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Saturday, August 18, 2007

Another review of V-Fest!

This is a nice recap of the shows from the writer's personal perspective. Please feel free to leave your review or thoughts as a comment here on the blog...steve

Concert Review: Virgin Festival 2007 at Pimlico Race Course - Baltimore, MD

Friday, August 17, 2007

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Not Your Average Joe

There may be only one Tom Waits- nobody sounds like him, no can construct characters the way he can, compose German operas....yet still craft straight-ahead rock-n-roll.

But, somebody who is approaching his territory is singer/songwriter/producer Joe Henry. When he started out in the early 90's, it sounded like he'd be stuck with the label of alt-country, with albums like Short Man's Room and Kindness of the World. But, even on those twangy gems, the beautifully opaque vignettes Joe imagined left listeners with delightful fragments into a world you just don't want to leave. Listening to Joe Henry is like being suspended in a dream state or the middle of a good novel.

He'll be out with a new one September 11th. It's called CIVILIANS. He gets some help from Van Dyke Parks, Bill Frisell and his buddy Loudon Wainwright III. Until then, let's go back to 1994 for King's Highway.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Stuart Adamson: Stay Alive!

I may suggest to John Matthews that he make one of my favorite bands of all time, the subject of one of his Altered Friday Old School segments.

Big Country, the Scottish band that transferred the majesty of the bagpipe into electric guitars and was one of the first to make use of an e-bow, set the world on fire in '83 with THE CROSSING. The socically conscious and anthemic classic featured the timeless IN A BIG COUNTRY. With Bruce Watson leading the dueling bagpipe guitars, Tony Butler's heavy groove-laden bass (that's him on Pete Townsend's LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR, song and video) and the jaw-dropping drumming of Mark Brzezicki, what truly set the Steve Lillywhite-produced record apart from anything before or since was the earnestness and open-hearted lyrics of the band's vocalist/guitarist Stuart Adamson.

Sadly, the music world lost that giant heart, and voice, when Stuart committed suicide in 2001 in Honolulu. Before his death, he was soaking up the vibrant music community in Nashville, but succumbed to his ongoing battles with alcoholism.

I wish Stewart were planning a reunion tour with the rest of Big Country. In the meantime, let's remember Stuart with my favorite tune from the Crossing, CHANCE.



..and here's Bruce Watson joining Mike Peters and the Alarm, for a Stuart tribute.