RIP Patty Andrews

Elvis Costello - Heathen Town (Demo)

I like the full band version of this song better, but I can't find a good version on YouTube, so here you go. This is one of my favorite lesser-known EC songs.

Spencer Davis Group - Together Till the End of Time

From a Finnish TV show in 1967, shortly before Steve Winwood left to form Traffic. Like much of the SDG's repertoire, this is an American R&B song.

"My Personal 1969 Fender Telecaster Part1"

Not my Telecaster, but the guy who made this YouTube video. As I've said before, this is what I love most about YouTube: the gifted amateurs.

Wishbone Ash - Blind Eye

A bit of lesser-known classic rock.

Writer in The Sun (Donovan cover)

The quality of the performance is very good, the quality of the recording not so much, but that's what YouTube is about, no?

nada negotiates a difficult passage

Nothing today, sorry.

Bobby Goldsboro - Little Things

A commenter at YouTube noted the similarity of the arrangement to Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman," which is obvious once it's pointed out. Overall, a nice example of pop music songcraft from its era. I like the 12-string guitar, too.

Part II

Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday

Stevie Wonder released this song in the early eighties to promote the idea that a national holiday should be created honoring the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It worked (although of course the efforts of many others were part of that drive). A few years later the law was signed and today the United States government officially marks King's memory.

The Edge

A video that brings to life, or at least to moving image and sound, a passage by Hunter S. Thompson. Created by Piotr Kabat. H/t the Page-Turner blog at newyorker.com.

the EDGE from Piotr Kabat on Vimeo.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Long As I Can See The Light

One of the lesser-known treasures of John Fogerty's songwriting.

John Prine - Dear Abby

Farewell to American icon Pauline Phillips, aka Abigail Van Buren aka Dear Abby. Here's a good example of the extent of how long a shadow she cast: John Prine's goofy ode to her.

Varèse - Ionisation

Performed by Pierre Boulez conducting the Ensemble InterContemporain. Twentieth-century classical music at its most audience-offputting, at least if you think that everything should sound like Mozart (whose work I love, incidentally). According to Wikipedia, " Frank Zappa often claimed that Ionisation inspired him to pursue a career in music."

The Band (with Van Morrison) - 4% Pantomime

Richard Manuel and Van the Man share a drinking tale.

Keith Richards - Hickory Wind

From 2008, doing his old friend Gram Parsons's signature song. Looks like James Burton behind him.

Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Pierre Boulez conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. This is just one part of a piece that usually lasts about thirty minutes, and, if you like this excerpt, is well worth seeking out.

Booker T. & the MG's - Hang 'em High

Recorded in 1991, so original drummer Al Jackson, Jr. is replaced by Anton Fig. (The role has also been filled by Jim Keltner, and I assume others.) This song is a great example of 1) how to play the Hammond organ, and 2) how to arrange a song for a four-piece band. Both those tasks were performed in this case by Mr. Booker T. Jones.

Joni Mitchell - For the Roses

On your mark red ribbon runner
The caressing rev of motors
Finely tuned like fancy women in thirties evening gowns

Jefferson Airplane - Spare Chaynge

Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden died on this date in 2005. Here's an example of what he could do as an improvisor, from the album After Bathing at Baxter's.

Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)

For the third day in a row we'll note the anniversary date of January 8. This post combines elements of the previous two.

The Sex Pistols - New York

Forgot to mark the thirtieth anniversary of this signature event in rock music history. On
January 8, 1978, the Sex Pistols, in their first and only American tour, played a venue in San Antonio named Randy's Rodeo. Here's a clip.

Elvis Presley - Teddy Bear

In his prime.

Mussorgsky - Pictures At An Exhibition: The Great Gate Of Kiev

The finale of Pictures as performed by Sir Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The beginning isn't clean, but what the hell.

Scott Walker - Bish Bosch (Album Trailer)

Heard a track from this last night. It's been a long time since Scott Walker's music sounded much like anybody else's. Now he's moved even further away. Nice to actually see how some of these sounds are made.

Los Del Rio - Macarena

Before Gangnam there was Macarena.

The Rolling Stones - Winter

A song that's been in my head for some reason. As usual with these sorts of fan-made clips, the images tend to be rather literal. Ah well.

Frank Zappa - Watermelon In Easter Hay

From the Joe's Garage concept album (thus the spoken-word portion of this track), one of FZ's most memorable guitar pieces.

Ezra Klein on What Happens After the Cliff

EK says things have changed in Washington's atmosphere, but we still aren't sure how. So what happens when the debt ceiling legislation comes up in a couple of months?

If we take the lessons of this negotiation, here’s what will happen: The White House will negotiate over the debt ceiling. They’ll say they’re not negotiating over the debt ceiling, and in the end, they may well refuse to be held hostage over the debt ceiling, but the debt ceiling will be part of the pressure Republicans use to force the next deal. The White House fears default, and in the end, they always negotiate.

That said, the Republicans aren’t quite as crazy as they’d like the Democrats to believe. They were scared to take the country over the fiscal cliff. They’re going to be terrified to force the country into default, as the economic consequences would be calamitous. They know they need to offer the White House a deal that the White House can actually take — or at least a deal that, if the White House doesn’t take it, doesn’t lead to Republicans shouldering the blame for crashing the global economy.

Krugman on The Deal

Krugman gives his opinion on the deal to steer clear of the fiscal cliff.

OK, now for the really bad news. Anyone looking at these negotiations, especially given Obama’s previous behavior, can’t help but reach one main conclusion: whenever the president says that there’s an issue on which he absolutely, positively won’t give ground, you can count on him, you know, giving way — and soon, too. The idea that you should only make promises and threats you intend to make good on doesn’t seem to be one that this particular president can grasp.