Sunday, March 28, 2010

Bob Dylan Retrospective
6 years ago (2004)

I'm running this series at a dylan board and thought I'd drop it here for those with an interest in looking back.


Detroit, Michigan
State Theater
March 16, 2004

Silvio
SeƱor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
Cry A While
Boots Of Spanish Leather
Watching The River Flow
Make You Feel My Love
Highway 61 Revisited
Tell Me That It Isn't True
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Cold Irons Bound
It Ain't Me, Babe
Honest With Me
Shooting Star
Summer Days

Cat's In The Well
Like A Rolling Stone
All Along The Watchtower
Get Out Of Denver (song by Bob Seger)




Band Members
Bob Dylan - piano, harp
Larry Campbell - guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel, cittern
Freddy Koella - guitar, slide guitar
Tony Garnier - bass
George Recile - drums
Richie Hayward - drums

tonight opens with Silvio. normally it’s up there on my “least want to hear” list, along with Maggie’s Farm, but in the opening slot it’s out of the way early and it suits the bands proclivity to come out rockin’. only the second outing this year and it hasn’t been played since.
Senor (Tales of Yankee Power), one of Bob’s all-time great #2 songs, is the first sign that things are going to be different tonight. it’s not as powerful as it was back in its early days but it’s still an epic song and always a welcome treat. Bob warbles the opening “Senor....” and you’re drawn in with the first stutter. Freddy was accused of butchering an earlier version of this song with a lame attempt at a solo. if you listen carefully to that song (from St.Louis March 3, 2004) you’ll hear it’s Bob that messes it up by forgetting to start the verse on the first line. this version comes with a Freddy solo around the 3 minute mark and another more extended one around the 4:40 mark to the end. much improved, even with the minor lyric flub on the ‘tables/cables’ rhyme.

a top-notch Cry A While lets the guitarists and the band really get their timing down, a workout for one and all. still no pedal steel as we get a focused Boots of Spanish Leather. Bob walks his way through the story, his mood changing from a forlorn, love lost whimper to despondent puppy-dog whine and finishing with a bitter...as you wish! isn’t it funny how the ones that cut the deepest seem the most beautiful?
next is Watching the River Flow for the 9th time in my Bob-career. this song never reaches the level of the recorded version for my ears but it’s sounding better now than in the early 2000’s where I caught most of my renditions.
I no longer get sucked into thinking I’m going to hear Born In Time when the band strikes up Make You Feel My Love. a little lame tune Cece likes it, so I can tolerate it. he seems to overcome the maudlin sentiments with a wonderful faked-sincerity that makes you respect and fear him at the same time.

we get the first repeat from last nights show with the new Highway 61 Revisited. this one really picks up the audience. the solos are not as long but there are more of them. Freddy and Larry play off against themselves in this one, much like the new arrangements in HWM and Summer Days. it’s like a series of dueling guitars. fun to watch and both players get their props from the appreciative crowd.
Tell Me That It Isn’t True marks two in a row repeated from the previous show...Bob, you're starting to bore us.
problem resolved with a very clean and crisp performance of Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again. this song has suffered from the ‘Times syndrome’, you know, where Bob could care less about how it comes across? not this evening. the melody is about 80% recognizable with Larry doin’ the slow-drifters riff at the end of each chorus. Freddy adds some little plunky lines early on to give the song a slightly different feel. he reappears at the 3:10 mark for a smoother solo before the song takes on its usual tenor. Bob’s right into it though, a curdling.... “bloodlikewiiiiine...” and a, you couldn’t say surprised.... “ahhh I didn’t know that...” keeps the listener transfixed.

