Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:27:49 -0700 iTunes http://www.itunes.com/weeklyrewind Podcast Maker v1.4.0 - http://www.lemonzdream.com/podcastmaker The soundtrack from this week in popular culture. Each week, members of the iTunes music team highlight songs discovered over the course of the week on TV, online, and in the movies. The iTunes Weekly Rewind: rediscover the music that's playing all around you. en-us 2009 Apple Inc. iTunes rewind@itunes.com http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind_144.jpg http://www.itunes.com/weeklyrewind 144 144 Music itunes weekly rewind, weekly rewind, itunes no iTunes Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Wilco, Nick Lowe This week, we’re listening in on music from Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Wilco, and Nick Lowe   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-158-itunes-weekly/id470294468 Songs U2 – “WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME (LIVE FROM ROTTERDAM)” THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – “STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN” COLM MAC CON IOMAIRE – “EMER’S DREAM (AISLING EIMEAR)” THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR – “THE GOLDEN AGE” WILLIE NELSON – “THE SCIENTIST” NIRVANA – “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” NIRVANA – “POLLY” NIRVANA – “THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD (LIVE)” “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC – “SMELLS LIKE NIRVANA” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” WILCO – “I MIGHT” WILCO – “I LOVE MY LABEL (BONUS TRACK)” NICK LOWE – “I LOVE MY LABEL” BRINSLEY SCHWARZ – “(WHAT’S SO FUNNY ‘BOUT) PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING” NICK LOWE – “THE BEAST IN ME” JOHNNY CASH – “THE BEAST IN ME” NICK LOWE – “HOUSE FOR SALE” ROCKPILE – “WHEN I WRITE THE BOOK” PINK FLOYD – “MONEY” PINK FLOYD – “LUCIFER SAM” PINK FLOYD – “SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND, PTS. 1 – 5” PINK FLOYD – “MOTHER” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-158-iPhone.m4a Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:27:06 -0700 Music no 00:47:29 Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Wilco, Nick Lowe iTunes Radiohead, Tony Bennett, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, The Deele, Bobby Brown, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey This week, we’re listening in on music from Radiohead, Tony Bennett, and the career of Antonio “L.A.” Reid   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-157-itunes-weekly/id468559409 Songs GOSSIP – “HEAVY CROSS” OTIS REDDING – “HARD TO HANDLE” MOHD. RAFI, MANOJ KUMAR, NANDA – “JAAN PAHECHAN HO” THE FLAMING LIPS – “RACE FOR THE PRIZE” QUINCY JONES – “SANFORD & SON THEME (THE STREETBEATER)” RADIOHEAD – “LITTLE BY LITTLE” RADIOHEAD – “MY IRON LUNG” RADIOHEAD – “PARANOID ANDROID” RADIOHEAD – “LOTUS FLOWER” TONY BENNETT & LADY GAGA – “THE LADY IS A TRAMP” TONY BENNETT – “STRANGER IN PARADISE” “I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO (SINGLE VERSION)” BILL EVANS & TONY BENNETT – “SOME OTHER TIME” TONY BENNETT & AMY WINEHOUSE – “BODY AND SOUL” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” KANYE WEST – “POWER” THE DEELE – “TWO OCCASIONS (LP VERSION)” BOBBY BROWN – “DON’T BE CRUEL” TONI BRAXTON – “UN-BREAK MY HEART” MARIAH CAREY – “WE BELONG TOGETHER”  http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-157-iPhone.m4a Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:59:30 -0700 Music no 00:39:09 Radiohead, Tony Bennett, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, The Deele, Bobby Brown, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey iTunes Cake, The Zombies, Giorgio Moroder, The Chromatics, Glass Candy, Desire This week, we’re listening in on music from Cake, The Zombies, and the Drive soundtrack   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-156-itunes-weekly/id466897592   Songs FOSTER THE PEOPLE – “DON’T STOP (COLOR ON THE WALL)” MAZZY STAR – “INTO DUST” HARRY NILSSON – “DON’T FORGET ME” LMFAO – “PARTY ROCK ANTHEM (FEAT. LAUREN BENNETT & GOON ROCK)” ALISON MOSSHART & THE FOREST RANGERS – “WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD (SONS OF ANARCHY)” CAKE – “LONG TIME” CAKE – “THE DISTANCE” CAKE – “FEDERAL FUNDING” CAKE – “COMANCHE” BEN FOLDS – “BASTARD” OLD 97’s – “TIME BOMB” THE CHROMATICS – “TICK OF THE CLOCK” GIORGIO MORODER – “CHASE” GLASS CANDY – “THE FAIRY FELLER’S MASTER STROKE” GLASS CANDY – “ETHERIC DEVICE” DESIRE – “UNDER YOUR SPELL” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” THE ZOMBIES – “BREATHE OUT, BREATHE IN” THE ZOMBIES – “TIME OF THE SEASON” THE ZOMBIES – “SHE’S NOT THERE” THE ZOMBIES – “CARE OF CELL 44” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-156-iPhone.m4a Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:56:15 -0700 Music no 00:39:12 Cake, The Zombies, Giorgio Moroder, The Chromatics, Glass Candy, Desire iTunes The Black Power Mixtape, The Isley Brothers, The O’Jays, The Chi-Lites, George Strait This week, we’re listening in on music from The Black Power Mixtape and George Strait   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-155-itunes-weekly/id465166491 Songs THE NATIONAL – “ABOUT TODAY” THE CHORDETTES – “MR. SANDMAN” THE GO-GO’S – “AUTOMATIC” DEV – “IN THE DARK” ZOLA JESUS – “VESSEL” JAMES BROWN – “SAY IT LOUD – I’M BLACK AND I’M PROUD, PT. 1 (SINGLE VERSION)” THE ISLEY BROTHERS – “FIGHT THE POWER, PTS. 1 & 2” THE O’JAYS – “GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT” THE CHI-LITES – “(FOR GOD’S SAKE) GIVE MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE” RANCE ALLEN – LYING ON THE TRUTH (LIVE FROM WATTSTAX)” GEORGE STRAIT – “HERE FOR A GOOD TIME” GEORGE STRAIT – “CHECK YES OR NO” GEORGE STRAIT – “THE CHAIR” GEORGE STRAIT – “TROUBADOUR” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” ELVIS COSTELLO - "SPARKLING DAY" CHARLES BRADLEY - "THE WORLD (IS GOING UP IN FLAMES)" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-155-iPhone.m4a Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:41:26 -0700 Music no 00:26:19 The Black Power Mixtape, The Isley Brothers, The O’Jays, The Chi-Lites, George Strait iTunes Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glen Campbell, Kirk Franklin This week, we’re listening in on music from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glen Campbell, and Kirk Franklin   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-154-itunes-weekly/id463498383   Songs FLORENCE + THE MACHINE – “ADDICTED TO LOVE” LEAD BELLY – “BLACK BETTY” PRETENDERS – “BOOTS OF CHINESE PLASTIC” CLAUDE DEBUSSY – “CLAIRE DE LUNE” BILLY JOEL – “I GO TO EXTREMES” RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – “THE ADVENTURES OF RAIN DANCE MAGGIE” RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – “HIGHER GROUND” RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – “UNDER THE BRIDGE” RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – “BY THE WAY” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” KIRK FRANKLIN –“HELLO FEAR” KIRK FRANKLIN & THE FAMILY – “MELODIES FROM HEAVEN” KIRK FRANKLIN – “STOMP (REMIX) FT KIRK FRANKLIN & SALT” KIRK FRANKLIN – “I SMILE” GLEN CAMPBELL – “GHOST ON THE CANVAS” GLEN CAMPBELL – “IN MY ARMS (FEAT. CHRIS ISAAK, DICK DALE, & BRIAN SETZER)” GLEN CAMPBELL – “WICHITA LINEMAN” GLEN CAMPBELL – “GUESS I’M DUMB” LITTLE DRAGON – “RITUAL UNION” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-154-iPhone.m4a Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:58:26 -0700 Music no 00:36:51 Red Hot Chili Peppers, Glen Campbell, Kirk Franklin iTunes Ashford & Simpson, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Teddy Pendergrass, Jerry Lieber, Willie Nelson This week, we’re listening in on music from Nick Ashford, Jerry Lieber, and Willie Nelson   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-153-itunes-weekly/id461485366   Songs GLORIA JONES – “TAINTED LOVE” TED LUCAS – “IT’S SO EASY (WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING)” ARTHUR LEE – “EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LIVE (LIVE AT THE ACADEMY, LIVERPOOL MAY 1992)” OK GO – “MUPPET SHOW THEME SONG” THE DECEMBERISTS – “CALAMITY SONG” ASHFORD & SIMPSON – “SOLID” RAY CHARLES – “LET’S GO GET STONED” MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL – “AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH” AMY WINEHOUSE – “TEARS DRY ON THEIR OWN” TEDDY PENDERGRASS – “IS IT STILL GOOD TO YOU” WILLIE NELSON – “FREIGHT TRAIN BOOGIE” WILLIE NELSON – “STARDUST” WILLIE NELSON – “IF YOU’VE GOT THE MONEY I’VE GOT THE TIME” WILLIE NELSON – “BUBBLES IN MY BEER” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” ELVIS PRESLEY – “JAILHOUSE ROCK” BIG MAMA THORNTON – “HOUND DOG (SINGLE)” THE COASTERS – “FRAMED” JOHN LENNON – “STAND BY ME” JIMMY RUFFIN & DAVID RUFFIN – “STAND BY ME (DUET WITH DAVID RUFFIN)” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-153-iPhone.m4a Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:28:19 -0700 Music no 00:39:22 Ashford & Simpson, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Teddy Pendergrass, Jerry Lieber, Willie Nelson iTunes Grizzly Bear, Ethiopiques, Steve Cropper, The 5 Royales, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, O Brother, Where Art Thou? This week, we’re listening in on music from the15th anniversary of Pitchfork.com, Steve Cropper, The 5 Royales, CMA Festival, and the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-152-itunes-weekly/id459590132   Songs ANA TIJOUX – “1977” BARRETT STRONG – “MONEY (THAT’S WHAT I WANT)” JANELLE MONÁE – “TIGHTROPE (FEAT. BIG BOI)” TOM WAITS – “GOD’S AWAY ON BUSINESS” THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO – “FEMME FATALE (STEREO MIX)” ARCADE FIRE – “REBELLION (LIES)” GRIZZLY BEAR – “TWO WEEKS” MAHMOUD AHMED – “ERE MELA MELA” RASCAL FLATTS – “HERE’S TO YOU” THE BAND PERRY – “IF I DIE YOUNG” LUKE BRYAN – “COUNTRY GIRL (SHAKE IT FOR ME)” JASON ALDEAN – “DON’T YOU WANNA STAY (WITH KELLY CLARKSON)” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” ALISON KRAUSS – “DOWN TO THE RIVER TO PRAY” ROD STEWART – “MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW” THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA – “I’LL FLY AWAY” EDDIE FLOYD – “KNOCK ON WOOD” STEVE CROPPER – “DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE (FEAT. LUCINDA WILLIAMS & STEVE WINWOOD)” THE “5” ROYALES – “DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE” JAMES BROWN – “THINK” THE “5” ROYALES – “THINK” THE “5” ROYALES – “SAY IT” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-152-iPhone.m4a Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:07:16 -0700 Music no 00:42:32 Grizzly Bear, Ethiopiques, Steve Cropper, The 5 Royales, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, O Brother, Where Art Thou? iTunes The Help, Mavis Staples, Bob Dylan, Lloyd Price, Dorothy Norwood, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, Ike & Tina Turner, Wings, Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, Game This week, we’re listening in on music from The Help, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, and Game   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-151-itunes-weekly/id457978232   Songs THE MORNING BENDERS – “EXCUSES” SHINY TOY GUNS – “MAJOR TOM” THE WHITE STRIPES – “BALL AND BISCUIT” DOLLY PARTON & KENNY ROGERS – “ISLANDS IN THE STREAM” BAD BRAINS – “I AGAINST I” GLEE CAST – “DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ (GLEE CAST VERSION)” IKE & TINA TURNER – “RIVER DEEP-MOUNTAIN HIGH” WINGS – “SILLY LOVE SONGS” ARETHA FRANKLIN – “AIN’T NO WAY” BARBARA STREISAND – “GET HAPPY / HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN (DUET WITH JUDY GARLAND)” GAME – “POT OF GOLD (FEAT. CHRIS BROWN)” THE GAME – “HOW WE DO (FEAT. 50 CENT) [CLEAN VERSION]” THE GAME & 50 CENT – “HATE IT OR LOVE IT” THE GAME – “BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” MARY J. BLIGE – “THE LIVING PROOF” MAVIS STAPLES – “DON’T KNOCK” BOB DYLAN – “DON’T THINK TWICE, IT’S ALRIGHT” LLOYD PRICE – “STAGGER LEE” DOROTHY NORWOOD – “VICTORY IS MINE” THE SUBMARINES - "YOU, ME AND THE BOURGEOISIE" JOHN HIATT - "FEELS LIKE RAIN" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-151-iPhone.m4a Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:40:13 -0700 Music no 00:38:18 The Help, Mavis Staples, Bob Dylan, Lloyd Price, Dorothy Norwood, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie, Ike & Tina Turner, Wings, Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, Game iTunes The Concert For Bangladesh, George Harrison, Billy Preston, Bob Dylan, MTV’s 30th anniversary, Michael Jackson, Golden Earring, Eric B. & Rakim, Otis Redding, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany This week, we’re listening in on music from The Concert For Bangladesh, MTV’s 30th anniversary, Otis Redding, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-150-itunes-weekly/id456039063  Songs SWIZZ BEATZ FEAT. ALICIA KEYS – “INTERNATIONAL PARTY” MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT – “YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE” INGRID MICHAELSON – “CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (LIVE AT DAYTROTTER)” CHROMEO – “WHEN THE NIGHT FALLS (FEAT. SOLANGE KNOWLES) [MAYER HAWTHORNE COVER]” EMINEM – “LOSE YOURSELF” GEORGE HARRISON – “MY SWEET LORD (LIVE)” GEORGE HARRISON – “BEWARE OF DARKNESS (FEAT. LEON RUSSELL) [LIVE]” BILLY PRESTON – “THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT (LIVE)” BOB DYLAN – “LOVE MINUS ZERO / NO LIMIT (LIVE)” THE BUGGLES – “VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR” MICHAEL JACKSON – “THRILLER” GOLDEN EARRING – “TWILIGHT ZONE” ERIC B. & RAKIM – “FOLLOW THE LEADER” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” DEBBIE GIBSON – “ELECTRIC YOUTH” TIFFANY – “I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW” DEBBIE GIBSON – “FOOLISH BEAT” DEBBIE GIBSON – “LOST IN YOUR EYES” TIFFANY – “I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW (THE NASHVILLE SESSIONS)” JAY Z & KANYE WEST – “OTIS (FEAT. OTIS REDDING)” RAY NOBLE & HIS ORCHESTRA – “TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS” OTIS REDDING – “TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS” OTIS REDDING – “(SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY” OTIS