The Return of Robbie Robertson

The Band's Robbie Robertson has announced that he will release his first solo effort in 13 years on 5 April. How To Become Clairvoyant will feature three tunes he penned with Eric Clapton as well as guest appearances by Trent Reznor, Tom Morello, Steve Winwood, Robert Randolph and Taylor Goldsmith (of current TNOP fave band Dawes).

"The boys helped me out," Robertson told Rolling Stone. "I think I've written some really good songs, and ... it turned out quite extraordinary." He adds that the album explores addiction, 60s idealism and "rock and roll's early reputation as the devil's music".

Two tracks are particularly interesting. "This Is Where I Get Off" recounts the end of Robertson's affiliation as lead guitarist and chief songwriter with The Band upon the conclusion of The Last Waltz project. The second can be sampled below: "When The Night Was Young" is a quiet, soulful melody complimented by Scottish singer Angela McCluskey and anchored by Martin Pradler's piano; subtle allusions to The Band's apprenticeship in the American South and its wide-eyed introduction to New York with Bob Dylan are evident.

Here's the track listing:
1. Straight Down The Line
2. When The Night Was Young
3. He Don't Live Here No More
4. The Right Mistake
5. This Is Where I Get Off
6. Fear of Falling
7. She's Not Mine
8. Madame X
9. Axman
10. Won't Be Back
11. How To Become Clairvoyant
12. Tango For Django

The Lost Instrumentals: Average White Band - "Pick Up The Pieces"

Six lads from Scotland formed a band in 1972, some of them already with minor credits to their name as backup musicians. Comprised of two sax players, a bassist, drummer and a lead and rhythm guitarist, the group caught its break when they backed up Eric Clapton at his "comeback" concert in 1973. The Clapton connection was important for two reasons: first, the guitar god's manager took them under his wing and landed them a contract with Atlantic Records in the US: and second, Clapton musical associate Bonnie Bramlett gave the boys a name: The Average White Band.

AWB released their self-titled Atlantic debut in the summer of 1974 in England. "Pick Up The Pieces" was picked as the lead single, and it promptly died without notice. The album came to US shores in October, and radio stations started to add the single to regular rotation. By February 1975 it hit #1 on the pop charts and #5 on the R&B list.

It remains one of the funkiest grooves ever reduced to vinyl. The guitar intro gives way to a staccato sax duet, powered from behind with a solid bass and drum bottom. The bridge is greeted by the communal shout of "pick up the pieces!" worthy of any Bar-Kays song and then . . . a scorching tenor sax solo by Malcolm "Molly" Duncan.

It really is a four minute, one second piece of musical genius, produced by Atlantic Records mogul Arif Mardin. It is a worthy addition to the legendary Atlantic soul canon.

Soon, AWB would be one of the first white groups appearing on Soul Train. A group of Scottish lads, no less.

Never underestimate the power and reach of American soul music.

Ultimate Singles Jukebox [Slot 114]

Crossroads
b/w "Passing The Time"
Cream
Written by Robert Johnson
Produced by Felix Pappalardi
Atco Records 6646
Released July 1968

On 10 March 1968, the British "supergroup" Cream was at the end of a 10-night live stand in San Francisco at Winterland Ballroom (the band had also played a couple of nights at The Fillmore as well during this span). Captured on tape was arguably the greatest single live track in rock and roll history. But the man made internationally famous by the song, Eric Clapton, never liked to talk about it, and reportedly said the performance was inferior because the trio got the time disjointed a bit in his third solo chorus.

Cream (originally christened The Cream) consisted of Clapton on lead guitar, Jack Bruce on bass guitar and Ginger Baker on drums. Bruce assumed the great majority of lead vocal duties for the band; Cream had burst onto the scene with the smash single "Sunshine of Your Love" and the top five album Disraeli Gears in 1967. But from its inception, the focus had been on the blues and the band's unique "heavy" sound in transposing that traditional genre.

At Winterland on this particular night, Cream launched into "Crossroads," a staple of their set. The song was an amalgamation of "Cross Road Blues" and "Traveling Riverside Blues," both penned by legendary (and mysterious) bluesman Robert Johnson in the 1930s. While Clapton's guitar playing was already being lauded by fellow musicians and the average rock fan (the latter scrawling the now famous screed "Clapton Is God" on the walls of the London Underground), the young guitarist found Johnson's sound very hard to re-create, because it often sounded like more than one guitarist was playing. In Clapton: The Autobiography, he talks of Johnson's fingerpicking style that had him "simultaneously playing a disjointed bass line on the low strings, rhythm on the middle strings, and lead on the treble strings while singing at the same time."

Maybe the story of Johnson's deal with the devil at the crossroads rubbed off on Cream on stage, because they surely caught lightning in a bottle here. Listening to previous or subsequent live recordings of this song by the group, the level of ferocity of Cream never comes close to this single, later included on the double LP Wheels of Fire. Clapton takes the mike on lead (rare enough that Bruce - or is it Baker? - famously remarks at the end of the recording, "Eric Clapton, please . . . the vocal") and more notably fills the air with phenomenal guitar licks emanating from his solid body Gibson SG. But what is overlooked is the
incendiary bass playing of Bruce, at his very best here, keeping beat for beat with Clapton while Baker provides fills at every opportunity.

"Crossroads" was never released as a single in the UK. But it became a staple on the emerging underground FM scene when included on Wheels of Fire, which became the first platinum selling double album. It is the prototypical example of Clapton's genius on the live stage and the recording is always listed at the top of any lists of greatest live performances in rock history.

Listen to "Crossroads" here.

Press Room Briefing

News update with The Night Owl . . .

