Thunder Road

The Bruce Springsteen movie is in theaters and it prompted me to listen to my favorite Bruce Springsteen song: "Thunder Road", from his majestic 1975 "Born to Run" album. The song is a timeless beauty to me, and I can remember when I first heard it (circa 1982-1986).

In high school, I attended retreats led by the priests at my all-boys Catholic school. These retreats were held in a large house in Sea Bright, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore. My memories of the retreats are mostly dim except for that one morning someone put on this album (vinyl).

A fellow student flipped through the albums at that retreat house and announced "Bruce!" He cued up the first song and Thunder Road began, filling me instantly with its lyrical imagery. Mary's dress swaying, skeleton graves burning, and the exhortation to let the wind blow back your hair.

I've loved that song ever since. Recently I've come to enjoy the version he did with Melissa Etheridge. In that rehearsal he said "there's no chorus" (presumably to arrange the duet). There's just a bunch of lyrics was his lament, and she said "But they're really good lyrics!" Absolutely.

Music from Foreign Lands

One of my favorite albums is "Julio" (1983) by Julio Iglesias. On a long family vacation, this was one of the albums we played, and we played it constantly. It was filled with non-English songs. He sung in German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and a bit of English. The songs became ingrained into my musical memory, and made me open to hearing non-English music. 

Here are five foreign songs which I've heard recently and highly recommend. Check it out on my Spotify playlist.

5) Rammstein - Feuer Frei! - German 

Back in February 2020, I paid for the second Tyson Fury / Deontay Wilder heavyweight fight. In one of the early fights leading up to this main event, a boxer walked out to "Feuer Frei", a menacing piece of metal. When I caught the lyrics, I guessed it was in German, and confirmed it when I looked it up later. Metal doesn't have to be in English for me to enjoy it!

4) Gigi D'Alessio - Ma si vene stasera - Italian

While watching the movie Gomorrah, about the Camorrah mafia, there's a scene in which two kids were celebrating a recent heist. This pop song was playing on their boom box and one of them was dancing and gesticulating in elation. It's a catchy and fun song. I spent some time trying to determine if it was sung in Italian or Neapolitan. I leave it to any Italians out there to tell me!

3) Grupo Limite - Te Aprovechas - Spanish

I loved Solito, the memoir by Javier Zamora about his immigration. In it he talks about the music that he and his family and neighbors loved to listen to. Grupo Limite was mentioned, and I put on a playlist of their songs. Te Aprovechas caught me with its playful accordion and Alicia Villareal's unique voice. The song and her delivery becomes more forceful as the song plays and it's irresistible.

The line I like: "y te odio y te amo, muy a pesar de mi." Google Translate gives me "And I hate you and I love you, despite myself." 

2) Erasmo Carlos - Dois Animais Na Selva Suja Da Rua - Portuguese

I happened to catch WMBR's "The Hot Rat Sessions" and DJ Abby Lyda ended her set with Dois Animais by Erasmo Carlos. The song has a driving beat, a swelling chorus, wailing guitars and a fantastic scat. The live version of this song that I found was sung by Erasmo Carlos in his 70s. The scat wasn't there but the guitar in its place worked for me.

The line I liked: "Eu não nasci pra viver mentindo" which Translate says "I wasn't born to live lying". Strong!

1) Celine Dion - "Hymne A L'Amour" - French

The 2024 Olympics in Paris introduced me to this beautiful love song. Even without knowing the words, the emotion of the song was immediate thanks to its arrangement and Celine Dion's commanding voice. Later, watching it alone, I felt the familiar lump in my throat and the tears forming in my eyes. Google Translate told me why. This: "Si tu meurs, que tu sois loin de moi... Car moi je mourrais aussi." translates to: "If you die, may you be far from me... Because I would die too."

