where've you been?

I've been right here...but busy. Sorry for the delay in getting back to blogging. Sure, it seems simple, every day you just write down what's been happening...but did you ever stop to think...if something's happening...you're too busy to write about it!
Hmmm.
Anyway...I'm listening to Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II right now. "Ordinary People" is the track, and Neil is jamming the beejeebers out of that note again! Nu-nu-nu-nu,nu,nu,nu-nu-nu-nuuuuuu!!! Gotta love that. Just received my free copy of Ray Davies' Working Man's Cafe, which was given away in the Sunday Times last weekend. My friend and fellow Rylander Jerry managed to score me a copy. (Thanks Jerry) It's a good album, ten songs by the former Kink, which show that Ray still has what it takes and we've always loved his voice (admit it!) The recent DYLAN box is a decent collection, especially for people who want to start a Dylan collection. Not one rare or unreleased track (ok, "Blind Willie McTell" might rate as hard tofind...but it's been available on an official Dylan album before this) but altogether a satisfying bunch of Bob's songs. And I got the special deluxe box (for a great price at Indigo!). Whether or not these are actually Bob's greatest songs...well...that's not for me to say. Many of his best songs are included.
Reading Paul Myers' It Ain't Easy, the biography of Long John Baldry. And it's a good read. Baldry was one of those guys whose music was pretty much in the background but his impact on the scene was more through the success of band members like Rod Stewart & Elton John. Nevertheless...he made some enjoyable records, and...he lived in Dundas for a while, just up the road. Last time I saw him...he opened for the Beach Boys, and sang a duet with Kathi MacDonald.
Clapton's autobiography is a bit like a chat with an old friend. Quite a pleasant way to hear about drug and alcohol abuse. Patti Boyd's book covers much of the same ground. The most unpleasant biography I've read recently is Billy Joel by Mark Bego. I'm really not sure how Mark Bego gets these book deals, the guy can hardly put together a coherent sentence. And Billy Joel comes across like a complete jerk.
The Eagles new CD comes out today, only at Walmart. An exclusive deal! They said on the radio that it's because Walmart impressed Henley and Frey with their devotion to "leaving a smaller carbon footprint"...uh-huh! No comment.

DVDs...

There has been a flurry of posts on the Rylander Discussion Group because British TV was showing the Ry Cooder session on Old Grey Whistle Test. This show was taped in 1977, and features the Chicken Skin Band. They are pretty hot as they work their way through "Tattler," "Dark End of the Street," Jesus On the Mainline," "Do-Re-Mi," "Goodnight Irene," "He'll Have To Go," and "Smack Dab In the Middle." Awesome. I was able to get a DVD copy of this show in a trade I made with an English collector a couple of years back. Also there is a second DVD, called Ry Cooder on the BBC-TV. It seems to be an episode of Later On with Jools Holland and includes two tracks from the OGWT show of '77 ("Smack Dab..." & ""He'll Have To Go"), 2 from an OGWT in 1973 ("Vigilante Man" & "Goin' to Brownsville"), 2 from OGWT in 1982 ("How Can a Poor Man..." & "The Very Thing That Makes You Rich") and 2 from The Late Show in 1990 (Little Village's "Fool Who Knows" and "Rattlin' King Snake" with John Lee Hooker). It even includes all the ads, which make for really entertaining viewing!
Quality is good. We started a trading pyramid on the Rylander Discussion Group for interested traders.
Other DVDs I have include the Pahinui Brothers show, taken from a VHS-tape from Hawaii (includes a cool documentary about Gabby), the Chavez Ravine film, Ry on Rockpalast, and Les Blanc's extraordinary documentary of Ry's Moula Banda at the Catalyst.
I hear rumours that David Lindley has a DVD forthcoming. That'll be a goodun! Maybe Ry will finally release an official DVD one of these days...until he does...it's boots for me!

first posting of October...

Good morning!
It feels like autumn today.
There's another batch of new CDs and I bought a few of 'em.
The new Springsteen, Magic, is packaged in a mini LP gatefold cover, very attractive. First recording with the E Street Band since The Rising, and more lively than that one. On first listen I'd have to say that Bruce picked up some tips from the Seeger Sessions. "Radio Nowhere" sounds like a classic.
JJ Cale's Rewind is a selection of archival recordings from the early days. Excellent album, and no surprises. The Shelter years established JJ's sound and as one might expect these are lazy grooves with Cale's mellow mumble, and nifty guitar picking. I can't get enough of this guy. New or old...it's JJ Cale!
The Very Best of Mick Jagger does a good job of finding the one or two good songs from his non-Stones output. There were always a couple of gooduns on his albums, and for the most part...he (and Atlantic/Rhino) has made the same choices I would've. "Memo From Turner", ""Don't Look Back" (with Peter Tosh), "Just Another Night" and the duet with Bowie on "Dancing In The Streets" are all here, as well as the unreleased (John Lennon produced) "Too Many Cooks". A good collection, but look for the deluxe edition with the DVD...I couldn't find it!
Have a good Canadian Thanksgiving, and look for the new autobiography by Eric Clapton next Tuesday.
Oh, and the new Steve Earle washington square serenade, is getting a lot of play around here.
For Beatles fans. While you're waiting for the release of HELP! on DVD (Nov.6), and The McCartney Years (3 DVDs on Nov.13) check out this web site http://www.beatle-web.com/indexbw.htm for a delightful cartoon history of Beatlemania!
There are two more print Rylanders in the can, so if you're a subscriber look for mailings later this month, and again just before Christmas.