Your Friday Moment of Pre-Conceptions Being Challenged

So the other week, on the occasion of a Listomania about bad cover versions, somebody nominated a Van Halen version (with Sammy Hagar) of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again."

And I, perhaps predictably, responded by saying something to the effect that hell, that's too scary for me to even contemplate, let alone try to find.

In any event, strictly out of morbid curiosity, I did finally try to find it, and here it is.



And I gotta say -- Hagar's obnoxiousness notwithstanding, this is pretty damned impressive, particularly Eddie's transposing the synth intro from the original onto guitar. I'm still not a fan of these guys, but damn -- that's a lot of music for only three instruments.

Make sure you listen to it under the headphones, BTW. The video quality is piss poor, but the audio is great.

Discuss.

Family First!

In case you're been wondering what Aimee Mann has been up to of late...



...she's employing her musical partner Ted Leo's uncle as the group's drummer.

It's a great song anyway.

[h/t Atrios]

Behind the Mask

Guess who?

This is an actual performer who made an actual record circa 1966....

...(sorry that I could only find an excerpt)...



...and who actually performed it on The Merv Griffin Show.

Twice.

I should add that this actual performer eventually became very famous in the 70s on a TV series where you could actually see his face.

Sloth Tuesday

Taking a f**king day off.

Got a problem with that?

Jesse Winchester 1944-2014

From circa 2009 or 2010 -- on Elvis Costello's tv show Spectacle -- please enjoy the now sadly late Mr. Winchester with his ineffably touching and beautifully written tribute to the not-so-silly love songs of his youth, "Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding."



That's the divine Neko Case sitting next to him, with EC in the middle of the row of singer/songwriters; Sheryl Crow and Ron Sexsmith are to Costello' right.

You'll note, in a close-up, that Neko is crying genuine tears by the song's finish. I have to admit that when I watched the video for the first time, I was too.

AN INTERESTING AND ALARMING HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE: Winchester attended Williams College in Massachusetts in the early 60s, where he fronted a sort of Animal House style frat-party garage band that was locally quite successful (and went on to record some demos in NYC that almost landed them a record deal).

Also in the band was noted problem gambler William ("The Book of Virtues") Bennett.

Yes, that William Bennett.

It is perhaps one of the great historical ironies of our times that Bennett -- the future hypocritical Conservative scold and Bush I era drug czar(!) -- was in an r&b group with perhaps the most famous hippie draft-dodger of the Vietnam years. One who pardoned by Jimmy Carter on his first day in office, I should add.

Friday Cinematic Notes From All Over

Given the level of my obsession with that Wilko Johnson/Roger Daltrey album I've been bending your ear about this week...



...I really think I need to order a copy of this documentary, whose existence I had not hitherto been aware of.

I'll have a review next week, 'natch.

Your Thursday Moment of Words Fail Me

From that album I mentioned on Tuesday.

Roger and the still not dead Wilko...

...cover my single favorite Dylan record.



I can not fricking believe how great that is. Seriously.

Under the Weather

Have I mentioned I'm under the weather?

Cool stuff resumes tomorrow.

Death, Where is Thy Ring-a-Ding Ding?

The short version: Wilko Johnson, the great guitarist of pub rock notables Dr. Feelgood, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in January of 2013.

A couple of years earlier (2010, to be precise) he found himself seated next to Roger Daltrey, at some awards show or something, and the Who singer turned out to be a fan of the Feelgoods. At which point, the two a) bonded over their mutual love for Brit rock pioneers Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (auteurs of the original "Shakin' All Over") and b) vowed to work together while Wilko still remained on this mortal coil.

Here's a live version of a song from the resulting album, which has just been released...

...and as I'm wont to say, words fail me.



Let me repeat -- Wilko is dying. And yet this is some of the most life-affirming stuff I've ever seen.

I should add that I am soooo ordering the album over at HERE and you should too.

As of this writing, Wilko is still with us, BTW.

Long may you choppy power chord, my friend.

Deep Thoughts Monday

Okay, kids, last week's Girls! Girls! Girls! series plum tuckered me out.

Or as Groucho Marx famously observed "This will be a gala day. And a gal a day is about all I can handle."

So basically I'm taking some well deserved time off till tomorrow.

But a very great man, who was a hero of my youth, died last week. And it behooves me to mention his passing to all who walk upright.

So fare thee well, Eddie Lawrence 1919--2014 -- and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

To your eternal credit, my wisecracking friend, there were fewer things in heaven and earth than were dreamt of in your Old Philosophy.