“Heart of the Country” – Paul Mccartney (1971)
Macca’s second solo album, Ram was panned left and right upon it’s release, but time has done nothing but add to the albums charm. Recorded at Paul’s home studio, this track like many others on the album has a certain ramshackle sincerity that furthers the albums appeal.
McCartney Front’s “Nirvana Reunion”
Last night a whole bunch of aging, and mostly British rock stars got together to raise a whole bunch of money for “Superstorm” Sandy relief. The show at large was actually a lot of fun to watch, but the performance grabbing the lion’s share of headlines today is understandably the Paul Mccartney/Dave Grohl bromance coming to fruition in the form of a Nirvana Reunion of sorts. Check out video of the performance of an all new tune “Cut Me Some Slack”, along with a video of Grhol and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic talking about working with Sir Paul.
Listen: Remastered Paul McCartney RAM Tracks
Although borderline despised at the time of it’s release Ram has become a favorite album for McCartney fans everywhere who love a catchy melody and straight forward rock & roll. One of my personal favorites, this album stands the test of time as songs like “Too Many People,” “Dear Boy,” “Heart of the Country” and “Smile Away” never seem to disappoint. Perhaps this wasn’t the album people at the time were hoping for, but maybe people today will see it’s genius when it gets a brand spanking remastered makeover. Harnessed in old-time rock and roll and littered with guitar riffs and catchy as hell choruses, Ram may have been released in 1971 but it continues to reveal it’s originality today.
We realize that listening to digitally remastered music through a computer speaker may seem a bit ridiculous, but at least it’s a good excuse to rock some good tunes.
Watch two preview videos for the album below, then listen to two remastered tracks here and here, then head over here to get all the details on the full album’s May 22nd release.
One of the most adorable videos you will ever see – featuring Paul, Linda and Martha.
Paul briefly talks about the inspiration for and the making of RAM.
Stream Buddy Holly Tribute Album
It’s been over 52 years since the music died, and that seems like just about the right amount of time to release a tribute to Mr. Buddy Holly. Concord Music Group has pulled together a star studded 19 track compilation featuring some of today’s most promising indies(My Morning Jacket, Justin Townes Earle, Black Keys), a few legends (Paul McCartney, Patti Smith, Lou Reed), and an inexplicable appearance from Kid Rock. Stream the new album in the player below. Enjoy!
Macca’s Lennon Tribute on Fallon
After a week full of commemorations for the 30th anniversary of John Lennon’s death, John’s former bandmate stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon with one of his own. Performing “Here Today”, a song he wrote for John a few months after his death, Paul may have wet a few eyes during his Late Night stop off. He didn’t stop with the tearjerker however, as he took the stage once again, parodying one of his most famous tunes alongside Jimmy Fallon. Check out both videos below:
The Beatles Let it Be – 40 Years Later
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the final release from the greatest band of all time. On May 8th, 1970 The Beatles released Let it Be, the last album the band would ever put out. While it was the last Beatles release, Let it Be actually isn’t really then end of anything. Even though the album was released eight months after Abbey Road, the songs were all recorded several months earlier. The Let it Be sessions were marred with turmoil, bickering and conflict for the band, causing them to give up and shelf the recordings. After a few months the band put their problems with one another aside and reconvened in good spirits to record Abbey Road, providing a harmonious end to the Beatles recording career.
Months later John gave the stacks of reel to reel tapes from the Let it Be sessions to producer Phil Spector to see what he could make of it. Even though Paul and Ringo had their issues with Spector’s production, it would ultimately become the final version of the album(Paul and Ringo would release their own version of the album, Let it Be Naked 30+ years later). While Spector’s version is not without its flaws (the completely unnecessary string suite on “The Long and Winding Road”, the exclusion of one of my personal favorite tunes “Don’t Let Me Down” from the final cut , and the abundance of nonsensical banter mixed in between the tracks), he did pull together a fine album from a bunch of fragmented recordings, most of which never got a final take.
