Unquestionably, one of the most exciting guitarists I’ve seen in the last few years is Andy Mckee.
McKee is one of those players, much like Guy Buttery (featured in my “30 South African Bands You Should Hear” entry), who’s percussive, unorthodox fingerstyle method of playing inspires everyone who is lucky enough to see it live.
In fact, the below video of McKee performing his song, “Drifting” was so inspiring to Youtube viewers, that it has been viewed over 10,000,000 times to date; thus earning it’s place amongst the highest rated musical videos of all time on the site.
In my opinion, Andy is one of the most innovative and exciting guitarists to emerge in years. Still in his 20’s, Andy has developed a mastery of the 6-string guitar and the harp guitar that is, quite frankly, intimidating to say the least.
The below song, Rylynn, is taken from his 2005 album, “Art of Motion”, and I strongly recommend you check it out.
In the course of writing this blog, I come across a lot – and I mean, a lot –of music. Some of which I’ll blog about, some of which never seems to get its own post.
I was organising my files recently, and came across plenty of songs that I probably should have told you all about in 2007, but which – for whatever reason – never quite spurred me to write a full post. So, in clearing out these files into the “2007 Releases” folder, I thought I would do a bit of a roundup post, and combine them all here.
In other words, please note that this is NOT a “best of 2007” compilation; it is simply a post of good songs from 2007, that you should hear.
With that out of the way, let’s get onto the music!
(Once again… to all new visitors, simply click the “play” icon next to the song name to listen)
All The Way Down by Glen Hansard
One of the most talked-about soundtracks of 2007 – and deservedly so – was the Once OST. Comprised of songs by the films two stars (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova), the soundtrack was hauntingly beautiful.
This song, “All the way down”, along with “Leave”, was perhaps my favourite of the album. The aching line “You have broken me, all the way down” easily wins my award for most breaking lyric of the year.
You can still listen to the entire soundtrack at the Once movie site.
I managed to catch Hansard with his band, The Frames, when they were opening for Bob Dylan on his recent tour out here. They were amazing, and confirmed to me that the man is easily one of the most important voices in modern music.
I’m still surprised that this didn’t make an entry.At 24, Basia Bulat is another artist that I should add to my “Artists to watch for in 2008” category.
Her youth belies an intensely creative soul, and an artist who is totally unafraid. Obvious influences include Joni Mitchell (to whom she has been compared more than once), but Basia displays a voice and style that is all her own; sometimes fragile and whispy, and at other times strong, passionate and sultry, Bulat is the master of changing her vocal delivery to suit the content of the song.
This song, “I was a Daughter”, is taken from her “Oh My Darling” debut album, and was easily my debut album of the year.
Oh. And did I mention she’s my musical crush for 2007?
She is.
A little Morning Jacket, some Shins,and a hint of Built to Spill, and you’ll end up with something like Band of Horses. This song, taken from their “Cease to Begin” album, is more emotionally direct than anything from their 2006 debut, “Everything All the Time”, but despite the desperately cheese-laden title line, the song is a gorgeous slow-jam, with the cracking “If things start splitting at the seams and now / It’s tumbling down hard” showcasing Bridwell’s expressive voice.
Well! Didn’t Andrew Bird grow up in 2007? The rueful reflection of Bird’s 2007 release, “Armchair Apocrypha”, and in particular, this song, “Heretics”, had me more excited about Bird than his past releases.
The off-kilter pop songs are still there, but there’s something more about his reflection of the world as something beautiful, yet unsettling, in this album than his previous.
Here’s to more of this.
Black Mountaineers Amber Webber and Joshua Wells side project, Lightning Dust, came out of nowhere and knocked me on my ass. While Black Mountain displays it’s 60s psychedelic love, Lightning Dust is far more sparse, and far more reflective.
This track, “Listened On”, from their debut album (fittingly titled “Lightning Dust“), is ghostly, quivering, and beautiful.
