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A genius turns 93 …

Posted in Music with tags , , on July 9, 2008 by macmystery

Les Paul, born July 9, 1915, turns 93 today.

Without him, music may have taken a different path. Leo Fender would have still gone on to develop the solid-body guitar, and, eventually, someone else would have developed and perfected multi-track recording.

But who knows how long it would have taken. And who knows how much music the world would have missed. Anybody who’s enjoyed a popular recording made in the past 50 years likely owes a debt to Paul’s genius.

Happy birthday Les.

Here’s a bit of his genius from back in the day with then-wife Mary Ford:

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I shot a man in Reno …

Posted in Music with tags , on July 7, 2008 by macmystery

Before I left home for Reno some five weeks ago, a co-worker of mine who listens to a lot of the same music I like asked me, “Are you gonna shoot a man there?”

“I might,” I said.

“Just to watch him die?” he asked.

“Why else?” I replied.

He was of course referring to the line in Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

But then my co-worker went a little too far.

“You know, there’s something wrong with that song,” he said.

“What?” I asked.

“Well, if he shot a man in Reno, what the hell is he doing in prison in California? Wouldn’t he be in prison in Nevada?”

My reaction included a few choice words. He had permanently guaranteed that every time I heard that song, I wouldn’t be able to stop from asking myself the same question.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, while I was in Reno, someone took a shot at answering that question.

Caleb Cage of the Reno News & Review, a weekly paper, looked a little deeper into the story … or stories … behind the song in his story, “I shot a man in Reno,” in the July 3-9 issue.

If you like Johnny Cash at all, you should check it out. Then you should check out this 1959 performance of the song.

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Good news for me … more Bruce

Posted in Music with tags , on July 5, 2008 by macmystery
New Bruce!

New Bruce!

This brought a smile to my face. A couple more songs to tide me over until another new album.

From www.brucespringsteen.net:

COLUMBIA RECORDS TO RELEASE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND’S ‘MAGIC TOUR HIGHLIGHTS’ JULY 15 VIA ALL DIGITAL DOWNLOAD STORES INCLUDING THE ITUNES STORE Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s ‘Magic Tour Highlights’ on July 15 via all digital download stores, including the iTunes Store. The release will consist of four audio tracks with four accompanying videos, all recorded live in concert during the ‘Magic’ tour.

‘Magic Tour Highlights’ Track Listing

1. “Always A Friend” (performed with Alejandro Escovedo)
Recording Date: 04/14/2008 (Houston, Texas)
2. “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (performed with Tom Morello)
Recording Date: 04/07/2008 (Anaheim, California)
3. “Turn Turn Turn” (performed with Roger McGuinn)
Recording Date: 04/23/2008 (Orlando, Florida)
4. “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” (Danny Federici’s final performance with the E Street Band)
Recording Date: 03/20/2008 (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Stay tuned to brucespringsteen.net for download information on July 15!

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