Secret, Profane and Sugarcane

Just a reminder: If you're in the San Francisco or Hollywood, CA area, you might want to check out Elvis Costello at Amoeba today. He'll be performing songs from his latest CD, Secret, Profane and Sugarcane.

The album, which was produced by the legendary T. Bone Burnett, has Elvis getting in touch with his inner cowboy as he croons thirteen country-infused tunes. Even with the laconic drawling western sound, Elvis' signature sharp wit is still in evidence as witnessed by the lyrics of the CD's opening song, "Down Among the Wines and Spirits":

"Down among the wines and spirits
Where a man gets where he merits...
Once it was written in letter 'bout nine feet tall
Now he sees how far he's fallen

Since he set his mind on her completely
But then I guess that you couldn't have seen him lately
Walking around with a pain that just never ceases
He starts to speak and then he goes to pieces..."

Not only did Burnett produce the album, but he also played guitar on several songs and co-wrote "Sulphur to Sugarcane" and "The Crooked Line" with Costello. Elvis also collaborated with Loretta Lynn on "I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came" and Emmylou Harris provides harmony vocals on "The Crooked Line" adding to the country-western cred.

Two non-Costello compositions appear on the album notably Lou Reed's "Femme Fatale" and the album's closing number, "Changing Partners" by Lawrence Coleman and Joseph Darion.

Track List:

1. Down Among the Wine and Spirits
2. Complicated Shadows
3. I Felt the Chill
4. My All Time Doll
5. Hidden Shame
6. She Handed Me a Mirror
7. I Dreamed of My Old Lover
8. How Deep is the Red
9. She Was No Good
10. Sulfur to Sugarcane
11. Red Cotton
12. The Crooked Line
13. Changing Partners

Secret, Profane and Sugarcane showcases Costello's journey from ascerbic witty punk-pop star to reflective rock elder statesman musing about how "Life isn't a game...won or tied..lost by either side..." Kick back, pour yourself a cold brew and enjoy!

Overrated

Over at Celebritology there's a post about the most overrated entertainers.

For me that list would include Scarlett Johannson (good in The Man Who Wasn't There, Ghost World and Lost in Translation but otherwise...), Natalie Portman, Jim Jarmusch, Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson (has he ever played a character other than "Jack Nicholson"?) and Clint Eastwood, the director.

Much more fun would be a list of UNDER-rated entertainers:

• Adam Sandler - I love him. Not every movie he's in, but definitely The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Fifty First Dates and Punch Drunk Love. And he's a genuinely loyal and nice guy from what I hear.
  
  
• Bruce Willis - In addition to the Die Hard movies (except maybe the third one, but that wasn't Bruce's fault..), Willis has excellent chemistry with kids. Check him out in Mercury Rising, The Sixth Sense and my favorite, the very underrated The Kid. Skip Color of Night. Truly terrible movie.


• John Mayer - I like his music and think his wordplay is really inspired:
  

Thinking bout my brother Ben
I miss him every day
He looks just like his brother John
But on an 18 month delay

Here I stand
6 feet small
and smiling cause I'm scared as hell
kind of like my life is like a sequel to a movie
where the actor's names have changed
Oh well..

• Ben Stiller - wrote, directed and starred in Tropic Thunder. People raved about Robert Downey, Jr., but I loved Stiller's performance as the doltish action hero. Plus the movie was funny as hell.
• Ben Affleck - I thought he actually was the best thing in the naively sappy Good Will Hunting. His nuanced performance as George Reeves in Hollywoodland and assured direction of Gone Baby Gone makes me overlook the whole Bennifer/Gigli debacle.
• Clint Eastwood the actor - Rent The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Awesome stuff.

Those are some of mine. Got any underrated faves to add to the list?

I Love Elvis

I'm a big fan of Elvis Costello and if you are as well--and you're in the Los Angeles or San Francisco area--you're in for a treat!

To promote his newly released album Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, Elvis will conduct a one-day music tour with acoustic performances on Monday, June 22nd at the San Francisco (noon) and Hollywood (8 pm) Amoeba Music stores.

CD signings will follow the mini-concerts.

If you're not located near either of these cities, no worries. The Hollywood performance at 8 pm PT will be streamed live on Amoeba.com.