I came across Patrick Park relatively late, with his second album, “Loneliness Knows My Name”, but at that time was undecided as to whether he lived up to the hype or not.
With his 2007 release, “Everyone’s in Everyone”, however, this doubt is solidly put to rest. Patrick Park is one of those artists who can reflect your emotions is a single line.
This track, “Nothing’s Lost”, takes your head against it’s shoulder and consoles you with it’s lulling rhythm.
With it’s Nickle Creek-like tones, this was one of the singles of the year for me. A mixture of indie-folk, roots melodies and alt-country, the music of Great Lake Swimmers is at once graceful, comforting, full of loss and isolation, and ridiculously beautiful.
An ethereal whisper of an album that is hauntingly beautiful, “Ongiara” (from which this song, “Your Rocky Spine” is taken) is a must-listen from 2007.
Skinny Love by Bon Iver is a song that grows in power the more you listen to it; as if, with each individual listen, it breaks a little more of you off. I’ve heard it described as a “quiet, gentle punch to the heart”, and I couldn’t put it better myself.
A song of desperation, loneliness, and loss such as this one resonates deep in your heart; listen to his plaintive “I told you” lines, and you’ll know what I mean.
The album from which this is taken, “For Emma, Forever Ago” is one for the weepy folk-lover in all of us.
2007 saw Rogue Wave release their third-studio album, and the first for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Fairytales label, “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate”; hopefully, this will be the one that catapaults them to the masses.
This album has a shimmer and jangle that wasn’t as prevalent in their previous releases; and there is something ridiculously catchy about this handclapping single, Lake Michigan.
I know, I know; Arcade Fire? How much more mainstream can this blog get?
Seriously though, Arcade Fire’s 2007 release, “Neon Bible”, was a ridiculously good album. Coming off their scorcher debut, “Funeral”, most critics weren’t expecting them to follow up with something as worthy as this.
While Neon Bible certainly sees the band taking on some big issues (particularly the religion questioning “Antichrist Television Blues”), it never lets you forget that, ultimately, Arcade Fire are about celebration.
Never more evident is this than on the single, “No Cars Go”. Spine-tingling, wailing vocals, combined with drumming that punches the song along, and instrumentals that build into an almost film-worthy epic ending show that Arcade Fire are here to stay.
Well, honestly… when you get down to it, when have The Weakerthansever disappointed us? 2007 saw them release the excellent “Reunion Tour” album, which I cannot recommend more. In fact, I’ll rather let Paste Magazine’s review speak for me:
“These are songs of brutal beauty, little rock n roll vignettes that perfectly capture the malaise of the peculiar, disorienting times in which we live.”
This track, “Sun in an empty room”, highlights John K Samson’s incredible command of narrative lyrics; indeed, as much as he protests against the label, Samson really is an indie poet laureate. His weary, wry observations possess an underdog nobility that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
I’ll be honest: Hard-Fi’s 2007 release, “Once Upon a Time In the West” didn’t quite live up to their debut album “Stars of CCTV” for me. There’s something about the anger in their songs that seems to have lost its authenticity for me.
However, that’s not to say that the album was totally without merit; this single, “Tonight”, was one of the better products from the album, and with it’s ghostly strings and chant-along chorus hints that there may be life in the boys yet.
While Wilco’s 2007 release, “Sky Blue Sky” was widely criticised by fans as being a back-slide by Jeff Tweedy into the classic-rock gospel, it produced perhaps one of my favourite Wilco tracks of all-time, “Impossible Germany”.
It’s a warm and inviting listen, one with jazzy chords filtered through the ever-present alt.country guitar licks. There’s no noise here, no strange distortions that have peppered Wilco’s latest releases… and I for one think the song is perhaps one of the most powerful Wilco songs for it.
Peaceful on the surface, demented under the water; this is Wilco at it’s best.
Low is not, and never has been, for everyone. Pretty much defining the genre of “slowcore” with their appearance in 1993, they have, however, certainly displayed their longevity.