This song is an Edith Piaf love song from the 1950s, and it has a tragic history. This, paired with Celine Dion's own return to the stage, underlines the song's theme about the endurance of love, and the possibility of love reunited. It aches, but for me the French language makes it a beautiful ache. (The Spotify playlist is Edith Piaf's version, but I am partial to Celine's version.)

Send me your favorite non-English songs!

Spotify Playlist: Music from Foreign Lands

Song: Starless (King Crimson)

Earlier in the month, I went to see "Children of Men" at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square. I love this movie and in preparation for the rewatch, I listened to its sound track. One of the songs is "In the Court of the Crimson King" by the band King Crimson. This song got me listening to some of the band's other songs. I eventually stumbled on "Starless."

This song is so incredible, so good. It's a track that is a bit over 12 minutes, so give yourself time to enjoy its epicness. The song features a build up of tension that is exquisitely released in the song's closing seconds. The foreboding bass, the funky mellotron, and the dark lyrics ("Starless and bible black!") make the song mysterious yet alluring.

When I like a song like this, I'll often go to YouTube to find covers. My favorite one is a music school's production from 2018. It was for their "Prog Rock" show. Prog rock does away with verse-chorus-verse and instead embraces complexity and multiple sections. Kind of like metal, I think.

I was happy to learn of this song, and amazed that it's been around since 1974. I like to think this song would have captured my attention when I was younger. Who knows? All I know is that old music can be new music if you are willing to open your ears.

King Crimson (Red)

 

With the Beatles

A few years ago, I requested and received The Beatles Anthology, a DVD set containing a television documentary about The Beatles that was broadcast in the US in 1995.

Only recently have I started watching this documentary. So far, it is fantastic. I'm through the first three parts, taking me up to 1964 of their history. The Beatles have returned from conquering America, and released their movie, A Hard Day's Night. The documentary contains footage from television appearances, concerts, and old interviews. From their early days in Germany, to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, it's a marvel seeing the young John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In the documentary they're playful, sardonic and seemingly well grounded. There is no interviewer or host or voice-over narration, which somehow makes the footage more immersive.

Growing up, we had the red and blue Beatles compilation albums on vinyl. It would have been something my parents bought as I don't remember clamoring for it. And while I no longer remember the exact moment I heard about The Beatles, I can say with good certainty that the radio brought them to my attention. Radio was still king when I was growing up in the 1970s and 80s.

My appreciation of them has only grown over the years. I have a box set of their music, and I made it a project to listen to every album. Their songs, progressively complex as they grew, are still catchy, potent and accessible. It's effortless to dip into their music. My favorite album of theirs (and a Top Five album of all time) is "Revolver", released in 1966 and featuring "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine", and "Taxman".

I'm fond of saying that The Beatles are firmly in humanity's subconsciousness. Their music will be played for centuries, passed on from generation to generation, and constantly interpreted and performed by musicians. Paul McCartney was recently interviewed and when asked about The Beatles he said (in a massive understatement) "It was a great group." Indeed!

Covering #BlackLivesMatter

This past month I tweeted out four song covers honoring #BlackLivesMatter. Here are some notes from each song.

"Wake Up" performed by Brass Against with Sophia Urista (original: Rage Against the Machine). This great song is a warning and wake up call for those agitating for change. The cover goes toe-to-toe with the original. Lots of credit goes to all those brass instruments, but especially to the charismatic singer who punches the chorus in an eloquent scream.

"41 Shots" performed by Living Colour (original: Bruce Springsteen). This is a song Springsteen wrote about the 1999 shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York City. The police union there decried the song at the time, with some reporting suggesting they hadn't even heard it. Bruce's version is a fine example of his unquestioned relevance, but Living Colour's version is sad, spare, and powerfully personal.

"Blackbird" performed by Alicia Keyes (original: The Beatles). Paul McCartney, who sang the original, has said this song about a black bird with a broken wing is about the American Civil Rights movement. The imagery from the lyrics suggest a rising up from something that hasn't done so before. McCartney's version is spare. Ms. Keyes' version is more soaring, giving air under those wings, willing it to fly.