Playing for Change

Playing for Change describes themselves as "a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music."

Starting in 2005 in my hometown of Santa Monica, CA, Playing for Change has traveled to Barcelona, Johnannesburg, Cape Town, New Orleans, Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Ghana and Dublin bringing musicians from all over the world together to perform benefit concerts that build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope.

Those performances have been recorded and are available on a 2-disc CD/DVD. The ten song audio CD features classics written by Bob Marley, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, U2/Bob Dylan and Sam Cooke and featuring performances by Keb Mo', Bob Marley and Bono.

Disc One - CD

1. Stand By Me 5:13
2. One Love 5:01
3. War/No More Trouble 4:34
4. Biko 4:48
5. Let's Don't Worry 3:24
6. Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution 3:52
7. Better Man 5:23
8. Chanda Mama 3:30
9. Love Rescue Me 2:50
10. A Change Is Gonna Come 6:03

Disc Two - DVD

1. Stand By Me 5:28
2. One Love 5:01
3. War/No More Trouble 4:34
4. Let's Don't Worry 3:22
5. Chanda Mama 3:30
6. The Playing for Change Foundation 3:00
7. The Playing for Change: Peace Through Music Trailer 1:24

Hip Hop Yoga

My Tuesday night yoga class has been featuring some hip hop infused yoga chants by M.C. Yogi from his album Elephant Power. I've been digging the tracks "Om Namah Shivaya" and "Be the Change."

I mean, how can you not like a rap song about Mahatma Gandhi?

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA - M.C. Yogi

Om Namah Shivaya

chorus
Om Namah Shivaya

Now I bow to Shiva with love and respect / I invoke him with the slogan so I’m open to connect / with devotion cuz I’m knowin that he’s always in effect / in deep meditation with a snake around his neck / he’s the husband of Parvati Maha Shakti / & he rides a white bull the vehicle Nandi / he’s Ganapati’s father mister Mahadev / and the Ganges flow down, from the crown of his head / a crescent moon rests right next to his dreads / he’s the god of the dead,covered in ash / with a smile on his face his compassion is vast / living in a place called Mount Kailash / in the Himalayan kingdom known as his home / & in the shape of a lingum he’s a rolling stone / to the king of all yogi's Shankara, Shambo / singing Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Namah Om /

chorus
Om Namah Shivaya

To Shiva Shankar, the yoga master / known as Nataraja the cosmic dancer / lord of destruction, god of disaster / and if you don’t invite him he’s the of party crasher / to the old school mystic, who’s non dualistic / Shiva guides my mind so that I can shift it / away from a place that’s materialistic / into a space that’s more holistic / magnetic ascetic you make my soul shine / you awaken the snake at the base of my spine / third eye wide open in a yoga pose / you show us how to focus so the lotus unfolds / in deep concentration with breath control / returning to the source now you feel the force flow / when Jiva meets Shiva opposites become whole / singing Om Namah Shivaya Shivaya Namah Om /

chorus
Om Namah Shivaya

Om Namah Shivaya the flames get higher / as the corpse gets burned on the funeral pyre / the soul never dies so it won’t expire / when it’s time to die just take off your attire / exhale to let go of your ego’s desire / let your soul be inspired to shine even brighter / like Shiva the one that I admire / dancing on a demon in a burning ring of fire / you embody pure Truth Consciousness, & Bliss / Mahadev it’s been said that your pure auspiciousness / creating, devastating and always transformation / you save the whole world when you swallowed up the poison / destroying bad habits ignorance, and greed / practicing detachment, compassion, and peace / to the king of all yogi's I offer these prayers / to the lord of meditation living in the Himalayas /

chorus
Om Namah Shivaya

BE THE CHANGE - M.C. Yogi

Be the Change

once upon a time not long ago / there was a boy who would grow and become a great soul / he lived in India and his name was Gandhi / he believed in human rights and he felt so strongly/ that he made a vow to train himself / he realized first he’d have to change himself / so he changed his clothes, and decided to walk / some days he practiced silence and refused to talk/ when he was young he studied to be a lawyer / and then he became a great spiritual warrior / he read from the scriptures of every religion / came to the realization that we’re all God’s children because he understood that we’re all equal / he became a spokesman for the people a karma yogi devoted to service / to spread truth & peace was his purpose /

