Passing Comments

Why Worry - Dire Straits

R.E.M. - Man-Sized Wreath (2008)

Let it be, Ray Charles

Mind Games (1973), John Lennon

The legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon performed Tuesday night at the Cavea Auditorium in Rome. Photos here on Kataweb.it. Related review (in Italian) here.

Video below is of Simon singing “Slip Slidin’ Away” from his session last year for Live From Abbey Road. Lyrics here.

Zucchero — from Daily Motion:

Lyrics here.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s recently-released, first solo album “Gurrumul” has shot to the top of mainstream music charts in Australia. The 37-year-old musician, who was born blind, is now outselling major stars such as Mariah Carey, according to the International Herald Tribune (”Aboriginal musician astonishes Australian audiences” by Tim Johnston, April 22, 2008).

This video featuring Yunupingu is from the Italian newspaper La Repubblica (Italian text, in translation, paraphrased):

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu sings in the language of his native Aboriginal tribe, Yolngu, and recounts the difficulties of his people.

Years ago when I lived in Southern California, I was on my way one day from Westside LA to the Valley to see a friend. Coming off the San Diego Freeway, I stopped at the bottom of the off ramp for a red light. To my left I saw a homeless woman begging, holding a cardboard sign. Directly in front of me, in the left turn lane, was a late model, convertible Mercedes sports car with the top down, the woman driver talking on her car phone. When I got to my friend’s house, I couldn’t stop talking about the contrasting images.

Why is this so important to me, I asked my friend. Because, she said, you don’t know which of the two you are closest to.

She was right. And, in fact, I still don’t.

Arlo Guthrie’s Hobo’s Lullaby: (lyrics here)

At the time Eric Clapton’s Pilgrim album was released in 1998, I just happened to be drowning in a deep funk of my own, so far down I’d forgotten up even existed (things are much better now, fyi). So Pilgrim suited my mood most precisely. I listened to it over and over and over again. It was a solacing boon to my gloom. Sometimes, it helps to just go with the sadness, I discovered, as have many others, so I’ve heard.

Words of praise from a Rolling Stone review (David Wild, Mar 19, 1998):

On the album’s sizzling title track, he evokes some of the soulful eloquence of the great Curtis Mayfield. And Clapton’s vocals on “River of Tears” and “Broken Hearted” (with lovely backing vocals and tin whistle from Paul Brady), the ultradelicate “Circus” and the country-tinged “Fall Like Rain” are among the most convincing of his career.

So it wasn’t just me and my mood.

River of Tears (lyrics here) is truly one of the most powerful songs on the cd, if your mood is inclined toward the blue zone. Today, I found this video of Clapton’s live performance of the piece in Los Angeles during his 2001 world tour. Watching this, I traveled back in time (briefly). Easy to understand here, also, why those fans all those decades ago in London used to scrawl “Clapton is God” on walls.

Saw this old review of J.J. Cale’s music on HeadButler.com which reminded me I hadn’t listened to him for a while.

Found a remedy (lyrics here)

Eric Clapton - “Holy Mother” (Hyde Park) — link to lyrics here