songs and music

I’ve posted a new article on Suite 101 on the best Dylan deep tracks from his Catalog. Pict links to the article.

I’m putting up my 1965 Guild Duane Eddy DE-400 for sale. I hate to sell the damn thing, really… but a man has to eat! ha. Here’s the link to the Craigslist posting and a pict of the box in question. Click the pict for a bigger view.

Yesterday we attended the Newport Guitar Festival at the Convention Center in Miami Beach. Not much has changed on the beach… young latino guys with no shirts and bad fedoras from the early ’60s, old Jewish women with walkers blocking the sidewalk, and of course lots and lots of annoyance. Yep, as the gf put it “Broward County line here we come!” Did stop on the way back and get a cafe cubano, which of course contains more sugar than espresso. Lots and lot’s of cool guitars were to be seen at the festival, almost exclusively new guitars crafted by some of the best luthiers in the world. Linda Manzer, who makes guitars for Bruce Cockburn, Pat Metheny and Carlos Santana was there along with a whole list of great guitar makers. Larry Lashbrook, the local Fort Lauderdale luthier who did an amazing restoration on my old Kalamazoo was also on hand. I usually don’t go for all the salad and inlay on the guitars, but some of it was very amazing, making a few of the guitars more of an art project than an actual instrument… as you can see from a few of the pictures below. I didn’t play too many of the guitars, in fact haven’t been playing much lately. One that really sounded wonderful was built by John How, the very vintage sounding ladder braced concert guitar. Enjoyed the show and a few of the performers. A good time was had by all.

I only be gotten one wrongs

someone wanted the lyrics for this song. here they be….

I stared down broadway
stood out on madison and vine
seen this land scared
by man and the hands of time
i know this old world will pass on
sure as my body hungers
for a new home in the ground
still they buried my heart
in a shallow grave
the day they tore old beale street down

everybody wants to cheat the reaper
anywhere you may go
to tear it down and build it up
sure makes you feel like you have control
so it has been
since this whole world started spinnin round
but my heart fell in a shallow grave
the day they tore old beale street down

i walked up church street
one of these days
they’re gonna carry me back down
up the stairs into daylight
past mr hamilton
and poor old mary brown
how the high and mighty do fall
and gather as dust onto the ground
still they buried my heart in their shallow grave
the day they tore old beale street down

Last night I had a really crazy dream. I won’t even begin to go into it. It took place in the Keys I think. A beautiful blue and turquoise ocean. But it was so vivid and striking, that it woke me up at about 3am. I woke up just as I was being given some sort of prophecy by angels or some other unearthly beings. It was truly vivid and shocking. Today I got to thinking about the story of how Townes Van Zant wrote “If I Needed You,” a song I just can’t bring myself to ever play again. Anyway, he dreamed the song, and woke up and wrote it. A great story. The vid below goes into greater detail.

With apologies to John Prine and Don Ho….
A somewhat cute 10 minute wonder.

———————————————————————-

I ain’t never goin to Hawaii
To learn to dance the Hula
Thought a time or two I’d do it
But now I just say screw it

Ain’t gonna make it to Lihue
Man there just ain’t no way
Don’t wanna’ be just a stinkin haole
So I’ll stay right here in LA

But I can see my feet
In the golden sand
I’d become a slack key
One man Band
You would be
My Biggest fan
My oh my
Wouldn’t it be grand
But I guess I gotta’ find me
A different plan….

Aint’ never goin’ to Hawaii
N catch me a mahi mahi
You could be my wahini nani
God these rhymes come so damn eas-ay

So I’ll drive home to Encino
Blow my paycheck out in Reno
Rope a philly at the casino
so much for my big dreamo

But I can see my feet
In the golden sand
I’d become a ukulele
slinging man
You would be
My Biggest fan
My oh my
Wouldn’t life be grand
But I guess I gotta’ find me
A different plan….

I ain’t never goin to Hawaii
To learn to dance the Hula
Thought a time or two I’d do it
But now I just say screw it

Ain’t gonna make it to Lihue
Man there just ain’t no way
Don’t wanna’ be just a stinkin haole
So I’ll stay right here in LA

After posting “Visions of Johanna” and mentioning it was one of my top 10 ‘best’ songs ever written/recorded. I started to think. Could I actually come up with an honest to God top 10 list? So I tried. Not in any particular order and just off the top of my head right now. Subject to change.

Stardust - Hoagy Carmichael/Mitchell Parish
Visions of Johanna - Bob Dylan
If I Needed You - Townes Van Zandt
The Soul of a Man - Blind Willie Johnson
My Old Friend the Blues - Steve Earle
Wildwood Flower -Carter Family (?)
Never Let Me Go - Johnny Ace
You are My Sunshine - Jimmie Davis
I’d Rather Be the Devil - Skip James
Blueberry Hill - Rose/Lewis/Stock

“Name me someone who’s not a parasite, and I’ll go out and say a prayer for him”

Well I don’t know if it’s the best song, but it’s in my top 10. The production is so damn sparse and perfect. Robbie Robertson’s guitar just walks around the song with quivering imperfection.

It’s an old song I wrote for “nobody.” At least I thought so at the time. This morning as I picked up the guitar, it came back to haunt me. Hurt my hands to play it. Just had to suffer through the couple of bar chords.

old mp3—> Lovin’ You

Lovin’ you
is sweepin’ leaves on a windy day
cause every time I get close to you
it all just blows away
I’ve waited half a lifetime
to find someone so true
but sometimes a dream’s further out of reach
when it’s standing right in front of you

honey
people don’t last forever
no matter what you say or do
n’ if you stand around this world long enough
someone might make a believer
even out of you

darlin’ you
burn the ice right off of my heart
on the coldest day
in the deep of night
you fire up my dark
but it’s a world of apprehension
with more fears than the fallin’ snow
n’ there’s an ocean of tears
with more shipwrecked hearts
than anyone can ever know

but I can’t wait forever
pretty soon I’ll pass right through
but if you stand next to me long enough
i could make a believer
even out of you