Comments for The Inner Groove http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com Jim LaBelle's Vintage Music Blog Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:18:01 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Buddy Miller by Bill http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/buddy-miller/#comment-13 Bill Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:18:01 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=67#comment-13 Hey Jim--How right you are. What's your take on the album "Buddy & Julie Miller"? Great stuff, IMHO. You should check out their astounding cover of John Hiatt's "Paper Thin" on "It'll Come to You," a collection of superb artists (including Emmy) doing some of JH's best stuff. Buddy's switchblade-sharp guitar line and the womp of the drums made me think I was hearing Keith & Charlie. Have you dug into the amazing Richard Thompson (founder of Fairport Convention; superb albums with ex-wife Linda; jaw-dropingly great guitarist). We saw him play a magical show in NY on Friday. Buddy and Julie do a fabulous cover of one of many great Thompson songs, "Keep Your Distance." Hey Jim–How right you are. What’s your take on the album “Buddy & Julie Miller”? Great stuff, IMHO. You should check out their astounding cover of John Hiatt’s “Paper Thin” on “It’ll Come to You,” a collection of superb artists (including Emmy) doing some of JH’s best stuff. Buddy’s switchblade-sharp guitar line and the womp of the drums made me think I was hearing Keith & Charlie.
Have you dug into the amazing Richard Thompson (founder of Fairport Convention; superb albums with ex-wife Linda; jaw-dropingly great guitarist). We saw him play a magical show in NY on Friday. Buddy and Julie do a fabulous cover of one of many great Thompson songs, “Keep Your Distance.”

]]> Comment on Juke Joints and Garage Bands by Victor http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/juke-joints-and-garage-bands/#comment-12 Victor Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:27:56 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-12 You could describe the Sit 'n Bull Pub in Maynard as a juke joint. It was the kind of place where they kept shooting pool even after the band started playing. They had great bar food (my favorite was the ribs, with a side of onion rings), and when Massachusetts passed the ban on smoking in restaurants, the Bull's patrons just smoked on the deck out back. You didn't see a lot of young kids in the Bull, it was mostly an over-30 crowd. Most of the time, they had local bands playing a mix of covers and originals, but they got big-name artists, too: J. Geils and Peter Wolf (separately) played there. And I got to see some great blues acts, like pianist Dave Maxwell, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, and French harmonica virtuoso Nico Wayne Toussaint. In a way, the Sit 'n Bull was a victim of the 2003 fire that killed 100 people at another juke joint, the Station nightclub in Warwick, RI. That disaster prompted towns all over to enact or enforce strict fire safety measures for nightclubs. Like most such venues, the Bull was a shoestring operation, and they had to close because they couldn't afford to bring the building up to code. You could describe the Sit ‘n Bull Pub in Maynard as a juke joint. It was the kind of place where they kept shooting pool even after the band started playing. They had great bar food (my favorite was the ribs, with a side of onion rings), and when Massachusetts passed the ban on smoking in restaurants, the Bull’s patrons just smoked on the deck out back.
You didn’t see a lot of young kids in the Bull, it was mostly an over-30 crowd. Most of the time, they had local bands playing a mix of covers and originals, but they got big-name artists, too: J. Geils and Peter Wolf (separately) played there. And I got to see some great blues acts, like pianist Dave Maxwell, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, and French harmonica virtuoso Nico Wayne Toussaint.
In a way, the Sit ‘n Bull was a victim of the 2003 fire that killed 100 people at another juke joint, the Station nightclub in Warwick, RI. That disaster prompted towns all over to enact or enforce strict fire safety measures for nightclubs. Like most such venues, the Bull was a shoestring operation, and they had to close because they couldn’t afford to bring the building up to code.

]]> Comment on Juke Joints and Garage Bands by Victor http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/juke-joints-and-garage-bands/#comment-10 Victor Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:45:13 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-10 Motown/soul and West-coast psychedelia coexisted peacefully on the 60's pop airwaves, but attempts to merge the two styles in one song usually bred monsters like Vanilla Fudge's "Keep Me Hangin' On." African-American artists tried it too, giving us oddities like the Supremes' "Reflections" (accordions moaning and slide whistles shreiking) and the Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" ("I've been crushed by tumbling tides, and my soul has been psychedelicized . . ."). Motown/soul and West-coast psychedelia coexisted peacefully on the 60’s pop airwaves, but attempts to merge the two styles in one song usually bred monsters like Vanilla Fudge’s “Keep Me Hangin’ On.” African-American artists tried it too, giving us oddities like the Supremes’ “Reflections” (accordions moaning and slide whistles shreiking) and the Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today” (“I’ve been crushed by tumbling tides, and my soul has been psychedelicized . . .”).

]]> Comment on The Inner Groove by Webber http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/hello-world/#comment-9 Webber Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:11:36 +0000 #comment-9 Label: You amazed me with your knowledge of music when we were kids and you continue to do so. I thank some higher being or place that you paid attention while the rest of us were getting wasted and just listening to the music. Label: You amazed me with your knowledge of music when we were kids and you continue to do so. I thank some higher being or place that you paid attention while the rest of us were getting wasted and just listening to the music.

]]> Comment on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of all time by jimlabelle http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/rolling-stones-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/#comment-8 jimlabelle Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:09:21 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=46#comment-8 OK, I am thinking Rolling Stone considers Soul and R&B as inherently a part of Rock and Roll, certainly the Rock and Roll era, as opposed to Swing which is from the previous era. It is really a generational thing, which is why our kids may reject R&R at some point when they decide boomers are totally out to lunch (I am guessing soon). Therefore Frank and Nat are not part of what we discuss on this blog in a general sense as they are from the Swing era even though amazing singers. Blues, Jazz (coming out of BeBop), folk, etc is fair game but we have to cut it off somewhere. OK, I am thinking Rolling Stone considers Soul and R&B as inherently a part of Rock and Roll, certainly the Rock and Roll era, as opposed to Swing which is from the previous era. It is really a generational thing, which is why our kids may reject R&R at some point when they decide boomers are totally out to lunch (I am guessing soon). Therefore Frank and Nat are not part of what we discuss on this blog in a general sense as they are from the Swing era even though amazing singers. Blues, Jazz (coming out of BeBop), folk, etc is fair game but we have to cut it off somewhere.