"Southern Man" performed by Merry Clayton (original: Neil Young). There's no mistaking Neil Young's lyrics above that brooding beat and crackling guitar solo: "Southern Man, when will you pay them back?" Merry's version feels hipper but no less serious. She's demanding respect with her delivery. Neil's version is an outsider's scold, Merry's is a fervent demand.

Jazz Guitar

Since January, I've been learning jazz guitar.

Last December I had asked for and received an instructional DVD called No Nonsense Jazz Guitar by Jimmy Bruno. It starts out simple, and Jimmy does employ a no-nonsense approach, but the DVD quickly moves to harder material, without any preparation. One minute, you're learning a simple scale pattern, but then the next minute you're learning about doing changes over a 2-5-1 progression.

To fill in my knowledge, I went out to the Internet and found lots of tutorials. There are many tremendous jazz instructors (I like Jens Larsen and Matt Warnock) who take a far slower approach at the material. These side investigations into concepts that Jimmy introduces ("passing notes", "modes", "triads", "Circle of Fifths") have introduced me to music theory, a body of knowledge that is quite rigorous and analytical.

In the end, what's really helped is learning how to play jazz songs, the whole point of my wanting to learn jazz guitar. But unlike rock or R&B, jazz songs are fairly complex, and use very different chord forms. I learned songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" (Rolling Stones) or "Big Me" (Foo Fighters) in an afternoon, but I've been working on the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" for the past two months. (My excuse: I only practice 30-45 minutes a day.)

I'm not deterred though. I'm okay with my pace, because learning this genre of music has been challenging yet engrossing, and I expect I'll be pursuing this for a while.

Review: Bohemian Rhapsody

I'm still in the sway of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, the generous and loving bio-pic of the band Queen and Freddie Mercury, its lead singer.

Rami Malek had the great responsibility of performing as the larger-than-life Freddie Mercury, and he succeeds in every way. Malek's mannerisms, his accent, and his singing (lip-syncing) seemed spot-on, but what elevated the movie was his emotion, which shimmered through the screen. When he telephones his wife Mary (Lucy Boynton), and asks her to have a drink over the phone, my heart ached seeing the hope in his eyes. When he finally figures out the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody ("I don't want to die; I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all"), the surprise and wonder on his face says everything about creativity.

The rest of the band is ably portrayed: lead guitarist Brian May (Gwilym Lee), drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy), bassist John Deacon (Joe Mazzello). They each had moments of humor and drama. The movie reinforces what I've learned about big rock bands: it's a unique bond and brotherhood; it's a repetitive, burn-out inducing job, with confrontations and infighting heightened by the glare of adulation and the pressure of giving people what they want.

Much has been made about the rocky production (two directors, changes to the lead actor, multiple scripts). Much has also been made of the film's liberal use of dramatic license. I chose not to let these detract from my enjoyment. It probably helped that I wasn't well-versed on the band's real history. A movie like this is a myth-maker. It's a rock-and-roll myth with Queen and Freddie Mercury. For some this will be all they know about Queen, and their music. For others the movie will increase their curiosity to learn more about this great band.

The end result for me is a movie that left me spellbound, and deeply satisfied. Being reintroduced to all their great songs was invigorating. I loved it so much I saw it again the following weekend with my daughter. I'm grateful to her for making us see it!

I'm With The Band

I managed to cross off a bucket list item: to play guitar in a live band. My office has an annual company-wide off-site meeting, and the organizers remembered that I had brought in my electric guitar for a Halloween party (I wore a large wig, which completed my costume). "Can you play that thing?" Let's find out!

Playing in the group felt like a high school after-school activity. We brought our instruments to the office, and rehearsed a few afternoons at someone's house. I was surprised at everyone's chops. I was also surprised at the mechanics of playing with a group. Tempo, a song's key, playing in tune and fast-transposing music were important. It was a fast education.