next up, the showstopper, an echo-laden, Cold Irons Bound ushered in with a crying solo and George’s tympani ring flourish to gunshot pounding of the skins. within a minute we’re “waist deep in the mist” looking at the reverberating “...walls of pride...walls of pride”. George just drives this song, rat-a-tat-tat followed by the big pounding guns. the show could end here and you’d still be fighting to get your breath as you exited the theater.
but we’re not done yet, not nearly.
a single crack on the skins to get our attention, Tony’s heart-beat bass and Bob’s plaintive harp lead us into the new It Ain’t Me Babe. another song saved from the bin of ‘pleasant but ho-hum’ as Bob’s cut-off lines lead into a flowering chorus. George reins everyone in and the next verse starts. the ebb and flow continue through the song and the painter has created yet another masterpiece out of an old canvas he had left laying around. Freddy’s solo replicates the pattern, short choppy chords that build into a flourish aided by Larry coming in and Bob’s harp to wrap it up. an absolute triumph.
Honest With Me and Summer Days have both found a new sound. they usually wrap themselves around one of Bob’s more poignant songs (Saving Grace, Every Grain of Sand, In the Summertime...well, not yet, but soon we hope). tonight Shooting Star is the song that get’s the bookend treatment. the two pillars of the pre-encore are much more restrained than they were in Charlie’s days. once again, it’s Freddy’s almost plodding attack on the strings and fret work juxtaposed against Larry’s more melodic and circuitous licks that give these tunes new life.
Shooting Star is always a treat, this is the third time I’ve had it live starting in Strasbourg 2002, Niagara Falls last summer (man, was that already LAST year?) and tonight. it’s been stronger every time.

the encore is pretty static these days. Cat’s in the Well has found its way into the set list again and soon I’ll know more than “...cat’s in the well....” and “...back alley sandy...” from the song. standing over to my left tonight is the pool’s backalleysandy, in from Ohio to hear her song. this ends with a lovely drum-shot segue into a crowd pleasing LARS.
Like A Rolling Stone is this years Summer Days. a 125 meg blowout. it had disappeared from the set list for short periods over the last few years but Bob’s found a new passion for the song and it provides a fresh spotlight song for Freddy that limits Charlie comparisons.
All Along the Watchtower features, as always, George’s ominous beat and a more aggressive solo from Freddy, longer notes, followed by some subtle underneath rhythm work to lead into the chorus and next solo...this time from the other side of the stage where Larry does his work.
as the song finishes I leave Cece in her seat and make my way to the exit, looking to call the set list in to chinadoll. -ryan-’s on the rail, or close to it, with grimace1 tonight so I should be in the vehicle before they reach the door. of course, I heard about the New York shows in 2002 so I was not going to clear the venue doors before the house lights came on...which, tonight, they didn’t.

the band returned to the stage to unleash an almost letter-perfect rollicking version of Bob Seger’s Get Out of Denver. a debut destined to be a one-off. Bob was leaning over the piano pounding the keys, legs akimbo as he transports himself back to the stage of Hibbing High. oh, he’s using a lyric sheet but you try this song...it’s still not easy. they pay proper homage by keeping up the tempo throughout. this isn’t accomplished without a little forethought and some planning. it helps to have a crack band but this comes off way different from the myriad of passable covers we got in the early 90’s. a substantial improvement over the summer of 2003 covers with the Dead. I mean those were fun, but a little loose at the edges. this song was bang-on, like it’d been in the set list for a year. he absolutely nails the last verse still singing at a breakneck speed. great job.
we end up with 12 different songs from the opening show. thank you Bob.

everybody was buzzing about “Get Out of Denver” as we congregated for the post-show. Bob Seger was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame yesterday and this was Bob’s nod. Prince was inducted too. he even comes from Minnesota. could we get Purple Rain tomorrow? tonight we decide to join handlevandal, HenryPorter and a slew of others in Greektown for a bite to eat. handlevandal's directions had us turning onto a one-way street the wrong way. (I wasn’t turning the wrong way, I was turning properly, just driving the wrong way…well not driving the wrong way, I was driving properly, just going the wrong…er, nevermind). we quickly corrected the problem, skirting into a driveway and pulling a u-turn. she chose to just make her way to the restaurant…it was a two-way last time she was there and if they didn’t have the time to contact her and let her know then she wasn’t about to lose precious Bob-time. we all made it safely to the Pegasus or the Pythagorean Beery or some other aptly named Greek restaurant. not to bleat about it but there was lots of lamb on the menu. Rosie1 and I took turns flashing the crowd…pictures later. charlespoet found the waiters scrumptious and the food consumable too. when asked if he was ready to order, Louis the King said, “wait a minute son.” and the band played on…in our heads anyway. most of the crew was on their way back to Jacki’s place while Cece and I poured back over the border. another one down and we’re all left wondering how he’s going to top this tomorrow.













