June 14: The Grateful Dead released “Workingman’s Dead” in 1970
Workingman’s Dead, in part inspired by the rustic soul of the Band, ranks as the Dead’s studio masterpiece, followed closely by American Beauty. The focus is on the songs, rather than the jams, and these would provide the focal point of an era, spanning 1969–74, when the Dead played some of the most remarkable concerts in American history, virtually every one available in some incarnation thanks to the band’s dedicated tapers.
~rollingstone.com
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]In March [1985] Van appeared on The Tube, that cauldron of live Rock from Newcastle, and gave his all for three songs from the new album [A Sense of Wonder], in blue woolly pullover and truculent air, filmed from below and playing a big sparkling guitar. His tour band played their socks off, and Van shared lead duties with Arty McGlynn.
-Brian Hinton (Celtic Crossroads)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The Tube – C4 TV,
Tyne Tees TV Studios
Newcastle upon Tyne
March 29, 1985
Some of the musicians I was working with very early on were very good, but they didn’t want to leave home, so they didn’t go any further…. but I did [want to leave home] or I felt like I had to
~Van Morrison
Exile
Wikipedia: Exile means to be away from one’s home (i.e. city, state or country), while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return. It can be a form of punishment and solitude.
Exile i a key theme in Morrison’s work & he also named his recording company ‘Exile’.
His foremost song about exile has to be “Too Long in Exile” – the title cut from his 1993 double album.
Robert Christgau – review of the album:
You know, exile — like Joyce and Shaw and Wilde and, oh yeah, Alex Haley. All on account of those “Bigtime Operators” who bugged his phone back when he was green. Now getting on to grizzled, he seeks guidance from the kas of Doc Pomus and King Pleasure and “The Lonesome Road,” an unutterably sad spiritual recast as an upbeat vibraphone feature. And especially, on three cuts, his old soulmate John Lee Hooker, who doesn’t come close to sounding overexposed on Them’s “Gloria” and Sonny Boy’s “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” and something new by Van called “Wasted Years,” about how the dumb stuff is behind them now. I don’t know about Hook, but Van’s just jiving–when he wanders “In the Forest,” it’s never a safe bet that he’ll get out. A-
last part of the lyrics:
Too long in exile
You can never go back home again
Too long in exile
You’re about to drive me just insane
Too long in exile, been too long in exile
Just like James Joyce, baby
Too long in exile
Just like Samuel Beckett baby
Too long in exile
Just like Oscar Wilde
Too long in exile
Just like George Best, baby
Too long in exile
Just like Alex Higgins, baby
June 11: Them released their debut album The Angry Young Them in 1965
“These five young rebels are outrageously true to themselves. Defiant! Angry! Sad! They are honest to the point of insult!” (original liner notes)
The Angry Young Them is Them’s first album. The album was released in the UK on 11th of June 1965. The band’s lead singer and songwriter was of course Van “The Man” Morrison. He was with Them on only two albums before deciding to go solo.
The opening track Mystic Eyes was from an 8 or 9 minute jam originally, a long intense jam session in the studio with Van making the words up on the spur of the moment. Oh why didn’t they use the long take? Anyway, a good opener.
If You And I Could Be As Two is the next song and itopens with Van’s spoken voice talking (rather angrily) before this wonderful soul ballad continues. Then it is Little Girlwhich is about watching a 14-year-old (!) school girl on her way to school, not very acceptable these days but we need to remember that Van Morrison was only a teenager himself when he sang these words (still no excuse, I know).
Just A Little Bit by Roscoe Gordon is the next one out, Morrison sings great and it is my favorite song of the non Van Morrison penned tracks. Fantastic song!
Then we are in for the weakest track on the album, I Gave My Love a Diamond. That is not a put-down, because it’s a good sixties ballad, it just pales compared to the other songs on the album.
Classic concert: Mink DeVille at Winterland San Francisco June 7 1978
Bob Dylan in a Post-MusiCares Conversation with Bill Flanagan: ARE THERE ANY OTHER PERFORMERS BESIDES BILLY LEE RILEY THAT YOU CAN RECOMMEND FOR THE HALL OF FAME?
Yeah sure, Willy DeVille for one, he stood out, his voice and presentation ought to have gotten him in there by now.
I AGREE WITH YOU, MAYBE HE’S BEEN OVERLOOKED. HE CARRIED A LOT OF HISTORY. THE DRIFTERS, BEN E. KING, SOLOMON BURKE, STREET CORNER DOO WOP AND JOHN LEE HOOKER WERE ALL THERE IN WHAT HE DID AND HOW HE PERFORMED.
I think so too.
YOU SUGGESTED THAT SOME OF THE ACTS IN THE HALL OF FAME MIGHT NOT BE TRUE ROCK & ROLL. YOU MENTIONED THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS, ABBA, ALICE COOPER. I HAVE TO STICK UP FOR STEELY DAN. NOT EVERYTHING THEY DID WAS ROCK & ROLL BUT “BODHISATTVA,” “SHOW BIZ KIDS,” “MY OLD SCHOOL” – THOSE SONGS ROCKED LIKE A BASTARD.
Yeah they might have rocked like a bastard, and I’m not saying that they didn’t, but put on any one of those records and then put on “In The Heat of the Moment” by Willy or “Steady Driving Man” or even “Cadillac Walk.” I’m not going to belittle Steely Dan but there is a difference.
Amen.
Ace Records press picture
I’ve been a huge Mink Deville/Willy DeVille fan since I saw him at the 9th Rockpalast Night on tv in 1981. He behaved like a superstar from the beginning, he was just so cool.
Today’s Classic Concert was found in the archives of the late promoter, Bill Graham, who booked DeVille into the popular Winterland in the summer of 1978 on the same bill as Nick Lowe with Rockpile and Elvis Costello & the Attractions.
The best material from his first two albums are present here, including “Spanish Stroll,” “Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl,” “Guardian Angel,” “Cadillac Walk,” “Steady Drivin’ Man,” and “Soul Twist.” He gives a great vocal performance on a number of these songs, especially, “Soul Twist.” You should also check out the May 5 Concert at Capitol Theatre the same year, equally good but with lesser video quality (slightly).
The 1980 is simply stunning! An amazing band complete with two drummers, two keyboard players, and a horn section. The film quality is very crisp with some very intriguiing camera work capturing not only Van, but the incredible support work from the band, and some of their great reactions while making music with one of the most unique, and most passionate live performers of all time. The Reggae infused take on “And It Stoned Me” is worth the price of admission alone.
-E. Muller (amazon.com)
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