Bloggerhythms

This is a repeat of an article that was first posted  here on August 23, 2010. It's for all of you who are into alternative histories. I hope you enjoy it. I no longer like the last paragraph but I'm re-posting it without any changes. What may have been the most publicized concert of the last forty years finally took place last night at London's famous Wembley Stadium when The Beatles reunited to celebrate the 70th birthdays of both Ringo Starr and The Beatles' founder, John Lennon. It was their first live performance together since their infamous rooftop concert in January 1969 that was raided by police in the movie Let It Be . The super-hyped event came off without a hitch and all proceeds went to charity. A few minutes before he took the stage Lennon said that, "Even though we don't see much of each other anymore we're all bound together by this incredible history. We've put our past problems with each other behind us and we are all looking fo...

The Royal Hounds make it easy on bloggers who want to discuss their new album. Here is what the trio says about their fifth studio record, A Whole Lot of Nothin' , on its accompanying press release: "And By Nothin’ We Mean Fiery Honky Tonk With A Rock And Roll Edge Served With A Healthy Sense Of Humor."  In addition, veteran, Laurel Canyon bass player Leland Sklar calls them  “The Spinal Tap of downtown Nashville.”  Both of those quotes are so perfect that I could end this review right here, but that would be cheating, right? For those of you unfamiliar with this group The Royal Hounds are Scott Hinds on bass and vocals, Matheus Canteri on guitar and background vocals, and Nathan Place handles drums, percussion, and organ. Canteri also served as producer of the thirteen song set. Recorded in Nashville, the sessions were engineered by John McBride (husband of Martina) and Jeremy Cottrell who worked with both Jim Lauderdale and Raul Malo. Hinds wrote most of the ...

Louis Armstrong was a jazz giant who also made a lot of pop records that were marginally considered jazz, and one of his more famous songs, "What A Wonderful World," falls into the latter category. It's also a record with an interesting backstory. This classic was first released in 1967. It failed to chart in America because the president of  ABC Records, Larry Newton, hated it and refused to promote it. In fact, he even tried to stop the recording session, but - believe it or not - he was locked out of the studio enabling Armstrong to finish his work. Newton wanted a tune similar to Armstrong's huge hit, "Hello Dolly," that went to #1 just three years earlier. Instead, the star produced this slow, string laden ballad with his typically rough but pleasing vocals that everyone recognizes today. The lengthy session also had other distractions. The musicians were interrupted twice more by freight train whistles that forced them to work overtime. So, to insure ...

The Tree of Forgiveness was   John Prine's last studio album, recorded two years before his unfortunate passing in April of 2020. This brief, thirty-three minute, ten song set was released after a hiatus of thirteen years that proved the well-loved folk musician didn't lose any of his songwriting skills during the long layoff. The late singer-songwriter easily impressed listeners for five decades with his tales about lonely people who were down on their luck. "Hello In There" and "Sam Stone" -  both from his eponymous debut album  that was released when he was only twenty-five years old - made him sound much older and wiser than his age would lead you to believe.  Not all of Prine's music was dark.  Many of his songs thrived on a great sense of humor that gave listeners a chuckle, and it's this trait that helps make Forgiveness a truly fulfilling listening experience. "When I Get To Heaven" is a hysterical take on things Prine intended to ...

Los Lobos's Chicano based rock never has been, and almost certainly never will be appreciated by the masses, and that's OK. They've made themselves a viable force in rock music, consistently making excellent records loved by critics and a large, devoted cult of which I am a member. They're a great success.  The Los Angeles quintet is still in business with the same five man lineup they've rolled out since How Will The Wolf Survive  became their breakthrough album almost forty years ago. The brand new  Native Sons is the group's fourth set of covers. Previously, they gave us a seven song EP,  Ride This ; the children's record,  Los Lobos Goes Disney ; and if you want to count movie soundtracks you can add  La Bamba to the list. I've written here before that artists often release cover albums when they've lost their muse but this new record is not one of those times. These veterans have never been afraid to issue cover albums interspersed with rel...