Thinking About Yesterday's Blues: Richie Sambora Stranger In This Town

I'm sure that when people heard Richie Sambora was going to release a solo album, they were not expecting his 1991 blues-laden but still rocking release, Stranger in this Town. There are a few songs that really captures Richie's talent in both writing and blues playing. But, he cannot get away from the Bon Jovi sound on some songs.


Rest In Peace
The first sounds and words are haunting. A soulful, lusting prayer for a woman. This songs however, gives no hint of what's to come on the album.

Church Of Desire
The songs opens where the haunting Rest in Peace left off, but you soon get the soul and blues feel to this album. The lyrics are well written for this album. And what would a good blues, guitar album be without longing for a woman.

Now we dance with the devil down lonely
Street, lonely street

Looking for a window in the house of tears
Living in hell, I pray the rain disappears
I'm headed for a breakdown
And the fever runs higher
As I kneel at the altar I can feel your fire
In the church of desire
Church of desire

Stranger In This Town

A great blues song that really seems to come from the heart. This album should have been filled with songs like this. He's dealing with some type of conflict for sure in this song.

Ballad Of Youth
Simply a great song that deals with just going along with life. There is a lot of reflection in this album. It's nice to hear substance in a song.

One Light Burning
More of what I think people expected from this album. There is a lot of discovery in this song.



Mr. Bluesman
I still think having Clapton on this song is a but much, but good for Richie for being able to get him to play. Good song, but a but tongue in cheek. Also has a touch of country actually. Curious.


Rosie
This is the rock and blues infused with some Jon Bon Jovi. You can hear it.

River Of Love
Blues, love, lust. This song is really reminiscent of the time, very late 80's early 90's. Think it would have been good on the Cocktail soundtrack had this album come out earlier.

Father Time
The only ballad-like but non-ballad song. Could have been more bluesy, Richie.

The Answer
This song clearly illustrates turmoil in Richie's life. It's a beautiful acoustic song of questioning, again reflection, and moving on.

And now my life is like a storm
Growing stronger every day
Like the unrelenting wind
That comes to blow our lives away
So I live each day like I know it's my last
If there is no future there must be no past

The Highway's Jammed With Broken Heroes On A Last Chance Power Drive

Released August 25, 1975, Springsteen and the E Street Band's third album Born to Run has been called one of the greatest albums of all time. Springsteen has also referred to it as  a maturation in his lyrics, saying Born to Run the album where I left behind my adolescent definitions of love and freedom*. Springsteen has said that he wanted Born to Run to sound like Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by Spector.

The album cover adorned with Eric Meola’s classic shot of Springsteen holding his Fender leaning up against Clarence Clemons gives away the work that went into the album. This one frame is one of over three hundred taken for the cover.

 

 

 

 

Side 1

The album boasts some of not only Springsteen and the E Street Bands best hits, but some of rocks most iconic songs. With the soft piano and harmonica opening of Thunder Road, the album quickly builds tempo. As for track number two, I’ve walked by 10^th Avenue and E Street and been to the ice cream stand, the landmark basis for Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.  This song talks about the formation of the band who would give Springsteen his wall of sound that he was searching for. This album focuses on New Jersey, New York, and the working class, blue collar hero. Side One ends with a romantic ambiguous song about love, platonic or not, on the beaches and in the Backstreets.

 

Side 2

Born to Run is possibly one of Springsteen and E Street Band’s best and most recognized songs and the tile track of the album. It’s about his love of a girl named Wendy and his Zeppelin like Trampled Underfoot muscle car undertones. She’s The One takes the rock sound to historic level with the 50’s sounding guitar. Again, it’s about love but love that shouldn’t be wanted since she seemingly tore out his heart. Meeting Across the River shows the depth of Springsteen’s characters that he develops for his songs. Jazzy to the core, this song brings us to a haunting and classic final song. Jungleland is the showcase to this album. Violins and gang violence, wrapped perfectly in a Clarence Clemmons solo saxophone bow.

