50 ways to kill an ensign...

A bit of good filk is never a bad idea...

Acoustic acoustics...

Well I finally made the decision to take up the acoustic guitar again. Haven't played it seriously for 7 or 8 years now, too busy and after all; my synthesizers and the band took up most of my time. Now that Solid Air has ceased to be(at least in its last incarnation) I finally have the time to go back to 6 strings, 6 pegs and two hands and a G-string...

In the previous century(I love the way that sounds!) I used to do gigs in small venues. Mixing originals songs and covers, I always tried to find a good mix of songs. Songs that either everybody knew but hadn't heard in years, song that almost nobody knew but which were - in my opinion - absolutely brilliant, and some of my own stuff if it wasn't too bad compared to the covers I played on a night. Songs like 'Don't dream it's over' as well as the works of Loudon Wainwright and Bruce Cockburn are now much better known in my hometown than they were... Possibly because of the way I 'played' them(I ain't going there people! ;-)).

So now I'm back in that saddle, trying to get my fingers flexible enough again to work the songs I want to play. Mind you ; I am definitely not one of those guitar-wizards who can play the intro to 'Oh Well' twice as fast as Peter Green could. I get by and I can support the songs I am singing.

So what's the score Norah? So far I have made a first selection of songs to be played. This is not the definitive set because I always keep tweaking the list until say a week or so before the gig. But this is what I'm thinking of.


Neil Young - Ohio / Southern Man
Tim Buckley - Song to the Siren
Loudon Wainwright - He said, she said
Original song - Somewhere in '06
Queen - '39
Original song - After loving you
Bruce Cockburn - Outside a broken phonebooth with money in my hand
Crowded House - Whispers and moans
Robbie Williams - Better man
Rory Gallagher - For the last time
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
Tracey Chapman - Fast Car / Revolution
Todd Rundgren - Love of the common man
Fleetwood Mac - Man of the world
Loudon Wainwright - Career moves
John Lennon - Working Class Hero
Neil Young - (keep on) Rocking in the Free World


Added May 11th :

The Church - Under the Milky Way
Michael Penn - No Myth


And on it goes...

Neil may be back...

Just heard the other day that Neil Young has apparently just finished a new record. That is nothing new of course. However, I heard that the album is one long attack on the current Bush-administration. Coming from the man who has become what Bob Dylan should have been, this is interesting news to me.

I heard that the album was recorded in three days(!) with a drummer, a bassplayer, a trumpettist and a 100-persons mixed choir. And Neil Young of course. ;-)

The only song on the album of which the title was 'leaked' is apparently called 'Let's impeach the President'...

"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio"

"Ohio"

He really is one of those songwriters I have always admired. He never did fit into a box labeled 'Pop' or 'Rock' or 'Country' or or or...

Neil Young = Neil Young...

Tourism down, and nobody saw it coming??

According to MSNBC tourism in the US is down by about 286 billion dollars. And nobody saw it coming? Talk about not thinking things through before you start treating all foreigners like unwanted aliens who have to get retina-scans, special visa, etcetera.

I'd rather go somewhere where I feel welcome.

Source.

A quick Fixx

Privilege


So correct me if I'm wrong,
though a day's twenty four hours long
How come you feel unwired and disconnected
Draw attention to yourself
is your life a living hell?
Change your act, rewrite the script the way you planned it

Radio news reports
Truth and fact distorts
And the world's majority is understated
If the views are on your mind
It's the wavelength you must find
Be prepared to hold your weight
Huh! Hah!

Privilege you have the right
If you're on the frequency
If you're on the frequency
So when you say that

There's always something else to do
There must be one thing you can try
There's always something else to do

When a week has just three days
It's the young that always pay
But who keeps the cold at bay with understanding?
If there's a dying urge inside
To release forgotten pride
Don't rely on words of gloom
Don't be disjointed

Privilege you have the right
If you're on the frequency
If you're on the frequency
So when you say that

There's always something else to do
There must be one thing we can try
There's always something else to do

Heretic the witch was right
She had the frequency
She has the potency
Energy the time is right
To fight for decency

Privilege you have the right
If you're on the frequency
If you're on the frequency
So when you say that

There's never anything to do
There must be one thing you can try
There's always something else to do

How?
How I begin, Tell me how, How?
I tune in, Tell me how, How?
When do I tune in for now?
Draw attention to yourself
Are you tuned into the show?
She had the frequency
She has the potency...