In 2005, Low attempted to break away from their slowcore label with the harder, bigger sound of their “The Great Destroyer” album. Considering the mixed reception to that album, most thought the band would return to their signature sound. Most thought wrong.
However, just as the album is not a return to their signature sound, neither is it a continuation of The Great Destroyer. Rather, this album strips the songs to the bones and sinews; it’s something else entirely. Violent, scary and beautiful, with this album, “Drums and Guns”, Low show that they’re still kicking.
Undoubtedly one of the albums of the year for me, Iron and Wine’s
“The Shepherd’s Dog” displayed Sam Beam’s steady evolution from lo-fi folkster to refined popsmith.
This stonking single, “Boy With A Coin” showcases a far more lush and full sound that is employed on this album (surely a product of Sam’s collaboration with Calexico in 2005), and is easily one of my favourite Iron and Wine songs.
Included more in this list due to the fact that Thrash Unreal could prove to be one of the most important songs of Against Me!’s career.
2007 saw Against Me! release their first major label debut, “New Wave”, which is in stark contrast to their previously strong DIY ethos.
Lead single “Thrash Unreal” unveils a new penchant for pop sensibility, and the song shows the band’s strength for anthemic, infectious choruses. And – thankfully –Tom Gabel’s harsh growl of a voice remains intact here, and there still seems enough of the Against Me! punk left in the guys.
That said, have Against Me! sold out by their move away from Fat Wreck Chords, and recording with this far, FAR more polished sound?
Time will tell (I’m hoping not), but there’s no denial that the 2007 release, “New Wave”, and it’s lead single Thrash Unreal could make or break the band amongst it’s fans.
Let’s hope there’s still a “I Still Love You Julie” song left in the lads.
I’ve heard many people describe “Portugal. The Man” as a more accessible Mars Volta, and I think it’s a fair description; elements of The Mars Volta, and even The White Stripes pop up in their 2007 release, “Church Mouth”
With its psychedelic, bluesy prog rock tones, the album is one that you’ll either love or hate; but like the below single, “My Mind”, I encourage you to give it a few spins before making up your mind.
Yes, you read that right. Stephen Malkmus, former frontman for all-time greats “The Pavements” was back in 2007, and making delicious noise with his new band, The Jicks.
Still all crunch and fuzz – but with elegant melodies and flourishes throughout – and laced with Malkmus’ literate lyrics and tender, crackling tone, the song “Baltimore” is a godsend to Malkmus fans.
Another artist who will undoubtedly become huge in 2008, 2007 saw the debut of George Stanford. Endearingly simply titled “The EP” George Stanford’s 5-song 2007 release must simply be a taster for a 2008 full album release; and what a tasty taster it is.
This single, “Nikole”, showcases a piano balladry that fans of Ben Folds are sure to fall in love with.
If there’s one artist who debuted in 2007 who I would place a wager on becoming a household name in 2008, I would wager on it being George Stanford. If it’s not, it would simply be a crime.
From the opening lines of “I’ve been wasting my days good and reckless and true, I have danced in the dark at the edge of the water, swingin my hips at the black and the blue…” you know that The Alternate Routes are something special.
Sounding alternately like Ryan Adams during the verses (and, interestingly, current Cardinals drummer Brad Pemberton features on the skins here), and then David Gray in the chorus, Tim Warren is one of the more exciting voices I heard this year.
While this single, Ordinary, may give you a mainstream image of the band, I encourage you to listen to the entire album, “Good and Reckless and True”; it is a grand, rootsy, absolutely golden album that warrants your attention.
The National came in in 2007 and absolutely blew us all away. Far more understated than their 2005 album, “Alligator”, their 2007 release, “Boxer”, is perhaps the most fully realised release of the year by any artist.
A slow burn of an album, Fake Empire was the single from Boxer that grabbed my attention and held it; an absolutely crushing single, if you didn’t hear it in 2007, grab this now.