We played a diverse set of classic songs, among them "Can't Get No Satisfaction" (Rolling Stones), "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" (Creedence Clearwater Revival), and "Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash). Even though I was given sheet music I ended up using YouTube to learn the rhythm guitar parts for these songs. It's true that most rock songs are just three or four chords!

During our performance, I was only vaguely conscious of our audience, our co-workers. Instead, I was focused on playing, even if I flubbed a chord. One time at rehearsal our lead guitarist started to play a solo, and I didn't keep up my strumming. "You do your thing, while I do my thing," he told me. In other words: keep playing. At the end of each song, when we heard applause, it was a superb feeling.

Playing guitar has always been a perfect break from my life in front of the computer. It's possible to approach playing the guitar analytically, but performance is ultimately about rhythm and attitude and feelings. It's especially like that playing in a band, where it's ultimately about staying in time, and listening to each other. Can't wait for the next gig!

Take It Easy

In January of 2016, Glenn Frey passed away. He was the founder of The Eagles, the iconic band who brought us "Take it Easy", "Hotel California", and "Lyin' Eyes". My appreciation of this group grew slowly over the years. When I was a kid, I never knew these songs as Eagles songs. They were just good songs I instantly recognized and liked. When I started to put rock music in context, I learned about this band's towering presence.

So I reeled when I heard the news about Glenn. My main reaction was to learn one of his earliest songs: Take it Easy. It's a common joke that most rock songs are composed of three chords, and in Take it Easy, it's the three easiest: G, C and D. The difficulty of the song lies in the rhythm and strumming patterns, but it is a simple song with evocative lyrics.

Another aspect of the song's beauty is the harmonies. It's not just Glenn's voice on the record. His band harmonizes with him, blending their voices into a whole. I tried to harmonize with myself using GarageBand, and it made me appreciate how songs are built on many layers: music, lyrics and voices.

Probably the thing that surprised me most while I was in this zone was that Glenn didn't originate the song. Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne wrote most of Take it Easy in the early 1970s, but had trouble finishing a verse. Glenn helped him ("It's a girl, my lord, in a flat-bed Ford...") and this is why you'll see Browne/Frey in the credits.

Great music makes an artist last forever. Glenn's music, through The Eagles, will live on and on like all music that has been deemed timeless. In a year filled with bright musical stars passing on (Prince, David Bowie, George Michael) I was most affected by Glenn's. Take it Easy, 2016.

Review: A Rock Star's Autobiography

Over vacation, I finished Joe Perry's autobiography Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith. I remember seeing Joe Perry on a news clip a few years ago. This aging guitar god was talking about living in Vermont, and I remember being surprised at the time: he lives in Vermont?

Then a few months ago there was a lengthy and detailed article about the Run-DMC song "Walk This Way" (by Geoff Edgers for the Washington Post, May 18). In addition to the oral history recollections from people involved in that classic song, there was also video of Joe Perry playing that signature riff in a crowded studio.

In Joe Perry's book, I learned all this and more about this rock group's humble beginnings, their long road to success, their swift fall from the top, and their rebirth after getting clean. There's lots of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll in the pages of this enjoyable book (co-written with David Ritz), but there's also a lot of love, heartache and redemption as well.

Joe grew up in Massachusetts and spent summer vacations in Vermont. He was not a good student, which left him and his parents disappointed. He originally wanted to be a marine biologist, but the thought of going to college was painful to him. His remaining ambition was to learn to play the electric guitar, and in this endeavor he completely succeeded.

I enjoyed reading was how hard working Aerosmith was at the very start of their career. In the early 1970s, they played in high school and college parties, before they began playing at clubs, theaters and eventually arenas. Joe's difficult relationship with front-man Steve Tyler is captured throughout the book as well. The band's difficulty with managers is also described. Being a world-renowned rock band is not all glitz and glamor. Success is hard-won and easily lost.

