Sunday night music video

Because I'm quite frankly fed up with the political situation these days and the fact that I'm hot and tired and the fact that I'm really bummed about the earthquake and hurricane both hitting the east coast in one week (even though that's actually the good news -- they turned out to be much less serious than expected and everyone I know came out OK), I need something to cheer me up tonight -- and I'm betting you do as well.

Therefore, I offer you this: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes along with Bruce -- doing one of the greatest Jersey Shore songs ever!

American 235 years later

I've been thinking a lot the last few days about what America really is -- is this the nation where all men are created equal and every person can achieve his or her dreams if they really try, or is this a nation that the founders not only couldn't have envisioned, but in fact would be repulsed if they saw it now? I do know that we are not one America, but rather two or more -- divided by race, class, economics, etc. So I've decided to post a few videos that I feel have a great deal of relevance today. Some are several years old, some are more recent, but they all speak to me now about the state of this once-great nation -- which I fear is heading down the road towards an oligarchy at best and fascism at worst. So I leave you with these songs and I sincerely hope that any of you that read my meager inadequate words from time to time will please comment with your thoughts. Maybe someone out there can help pull me out of this slough of despond...

Better off dead?

For a few days now I've been trying to process how I feel about the death of Osama bin Laden. On the one hand, I feel some satisfaction over the death of the terrorist responsible for changing our country on 9/11. On the other hand, I've been thinking that I would have preferred to see him captured and tried for crimes against humanity, combined with the fact that I refuse to celebrate the death of any human, no matter how vile. Add into that the apparent fact that he was unarmed, thus possibly summarily executed, and it makes me wonder if OBL did not succeed in making us lose an irreplaceable bit of our humanity.

With that said, I want to direct your attention to a blog that sums up what I'm feeling in a rather brilliant manner. It's called The Corner Tavern, written by a Chicago blogger named Dave von Ebers and it saves me about 1500 words. I also want to bring you a video from Bruce off the Live in Barcelona DVD that I find appropriate. Usually I ask you to enjoy the videos, but right now that seems like the wrong thing to say. Instead, I'd like to ask you to just watch and think about it.

Sunday night video

If Velvet Underground had not existed, we might never have seen the punk movement of the 70s or the grunge movement of the late 80s and early 90s. Lou Reed, John Cage and Nico put together one of the most influential bands in history, while remaining one of the least appreciated by the general public. This song was recorded but unreleased by Velvet Underground, only to show up later on the Lou Reed solo effort "Transformer." Since Lou Reed is one of my favorite songwriters, I wanted to share with you the original (though released later) "Satellite of Love." Hope you all enjoy this one, it's definitely one of my favorites.



By the way, this song has been covered brilliantly by such folks as The Eurythmics, Milla Jovavich and, most notably, U2.

Saturday night video

It's been a while since I've posted a video and I apologize for that. To make up for my lapse, I've found a very good one for tonight. It's a song that has, for some reason, been running through my mind all day. I saw this on TV back when I was about 14 years old on what was one of my favorite shows, The Johnny Cash Show, and I've loved this song ever since. So without further adieu, here are Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon -- Derek and the Dominoes -- doing "It's Too Late."

Sunday Night Video

After learning what Paul Ryan's budget will do to most of America, this song seems much more relevant today than when it was written in the mid-1990s. Actually, it's more relevant now than since when Steinbeck wrote "The Grapes of Wrath."

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello -- "The Ghost of Tom Joad"

Friday night video

I saw Leonard Cohen back in the early 70s when I was still in my teens. I did not develop at that time the appreciation that later came. I always remembered the song "Suzanne", but that was really about it. I was certainly not aware that he was an accomplished novelist and poet -- to me he was just another Canadian singer-songwriter. Damn, was I ever wrong.

