Passing Comments

casting the net

Just a little whistlin’ in the dark

Posted on the November 2nd, 2008

Why Worry - Dire Straits

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Man-Sized Wreath

Posted on the October 1st, 2008

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


Saturday night break

Posted on the September 6th, 2008

Let it be, Ray Charles

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Playing those mind games

Posted on the August 30th, 2008

Mind Games (1973), John Lennon

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Paul Simon conquers Rome

Posted on the July 31st, 2008

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.

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Missing home today

Posted on the July 4th, 2008


Zucchero on wonderful life

Posted on the May 14th, 2008

Zucchero — from Daily Motion:


Zucchero - Wonderful Life
Uploaded by Zucchero
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Janis Joplin: the legendary little girl blue

Posted on the May 8th, 2008

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Chrissie Hynde: I Shall Be Released

Posted on the May 1st, 2008

Lyrics here.

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Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu: Australia’s new star

Posted on the April 25th, 2008

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.


Lift your head and smile at trouble, he sang.

Posted on the April 23rd, 2008

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)


River of Tears: swimming back in time

Posted on the April 10th, 2008

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.


Call me the breeze J.J. Cale

Posted on the March 23rd, 2008

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)

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Pace

Posted on the March 14th, 2008

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Pace in terra

Posted on the December 23rd, 2007

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

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