As much as I love you, Bob, George Harrison owned this song. George always brought a lucid, sunny disposition to whatever he touched, and that’s absolutely the case with his rendition of Absolutely Sweet Marie. He channels pre Dylan –…
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Absolutely Sweet Marie (1992) – George Harrison (Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert)
Tagged with: 12, absolutely sweet marie, blonde on blonde, Bob Dylan, bob dylan 30th anniversary concert, george harrison
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
A Matter of Trust (1986) – Billy Joel
76-year-old Billy Joel is recovering from hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the skull and exerts pressure on the brain. He described his balance problems as feeling “like being on a boat” and noted that the…
La Traviata: ”Libiamo Ne’lieti Calici” (Brindisi) 1853 – Giuseppe Verdi
So I raise today’s piece to you, dear reader. It’s been waiting 172 years to get here. Libiamo ne’ lieti calici in Italian means Let’s drink from the joyful cups. I don’t know how cups can be joyful, but don’t…
Things Have Changed (2000) – Bob Dylan
This song is pivotal – not only in Bob Dylan’s career but as a wider statement about human nature and our strange place in the modern world. Dylan, who almost never explains or interprets his own songs, made an uncharacteristic…
Day After Day (1971) – Badfinger
Day After Day came on my random music player yesterday while I was out and about. I could have sworn it was a Paul McCartney track because of the voice, and I wondered how I hadn’t already included it in…
A Man Needs A Maid (1972) – Neil Young
“It’s overblown, but it’s great,” Young said of this song (A Man Needs a Maid). Featuring a dramatic Jack Nitzsche arrangement, “Maid” transcends its air of dated chauvinism to reveal a deeper core. Written for Young’s girlfriend Carrie Snodgress (who…
They Killed Him (1986) – Bob Dylan
I was about 14 when I bought the cassette of Dylan’s much-maligned Knocked Out Loaded album. I got a kick out of some of its tracks – including today’s featured song, They Killed Him. Even now, whenever I hear it,…
Jackson (1967) – Johnny Cash & June Carter
Jackson is a high-spirited, playful, grassroots country song that I’ve returned to more than almost any other Johnny Cash performance over the years. But I shouldn’t just say Johnny – because it’s his wife – June Carter’s country twang and…
Tagged with: billy edd wheeler, jackson, Jerry Leiber, Johnny Cash, june carter, kingston trio
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
Russian Inspired Music on the Bogotá Transmilenio (26-9-2025)
Yesterday I recorded a duo performing on the Transmilenio — Bogotá’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system. In the background of the video you can see the Bogotá Metro under construction: a 24 km (15 mi) elevated, driverless, automated rapid transit…
Can Can (Orpheus In The Underworld) 1858 – Jacques Offenbach
Apart from being one of the world’s most famous pieces of music, the Can-Can must also be one of the most joyfully mischievous. Its popularity became enduring when, 15 years after composer Offenbach’s death, the Moulin Rouge and the Folies…
Observation Blogger 