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…
Blog Archives
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…
Baby Can I Hold You (1988) – Tracy Chapman
This beautiful love song is one of the few Tracy Chapman pieces I regret leaving out when I first launched my Music Library Project back in 2019. Unlike much of Chapman’s work, which often leans toward social and political commentary,…
Second Chance (1988) – 38 Special
When I was 14, I owned the Australian cassette release of today’s featured song (image above), Second Chance by 38 Special. I had completely forgotten both the song and the fact that I even owned it – until yesterday, when…
These Days (1973) – Jackson Browne (inc. version by Nico)
I was watching The Royal Tenenbaums a few weeks ago with my daughter Katherine, enjoying its superb soundtrack, which includes today’s featured song. But it’s not Jackson Browne’s original – it’s a version by Nico (pictured left). Today’s post will,…
Observation Blogger 