|
| RADIO RADIO | | Date Created: Mar 11, 2007, 09:56 PM |
 Radio Song - R.E.M. Feat. KRS
AM Radio - Everclear
I Bet You They Won't Play This Song On The Radio - Monty Python
Don't Listen to the Radio - The Vines
This Is Radio Clash - The Clash
Mexican Radio - Wall Of Voodoo
Border Radio - The Blasters
Pirate Radio - John Hiatt
Heartbreak Radio - Delbert McClinton
Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Radio Girl - John Hiatt
On The Radio - Donna Summer
FM - Steely Dan
Song On The Radio - Al Stewart
Video Killed the Radio Star - Buggles
Listen To The Radio - Nanci Griffith
One More Song Like The Radio Won't Like - Kathleen Edwards
You Turn Me on I'm a Radio - Joni Mitchell
Mohammed's Radio - Warren Zevon
Static On The Radio - Jim White
|
| '07 Oscar predictions card | | Date Created: Feb 25, 2007, 04:25 PM |
 OK, you can't claim anything if you don't go on record before they're announced.
This year is even more pathetic than last year for great movies if that's possible. Same for CD's. There are still great actors, musicians, songs, and video but is the movie dying like CD's are?
As usual, seeing the movies in question is not a help. In fact I think it's a hindrance. I've only seen one of the major movies up for awards and it makes it very tough to predict which will win for Best Picture which is the only category of the majors that's a toss-up.
The movie I saw was Little Miss Sunshine. It's a nice effort, different, cute, funny, and a good movie. Is it great? Is it in the caliber of past Best Pictures winning Oscars? No chance. But then Crash won last year so "great movie" is no criterion for which movie will win Best Picture.
PC and avoiding the embarrassment of snubbing a great director again will dominate who wins and will trump other factors although the legacy effect won't do it for Peter O'Toole. Sometimes PC and a great performance go together. Best Actor will fall together that way.
The Grammys were totally PC this year, but then they're a joke and always have been. The Oscars have at least some sense of greatness or timelessness. But when there isn't much that's truly great you have to go back to past performances greatness and reward your current political sensibility. You can be sure Al Gore's movie will win Best Documentary for example.
It's a mistake to try to predict Best Song. It was the only one I missed last year and PC won out. So Randy Newman's song in the movie Cars will probably lose but I'd love to see it win. Maybe Cars will win the animated film category.
So of the six majors, EW and Roger Ebert disagree on only Best Picture. Last year I went with one of Roger's picks and another one of EW's which gave me 6 for 6 and both of them 5 of 6.
I have to agree on Scorsese for Best Director, Forest Whitaker for Best Actor, Eddie Murphy of Best Supporting Actor, Helen Mirren for Best Actress, and Jennifer Hudson for Best Supporting Actress (the category traditionally most likely to be an upset).
But Best Picture is a tough call. I hope it's not Little Miss Sunshine but that's an emotional choice. Best Picture doesn't usually go to a quirky dark comedy but it has some PC points going for it. The Departed would have been my choice as it goes with Scorsese as Best Director but this category has split several times in recent years and a legacy award for director should be enough. The Departed doesn't have the maximum PC; that belongs to Babel. So I'm going to have to go with Ebert and Babel.
I also agree with Ebert's pick of Pan's Labyrinth for Best Foreign film and Babel for Best Original Screenplay although this may be the way to reward Little Miss Sunshine if Babel takes Best Picture. The Departed will probably be rewarded with Best Adapted Screenplay.
Let's hope Roger Ebert's condition will allow him to resume his full career this year even if he does think that An Inconvenient Truth is the only movie he insists everyone has to see.
|
| Liner notes 2006 -- Dr. Reptile's Greatest Hits | | Date Created: Jan 16, 2007, 09:03 AM |
 Well the Christmas tree is down and we’re half way through the first month of the year. It’s time to get around to the liner notes for the 2006 Dr. Reptile’s Greatest Hits. Carrying on the proud tradition of the writing on the back of lp records, we have some disjointed, erudite, opinionated, obtuse, and generally interesting but strange comments on the music scene and the songs selected for the 23rd edition of Dr. Reptile’s picks for the best songs of the past year or so.
For those new to the format, these are the best songs, not the best CD’s of the year. The CD that took over for the lp record is nearly dead. Everything is headed back to songs and away from expensive CD’s. But this time it won’t be top 40 hits. People can put their songs together in their own collections or shuffle their collection. It’s not clear how music will be best distributed and who will control the access to music, but there will still be a place for turning people on to new music, putting it together in listenable forms, and sequencing it so that it plays well. Thus the reason for Dr. Reptile, critic-without-a-portfolio, who knows something of five decades of music including what’s coming out now.
And what’s coming out now continues to deteriorate. It seems that something like the Beatles has to come along and revitalize music, but it sure hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps the powerful and long lasting genre of rock music has run its course. That’s certainly happened to sub-genres of rock and other genres in the past. Old genres like country or jazz haven’t taken over either. Time for something new? But who’s going to do it? Where’s it going to come from? What form will it take?
The same thing has happened in film. How many truly great movies came out last year? There was hardly a way to pick a best picture last year at the Oscars and it would be tough to choose a number of great CD’s either. But the entertainment industry still has to push product and critics still have to go on about something or there’s no reason for their existence. So we muddle along with what we have and wait for something better.
Movies get remade, sequelized, made from popular books or even comic books, follow PC trends, use pyrotechnics, or generally get highly produced, well acted, and well directed but mediocre films. Same thing happens with CD’s. Some great musicians outlive their usefulness or take the easy way out and just get into knee-jerk politics — Neil Young and Springsteen come to mind. Some old warhorses keep on trucking, but just don’t have anything really new to get across even though they’re still trying — Paul Simon, Tom Petty, and Donald Fagen’s CD’s last year fall in this category. Not bad, just nothing to get excited about.
And then there’s Dylan. The guy really does know how to reinvent himself. Several folks whose opinion is well respected thought something from Modern Times should be on the Greatest Hits. Although all the songs are listed as written by Bob Dylan, it would seem that at least a few like Rollin’ and Tumblin’, Someday Baby, and The Levee’s Gonna Break should have been on the bonus CD of favorite cover versions. This was truly a great CD for a guy in his 60’s. If you were going to buy a CD this last year and you’re a Dylan fan, this would have been one to buy.
Expectations were too high for the Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris collaboration. The JJ Cale/Eric Clapton collaboration was also underwhelming although it sounded better if viewed just as a JJ Cale album. The Elvis Costello/Alan Toussaint collaboration was another interesting experiment that didn’t quite make it to great. The Dixie Chicks (Ditsy Chix?) soldier on and aren’t bad, just not enough for a great CD. The greatest American band extant, Los Lobos, also soldiers on but didn’t get anywhere near previous heights. The most successful experiment was a rap producer teamed up with a hip hop singer that came up with the song of the year and another song to add to the Crazy theme compilation. And the most interesting potential to watch this year and the future were Paolo Nutini and KT Tunstall.
Lots of bands put out live CD’s last year — another thing to do when you don’t have anything new or worthy to put out. Old 97’s, Ozomatli, My Morning Jacket, Counting Crows. There were a number of other relative disappointments — Bare Naked Ladies, Flaming Lips, Guster, Chip Taylor, Jay Bennett, Calexico, Gin Blossoms, and Joan Osborne. Over-hyped or overrated were Cat Power, Raconteurs, Decemberists, and Neko Case. This doesn’t mean they’re worthless, just not as good as the hype.
This was the first year where several of the songs arrived without the CD they came from and made the Hits without the benefit of a CD copy. It’s basically become impossible to keep up with all the output, particularly when most of it is mediocre. It takes time to give CD’s an adequate listen and often it takes multiple listens to find a worthy cut or two.
