retroblog.net

i’ve been planning on reviewing Lori McKenna’s new album here on the blog but i keep on getting sidetracked. so instead, i present to you one of the standout tracks on her latest CD: How to Survive. the lines: “Oh, and I could cry about it but my tears don’t work around here. Last night I caught myself just looking at you but I only saw a stone wall impossible to break through” linger about in my mind long after listening to the song.

You knocked those pictures right off the wall
I slammed the bathroom door so hard it doesn’t close right at all
Last week we broke my mother’s favorite serving plate
All just casualties of a love that’s lost its way
You and I baby, don’t even know how to fight
We don’t know nothin’ ’bout nothin’ except how to survive

How come we keep this TV up so loud
What are we so afraid of that we keep drowning out
Well, this is not the life that we deserve
And talking might make it better but what if it makes it worse
Cause you and I baby, don’t even know how to fight
We don’t know nothin’ ’bout nothin’ except how to survive

We take times just coming up for air
Oh, and I could cry about it but my tears don’t work around here
Last night I caught myself just looking at you
But I only saw a stone wall impossible to break through
Oh, you and I baby, don’t even know how to fight
We don’t know nothin’ ’bout nothin’
Oh, we don’t know nothin’ bout nothin’ except how to survive

-How to Survive by Lori McKenna

purchase the new album Unglamorous by Lori McKenna at amazon.com

Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts) has made a couple of his out of print solo albums available for his fans to download for free on his website. now that’s just cool. his 1986 solo debut The Boyfriend features his Rembrandts partner Phil Solem on guitar and Pat Mastelotto (Mr. Mister) on drums. The album includes the song Isn’t It Enough which has been covered by Martina McBride and Patty Smyth. Due to Wilde leaving Island Records for Geffen in the late eighties, the album was never released on CD. and with the album being out of print, it has been long sought after by Rembrandts fans. and so for Wilde to upload the mp3s for his fans is just absolutely wonderful! thanks Danny!! click here for the direct link to The Boyfriend Mp3 page.

while you’re browsing his website, be sure to check out his self titled album from 1989 that is also available for downloading.

This is a Shawn Colvin song from a while back. i love the way she opens the song with the heartbreaking line: I’m gonna let you down I know that now. make you cry, I know I will. Colvin is a truly gifted songwriter and this song still haunts me even after all these years. check it out…

I’m gonna let you down I know that now
Make you cry, I know I will
Why should you believe I would never leave
Or that I love you still

For all the by and by hard as we try
The bough breaks and the cradle falls

For everything I do that will tear at you
Let me say I’m sorry now

So you can sing your song you can get it wrong
You can kiss the rock of ages
In your wildest dreams you might see between
The liars and the sages

You can walk awhile down the mystery mile
You can beat the drums of freedom
In love and war through the rush and roar
You just call ‘em like you see ‘em..

-I’ll Say I’m Sorry Now by Shawn Colvin

after watching I Am Mandy Moore last night on cable, it’s a bit sobering to learn that Mandy Moore’s much promoted album, Wild Hope, only sold a mere 65,354 copies (as of Aug07 according to various soundscan sources).
OK, you’re probably asking why I was even watching the one-off “reality” special in the first place. honestly, I wanted a bit more insight on how she put her latest album together but what was shown instead was a whiny, insecure actress posing as some sort of singer/songwriter touring the small club circuit. the cameras followed her during her initial promotional tour for the new album and revealed very little in terms of the creative aspect behind the album. instead the main focus of the whole special was how “exhausting” a promotional tour can be. boo-hoo! a bad decision by the director/producers of the show. they should have realized that the average viewer will NOT sympathize with a celebrity moaning on and on about how tiring it is to be at a photo shoot or at a TV interview.

the lone highlight, as even her manager pointed out on the show, was a sequence of clips of sweet, innocent Mandy dropping F-bombs at various times. sadly, watching a cute actress swearing on camera only takes you but so far.

along those same lines, it’s probably why i like Nothing That You Are
check out her bitter lyrics..

Somebody told me they saw you somewhere
Somebody hold me
‘Cause suddenly I’m in the cold
Well I must be mistaken it was somebody else
I know you all too well or do I?

I heard you say we were one and the same
Well, wrong again
I could never do those things you did to me
I will be okay in time you’ll fade
Into the nothing that you are, the nothing you are
The nothing you are..
-written by Mandy Moore and James Renald

you know, I’ve found that I have to be in a certain mood to listen to Time on Earth by Crowded House. I’ve been listening to the new album off and on for the past month and as it so happens, Neil Finn’s songs come to life only when you’re in a certain frame of mind. at other times, the album just feels flat. overall i must say, the album doesn’t really fall under the “classic” Crowded House category. the songs just don’t grab and take hold of you like past gems (i.e. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Weather With You”). But when you’re a bit melancholy, put the headphones on and turn on the CD and songs like “Silent House” and “A Sigh” seep deep into your soul and will break your heart. the ghost of Paul Hester’s death loom heavily throughout the material with lyrics like – I’ve been losing some faith, we used to cry, we used to say why for all I know I might not get home and Who do we become without knowing where we started from, it’s true I’m missing you and I stand alone inside your room.