chorus
Be the change that you wanna see in the world, just like Gandhi

Gandhi dedicated his life to the cause / even when it meant breaking unjust laws / he often faced prison and incarceration / but that only strengthened his determination / he said he would make every sacrifice / but that he would never kill or take a life / he used his heart instead of his fist / and he taught nonviolence as a way to resist / a peaceful soldier who used his mind / to fight for the rights of human kind / but not just people, animals too / his basic teaching “God is Truth” / he joined Muslims, Seeks, & Hindus / Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Jews / all the many paths that lead into / the light that shines bright inside of me and you /

chorus
Be the change that you wanna see in the world, just like Gandhi

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” / and it takes more strength and faith to be kind / with that in mind Gandhi took a stand / against the foreign occupation of his land / when things got violent Gandhi would fast / not eating for days until the riots would pass / but the biggest event that made the british halt / is when Gandhi G decided to harvest salt / the British empire installed a salt tax / and stealing salt was an unlawful act / so Gandhi and his peeps, took the streets / ten thousand deep they marched to the beach / but when they arrived they were beaten with clubs / but they didn’t fight back instead they chose love / the foreign military realized they were wrong / and eventually decided to go home / you see Gandhi G was a very great leader / but before all that he was shy and meager / as a young child he was just like you and me / before he became Mahatma Gandhi / the word “Mahatma? it means great soul / and its inside of us just waiting to unfold / if you follow your heart and act real bold / next time it’ll be your story that’s told!

chorus
Be the change that you wanna see in the world, just like Gandhi

A Customer Service Happy Ending

Recently my cohort Sara blogged about the impending iTunes increase. As such, I decided to make my purchases with my gift card before the price increase took effect on April 7th. Imagine my dismay on the evening of April 6th when a number of my song selections already carried the new $1.29 price tag!

I ended up downloading the tunes anyway, but wrote a note to iTunes protesting the unfairness of being charged the increased price prior to April 7th. I didn't expect much although I asked to reimbursed for the extra cost. That would have netted me 90 cents. iTunes gave me a THREE song credit.

How awesome is THAT?!!!

Here is my new playlist:

1. Feeling Good - George Michael
2. She Don't Use Jelly - The Flaming Lips
3. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
4. Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
5. Maybe, Maybe - nico stai
6. Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) - Reunion
7. Love Remains the Same - Gavin Rossdale
8. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
9. Stop and Stare - OneRepublic
10. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon
11. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
12. Psycho - Puddle of Mudd
13. Ball of Confusion - Love and Rockets
14. Vida la Vida - Coldplay
15. 1, 2, 3, 4, - Plain White T's
16. That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
17. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

On the way up to Santa Barbara this morning, this song came on as part of a CD mix created by Sara. No-one in the car had any idea who the artist or song was and, since Sara wasn't along with us to clue us in, Jacob used an app on his cell phone to obtain the desired info.

How cool is that?!!!

This song gets added to my future iTunes purchases...



Such Great Heights

I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles
In our eyes are mirror images and when
We kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes like
Puzzle pieces from the clay
True, it may seem like a stretch, but
Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled
Head when you're away when I am missing you to death
When you are out there on the road for
Several weeks of shows and when you scan
The radio, I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great
Heights, 'come down now,' they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
'come down now,' but we'll stay...

I tried my best to leave this all on your
Machine but the persistent beat it sounded
Thin upon listening
That frankly will not fly. you will hear
The shrillest highs and lowest lows with
The windows down when this is guiding you home

Erik DiNardo at Dakota Lounge, 3/15

Hey y'all! My co-worker Erik DiNardo is going to be playing at the Dakota Lounge (formerly Temple Bar) in Santa Monica. I'm fortunate enough to hang with him most weekdays (He's wicked funny!), but if you live in the Los Angeles area you can catch his act next Sunday.

