Santana---Black Magic Woman

Requiem Overture, Lord Of The Rings

Creedence---Long As I Can See The Light

Tom Petty &The Heartbreakers--Free Fallin'

LIVE! from BUDOKAN!

June 30, 1966.

I realized watching this last night that I've never really seen the Beatles play live- like a real show, not for television.

So this was cool to see.

The Beatles
Uploaded by kympa

SET LIST
Rock N Roll Music
She's a Woman
If I Needed Someone
Day Tripper
Baby's in Black
I Feel Fine
Yesterday
I Wanna be Your Man
Nowhere Man
Paperback Writer
I'm Down

Django Reinhardt---Minor Swing

"At the age of 18 Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with Bella, his first wife. They were very poor. When the fire happened, they lost everything. She made imitation flowers out of celluloid and paper for her living. Consequently, their home was full of this highly flammable material. Returning from a performance late one night, Django apparently knocked over a candle on his way to bed. While his family and neighbors were quick to pull him to safety, he received first- and second-degree burns over half his body. His right leg was paralyzed and his left hand was badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again and intended to amputate the leg. But he left the hospital after a short time and within a year could walk with use of a cane.

His brother Joseph Reinhardt, an accomplished guitarist in his own right, bought Django a new guitar. With painful rehabilitation and practice Django relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. He was still able to use these two fingers for playing solos, but was unable to use them for playing chords."

Kudos to Daytrotter... and the Elected

I don't know where this website has been all my life, but I found it today. It's called Daytrotter and here's what they're all about:

We’re giving you exclusive, re-worked, alternate versions of old songs and unreleased tracks by some of your favorite bands and by a lot of your next favorite bands.

Daytrotter Sessions

These fine people – as they’re traveling through America’s heartland – take two hours out of their travels between shows to stop in for a Daytrotter Session at Futureappletree Studio One in downtown Rock Island, Ill. The name of the city is not ironic. They use borrowed instruments, play with their touring mates, utilize a often unkempt toilet, eat some food and then cram back into their vans for the last half of the drive. What they leave behind is a pile of ashes, sometimes a forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs that often impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that these musicians put into their art, sometimes with more clarity than they do when they have months to tinker with overdubs and experiments. These songs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour – dirty and alive. We want you to make this your new home as it is ours. We promise that you will love it here.

I was alerted to this site by a fellow The Elected fanatic at RKNet because The Elected did a session for Daytrotter, which can be found--and downloaded--here.

Thank you Daytrotter.

Beach Boys---Don't Worry Baby

Dennis Wilson (1944---1983)

Only one of the Beach Boys was a surfer--Dennis Wilson--and the "surf music" of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Surfaris, etc, was not necessarily favored by surfers of that, or any, era. But it was damned good rock and roll.

Let's dedicate this song to Dennis, who drowned at Marina Del Rey. "On January 4, 1984 he was given a burial at sea off the California coast."

The Surfaris---Wipe Out

From the 1960's shores of California, KTWS RADIO brings you...



PS: You don't commonly see waves like the one above, in California. But what a picture.

THE US VS JOHN LENNON

The complete documentary. My gift to you.

Grateful Dead---Ripple

Violent Femmes---Blister In The Sun

American Artist---Paul Robeson (1898--1976)

Paul Robeson is one of the most fascinating figures in American history. Ultra-conservatives would prefer that people don't know about the communist Robeson, and this is probably why most people don't. But he was a giant.

Robeson "was a multi-lingual American actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Spingarn Medal winner, and Lenin Peace Prize laureate."

I believe Robeson was dead wrong about the Soviet Union. It sucked. But this man had a mountain of integrity and guts.

Howlin' Wolf---The Wolf Is At Your Door

Arlo Guthrie---Alice's Restaurant

In ninth grade I identified with Arlo Guthrie so much, I called myself Arlo. My brother started calling himself Otis, and pretty soon everyone bought into it--we were Otis and Arlo.

Now, I kid you not, I had every syllable of Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant memorized, and could sing it verbatim whether you wanted to hear it or not. At something over 18 minutes, I believe that feat deserves some kind of award...for bugging the Bejesus out of people.

I saw the film Alice's Restaurant under the influence of...well, never mind that. Let's just say I was very high over San Diego, and consequently, I did not fully appreciate the greatness of the film at this time. After a couple of decades again I watched it in a more ordinary state of mind, and my immediate reaction was that the film has never gotten the acclaim that it deserves.

Eric Clapton & John Mayall's Bluesbreakers

Did you know that Clapton did a stint between the Yardbirds and Cream with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers?

Really? With Seth and Amy

Saturday Night Live takes a closer look at Michael Vick's water bottle.

