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Music – Page 4 – Chris Flannery

Music

blessed is the memory

by

I remember the promise
That you made in the barn
When the kittens were born
And you could not keep warm

So you moved away the mountain
That the sun rose behind
And you said yourself a prayer
And laid down with the blind

But you lost them in your freedom
And you need him now, you’re wild
Blessed is the memory
Of everybody’s child

And the vow of compassion
That you swore through your teeth
When the war began to end
And the photographs weep

Well, nobody blames you
As the train pulls away
With its cargo of snow
For these German paper-weights

But you lost them in your freedom
And you need him now, you’re wild
Blessed is the memory
Of everybody’s child

Well, its five in the morning
There’s no one home
Except for your wife
And your child on the phone

Somebody’s got to listen
To a promise or two
Oh, this room is far too small
For a pilgrim like you

But you lost them in your freedom
And you need him now, you’re wild
Blessed is the memory
Of everybody’s child

So, now that you’ve decided
To follow the sun
Like a shadow of birds
Or a King on the run

Oh, your chains are too dark
For the seas you must swim
You’re smiling at the seaweed
But your smile is too grim

But you lost them in your freedom
And you need him now, you’re wild
Blessed is the memory
Of everybody’s child

Blessed is the memory
Of everybody’s child
Blessed is the memory
Of everybody’s child

-Leonard Cohen-

(previously unreleased)

The Best Albums of 2007

by

There were none. But seriously, I’ve only liked a handful:

  • Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
  • Nellie MacKay – Obligatory Villagers
  • Holy Hail – Pointed Rifles To The Sky
  • Feist – The Reminder
  • Lucinda Williams – West

There were a chunk of disappointments, but perhaps my expectations were too high:

  • Bill Callahan – Woke On A Whaleheart
  • Bryan Ferry – Dylanesque
  • Fiery Furnaces – Widow City
  • Eef Barzelay – Eef Barzelay
  • other albums by Interpol, Bloc Party, Architecture In Helsinki, Andrew Bird, Arcade Fire, and !!!

So, instead I list the best albums that I discovered in 2007:

Vanilla Fudge – Renaissance (1968)

 

Various Artists – Zigzag: 20 Junkshop Soft Rock Singles from 1970 -1974 (2003)

 

Ian & Sylvia – Complete Vanguard Studio Recordings (2001)

 

Great Speckled Bird – Great Speckled Bird (more Ian and Sylvia) (1970)

The Byrds – Sweetheart of The Rodeo (1968)


Neil Young – On The Beach (1974)

The Phoebe Snow

by

A Promotional Record for the funding of Scranton, STEAMTOWN, U.S.A.

On The Famous Route of the Phoebe Snow

[audio:https://www.chrisflannery.com/music/phoebe_snow.mp3]

Words and Music by: Michael Gianetta

Vocals by: Kathy and Char

Lyrics:

Never had to worry rain or shine

You would always get there right on time,

Fascinating everso

On The Famous Route of the “Phoebe Snow”

There’s a famous bridge at Nicholson,

Right there on the way to Binghamton,

It’s exciting as you go,

On the Famous Route of the “Phoebe Snow”

Hoboken to Chicago,

Stretching out at Buffalo,

Stop in Scranton for the Night,

On the Road of Anthracite

On your way from New York if you nap.

You will the Delaware Water Gap

Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono

On the Famous Route of the “Phoebe Snow”

[tags]scranton, phoebe, snow, Lackawanna, railroad[/tags]

long long time to get old – great speckled bird (1969)

by

more lyrics, transcribed by me

“long long time to get old”
by: great speckled bird
off: great speckled bird(1969)

the eagle’s flying tomorrow
mosquito biting me today
i ride the bus to toronto
highway 2 all the way
i take a walk along yonge street,
where good times are bought and sold
remember this children if the good lord’s willing
live a long long time to get old

i aimed back to the hometown
the liquor store burned down
my old girlfriend riding
way on the east end of town
i had to laugh when she passed me
and i knew what they told
she said
remember this children if the good lord’s willing
live a long long time to get old

get to some lean times momma
watch a fat friend go
see the wreck on the highway
you’ll be driving home slow
so lay some some truth on your young ones
give them something to hold
because the women and children
if the good lord’s willing
live a long long time to get old
alright

well she sings you a story
and you can tell her song
laying down by the river
oh summer’s slipping along
with her eyes closed dreaming
sun shines some more
remember this children if the good lord’s willing
live a long long time to get old

the eagle’s flying tomorrow
mosquito biting me today
I ride the bus to Toronto
highway 2 all the way
take a walk along Yonge Street,
where good times are bought and sold
remember this children if the good lord’s willing
live a long long time to get old
remember this children if the good lord’s willing
live a long long time to get old

[tags]great speckled bird, long long time to get old, lyrics[/tags]

chicken heads by bobby rush

by

as transcribed by me

chicken heads by bobby rush (and written by calvin carter)

daddy told me on his dying bed
give up your heart or don’t you lose your head
you come along girl, what did i do?
i lost my heart and my head went too

little girl little girl you sure can cook
little girl little girl you you’ve got me hooked
when you cook that chicken save me the head
i should be working but i’m home in bed

i’m thinking about you
i’m dreaming about you
love that gal
love them chicken heads you

without your love i just cant go on
the feelings i have for you is much too strong

let me in
let me in
let me in

my love for you so doggone strong
like the mississippi river rolls on and on
if loving you was doggone crime
id be sitting in jail done flat nine-nine

i’m thinking about you
i’m dreaming about you
i love that gal
i love them chicken heads too

without your love i just cant go on
all the feelings i have for you are too doggone strong
let me in
let me in
let me in

love that gal
love them chicken heads too

[tags]lyrics, bobby, rush, calvin, carter, chicken, heads[/tags]

Entourage & ELP

by

In my fantasies I could imagine hearing Emerson, Lake & Palmer songs at hot LA parties, I know its not reasonable..

…but, if you listen in on the sixth season, 3rd episode (“Three’s Company”) of Entourage, when the boys go out for a guys night out – the swanky restaurant is playing “Tank” (of tehir self titled album) ever so faintly in the background.

P.S. this is the same episode in which Larry Birkhead (Anna Nicole’s Baby Daddy) has a cameo.

[tags]entourage, emerson, lake, palmer, tank[/tags]

Eddy Grant, Alive

by

 

edgrantI would have put money on the fact that Eddy Grant was dead. I somehow got the notion that he was mysteriously murdered on some Caribbean island in the late 1980’s. Well, good news. Eddy Grant, you’re not dead. Unfortunately your career as a pop singer still is.

Altamont Reactions Revisited

by

In less than an hour’s span I unintentionally came across two songs revealing the resentment toward the Rolling Stones’ for what happened at Altamont [and they’re both written by Mcs! (not Micks!)]:

1.) I happen to be perusing for an annotated version of the lyrics to Don McLean’s “American Pie”[yeah, whatever] and the Mick and The Stones references are less than benign:

So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil’s only friend.
Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan’s spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

2.) I also accidentally downloaded a song by Gene McDaniels called “Jagger the Dagger” (I was looking for “Chip Chip”). What I found was a good taste of the resentment that the African American Community had toward Mick Jagger (and The Rolling Stones) for the death Meredith Hunter at Altamont.

Mark French writes up the album and provides a download on Uppity Music.

The song is hard to lyrically decipher [hence the poor transcription], however the intent is clear:

Jagger doin’ the devil dance
Just a victim of circumstance
Jagger wheelin'[?] the Rolling Stone
He and the devil, now he’s all alone
Jagger lived in the world of one
Now he’s learning the devil’s style
Jagger played a heavy game
He’s free from guilt and he’s free from shame
… Jagger doin’ the devil dance…

[tags]rolling stones, altamont, eugene, mcdaniels, don, mclean, american pie[/tags]

 

Scranton Town / Steamtown U.S.A. 1986

by

A long forgotten novely 45 for the founding of Steamtown National Historic Site…

Sorry for the poorer quality, this is my first attempt.

[audio:https://www.chrisflannery.com/music/steamtown.mp3]
Scranton Steamtown U.S.A (mp3)
The Steamtown Express
Lyrics & Music by Michael Gianetta
KMA Music 106 Side A

 

[audio:https://www.chrisflannery.com/music/scranton_town.mp3]
Scranton Town (mp3)
(“The official theme song of Scranton, PA. Respectufully dedicated by Michael Giannetta and accepted by the Mayor James B. McNulty and The City Council”
featuring The Gene Dempsey Orchestra with Vocals by 2 PLUS 2
Lyrics & Music by Michael Gianetta
KMA Music 106 Side B

[tags]scranton, steamtown, novelty 45s[/tags]

Tattoo You

by

Something I never knew: Tattoo You (1981), the only standout album of the Rolling Stones’ past 27 30 years, was actually just a dumping ground for outtakes. The reason I like it so much becomes clearer when you make the connections to the original sessions and musicians (namely Hopkins and Taylor) they came from.

  • “Tops” and “Waiting on a Friend” were cut in late 1972 during the Goats Head Soup sessions (thus featuring Mick Taylor, not Ron Wood, on guitar; Taylor later demanded and received a share of the album’s royalties).
  • “Slave” and “Worried About You” were recorded in 1975 during the Black and Blue sessions in Rotterdam. They feature Billy Preston on keyboards and Ollie Brown on percussion. Wayne Perkins plays the lead guitar on “Worried About You”.
  • “Start Me Up” was originally written as a reggae number called “Never Stop” during the 1975 Black and Blue sessions. “Start Me Up” was left unreleased at the time because Keith Richards had expressed concern that he might have inadvertently taken its main riff from another song he had heard (something that was later to happen with “Anybody Seen My Baby” on Bridges to Babylon).
  • “Hang Fire”, “Little T&A”, “Black Limousine”, and “No Use In Crying” all came from the Emotional Rescue sessions in 1979.
  • “Neighbours” and “Heaven” were the only new recordings (from April to June 1981), although the band began a version of “Neighbours” during work on Emotional Rescue.
  • “Heaven” has an unusual lineup, consisting of only Charlie Watts on drums, Bill Wyman on synthesizer and bass, Mick Jagger on guitar, and producer Chris Kimsey on piano. Some sources also claim that Wyman plays guitar on the track.

Some of the older tracks were overdubbed and mixed during the 1979 Emotional Rescue sessions or in 1981 as Tattoo You was being compiled.

Open Air

by

Amber was 19.  
Lucky for us she looked 23. 
She said that we could do anything and we did it all.
We lived downtown. It was pretty punk for kids to live downtown.
Pretty punk of us to get kicked out, but we didn’t care… at all.
Open air, open air, open air
Open air, open air, open air
The open air, open air, open air
The open air, open air, open air

-the oranges band-