200 More Miles by the Cowboy Junkies (featuring Ryan Adams)
2007 saw the 20th anniversary of the massively importantTrinity Session album from the Cowboy Junkies, and to commemorate the occasion, the Junkies released a CD/DVD combo of performances in the same Toronto church where the original album was recorded.
As if Golden Tiger wasn’t enough for us (but then again, when it comes to Ryan Adams, can we EVER get enough?), the “Trinity Revisited” recordings saw Ryan partner up with Cowboy Junkies to release this beautiful rendition of 200 More Miles.
Ryan was born to perform with the Cowboy Junkies, and I couldn’t haven’t been more happy.
To me, Josh Ritter is one of the most underappreciated writers in the current rock/folk scene; witty, wry, rueful and intelligent, it’s time that Josh Ritter got his dues from the general public and not just music blog writers.
That said, I’m not sure that this “To the Dogs Or Whoever” will be the single, to do it. But damn it’s fun.
Who would have thought it? Despite the fairly lacklustre album released by Bright Eyes in 2007, “Cassadaga”, Conor Oberst somehow managed to get me interested in his material once again, thanks to the one redeeming single from that album, “Four Winds”.
You’ve brought me back from the brink of abandoning you Conor; and I hope that I stick around for a while.
And there you have it; a choice selection of mp3’s that somehow never made it to a full post here.
Consigned to the “Released in 2007 folder”, it’s now onto 2008.Here’s to a great year everybody!
***
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to my RSS feed? Just click on the orange RSS icon in the right hand sidebar there, and you’ll be alerted every time a new post comes out!
It’s been a while since the sounds of London caused me to become excited, but two lads are currently making enough noise to bring London to the main stage again. Those two boys are Jack Penate and Jamie Treays (aka Jamie T).
Jack Peñate
Interesting side-note to begin this: Penate seems to have a problem holding onto his personal belongings on stage. Proving how harsh the British music scene is, Penate says of a recent performance:
“I took my guitar off, and a kid came up and stole it. He knicked the guitar, put it under his arm and almost left before the bouncers stopped him.”
At another performance at the Oxford Zodiac, a fan stole Peñate’s distortion pedal. After he’d realised it was missing he proclaimed, “D’you know what? Whoever’s got it…keep it! Just make sure you play a Telecaster through it and not a Gibson!”.
I have high hopes for Jack Peñate. If you manage to catch any clips of him playing live, you can see an unabashed enthusiasm and love for the performance in his eyes. The jangly, shimmering guitars; the breathless delivery; Jack Penate spits out rockabilly, ska-influenced, soulful pop like no one else’s business.
Jack is distinctly London; with pointed, observational lyrics, this is a lad to look out for.
The tracks are taken from his Matinee album; however, he plans to hit the studio in January to record his second album, of which he says, “I don’t want people to compare any song [on the new album] to any song on the first record. That’s my only fear. I would happily make a record that completely flopped, but showed different sides to me than one that was on a not-as-good-first-record.”
Jamie Treays, more commonly known as Jamie T, is one of those artists that rebels against being pigeonholed. I’ve heard him being compared to Mike Skinner from the Streets, Lily Allen, and even Billy Bragg (I’m the least certain about this last one… I’d throw in Toothpick from the USA, or even Shane MacGowan of the Pogues before Bragg!). Still, none of these labels quite suit him.
There’s a bit of reggae in there; a large portion of rap; some rock; and some acoustic folk. The great thing about Jamie T, at least for me, is his ability to weave a story throughout his song. This is something that I feel justifies the comparisons with Skinner. At just 21 years of age, this kid has an amazing amount of potential… let’s see what becomes of him.
There’s only a short list of songs who can immediately make me smile when I’m down. To this list, let me welcome “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” by The Wombats.
It’s too early to say how these Liverpudlians will fare; they’ve only released two albums. One of which, “Girls, Boys and Marsupials” was a Japan-only release, and their debut album, “Guide To Love Loss & Desperation” was only released in October of this year.