Here Comes The Sun

Faith No More - I Started a Joke

A few posts back, Hector Diego posted "I Started a Joke," by the BeeGees. Nice pick. The BeeGees were vilified by the cruel anti-disco backlash of the eighties. Like the eighties were so great. Say what you want about the clothes and the hair, the bass lines were mint!

The BeeGees were no joke. Faith No More, as snotty as they were, were also not a joke, and I sincerely don't think that their cover of "I Started a Joke" is a joke. Their hit cover of The Commodores' "Easy"--that was a joke. And I think this live appearance on The World--whatever that is--bears that out. Mike Patton (one of his generations finest singers) and company start playing "Easy", then abruptly segue into "I started a Joke".

Hector Diego and Lisa Simpson Fulminate Against The Carnivorous Diet...

...because they are Grade A Morons.



When I was a kid, sure, there were advertisements for meat on radio and television--but only for whatever was being sold at the local market.

Starting about twenty years ago, a new kind of meat advertisement appeared in American media--commercials payed for by the National Cattleman's Beef Association, reminding us of what we should have for dinner. Why? Why had they never advertised before?

Obviously, people in America started eating fewer cows. The Beatles--who were more popular than Christ, don't forget--had a part in this new trend, with their Grade A Moron vegetarianism.

Apparently, our nation's bleeding heart liberals and other misfits had decided to investigate tofu--The Other White Meat.

Bunchamorons.

Jackie DeShannon---What The World Needs Now

God or plate tectonics will give us another mountain, but love?

That's up to us.

A Little Help From My Friends

Slowing it down with a lot more soul, with a piercing guitar-lick intro by the then studio musician Jimmy Page, here is Joe Cocker and his Grease Band covering the one and only Billy Shears.

Joe Cocker A Little Help From My Friends
Uploaded by djoik

Could I go out on a limb here and declare this cover better than the original?

George Harrison, This Is Love (1987)

Buffalo Springfield, For What It's Worth

This was Buffalo Springfield's only hit, but the band was seminal. You might be able to recognize Neil Young and Steven Stills in the photo, above.

Quicksilver Messenger Service---What About Me

Our Dad's generation--if you are fairly geriatric--had "Kilroy was here", as a saying and sometimes a little cartoon scrawled literally anywhere during WW II by American and British military people. Who in hell was Kilroy? It didn't matter. You just scrawled it. It must have served some psychological need.

Our generation--today's geriatrics--had this guy, above. Wherever we went and hung out for awhile, this guy came too. You could find him strewn about like the lazy dude he is.

It must have served a psychological need.

Here's Quicksilver performing their biggest hit. You supply the lightshow, there's no video.

Bee Gees---I Started A Joke

It's a pretty tune, and that's good enough for me. I must be some kind of fool.

HEY JUDE

Neil Young---Cowgirl In The Sand

Stones---2000 Light Years From Home

Critics panned Their Satanic Majesty's Request, but I owned it and loved it. It's not that I have a high tolerance for psychedelia, it's just that I don't let anything disturb my love of melody. There is some very good music on this album. 2000 Light Years From Home introduces the record.

The image above is distorted because the album's cover made different images according to how you turned it this way or that in the light. The Beatles' images can be seen on the album's cover--for now the Stones had paid back the Beatles for advertising them on the cover of Sargeant Pepper's.

For those who don't know, the public Beatles/Stones rivalry was for the purpose of selling records. They were the best of friends.

Hinduism---A Universal Religion?

The famous temple at Jagannatha Puri, India.

A friend of mine has published a new book, A Vision for Hinduism: Beyond Hindu Nationalism, which shows that instead of being a force for violence and civil unrest in India, Hinduism has the potential to include all religious expressions under one umbrella. Professor Jefferey Long of Elizabethtown College is one of the leading scholars of Hinduism in the West. His work has been appreciated by traditional and critical scholars alike.

I believe that Hinduism contains at least a resemblance of all the world's religions, due to its great antiquity and its absorbant nature, and natural tolerance to different, even opposing, points of view. Long's vision will bring you into the fascinating world of Hinduism, in the comfort of your own chair.

Jimi Hendrix---All Along The Watchtower

Very postmodern, baby.

The Beatles On Drugs

Thanks to Subhadra for sending this to TWS.

"Is there any indication that we shouldn't be depressed?"

Marc Maron became one of my favorite radio hosts when he co-hosted Morning Sedition on Air America. Sadly, that show was canned by one idiot with a little bit of power just as it was gaining acceptance.

Since the demise of Morning Sedition, Maron has returned to his roots--stand-up comedy. Here's part one of his recent special aired on Comedy Central earlier this month.

