Music

Crimesongs

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There are a lot of good songs about the criminal way of life…

Emmylou Harris, Ain’t Living Long Like This

Tom Russell, Doin’ Hard Time in Texas

Ian Tyson, Claude Dallas

Emmylou Harris, Pancho and Lefty

Roy Drusky, Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail)

Jimmie Rodgers, another version of the above, called Moonlight and Skies

Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues

Sam Cooke, Frankie and Johnny

Mississippi John Hurt, Stagger Lee

Wilson Pickett, another version of Stagger Lee

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (with Tom Russell), The Sky Above, The Mud Below

Two other great Tom Russell songs, Hong Kong Boy and He Wasn’t a Bad Kid When He Was Sober

What else?

A Most Unusual Protest Song

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…from the 1960s.

P F Sloan, When the Wind Changes

Rolling Stone Reviews Top 100 Metal Albums

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For whatever reason this is the music of my childhood and I couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to take apart this ranking by Rolling Stone magazine, which was reasonably good (other lists have been terrible in the past). If you are interested at all head over to our other site and check it out. I would put it here beneath the fold but there are tables and the like and it takes a while to re-format from Blogger to Word Press.
If not hope you are having a good summer…

Electric Six at Dante’s In Portland

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Last night I went to see one of my favorite bands, Electric Six, at Dante’s in Portland on Burnside Avenue. They played a fun show and the band sounded great (my ears are still ringing). Here is their iconic singer “Dick Valentine” on stage. The band delivers hilarious onstage banter and are highly recommended. The crowd at Dante’s was also great and everyone seemed to be in good spirits.

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Yngwie F’ing Malmsteen

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When I was in high school Yngwie Malmsteen hit the metal scene like a hurricane. That was back in the day when you would have long and furious arguments about who was the “best” guitarist (remember, we didn’t have the internet and had to fill our time with something other than social media). When Yngwie emerged the term “shredding” became the norm and Yngwie was the apex of that style of guitar playing – almost the photo that you would put adjacent to that term in the dictionary.

His debut album “Rising Force” was a classic in that genre – mostly instrumental and filled with probably just about the recommended dose of Yngwie for most non die-hard fans. The hand raising his iconic guitar above the fire is the image of Yngwie that jumps into my mind first and foremost.

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