REDDING – “THESE ARMS OF MINE” OTIS REDDING – “THE HAPPY SONG (DUN-DUM)” OTIS REDDING – “DAY TRIPPER” JOHN HIATT - "WHEN NEW YORK HAD HER HEART BROKE" SAM COOKE - "LITTLE RED ROOSTER"  http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-150-iPhone.m4a Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:07:28 -0700 Music no 00:51:18 The Concert For Bangladesh, George Harrison, Billy Preston, Bob Dylan, MTV’s 30th anniversary, Michael Jackson, Golden Earring, Eric B. & Rakim, Otis Redding, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany iTunes Amy Winehouse, Fountains of Wayne, Go-Go funk, Chuck Brown, E.U., Trouble Funk, Junkyard Band This week, we’re listening in on music from Amy Winehouse, Fountains of Wayne and Go-Go funk   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-149-itunes-weekly/id454579497   Songs STEVIE NICKS – “EDGE OF SEVENTEEN” MAJOR LANCE – “UM, UM, UM, UM, UM, UM” NEKO CASE – “I WISH I WAS THE MOON” BEASTIE BOYS – “SURE SHOT” JAY Z & KANYE WEST – “OTIS (FEAT. OTIS REDDING)” OTIS REDDING – “TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS” AMY WINEHOUSE – “REHAB” AMY WINEHOUSE – “YOU KNOW I’M NO GOOD” AMY WINEHOUSE – “WHAT IS IT ABOUT MEN” AMY WINEHOUSE – “(THERE IS) NO GREATER LOVE” AMY WINEHOUSE – “SOME UNHOLY WAR (DOWN TEMPO)” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” THIEVERY CORPORATION – “THE NUMBERS GAME (FEAT. CHUCK BROWN)” CHUCK BROWN & THE SOUL SEARCHERS – “BUSTIN’ LOOSE” E.U. – “DA’ BUTT” TROUBLE FUNK – “DROP THE BOMB” JUNKYARD BAND – “SARDINES” FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – “A DIP IN THE OCEAN” FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – “THE SUMMER PLACE” FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – “RED DRAGONTATTOO” FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – “HACKENSACK” FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – “A ROAD SONG” AMERICA – “A ROAD SONG” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-149-iPhone.m4a Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:37:48 -0700 Music no 00:35:39 Amy Winehouse, Fountains of Wayne, Go-Go funk, Chuck Brown, E.U., Trouble Funk, Junkyard Band iTunes Joss Stone, Friendly Fires, White Lies, Del McCoury, Barry Manilow This week, we’re listening in on music from Joss Stone, Friendly Fires, White Lies, Del McCoury, and Barry Manilow   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-148-itunes-weekly/id453114341   Songs GROOVE ARMADA – “I WON’T KNEEL (FEAT. SAINTSAVIOUR)” PETER GABRIEL – “MY BODY IS A CAGE” THE MAGNETIC FIELDS – “THE SADDEST STORY EVER TOLD” BAD LIP READING – “RUSSIAN UNICORN” MICHAEL BUBLÉ – “HAVEN’T MET YOU YET” MICHAEL BUBLÉ – “FEELING GOOD” JOSS STONE – “BACK IN STYLE” JOSS STONE, MICK JAGGER & NADIRAH – “WICKED TIME” JOSS STONE – “FELL IN LOVE WITH A BOY” JOSS STONE – “KILLING TIME” JOSS STONE - “TELL ME WHAT WE’RE GONNA DO NOW” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” FRIENDLY FIRES – “JUMP IN THE POOL” FRIENDLY FIRES – “KISS OF LIFE” FRIENDLY FIRES – “HAWAIIAN AIR” WHITE LIES – “A PLACE TO HIDE” WHITE LIES – “THE POWER & THE GLORY” THE DEL MCCOURY BAND – “THE SUGAR BLUES” DEL MCCOURY – “I WONDER WHERE YOU ARE TONIGHT” STEVE EARLE & THE DEL MCCOURY BAND – “TEXAS EAGLE” THE DEL MCCOURY BAND – “1952 VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING” BARRY MANILOW – “COPACABANA (AT THE COPA)” BARRY MANILOW – “A VERY STRANGE MEDLEY (V.S.M.)” BARRY MANILOW – “COULD IT BE MAGIC” BARRY MANILOW – “IT’S A MIRACLE” BARRY MANILOW – “SLEPT THROUGH THE END OF THE WORLD” SIMON GALLAHER – “I NEED YOUR HELP BARRY MANILOW” D'ANGELO - "WHEN WE GET BY" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-148-iPhone.m4a Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:39:52 -0700 Music no 00:42:33 Joss Stone, Friendly Fires, White Lies, Del McCoury, Barry Manilow iTunes Cults, Jason Isbell, A Tribe Called Quest, Arctic Monkeys, Phil Ochs This week, we’re listening in on music from Cults, Jason Isbell, A Tribe Called Quest, Arctic Monkeys, and Phil Ochs   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-147-itunes-weekly/id451679623   Songs PETER BJORN AND JOHN – “SECOND CHANCE” DELTA SPIRIT – “DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD” THE DISNEYLAND CHILDREN’S CHORUS – “IT’S A SMALL WORLD” HOT CHELLE RAE – “TONIGHT TONIGHT” SEALS AND CROFTS – “SUMMER BREEZE” THE ISLEY BROTHERS – “SUMMER BREEZE” ADELE – “ROLLING IN THE DEEP” CULTS – “YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN” CULTS – “GO OUTSIDE” JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT – “TOUR OF DUTY” JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT – “CODEINE” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – “AWARD TOUR” A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – “BONITA