Part One


Part Two


Part Three


Part Four

Beer, Porn, Rock n Roll and Pancakes Hit the Sacred Scene

My friend Russ sent me an email about these two stories he noticed on Saturday that have a common theme.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (h/t Russ):

In a back room at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, about 50 people gathered on a recent Wednesday night to talk rock 'n' roll.

Why are Bob Marley and Kurt Cobain considered by some to be messiahs? When did rock music lose its edge and become another product manufactured and marketed by huge conglomerates such as Viacom?

It was a conversation perfectly suited to the setting. Beer-stained wooden tables and the smell of hops complemented a free-flowing, spirited debate among hip young people in scruffy beards and T-shirts.

In 2007, this is church.

Theology at the Bottleworks is run by a wildly successful congregation of young St. Louisans called The Journey. The Schlafly program is part of the church's outreach ministry. And it works.

Every month dozens show up at the brewpub to drink beer and talk about issues ranging from racism in St. Louis to modern art controversies to the debate about embryonic stem cell research. First-timers are invited to check out the church on Sunday, and Journey leaders say many have. Theology at the Bottleworks is just one of The Journey's ministries, but it has helped the church grow from 30 members in late 2002 to 1,300 today.

The Rev. Darrin Patrick, The Journey's founder and lead pastor, says its nontraditional approach is aimed at those who are not likely to attend church.

"We want to go where people are," he said. "We don't expect them to come to us."

For nearly two years, the beer ministry has brought new members to the church. Now it's being called unbiblical. The Journey defines itself as an interdenominational church, but it has a working relationship with the Missouri Baptist Convention. That confederation of Baptist churches is the state arm of the largest Protestant denomination in the country, the theologically and socially conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

In 2005, The Journey borrowed $200,000 from the Baptist organization to help buy and renovate a former Catholic church in St. Louis. In December Baptist leaders began questioning the church's methods of attracting worshippers, specifically its use of alcohol.

(more)

And, if you are hungry, or aroused, there's this:

From WHEC-TV, Rochester (h/t Russ)

Many churches have coffee hour, but have you ever heard of Porn and Pancakes at church? That event will happen next month at a church in Wayne County and the advertisements are already up. There is a billboard on Route 104 that says people are talking about porn and pancakes.

It's an event that will be held at Living Word Assembly of God Church in the town of Ontario, next month. The discussion is being advertised as an honest discussion about pornography.

“It's everybody's dirty little secret in America and it needs to be addressed. It needs to be spoken about openly so people can get healed,” said parishioner Paul Forget.

(more)

I guess they serve beer in heaven

For myself one of the best vocalists to walk this planet was Rick Danko. Here he is kicking back with Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia and a very young Bob Weir.

He was a great bass player as well. Seeing him perform with The Band always extended my thoughts to McCartney with how they both seemed at ease carrying an emotional vocal melody while playing some very complex bass lines.

And Danko frequently played a fretless!

A great moment was captured here - an impromptu performance it seems of "Ain't No More Cane" from the somewhat recently released concert film "Festival Express."

Grateful Dead---Saint Stephen

This rare footage is a bit worn around the edges, but that won't stop any Deadhead from appreciating it.

Stephen, by the way, was the first Christian martyr.

Saint Stephen with a rose, in and out of the garden he goes,
Country garden in the wind and the rain,
Wherever he goes the people all complain.

Stephen prospered in his time, well he may and he may decline.
Did it matter, does it now? Stephen would answer if he only knew how.
Wishing well with a golden bell, bucket hanging clear to hell,
Hell halfway twixt now and then,
Stephen fill it up and lower down and lower down again.

Lady finger, dipped in moonlight, writing "What for?" across the morning sky.
Sunlight splatters, dawn with answer, darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye.

Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow,
What a lot of fleeting matters you have spurned.
Several seasons with their treasons,
Wrap the babe in scarlet colors, call it your own.
Did he doubt or did he try? Answers aplenty in the bye and bye,
Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills,
One man gathers what another man spills.

Saint Stephen will remain, all he's lost he shall regain,
Seashore washed by the suds and foam,
Been here so long, he's got to calling it home.

Fortune comes a crawlin', calliope woman, spinnin' that curious sense of your own.
Can you answer? Yes I can. But what would be the answer to the answer man?

Bob Dylan---Blowin' In The Wind

Crosby, Stills, and Nash---Wooden Ships

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi---Quando Corpus Morietur and Amen

This piece is from the 1984 Milos Forman film, Amadeus, a movie everyone should see. I don't know how accurately it portrays Mozart, but the music, script, acting, and production are all quite splendid. It won eight Oscars. What do you say, Station Agent?