Here are the details:

Date: Sunday, March 15th
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Dakota Lounge
1026 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

For those of you not fortunate enough to live in the area, here's a video of Erik playing the title song from his debut album, Turning Me Loose:

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

Perhaps on par with winning an Oscar or Emmy or Golden Globe, one of the surest symbols of "making it" is being photographed by Annie Leibovitz. As the famous song by Dr. Hook attests:

But the thrill we've never known
Is the thrill that'll get you when you get your picture
On the cover of the Rolling Stone...

The achievements of Annie Leibovitz include many covers for Rolling Stone--and Vanity Fair and Vogue. Her career has spanned 40 years and her photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono (taken hours before his murder), a very pregnant Demi Moore, Patti Smith and Whoopi Goldberg (to name just a few...) have transcended the celebrity status of the subjects themselves to become iconic images.

Who better to document Leibovitz's life and career than her sister Barbara? Interspersing archival footage with that of present day clips of Leibovitz in action--as well as numerous interviews with colleagues and photo subjects (including Tina Brown, Anna Wintour, Hillary Clinton, Yoko Ono, Demi Moore and Arnold Schwarzenegger), the film explores the process and passion of one of the world's most celebrated and well-known photographers.

The DVD contains additional interviews discussing the stories behind some of those famous photos, Annie's process and work ethic, and her work in the areas of commercial, fashion and celebrity photography. If you've ever leafed through her self-titled book of photos (I own it!), the documentary is like the book come to life.

In answer to her sister's query of "What is a photographer's life?," Leibovitz responds, "It's just a life...looking through a lens." Check out the DVD to get a peek through the lens of Leibovitz's life and work.

Karaoke: Japanese for "Ear-splittingly Bad Singing"

Actually it means "empty orchestra." But now I have yet another reason to hate it: apparently the past-time of drunken American Idol rejects has a negative side effect worse than an off-key rendition of You Light Up My Life.

Karaoke Rage, according to Brian Raftery of Slate is on the rise:

"One explanation for this uptick in karaoke rage is that karaoke bars bring together several socially combustible elements. Fill a room with 30 or so exhibitionists, ply them with alcohol and wireless microphones, and it's only a matter of time before all the forced interaction results in conflict."

If I were on the jury, I'd acquit.

The Latest iTunes Playlist

Ever since receiving a $15 iTunes gift card from my brother and his girlfriend for Christmas, I've been making a list of tunes I want to download. This is what I've got so far:

1. I Feel Good - George Michael: It's not a cover of the famous James Brown song, but a slinky, smokin' jazz tune that caught my ear while watching Eli Stone.

2. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon: My yoga instructor Jessa has this one in rotation for class. It makes holding those poses a little bit easier...

3. She Don't Use Jelly - Flaming Lips: I heard this silly song while driving around with my sister and brother-in-law a couple of weeks ago. It cracked me up.

4. Paper Planes - MIA: This trippy tune featured heavily in the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Love it!

5. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John: It's the whistling at the beginning of this song that sucks me in.

6. Love Remains - Gavin Rossdale: This is one of those songs that feels like an old friend from the very first time you hear it.

7. Schizophrenic Psycho - Puddle of Mudd: This quirky tune has been on my wishlist for quite a while now.

8. Ball of Confusion - Love and Rockets: Long live the 80s!

9. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division: I didn't know much about this precursor to New Order until seeing the film Control, but their most well-known song is both melancholy and catchy.

10. All the Money or the Simple Life - The Dandy Warhols: How in the world could I pass up music by a band named "The Dandy Warhols"?

That still leaves five tunes to go. Any suggestions?

Easy Animal Rights Activism!

Whether it's a love of puppies, elephants or polar bears--or all three and then some--I've got an easy way to show solidarity with our furry friends:

Anti-Records has released a free download of People Got A Lotta Nerve, the first single from Neko Case's new album Middle Cyclone, and for every blog that posts the song and iLike user who adds it to his/her profile, Neko Case and Anti-Records will make a donation benefiting Best Friends Animal Society.

The promotion will run from January 14 to February 3, 2009. Five dollars will be donated for every blog post and one dollar for every user of iLike that adds the song to his/her profile. So, if you have a blog, post it--or if you're a Facebook user, add it to your profile. It's an easy and painless way to support a good cause.


Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, Best Friends Animal Society is one of America's foremost animal rescue organizations. Best Friends advances nationwide animal welfare initiatives by working with shelter and rescue groups around the country. On any given day Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (the nation's largest facility for abused, abandoned and special needs companion animals located in southwestern Utah) is home to approximately 2,000 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. The society also publishes Best Friends magazine, the nation's largest general interest, pet-related magazine with approximately 300,000 subscribers.

She Don't Use Jelly - The Flaming Lips

Since receiving an iTunes gift card from David and Crystal for Christmas, I've been making a list of songs I want to download. This song came on the radio while I was out with Laurie and Dennis this weekend and immediately the silly lyrics caught my ear and made me giggle.

It's definitely on the list now.



She Don't Use Jelly

I know a girl who thinks of ghosts
She'll make ya breakfast
She'll make ya toast
She don't use butter
She don't use cheese
She don't use jelly
Or any of these
She uses vaseline
Vaseline
Vaseline

I know a guy who goes to shows
When he's at home and he blows his nose
He don't use tissues or his sleeve
He don't use napkins or any of these
He uses magazines
Magazines
Magazines
Magazines
Magazines

I know a girl who reminds me of Cher
(reminds me of Cher)
She's always changing
(she's always changing)
The color of her hair
(color of her hair)
She don't use nothing
That ya buy at the store
She likes her hair to be real orange
She uses tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines
Tangerines

Wicked

I finally got to see Wicked at the Pantages yesterday. (I know Esther's probably rolling her eyes thinking, "It's 2009 and you hadn't seen Wicked YET?!!!) My book club read Gregory Maguire's book back in 2004 and we were stoked to go see the musical coming soon to the Pantages--but never got around to it.

Tonight is Wicked's final performance at the Pantages--it moves up to San Francisco for a year or two. And my sister Laurie and brother-in-law Dennis are in Los Angeles to supervise the move! That seemed like as good an excuse as any to finally catch the hit musical before it left L.A. once more.

The Pantages Theatre is this old gorgeous art deco theater where, if what's on stage isn't keeping your interest, you can be mesmerized by the ornate ceiling. Thanks to my sister's connections, we were able to score great seats--just ten rows back from the stage. I think the balcony would have given us a better perspective of the spectacle, but (except for the idiot "lovebirds" in front of me who were leaning into each other and blocking my sight line...) we had a great view of the stage.

Eden Espinosa and Megan Hilty, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda in the Los Angeles production of Wicked were on hand to close out the L.A. run of the show. Dennis informed us that we were in for a treat with Espinosa, who--other than Idina Menzel who originated the role--was the best of the actresses who had performed the roloe of Elphaba. He wasn't kidding. Espinosa's voice was wonderful. Clear, crisp and strong--she enunciated so well it made the complex lyrics easily understandable.

Hilty also did an outstanding job although her part in the opening number "No One Mourns the Wicked" was overshadowed by the chorus. I've never seen Kristin Chenoweth's portrayal of Glinda, but from watching her as Olive Snook on Pushing Daisies and then seeing Hilty's performance, it's easy to see how Chenoweth defined the role of the Good Witch of the North. Hilty's portrayal of Glinda seemed to be a lot of Kristin Chenoweth--with a bit of Kristen Wiig thrown in for good measure in my opinion...

The Los Angeles production also featured Carol Kane in the role of Madame Morrible and she was exceptional. For those of you wondering where Latka Gravas' SO ended up, there's your answer!

The musical is not quite as dark as the book and is quite funny at times. It ties in more of the standard mythology from the movie version than did the book and, in typical Broadway musical fashion, has a happy ending that the book did not. I guess that's to be expected--you want people to leave the theater humming the score, not sobbing and depressed. Although, the score and songs aren't quite as "catchy" as something from a Lloyd Webber production...

(I don't quite understand, however, how you can depict a magical land with animals who talk and monkeys that fly and wizards and witches--good and bad--and yet a green girl is considered "weird"...)

The set was stunning. After the show, Laurie and Dennis took us backstage to look around. We got to see the amazing wardrobe up close. The details of each costume were exquisite! Laurie said they cost thousands of dollars apiece. We peered into the orchestra pit and Dennis showed us the trapdoor where Elphaba reappears after "melting" and all the wiring and such that goes into making a magical musical.