TNOP Patron Saint Bob Dylan showed up at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue last night - a day early. Seems as though all the snow you folks out East have been putting up with moved the Civil Rights music celebration at the White House up one calendar date. Jon Pareles of The New York Times reports he sang "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in waltz time. TwentyFourBit adds that "[a]ccompanied by stand-up bass and piano, Dylan sang his 1964 anthem loud and clear, highlighting the song's many apropos lyrical moments (Come senators, congressmen/Please heed the call/Don't stand in the doorway/Don't block up the hall). Then he stepped from the stage, shook President Obama's hand and left.

Bonnaroo has announced the bulk of its summertime festival lineup, to be held 10-13 June on a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Notables (as far as we're concerned) include: Stevie Wonder, The Flaming Lips, Tenacious D, Jay-Z, Phoenix, John Fogerty, LCD Soundsystem, The National, John Prine, The Black Keys, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, The xx, Miike Snow, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Calexico, Blitzen Trapper, Dave Rawlings Machine, and Mumford & Sons.

Our own Celtic Ray reports that Irishman Damien Rice introduced a stunning new tune the other night in Santa Monica, California at the opening of the Tibet documentary When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun. Contributors to the movie soundtrack also include Thom Yorke and Philip Glass. Give "What If I'm Wrong" a listen:



Aquarium Drunkard remembers Doug Sahm and The Sir Douglas Quintet on the occasion of the publication of Texas Tornado: The Times and Music of Doug Sahm, by Jan Reed (University of Texas Press).

No Depression gives us a nice sneak preview of some of the acts that will be appearing at their SXSW Showcase. Bands include Vandaveer, The Maldives and The Deadstring Brothers.

Jim Carroll of The Irish Times stirs the pot by taking on the album reviewers at Pitchfork. While that in of itself is (really) nothing new, alot of readers take the bait anyway. And if it adds to the discussion among bloggers as to the merits of various album releases, why not?

Josh Ritter's new album, titled So Runs The World Away, is to be released in Ireland on 23 April and in the States and the rest of the world on 4 May. He's also offering a free mp3 download of one of the songs, "Change of Time." Tours dates for April (Ireland) and May (United States) have been announced as well.

The Peter Gabriel covers project Scratch My Back that we previously reported on is available for free streaming at The Guardian. You can also download for free his version of Bon Iver's "Flume."

In the "we kid you not" category, The Grateful Dead Archive will soon be open to the public at the University of California at Santa Cruz. The Atlantic tells us about it and manages to proselytize that business students can learn from the band's management style.

Eric Clapton brings his guitar hero Crossroads Festival back to Chicago this summer on 26 June. Tickets - sales benefit his center in Antigua that helps the chemically dependent - are a cool $100, but check out some of the lineup confirmed so far: Albert King, The Allman Brothers Band, B. B. King, Buddy Guy, James Burton, Jeff Beck, Robert Cray, Joao Gilberto, Jimmie Vaughn, John Mayer and Vince Gill. Serious guitar slingers, all.

Speaking of B. B. King, next time you are in Las Vegas, TNOP says check out his new Blues Club at The Mirage. It's a refreshing change of pace - live music anchored by a fantastic house band, The B. B. King All-Stars, a rollicking 13-piece soul revue complete with three lead vocalists and a dynamite horn section. Highly recommended.

Rolling Stone reports on Wilco's Portland show last night, with special guest Peter Buck. And our friends at Muzzle of Bees bring us the boys' cover of Neil Young's "Broken Arrow" from the concert.

That's it from the news desk. TNOP has still got the new Spoon record on heavy rotation, so we'll leave you with their appearnce on Conan O'Brien singing "Written In Reverse":

Some Things Read On A Dollar Bill

In anticipation of their big New Year's Eve show at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater, Britt Daniel of Spoon talks to the Journal-Sentinel about the band's new album Transference (to be released 19 January) and its allegiance to indie label Merge.

Two noteworthy birth dates of 28 December: (1) Bandleader Johnny Otis, known as the "Godfather of Rhythm & Blues," born 1921. The son of Greek immigrants, Otis blended in with the black community in the Los Angeles area easily and produced a number of hits. The Johnny Otis Show's crossover into pop territory, going all the way to #3, was "Willie And The Hand Jive" (a live TV performance can be accessed here - watch for Lionel Hampton at the end on vibes). Later, Eric Clapton revived the tune on his album 461 Ocean Boulevard. (2) Roebuck "Pops" Staples, patriarch of The Staple Singers, was born on this date on a Mississippi plantation in 1914 (he died in 2000). Together with his children, Staples started in the gospel realm and kept that socially conscious edge even when the group crossed over into the popular music charts with smashes like "Respect Yourself" (here's a live version from the Wattstax festival featuring the one-two dynamism of Pops and daughter Mavis), "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again."

David Fricke talks to Ed O'Brien about Radiohead's musical output over the past ten years.

Over the next week, BBC 6 Music Programmes is offering a chance to listen to a three part series titled "Bob Dylan: Changing Times." The episodes, each one hour in length, delve into three seminal albums: Nashville Skyline (1969), Slow Train Running (1979) and Oh, Mercy (1989).

The latest Take-Away Show from La Blogotheque is with critically praised band The Antlers.

Like 'em or not, Vampire Weekend is on deck with their second record. The Times of London visits with the New York band.

Step right up: Pop & Hiss chats with Tom Waits. The singer hints at a studio release in 2010.

Adam Sheets of No Depression lists the considerable production credits to date of T-Bone Burnett. (And we'll add one more - the fine Martinis & Bikinis by Sam Phillips).

And since we're thinking about Sam Phillips, TNOP invites you to enjoy the Rubber Soul vibe of "Baby I Can't Please You" from Martinis & Bikinis.