Roughly half of the songs on the 2006 Greatest Hits wouldn’t have made it in previous years. But still there are songs to enjoy while waiting for the revolution. Or you can just go to the bonus CD and listen to great covers of old great songs, many of which were on previous editions of the Greatest Hits. How many of the originals can you name without looking them up?
So the Pipettes were a suggestion from a young Reptilian who has a network of 20-something music friends who are generally from the Guster and Weezer side of rock. Their video reminded Dr. Reptile of the famous Addicted To Love band backing the late Robert Palmer. And part of the fun was that the hook of “pull shapes!” sounded like “bull sh*t!” Lots of fun doing a Euro-female-rock band thing.
Golden Smog is a rotating supergroup project that is just a studio collaboration but comes up with some great stuff occasionally. Corvette would make a nice set with Prince’s Little Red Corvette and maybe a Beach Boy car song like Little Deuce Coupe.
Too Tough to Die was just too cool to leave out. Betty Lavette made a big comeback in ‘06 and Martina Topley-Bird seems to be from the same line.
Crazy was hands down the song of the year. Not the first attempt at mixing soul, hip hop, and rock but a very innovative effort. The band put together to take advantage of the studio collaboration was fun to watch too. And speaking of hot performances, Robert Randolph and the Family Band had a CD out last year but it didn’t capture their live sound and performance. Some good songwriting is needed perhaps.
Dr. Reptile’s personal fave was KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See. Great song, great lyric, powerful voice and performance. The rest of the CD, Eye To The Telescope, was worthy too. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree almost made it to the Hits as well. Keep watching this KT.
New Shoes arrived in a compilation of new music from Paste mag (probably the best US music mag left standing). The name Paolo Nutini stuck out as did the song. Then KCUV started playing it. Hard to resist that. Other stuff by Nutini who’s a true multi-national, sounded interesting too. We’ll see.
Fatboy Slim is another example of an artist that can do something with rap, hip hop, and rock. How could we not follow New Shoes with That Old Pair of Jeans? Nice hook in the latter too.
Tears, Tears, & More Tears first made it to the “TEAR” compilation. Then it seemed to have legs and eventually made it to the Greatest Hits in the hybrid category of musical backgrounds. Costello is a rock chameleon and the mix with New Orleans’ Allan Toussaint doesn’t always work but this was a great one.
It’s not at all clear how Too Much Stuff got on the Greatest Hits of ‘06. Delbert released another best of compilation in ‘06 but his last studio album was from ‘05 and this tune seems to be from ‘97’s One of the Fortunate Few. Oh well. McClinton, Prine, and Lovett together needs to get on a Greatest Hits collection and Too Much Stuff certainly characterized ‘06.
Ride the River is actually a great JJ Cale song with or without Eric Clapton. Do we have a RIVER compilation? We should. Oh we do? Yeah. It’s called MANY A RIVER TO CROSS. Looks like we’ll have to redo it.
OK, The Road to Gila Bend isn’t up to the standards of Emily or other Los Lobos greats but give it a few listens. It will grow on you and these guys have been together for 30 years or more. They may not have outlived their usefulness.
Like Todd Snider, Shawn Mullins has a keen eye for relationships and can put them in a very good song. The CD was so-so but Beautiful Wreck stood out. Snider did put out a CD last year but it escaped review — maybe in ‘07.
The Dixie Chicks are on here for one reason. If you make stupid political statements and get ripped for it whether you deserved it or not, this is the way to respond. Write a great song and sing it with conviction. That’s what you’re supposed to be doing anyway.
And speaking of conviction, Lynn Miles is another in a long line of female singer-songwriters who come up with the occasion feminine angst gem. Here’s the chorus:
You can read a lot of books
That don't make you smart
Kiss a lot of fools
Don't mean you've got a heart
Walk a million miles
Doesn't mean you've travelled
You can make a perfect plan
And watch it unravel
Don’t know anything about the Mountain Goats. They sound like Ben Folds. I had to agree with their line, “I’m going to make it through this year if it kills me.”
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris are two of Dr. Reptile’s all-time favorite musicians. Putting them together sounded like musical heaven. Unfortunately it still takes great songs and not all male-female voices in duet work even if they’re wonderful separately. This Is Us was the best of this experiment. Nice lyric too — reminds one of John Prine and Iris Dement doing (We’re Not) The Jet Set.
Boy Least Likely To is another one of those quirky bands found by Miss E. Reptile. Very nice little CD. Another cut, Be Gentle With Me, almost made the grade and other titles include, Sleeping With A Gun Under My Pillow and I See Spiders When I Close My Eyes. You might check it out if you liked Apple Wagon.
Tilly & The Wall is another find on a Paste compilation disc. Seems like they go well with The Pipettes and Boy Least Likely To. Their CD is remarkably good as long is Tilly is singing.
And what is it with this Gomez s**t? Dr. Reptile has been waiting a long time to ask that question regarding the group. They must have six CD’s at least and have been around for years but finally got some attention this year with How We Operate. Unfortunately even with a tie-in like the title song, the rest of the CD wasn’t that great but See The World and Tunstall’s Suddenly I See really made the theme compilation SUDDENLY I SEE. Turns out there are a lot of great songs about seeing.
And subbing for Susan Cowsill this year is Neko Case who got too much attention for Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, but Hold On Hold On was enough to get on the Greatest Hits. Old folkies never die.
Oh, and BTW, the award for best CD title this year went to Yo La Tengo:
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. Unfortunately the A&R man said, “I don’t hear a single”.
|
| Uncover Me - Dr. Reptile's favorite cover versions 2006 -- the originals | | Date Created: Jan 07, 2007, 10:03 AM |
 A Hazy Shade Of Winter - Simon & Garfunkel
I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - The Byrds
Baby Blue - Badfinger
Refugee - Tom Petty
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
I've Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher
Red, Red Wine - Neil Diamond
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Jump - Van Halen
Blue - Jayhawks
Better Things - The Kinks
I'm Looking Through You - The Beatles
And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles
There She Goes - The La's
So. Central Rain - R.E.M.
The First Cut Is The Deepest - Cat Stevens
Studebaker - Warren Zevon
I'm A Lonesome Fugitive - Merle Haggard
Crossing Muddy Waters - John Hiatt
Keep Your Distance - Richard Thompson
Rose Of Cimaron - Poco
Walk Away Renee - Left Banke
To Live Is to Fly - Townes Van Zandt
|
| Song Name |
Time |
Artist |
Album |
Genre |
Size |
| A Hazy Shade Of Winter |
02:17 |
Simon & Garfunkel |
The Best Of Simon & Garfunkel |
Easy Listening |
2.2 MB |
|
| the problem | | Date Created: Jan 07, 2007, 09:48 AM |
 The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.
--- Milton Friedman |
| equality and freedom | | Date Created: Jan 07, 2007, 09:46 AM |
 A society that puts equality ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom.
