Matthew

Reading a book I've been interested in for a long time: Siegfried Sassoon: The Memoirs of George Sherston. Really a fascinating read, a whole world that has just disappeared forever. Still on Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Sassoon writing of his country life, WW I hasn't even started yet. For some reason, I was caught off-guard by the style of writing, it's very good in its descriptive character, and it'll be interesting to read how he handles the war. I lucked out at a used bookstore and bought a 1937 edition for $8.00. Highly recommended. I'll have to reread Fussell's chapter on Sassoon in The Great War and Modern Memory after finishing the book.

Had some Hennepin Ale tonight, not sure if I liked it are not; had what was for me, a very usual taste to me. I'll have to try some more to figure it all out.

Really like the "Soul Train Line-up" part!

Well, should I get this set when I do some cd shopping Monday or not? Click Here

Well, should I get this set when I do some cd shopping Monday or not?

Very happy also about the Mercer Select, that one, plus the Chu Berry, I definitely will preorder.

HOLY CRAP!!!!!! I won too!!!! This way too weird A copy of the 6-C D boxed set of “Fearless Leader” by John Coltrane A 2-C D collection of “The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings” by Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane A limited edition T-shirt and A limited edition collection of commemorative stamps

What's up with Rodcast? I can't seem to hook up to it the past couple of days.

Re: Desolation Row. From The Dylan Session Pages. Studio A Columbia Recording Studios New York City, New York 4 August 1965 The sixth and last Highway 61 Revisited session, produced by Bob Johnston. 1. Desolation Row 2. Desolation Row 3. Desolation Row 4. Desolation Row 5. Desolation Row 6. Desolation Row 7. Desolation Row 8. Tombstone Blues Overdub session with Bob Dylan (guitar, piano, harmonica, vocal) backed by unidentified musicians on guitar and bass. 6 and 7 edited into one track and released on HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED, Columbia CL–2389, CS–9189, 30 August 1965. Notes. 1, 2, 7 are false starts. 3 is interrupted. Unreleased tracks are not in circulation. Recorded 1-4 pm. According to Glen Dundas the guitarist is almost certainly not Michael Bloomfield. Clinton Heylin suggests Bruce Langhorne. Al Kooper maintains that it was Charlie McCoy. Tony Glover who was present at the sessions asserts that McCoy was not present while he was there, but it is of course possible that McCoy was brought in later for the overdubs. CO-numbers: 86937 Desolation Row 86938 Tombstone Blues Most sources I've read feel it's McCoy doing the guitar on DR, with Kooper listed on the eletric guitar alt. tk.

Well, sometimes in life, you just want some mindless fun, and not think about what a F'ing mess the world is in...

I'm thinking of getting the DVD of the first season of The Monkees , does anyone have that? (or brave enough to admit it) and how is it? I just remember watching it as a kid and enjoying the show, plus buying the deluxe cd of their first release has put me in a Monkee mood.

Probably right, I remember a Teddy Wilson version of a Monk tune off the Mosaic set that left me very cold also. My ears might be set to a particular way of hearing Monk, and I'm losing out by not just listening to what's going on in the music. Maybe I should do a CDR of Evans playing Monk and listen to that for awhile.

Hmmm. . . I love some of the Monk versions. . . . My favorite would be "Round Midnight" on the Manne Hole Riverside. Awesome! Talk about different tastes! That was the one that sent me over the edge -- don't like it, no way, no how. Oh well, it's my problem... I just don't think that Evans digs very deep in his interpretations of Monk.

Just on observation, and you don't have to buy into it : Bill Evans stinks at playing Thelonious Monk tunes. I don't know why this is but every time Evans does Monk, it just doesn't connect for me. It's obvious that Evans' has an extremely high regard for Monk, plays him a lot, but it's feel as though Evans is missing the heart of the matter. Maybe it's that infamous "lack of blues feeling" some talk about, but it's there, and as much as I love Evans, I can't deny it.