there are some songs that do come close to what you’d call accessible like “Don’t Stop Now”, “She Called Up” and “Even a Child” but for the most part the album is dark and melodically restrained. essentially the album will need your full attention in order to get the most out of it. none of that passive, in the background-type listening will do. so even though there are some weaknesses here, it doesn’t mean that the new album isn’t worth a listen. just sit back, dim the lights, close your eyes and let Neil Finn’s hauntingly dark songs wash over you…

TRACK LIST:
1. Nobody Wants To
2. Don’t Stop Now
3. She Called Up
4. Say That Again
5. Pour Le Monde
6. Even A Child
7. Heaven That I’m Making
8. A Sigh
9. Silent House
10. English Trees
11. Walked Her Way Down
12. Transit Lounge
13. You Are The One To Make Me Cry
14. People Are Like Suns

Here’s the link to the Don’t Stop Now music video.

i’d like to send some good vibes and thoughts out to John Wetton. He has been recently diagnosed with a heart condition and had to cancel Asia’s 2nd leg of the US tour. here’s the press release:

August 8, 2007
2nd Leg of ASIA’s
“Heat Of The Moment”
2007 US/Canadian Tour Postponed.
The British rock group, ASIA, announced today that the second leg of its North American tour has been postponed due to a recently discovered heart condition, likely to require surgery, for lead singer John Wetton.
Mr. Wetton is expected to make a full recovery and looks forward to returning to his work with ASIA, as well as his other musical endeavours, at the earliest possible time.
The postponed shows, which were in Western Canada and the US West Coast, are expected to be re-scheduled around the 2008 US concert itinerary.
John recently had a routine medical which returned a clean bill of health. John’s consultant suggested a comprehensive check up, during which adverse heart readings were discovered, indicating advanced coronary disease. The routine medical check had included conventional procedures from blood pressure to ECG tests, none of which suggested the presence of heart disease.
John now has to undertake an angiogram in the immediate future. This will determine whether the condition can be treated with drugs, or whether immediate open heart surgery is needed.
John is philosophical and confident about the situation and wants it to be known that he will be back on stage as soon as possible. “God didn’t save me from drowning only to beat me up on the beach. I look forward to getting back on tour.”
Fans are encouraged to monitor the originalasia.com website for updates and further information.

Let’s all hope for a speedy recovery!! take care John!

oh and speaking of Asia, I love reading Geoff Downes’ monthly blog. the guy never fails to complain endlessly about something. it’s a riot. in the latest entry, he lists out some “real miserable, humorless bastards” in the music industry yet he forgot to list himself!! heh.

here’s an excerpt:

Now it just made me think about some famous but miserable people I have come across in my humble life as a small part of this great bullshit music business, and I’m reckoning smart and cool as he may be, Sting’s got to be in my top ten. He was pretty off-hand with me on the one occasion when I bumped into him about 20 odd years ago at a Synclavier convention. Other racing certainties from my “Miserable Musical Bastards of the Century Award” would definitely have to include: Tony Banks from Genesis (never seen him smile), the guitarists – Gary Moore, Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton (old misery guts), Van Morrison (he’s right up there!), Marillion, anyone from the prog-rock band Arena apart from John Mitchell, in fact most people from the neo-prog bands, The Spice Girls (all of them – ah sorry not in the ‘musical category – my mistake!), Billy Joel (as po-faced as they come), Bob Geldof (again, doesn’t really qualify because can hardly be classed ‘musical’ – if he were, he’d be in there!), Paul McCartney (although I never actually was introduced to him – just stood near him at a party, and could feel his miserable vibe emanating profusely) and there are quite a few more I’ve encountered along the way. Can’t think of them all right now – try to forget ‘em generally, as they could make you morose even thinking about them. There is just something about these people where you just know whatever success has brought them; they are destined to be real miserable, humourless bastards forever and a day. You’d certainly never want to be stuck next to any of them on a plane that’s for sure, let alone spend any more than 2 seconds with. Anyways – f**k ‘em – boring old gits! Let’s keep smiling shall we folks?

for today’s song of the day, i’ve got one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Glenn Tilbrook performing a Ben Jones cover. it’s a special acoustic version that’s different than the one that appears on his album, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook.

If only I’d been there when you needed me
If I’d been a better friend
I wouldn’t be alone again
Sometimes I feel somewhere I went wrong
I don’t know where but I know I’ve been there

I remember when you held me in your arms
I can feel you near me tonight
You’ve been dancing in my mind like an angel
In my other world

When I’m with you I see what I don’t see
I go where I’ve never been
Out there and back again
I’m out of my head to say what I said
To treat you like I do as if I don’t need you

I remember when I held you in my arms
I can feel you near me tonight
You’ve been dancing in my mind like an angel
In my other world..

Other World written by Ben Jones

performed by Glenn Tilbrook (acoustic version)

the TR fans on the west coast are in for a treat. right after finishing off his stint with The New Cars in September, Todd Rundgren heads west along with his long time cohorts Kasim Sulton on bass, Prairie Prince on drums and Jesse Gress on lead guitar. here are the official dates as reported on TRconnection.com.

9/9 Ventura Theater
9/10 The Grove, Anaheim
9/11 House of Blues, San Diego
9/13 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
9/14 Greenvalley Casino, Las Vegas
9/15 Silver Reef Casino, Bellingham WA
9/18 WOW Hall, Eugene OR
9/19 Aladdin, Portland
9/22 House of Blues, West Hollywood

I would love to see this lineup over on the east coast!