Wednesday March 17, 2004 State Theater Detroit MI

the snow’s disappeared but it’s still plenty cold today. we eat on the Canadian side of the border at Top Hat World Class Ribs…and they weren’t kidding. steaming, succulent ribs, falling off the bone, melting in your mouth…man, I’m hungry. with a wonderful meal under our belts were across the border for the final time to hook up with the Krewe.
tonight we’re parked in the ‘close’ lot (15’ from the door instead of 63’) and have our spot in the bar. -ryan- and I head up to Hockeytown shortly after arrival to post some messages on the pool board. he’s wondering (this is no shit) whether Jack White might be at the shows. I knew the Stripes weren’t on tour because I plan to latch onto a half-dozen of their shows next time they come within driving distance. we were slated to see four consecutive shows last summer in front of three Dylan-Dead shows but Jack broke his finger. I’m over it now, almost. it was my opinion he’d definitely drop in to see the show if he were in town and Rene Zellwegger let him go out with his buddies. (the shows were ending early so there would have been no problem being home before curfew.) neither of us came close to speculating on whether he would be guesting, but the new Motor City Madman was on our mind. I feared Nugent might drop in for a few chords of Hwy 61 too.

heading back to the venue we run into a very excited Henry Porter. seems ‘M&A – the taper’ burned off a copy of the show from last night. charlespoet, he said, had the disc and we could listen to Get Out Of Denver! unfortunately, when HP approached charlespoet he was met with a cold shoulder and an ‘I’m a little busy right now’. seems we’d interrupted the ‘curry favour with the crew’ part of the day. I believe arrangements were being made for early entry to the venue or something along those lines. no time to find a few minutes to spin the disc. I can understand that, who needs to be inconvenienced, eh? HP seemed a little nonplussed but I just shrugged. copies were to be made later at handlevandal’s so there was no reason to prostrate himself so charlespoet would part with the discs.

again this evening, they opened the doors to the venue a half hour early to let people in from the cold. this time the outside line was almost completely in the building before the bar doors opened. kind of like a lottery, it was. last chance to pick up some tour mementos and to our seats to chat with kisskissmary and jersey jon.
the crowd tonight was stoked, maybe a tad under the reading on the previous evenings meter.

a brisk version of Wicked Messenger starts the night off well. Drifter’s twin, and they both do the job they are intended to…get the blood flowing.

back to the pedal steel for a reprise of Baby Blue, nice enough in its new arrangement but not quite vibrant enough to hold my interest. Tweedle in the third slot is, once again, out of the way.
Under the Red Sky is rare enough that I still consider it a treat and the way it’s done makes it a worthwhile inclusion in this more eclectic manifestation of Bob Dylan’s band. tonight marks the tour debut of the song. it’s followed by another oldie, reborn rather than dyin’, It’s Alright Ma. always a crowd pleaser and tonight it wasn’t like root canal.
other highlights include the delightful Down Along the Cove. this song can’t fail to bring a smile to your face. he sings like the sweetest bird you ever heard...without even tryin’.
next up is the new Moonlight. I like the funky intro but am soon finding myself let down by the delivery. I think the song is just weak. it’s better than when he tried to sing like a bird caught in an updraft, but it’s still no more than an excuse to dabble in a jazzy sound.
he’s still mixing up the songs nicely as we get High Water, Girl of the North Country, Man in the Long Black Coat and Every Grain of Sand along with the usual suspects in the second half of the show.

as the band exits after Watchtower, -ryan- and I head down to the exit, taking the same care I did the night before not to go outside the doors. again the lights are late coming on and we meander onto the back of the floor to see a figure take up position at centre stage. from where we are, it could be G.E.Smith, long reddish-blond hair was covering his face. I believe he’s guested once in Ann Arbor, so it made some sense. we make our way back to our seats beside Cece as the song starts up. only when we’re finally standing at our seats do I realize the guy’s too tall to be G.E. and the song is vaguely familiar. -ryan- identifies the song as Ball and Biscuit just as my neural synapses are registering that it’s Jack White on stage and Bob is singing a White Stripes song. and not just any White Stripes song, probably the only one they have over 3 minutes long. Bob’s using the lyric sheet again and the song, while not as tight as last nights cover, is pretty impressive. Jack opens up a bit for a shared solo with Freddy after the first verse, then he sends the crowd into a frenzy with his vocal delivery of verse two. back to Bob for the next verse and some shared chorus stuff.
I’m transfixed. it seems so right and such a great honour for Jack.