I really liked this book. It would probably help to listen to some of their music before reading this book, but chances are you've heard their signature riffs (Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, Same Old Song and Dance, Dude Looks Like a Lady). That lead guitar talking to you is Joe Perry's, and his biography is a study in being steadfast, persistent, and passionate.

Finding Oceanic

Sometimes I have to pinch myself: technology can be amazing.

A few months ago, I ate lunch with some co-workers at Royal India Bistro, a fine Indian restaurant in Lexington, MA. I hardly know the names of the Indian food I eat, so that afternoon I visited the restaurant's website. It began to play some streaming music, and while this normally annoys me, the initial notes were light enough that it drew me in. I liked the beat, and the motif, so I kept the music on, as I searched through the menu.

The music's change in tempo took over my attention. Head bobbing, I gave into it, letting the song wash over me. I was dazzled by its first impression! Instead of the food, I scoured the website for the name of this song. Unable to find it, I just played the song again.

A few days went by. I continued to enjoy the song by playing it off the website, but now I was at a loss: how could I find out the name of this song? I remembered reading an article about music detection software, and decided to try it out. I downloaded Shazam onto my iPod. I played the song through my speakers, and let Shazam listen.

To my delight, Shazam identified the music! The song is "Oceanic, Part 2", from the 2007 album "Breathing Under Water", by Karsh Kale and Anoushka Shankar, featuring sitar by Ravi Shankar.

I found the song on YouTube. Check out the song, and check out Shazam. Amazing technology, indeed.

Daft Punk and Nile Rodgers

I love Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories".

Clearly Daft Punk is in the spotlight, thanks to their super enjoyable track "Get Lucky", but until a month ago, I hadn't heard of them (though later I'd learn that they wrote "One More Time"). After I saw enough mentions on Twitter, I went to (of all places) Myspace to stream their album.

I very much favor a strong first song, and "Give Life Back to Music" is a strong first song. Its rising, declamatory notes, smoothly shifting to a sweet and confident groove had me at attention. "Just turn on the music," go the lyrics, blended with electronica, and that swaying guitar. It's an awesome song.

Nile Rodgers is one of the guitarists on "Give Life Back to Music", and I listened to his commentary on the album's website. He was asked about his various musical collaborations, and it quickly became clear that I have heard his work before. From "Good Times" to "Material Girl", he has been making music as a performer and a producer for a very long time.

The commentary ends with him playing the guitar chuck from "Get Lucky". Unmistakable resemblances to his past work, but fresh and unique enough for this great hit track. He's smiling as he plays. "I forgot how cool that was," he says. The delight was plain on his face. "Get Lucky" is full of delight, but make sure to check out that first track!

Bonus Track: Wonderful Tonight

This is me singing Wonderful Tonight, the classic song by Eric Clapton from his Slowhand album. Yes, it's a little fast. One of the things I learned in trying to put this together is just how difficult it is to sing, play, and keep time. It's almost as if you have to pick two out of those three things to keep track of.

I learned the song from Desi Serna's on-line guitar lessons, but I was inspired to try the song thanks to covers by strawbfan and chewwinggum.

Sounds Bad

Last year, I was going back and forth to Minneapolis for what felt like several weeks on end. (On paper, it was actually three weeks.) In the rental car that I had there, I threw in a CD that I dedicated for my trip. After my work during the day, I'd drive around greater Minneapolis listening to this CD. The music was by a fast guitarist named Sergei Alexeev. He's one of those musicians who play at the train station (I bought the CD from him at South Station). The music had the effect of reminding me of home in an unique way. No words; just a great wash of electric guitar playing.