Mark Polizzotti says it's Charlie McCoy playing the second guitar in "Desolation Row." Is the earlier, electric take on the recent No Direction Home set? If you mean the take with Al Kooper playing electric guitar, yes it is.

I was just listening to Signify last night... and to me, the main difference between the "mid-period" stuff and what PT is doing now concerns two main aspects. 1. The mid-period stuff, like Signify are very much about the sound scape that is being presented. Long stretches of music, very much centered around LSD, and the whole drug-music trip. It makes for fascinating listening, but in the newer cds, that while ethic is more in the background. 2. While the sound scape/electronic music thing is now in the background, Steve Wilson's songwriting is now really center stage in the presentation of the music. Which is fine, but I'm not sure where Wilson can go with the current direction. It'll be very interesting to hear the new cd, which, I guess, is coming out in April.

Guys and Dolls: If you have any liking for 60's rock, you have to get this box set, it's wonderful and has the best sounding mono rock mastering I've ever heard.

Like this Bill Evans quote: My creed for art in general is that it should enrich the soul; it should teach spirituality by showing a person a portion of himself that he would not discover otherwise...a part of yourself you never knew existed. -- Bill Evans

You know, I had this set in hand when I was at Silver Platters Wednesday, wanting to buy it, but those darn Sons of Champlin won out -- next time, plus The Monkees deluxe reissues.

Major oversights in my book: XTC: Skylarking. (Have to give a shout-out to my boys! ) Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon Bob Dylan: "Love and Theft" The Byrds: Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Played both these over the past couple of day, and, IMHO, Intermodulation doesn't come close to Undercurrent. It's very professional music, played very well, but doesn't have the spark that Undercurrent maintains throughout the session.

I've become a big fan of Porcupine Tree, this past year I've gone from zero cds to now having twelve cds and the new DVD (of course, that pales to Aggie's totals ). What I like about PT is the combination of prog-rock, to now the prog-rock + metal = Pt's new sound, really an interesting mix. Standouts for me are: Up The Downstair: This is my favorite PT disk, it's has that very nice prog feel to it, but yet it has Steve Wilson's unique take on that prog/druggie whole sound. An added bonus is that the second cd is Staircase Infinities, which is very cool. Warszawa: Live concert from Poland that has good sound and is more the "trippy" side of PT. Love the version of Russia On Ice. Rocks pretty good also. Lightbulb Sun: Another great one, very good songwriting on this cd. Be warned though, it available as an import only, cost is about $30.00 If you're willing to take a chance on the instrumental side of PT, Voyage 34 & Metanoia I find are interesting. I really like Deadwing, it is a very good melding of metal riffs and the druggie side of PT. However, I've never been able to warm up to In Absentia, it just leaves me cold. I want to start to get into Wilson's side project, but the cds are just so darned expensive off their website. Aggie, of course, is the Tree Man, and he owns just about everything PT or Wilson.

Matthew, I think Cookin' on the Roof is one of the unsung masterpieces of the 80s. I guess Roman Holliday was ten years too early with the swing revival. I completely agree with you on Cookin' on the Roof. I first bought it as a cassette tape and played it to death. Then got the lp, but my turntable died, so that ended that. I just recently found out it's out on cd -- Japanese import, of course. Love the album to death, and I'm really looking forward to getting this cd and playing it loud!

Sons of Champlin: Fat City Welcome To The Dance Hip Li'l Dreams Roman Holiday: Cookin' On The Roof I'm just revisiting my early music collecting days.

Presently, I'm reading Murray Kempton's Part of Our Time: Some Ruins And Monuments Of The Thirties. Very interesting to read, it was written in 1955 with Kempton looking back on some "liberals" from the 1930's. I never realized how shattering of an experience the Sacco-Vanzetti trial/execution was for the left in America. Kempton presents it as the end of certain way that some people had of looking at American justice -- the saying "no one innocent will ever die in America" was proved false. A lot of connections in this book to present day America and liberalism. Glad I picked it up at the used Bookstore I hang-out at.