Tonight Keith Urban is at the Garden with Little Big Town. He's a consistently good show. I'd put him up there with a Springsteen, Cheap Trick or Tom Petty any day.
This one came to my attention because Vincent D'Onofrio's name was attached to it. He reads from his journals at Joe's Pub on January 31st. while serenaded by Dana Lyn. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of show. I can imagine it will be an intense evening.
Feburary 6th at the 92Y It was Fifty Years Ago Today...Celebrating 50 years of The Beatles in the USA. Paul and Ringo won't be there but Peter Asher, Donovan and Freda Kelly (one of the few Beatles employees that stayed with them throughout their 10 year career) will be joining Martin Lewis for conversations. The Beatles arrived at JFK on February 7, 1964 and music was changed forever.
Armistead Maupin will be in a discussion (also on) February 6 at 7pm at Barnes & Noble on East 86th St. His latest Tales from the City is titled The Days of Anna Madrigal: A Novel.
If you want to venture to Times Square, Super Bowl Blvd is in full swing until Saturday night when Blondie closes it out with a show at 8pm on Broadway between 39th & 40th streets. The Bacon Brothers are there tonight. Can't imaging it's easy to perform in the weather we've been having. Parka Up.
Before today I was unaware of Fred McDarrah. After reading an article in the NY Times, I found out he was the first photo editor for the Village Voice and for many years, it's only staff photographer. He must have had a sixth sense of where it was happening in NY. He has captured everyone from Dylan and Warhol to Robert Kennedy and Robert Moses. These people mostly appear against the gritty backdrop of the city in the 1960's and 70's. The city is also depicted in all it's gritty glory.
Ray Davies pursuit of breaking his band/career in the US is
chronicled in his book Americana The Kinks, The Riff, The Road.After reading his journeys through
America, it seems he’s still questioning at what price does success come and
what is success.When did he take
the time to make a home? Was his eye on the prize at the expense of a personal
life?
Early in the Kinks career circa 1965 they are banned from
performing in the US.
The American
Federation of Musicians refused permits for the group to appear in
concert and it’s widely believed due to their sometime violent behavior and
band disputes.Dave Davies and
Mick Avory had it out on stage in Wales and Dave wound up with 16 stitches in
his head.This time period was a
prime creative period for the band. In 1964 they released You Really Got Me
followed by All Day And All Of The Night, Tired of Waiting For You, Well
Respected Man and Sunny Afternoon.They are all classics.
After the ban was lifted, Ray was determined to prove the
band was worthy of US audiences.They toured relentlessly sometimes at the expense of other
territories.
In a switch from my reading assumptions, this book got
better the second half.This is
Davies second book (the first was X-Ray:The Unauthorized Autobiography) and his theme is focused.I didn’t read X-Ray.Usually musician autobios tend to lose
focus the second part when all spirals into a drug induced haze.Not the case here. It was refreshing
not to hear about drug addiction.He barely touches on the famously documented band member feuds.It’s about the music, the marketing and
conquering the US.
Characters play a big part in the songwriting and life of
Ray Davies.He comes across as a
bit of character himself.Ray is a
great storyteller.In this excerpt
from the book, he sums up his inspirations:
Some of my songs are sometimes better company than real
people.Many musical characters
inhabit my world:they are good,
bad, kind, mean, and sometimes mischievous.I usually write a theme song in my head for nearly every person
I encounter in the real world.They exist as part of my musical memory so that afterward I cast them in
my own musical version of life, which is often more truthful than reality.Long-term friends are usually
accompanied by a good tune.On the
other hand, people that don’t bring a good theme song with them rarely stay in
my life.It’s a form of “musical
schizophrenia” that evolved in my childhood; these imaginary musical allies are
sometimes more credible than the real people I encounter.AS a child I was very quiet, very
secluded and it was music that helped me relate to and confront the real world-
without music I would probably never have interacted with people.
Whenever I see someone from my own musical universe, their
unique musical theme slips into my head, a theme that represents my perception
of their true character.After a while the real person I know blends into the imaginary person I
have invented.As sometimes
happens in life, often the real person you know disappears-you lose touch, they
move on, you move on.But if I
need someone, all I have to do is remember their theme song-and some strange
musical voodoo brings them to life.
Points that resonated:
His relationship with Clive Davis led to great success while
on Arista Records.
When Ray questions whether it’s worth being a musician, he
develops his storyteller solo show.His friends and acquaintances point out to him how important songwriting
is to him.
His relentless quest to find a “home”:He lived on W 72nd St in NYC, moves
back and forth to Europe, eventually lands in New Orleans where he is shot
trying to catch a thief and now he lives not too far from where he started his
life in North London.
He ends the book with this passage:
But, as my song “The Getaway” say at the end, it
can be a “lonesome train” if you don’t get it right.Still I live in hope that one day I’ll get it right.That someday…I’ll find my way home.
Ray Davies and Graham Nash both cited the Everly
Brothers as a big musical influence. Graham and a friend stalked them when he
was younger and did get to meet them. A thrill of his life was singing with the
Brothers later on in his career.
I find it interesting that the last three autobiographies
I’ve read all reference the Everlys which I thought about while reading them . A day after
finishing Ray’s book Americana as well as Linda Rondstadt’s Simple Dreams
(Linda recorded the Everly’s When Will I Be Loved), I heard that Phil Everly
had died.A death will allow for a
string of tributes and I had no idea of the impact this duo had on music.Looking back, they were pioneers of
blending pop and country.They got
so much out of their voices.They
were great songwriters.They had stories
to tell and everyone was listening.