On the flip side, I didn't listen to Sergei's music when I got back to Boston. In my car, I made sure the CD was cued up to my "welcome back song" at the time: Sounds Bad, by T-Pain. The song's opening piano notes, giving way to some good "mmm, mmms", then T-Pain's Auto-Tuned voice properly drained the travel strain out of me. By the time the car gets rolling towards home, I'm singing to the chorus, parts of which are delivered in an attractive staccato: "I know it sound like, I wanna die, And I know I'm so miserable, But this just so happens to be the best day of my life."

The song is about some guy trying to cope with his life. No food in his fridge. House running on a generator. Late for work. And yet even though things sound bad, it's still the best day of his life. The "self-medication" may have something to do with it. I loved listening to this song after the four hour travel from Minneapolis.

Note: This month, I will be writing about songs.

The Song Remains the Same

When I was in high school back in the 1980s, a bunch of us went into New York City to see the laser light show at the Hayden Planetarium. Gosh, who was there? I know James went. Maybe Arnel? Did Ramsey come? Noel? Anyway, it was a night out.

The audience in the planetarium buzzed with excitement. The house lights went dim. The dome darkened. In complete simulated night, the music began with a sonic bang: The Song Remains the Same, by Led Zeppelin. The song was an electric guitar assault that had me asking "What is this? I want to hear it again!" I don't remember too much else from that show, but that song stayed with me.

In the weeks or months that followed, I learned that this song was "hard rock," so I wasn't going to be hearing it on my usual Top Forty/Casey Kasem approved pop-music station. I had to listen to WPLJ. I hung by the radio until the song came on (this is how we dealt with music back in the day!) and when it came on again, I committed to memory the band and the song once more. Led Zeppelin. The Song Remains the Same.

Maybe within the next year I dished out a whole bunch of money for the double-album "The Song Remains the Same". I didn't realize at the time that a) this was a soundtrack album off their ill-received concert movie, and b) the song was on their fifth album, "Houses of the Holy." I probably only played that one song off that double record, but it was worth it.

The song is a layered guitar masterpiece, with accompanying drums and bass to match. Jimmy Page's guitar rocks with a fierce but exciting and invigorating sound that drives upwards and upwards until it reaches a quieter section, the upper atmosphere of psychedelic rock. Robert Plant wails. Page jams a solo, then ratchets up the song again, upwards through some power chords, to a thrilling finish. Think of the theme to Rocky or Star Wars, but faster, and with guitars blazing.

The song was released in 1973. At this point, the band was at the height of their powers. I was only five years old then, but the fact that this song rocked me in high school, and can still rock me today is a testament to Led Zeppelin's unquestioned musicality, and their legacy in rock music. Fans of today's music would do themselves a favor by checking out Led Zeppelin's rich catalog of songs. They can start with "The Song Remains the Same."

Note: This month, I will be writing about songs.

San Diego Serenade

In my last year of college, I was a DJ for my college radio station. One evening, a DJ was complaining to me that she had the next day's morning shift. "No one listens to WRPI in the morning," she said. I believed her. It was early summer, and most of the students had fled for vacation. I told her I'd get up and tune in to her show.

The next morning, I got up and put on the radio. This could have been a Saturday morning, this could have been before 8AM, I no longer remember the details. But I did remember her cheery voice saying "Rick? You up? You should get down the station because there are all these dogs at the door, and they look like they want to have breakfast. Enjoy this one."

The next song she played was Tom Waits' "San Diego Serenade". The words washed over me like a gentle shower. The lyrics were sentimental and plaintive. "Never saw the morning until I stayed up all night. Never saw the sunshine until you turned out the light. Never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long. Never heard the melody until I needed the song." With those words, Waits launches into a list of laments, each making sense, each seemingly profound though simple.

People get attached to songs, as if the songs speak to them specifically. When I heard San Diego Serenade that bright morning, it crystallized my feelings going into that odd summer. It's a song about getting older, and about the circle of life. It's a song about taking the good with the bad. It's about love and heartbreak. I was 22 when I first heard it, and the song made me think about being an adult. It still tugs at my heart almost twenty years later.