It was a wicked good time!

Bottle Rocket: Short Film Soundtrack Digital Release

Rushmore is one of my favorite movies. But before Rushmore, there was Bottle Rocket. And before Bottle Rocket, there was...

Bottle Rocket.

Two years before the release of the quirky caper film about some spectacularly inept thieves, Anderson filmed a 13 minute short version that was the inspiration for the feature length film.

With the release of the deluxe DVD version of the film comes the never before released short--as well as its accompanying soundtrack.

Wes Anderson is as well-known for his quirky, offbeat choices of music as he is for his quirky and offbeat cast of characters. The soundtrack for the short film is no exception. His longtime collaboration with music supervisor Randall Posner over the years has produced the uniquely idiosyncratic sound that Anderson is known for.

The short film moves along to the syncopated beat of an assortment of jazz tunes: Artie Shaw, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and the Zoot Sims Quartet add zip and pizazz to the eight tracks of the album. Anderson must have grown up watching the Peanuts specials like the rest of us because two of the tracks are by none other than Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi.

According to music production team of Anderson/Posner:

“I was listening to a lot of jazz at the time, especially Coltrane’s albums on Blue Note and Sonny Rollins’ A Night at the Village Vanguard,” explains Anderson. “I was inspired by the use of American jazz in French new wave movies like Breathless. I still love this music.”

“He seemed to take the outlaw nature of these jazz musicians and apply it to the would-be rebels in the film,” adds Poster.

The soundtrack for the short film version of Bottle Rocket is available on iTunes.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button soundtrack available 12/16

Although movie-goers have to wait until Christmas Day to check out Brad Pitt portraying the title character in the tale of a man who ages backwards, music lovers can get their hands on the soundtrack from the movie today.

The two CD set features the score by Award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat on disc one and a collection of songs and dialogue snippets from the film on disc two. To mirror Benjamin's retrograde existence, Desplat created a main theme that can be played backwards as well as forwards. Other themes come and go, and chords switch from major to minor, as the clock ticks and characters disappear from the story.

Desplat's haunting score is complemented by music by Louis Armstrong, the Preservation Jazz Hall Band and even The Platters--evoking the melodies and milieu of New Orleans as well as the moments in time of Benjamin's life. According to Desplat:

"The movie has everything that a film can offer to a composer: A humanistic script by Eric Roth of a man's epic journey living his life biologically in reverse through a century, a heartbreaking love story played with intensity by two of the most glamorous and gifted actors of our times, the pulse of jazz in the city where he was born, a twist of witty humor, the metaphysical question of death, and the pure visual magic created by a genius director."

Whether or not the film turns out to be the brilliant epic of Desplat's assessment, there's no doubt from the pieces I've seen that it looks spectacular. And, after listening to the soundtrack, it sounds spectacular as well.

Do What You Want, Be What You Are

My recent review of Hall and Oates: Live at the Troubadour reminded me of this great tune.

Do What You Want, Be What You Are

Do what you want girl, but be what you are
There ain't no right or wrong way
Just a play from the heart
It ain't a sign of weakness to give yourself away
Because the strong give up and move on,
While the weak give up and stay

[Chorus:]
So do what you want to do
But be what you are...

Do you believe in hot cars,
leather bars or movie stars...
Is that what's real?
Payin' dues, Earth Shoes, Chicago blues
Is that how you feel?
You can change, but you can't conceal
what's deep inside you...
It's your game, it's your deal

[Chorus:]
So do what you want to do
But be what you are...

Daryl Hall and John Oates - Live at the Troubadour

As Daryl Hall opens the Hall and Oates performance at the Troubadour, he reminisces about the last time the duo played the L.A. club--35 years ago when they opened for Harry Chapin. "This is the first place we ever played in Los Angeles...and nothing has changed in here, man!"

The May 2008 performance was captured Blaze TV with 10 remote-controlled HD cameras creating audio and visuals that allows the viewer to experience the performance as if they were inside the crowded LA club. The result was released in three formats – DVD, Blu-Ray, and a 1-DVD/2-CD combo, via Shout! Factory on November 25th.

