Content about music

The Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh dies at 84 (npr.org)

RIP Phil Lesh.

Lesh wrote some of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, including Box of Rain and Darkstar.

And, of course, Truckin’, which has one of my all time favorite lyrics:

Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been

We get some good days and some bad days and, in the end, they all add up to a long, strange, and beautiful trip. Enjoy it.

Thanks, Phil.

tags: obituary music gratefuldead

posted by matt in Friday, October 25, 2024

Responsive image

This street — Electric Avenue — is right around the corner from Jonathan's new apartment. As in "We're gonna rock on down to Electric Avenue...and then we'll take it higher."

Needless to say, Jonathan was not nearly as excited about it as I was.

tags: boston music

photo posted by matt in Sunday, September 1, 2024

This just came to me as I sat on the back patio resting between cutting the front and back yards — Beautiful Loser by Bob Seger is the perfect song for today, as a tribute to the Kaiser Darrin. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, to me, the Darrin is a beautiful car. And it's a loser.

Seger's Detroit roots don't hurt, either.

tags: music cars

postposted by matt in Saturday, June 1, 2024

I had one of those "wow, life is bizarre and amazing" moments on the way into work this morning. I was listening to Box of Rain by the Grateful Dead (my personal tribute to great and unique Bill Walton, who passed yesterday while also tracking Jake's flight (he had a 6:30 AM flight slot this morning!), all on my iPhone. A tiny computer in my hand gave me instantaneous access to the song I wanted to hear in the moment and also allowed me to keep an eye on Jake as he flew. Bizarre and amazing at the same time.

tags: tech music flying

postposted by matt in Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Jimmy Buffett: Margaritaville singer dies aged 76 (bbc.com)

RIP Jimmy Buffett.

I've never been a Parrothead, but I've always enjoyed Buffett's music. And more than just the hits, too. He blended a lifestyle into music that made both appealing.

On a side note, I wanted to post the Rolling Stone obituary for Buffet, because that would just feel right. More right than a BBC link, anyways. But...paywalls. Anyways, if you're an RS subscriber, click the link in that last sentence and enjoy. I'm sure it's an excellent article on Buffett's life and unique career in music. If you're not, join with me in lamenting that the masthead that should be the source of record on biographies of famous rock musicians...isn't.

tags: music obituary

posted by matt in Saturday, September 2, 2023

Singer detained for dropping shorts on stage at festival in China's 'City of Rock' | CNN (cnn.com)

Detained for dropping your pants on stage at a rock festival? China clearly doesn't get rock and roll.

tags: china music rockandroll

posted by matt in Saturday, July 29, 2023

Brian Eno Reveals the Hidden Purpose of All Art (nytimes.com)

I think Brian Eno has a copy of the Trump playbook: Create chaos, project certainty, reap rewards.

"For people like Steve Bannon, destruction is their main tool. That famous statement he said: 'Flood the zone with [expletive].' This is more and more what populists do. They think, OK, if we can create chaos, we know how to benefit. Because in chaos people retreat to those who look like they’re certain."

tags: art politics music

posted by matt in Monday, November 14, 2022

The random radio show was with me again as I woke up this morning. Today's song—Takin' It to the Streets by the Doobie Brothers.

I've never really looked at closely before even though I've loved this song for years.

You,
Telling me the things you're gonna do for me.
I ain't blind and I don't think I like what I think I see.

It's almost got a Won't Get Fooled Again feel to it.

Man Michael McDonald can sing.

tags: music randomradio

postposted by matt in Friday, October 14, 2022

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (jarretthousenorth.com)

"Kind of Blue is the pinnacle of a certain type of playing, recorded by a group of men who had developed a certain telepathic sense of line and melody and how to step up and when to lay back."

tags: music

posted by matt in Sunday, April 17, 2022

Alice's Restaurant - Original 1967 Recording (youtu.be)

High noon on Thanksgiving: "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant." We left the house to drive to Thanksgiving dinner just in time to catch it on the radio.

tags: music thanksgiving

posted by matt in Thursday, November 25, 2021

Responsive image

The bathrooms haven't changed much, that's for sure. Stickers now instead of graffiti, but the principle is the same as it was thirty years ago. Hold my beer.

tags: bar band music

photo posted by matt in Friday, November 2, 2018

Responsive image

It's a little odd coming back to Frankie's after all these years. I haven't been here in probably thirty years, and now I'm coming back to watch Jonathan play on stage. Wow. Nostalgia and pride are a powerful mix of emotions.

tags: band music

photo posted by matt in Friday, November 2, 2018

Random song in my head on waking up this morning - Rosanna by Toto. I can't remember hearing this song on the radio or anywhere else over the last few days...at a loss as to why it's in my head, especially overnight.

tags: music randomradio

postposted by matt in Tuesday, October 27, 2020