HDG, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada--Jaya Radha Madhava

The music presented here is traditional Bengali kirtan, call and response style singing of the Gaudiya Vaisnava religion, founded by the brahmin Sri Caitanya (1486--1534), an avatar of the Hindu deity, Lord Krishna.

Krishna is a very playful deity--in fact, all He does is play. He literally is not obliged to do anything but enjoy Himself with His friends, and therefore He is the deus otiosus extraordinaire.

This is quite different from the Western conception of God the creator. Krishna delegates someone else to create all the universes. He's too busy being the deus otiosus.

In the picture above, Lord Krishna enchants His devotees as a baby, stealing the butter of the milkmaids in His neighborhood.

Sounds good to me.

Debussy---Claire de Lune

Claude Debussy (1862--1918)

Delicately beautiful.

Beatles---Yes It Is

Yes It Is was written mostly, or alone, by John Lennon, and supposedly it was his least favorite composition. I think it is a fine melody, and dig that three part harmony. It was also released on the album Beatles VI.

This version is a studio outtake.

Anti-war Protests EVERYWHERE

Images from the nationwide protest held yesterday have been popping up online. Here's a sampling of the people taking to the streets. You know, in case the media didn't tell you about it.

Washington D.C.
Sacramento, Ca.

Salt Lake City, Utah.


Salt Lake again.


Los Angeles, Ca.


More images at Ice Station Tango and Les Enrages.Org.

The Byrds---Turn,Turn,Turn

"Turn! Turn! Turn! was written by Pete Seeger, wherein Seeger set text from the Bible to music, specifically, a reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes, 3:1-8."

I think the Byrd's version is quite good.

Hortus Musicus---Gregorian Chants

Was the church the light of the Middle Ages in Europe, or the darkness? Perhaps it was both. Either way, whether you were burned for a witch or you were a proper burgher with a goodwife, this was the soundtrack of your life...at least on Sunday.

Om Mani Padme Hum

Generally, om mani padme hum is translated as "The jewel is in the lotus." But that has been disputed.

Some traditionalists would counsel us to experience mantras, not interpret them. This is a video of a Tibetan Buddhist monk reciting the mantra, and a prayer wheel. Hearing the recitation is said to bring much spiritual benefit to one and all, although the benefit may not be understood immediately.

JOHN LENNON---STARTING OVER

Some people weep when they hear Just Like Starting Over. The song was released just prior to Lennon's assassination in 1980.

Theme Song From Romeo And Juliet

I was looking for the Henry Mancini Orchestra 1970 arrangement, following the soundtrack to Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. I suppose this one below is from the more recent version? Or was this one in the Zeffirelli production, as well as the song that introduces the hero and the heroine? I suppose this is a question for Mimi Pond.



Here's the scene where Romeo and Juliet meet in the 1968 film. The song is actually named "What Is A Youth", and the words are not Shakespeare's. They were written by
Eugene Walter. You could have fooled me.

What is a youth? Impetuous fire.
What is a maid? Ice and desire.
The world wags on,
a rose will bloom....
It then will fade:
so does a youth,
so does the fairest maid.
Comes a time when one sweet smile
has a season for a while....
Then love's in love with me.
Some they think only to marry,
others will tease and tarry.
Mine is the very best parry.
Cupid he rules us all.
Caper the cape, but sing me the song,
Death will come soon to hush us along.
Sweeter than honey... and bitter as gall,
Love is a task and it never will pall.
Sweeter than honey and bitter as gall.
Cupid rules us all.

She's Leaving Home

Arlo Guthrie---City Of New Orleans, Live

I deified Arlo when I hit my teens. If you haven't seen his film Alice's Restaurant, you are missing out. It is great.

What is City Of New Orleans about? Love of country, the passing of older ways, whatever. Maybe it reminds you of Grandpa. The song was composed by Steve Goodman.

Stephen Foster---Beautiful Dreamer

Stephen Foster (1826--18864) is generally considered America's first great composer. Contrary to popular belief, he was not a Southerner, and supported the Union during the Civil War. He only visited the South once, on a trip to New Orleans. He never went anywhere near the Suwanee River.

His treatment of minstrel and 19th century parlor music, and even their amalgamation, was the work of genius. He died at the age of 37, with an estate of 38 cents.

Here's a guitar version.



Here's Marilyn Horne's exquisite vocal.

Squirrel Nut Zippers---Ghost Of Steven Foster

These guys kill me.