Jack-freakin’-White! get the f*ck outa here. he seemed so…humble. head down, hair covering his face. his guitar flourish was intense but not theatric. when he sang his verse, his voice cut through the din, tattooing this concert as a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. his deference to Bob was touching in its simplicity. a short bow, handshake, a hug and some pictures. smiles as big as all get-out from Bob. now, that was worth coming out for.
on this final night we stop in at the casino to grab a late night meal and spend a little money…ended up making around $60. no thanks to the Roulette table that sucked a quick bill out of us. it was the two pairs at Let It Ride that paid the way. an hour or so here and time for lights out. then time to head home.


Ball and Biscuit

Under the Red Sky

Man In the Long Black Coat


Toronto, Ontario
The Phoenix
March 20, 2004

To Be Alone With You
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Maggie's Farm
Desolation Row
Tangled Up In Blue
Million Miles
Positively 4th Street
If You See Her, Say Hello
Standing In The Doorway
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Bye And Bye
Honest With Me
Summer Days

Like A Rolling Stone
All Along The Watchtower



Saturday March 20, 2004 Phoenix Theater Toronto ON

tonight’s the night! we’ve been waiting for the Phoenix show since it was announced.
800 people.
Cece and I are planning on heading up to the balcony, where there are tables and chairs. MisLucy’s husband, froggie courtin’ at the pool, is going to save us a table. august west, srk and rambling gambling willie are scheduled to join us. we’ve got a good spot in line, but our friends have even a better spot. BUTL and MisLucy have been up front since early this morning and the rail is a-waitin’. I’d bought a couple extra tickets when this show went on sale and they ended up going to a worthy cause. one to Mick, who was in from England, another to Adam from Toronto, who had braved the snow in Detroit just last week. outside the venue, scalpers were buying tickets for $150 and selling them for $300.
never crossed my mind to join in on that scam. I’d much rather sell them at face to a fan/friend than at a profit to a scalper or stranger.
bought a pre-release of LIVE 1964 from the Sony truck before the show. will probably never listen to it since I heard it about three times this weekend as this truck filled with Bob product has been following us around.

our seats are terrific. the four chairs to a table give us plenty of room. by show time, the crowd behind our tables is jammed tight and we can still stretch our legs out. we are closer to the stage than we were at the State and the band is right on top of themselves. the stage is so small there’s only one set of drums tonight and Freddy’s almost invisible behind Bob’s piano. it's a great little club located just off from the madd(en)ing crowd in downtown Toronto's historic Cabbagetown District. very intimate. there’s no underestimating how important the venue and surroundings are to your enjoyment of the show. even though we were close at the Ricoh, the cavernous arena took away any semblance of intimacy. it’s easy to be distracted in the larger venues, causing you to miss the subtle nuances that just make every Bob show. at the Phoenix, we were perched at the balcony, absolutely focused, and the boys did not disappoint. most others in our crew found their spot on the very limited rail. as MisLucy said: “when I saw how small the stage was…I started to cry.”
in Detroit, we got 10-11 different songs each night of the stand. this is up substantially from early in the tour. there were a couple nights with 6-8 different songs from the preceding night but usually it was in the 2-5 song range. on this second night in Toronto we get 12 songs in a row that had not been performed at any of the previous 4 shows!