While Let it Be has come to be defined by its blockbuster hits (“Get Back”, “Let it Be”, & “The Long and Winding Road”), its greatest charm lies in the less celebrated moments. “I’ve Got a Feeling”, “Two of Us”, and “For You Blue”, are severely under appreciated classics that really make this album. John’s slowed down version of “Across the Universe” is nothing short of beautiful, and is actually a perfect fit for Spector’s Wall of Sound production. While “Dig a Pony” and “I Me Mine” may be seen as throwaways to some, they are good in my book any day of the week. Even the aforementioned banter between tracks has a certain charm to it all these years later.
Is Let it Be the best Beatles album? Not even close. It is however, a very satisfying record that stands up as a great listen 40 years after its release, and most likely will for another 40 after that. Let it Be isn’t a perfect record, but in the end it makes it pretty clear that a less than perfect Beatles album is better than most other band’s best work.
Paul Mccartney’s “Up and Coming” Tour
Sir Paul Mccartney’s latest tour is sure to be this spring’s hottest (and probably most expensive) ticket. The tour dates are slowly trickling in, and we expect for a few more to be added, but for now dates in Glendale, AZ, two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A., Miami, FL, and San Juan PR will have to suffice.
He has hinted at ending his touring schedule over the past few years, but if he keeps bringing it like he has been, what’s the point. We caught Paul on his US tour last year, and it was nothing short of completely awesome.
We will keep updating the tour dates as they continue to roll out, but as of right now, here is what we have:
03/28 – Glendale, AZ @ Jobing.com Arena
03/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
03/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
04/03 – Miami, FL @ Sun Life Stadium
04/05 – San Juan, PR @ Coliseo De Puerto Rico
Ringo Starr – Y Not Album Review
Review the new Ringo CD? Hey, why not. This album seems to have come and gone without much fanfare or media attention, but we will always have time to listen to and review a Beatle’s record. While this is Mr. Starkey’s 16th studio album, it is the first one he produced himself, and Ringo the producer gets by with a little help from his friends – Paul Mccartney, Joe Walsh, Benmont Tench, Ben Harper, Van Dyke Parks, and Joss Stone helped co-write songs and played in the sessions.
So how bout it? Well, the album is a lot like you would expect. Yes it is a bit cheesy at times, and no it is nothing overly original, but it does have it’s moments. The disc is a very positive release, soaked in nostalgia and vintage pop charm courtesy of the “Funny” Beatle.
While this album is not going to become a part to the canon of Beatle’s classics any time soon, it is at the very least an enjoyable listen. While the album does have it’s fair share of lows, there are a few high points that stand up with Ringo’s better solo work over the years.
Lineup for Coachella 2010 Announced
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Coachella to it’s friends) announced their 2010 lineup this morning, becoming the first major festival of 2010 to do so. The festival, taking place April 16th – 18th in Indio, California announced Jay – Z, Muse, and the Gorillas as the headliners for the three days, respectively. Last year’s headliners were Paul Mccartney, The Killers, and The Cure.
Other highlights include LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, a Pavement reunion, Phoenix, Spoon, and Thom Yorke’s new non-Radiohead band called “Thom Yorke????” See below for the full lineup.
Tickets for the event go on sale this friday, 1/22 at 10 AM. Three day festival passes are $269.00 plus surcharges. More details are available at the Coachella Website.
FRIDAY APRIL 16: Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, Them Crooked Vultures, Vampire Weekend, Deadmau5, Public Image Limited, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Benny Benassi, Fever Ray, Grace Jones, She & Him, Erol Alkan, The Avett Brothers, Calle 13, The Whitest Boy Alive, The Cribs, La Roux, Yeasayer, Lucero, DJ Lance Rock, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Proxy, Ra Ra Riot, Deer Tick, Wolfgang Gartner, Aeroplane, Iglu & Hartly, Sleigh Bells, P.O.S., Baroness, Hockey, Little Dragon, White Rabbits, Wale, Kate Miller-Heidke, As Tall as Lions, Jets Overhead, Alana Grace, Pablo Hassan.
