I guess I should apologize for the lack of posting lately. I've been taking a class to become a nurse's aid and I have a test every other day for the next few weeks. I guess for now, you can sit back and enjoy some rare brevity on the part of my "blog."
Here, have some randomly assembled live tracks!
"Corinne, Corinne" by MUDDY WATERS: That's right, I'm going back to the well and pulling out another version of "Corinna, Corinna." I can't vouch for the spelling of the Muddy version, but that's what it said on the back of the CD. His take on the song is much different than Bob's, leaving out most of that mournful sadness while keeping that basic element of the blues intact. I've also been told to hunt down Taj Mahal's take on the song. Anyone have any other rec's?
"Type Slowly" by PAVEMENT: This track comes from the 3CD "TIBETAN FREEDOM CONCERT" compilation. While most of the stuff on those discs winds up being fairly disposable, this Pavement song is one of my favorite live recordings I've heard from the band. Back when they first surfaced in the early 1990s, I had trouble with liking Pavement because of an interview I'd read where Steve Malkmus bragged about how they didn't know how to play their instruments. This song blows that notion clean out of the water. Once I heard "CROOKED RAIN", I fell in love with 'em and never looked back.
"Cupid" and "Bring it On Home to Me" by SAM COOKE: From the incredible "LIVE AT THE HARLEM SQUARE CLUB" album, which is right up there with The Who's "LIVE AT LEEDS" as one of the best live albums ever released. Here, one of the greatest singers ever tears it up for a rabid audience, screaming and testifying like his life depended on it.
"Cupid" has always been one of my favorite soul songs, and I remember even as a young boy feeling that chorus deep under my skin. "Bring it On Home to Me" I would eventually discover in college. While this live version is lacking Lou Rawl's impeccable backing vocal, Cooke more than compensates with a vocal performance that sounds like a man on fire. One year later, Cooke would be shot dead by a hotel manager at the young age of 33. Tragic.
For more on tonight's artists:
- The Sam Cooke home page.
- The Official Muddy Waters site.
- Matador Records' Pavement page
- Free Tibet
2 comments:
hey dylan,
i had to laugh when you posted this Sam Cooke. There's a song from an India.Arie song from Acoustic Soul where she gives props to a bunch of folks, including "Sam Cooke and Marvin Gay and Donnie Hathawy" I don't know all the lyrics, but the one artist who sticks out as a complete unknown among her shout-outs is "Sister Puma"
Who is Sister Puma?
Thanks for the live Pavement. The ineptitude thing was always one of the more idiotic Pavement myths (encouraged by the band, obvs). And so easily disproven. Funny thing, I almost called my blog Type Slowly, but it looked as if something else under that name was pending at the time. Oh well.
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