To Be Alone With You...ahh I love it when Bob talks dirty. first time on this tour for this song, a foreshadowing of things to come. an open invitation to come along for an intimate evening. some tasty licks are traded between Freddy and Larry, the crowd is electrified. altered lyrics seem to be picked out of the air randomly, reminiscent of the version from the ‘blackout’ night on the 26th of April in New Orleans. not THAT blackout, the one that came in August, MY blackout night. “thank the lord...sweet reward” indeed.
somewhere during this song, we heard the faint whisper of a harmonica. Bob’s hands were nowhere near his mouth so I thought it was a pretty good trick. ramblin gamblin willie nudges me and points to a chunky wanna-be hippie sitting two tables over. seems he’d brought his harp along because he heard Dylan was in town to jam with ass. a sign on his table read: “reserved for whetstraw’s friend from the Village.”
Bob’s into a lively rendition of I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight. the crowd responds with loud cheers at the line “...tonight’s gonna last all night....” my guess is half of them were in Detroit and they figured that meant an extra song. more wild cheers for the title line. when you couple this song with the opener it seems we’re not being entertained tonight, we’re being seduced.
normally Maggie’s Farm would leave me unimpressed and probably not very attentive. but songs, and their roles, change depending on where they are located in the set list. this song hasn’t been in the third slot since 1999. I always remember Springsteen saying he wanted a hard rockin’ tempo changer in this spot because it set up the rest of his evening. and it did so tonight. following this successful first outing of the year, Maggie’s Farm would open every Saturday night show right through to the end of the November tour, and counting into 2006.
Desolation Row follows. an intense reading taking on some of the characteristics of the ‘staccato’ delivery he’s been utilizing since the middle of 2003. he’s really out there tonight in the vast nothingness of the Row. his voice echoing the futility of imagining any other existence outside this exile. long, graspy, vowel extensions punctuate the performance. these classic songs are a good test of Bob’s commitment to the show, some have lost the energy that carried them, others the passion. the end of '03 marked a turning point, though. old is new again, things are changing. I attribute most of this to taking the leash off Freddy when he got back on his own continent last fall, but something happened that has caused Bob to breathe new life into old tunes. another first for the tour but Bob’s nowhere near finished shaking up the set list. this song is the start of six consecutive brilliant songs.

Tangled Up In Blue makes its second appearance on the tour. a new stripped down arrangement for the year, the song is driven by George’s cymbal work. it’s moving along nicely, not being dragged down by the complexity of the three guitar attack that tended to drown out the story in recent versions, primarily the 2002 versions. the song was fading fast after 52 performances in that year. in 2003, it had only 6 outings, of which I caught two. this is the third performance this year (there will be 8 in total) and it just explodes tonight. the crowd follows in time, a loud cheer going up at the first title line. after a few verses we get Freddy’s extended solo and then the verse with the altered lyrics.

now I enlisted the help of some poolers to get the lyrics right. here’s what they thought they heard:

dude’s rendition
“...stopped there in for a beer
a deep fork trottin' in the side of her face
I don't even drink beer here!
a deep throat job and the sun came down
she was just about the same
standin' there right beside my chair
I knooow your name!
she made a little suckle underneath my breath
she stu-died the caaaards
a lady wrote down in the hood of my face
I know you're miiiine
in blue
tangled up in blue”
close, but not quite.

this was VirgilCaine’s hearing:
“...stopped in for a beer
I been fools tired’f every side of her face,
(and) I don't even drink beer, here.
she grew tired when the sun came down,
she was just about to say,
she was standing there, right beside my chair,
I know your name.
she lit something underneath my drink...
she slipped me the ganga.
when we rolled down to hood by day,
I know your mine- in blue.
tangled up in blue”
they seemed to agree on the finish anyway.

Cece and I have turned our ears to the verse and this is the best we can come up with:
“...stopped in here for a beer
a deep hope shinin' in the side of her face
I don’t even drink beer, I hear
in no time when the sun came down
she was just about to say
she was standin’ there right beside my chair
I knoooooow your name
she giggled something underneath my breathe
she slipped me the Times
label down and the hood of my cape?
I know you’re mine in blue
tangled up in blue.”

not an easy task. took me 17 hours to write this thing but 14 of them were spent listening to that verse.

Million Miles is up next and I think this song is a showcase for Freddy’s styling. it sounds so much better now than when it got steady play back in 1998/99. it was only tried once since then in 2001 before its rebirth late last fall in the final three night stand in London. it’s absolutely reborn. a major work being given the treatment it deserves.
srk gets his favorite song next as Bob launches into Positively 4th Street. it’s great being at shows with these relative neophytes. they’re always getting something new. but I’m getting new stuff too. even though I’ve heard them a handful of times, this being my 14th live 4th street, they sound fresh and vital this year. in years past, they all too often were merely fodder for the masses.

partway through this song, we have the return of the harp, yet Bob’s hands are nowhere near his mouth. it’s not noticeable on the tape of the show but it, nonetheless, cut through the dark enough to catch my attention. since srk was leaning forward listening in rapturous wonder I had a clear line. Cece had just finished her drink, not counting the melting ice water, so I lifted her cup and tossed it at the extant band-member, dinging him on the side of the head. now, outside of his immediate family, I’m sure he doesn’t get this kind of treatment everywhere. he seemed suitably chastised, though, as his harp found his pocket and wasn’t heard from the rest of the show. FTR I was on my way over the tables to grab that harp the next time I heard it.
now where were we? oh, right, 2/3rd’s of the way through the most memorable concert of this century.

the return of If You See Her, Say Hello, the ‘blue hair’ version, is next. nice upbeat arrangement of a heart-wrenching song. an additional twist to the new lyrics found when he interjects.... “I’ve never gotten used to it (why would I?)/ I just learned to turn it off...” not quite the ‘watch it from the rear’ venom from the early 80’s but the “...I sure hope she don’t...” line cuts deep.

the final song in this amazing run is the rarely played Standing in the Doorway making its first 2004 appearance. now we’d been teased by the two verses that were included on the M&A DVD but this isn’t that arrangement...exactly. but pretty close, which is saying a lot. the song starts slow and begins to pick up momentum on the ‘buuuurn / turrrrn’ rhyme. the pace of the song never really increases but Bob’s inflection gets more intense at times, choked at others. a real hypnotic performance.

Don’t Think Twice breaks the spell somewhat. a more familiar tune somewhat stripped down. the three-guitar flourish that ended the song the last few years has been replaced by a funky little finish by George.

song 12 introduces us to the silky smooth jazz stylings of the Bobby Dylan Quintet. a neat little version of Bye and Bye. a minor song compared to the tidal wave of emotion that preceded it in this show, it serves to let us catch our breath and regroup.

let’s recap.

that’s 12 songs straight that have not been played in the last four nights. six are tour debuts. five for only the second time on the tour. one for only the third time.
the night’s running late, actually the show started about 15 minutes later than expected. at this point, we get the close of the show with Honest With Me being played back-to-back with Summer Days, a rare occurrence.

we lost a chance to hear In the Summertime, the song slotted to be played, with no alternative choice next to it. good luck to the rest of you, hope it shows up.
for the first time this tour Cat’s in Well is dropped so we don’t get the segue into LARS. (note: Cat’s was also dropped later in the third Boston show, replaced by Down Along the Cove...seems Bob liked the change in pace that was forced on him here.)
Watchtower closes the show after the band intro. it opens with a longer than normal intro because Bob’s mic wasn’t working. this is the second time in the past few nights this has happened...a little weird. strangely enough, it almost works on this song that starts in the middle and ends at the beginning to have Bob start in the middle of a line. another spotlight song for Freddy he gets a nice hand after his solo. he’s got to compete with George’s incessant pounding of the drums but it’s a fun battle to hear. tonight the crew adds the echo effect on a few lines, most notably “...the wind began...wind began...to howl....” Larry’s solo is just as well received before Bob plunks out a few chords and then a few chords more until the audience has to respond to his solo. the band builds it up and George knocks it out
no extra song...what a rip-off.

Postscript Note: post at the Dylanpool by SRK:
Cost of driving to Toronto: $50
Cost of ticket to Phoenix show: $70
Cost of beer (multiple): $6
Cost of leaning forward in my seat when Bob breaks into my favourite song (4th street) so Marcel has a clear line of sight to chuck a cup at the moron 2 seats over from me tooting on his harp: priceless.

much like the second night in Detroit, the crowd is buzzing as they mingle outside the venue. we lost a song tonight as there was a 10:30 p.m. curfew. the venue is used by the alt-rock crowd as a club on the weekends. Cece and I pass one of our nieces commenting on the ‘old folks’ as we leave the show. plans are being hatched, some are heading back to Mississauga, others to a bar on the Danforth, Toronto’s version of Greektown with less ‘one-way’ streets than Detroit. we opt for food.

inside a restaurant, where we sought shelter from the cold there’s a lady on the stage, not singing Memphis in June but rather covering post-60’s AOR artists. we treat her kindly, she had no tape for us. someone bought her CD though, and I believe, left with her phone number. drinks and chat and laughter. BUTL makes it up late after having offered to drop Uncle Sweetheart off at the subway. august west and girlfriendmimi invite us all over to their place for more late night chat. august west treats us to a sampling of his extensive Grateful Dead collection, including a heart-wrenching version of late-Jerry performing Visions of Johanna. the rest of the evening is spent sampling the evenings show…the altered lyrics in TUIB were the main attraction, the ‘had to be there’ highlight of a terrific 6 song run in the middle of this show.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Corin Raymond
Toronto's Troubadour

Corin Raymond works the stage...most everynight, then he works the aftershow. All with a smile as he's paid to party.