APPLEBUM” A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – “JAZZ (WE’VE GOT)” A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – “CHECK THE RHIME” ARCTIC MONKEYS – “DON’T SIT DOWN ‘CAUSE I’VE MOVED YOUR CHAIR” ARCTIC MONKEYS – “FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT” THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS – “MY MISTAKES WERE MADE FOR YOU” ARCTIC MONKEYS – “PILEDRIVER WALTZ” ALEX TURNER – “HIDING TONIGHT” PHIL OCHS – “CHANGES” PHIL OCHS – “I AIN’T MARCHING ANYMORE” PHIL OCHS – “OUTSIDE OF A SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS” PHIL OCHS – “THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE” PHIL OCHS – “NO MORE SONGS” http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-147-iPhone.m4a Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:42:28 -0700 Music no 00:43:55 Cults, Jason Isbell, A Tribe Called Quest, Arctic Monkeys, Phil Ochs iTunes iTunes Festival – Paul Simon, Adele, Moby, Seasick Steve This week, we’re listening in on music from the 2011 iTunes Festival, from Paul Simon, Adele, Moby, and Seasick Steve   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-146-itunes-weekly/id449959307   Songs EMINEM – “WON’T BACK DOWN (FEAT. PINK)” LADY GAGA – “TEETH” LOUIS ARMSTRONG – “WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS” ACTIVE CHILD – “PLAYING HOUSE (FEAT. HOW TO DRESS WELL)” CHUMBAWUMBA – “TUBTHUMPING” PAUL SIMON – “THE AFTERLIFE” PAUL SIMON – “GONE AT LAST (WITH PHOEBE SNOW & THE JESSY DIXON SINGERS)” PAUL SIMON – “DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES” PAUL SIMON – “MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION” PAUL SIMON – “THE OBVIOUS CHILD” PAUL SIMON – “LOVE AND HARD TIMES” SEASICK STEVE – “WRITE ME A FEW LINES” SEASICK STEVE – “DIDDLEY BO” SEASICK STEVE – “DOG HOUSE BOOGIE” SEASICK STEVE – “YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS” MOBY – “BE THE ONE” MOBY – “LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS” MOBY – “PORCELAIN” MOBY – “SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD” MOBY – “I LOVE TO MOVE IN HERE” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” ADELE – “SET FIRE TO THE RAIN” ADELE – “SOMEONE LIKE YOU” ADELE – “ROLLING IN THE DEEP” ADELE – “DON’T YOU REMEMBER” ADELE & THE RACONTEURS – “MANY SHADES OF BLACK” GLASVEGAS - "SHINE LIKE STARS" ADAM & THE ANTS – “ANTMUSIC”  http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-146-iPhone.m4a Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:39:44 -0700 Music no 00:43:40 iTunes Festival – Paul Simon, Adele, Moby, Seasick Steve iTunes Robbie Williams, The Book of Mormon, Jill Scott, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Smokey Robinson, Lindsay Buckingham, Marshall Crenshaw This week, we’re listening in on music from Robbie Williams, The Book of Mormon, Jill Scott, and our favorite summer songs   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-145-itunes-weekly/id448505726   Songs BRITNEY SPEARS – “I WANNA GO” DAN AUERBACH – “GOIN’ HOME” JAMES BROWN & THE J.B.’S – “SUPER BAD, PTS. 1 & 2 (SINGLE VERSION)” SMITH WESTERNS – “WEEKEND” SAMMY DAVIS, JR. – “RHYTHM OF LIFE” WEEZER – “YOU MIGHT THINK” ROBBIE WILLIAMS & BRAD PAISLEY – “COLLISION OF WORLDS” ROBBIE WILLIAMS – “ANGELS” MARK RONSON FEATURING ROBBIE WILLIAMS – “THE ONLY ONE I KNOW” ROBBIE WILLIAMS – “A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” JILL SCOTT - "SHAME" JILL SCOTT - "A LONG WALK" JILL SCOTT - "HE LOVES ME (LYZEL IN E FLAT)" JILL SCOTT - "ROLLING HILLS" JILL SCOTT - "SO IN LOVE (FEAT. ANTHONY HAMILTON)" BILLY STEWART – “SUMMERTIME” THE LOVIN’ SPOONFUL – “SUMMER IN THE CITY (REMASTERED 2003)” SMOKEY ROBINSON – “CRUISIN’ (EXTENDED)” LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM – “COUNTDOWN” MARSHALL CRENSHAW – “THERE SHE GOES AGAIN” ANDREW RANNELLS – “I BELIEVE” SOUTH PARK – “WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO DO?” ANDREW RANNELLS, SCOTT BARNHARDT, BENJAMIN SCHRADER, BRIAN SEARS, KEVIN DUDA, LEWIS CLEALE, RORY O’MALLEY, JOSH GAD, CLARK JOHNSON, JUSTIN BOHON & JASON MICHAEL SNOW – “HELLO” JOSH GAD & ANDREW RANNELLS – “YOU AND ME (BUT MOSTLY ME)” REMA WEBB, ANDREW RANNELLS, LAWRENCE STALLINGS, JOSH GAD, TOMMAR WILSON, JOHN ERIC PARKER, DARLESIA CEARCY, MICHAEL POTTS, MAIA NKENGE WILSON, MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT, BRIAN TYREE HENRY, TA’REA CAMPBEL & TYSON JENNETTE – “HASA DIGA EEBOWAI” ANN HARADA, JENNIFER BARNHART, JOHN TARTAGLIA, JORDAN GELBER, NATALIE VENETIA BELCON, RICK LYON & STEPHANIE D'ABRUZZO - "FOR NOW" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-145-iPhone.m4a Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:46:49 -0700 Music no 00:42:46 Robbie Williams, The Book of Mormon, Jill Scott, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Smokey Robinson, Lindsay