That said, I’m holding out high hopes for the gang. This single, “Let’s Dance To Joy Division” hints at a quirkiness that is pulled off with panache, and the irony-laden lines of “Let’s Dance to Joy Division, and celebrate the irony“, displays an ability to not take themselves too seriously… something that is sorely needed in these days of indie rock, considering the morose latter-day Borrell et al products.
Matthew Murphy’s voice certainly borrows from Robert Smith; and on this track, he gives it free reign… take it for what it is: a blistering, cracker of a fun rock song.
Enjoy.
And, as an added bonus, here are some mp3’s thrown in for you to enjoy. Look out for these guys in the future.
On Friday night, I achieved one of my life’s goals (dramatic, perhaps… but nonetheless true), and saw State Radio perform live, at the Tivoli in Brisbane.
I almost cried, I was so happy.
Some background: Perhaps my favourite band of all time, was (and is) Dispatch. Darlings of the indie scene, who never caved to pressure, and always stayed true to their principles. They never signed to a major label, but despite (or, sometimes, I think because of this) their music reached around the globe and touched hundreds of thousands of people.
I won’t go into too much detail here; if you’re after more of a story regarding the trio of Pete Francis, Braddigan and Chad, AKA “Dispatch”, then I strongly recommend you take a look at the DVD, “Last Dispatch“. It’s a tale of the band performing their last show, at the Hatch Shell in Boston on July 31, 2004. “The Last Dispatch,” as it was called, is said to be the largest concert in independent music history, drawing fans in their droves… up to 110,000 of them. This came after announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2002. To most, The Last Dispatch was seen as their way of saying goodbye to the past.
There are some regrets that you could not have done anything to prevent; some people regret that they were born too late to see Hendrix live. One of my regrets, was that I was never able to see Dispatch perform live. And, when they broke up, I thought that I had lost my chance forever. The chance to see Chad Urmston play live, with State Radio, was something of a reprieve for that terrible regret.
Enough background, let’s talk about the show in question.
Roger That
Roger That
The night was opened by a band from the Gold Coast of Australia, called “Roger That“. I was surprised I hadn’t heard of these guys before, seeing as I used to live on the GC. Turns out I was certainly missing something. Roger That describe themselves as a “reggae/psychedelia/rock influenced band”, and there’s definitely something about them. A few times during their set, I was reminded of Red Hot Chili Peppers during their bloodsugarsexmagik days. Listening to their recorded stuff, there is an amazing energy that they display on stage that is unfortunately not really captured on their tracks… so if you get a chance to see these guys live, grab it with both hands. You’ll be impressed.
That said, here’s one of those recorded tracks:
After Roger That, it was on to the second opening act (but the obvious highlight for me), State Radio.
State Radio came on, and blew me away. I wish I could give you a track by track breakdown, but I think I entered this entirely new state of bliss from their first chords. At the end of it, I was exhausted, deliriously happy, and finding myself thinking, “What the hell just happened?“.
However, what I can tell you is that Chad and the boys performed like gods up there that night. From their (extremely) fast and energetic version of “People to People“, to their hard-hitting rendition of Camilo, I think they shocked everyone in the audience. I say this, because unfortunately I think a lot of people there weren’t aware of State Radio (or perhaps even Dispatch) before that night; however, after the second song the boys were getting appreciative screams after every song.
It would be impossible for me to pick highlights from the set; State Radio played pretty much every song I wished they had that night (with the unfortunate exceptions of “Right Me Up“, and “Keepsake“), but if I had to choose my favourite performances of the night, it would have to be “Riddle in Londontown“, “Waitress“, or “Man in the Hall” (which was performed with far more anger than I have heard out of Chad in a long time).
If you’re after State Radio Material, I would probably suggest checking out their “Us Against the Crown” album, or their latest album, “Year of the Crow“.
All in all? Possibly the best live set I have ever seen, tied with Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. One day I hope to get to explain to the lads what they did for me that night.
