Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.
- John Kenneth Galbraith
Let me first say that if you have access to a cable/satellite system that has Ovation, make certain you catch Elvis Costello's show and Jools Hollands. Of course both originate other places -- Sundance and the real BBC as opposed to BBC America Of late, I have seen Roseanne Cash and Norah Jones, John Mellancamp, the Pretenders, the Noisettes, Pearl Jam and Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson and Diana Krall. Since Elvis is married to Diana, rather than have Elvis host, Elton John hosted. Very interesting all around...it's an incredible selection of outstanding stuff. The Ovation with Cash, Jones, Mellancamp and Kristofferson was amazing. They were doing something called a "Guitar Pull," which Roseanne believes her dad invented, just by having his friends over to sit around and try to top each other with new songs. She discussed seeing Joni Mitchell play Both Sides Now for the first time, as well as Kris doing Sunday Morning coming down for the first time and the ghost of Hank Williams only knows how much other great stuff. Norah Jones is part of a project where they are taking sets of unfinished songs by Hank Williams, and various song writers are finishing them. She has one which was excellent, as is she. If Dianna Krall is a jazz pianist and singer influenced by George Shearing and Joni Mitchell, then Norah Jones is obviously influenced by not only Ms Krall but people like George Jones. When Costello compared the purity of Hank Williams to Shakespeare, Mr Kris pointed out that "Shakespeare couldn't yodel."
Dating us all, Roseanne commented that she had written 7 Year Ache when she was a third of her current age. The unsung hero of her rebirth as a musician is her husband, John Lowenstein, who is an incredible arranger and guitarist. Costello shows his ability, although I have no idea why he bothers with a 12-string. Jools Holland is not so well known here, which is a shame. He's one of those very British types that you expect to suddenly go stark raving crazy, but after you hear the story of Joey Ramone taking him to CBGBs and then ignoring him while some New York kind of girl gave the singer a blowjob, you begin to think, hey, my kind of guy. A Defeatist kind of guy -- why wouldn't someone ignore you while a strange woman was chewing on his junk? If he didn't ignore you, that would be weird.
Then, of course, there was this from the Pretenders...Another guy we don't hear enough of over here is Paul Weller...with Amy Overdose, no less... I know I should write something political or historical or something, but you know, at the moment, music is more interesting. I'll figure out a way to work the Galbraith quote in sometime. I suspect most of those reading this can relate...to both JKG and my thoughts.
- John Kenneth Galbraith
Let me first say that if you have access to a cable/satellite system that has Ovation, make certain you catch Elvis Costello's show and Jools Hollands. Of course both originate other places -- Sundance and the real BBC as opposed to BBC America Of late, I have seen Roseanne Cash and Norah Jones, John Mellancamp, the Pretenders, the Noisettes, Pearl Jam and Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson and Diana Krall. Since Elvis is married to Diana, rather than have Elvis host, Elton John hosted. Very interesting all around...it's an incredible selection of outstanding stuff. The Ovation with Cash, Jones, Mellancamp and Kristofferson was amazing. They were doing something called a "Guitar Pull," which Roseanne believes her dad invented, just by having his friends over to sit around and try to top each other with new songs. She discussed seeing Joni Mitchell play Both Sides Now for the first time, as well as Kris doing Sunday Morning coming down for the first time and the ghost of Hank Williams only knows how much other great stuff. Norah Jones is part of a project where they are taking sets of unfinished songs by Hank Williams, and various song writers are finishing them. She has one which was excellent, as is she. If Dianna Krall is a jazz pianist and singer influenced by George Shearing and Joni Mitchell, then Norah Jones is obviously influenced by not only Ms Krall but people like George Jones. When Costello compared the purity of Hank Williams to Shakespeare, Mr Kris pointed out that "Shakespeare couldn't yodel."
Dating us all, Roseanne commented that she had written 7 Year Ache when she was a third of her current age. The unsung hero of her rebirth as a musician is her husband, John Lowenstein, who is an incredible arranger and guitarist. Costello shows his ability, although I have no idea why he bothers with a 12-string. Jools Holland is not so well known here, which is a shame. He's one of those very British types that you expect to suddenly go stark raving crazy, but after you hear the story of Joey Ramone taking him to CBGBs and then ignoring him while some New York kind of girl gave the singer a blowjob, you begin to think, hey, my kind of guy. A Defeatist kind of guy -- why wouldn't someone ignore you while a strange woman was chewing on his junk? If he didn't ignore you, that would be weird.
Then, of course, there was this from the Pretenders...Another guy we don't hear enough of over here is Paul Weller...with Amy Overdose, no less... I know I should write something political or historical or something, but you know, at the moment, music is more interesting. I'll figure out a way to work the Galbraith quote in sometime. I suspect most of those reading this can relate...to both JKG and my thoughts.
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