Note: This month, I will be writing about songs.

Luka

Luka was one of those stellar songs from the 1980s, 1987 to be specific. I'm a child of the 1980s, and specifically I was raised on 1980s pop music. When Luka hit the charts, it was just one of those superbly "catchy" songs, with a seemingly important message. I gave it no further thought beyond that. In 1987, I was in college, where I was discovering Eric Clapton and Tom Waits.

A few weeks ago, the NY Times published a blog by the songwriter Suzanne Vega, who wrote Luka. In her post, she describes the genesis of the song, and how the ear-catching sound for her song was produced. She also talked about the lyrics of the song, and how warily they were received in her early performances.

I gave the song a listen again, and I was blown away. I was amazed at the power of those lyrics, hearing them seemingly for the very first time. It brought a lump in my throat, tears to my eyes. The music was the same from 1987, but now the words were hitting me with their full force, and I was swept up in the emotion of the song.

Suzanne wrote about how the song eventually became overplayed, drowning out the words and its message. I guess like it did with me. Thankfully, distance and time allow all things to seem new again. I'm glad they did their work for this wondrous song.

Note: This month, I will be writing about songs.

And the Rockets Red Glare

The national anthem of the United States was conceived on this day in 1814. Francis Scott Key's lyrics were originally a poem. The song was declared our anthem in 1931.

I love this song, quite possibly because I associate it with sports, and high patriotism. When I'm listening to it, I'm usually watching the World Series, or the Super Bowl, or the Olympics. When the song is sung right, it can make me feel chills. When the song is sung really right, it can make me cry. The song is dynamic, emotional, and evocative. I'm proud that it's America's anthem.

When I learned that today was the anniversary of the creation of this song, I read what Wiki had to say about the song. In the article, it stated that "Whitney Houston's rendition at Super Bowl XXV is often considered one of the best performances of the song." Really?

I managed to find a WAV recording of this version on the Web, but I was also quite surprised to see a complete video of this rendition on YouTube. Searching for the national anthem on YouTube produced a long list of fascinating variations. Here are four that strike the right notes to me. Enjoy!

Steven Tyler (World Series, 2004) - The front man for Aerosmith kicks out a version during Game 1 of my favorite World Series (at Fenway Park, Boston). He does it without instruments, and his unique voice and style shine through. A super delivery.

Destiny's Child (NBA All-Star Game, 2006) - Houston natives Destiny's Child perform a harmonized version of the anthem, and it's wonderful. Lots of texture in this variation. These three women add a touch of sex appeal to this song, and it works.

Marvin Gaye (NBA All-Star Game, 1983) - NPR reported that Marvin Gaye took the anthem to a new level in 1983. And when you watch it, you will agree. This is a quiet, instrospective arrangement. Fantastic.

Whitney Houston (Super Bowl, 1991) - Wiki was right. This is the definitive cut of the song. On the biggest stage, at the biggest game, Whitney delivers. She belts each high note out of Tampa Stadium. She's accompanied by the Florida Orchestra (conducted by Jahja Ling), but it does not overwhelm the power of her beautiful voice, singing this beautiful song. It's perfect.

Bob Dylan

Today is Bob Dylan's 65th birthday.

My favorite song of his is "Shooting Star", from the album Oh Mercy. I heard it for the first time a few years ago while listening to "The Coffeehouse", a mellow morning radio show from WERS. The song is romantic, but also very sad. I liked it immediately, and I was surprised it was a Dylan tune. I listened to the song a few times again today. Very nice! Happy Birthday, Bob.

Springsteen Does Folk Music

On the Bruce Springsteen website, a new album was announced: "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions." On this album, Bruce Springsteen will pay homage to some traditional songs, including "Shenandoah", "Jesse James", and "John Henry." I find these songs particularly fascinating because I've been learning to play these songs on the guitar, and I'm looking forward to hearing The Boss' interpretation of these songs.