The New York Times on Randy Newman

Randy Newman is one of the greatest American recording artists. If you don’t know his work, start with Sail Away, his 1972 album. I saw him live in 1971 with Bonnie Raitt as the opening act at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, It was just Newman and his piano, similar to his 1971 live album.

I was glad to see him getting attention because of the new book about him

Tweets on the Abbey Road album cover

Abbey Road by the Beatles just turned 55. Here are a video and tweets on the front and back cover design.

Peter Green – the first leader of Fleetwood Mac

The verison of Fleetwood Mac that became popular in the late 1970s was very different than the original version which was a blues band led by Peter Green.

I saw Fleetwood Mac in 1971 – they weren’t a blues band anymore but hadn’t morphed into the popular version yet. The lead singers were Christine McVie and Bob Welch.

A tribute concert was held after Green died in 2020.

The Dylan and the Band 1974 set has been released – 9/20/24

The 27-disc Bob Dylan and the Band set was released today. I look forward to getting my copy.

I saw the January 6th afternoon show in Philadelphia and thought it was great. Dylan and the Band have disparaged the tour.

There are electric versions of songs like “Lay Lady Lay”, “It Ain’t Me Babe and “Blowin’ in the Wind”. I think what Dylan was telling us is that the songs are Dylan songs, not country songs or folk songs. As we have seen in the 50 years since then, they sound like whatever Dylan wants them to sound like at the time he performs them.

I am disappointed that the Band sets aren’t included. I saw the Band four times between 1970-1974 and this was their second-best performance (after 1970). Unfortunately, some in the audience kept shouting for Dylan whenever the Band was on without him. The Band played “Long Black Veil” which they rarely did when I saw them and I wish this had been released. I’m alright without another version of “The Weight” and “Stage Fright”.

As I recall, the Band used two drummers on a few songs when they backed Dylan.

Weird video of John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Jerry Lewis

There’s also this: