Your Weekly Dylan Cover [#27]

"Maggie's Farm"

Solomon Burke

Original Dylan version found on Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

One of the bigger losses to the music world in 2010 came on 10 October when the "King of Rock and Soul" Solomon Burke died at the age of 70.

A man seemingly bigger than life literally (he was over 300 pounds) and figuratively, Solomon Burke had essentially been on stage since he was seven years old when he delivered his first sermon at his church in Philadelphia. Like many to-be soul artists, Burke's roots were in gospel. "The Wonder Boy Preacher" stepped into the secular world with a recording of Patsy Cline's "Just Out of Reach (Of y Two Open Arms)." The country standard became a surprise R&B hit, and Burke's career on Atlantic records was born.

Classic titles followed. "Cry To Me" (1962) a gospelish pot-boiler, was a top five hit in 1962 which found another life on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack in the 1980s. The swinging "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (1964) would be covered by the Rolling Stones and again earn popularity in The Blues Brothers; ironically, Burke saw the film - incorrectly crediting the song to Wilson Pickett - and called his old Atlantic boss Jerry Wexler to complain. The story goes that Wexler was simply happy to hear that Solomon was still alive, and sent him a sizable royalty check the next day. And then there was the fantastic "Got To Get You Off My Mind" (1965), a tune Burke wrote in the throes of a divorce and mourning the tragic death of Sam Cooke.

Burke's on stage presence was memorable. Back in the day, his contemporaries were in awe of his raw power. "Solomon could command a stage better than anybody," said Sam Moore. "We (Sam & Dave) used to finish our set and go sit in the audience and watch him." L.C. Cooke, Sam's brother, was quoted as saying: "On one tour with James Brown, Solomon started with 20 minutes, but he was kicking James Brown's butt so bad that he cut Solomon's time down to one song!"

Solomon Burke got a second encore on the popular music stage. He was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. And rock's royalty lined up to play and write with him. The remarkable Don't Give Up On Me (2002), produced expertly by Joe Henry, saw Burke perform original contributions from Bob Dylan ("Stepchild," apparently culled from the Street Legal sessions circa 1978), Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson and others. The record won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. He followed with three other solid efforts: Make Due With What You Got (2005); the duets LP Nashville (2006); and Like A Fire (2008).

Burke's take on "Maggie's Farm" is notable as it is probably the first significant recording of a Dylan song by a soul singer, recorded shortly after the original was released in 1965. The majesty of the melody and lyric are perfect for the King of Rock and Soul's muscular style and hearing the song on 45 rpm just drives home how truly memorable Solomon Burke is to the history of popular music.

Original Listening: Bob Dylan, "Maggie's Farm" (Bringing It All Back Home, 1965)

Another Cover: U2, "Cold Turkey/Maggie's Farm/Help" (Live, Los Angeles, 1986)

Still Another Cover: Ben Sidran, "Maggie's Farm" (Dylan Different, 2010)

Freedom For Suu Kyi? Revisiting Damien Rice's "Unplayed Piano" and U2's "Walk On"

The Associated Press reports this morning that mounting pressure from regional neighbors may finally convince the military junta of the nation of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) to release Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi after elections are held in mid-November. The democracy icon has been imprisoned or held under house custody for 15 of the last 21 years. (In 1990, she received 82 percent of the vote in her country's elections, but was denied power by the ruling dictatorship.)

The talented, but publicly withdrawn, Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice was approached by the US Campaign For Burma back in 2005 with a request to contribute an existing song for a benefit album to call attention to the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi. In an rare interview that year with The Guardian, Rice did not want to be pictured as another Bob Geldof, and was loath to be seen as a political activist: "He is just a regular guy, he says somewhat beseechingly, a musician 'who has seen something that is wrong and is trying, in some small way, to help'."

After visiting Burma and learning more about the situation, Rice penned an original piece entitled "Unplayed Piano," one of the more affecting songs of the past decade. A duet with then-partner Lisa Hannigan, the lyrics spotlight the isolation of the prisoner and a solemn, but respectful, plea to not forget a leader in what is now one of the most closed countries in the world:

Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home

Here are Rice & Hannigan performing "Unplayed Piano" at the Nobel Concert in Oslo in 2005:


Because of the 9/11 attacks and U2's appearance on a national US television special shortly thereafter performing "Walk On," that song is associated with uplifting the spirit of Americans in the wake of the deadly terrorist actions. But the lyrics written by Bono for "Walk On" are actually inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi. In a piece written for a website dedicated to the Burma leader's well-being and release, the Dublin bard writes:

Suu Kyi is a real hero in an age of phony phone-in celebrity, which hands out that title freely to the most spoiled and under qualified. Her quiet voice of reason makes the world look noisy, mad; it is a low mantra of grace in an age of terror, a reminder of everything we take for granted and just what it can take to get it. Thinking of her, you can’t help but use anachronistic language of duty and personal sacrifice.

U2 wrote the song “Walk On” to honor this amazing woman who put family second to country, who for her convictions made an unbearable choice—not to see her sons grow and not to be with her husband as he lost his life to a long and painful cancer. Suu Kyi, with an idea too big for any jail and a spirit too strong for any army, changes our view—as only real heroes can–of what we believe to be possible. The jury is still out on whether we deserve the faith she has put in us.

U2 has used "Walk On" as a centerpiece in many of its concerts, inviting Amnesty International and One volunteers to the stage who don Aung San Suu Kyi masks and hold lanterns in tribute to the peace prize winner.

Preview The New Brian Eno Album

TNOP UK correspondent Miles Gallagher reports that the new Brian Eno album, Small Craft On A Milk Sea, will be released here in the States next Tuesday 2 November. The enigmatic Eno has been on a creative roll as of late, collaborating with David Byrne on the fine Everything That Happens Will Happen Today and producing U2's No Line On The Horizon. This set of originals, assisted by Jim Hopkins and Leo Abrahams, is said to have been inspired by some of his favorite motion pictures. Pretty Much Amazing is streaming two of the new titles, "Horse" and "Emerald and Stone." And you can go to the NPR site to listen to the whole album.

Justice - Finally - For "Bloody Sunday" Victims

[Editor's note: This post was reported by County Clare correspondent Celtic Ray.]

Over 38 years after the incident known as "Bloody Sunday' occurred in Derry, Northern Ireland, and more than 12 years after an official investigation was finally launched by the British government, Lord Saville's inquiry has found that the killing of 14 civilians in January 1972 was "unjustified."

The 5,000 page report was highly critical of the behaviour of the British armed forces and found that all that were killed on the day in question were innocent. The report states that the victims - all unarmed - were either fleeing paratroopers or trying to come to the aid of those who had been injured.

The release of the report was greeted by loud cheers and applause by family members and their supporters gathering outside the Guildhall in Derry.

The inquiry concluded that several of the troops who provided testimony about the events lied to the inquiry and was particularly critical of one paratrooper regiment, which was deemed to have fired the 100 or so shots on the day.

Delivering the findings of the report, British prime minister David Cameron said it had found none of the casualties posed any threat to British troops. He told the House of Commons no warnings were given, and that some of the soldiers lost control.

“The Government is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the armed forces," he said. "And for that, on behalf of the Government, indeed on behalf of our country, I am deeply sorry.”

The report, completed over 12 years, investigated the mass killing of members of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association by members of the Parachute Regiment during a during a march in Derry on 30 January 30 1972.

The men killed on the day were Patrick Doherty (32), Hugh Gilmour (17), Jackie Duddy (17), John Young (17), Kevin McElhinney (17), Michael Kelly (17), Gerald Donaghey (17), William Nash (19), Michael McDaid (20), Jim Wray (22), William McKinney (27) and Bernard "Barney" McGuigan (41).

John Johnston (59), one of the first to be shot on the day, died from his injuries four months later.

The killings in Derry are widely recognized in retrospect as a major tripwire into the tragic era in Irish history known as "The Troubles," which have only started to subside in recent years due to the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement.

U2 provided rock and roll fans with a touchstone of this seminal event in Irish history with their song "Sunday Bloody Sunday," an anthem which came to symbolize a consistent plea for cessation of sectarian violence throughout the region.

Breaking News: U2 Tour Postponed

The resumption of the U2 360 Tour, which was to begin again on 3 June in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been indefinitely postponed. Lead singer Bono underwent emergency back surgery in Munich, Germany earlier today due to an injury sustained while rehearsing with the band.

Check out the official U2 site for an announcement by long-time band manager Paul McGuinness and further updates, including ticket information.

Joey Ramone, 19 May 1951 - 15 April 2001

[From 1984 interview]

The Local: It's great to see that you haven't lost hope of having that one big radio hit.

Joey Ramone: Well, I think we're the greatest rock 'n roll band in the world. I mean, it's very frustrating at times. We're the only band that kept the guts, and kept the excitement, and kept the belief, you know. We never side-tracked.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . [Season 2, Episode 1]

With the opening episode of the second season of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . ., it has become clear that the series has become an important contribution to the study of the art of rock and roll. The format is unique in that Costello adeptly focuses on musical backgrounds and influences of his guests, not bothering with the celebrity fluff. And the opportunity arises for performances of songs in an intimate setting (in this case, the Masonic Temple in Toronto) .


Costello and his band, The Imposters, usually kick off the show with a cover of a tune made famous by his guest(s), which then leads to a carnival barker-type introduction, revving the crowd up for the episode. In this case, the denizens lucky enough to fill the small auditorium didn't need much coaxing: the stars of this show were the lead vocalist and guitarist of the biggest band in the world, U2.


Entering to a bombastic version of "Mysterious Ways," Bono and The Edge shimmied across the stage and then sat on bar stools to settle in for their talk with Costello. The host - in this case as with a number of guests so far in the series - has the unique advantage of sharing the same time line in a parallel musical career. He recalled U2 being on the undercard with Elvis Costello and The Attractions 30 years ago and - even though he concedes that "I Will Follows" sounded like nothing else on the scene - wonders aloud to the two whether they knew "what the hell you were doing" musically at the time. The Dubliners candidly admit that their popularity occurred in a "backwards" fashion, with their initial style coming from minimalist German groups like Can and Neu! And they cite their attendance at an early Costello show as one of the reasons for starting the band. It was only after U2 achieved a measure of popularity that the band began to truly form its musical influences and expand its skills from a technical standpoint. To that end, Bono and The Edge give credit to the "art schooling" they received from long-time producers Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.


This leads into a discussion of the always curious question of: What comes first, the words or the music? According to Bono, the band always starts with the melody. The Edge provides a helpful example of the process in this regard: the underrated gem from Zooropa, "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)." [Listen to this great version of the song from the 1993 ZooTv Tour, performed in Dublin.] He explains that the tune was built up to epic proportions with many overdubs. Then after much toiling and tinkering, it finally struck him that stripping the music to its core of drums, bass and guitar would give the lyrics more punch. The two bandmates then perform a poignant version of the song to confirm this choice in style.

The interview proceeded to touch on encounters with musical heroes, including Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, who urged the boys to look deeply into the roots of American music. But the most charming story related by The Edge and Bono concerned a dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Palm Springs, California with Frank Sinatra. It proved a jumping off point for the often mentioned, but seldom played, song that U2 wrote specifically for Ol' Blue Eyes, "Two Shots of Whisky, One Shot of Sad."

Dedication to craft rounded out the conversation, with Bono bowing to his partner for his continuing focus on improving his musicianship. While he acknowledges his involvement in many social causes, Bono wonders if it has come at the expense of better songs, better singing. But he believes that these experiences are a valuable jumping off point for many of the lyrics that he has contributed to the band: "When you think of it, we are the perfect band for weddings, bar mitzvahs and funerals. The happy and the sad." The Edge counters that while practice and editing are crucial, there has to be "chaos within the control" in order to make music that will continue to be relevant.

How rock and roll artists have always fed off each other in order to perpetuate the sound is evident in the closing number of the show. Costello rips into "Pump It Up" (1978), which easily segues into U2's recent "Get On Your Boots" (2009) from No Line On The Horizon. And, in keeping with the theme of musical influence that is the core of Spectacle, the boys double back to Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (1965) for good measure.



SET LIST
"Mysterious Ways" (Elvis Costello & The Imposters)
"Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" (Bono, The Edge and Costello on lead vocals, backed by The Imposters)
"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" (Bono on lead vocal, The Edge on acoustic guitar)
"Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" (Bono on lead vocal, Steve Nieve on piano)
"Pump It Up/Get On Your Boots/Subterranean Homesick Blues" (Costello and Bono on lead vocals, backed by The Edge and The Imposters)

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . airs Wednesday nights at 10.00pm EST on Sundance Channel, with some repeats through the week. Check cable or satellite listings.

TNOP's Best Albums of 2009

10. ST. VINCENT - Actor

After a so-so album debut a couple of years ago and the timid performance we witnessed as an opening act in 2007, this fine effort came out of the blue. Annie Clark a/k/a St. Vincent finds her voice on Actor, adapting a number of personalities in a varied collection of songs. And don't let the sweet voice fool you.

KEY TRACK: "Actor Out Of Work"
BONUS: "Oh Sister" (cover of Dylan song with Andrew Bird, Providence. RI, October 2009)

9. DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE - A Friend of A Friend

Previously known as the key co-writer and musician on so many fine works by Gillian Welch, out from the shadows steps Dave Rawlings and his superb band. The mix of originals and unique covers, assisted by Welch and proteges The Old Crow Medicine Show, are delivered in grand fashion.

KEY TRACK: "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High") (live at Grimey's Records, Nashville, TN, December 2009)
FURTHER READING: Alec Wilkinson's excellent New Yorker profile of Welch and Rawlings from 2004.

8. NEKO CASE - Middle Cyclone

A wonderful follow-up to Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, Neko Case takes on another natural disaster and triumphs.

KEY TRACK: "People Got A Lotta Nerve"
FURTHER READING: February 2009 profile of Neko Case from The New York Times Magazine.

7. BOB DYLAN - Together Through Life

In which the Patron Saint of TNOP interprets Chess Records blues with a Tex-Mex undertone. And it works, continuing the Bard's late-career renaissance. [Side note to long time fans: it's like Desire, except David Hidalgo's accordion replaces Scarlet Rivera's fiddle.]

KEY TRACK: "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"

FURTHER READING: Bill Flanagan interviews Dylan about the record.

6. DAN AUERBACH - Keep It Hid

First solo effort from The Black Keys' front man allows him to flesh out his sound. The record gets stronger with each listen, and shows that Auerbach is now a major player on the music scene. He's in a prolific stage, as evidenced by the BlakRoc project and the expected new Keys' release in 2010.

KEY TRACK #1: "My Last Mistake"

KEY TRACK #2: "Trouble Weighs A Ton" (with James Quine)

5. THE DECEMBERISTS - The Hazards of Love

America's least-likely rock stars continue their musical ascendancy, using little known folk tales as their narrative compass. We admit it took us a little longer to warm up to this effort than previous favorites like The Crane Wife and Picaresque, but this "Folk Opera" treats the listener to bombastic shapeshifters, ghostly kids and a psychotic queen. Too adventuresome? Pretentious prog rock gone bad? Some thought so. But head man Colin Meloy clearly believes in the album concept, and dares to push back at the iPod singles mentality. And it doesn't hurt that he sure knows how to pen a melody.

KEY TRACK: "The Rake's Song"

KEY TRACK #2: "The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid" (with Shara Worden, Los Angeles, CA, May 2009)
FURTHER LISTENING: David Dye of The World Cafe interviews Colin Meloy.

4. U2 - No Line On The Horizon

After two albums of straight ahead rock cementing the familiar "U2 sound," the Dublin lads decide to step out of the box again. The result is their best studio record since Achtung Baby. Their massive stadium tour will continue into 2010, a sign of how much they believe in the new work.

KEY TRACK: "Moment of Surrender"

KEY TRACK #2: "Get On Your Boots" (live at the 2009 Grammy Awards)

FURTHER READING: Producer Brian Eno talks to The Telegraph about the recording of No Line On The Horizon.

3. WILCO - Wilco (The Album)

The top American band hits a solid groove from beginning to end in this self-titled (kind of) CD. Major fans of Wilco's experimental, atmospheric side will be disappointed to an extent, but the album brims with confidence from a line up of musicians who clearly listen to and love all shades of rock and roll - and learn from it.

KEY TRACK: "You Never Know"
KEY TRACK #2: "You And I" (with Leslie Feist on Late Night With David Letterman, July 2009)
KEY TRACK #3: "Wilco (The Song)" (The Colbert Report, October 2008)
FURTHER READING: Time talks to Jeff Tweedy about the album, the passing of Jay Bennett and a fellow Chicagoan.




2. PHOENIX - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Regular readers of TNOP know that we are suckers for the unadulterated joys of pop. After three promising tries, France's Phoenix stormed the U.S. shores this year with its sunny, percussion driven sound. We dare you not to like it.

KEY TRACK: "Lisztomania"
PERFORMANCE: "1901," "Lisztomania/One Time Too Many" and "Long Distance Call" (from La Blogotheque Take Away Show, December 2009)
FURTHER READING: "Phoenix Remains A Band Apart" from September 2009 issue of The Fader.




1. GRIZZLY BEAR - Veckatimest

The Beach Boys-like harmony and hollow bodied guitar sound - with production finished, appropriately enough, in a New York church - made this record by the Brooklyn quartet Grizzly Bear TNOP's most played record in the car and on the stereo and iPod during 2009. Although its production is sparse and tones often hushed, there is an unique and youthful exuberance about this work. It is a record that will be played for many years to come.

KEY TRACK: "Two Weeks"
KEY TRACK #2: "All We Ask" (Blue Ribbon Vision @ Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI, June 2009)

KEY TRACK #3: "While You Wait For The Others" (KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, February 2008)
INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE: Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions, November 2009.

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The Next Ten
Raphael Saadiq, The Way I See It
Dawes, North Hills
Monsters of Folk, Monsters of Folk
Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Drippers, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!
Levon Helm, Electric Dirt
The Swell Season, Strict Joy
Various Artists, Dark Was The Night
Passion Pit, Manners
Andrew Bird, Noble Beasts
Lisa Hannigan, Sea Sew

In Search of News

The talented but troubled music critic Robert Palmer was recently profiled in the New York Times. His estranged daughter has produced a documentary of her late father's travels in search of the muse and writer Anthony DeCurtis has edited a compilation of Palmer's essays.

The Guardian reviews the London Jazz Festival, headlined by the saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins. Even if you are not a jazz fan, treat yourself to Rollins' virtuosity by listening to the Rolling Stones' "Waiting On A Friend."

Paste picks the ten best movie soundtracks of the decade.

Speaking of the cinema, the end of the year means the push for the Oscars is about to begin. Potential soundtrack entries are no exception. Stereogum provides streaming audio of U2's "Winter" from Jim Sheridan's upcoming film Brothers as well as a couple of tunes by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis featured in the adaption of the Cormac McCarthy novel The Road.

The so-called "Never Ending Tour" of Bob Dylan wrapped up its latest chapter with multiple nights in, fittingly enough, New York City. TNOP thought the review from Roger Catlin at the Hartford Courant was interesting, particularly his discussion of the atmosphere created during Dylan's set and the words devoted to his under appreciated opening act, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dion DiMucci.

And happy birthday to Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Tom-Tom Club fame. Celebrate by dancing without inhibition to "Genius of Love."

(RED) Holiday CD

Here's an idea to ignite your holiday spirit and feed your rock 'n roll jones at the same time. Starting today, spend $15 at your local Starbucks and receive a four-song CD of unique tunes (preview here) that will benefit the (RED) Global Fund and the Fight Against AIDS in Africa. The tracks include:

1. Playing For Change, "All You Need Is Love" - a reggaefied version of The Beatles anthem tinged with some Cajun flavor.
2. U2, "I Believe In Father Christmas" - the Dubliners' take on the Emerson, Lake & Palmer holiday tune. Author Greg Lake is impressed, by the way.
3. Dave Matthews Band, "You & Me (Acoustic)"
4. John Legend, "(RED)Emption Song" - cover of the Bob Marley classic.
   
   

Albums You Must Own (#3 of a series)

ELBOW
The Seldom Seen Kid (Fiction 2008)

Unknown to even some of the more serious music fans in America, Elbow is a five-man group hailing from Manchester, England that has been recording albums since 2001 (and performing together under different names prior to that, stretching back to the early 90's). Perhaps it is because the band has floated around to various record labels and not received a proper public relations push in the States. With the release of The Seldom Seen Kid in 2008 and the resulting awards and accolades that followed, Elbow's under-the-radar days are probably numbered. This past summer, the Mancunian lads opened for Coldplay on their tour of the US and Europe; played the main stage at Oxegen in Ireland; opened for U2 at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 fans; and headlined the Bestival on the Isle of Wight.

Elbow debuted in 2001 with the release of Asleep In The Back and became darlings of some of the indie press. [Note the inclusion of this effort on many "best of" albums lists over the past ten years that are end-of-the-decade vogue at the moment.] Drawing inspiration from Pink Floyd and Radiohead, the band was nominated for the Mercury Prize and garnered a Brit Awards nomination. But many of those same critics would bite back with luke-warm reviews of the two CDs that would follow: Cast of Thousands (2003) and Leaders of the Free World (2005). Specifically, writers were now defining Elbow as mope-rock artists and lesser cousins of fellow British bands Coldplay and Keane.

But in retrospect, these two records were solid, necessary building blocks that helped define Elbow's own distinctive voice found on The Seldom Seen Kid. While readily admitting admiration for U2 and Radiohead, lead singer and lyricist Guy Garvey embraces the album concept, inviting listeners to experience the band's work in a linear progression. Drawing emotion not only from its words but its lush orchestration, the opening cut "Starlings" is a template of sonic landscape that invites the listener to stick around for more. "The Bones of You" follows, and the nods to "The Seldom Seen Kid" - the nickname given to the recently deceased mate of the band, Bryan Glancy - and reveries of Five years ago/And sleeping through the day. Next up is the gorgeous, spare "Mirrorball," a tale of newly found love in which Garvey sings We took the town to town last night/We kissed like we invented it!

The mood abruptly changes, and Elbow shows it can write a hook with the best of their contemporaries. "Grounds For Divorce" lays a Led Zeppelin cum The Bends-era Radiohead sledgehammer guitar on the ears that compels you to get out of your seat. Is it a raucous wake for The Seldom Seen Kid? A reminder of bitter memories around every corner of their home town Manchester? Both?

The Seldom Seen Kid glides along and continues to flex its musical confidence, varying from the bawdy bossa nova of "An Audience With The Pope" to "The Fix," a Brecht-infused duet with guest Richard Hawley.

The twin centerpieces of the record are emotional bookends on each side of the spectrum: "The Loneliness of A Tower Crane Driver" and "One Day Like This." The former is a brooding, heart-breaking melody with murky, but thought provoking lyrical images about the dangers of success. "One Day Like This" is Elbow's swing at creating a crowd anthem, and it hits solidly on all counts, right down to the choral ending that throws a ray of hope amidst The Seldom Seen Kid's otherwise somber tone: So throw those curtains wide!/One day like this a year'd see me right.

Overall, it's a stunning record from a band that has the goods to deliver in the future.

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Read the BBC story about Elbow being awarded The Mercury Prize for Best British Album of 2008 for The Seldom Seen Kid.

Watch the video of "Grounds For Divorce."

Performance of "One Day Like This" with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Chantage choir.

Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce!

Not among the 96,000 fans set to fill the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California this Sunday night to watch the last American stop on U2's 360 Tour? No worries. The band has announced that the entire concert will be streamed live starting at 8.30pm local (i.e. Pacific) time on the U2 website and on YouTube. Two full replays will follow as well at both sites.

Rock Monuments - Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin

Not far from the South Bank of the River Liffey in the Docklands section of Dublin, Republic of Ireland is a block of buildings chock full of graffiti tags located on a small street named Windmill Lane. [Our own TNOP correspondent Celtic Ray is seen strolling the area above.] A two-story building, now boarded up, was in fact the site of many great moments in rock 'n roll.


Windmill Lane Studios was opened in 1978 by Brian Masterson, who designated himself as company director and head engineer. Traditional Irish music and film scores (performed by as many as an 80-piece orchestra) were recorded initially at the facility. Even though the Irish rock scene had started to bloom around this time, groups like Thin Lizzy, The Boomtown Rats and The Undertones all went overseas to record their records.


Then came producer Steve Lillywhite and his production in 1980 of U2's first album, Boy: "We recorded at a place called Windmill Lane in Dublin. It was great for traditional Irish music but no Irish rock band had recorded there. . .So the studio crew were very surprised when I decided I wanted to record the drums out in the hallway by the receptionist, as there was this wonderful clattery sound I wanted to get. But that meant we couldn't record until the evening, because this girl was sat answering the phones all day. . .It was all pretty slapdash, But funnily enough, it's not unlike how the band still records."


U2 would go on to record October as well as the seminal War with Lillywhite at Windmill Lane. Portions of The Unforgettable Fire and one of the best selling albums of all-time, The Joshua Tree, helmed by producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, were also recorded in studio two.


The studios expanded in the 1980s and until its closing in 2006, Windmill Lane hosted a number of rock's luminaries, including R.E.M., Van Morrison (Back On Top), The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello (Spike), Kate Bush (Hounds of Love) and The Waterboys (Fisherman's Blues).


After moving to a new facility in Ringsend, Dublin (and retaining the same name), the boarded up Windmill Lane studio became a place for an on-going fan homage to U2. In addition to our original photos above, you can check out these shots as well.

Celtic Ray

[Note to Readers: On occasion, Celtic Ray sends TNOP a note from County Clare, weighing in on various aspects of the Irish music scene.]

Dia dhuit! TNOP Readers,

County Kildare's Bell X1 have had an eventful 2009, releasing their fourth record, Blue Lights On The Runway (YepRoc). It contains one of our favorite singles of the year, the Talking Heads-infused "The Great Defector." The single reached #3 on the Irish charts and can be downloaded for free at Amazon.com. Or enjoy a live performance earlier this year from Dublin here. Bell x1 also opened for U2 at their first tour date this summer at Croke Park.

The aforementioned local heroes Paul "Bono Vox" Hewson, Dave "The Edge" Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr have come a long way from originally recording on Windmill Lane in the Docklands area of Dublin. Embracing "biggest band in the world" status yet once more, the boys are lugging a 170 ton, 360-degree stage around the world which requires transport assistance of 120 trucks. A recent lengthy cover story in Rolling Stone follows the latest exploits of U2 on the road. While the critics were all over the map in their reviews of No Line On The Horizon, the raves are everywhere for the live show (Jon Pareles in the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot are good examples).

Meanwhile, word has come that erstwhile head man of The Frames, Glen Hansard, has reteamed with Marketa Irglova for another record as The Swell Season. NPR Music reports the tentative track listing and also provides us with a performance of some of the new material, to be released under the title Strict Joy, out on October 27.

Finally, if you are looking for some enduring entertainment, give a (re)viewing to the fine indie film Waking Ned Devine, if only for the opening shots of The Isle of Man and musical background from "Fisherman's Blues" by The Waterboys.

Slainte,

Ray