New CDs...

We must be gearing up for Christmas! There have been some really interesting releases in the last couple of weeks (and next Tuesday holds quite a bit of promise). Mark Knopfler's kill to get crimson arrived last week. It's a fairly subdued album featuring some intriguing lyrics and music that's beautifully played and recorded if a bit soporific. Of course, if you're REALLY having trouble getting to sleep, try the new Raul Malo! Zzzzzz!
Joni Mitchell was just inducted into the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame (last night on CBC) and her new CD arrived (at Starbucks) the same day! I downloaded it (all legal-like) from eMusic, and I'm glad I did. Saved some dough! It's dull, samey, and precise. Again...a beautiful
sonic sheen covering up...a tired Joni. Shine is not Blue, whatever they tell you. And who needs another version of "Big Yellow Taxi"?
Goin' Home is a double CD sub-titled a Tribute to Fats Domino. Now here's a guy who deserves a tribute. The recent biography Blue Monday gave me a new appreciation for Antoine. And his recent album Alive and Kicking rocks like crazy! This one spreads new versions of Fats's tunes across 2 CDs and features people like Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, Taj Mahal, BB King, Robbie Robertson, and a bunch of Crescent City denizens too! I like it!
I also enjoyed the new Steve Earle disc washington square serenade. It's rootsy, and acoustic, lots of guitars, and mandolins and Steve's rugged vocals.
A new DVD came along too, The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show. This is just some of the musical guests, hand-picked by Johnny for his 1969-71 variety show. I recall watching many of these when I was a mere boy! I specifically remember Bob Dylan's appearance. The version included here seems far grainier than the rest, and looks as though it comes from a different source. My complaint with this set is that in the opening scenes they show artists who don't appear in the programme. They show James Taylor a couple of times, for instance, but his efforts are not included.
The David Gilmour concert DVD is still getting lots of play at home! Called Remember That Night it certainly helps this viewer remember the night at Massey Hall in Toronto. And the bonus footage is quite interesting too.

New Rylander (in print)

I got down to work and finished off the two Rylanders that had been residing on my computer for the past few months, and have (as off today) mailed them off to subscribers. I also have two more issues almost ready...so in the next month or so I will have caught up! Whew!
I apologize for the delay. My office was moved and already printed issue were lost in the confusion, computer files were misnamed, you know the drill! So now it's back to normal...well...what's normal?
A setting on a clothes dryer!

Strat Masters

After a couple of days in the nation's capitol I returned to find a package I had been waiting for. A 2-DVD set entitled Strat Masters which is called the Definitive History of the World's Most Famous Guitar. It's an excellent documentary showing the development of this iconic axe, and the programme is filled with interviews with famous players. Jeff Beck, Chris Rea, Robert Cray, Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and even Ryland Peter Cooder. Ry looks ever so comfy in his studio, Strat on his lap, as he chats about this essential tool-of-the trade. The DVD is PAL format only, but all regions so you can watch it on your computer...or...lookup the appropriate 'hack code' and adjust your DVD player to accept PAL discs!
Ordered a copy of Uncommon Sound, which they're mailing out to me today...can't wait! We lefties need to stick together!

Hey...where've I been?

Been absent for a while! Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long. I know everyone out there in blog-land is just waiting on my next posting with bated breath. Especially Lester Bilbo! The newest issue of Fretboard Journal just came out, and again they've shown that they are the best guitar magazine out there! Earl Scruggs on the cover. Awesome. And a review of what looks like a MUST-have book for southpaw pickers like me! Uncommon Sound! 2 big deluxe volumes, lotsof pictures, and all the left-handed guitar players you can name! Well, except for yours truly...but when I sign my name in the front of my own copy...I'll stick a snapshot of myself playing between the pages!
I'm off to a board meeting in Ottawa for the rest of the week, so won't be posting.
New music? I recorded a couple of my own songs at 3 Flamingos Studio in Brantford. Picked up a copy of Eliza Gilkyson's live CD (excellent) and Lyle Lovett's It's Not Big It's Large (I think he means his band!) . Also Ben Harper's new one, (yawn). But I'm waiting for next Tuesday and Mark Knopfler's new CD! And David Gilmour's live DVD. And the Johnny Cash TV show set. It's always something, and me trying to save the money for that book of left-handed guitar players. It's $300!
Anybody want to take up a collection?