I've a soft spot in my heart for Hall and Oates--She's Gone has long been one of my favorite songs. Although the performance does a great job of covering the breadth of the pop duo's career, it excludes two notable tunes--Back Together Again, their ode to Neil Sedaka and Do What You Want, Be What You Are which exemplified the Philly soul sound they were known for:

Do you believe in hot cars,
Leather bars, or movie stars
Is that what's real?
Payin' dues, earth shoes, Chicago blues
Is that how you feel?

It ain't a sign of weakness to give yourself away
Because the strong give up and move on,
While the weak, the weak give up and stay...

Still, there are a lot of great songs in the CD/DVD collection including some of my faves like the bittersweet Rich Girl, the upbeat poppy You Make My Dreams and of course, one of the ultimate break-up songs, She's Gone. The full listings are as follows:

CD Disc One:

1. Everything Your Heart Desires (Daryl Hall)
2. When The Morning Comes (Daryl Hall)
3. Family Man (Tim Cross/Rick Fenn/Mike Frye/Mike Oldfield/Morris Pert/Maggie Reilly)
4. Say It Isn’t So (Daryl Hall)
5. It’s Uncanny (Daryl Hall)
6. Had I Known You Better Then (John Oates)
7. She’s Gone (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
8. Getaway Car (Gary Haase/Billy Mann)
9. Cab Driver (Louis Brown/Alan Gorrie/Daryl Hall)

CD Disc Two:

1. One On One (Daryl Hall)
2. Sara Smile (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
3. Maneater (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
4. Out Of Touch (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
5. I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
6. Rich Girl (Daryl Hall)
7. Kiss On My List (Janna Allen/Daryl Hall)
8. You Make My Dreams (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
9. Abandoned Luncheonette (Daryl Hall)
10. Private Eyes (Sara Allen/Janna Allen/Daryl Hall/Warren Pash)

DVD Performances:

1. Everything Your Heart Desires
2. When The Morning Comes
3. Family Man
4. Say It Isn’t So
5. It’s Uncanny
6. Had I Known You Better Then
7. She’s Gone
8. Getaway Car
9. Cab Driver
10. One On One
11. Sara Smile
12. Maneater
13. Out of Touch
14. I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)
15. Rich Girl
16. Kiss On My List
17. You Make My Dreams
18. Abandoned Luncheonette
19. Private Eyes

Extras:

All New Interviews with Daryl & John

Since it was recorded in May, sadly there's no rendition of Jingle Bell Rock, but the recordings would be a great holiday gift for any Hall and Oates fan.

The Best of Bond...James Bond

I've never been a fan of James Bond movies. Until the franchise reboot Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. Then the series went from gadgets to grit, from blow-dried suave to raw hotness, from slick techno to hardcore action.

I'm really looking to Quantum of Solace which releases this weekend, but in the meantime I've been listening to a compilation of Bond film theme songs called The Best of Bond...James Bond. Featuring 22 songs from Bond movies such as Thunderball, Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever--along with two versions of the James Bond theme--the CD is a time capsule of Bond franchise and how its evolved over the years.

Interesting to note, that while much is made of each film's "Bond Girl," when it comes to theme songs Shirley Bassey--who is a vocalist on three of the songs on the CD--is THE Bond Girl. Other Bond "girl" vocalists include Gladys Knight, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Nancy Sinatra, Tina Turner and Madonna.

My favorite Bond tunes are Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney and Wings and Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon. In addition to performances by Tom Jones, Louis Armstrong and Lulu, the CD also features one-hit wonder A-Ha. It's a pretty eclectic group of performers and performances: from Garbage and Chris Cornell to Sheena Easton and Rita Coolidge.

The CD is available now at Amazon.com--or you could win a copy from Well Above Average!

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Bond theme song is and keep checking back. I'll randomly select a winner in a couple of weeks and send you the CD.

The only restrictions are: you must have a U.S. address for me to send the CD to (sorry, Tokyo!) and you can't be related to me (sorry David!).

Previously on Lost

Leave it to Jen Chaney to track down and write about the recap rock band (Seriously, isn't that a bit specialized?) Previously on Lost.

It's still almost three more months until LOST premieres its penultimate season. Until then, you can console yourself with POL and their song, Be My Constant.