 

Albums are not written like this anymore. They don’t go into the studio for months and work until every sound is right. Forty years and this album has not been topped. This is our history. It is the history of the young and in love. The story of the working class going to the shore and trying to make ends meet. Born to Run is just as much Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s history, as it is ours.

 

Side 1

Thunder Road

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

Night

Backstreets

 

Side 2

Born to Run

She’s the One

Meeting Across the River

Jungleland

 

 

 

Inteview  Richardson, Mark (November 18, 2005).

U2ie Madison Square Garden July 31, 2015

I resisted seeing U2 for a while after having such an amazing experience seeing them under the Brooklyn Bridge...and I'm glad I waited until last night.

The energy of the Garden was electric to say the least. Everyone in attendance had a favorite song they had to hear and a U2 moment they cherished. Even more excited, every time you see U2, they re-invent themselves - yet stay the same. They are technology innovators and I was excited to see how they could top themselves again.

Lucky to be able to go with a friend who could name the song before the first note was played, it was not only the best U2 show I had every been to, it was one of the best concerts I had ever attended.

As the lights dimmed, U2 walked from within the Garden locker rooms and onto the stage. Beginning with Miracle of Joey Ramone, it is very fitting that each show starts with this song. The Ramones are part of the reason why we have U2 and Bono becoming such a part of Joey Ramone's life makes the opening number in NYC so emotional. The next three songs got the crowd really going once we heard it was U2's 100th performance in NYC!!  

We went back to the new album - which people should give a second listen - and went down an emotional path as Bono told of the loss of his mother, Iris. He recanted his journey to become a band, as well as trying to win the girl of his dreams. At this point, the band and Bono are actually within the animation on the Garden length screen. Truly wondrous technology that U2 always seems to invent for shows.

At this point, it got really emotional for me. The screen display changed from houses in Dublin, to traditional row flats in Northern Ireland. The floor was lit to the Irish Tri-Colour green, white, and orange. Larry Mullen proceeded out with a simple snare drum as The Edge played the first notes of Sunday Bloody Sunday. Emotional enough, right? After a brief When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, they go into Raised by Wolves. It is a song about finding justice for those killed in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974. The gentlemen in front of us lost his grandfather in the bombing and pointed him out when the victims pictures were displayed on stage with the words:  Justice for the Forgotten

The first set then ended with one of my favorites from Achtung Baby, Until the End of the World.

The Fly and the Berlin Wall back drop took us through a very brief intermission.

Besides the Invisible second set opener, it got very Zoo TV with throwbacks to Achtung Baby and some Talking Heads and David Bowie thrown in.

It was party time with Desire, Give Your Love and then ... the crowd surprise favorite, Party Girl (which had not been performed in full since July 7, 2009).

I was feeling very Rattle and Hum with some Pink Floyd mixed in when Bono took to the runway with a  megaphone to sing Bullet the Blue Sky. The surprise of 19 mixed in really got me. I used to listen the song over and over via cassette.

The show was at a crescendo as a member of the audience (in our section) was hondered for his peace work in Northern Ireland. During Pride, we all sang for Bill Clinton. (a great geeky, political moment for this nerd).

(Minute 12)

The final songs of the second set had everyone singing. Beautiful Day with a Springsteen teaser of Hungry Heart led us into the final pre-encore song, With or Without You.

Knowing that City of Blinding Lights was about the first time U2 played in NYC, the band lived up to the tour's name,  Innocence and Experience. Innocent boys from Ireland 35 years ago to the experienced band they have become, giving a nod to the previous night's guest, Paul Simon with Mother and Child Reunion, before belting into Where the Streets Have No Name.

And then we finally got our surprise guest answer: Bruce Springsteen (who look amazing) joined the band for I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and a surprise (not on the set list even) version of Stand by Me.

And just when I thought we would break into One to end the show. Manager Dennis Sheehan was honored and U2 ended the show in a traditional fashion that concluded for me why this was my favorite show ever: 40.
In the halls of the Garden, the words still echoed: How long to sing this song.