I've had the pleasure of being introduced to Corin by CR Avery as he's opened a few nights in one configuration or another.

He's captivating onstage; Corin finds a child-like joy in playing music, telling stories and entertaining his friends. Can't help but leave the bar feeling just a little bit better.

He's out west now, heading home in the next week or so where he will resume his Thursday night residency atThe Cameron House . If you don't see him there, check out his MYSPACE page.

Drop in and see him if you're able. You can thank me later.

This past February he showcased his latest record, There Will Always Be A Small Time, while opening for CR.

Stealin' My Heart

Better Him Than Me

If Wishes Were Horses

?That's Life

?I Love Gettin' High

Blue Mermaid Dress

There Will Always Be A Small Time

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Jack Whites Red Hot Blues Vol 3

I first put this compilation together back in 2005 to create the best 80 minutes
of Jack White I could find. It was apparent then, and it's abundantly apparent now, that this guys knowledge of music and interpretive talent transcends the bounds of what we know as The White Stripes. This was an illustrative record.

Since then the dude's morphed a few times. The Stripes have exploded and pushed the envelope as much as can be done with a duo. Jack's found other avenues to develop, The Raconteurs and the Dead Weather. It's time to update the record.

No easy choices. Good songs got dropped because the audio quality was slightly below par (House of The Risin' Sun and Dyin' Crapshooters Blues the most disheartening losses). Songs got added that may not stand the test of time to reappear on Vol 4 in 2015, but they sound great now. (300 MPH, Bang Bang)

So fire up your walkmans (or that microchip imbedded in your brain, I'm a little behind on the technology) and enjoy!


Jack White's Red Hot Blues Vol 3


Track 01 I Just Cant Keep From Cryin/Death Letter 2005-08-17 Los Angeles CA
Track 02 Lord Send Me An Angel 2001-03-01 Silverlake CA
Track 03 300mph Torrential Downpour Blues 2007-07-24 New York NY*
Track 04 Carolina Drama 2008-06-05 Toronto ON*
Track 05 Lafayette Blues 2001-09-14 Houston TX
Track 06 Bang Bang 2006-07-19 San Diego CA*
Track 07 Hello Operator 2005-09-16 Toronto ON
Track 08 Little Bird/Got Your Money/Little Bird 2004-08-01 Naeba Japan
Track 09 St James Infirmary Blues 2005-09-19 Providence RI
Track 10 The Big 3 Killed My Baby 2005-09-30 Detroit MI
Track 11 Blue Veins 2008-06-05 Toronto ON*
Track 12 You're Southern Can Is Mine 2001-03-01 Silverlake CA
Track 13 Union Forever 2007-07-01 Saskatoon SK*
Track 14 Stop Breaking Down 2002-06-30 Los Angeles CA
Track 15 Stones In My Passway 2005-09-21 Boston MA
Track 16 Instinct Blues 2005-09-30 Detroit MI
Track 17 Fixin To Die Fist City 2006-03-09 Osaka Japan*
Track 18 Will There Be Enough Water 2009-07-24 Detroit MI*

*tracks added to this comp
tracks removed
Track 03 Ball & Biscuit > Instinct Blues > Ball & Biscuit 2005-09-16 Toronto ON
Track 04 House of the Risin' Sun 2005-09-09 Indianapolis IN
Track 06 Sister Do You Know My Name 2005-08-17 Los Angeles CA
Track 11 Lovesick 2001-11-29 Montpellier France
Track 13 Dyin' Crapshooter Blues 2001-06-03 Detroit MI
Track 17 Let's Build A Home > Goin' Back to Memphis 2003-07-02 Chicago IL
Track 18 Outlaw Blues 2003-11-24 Camden NJ
Track 19 Rat Tease > Take A Whiff On Me 2003-05-30 Vienna Austria
Track 20 You Can't Get That Stuff No More > Death Letter 2005-09-13 Louisville KY
Track 21 Boll Weevil Blues 2005-08-17 Los Angeles CA