--- Milton Friedman |
| Cover Me - Dr. Reptile's favorite cover versions 2006 | | Date Created: Dec 13, 2006, 11:29 PM |
 Hazy Shade Of Winter - The Bangles
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better - Tom Petty
Baby Blue - Aimee Mann
Refugee - Melissa Etheridge
Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows
I Got You Babe - Pretenders
Red, Red Wine - UB40
Come Una Pietra Scalciata (Like A Rolling Stone) - Articolo 31
Jump - Aztec Camera
Blue - The Thorns
Better Things - Fountains Of Wayne
I'm Looking Through You - The Posies
And Your Bird Can Sing - The Kennedys
There She Goes - Sixpence None The Richer
South Central Rain - Hem
The First Cut Is The Deepest - Sheryl Crow
Studebaker - Jordan Zevon
I'm A Lonesome Fugitive - Dave Alvin
Crossing Muddy Waters - The Devil and Bunny Show (Adam Duritz)
Keep Your Distance - Buddy & Julie Miller
Rose Of Cimarron - Emmylou Harris
Walk Away Renee - Linda Ronstadt With Ann Savoy
To Live is to Fly - Cowboy Junkies
|
| Song Name |
Time |
Artist |
Album |
Genre |
Size |
| Keep Your Distance |
03:49 |
Buddy & Julie Miller |
Love Snuck Up |
Folk |
3.6 MB |
|
| Dr. Reptile's Greatest Hits 2006 | | Date Created: Dec 13, 2006, 11:25 PM |
 Pull Shapes - The Pipettes
Corvette - Golden Smog
Too Tough To Die - Martina Topley-Bird
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
That Old Pair Of Jeans - Fatboy Slim
Tears, Tears, & More Tears - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
Too Much Stuff - Delbert McClinton
Ride The River - J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton
The Road To Gila Bend - Los Lobos
Beautiful Wreck - Shawn Mullins
Not Ready To Make Nice - Dixie Chicks
Unravel - Lynn Miles
This Year - The Mountain Goats
This Is Us - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to Your Star - Boy Least Likely To
Rainbows In The Dark - Tilly & The Wall
See the World - Gomez
Hold On, Hold On - Neko Case
|
| Song Name |
Time |
Artist |
Album |
Genre |
Size |
| Pull Shapes |
02:58 |
The Pipettes |
We Are The Pipettes |
Indie |
5.0 MB |
|
| ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS | | Date Created: Nov 18, 2006, 08:28 PM |
 Raging Winds Of Time - Walking Wounded
Any Way The Wind Blows - Frank Zappa
Any Way The Wind Blows - The Stone Coyotes
Any Way The Wind Blows - Southern Pacific
Walk The Way The Wind Blows - Kathy Mattea
Hasten Down The Wind - Warren Zevon
Hasten Down The Wind - Linda Ronstadt
Blowin' In The Wind - Peter,Paul and Mary
Catch The Wind - Donovan
Ride Like The Wind - Christopher Cross
Candle in the Wind - Elton John
West Texas Wind - Bill and Bonnie Hearne
Magnolia Wind - Guy Clark
Hickory Wind - Byrds
Runaway Wind - Paul Westerberg
Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart
Four Strong Winds - Neil Young
Against The Wind - Bob Seger
Windfall - Son Volt
Dust In The Wind - Kansas
The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix
Singing Winds, Crying Beasts - Santana
Cast Your Fate To The Wind - Vince Guaraldi
|
| Song Name |
Time |
Artist |
Album |
Genre |
Size |
| Any Way The Wind Blows |
03:38 |
Southern Pacific |
Greatest Hits |
Country |
3.4 MB |
|
| Don Edwards, Bill Hearne -- Swallow Hill | | Date Created: Nov 18, 2006, 07:46 PM |
 Friday night at little old Swallow Hill in south Denver. Bill Hearne and his guitarist, Bob Goldstein and bass, Mary Faber, drove up from Santa Fe to open for the old cowboy singer, Don Edwards. Not to be confused as I was with Don Williams. Don Edwards represents what little is left of the W in C&W. Don Williams is more in the Jerry Jeff Walker school of non-mainstream country music.
But we actually went to see Bill Hearne who is a favorite of many nights at the Lounge at La Fonda in Santa Fe. He was in great form but didn't get to play too long as the opening act. Joan requested he play her favorite song, "Navajo Rug", but he didn't get to do it although it was mentioned because Don Edwards talked about Ian Tyson who wrote it.
You have to be rather eclectic to enjoy Don Edwards although he was in good voice and great guitar playing that did very well without any accompaniment. A single spotlight on him cast a classic shadow on the back wall that looked like the ghost of Hank Williams. We got some yodelling and even some coyote howls which was a first for even the most eclectic Dr. Reptile. A very pleasant evening of the western section of Americana music.
Hopefully we'll see Bill with wife, Bonnie, back in Santa Fe after Christmas. Meanwhile, check out Swallow Hill. It's a nice little concert venue for eclectic small acts that don't get much attention and which you can get up close with.
Bill got to play both "Drifter's Wind" and "Magnolia Wind" which gave Dr. Reptile and idea for a theme compilation... |
- Reviews > Don Edwards, Bill Hearne -- Swallow Hill
|
| ALL THIS AND MORE | | Date Created: Nov 14, 2006, 08:42 PM |
 More Than This - Roxy Music
How Many More Times - Led Zeppelin
More Than A Feeling - Boston
All This And More - Procol Harum
Cry One More Time - J. Geils
I'm Not Running Anymore - John Mellencamp
Trouble No More - The Allman Brothers Band
Don't Come Around Here No More - Tom Petty
More And More - Blood, Sweat & Tears
How Much More - The Go-Go's
The More I See You - Chris Montez
More Of Your Love - The Derailers
One More Try - The Rolling Stones
I Can't Love You Any More - Lyle Lovett
Give Me More, More, More Of Your Kisses - Lefty Frizzell
Should't Have Took More That You Gave - Dave Mason
It Doesn't Matter Anymore - Linda Ronstadt
Do That To Me One More Time - The Captain & Tennille
One More Night - Phil Collins
More Than A Woman - Bee Gees
More (Theme From Mondo Cane) - Andy Williams
More (Theme from Mondo Cane) - Kai Winding |
| More Than This | | Date Created: Nov 12, 2006, 02:03 PM |
 I could feel at the time
There was no way of knowing
Fallen leaves in the night
Who can say where they're blowing
As free as the wind
Hopefully learning
Why the sea on the tide
Has no way of turning
More than this
You know there's nothing
More than this
Tell me one thing
More than this
There is nothing
It was fun for a while
There was no way of knowing
Like a dream in the night
Who can say where we're going
No care in the world
Maybe I'm learning
Why the sea on the tide
Has no way of turning
More than this
You know there's nothing
More than this
Tell me one thing
More than this
No there's nothing
"More Than This"
---Roxy Music
Avalon
|
| Song Name |
Time |
Artist |
Album |
Genre |
Size |
| More Than This |
04:30 |
Roxy Music |
Avalon |
Rock |
4.2 MB |
|
| A Whiter Shade of Pale | | Date Created: Nov 09, 2006, 08:31 AM |
|
We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
The crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray
And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale
She said, there is no reason
And the truth is plain to see
But I wandered through my playing cards
Would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might just as well been closed
And so it was that later
As the miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly,
Turned a whiter shade of pale
|
- Quotes > A Whiter Shade of Pale
|
| JUST A SONG | | Date Created: Nov 05, 2006, 08:04 PM |
 Sing A Simple Song - Sly & The Family Stone
I Wrote A Simple Song - Billy Preston
An Old Fashioned Love Song - Three Dog Night
It's The Same Old Song - The Four Tops
Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song) - The Buckinghams
I Write The Songs - Barry Manilow
Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
Just A Song - Dave Mason
Look What They've Done To My Song Ma - Melanie
Never Ending Song Of Love - Delany & Bonnie & Friends
Sing Your Own Song - UB40
Wrote A Song For Everyone - Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Singer Not The Song - The Rolling Stones
To Cry You A Song - Jethro Tull
Redemption Song (Band Version) - Bob Marley & The Wailers
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song - Jim Croce
Summer Song - Chad & Jeremy
Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
A Song For You - Leon Russell
Your Song - Elton John
The Song is Over - The Who
|
| Song Name |
Time |
Artist |
Album |
Genre |
Size |
| Just A Song |
03:01 |
Dave Mason |
Alone Together |
Rock |
2.9 MB |
|
| placebos | | Date Created: Nov 05, 2006, 07:59 PM |
 I'm addicted to placebos. I could quit but it wouldn't matter.
--- Stephen Wright |
|
|
|
|
|