 

U2 Innocence + Experience Tour
Madison Square Garden NYC
July 31, 2015

Miracle of Joey Ramone
Out of control
Vertigo 
I Will Follow
Iris
Cedarwood Road
Song for Someone
Sunday Bloody Sunday > Johnny > Raised by Wolves
Until the End of the world

 The Fly (Intermission)

Invisible
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Mysterious Ways >Burning Down> Young American
Desire>Give Your Love
Party Girl
Every Breaking Wave
Bullet the Blue Sky > 19
Hands That Built America >Pride
Beautiful Day > Hungry Heart
With or Without You

      Encore
City of Blinding Lights>Mother and Child Reunion
Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found > Stand by Me (Springsteen)
40

Summertime in the City

"Young boys playing stick ball in the street, fire hydrants help to beat the heat, old man feeding pigeons in the square, night time finds young lovers walking there, cause it's summer, summertime is here, yes it's summer, my time of year." Summer War

 

(c)BetmanCorbis 1984

 

I didn't' really know what summer was until I moved to New York City. Summer to me was always like a Richard Marx song - like Endless Summer Nights - smooth, cool, and kind of enjoyable. The middle of the day might have been hot, but there were always cool breezes at night and chilly mornings that deceived you into thinking fall was around the corner.

 

Summer in New York City is like taking Black 47, Simon and Garfunkel, Gogol Bordello and Tito Puente, tossing it all up in the air and letting it hit you at once.
 

New York City heat is like nothing else. New York City heat comes from everywhere: the pavement, the subway, the buildings, the people, even the squirrels. I always think of Washington Square Park and the West 4th Street Station when I think of summer. It's probably because I spent those summers across from the NYU Library in the park, reading assignments for my classes on East 10th Street, eating pizza from John's and listening to Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Ramones and Jamiroquai, praying they would fix the fountain once and for all. The men playing chess in the corner across from the pot smokers never seemed to move from their tables. The grimy, green, dirty white and rust colors of the West 4th Street Station (aka, my portal to home on John Street) no matter what time of year, a cauldron of smells, sounds, heat and people.
 

At night, when it seemed to get hotter, even though that doesn't seem possible, the saxophone player that I thought was only a TV stereotype would appear, playing Stevie Wonder or John Coltrane. They always managed to find the perfect spot, their notes echoing off a wall and lasting forever in the thick air that also carried some smells I never imagined could exist.

I began to understand the song Summer by War. The rhythm of the song is slow, but not languid slow. Sexy slow.  Summer in the City has rhythm, it has style and it has attitude. Think about all of those summer scenes in music videos shot in NYC: You Belong to the City - Glenn Frey; What's Love Got to Do With It - Tina Turner; Cruel Summer - Bananarama; So Real - Jeff Buckley... it is really like that.
 

People sit on their stoops, they open fire hydrants to cool off, they wear short shorts and walk in front of fire houses (hey, I married him, so it's ok).

Cause it's summer! I love it. I love New York City.

They Asked Us To Stay for Tea And Have Some Fun

PCarlson 2013 Mountain Jam

There is something primal about listening to music in the mountains. You are at the mercy of the ever-changing weather. It can be cruel and punishing with cold rain, mysterious with fog rolling in, colored by the stage lights, or blessed by coronas of sun peaking over the mountain. Mountain Jam is by far one of my favorite music festivals. It is simple, not hard to get to, it isn't pretentious, and the people are so damn nice.

This year's lineup was hard to pass up. Here is a review of what I was able to catch.
Thursday night acts included Marco Benevento, Railroad Earth, and four hours of moe. that sent us into Friday with a stellar Rebubula.

 

 

PCarlson Mountain Jam 2015

Friday started exactly where we left off. Some more Marco Benevento and then Nikki Lane, and Spirit Family Reunion welcomed the crowds. Midafternoon Dead heads got their fix with Trigger Hippy and Joe Russo's Almost Dead ... and then the rain came. But through the deluge, the music was played and fans set up their camp for the exciting Friday night.

To welcome back the sun, Grace Potter gave us a rocking performance that included Warren Haynes helping her to cover Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl. 

