpose.

This is probably my favorite song. It was written by Leonard Cohen and released on his 1984 album (CD) Various Positions. It's been covered by K.D.Lang, John Cale, Kate Voegle, Alison Crowe and many others including Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi and Willie Nelson

Hallelujah Lyrics by Leonard Cohen

If you like the song, check out these other two renditions. I like them all.

Another good cover version sung by Rufus Wainwrght

Playing for Change Music

This 1964 Sam Cooke song, A Change Is Gonna Come has been covered by more than 40 notable singers/bands. Here, give a listen to Grandpa Elliot and Clarence Bekker. I think you're in for a treat.



Mystery Train, written by Sam Phillips and Junior Parker in 1953, has also been covered by more than 30 well-known singers, most notably Elvis Presley in 1955. Listen here to Washboard Chazz and Robert Luti do it their way.

A Lucinda Williams Song

I really like her music. An acquired taste? Maybe. I think the slideshow here is a little too syrupy for me, but with YouTube, you get what you get.

"Something About What Happens When We Talk"

Watch out! Th' Boss is gaining on us.

That tempus just keeps on fugit-ing.

Click on for a bigger picture.

From 25 years ago:

Glory Days

Dancing in the dark

Anthem - a reprise.

Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary - a celebration his music. The oldest guy there? Not me. I think Johnny Cash was.

Recorded in October, 1992 at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Bring It On Home To Me

A hat tip to our classmate, Mary Jane (Kelly) Heisterkamp for pointing me to this music so I could post it. Thanks, MJ.

For a little break in the text action, see if you like street singer, Roger Ridley doing a Sam Cooke classic. I think he's great.








This song is supposedly based on a 1955 Gospel version song of the same name by The Staples Singers. Ben E. King wanted The Drifters to record it, but the group's manager rejected it. After leaving The Drifters, King brought it to the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who gave it a more contemporary sound and polished it into a hit. The bassline at the beginning was Stoller's idea. Many others have covered "Stand By Me" , but give a listen. I like this version by street singer, Roger Ridley and others... much better.

September When It Comes

Now, every time one of us goes down, for some reason, this song pops into my mind... and just sits there for days, haunting me. I guess it's not directly related to Meridian, a town, but it is, in a way, linked to someone from back then... at least it seems that way to me. Probably addressing my own mortality, too... I suppose. In the third trimester of our lives, we are all in that zone now. Beautiful song.

Roseanne Cash and her Daddy.

from the movie: " Pulp Fiction"

At Jack Rabbit Slim's Twist Contest.
John Travolta and Uma Thurman.
Music: Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell"

Carolina Chocolate Drops

I know I posted this on the "class" blog a few months ago, but, I love these folks.

"Dublin Blues"

I'm really taken with Texas Country Rock.
I think it's the honesty I feel in the lyrics. Maybe it's another acquired taste... like martinis.

"Crying", Roy Orbison & K.D. Lang

Great song. These two enhance it with one of the best — if not the best —duet treatments of a popular song I've ever heard. When I put this up on the Class of ' 58 blog, I had many positive comments. Movie out takes in the video are from "Hiding Out" a 1987 film with Jon Cryer and Annabeth Gish. Frivolous, but not a bad '80s genre film.

Tonight Will Be Fine

Teddy Thompson sings a Leonard Cohen song. And he does it very well, in my opinion.

"Tonight Will Be Fine"

"Embed" denied by YouTube contributor

Rake

By Townes Van Zandt — One of my favorites. TVZ's music sort of speaks to life "en el otro lado."

"Well, many of the songs, they aren't sad, they're hopeless."
—Townes Van Zandt, after being asked why he only wrote sad songs.

About Townes Van Zandt

And, if you're really interested