After State Radio, it was on to the main act for the night, The Beautiful Girls. The Beautiful Girls came on to the loudest cheer I’d heard all night, and opened up their set with the beautiful “Learn Yourself“. Unfortunately you’ll have to visit another blog to get a full write-up of the Beautiful Girls set. I was still riding on a high from the State Radio set, and can’t relate too much of their set here. I can tell you though that they killed it that night, the horns and sax enticing everyone, and the reggaed-up version of “Music” going down extremely well with the reggae-loving Brisbane Crowd.
Their latest album, “Ziggurats“, is available through Amazon.
Update: It’s just occured to me that this will be my last post until after Christmas. So, best wishes to you and yours over the festive season. Keep on keepin’ on, and catch you on the other side.
Anyone who hasn’t heard of the BBC’s Live Lounge Tour, you’re too late. It just ended. But while it ran, it was one of my favourite stops online. Basically, the show was exactly as the title suggested; getting together with artists, in an informal setting, such as their home lounge, and then get them to play songs (originals and covers)… live. There was an amazing intimacy and warmth that came across on these episodes, and I’m still extremely jealous of Jo Whiley for getting to host it.
While it has drawn to a close now, I think that possibly one of the best shows of the season was saved ’til last, when the Live Lounge Tour chatted to the Stereophonics.
The Stereophonics have had their ups and downs, and their hits and misses, but I’ve always been a big fan of Kelly Jones and the boys. Strangely, while most people were turned off by their seemingly more morose phase, I thought that the “Maybe Tomorrow” times were some of their best. Regardless, I’m sure that this appearance on the Live Lounge may have swung more hearts their way.
The show started off with an interview at Kelly’s childhood home in Wales, and was then followed by an acoustic set at the Cwmaman Men’s Club, where the band had played their first show back when they were 13.
The highlight of the show, and the reason for this very post though, was their cover version of the Foo Fighters “Best of You“. Kelly’s voice has never sounded better. It has the perfect blend of world-weariness and hurt; and of hope. You may not have the blatant Grohl anger here… but Kelly delivers this song in no less a forceful version. It’s as if he approaches it from the other side; a lonely, broken voice calling out in the darkness.
It’s one of the most haunting covers I’ve heard in ages. Good on ya boys.
So it appears that Jack Johnson’s new album, “Sleep Through The Static” should be ready for release by February, 2008. For this, his 5th album, Johnson worked with his usual rhythm section – bassist Merlo Podlewski and drummer Adam Topol – plus Zach Gill (frequent collaborater and frontman of ALO) on piano and accordion.
Jack has said of the album:
“Some of the songs on this album are about making babies. Some of the songs are about raising them. Some of the songs are about the world that these children will grow up in; a world of war and love, and hate, and time and space. Some of the songs are about saying goodbye to people I love and will miss.”
Jack’s had an amazing couple of years. From Brushfire Fairytales to the Curious George: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies soundtrack, Jackie J seems to be on a winning streak. I have the feeling though, that this album will be his toughest yet.
The population is becoming harder to please, and the problem with gaining popularity is that – even for a surfer/singer/songwriter like Jack Johnson – a certain amount of innocence is lost. I’m hoping for a feeling like the one I had when I first heard “Flake”. That innocent joy that ran through you. Time will tell.
In the meantime, Jack has released two of the singles from the forthcoming album on his myspace page. Here is the title track, “Sleep through the Static“, below (again, for new visitors, just click on the “play” icon to listen).
And, continuing on from our Christmas Cover love, Jack Johnson has also released a cover of a Stevie Wonder song, “Someday at Christmas“, on his website. As Jack says:
Here is a home recording i did of a Stevie Wonder song. My parents used to play this song at our house when we were kids.
On Saturday I was lucky enough to see gods in action; Crosby, Stills & Nash, performing in Brisbane at the Riverstage.
It’s been about 10 years since I last saw these guys live. The last time was in South Africa, on a night where a sudden downpour in an open arena had the sound washed away in a wall of water. Luckily, the weather cooperated with us this time, and CSN were treated to the conditions they deserve.
