Musical palate cleanser: c’mon baby, light my fire

Ray Manzarek, R.I.P.

Your opinion of The Doors probably depends on how big a wanker you felt Jim Morrison was.  Me, I loved ‘em.  And regardless of what you might think of Morrison, there’s no question that Manzarek and Krieger were superb instrumentalists.

In honor of his passing, here’s a ten-minute long live version of a song that was on the set list of every band that played at a bar mitzvah party I attended.

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Musical palate cleanser: get ‘yer mind off wintertime.

I haven’t had one of these in a while, but when I heard the news that FSU is disinclined to give Matthew Thomas the release he wants, this tune immediately jumped into my head.

That’s my favorite Byrds’ Dylan cover.  Great lyrics, but it’s the sublime harmonies that really make the song for me.

And here’s a bonus version, from “Playboy After Dark”.  It’s a few months after Sweetheart of the Rodeo was released, and the band had reconfigured when Hillman and Parsons left to start The Flying Burrito Brothers.  Make sure you check out Clarence White’s work on the gee-tar.  Man was pure genius.

Gotta love those earnest hipsters trying to figure out the best dance moves to proto-country rock.

 

Musical palate cleanser, goin’ home edition

Sad to hear that Ten Years After guitarist/front man Alvin Lee passed away (“after unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure”, yech).  He didn’t have the acclaim of a Clapton, Page or Beck, but the man could play some guitar.

Here he is in all his glory at the Marquee, playing “Love Like A Man”.

Musical palate cleanser, the roughest place I’ve ever been edition

The incomparable Stevie Ray Vaughan displaying his chops on “Tin Pan Alley”.

If you ain’t sweatin’, you ain’t playin’.

Musical palate cleanser, Saturday I go out to play edition

In honor of Michael Adams’ declaration about the weekly calendar (“I think Monday through Friday are for education, and I think Saturday is appropriate for football.”) and the fact that Georgia hasn’t played a regular-season football game on a non Saturday since Adams became president in 1997, I thought a little Allman Brothers at Fillmore East might be in order.

Mmm, so good.  Hard to believe that’s over forty years ago now.

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UPDATE:  By the way, it doesn’t sound like McGarity and Adams are exactly on the same page.

Now a more realistic possibility, for Georgia at least, would be moving the Clemson game to an earlier date, say Thursday, Aug. 29, or Friday the 30^th. The Bulldogs would then get the benefit of having the college football world’s undivided attention while also enjoying an extra day or two of preparation for the Gamecocks.

“I think that would make much more sense,” McGarity said.

Musical palate cleanser: where you been, son?

Meet the title cut from Dwight Yoakam’s first original album in seven years.

Do I detect a slight Springsteen melodic undertone?  Maybe.  Great tune from a strong album, one of his best.

Happy holidays, baby.

Best Christmas song ever.

Maybe Santa’s got a conference championship in his bag for us.

Musical palate cleanser: lighten the mood, baby.

I think we’re all in need of a little ear candy this morning.  Here’s something that’s been stuck in my head lately – The New Pornographers’ cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Think About Me”.  It’s a Christine McVie piece of pop fluff from Tusk that for some reason Lindsey Buckingham thought would shine with minimal production.  All that did was make the song sound even more inconsequential than it already was.

The Pornographers go the other way and out-Mac the Macsters (dig those shimmering rhythm guitars pushing things along).  It’s poppy but it’s so exuberant and there’s so much going on that you overlook the fluffiness.

See?  Life doesn’t suck so much, does it?

Me loves Neko Case, by the way.

Musical palate cleanser: it’s not the heat…

LSU’s Kevin Minter said he had a problem in last week’s game against Florida with the humidity.  I didn’t realize it was so much drier in Louisiana.  (Although to tell the truth, I don’t know why he’s making excuses.  He played out of his mind in that game.)

But anyway, here’s some musical consolation for him, courtesy of Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Musical palate cleanser: this one goes out to Buzz in Atlanta.

Paul Johnson is this morning’s musical inspiration.

Hard to beat a combination of Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde…