Alison Krauss, Forget About It

Alison Krauss, Forget About It

I first heard Alison Krauss singing backing vocals on Phish's Hoist, but I never got around to listening to any of her own CDs until a friend gave me her CD with Robert Plant, Raising Sand (another album with magnificent Marc Ribot guitar work on it). And I've never listened to any of her solo or Union Station CDs until today. What a voice she has! She likes slower tempos and melodies that give her room to linger on long notes. Really beautiful stuff. My favorite line (from "Could You Lie"):

Could you lie and say you love me just a little?

And check out the personnel list at the Wikipedia link above: Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Lyle Lovett, Dolly Parton! Alison sure has a lot of talented friends!

Miles on his favorite bands

While we were on vacation in the U.S., Miles told someone about his favorite bands: The Who for something violent, XTC for something cool, and Phish for something beautiful.

Radiohead, Phish, Wilco

Three bands that many people may not associate with each other, but I love 'em all, because they all write great songs.

Songs to listen to

Okay, here's my list of killer songs to listen to, again in alphabetical order (as with my songs to play list):

1. Down on the Corner, by Creedence Clearater Revival

Or when played by Blues Nettwork, a Basel blues band, with a tuba playing the bass line.

2. It's a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong

Especially at the end of the Madeline movie with Frances McDormand, when Madeline and her fellow pupils are running around overjoyed!

3. London Calling, by The Clash
4. Love Has Come To Town, by Talking Heads

What a bass line!

5. Loving Cup, by The Rolling Stones

But actually, it was Phish doing this one live that really blew my mind.

6. Morning Dew, by The Grateful Dead

Especially Terrapin Station - Drums - Space - Morning Dew in Ventura, July 22, 1984.

7. Mystery Achievement, by The Pretenders

Another brilliant bass line. Jack Sayers used to play this one brilliantly in various bands back in my Stanford days.

8. Spring and All, by Greg Brown

That's just my Greg song for today.

9. Visions of Johanna, by Bob Dylan

The Dylan song I love most at the moment, after the brilliant version in Zurich a few weeks ago.

10. Who Are You?, by Tom Waits

Or any other T. W. ballad.

Guantanamo snowclone

On Heute Journal, the late-evening news show on the German television channel ZDF, there was a segment on the Guantanamo camps this evening. One billboard at the camp has a snowclone:

"I came, I served, I protected freedom."

I X-ed, I Y-ed, I Z-ed: greetings from Julius:

(Anastasio/Marshall)
© Who Is She? Music, Inc (BMI)

Danger
I've been told to expect it
I begin my descent
Down the cold granite steps

And who could have turned among those I confide in?
I think that I know what I haven't known yet
'Cause a week is a month
and an hour a day
When your reaching just pushes it further away
With your past and your future precisely divided
Am I at that moment? I haven't decided

And stretching out into the sea... Aquitana
Is that what the prophet told me he saw?
You gave it to me but I really don't want it
I came out on top by the luck of the draw
'Cause a week is a month and an hour a day
When your reaching just pushes it further away
And what's the return on the faith I've provided?
I think that I know now but I haven't decided