After the originally scheduled concert date of February was postponed, the breathless anticipation of the crowd was tangible for hours before, waiting in queue… so when the troupe walked on stage at 8.30pm, the roar that greeted them was solid.
With that said, the trio didn’t really hit full song for me in the first half. Even with the opener of “Carry On“, there was a discordant feel to the music, something which was shocking and jarring for a band renowned for their crisp harmonies and meldings.
For the men themselves, not much appears to have changed: Stills, still the cantankerous old devil, flamboyantly wrestling with the guitar as if it was a beast he needed to tame; Nash, the consummate buffer between the two titans, someone who tries to invite you into the music; and Crosby, a space-traveller who has retreated into the world of music in his head, a place that always leaves a smile on his face… however, it seems a struggle to persuade him to return to the real world.
Highlight of the first half, for me anyway, was Marrakesh Express. There was a glimpse there of time-past, and a hint that the second-half would deliver. We were not disappointed.
The band that returned after the intermission was the band we all know and love. From the beginning Nash-penned song of “Military Madness“, there was a synergy there that only the band of CSN can attain. Not only a synergy, but a renewed vigour and youth seemed to find them in the song. From there, the night was a amalgam of powerhouse rock and entrancing melodies, none of which were finer than on the song “Helplessly Hoping“.
I was surprised at the amount of Crosby-Nash material that was played, but unfortunately I think this might have something to do with the state of Stills; although he put on a stellar performace, he does not look a well man… whenever Crosby and Nash performed, he rushed to the edge of the stage, and in the darkness you could see him collapsing on a stool, seemingly exhausted.
Stills, however, was undoubtedly the cause for my highlight of the night; against all expectation, CSN performed Stills’ tune, “For What It’s Worth“, penned during his Buffalo Springfield days. I never thought I would be lucky enough to hear that performed live. It was everything I had hoped for.
Another unexpected song for the night was Stills’ solo performance of “4+20“, a song he reminded us was, “simply a passing childish phase. Don’t read too much into a fleeting phase“.
Crosby’s performance of his “Almost Cut My Hair” was a wonderful highlight as well, his voice leaping and soaring as if he was still a young man, belting out the lines:
“I feel like letting my freak flag fly
Cause I feel like I owe it to someone”
as if he was trying to tell us all, “You too can do this. Just believe”.
Rather than go through the wealth of material performed that night (around 2 and a half hours!), suffice to quote Graham Nash, responding to a request for a song from one of the front rows:
“We’ll play all the fucking songs we can remember man… all four of them. Or, in Crosby’s case, two“.
Their interplay with the audience was wonderful; introducing the song “Our House“, Crosby stated, “University studies have shown, that in the years between 1969 to 1974, 40% of all women who gave up their virginity, did so to this song…“, to which Stills wryly replied, “Yeah. And boy was I tired“.
The reality of the humour was forced home when a member of the audience threw a bra up onto the stage during one of the final songs. The boys looked at it for a while, and then Nash placed it up on his microphone stand, saying, “Wow. It’s been a loooong time since we had one of these thrown up at us“.
There was a magic there that night. Although the first half started off slowly, it was almost as if an energy built up and built up in the venue… eventually bursting the dams and possessing each and every person there, showing them the way of the music. So, naturally, when the band retired, there was a resounding encore call; to which the boys replied (of course), with stunning renditions of both “Teach Your Children” and “Woodstock“.
I grew up listening to CSN(Y); with both my mother and father avid fans, I really had no choice. So they had a lot to live up to that night.
Update 20 Dec:
I’ve just learned via Rolling Stone that Stephen Stills has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to the column:
Last night on Larry King Live, Graham Nash revealed that Stephen Stills, his bandmate in Crosby, Stills and Nash, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The revelation followed a discussion between King and Nash about the death of singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, who suffered from prostate cancer for three years before passing last Sunday. According to Nash, Stills — unlike Fogelberg — caught his at an early stage, and will be operated on January 3rd, which also happens to be Stills’ birthday.