As the fog rolled in, the crowds surged for the Golden God himself, Robert Plant. And the Golden God delivered. The Zep fans got Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and Going to California. Robert also dug into his own new album as well as treating us with some Mississippi Delta blues.

Robert said adieu and we welcomed Government Mule and a fitting moon for some Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon covers. The atmosphere was perfect for the outstanding set by Mule. From the leading ladies on Great Gig in the Sky to the special treat of Comfortably Numb, it was a Mountain Jam gift.

The glorious sun greeted Saturday and the biggest crowds yet. I checked out a new artist, Jocelyn Arndt who has Fiona Apple's voice and Aretha's soul (quite a feat for someone so young). She, her brother, and the band jammed on the smaller stage, but just wait -

PCarlson Mountain Jam 2015

they will be back! The Wailers and newcomers Shakey Graves, and of course some Govt Mule filled the day until it was time for the Black Keys to turn the volume up to like 20.

And then Sunday's always come too fast. The most gorgeous day of the festival, it would also be the shortest but it would be filled with so much LOVE!
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams brought some new tunes to the stage. And Levon Helm's daughter, Amy, brought lots of soul to the crowd and even gave us a slow version of The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down.



PCarlson Mountain Jam 2015

Immediately following we were treated to all time crowd favorite Michael Franti and Spearhead. He brings such a positive energy to the crowd ... and into it as well as he cannot seem to stay on stage.


And then reality began to set in as the sun began to slide behind the mountain. Alabama Shakes was a perfect choice to wrap up the weekend as Brittany's soulful cry matched our own not wanted to go back to reality.

Once again, Mountain Jam was filled with memorable music moments, meeting people who worship music, and scenes that make you pinch yourself. Many thanks to our friends who provided a roof over our heads, Andrew and D'Angelico Guitars for your absolute outstanding hospitality, some generous photographers who obliged every time Andrew would say "Here take a picture of us", J Bowman, Grace Potter's legs, Robert Plant (all of him), the blessed gift of having a husband who understands the need for live music, and  to a big thank you to all of the musicians who give their blood, sweat, and tears to show your souls on stage.

PCarlson 2015 Mountain Jam 

122 St. Marks

May 29th marks the anniversary of the passing of Jeff Buckley. Over 20 years since anyone received a phone call from him, heard his angelic voice, or took a picture of this mystery white boy. But since his passing, another loss we have come to bear is the decrease in live music venues such as Sin-e, CBGB's, and the Bottom Line.



The live music scene is where Jeff not only was found, but where he thrived. Becoming so famous at one point and loving the stage, Buckley would play under fake names. To appease his fans why he would play under the guise of Possessed by Elves or, A Puppet Show Named Julio:

 

There was a time in my life not too long ago when I could show up in a cafe and simply do what I do, make music, learn from performing my music, explore what it means to me, i.e. have fun while I imitate and/or entertain an audience who don't know me or what I am about. In this situation I have that precious and irreplaceable luxury of failure, of risk, of surrender. I worked very hard to get this kind of thing together, this work forum. I have loved it and then I missed it when it disappeared. All I am doing is reclaiming it.



122 St. Marks Place - former home of Sin-e   2015pcarlson

 

Jeff was a true artist and musical spirit filled his body. His lyrics were our poems, his muse was love, the Village, and the acceptance of his brevity. His allure is still alive. While still amazed that not everyone has heard of Jeff, it makes him more enigmatic that a few are gifted the wonder of Grace. This almost inaccessibility of Jeff is seemingly turned off so a very few can meet him for the first time each year. In his passing, it is almost as if he has achieved his goal of anonymity.

 

I have no advice for anybody; except to, you know, be awake enough to see where you are at any given time, and how that is beautiful, and has poetry inside. Even places you hate.
~  Jeff Buckley

 

 

Sin-e 1995

 



On the Cover of the Rolling Stone

 

But the thrill we've never known
Is the thrill that'll getcha when you get your picture
On the cover of the Rollin' Stone

Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

It used to be the reason why I would hurry home from school. I always wondered who would be on the cover of my Rolling Stone Magazine. It was one of the first magazine subscriptions I had, besides Highlights of course. But in those pages were the musicians I looked up to; artists I emulated; politicos that I wanted to work for one day. But what the hell has happened to Rolling Stone and is it even relevant to music anymore?