When Atom Egoyan's film "Exotica" came out, this song knocked me over. I actually went out and bought the soundtrack for the movie, only to be disappointed that the song wasn't included -- it turned out alright for me though, because I was then forced to purchase both the movie and the original Cohen CD. Written for the 1988 album "I'm Your Man", it talks about the society of the 80s -- the Reagan Revolution, the AIDS crisis, and a love gone bad to be more specific.

In my opinion, this song is possibly more relevant now than it was 23 years ago. This version is from London at the O2 Arena in London in 2008, and it's incredible. Great 12-string guitar work, along with Bob Metzgar's wonderful pedal steel.

Listen here to "Everybody Knows" and please let me know your thoughts about my all-time favorite Leonard Cohen song.

Another adventure from a guitar legend

I said yesterday that I was going to post some Be Bop Deluxe music for a few days, so here's another one. This song, "Adventures From a Yorkshire Landscape", was originally released on the "Axe Victim" LP, never released officially in the U.S. It was, however, an amazing LP. This is a live version of the song and the guitar solo that starts at the 2:05 point is unbelievable. It's followed by a solo by Andy Clarke on the Fender Rhodes piano, which definitely has its own very distinctive sound.

Again, I ask any of you who read this blog to enjoy the magnificent sounds of one of the world's most underrated bands -- Be Bop Deluxe.

Saturday afternoon video

OK, I'm not particularly consistent in when I decide to post music videos, but whenever I get the urge I will -- and I hope that I can turn some people on to some music they may not have been exposed to but that is brilliant! With that in mind, today I started thinking about this band. When B Franklin and I met back in about 1984, we realized we had a lot of things in common -- we both loved Peter O'Toole, David Letterman and Springsteen. We also both knew a lot of pretty much unknown bands. One we realized we had in common was Be Bop Deluxe -- possibly the most underrated band in the world.  Bill Nelson is both a great songwriter and an amazing guitarist. I hope that you will check this out -- it's worth your time. Every day for the next week or so I'm going to post a Be Bop Deluxe video, and I'm begging you to both comment on the blog and link to it if you like it -- let us know what you think! The more of  you that do this, the happier I'll be!

So here for your enjoyment is Be Bop Deluxe from 1975, doing "Maid in Heaven." Hope you all enjoy it!

Don't let the Repubs take away PBS

Tonight I did something I do every now and then that I may not be able to do if the Republicans in Congress get their way -- I watched PBS. I bring this up because it infuriates me to no end that so many people in this country cannot see the value of a publically-supported network that brings programming that will never be seen if left to profit TV -- the ratings simply won't support it. However, PBS brings to all of America not only educational shows for children, but also the kind of culturally-based programming that should be every bit as available as such lowbrow shows as Two and a Half Men or American Idol. Granted, it's not always my cup of tea -- the programming ranges from fair at the bottom end to outstanding and above at the top end. Nowhere else on broadcast television will you see shows like NOVA, American Experience, Masterpiece Theatre, and Great Performances. Tonight's 25th Anniversary concert from London of Les Miserables is one of the shows that falls into the truly outstanding category.

The argument seems to be that cable networks will continue to bring this type of programming; however, that denies a large portion of the country the ability to be able to see this kind of show simply because they can't afford cable or satellite. That number is growing as unemployment stays high and the economy remains stagnant. Whether people choose to watch shows like this is immaterial -- what matters is that they have the choice and ability to watch.

Please contact your congressperson or senator and urge them not to remove the funding from PBS -- this, I believe, is urgent. Outside a few large cities, there is a serious lack of access to culture, please don't let it get worse.

With that said, tonight I offer you Jean Valjean's death and the finale from Les Miserables: the 25th Anniversary Concert from the O2 Arena in London. Enjoy!

Friday Night Video

When Rosanne Cash was a young girl her father, the late great Johnny Cash, gave her his list of the 100 essential country songs. Rosanne decided to cut a CD featuring some of the songs from the list -- and this one is incredible. It's been covered by many, many artists in the past, but Roseanne with Bruce Springsteen singing harmony is the best I've ever heard. Enjoy.....