Musical palate cleanser, doin’ er’rything edition

Prince, playing “Crimson and Clover” like he was born to it:

I’m not sure there was a style of pop music he couldn’t nail.

Musical palate cleanser, one word edition

One reason I love this country is because of our ability, even in trying times like now, to come together and lose our collective shit over trivialities like one word in the first verse of a Bruce Springsteen song.

Jon Landau Says Lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’ Will Be Corrected… 46 Years Later https://t.co/aoFSIAukoz

— Variety (@Variety) July 18, 2021

I mean, this is priceless.

In case anyone is wondering why this became a matter of grave national concern in the summer of ’21, you can thank the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, who knows grave national concerns. She apparently hadn’t previously recognized this one as such, though, when she attended “Springsteen on Broadway” July 3 and innocently tweeted out what turned out to be the correct “sways” line, instantly enraging about half of America, as some Haberman tweets are wont to do.

A screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways pic.twitter.com/EcFpwPtyjr

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 3, 2021

The firestorm continued on social media for close to two weeks before Los Angeles Times contributor Rob Tannenbaum published one of the most riveting pieces of investigative journalism in the music space since Jim DeRogatis’ R. Kelly reporting. Tannenbaum’s inquiries, though, led to a “Rashomon”-ic dead end. The writer noted that Sotheby’s had two years ago auctioned off Springsteen’s original handwritten lyrics, which read, “The screen door slams Anne dress sways,” which did seem revealing but also raised the question of whether to trust a guy who’d promised both Anne and Mary he would take them away. Artists who’ve covered the song over the years aid they’d always sung “waves,” and Melissa Etheridge, who sang it as a duet with Springsteen on “MTV Unplugged,” told the Times she discussed the lyrics with him then and “he would’ve told me if it wasn’t ‘waves.’ He would’ve said, ‘You’re singing it wrong, honey.’ So it’s definitely ‘waves.’” Declared country star Eric Church, who’s also often covered the tune: “‘Sways’ is sexier.” Assessing the empirical evidence at hand, Tannenbaum firmly concluded: “Springsteen is not one of rock’s great enunciators.”

Meanwhile, Steven Van Zandt, who could have ridden to the rescue, and who expounds on so many subjects on Twitter, had found one he considered beneath him. In response to queries, the E Street Band guitarist wrote: “Oy vey. Get this Bruce lyric shit outta my feed!”

Oy vey! Get this Bruce lyric shit outta my feed! https://t.co/9NndRYbucU

— Stevie Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) July 5, 2021

Two weeks of this!

This is healthy.  No, really.  It restores my faith in mankind that we can still lose ourselves in irrelevancies like this.  ‘Murica, you go, girl!

Eh, what’s that?  The song… oh, yeah.  Here you go.

Musical palate cleanser, you can never go home again edition

It is with some trepidation that I share this news.

Ronnie Wood says he, Rod Stewart and Kenney Jones have returned to the studiohttps://t.co/eiykbKEjGo

— NME (@NME) July 19, 2021

My head tells me that Stewart hasn’t recorded anything worth a damn in three+ decades.

My heart says:

I suspect this isn’t going to end well, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give a listen first.

Happy birfday, America!

The Godfather and I would like to wish you a kickass Fourth.

Enjoy your bad selves.

Musical palate cleanser, like you were never gone edition

Man, Del Amitri released their first album in **checks notes** nineteen years (!) and it’s about as seamless a continuation as you could possibly imagine.

Justin Currie obviously has no more fucks to give… which is a good thing.

By the way, if you’re a Del Amitri fan and the video seems familiar for some reason, you’re not wrong.

Musical palate cleanser, 12-string guitar and harmonies edition

From the great Children of Nuggets collection, here’s Sweden’s finest, The Sinners, with “Barbed Wire Heart”, featuring two things that always make my musical heart go shwing!.

Man, that chorus…

Musical palate cleanser, shoulda been big edition

I never have understood how this Stevie Wonder tune got lost in the shuffle.

Its main claim to fame is as the b-side to “My Cherie Amour”, which, to my ears, doesn’t hold a candle to it.

As tasty as that is, check out this remarkable live version of the song:

Nineteen.  Years.  Old.  (That little thing he does at the 1:18 mark slays me.)

By the way, the Stones covered this shortly after Stevie released it.  It’s good, but not as good, if you get my meaning.  But it’s historically significant for a couple of reasons:  it’s the first thing they cut with their new guitarist, Mick Taylor, and as they were laying down the tracks, they learned of Brian Jones’ death.

Musical palate cleanser, “wrote it for my dog” edition

Whatever the source for the inspiration was, “Heavenly Day” is a gorgeous song.

And Patty Griffin’s got a helluva set of pipes on her.

Musical palate cleanser, er’rybody got the blues edition

A very good morning hat tip to Idlewild Dawg, who clued me in to this clip of three giants on Soul Train:

If that doesn’t make you smile, there’s something wrong wit’ cha…

Musical palate cleanser, pass the audition edition

I’m not sure what exactly caused me to pull this clip up, but I still enjoy watching it as much as ever.

Three things in particular:

• For a bunch who hadn’t played live for a while, these guys were tight.  (Ringo has to be one of rock’s most underrated drummers.)
• It’s the end days for the group, and yet there’s still palpable energy between them.  They’re clearly enjoying playing together.
• Their sense of humor remained intact ’til the end.