SATURDAY, APRIL 17: Muse, Faith No More, Tiësto, MGMT, David Guetta, The Dead Weather, Hot Chip, Devo, Coheed and Cambria, Kaskade, 2Many DJ’s, Major Lazer, Dirty Projectors, Gossip, Z-Trip, The xx, John Waters, Les Claypool, The Raveonettes, Mew, Sia, Camera Obscura, Tokyo Police Club, Porcupine Tree, Old Crow Medicine Show, Aterciopalados, Bassnectar, Frightened Rabbit, Dirty South, Flying Lotus, Corinne Bailey Rae, Pretty Lights, Shooter Jennings, RX Bandits, The Almighty Defenders, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Craze & Klever, Zoe, The Temper Trap, Portugal. The Man, Band of Skulls, Girls, Beach House, Steel Train, Frank Turner.
SUNDAY, APRIL 18: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke????, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, De La Soul, Julian Casablancas, Plastikman, Gary Numan, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, MUTEMATH, Deerhunter, Infected Mushroom, Club 75, Matt & Kim, The Big Pink, Gil Scott-Heron, King Khan and the Shrines, Florence and the Machine, Yann Tiersen, Little Boots, Miike Snow, Talvin Singh, Ceu, B.o.B., Babasonicos, Owen Pallett, The Glitch Mob, Mayer Hawthorne, Local Natives, Rusko, The Middle East, Hadouken!, The Soft Pack, Kevin Devine, Paparazzi, Delphic, One EskimO.
Mix for an Old Friend
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Here is a selection of the songs I picked, feel free to pass along to an old friend.
Coconut Records – Wires – Davy My favorite funnyman (and ex drummer for Phantom Planet), Jason Swartzman plays every instrument in this very fun and quirky band. I specifically chose to place this song first because I consider it an “everyone song;” meaning everyone will love it. I’ve set the pace of the mix and hopefully I’ve already hooked my listener; now I can build on that.
Death Cab for Cutie – My Mirror Speaks – The Open Door EP Death Cab is finally starting to branch out from the slow melodic music they have been making for years with their new EP, and not a moment too soon in my opinion. I would love to hear more uptempo catchy tunes like this in their future.
Brendan Benson – Don’t Wanna Talk – My Old, Familiar Friend The first 15 seconds of this song says it all; a drumbeat that won’t quit, lyrics that make no apologies and a darn catchy chorus. This one is off his new album, which is full of songs like this. Mr Benson, “you’ve proven to be a hard habit to kick.”
Dr Dog – The Rabbit The Bat and the Reindeer – Fate I can’t say enough about this band and this song showcases what they do best, good music that is like nothing you have ever heard before. If you don’t dance around to this one then all hope is lost.
Ray LaMontagne – You are the Best Thing – Gossip in the Grain When I heard critics compare Ray’s sound to such greats as The Band, Van Morrison and Nick Drake I thought, sign me up. This song is a great example of why people love him, it’s got those raspy vocals he is known for mixed with a big band style all it’s own.
Paul McCartney/The Firemen – Sing the Changes – Electric Arguements You may of heard of this singer, he was in a little band called “The Beatles?” His new project The Fireman takes some interesting twists and turns, but some of the risks (like this one) pay off. Listen to this song through headphones and the sound feels like it is surrounding you.
Josh Ritter – Good Man - The Animal Years I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it and haven’t looked back since. The grainy sound of the maraca, the piano in the background, the soft harmonies and of course Josh Ritter’s smooth voice, which I think was made to sing alongside an acoustic guitar. Lovely.
Tegan and Sara – Dancing in the Dark – N/A I found this song on a website where lesser known artists performed Bruce Springsteen covers and it instantly caught my attention. I just loved how the two female voices harmonized together and turned this classic 80’s pop hit into something fresh and slightly heartbreaking.
Spoon – You Got Your Cherry Bomb – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga If you listen to a lot of Spoon their sound can start to feel repetitive but this one always gets me, maybe it’s the tambourine?
Guster – One Man Wrecking Machine – One Man Wrecking Machine (Single) What can I say, you can’t go wrong with a song about “adolescent dreams” that include trying to get into the homecoming queen’s pants, passing skinny joints and rolling up to look out point. Long live high school.
Ryan Adams – The Hardest Part – Jacksonville City Nights What a great build up, what a great song, what a great songwriter. Ryan Adams is the man, now if he would only get out from under Mandy Moore and start writing music again.
The Kooks – Mr Maker – Konk These Brits know how to write a great pop tune and this one seems built for a playlist. Plus, I’ve always been a sucker for group claps, which are employed perfectly here.
Kings of Leon – The Bucket – Day Old Belgian Blues For someone who has never heard Kings of Leon, this song should whet their appetite nicely. A great uptempo song that showcases the KOL sound while still remaining mainstream enough for most listeners to get hooked.
Phoenix – Lasso – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix I can’t think of a better way to end a mix on a high note then with a song from this French band. I have been hopelessly addicted to Phoenix ever since I heard the fast paced infectious sound off their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which is packed with songs just like this one. |
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This Christmas I had the brilliant idea to make a mix tape for my oldest friend instead of giving her another bottle of bubble bath or that scented candle I’ve had in the closet for over a year. I spent days listening to my Ipod and organizing the songs just right so the mix started strong to pull her in but also ended on a serious high note. At the end of the day, will she love every single song on the mix? Probably not, but I bet she’ll walk away a fan of at least a couple new bands and for me that’s as close to a Christmas miracle as I’m going to get.Paul Mccartney – Fedex Field 8/1/09
Much has been made of Paul Mccartney’s three sold out concerts at the Mets’ new Citi Field, and their historical significance coming almost 35 years after the Beatles played the Mets’ old home at Shea Stadium. The shows were recorded for future release on DVD, received a great deal of media attention, and piled up the glowing reviews.
Much less however has been made of the next night’s show just outside D.C. at the Washington Redskins Fedex Field(the 4th of 9 sold out shows on this US tour). This show however, is not without a history of its own as Washington, D.C., not New York City was actually the first show The Beatles played on US soil. History or no history, I was at an all time high of anticipation and decided to spring the extra coin for seats in the front section of the field; after all how many chances do you get a chance to see a Beatle up close and personal.
It ended up being just about what I thought it would be, incredible. The original Beatles show in D.C. was 12 songs, lasting about a half hour. The 67 year old Macca bested that by about 25 songs, playing through his ample songbook for better than 3 hours. Throughout the night Macca rotated between his famous Hofner Bass, electric and acoustic guitars, and the piano with great moments at each. The sound was exceptional as the band was flawless, and that world famous voice sounded as good as it did on the original recordings. While the energy during the Beatles songs was understandably unmatched, Paul clearly has a wealth of quality solo material from each of the last 4 decades, including a few great jams from last years Fireman project. He even broke it open on a few songs, going into improv jams that really added to the show.
Paul, while not a conversationalist contributed just enough timely back stories and nostalgic tales about his former bandmates to keep things lively. These sentimental tales, turned into song and provided some of the more memorable numbers from the evening including an acoustic version of “Here Today”(a song he wrote for John shortly after his death), a performance of “Something” on a ukulele given to him by George, and a campfire style singalong of John’s “Give Peace a Chance”.
While the night took a reflective turn at times, this was no nostalgia act. This was a legend, putting on a show to the likes of which I have never seen. Watching this show got me to think, when exactly was the peak of Paul’s live show? If you were to say the early days in the Cavern club, you are missing out on a whole lot of great material. The early Beatles Stadium tours were characterized by screaming women and poor sound systems, and they pretty much stopped playing live after Rubber Soul. Wings had its moments, but then again it was Wings. The solo tours of the 80′s and 90′s were great but there was a hesitance to play certain Beatles material and had a slight flair for the dramatic.
So where exactly is the peak of Sir Paul’s live show? While I can’t say for sure, I can say that the 2009 version of the Mccartney live show is full of energy, boasts a wide open songbook, and a flawless performance. Seeing Paul Mccartney live is an amazing experience, one that I won’t soon forget.