The story of Blondie's autograph...

I wrote what we call an "omni" review of Blondie Chaplin's recorded ouevre for Green Man Review a few years ago. It's been one of my most popular reviews, since...it's one of the few things on the internet to deal with Blondie's career. Oh, he now has his own MySpace site, and even his own web site, if you look hard enough. But for a long time you Googled "Blondie Chaplin" and you got my GMR article. It even led to Blondie himself phoning me at the office. Of course, I was on vacation at the time and missed the call...we never did connect...although I have spoken with Keith Lentin and Rob Fraboni and I've been put in touch with the people who are planning to distribute Blondie's great unreleased classic Fragile Thread. They tell me it's still coming!
Anyway...Blondie was on tour with the Rolling Stones, providing backing vocals and playing some guitar, and an internet pal printed off my review and had Blondie sign it after a Stones show a couple of months back. There it is...off to the left. To Blondie and to Gwen...thanks!

what next?

It seems that the standard nowadays is the deluxe package with a 20-30 minute DVD included along with the CD. I must admit that I find this to be good value. For an extra $2 or so, you get some really nice collectible material. Of course, it can be overdone...see the case of Bruce Springsteen who released a regular edition of the Seeger Sessions, a DualDisc edition and then a few months later put out the American Land edition which featured a couple more bonus tracks, extended video on the DVD, and cost a lot more! How many times do they expect people to buy this stuff? Of course...then the Boss did the whole thing live and released a double CD, or a DVD, or a double CD+DVD edition of the Live Seeger Sessions! Whew! And in the meantime...he worked on a new album of original material due for release in October. I think I'll hang on til I see the premium edition for a good price!
I bought the new Lyle Lovett (with DVD) and it's great value! $17 for a half hour's worth of video material + a dandy collection of new songs! Excellent. Ben Harper's new one is called Lifeline and it comes in a reasonably priced box set too. A live DVD of all the songs from the CD, played in the same order. And a book of photos from the sessions. All for around $20. Trouble is...Ben is just so darn dull these days. As he expanded his band...he stopped doing what I liked best about him...playing the Weissenborn. It features only on the final two tracks. And those two tracks are my faves...but the synthetic R&B/gospel stuff that people seem to love about Ben just pales in comparison to the real stuff that I much prefer. Give me the Staple Singers, or the new Vee-Jay anthology, or any number of old Marvin Gaye albums.
Opinionated? Moi?

Wednesday, August 22nd...

Finishing off some vacation time, by hanging around the house...playing the guitar...watching some DVDs (Wild Hogs was a bit of a laugh)...cleaning out the shed...you know the drill. I picked up the Popeye DVD set which FINALLY has the early B&W Popeye cartoons that I grew up loving, along with some wonderful documentaries and extra bonuses. And, NO I'm not old enough to remember these cartoons from their first release...but the I Yam Wot I Yam doc tells about how they were Popeye's popularity was rejuvenated in the mid-50s with the playing of these great 'toons on TV, with local hosts (like Big Al, or Captain Andy, f'rinstance). I had previously bought some poor transfers of Popeye cartoons on DVDs from Walmart, for about $1 each. The quality on this new set is extraordinary. It also features the long-form Sindbad and Ali Baba films in glorious technicolor! Beautiful!
Read The Rabbit Factory (a detective story about a Disney competitor plagued by a serial killer) which was an entertaining read! And now moved on to Michael Palin's Diaries 1969-1979 which are subtitled the Python Years and provide an intimate look at the creation of Monty Python's Flying Circus. As expected Palin is a charming and gentle writer, quite erudite, witty and opinionated.
Trying to get into Crowded House, which my friend Rick tells me is a great band, but apart from a song here and there...I don't get. I managed to find an interesting DVD in the deleted bin at Zellers. The Acoustic YES. Now I never thought of them as having much of a sense of humour, but they do "Tiger Rag" for their sound check. This is well worth the $4.94 I paid for it. If they'd had more than one copy I'd've bought them for Christmas presents for my brothers! I guess they'll have to be happy with what I brought them from NYC! Don't tell them though!
One last DVD recommendation...Les Paul Chasing Sound. I saw this on PBS last month, and it was highly informative and fun to watch. Okay, Les has a massive ego...but after all he did...he deserves it! Some dandy bonus footage too! From the Iridium Jazz Club in NYC, where he plays every Monday night.