]]> Comment on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of all time by Don LaBelle http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/rolling-stones-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/#comment-7 Don LaBelle Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:42:21 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=46#comment-7 Jim, I am overwhelmed with your detailed knowledge on this subject. Did you pull this all out of your head? Very impressive. I agree with Victor, Frank should be on this list, and if you have Frank, how can you not have Nat King Cole? And don't get me started about Ezio Pinza ("Some Enchanted Evening") and Mario Lanza. My strongest argument with the Rolling Stone list is that there is no way that Roy Orbison should be anywhere but at the top of the list!! Excellent work young man. Happy Birthday. Jim, I am overwhelmed with your detailed knowledge on this subject. Did you pull this all out of your head? Very impressive.

I agree with Victor, Frank should be on this list, and if you have Frank, how can you not have Nat King Cole? And don’t get me started about Ezio Pinza (“Some Enchanted Evening”) and Mario Lanza.

My strongest argument with the Rolling Stone list is that there is no way that Roy Orbison should be anywhere but at the top of the list!!

Excellent work young man. Happy Birthday.

]]> Comment on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of all time by Victor http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/rolling-stones-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/#comment-5 Victor Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:38:54 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=46#comment-5 My beef with RS (not with you) is that "of All Time" claim. The list mostly reflects all the time since Rolling Stone debuted in 1967, but they sneaked in Sam Cooke, who died in 1964. Cooke deserves to be on that list, but so does Frank Sinatra. I'm not a huge Sinatra fan--that was my parents' music--but damn, he had a voice! My beef with RS (not with you) is that “of All Time” claim. The list mostly reflects all the time since Rolling Stone debuted in 1967, but they sneaked in Sam Cooke, who died in 1964. Cooke deserves to be on that list, but so does Frank Sinatra. I’m not a huge Sinatra fan–that was my parents’ music–but damn, he had a voice!

]]> Comment on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of all time by jimlabelle http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/rolling-stones-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/#comment-4 jimlabelle Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:13:28 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=46#comment-4 Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill!- The list is Rolling Stone's not my own personal list. All I added was my own choices for key tracks for each where I disagreed with the RS choices (of key tracks). Had this been my list I would have added Crosby and generally would have been in lock step with most of what you suggested. Remember that this list is regarding vocals only. I considered Blind Willy McTell and Blackbird, great songs but vocals not as good as other's mentioned in my mind. I also agree on <em>It Makes No Difference</em>, my favorite Danko moment. Maybe I'll throw down the last 50 as well. I'm pissed they left off Leon Russell. Levon does make the list at 97. I think his contribution is greater than Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector and Kurt Cobain. . . Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill!- The list is Rolling Stone’s not my own personal list. All I added was my own choices for key tracks for each where I disagreed with the RS choices (of key tracks). Had this been my list I would have added Crosby and generally would have been in lock step with most of what you suggested. Remember that this list is regarding vocals only. I considered Blind Willy McTell and Blackbird, great songs but vocals not as good as other’s mentioned in my mind. I also agree on It Makes No Difference, my favorite Danko moment. Maybe I’ll throw down the last 50 as well. I’m pissed they left off Leon Russell. Levon does make the list at 97. I think his contribution is greater than Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector and Kurt Cobain. . .

]]> Comment on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of all time by Bill Breen http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/rolling-stones-100-greatest-singers-of-all-time/#comment-3 Bill Breen Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:33:16 +0000 http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/?p=46#comment-3 Jim--Great stuff. You've gone deep! I agree with most of your vocalists list, except the following: *I would have put Howlin' Wolf and the 2 Morrisons higher up, especially Van *for Lennon, I would have had Across the Universe for sure; for McCartney, Blackbird *for Dylan, I would have included Oh Sister, Blind Willie McTell, and Masterpiece (or did you have that?), maybe even Dirge--all songs that deliver an emotional wallop through the singing *i know this one is arguable, but i've always thought the Band's Rick Danko never got his due as a singer. I'd put It Makes No Difference and his chilling rendering of Long Black Veil up against many of the songs on yr list *your one huge oversight is omitting David Crosby, despite his incredible leads and harmonies. that, dude, is simply unforgivable! Jim–Great stuff. You’ve gone deep! I agree with most of your vocalists list, except the following:
*I would have put Howlin’ Wolf and the 2 Morrisons higher up, especially Van
*for Lennon, I would have had Across the Universe for sure; for McCartney, Blackbird
*for Dylan, I would have included Oh Sister, Blind Willie McTell, and Masterpiece (or did you have that?), maybe even Dirge–all songs that deliver an emotional wallop through the singing
*i know this one is arguable, but i’ve always thought the Band’s Rick Danko never got his due as a singer. I’d put It Makes No Difference and his chilling rendering of Long Black Veil up against many of the songs on yr list
*your one huge oversight is omitting David Crosby, despite his incredible leads and harmonies. that, dude, is simply unforgivable!

]]> Comment on The Inner Groove by guterman http://theinnergroove.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/hello-world/#comment-2 guterman Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:31:19 +0000 #comment-2 Welcome to the music blogosphere, Jim! Welcome to the music blogosphere, Jim!

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