Stanley Brothers---There Is A Trap

These boys are the real thing, Carter (1925--1966) and Ralph Stanley. They appended "old time" and "mountain music" to their form of bluegrass. My good friend, the musicologist Erik Brashear, also calls their style "gospel bluegrass".

Here they are performing with the Clinch Mountain Boys--is that correct, Seamus?

Janice Joplin---Me And Bobbie McGee

It's blues, it's rock and roll, it's Janice, who always had an excellent band. Through her came centuries of black women singing styles in America, though she was white. I believe her full contribution has not yet been understood.

Dead Kennedys - Moral Majority

Thanks for inviting me. This is my first post although I still feel as a guest.

So in an attempt to fit in as quickly as possble, I thought I'd post something about myself as well as add a small something to the site's frequent motif of religion.

I am a fan of Jello Biafra and thank him for inspiring many of the paths I've taken in life.

So here's a great live performance of a great song led by my man Jello about the addiction of religion.

I love how this man works a crowd.

KTWS RADIO Backfiles---Ooh Child

KTWS RADIO brings you The Five Stairstep's 1970 classic, "Ooh Child". The Stairsteps were subsequently produced by George Harrison's Dark Horse label.

"Ooh Child" was featured in the minor cult film classic, Over The Edge.

That's thewalrusspeaks.blogspot.com on your cyber radio dial.

Moody Blues---Watching And Waiting

Here's the audio, without video. The video is in your mind.

This is another one of those records I played so much, it drove my old man nuts.

All You Need Is Love

This is one of my favorite Lennon compositions.

Here's the deal--you need far more than love, but without love you have nothing. So...

All you need is love.

"Love is not a victory march, it's a cold and it is a broken Hallelujah..."

From the back files...

Enjoy Sheryl Crow borrowing one from Leonard Cohen called, "Hallelujah"

Sweet Sir Galahad

Dear friends of The Walrus Speaks--we have now reached one thousand posts. To celebrate this event I decided to repost my favorite post of all, and that would be the video of Joan Baez performing Sweet Sir Galahad at Woodstock.

I had forgotten about this song until our cyber friend Pondering Pig reminded me of it. It should have been released as a single in the 60's, and should have gone to the top of the charts. But it has become, instead, one of the most brilliant gems of 60's music esoterica.

This song is so good that I insist that if it skips for you, or has any problems that interfere with your appreciation of it, please go out of your way to hear it with rapt attention.

American Artist---Nat King Cole (1919---1965)

KTWS RADIO back files...

Nat King Cole's 1965 Nature Boy is one of my favorites. Such an interesting tune and lyrical theme. Beautiful arrangement.

Tags: Nature Boy

American Artist, Glenn Miller (1904--1944)

Let's take it back a bit further, young pups, to 1940, with In The Mood. We don't really know what happened to our featured artist, U.S. Air Force Major Glenn Miller, who disappeared over the English Channel in 1944.

Miller was one of the leading musical figures of the 20th century.

Bobby Darin---Beyond The Sea

If you don't believe that Sinatra's influence was huge, listen to Darin. Sinatra changed that kind of music forever. He took the starch out of the crooner's collars, so to speak.

Of course he put it back on in his sartorial style. Culturally straight, legally crooked, pretty creative.

But back to Darin. Cashed in on Sinatra, not a bad actor. This versatile musician had a genius IQ.

Frank Sinatra---It Was A Very Good Year.

Frank Sinatra demonstrates talent in production, too, working with Gordon Jenkins on It Was A Very Good Year.

I know this because I once posted a video of Sinatra's comments while recording the song. It was a big hit on AM radio on stations that played the Beatles in 1966.

Roy Orbison---Only The Lonely

The Flamingos---I Only Have Eyes For You

Let's explore the loopy world of doo-wop, shall we?

Getting Better

The famous 1967 Sargeant Pepper's Album cover

In Sargeant Pepper's Getting Better, Paul McCartney has an attitude adjustment.

Werner Herzog is a Genius

I watched filmmaker Werner Herzog's fantastic documentary The White Diamond. Every time I watch a Herzog movie I know I'm seeing something specific about the world as clearly focused as possible.

Henry Rollins sat down with Herzog last year for an interview.

Who's Your Favorite Godfather Character?

The poll today at Neil Rogers Show.Com asks, "Other than Don Corleone, who was your favorite Godfather character?"

That's a tough question. Sonny, Tom Hagen, Clemenza? What about some of the legendary minor characters like the temperamental Moe Green or the sublime Appolonia? And what about Fredo? He's smart, he can handle things! Not like dumb. Like people say.

In early returns, Michael Corleone leads the pack, just ahead of Santino.

For my money, however, no one beats Frankie Pentangeli.

Richie Havens At Woodstock---Freedom