 

November 9, 1967 was the date of the first Rolling Stone. John Lennon and a story about the Monterey Pop Festival graced the cover. What was this magazine's main objective? Music? Found Jann Wenner wrote that Rolling Stone "is not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces." So how did we go from Lennon and Redding at the Monterey Pop Festival to making up stories?

 

At one point in my life, I would have been content working as a writer or photographer for Rolling Stone. The caliber of writers, artists, and the photography always stole my attention. The interviews were honest and the covers controversial. Being able to listen to music for a living - what a dream. But then I soon realized that Cameron Crowe has stolen my dream when I saw 2000's Almost

Famous. Crowe's fictional telling of his own experiences writing for Rolling Stone and getting to get up close and personal with artists like Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers also displayed the antics of groupies, the unassuming life of being famous, and the true fans who just want to talk to their idols.

 

Rolling Stone truly represented music for a large portion of the 1970's and 1980's. You wanted to be in and on the cover of the Rolling Stone. However, like many things, Rolling Stone began to become popular and political in its own right. Some blame founder and editor Jann Wenner himself who had also been spending time on his new project, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The world was changing and entertainment was its own industry. TV became more than just five channels and the movie industry was spawning hits like Terminator II and Titanic. Like a rolling stone not wanting to gather moss, Rolling Stone adapted to the changing times.

TV shows like Twin Peaks, the X-Files and Friends were the rage in the 1990's. Begging for a new audience, Rolling Stone began to feature the show cast members on the cover. While no abandoning music, more readers were now engaged in this magazine. It was also the time where fashion, super models, and going for broke were the norm. Herb Ritts and Anton Corbijn were moonlighting as fashion and rock photographers and videographers for Depeche Mode, U2, and Madonna. Fashion models were lip synching to George Michael songs.

But another trend that was happening at this time was the appearance of the Seattle scene: grunge. The through attitude of the 90's of extravagance and high end everything was being kicked in the shins by a momentous group of musicians who just wanted to make music. Suddenly, Rolling Stone was about music again. This music was new and captured the sentiment of a lot kids in the 90's.

For a while, it seemed as if Rolling Stone was becoming an obituary for some of our favorite artists. We were losing some who had been mainstays like Garcia. And others who seemed to be on top of the world, like Michael Hutchence of INXS. But then you had the ones that you sadly expected to see memorialized like Kurt Cobain and Lane Staley of Alice in Chains. Two noted absent in memorial covers: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Buckley (unless someone can prove me wrong).

The 1990's also saw our political landscape come to life. Between Clinton and Bush, Rolling Stone had enough powerful interviews to gain credibility as legitimate journalism. Even through the beginning of the 21st Century, war, corrupt politicians, scandalous affairs, and kept the interviews entertaining and educational. 

 

Seemingly with the advent of the Internet, social media, and more ways to find music without the persuasion of a reviewer, our post-9/11 world became one of shock and awe. While many don't remember, or didn't react similarly, both the terrorist / madmen behind the September 11th attacks, the  attack on the soldier in London, and even John Wilkes Booth had their face on the cover of Rolling Stone. It would be the Boston bomber who would begin the slow decent and relevance of Rolling Stone. My argument is you show these folks but memorialize Lennon and Marvin Gaye as opposed to those who killed them. Please explain.

While there are more magazines like Relix or Paste that go into detail, review of bands and their albums...there is a romanticized notion of what Rolling Stone was. It used to be the embodiment of the love of music and, even as Jann Wenner wrote: "the things and attitudes that music embraces." When you begin to stray from music and put of an emphasis on the shock value of persuading people to buy your

magazine - you can no longer be taken seriously. When you make up stories and try to pass them off as credible - you lose relevance as a journalistic platform. Maybe, you should just go back to your original idea because there are so many bands and so many musicians that grew up with the same love and respect for a magazine that catered to music lovers.

 

 **It's just a wish