Buckingham, Marshall Crenshaw iTunes “Weird Al” Yankovic, Clarence Clemons, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, The Isley Brothers, The Ramones This week, we’re listening in on “Weird Al” Yankovic, Clarence Clemons, Marty Stuart, and songs from our 4th of July Essentials   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-144-itunes-weekly/id447017887   Songs BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – “INDEPENDENCE DAY" PAUL WILLIAMS – “RAINBOW CONNECTION” THE ZOMBIES – “SHE’S NOT THERE” STARSHIP – “WE BUILT THIS CITY” SAINT MOTEL – “PUZZLE PIECES” PIXIES – “GIGANTIC”  “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC – “PERFORM THIS WAY (PARODY OF “BORN THIS WAY” BY LADY GAGA)” “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC – “SMELLS LIKE NIRVANA” “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC – “WHATEVER YOU LIKE” “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC – “PANCREAS” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” MARTY STUART – “HILLBILLY ROCK” TRAVIS TRITT WITH MARTY STUART – “THE WHISKEY AIN’T WORKIN’” MARTY STUART – “LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN” MARTY STUART – “PORTER WAGONER’S GRAVE” JOHN MELLENCAMP – “R.O.C.K. IN THE USA (A SALUTE TO 60’S ROCK)” MERLE HAGGARD – “THE FIGHTIN’ SIDE OF ME” THE ISLEY BROTHERS – “FREEDOM” THE RAMONES – “CALIFORNIA SUN” LADY GAGA – “THE EDGE OF GLORY” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – “TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND – “PARADISE BY THE “C” (LIVE)” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND – “JUNGLELAND (LIVE)” ARETHA FRANKLIN – “FREEWAY OF LOVE” WILD MAN FISCHER - "WATCH OUT FOR THE SHARKS" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-144-iPhone.m4a Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:00:52 -0700 Music no 00:45:00 “Weird Al” Yankovic, Clarence Clemons, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, The Isley Brothers, The Ramones iTunes Sly & The Family Stone, Godchildren of Soul, Stevie Wonder, Shania Twain, Dexter Gordon, Charlie “Bird” Parker, Branford Marsalis Quartet, Katrina & The Waves, Anthony White, ABBA This week, we’re listening in on summer songs, “guilty pleasures", and music from Shania Twain and jazz films   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-143-itunes-weekly/id445636862   Songs COOLIO – “GANGSTA’S PARADISE” QUEEN – “YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND” THE FRATELLIS – “CHELSEA DAGGER” JASON ALDEAN – “DIRT ROAD ANTHEM (REMIX) [FT. LUDACRIS]” BILLY SQUIER – “THE STROKE” THE BEACH BOYS – “CALIFORNIA GIRLS” SLY & THE FAMILY STONE – “HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME” GODCHILDREN OF SOUL – “ROCKAWAY BEACH (ON THE BEACH) [FEAT. GENERAL JOHNSON & JOEY RAMONE]” STEVIE WONDER – “MASTER BLASTER (JAMMIN’)” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” SHANIA TWAIN – “THAT DON’T IMPRESS ME MUCH” SHANIA TWAIN – “TODAY IS YOUR DAY” SHANIA TWAIN – “ANY MAN OF MINE” SHANIA TWAIN – “YOU’RE STILL THE ONE” SHANIA TWAIN – “I AIN’T NO QUITTER” DEXTER GORDON – “’ROUND MIDNIGHT” DEXTER GORDON – “CHAN’S SONG” CHARLIE “BIRD” PARKER – “KOKO” BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET – “MO’ BETTER BLUES” KATRINA & THE WAVES – “WALKING ON SUNSHINE” ANTHONY WHITE – “COULD IT BE MAGIC” ABBA - "DANCING QUEEN" THE BELLE BRIGADE - "WHERE NOT TO LOOK FOR FREEDOM" MARVIN GAYE - "EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE"  http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-143-iPhone.m4a Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:38:25 -0700 Music no 00:41:22 Sly & The Family Stone, Godchildren of Soul, Stevie Wonder, Shania Twain, Dexter Gordon, Charlie “Bird” Parker, Branford Marsalis Quartet, Katrina & The Waves, Anthony White, ABBA iTunes My Morning Jacket, Buffalo Springfield, Joe Jackson, DJ Quik This week, we’re listening in on music from My Morning Jacket, Buffalo Springfield, Joe Jackson, and DJ Quik   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-142-itunes-weekly/id444270319   Songs CAROLE KING – “YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND” DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ROB BARTLETT, JOHN LARROQUETTE, ELLEN HARVEY & EXECUTIVES – “BROTHERHOOD OF MAN” RUSH – “TOM SAWYER” JAMIE XX – “FAR NEARER” THE MARVELETTES – “PLEASE MR. POSTMAN (SINGLE VERISON)” MY MORNING JACKET – “HOLDIN ON TO BLACK METAL” MY MORNING JACKET – “WONDERFUL (THE WAY I FEEL)” MY MORNING JACKET – “OLD SEPT BLUES” MY MORNING JACKET – “I WILL BE THERE WHEN YOU DIE” MY MORNING JACKET – “IF IT SMASHES DOWN” MY MORNING JACKET – “ROCKET MAN” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” DJ QUIK – “QUIK’S GROOVE VIII” DJ QUIK – “TONITE” DJ QUIK – “BORN AND RAISED IN COMPTON” DJ QUIK – “JUS LYKE COMPTON” DJ QUIK – “NOBODY (FEAT. SUGA FREE)” JOE JACKSON – “STEPPIN’ OUT” JOE JACKSON – “ONE MORE TIME” JOE JACKSON – “JACK, YOU’RE DEAD!” JOE JACKSON – “HOME TOWN” JOE JACKSON – “IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?” JOE JACKSON – “IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? (LIVE)” BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD – “FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH” BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD – “MR. SOUL” BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD – “BLUEBIRD” POCO – “A GOOD FEELIN’ TO KNOW” ANDREW GOLD - "LONELY BOY" DR. JOHN - "GO TELL THE PEOPLE" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-142-iPhone.m4a Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:57:34 -0700 Music no 00:42:38 My Morning Jacket, Buffalo Springfield, Joe Jackson, DJ Quik iTunes Marvin Gaye, The Go-Go’s, Gil Scott-Heron, Black Music Month, Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five, Ice-T, Public Enemy This week, we’re listening in on music from Marvin Gaye, The Go-Go’s, Gil Scott-Heron, and Black Music Month   iMix http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/imix/episode-141-itunes-weekly/id442771862   Songs EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS – “CARRIES ON” LED ZEPPELIN – “IMMIGRANT SONG” THE CURE – “CLOSE TO ME” THOM YORKE – “AFTER THE GOLD RUSH (LIVE)” MY MORNING JACKET – “TYRONE” MARVIN GAYE – “MERCY MERCY ME (THE ECOLOGY)” MARVIN GAYE – “WHAT’S GOING ON” MARVIN GAYE – “INNER CITY BLUES” MARVIN GAYE – “RIGHT ON” DANNY BYRD – “RED MIST (FEAT. IK)” RUN-DMC – “IT’S LIKE THAT” RUN-DMC – “CAN YOU ROCK IT LIKE THIS” GRANDMASTER FLASH, MELLE MEL & THE FURIOUS FIVE – “BEAT STREET (12” SINGLE VERSION)” ICE-T – “NEW JACK CITY (NINO’S THEME)” PUBLIC ENEMY – “FIGHT THE POWER” GIL SCOTT-HERON – “THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELVISED” GIL SCOTT-HERON – “LADY DAY AND JOHN COLTRANE” GIL SCOTT-HERON – “WHITEY ON THE MOON” GIL SCOTT-HERON – “I’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU” THE GO-GO’S – “WE GOT THE BEAT” THE GO-GO’S – “OUR LIPS ARE SEALED” FUN BOY THREE – “OUR LIPS ARE SEALED” THE GO-GO’S – “THIS TOWN” THE GO-GO’S – “AUTOMATIC” THE GO-GO'S - "APOLOGY" FOSTER AND LLOYD - "IT'S ALREADY TOMORROW" http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-141-iPhone.m4a Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:51:35 -0700 Music no 00:46:02 Marvin Gaye, The Go-Go’s, Gil Scott-Heron, Black Music Month, Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five, Ice-T, Public Enemy iTunes The Oprah Show, Aretha Franklin, Ben Harper, INXS, Brad Paisley This week, we're listening in on music from the finale of The Oprah Show, Ben Harper, INXS, Brad Paisley. Our Rewind podcast musings on the gospel standards performed for Oprah's finale -- "Oh Happy Day" and "Amazing Grace" -- got us thinking this week about some of the ways pop and gospel commingled on the charts during the late'60s and early '70s. Jesus Pop, a genre that was both highly spiritual and supremely groovy, provided more than a few highlights back in the day, often weaving in elements of psychedelia in order to lend tunes about ultimate peace and love the full far-outness they merited. In a post-Altamont, post-MLK, pre-fall-of-Saigon world of undermined ideals, bad trips and social disquiet, these tracks made the world seem like a more hopeful and more harmonious place. And the best of them actually achieved a kind of pop transcendence, lasting well beyond their time. Melanie had been inspired by the communal power of Woodstock to write "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" -- an international hit that tapped the spiritual-pop zeitgeist in the spring of 1970. "We all had caught the same disease/And we all sang the songs of peace" she sings, backed with tremendous power by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, fresh off their chart success with the aforementioned "Oh Happy Day." There are many reasons to join in the chorus of approval for this excellent track (which would not have sounded out of place on the score of the counter-culture musical, Hair) but one of the most persuasive is the lung-busting passion with which Melanie commits to the vocal. Whatever it was that moved her spirit, we want some. The Beastie Boys would end up borrowing the opening breakbeat from the same year's "Put Your Hand in the Hand," a song first recorded by Anne Murray but made famous by fellow Canadians, Ocean, who could never have dreamed that the intro to their version would end up on Paul's Boutique. Something of a campfire staple for Jesus Pop aficionados, the tune shuffles along at a enthusiastic but mellow pace, and it hit a high point of Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100. Finally, we'd like to offer up praise for Norman Greenbaum's 1969 psychedelic rock classic, "Spirit in the Sky," which succeeds on both sides of the spiritual/secular divide -- it name-checks Jesus, but Greenbaum is Jewish. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=190733740,4426856,381636095,344799727,82307,82403352,294796772,259106269,265753997,102128,268157370,19512601,284526120,284526116,284526049,284526115,408951179,286726838,254340867,434365880,434365884,434365865,434365862,278835237,434320378,7215549,79033515,79033499,434130450,434130454,425869656,17362010,18268083,120780448,129357160,17362049,23261914,23261859,425869659,415591297,24835176,7302454,298436164,286836619 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-140-iPhone.m4a Tue, 31 May 2011 17:08:54 -0700 Music no 00:38:44 The Oprah Show, Aretha Franklin, Ben Harper, INXS, Brad Paisley iTunes Fleet Foxes, Crosby, Stills & Nahs, The Zombies, Sagittarius, Queen, k.d. lang, Prince, Sheila E. This week, we're listening in on music from Fleet Foxes, Queen, k.d. lang, and Prince. One of the great talents of k.d. lang (and she possesses many) is her ability to wear multiple hats, and to wear them all well -- impossible to pigeonhole, she has duetted and toured with legendary crooner Tony Bennett, lent an exquisite touch to songbook standards, collaborated with director Gus Van Sant on the largely instrumental soundtrack to Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and, back at the start of her career during the '80s, channelled the spirit of Patsy Cline into a brand of country that never sat too easily with traditional Nashville, given her outside-the-mainstream approach to life. She has also excelled when pursuing her strongest pop impulses, as outstanding recent release, Sing It Loud, has once again confirmed. With the exception of 2008's Watershed -- her last album of mainly original material was 2000's largely overlooked Invincible Summer -- a truly great set of luscious pop tracks that will hopefully pick up a second wind on the back of the universally positive response to Sing It Loud. Lang gets a full or shared credit on all but one of the songs on Invincible Summer, and that exception is opener "The Consequences of Falling" (written by Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo, Rick Nowels & Billy Steinberg) -- still well worth highlighting for its sweet melancholy, dreamy melody and dreamier delivery, reminiscent of Dusty Springfield at her happy/sad finest. From the rest of the album, we'd like to flag up "Extraordinary Thing," a songwriting hook-up with session drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and his bassist father that lives up to its title by jangling, cascading and shimmering with warm feelings of love and optimism. Another standout is "Summerfling," which offers a brief lyrical hint of sadness ("Strange the wind can change so quickly without a word of warning") but upholds the prevailing mood of an endless summer spent at the perfect beach without a care in the world: classic, timeless pop for the best of times. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=14689324,326874630,290075712,436301622,434542312,360695344,16269420,425059583,425059587,281086428,118111396,425059602,252723894,307036609,214146211,212854442,212976381,213037400,78162,380416148,124887851,212976632,278835237,354089127,281704929,421581905,421581901,421581903,421581909,27243429,30535819,27243396,27243271,301027918,342373203,171066258,171067343 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-139-iPhone.m4a Tue, 24 May 2011 15:28:10 -0700 Music no 00:41:57 Fleet Foxes, Crosby, Stills & Nahs, The Zombies, Sagittarius, Queen, k.d. lang, Prince, Sheila E. iTunes Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Elvis Presley, The Coasters, John Lennon, Jimmy Ruffin & David Ruffin, Bob Marley, The Cars, Rodrigo y Gabriela This week, we're listening in on music from Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Bob Marley, The Cars, and Rodrigo y Gabriela. When Blondie hit the mainstream with 1978's Parallel Lines, their third studio album, jaws dropped the world over -- here was a band, fronted by a former Playboy Bunny teetering on sling-backs and loaded to the gunnels with proto riot-grrrl subversion, that combined classic pop songwriting skills with New Wave style and New York punk attitude. Was it art rock aimed at the masses? Timeless pop repackaged with a wink? Who cared? You could take Blondie anyway you found them, straight-up or sideways with a twist, as punksters or as pranksters, with or without the irony. Rewind a couple of years, when they were regulars at CBGB and Max's Kansas City, and there were enough hints on their self-titled 1976 debut album of the greatness to come, even though it made a commercial impression only on the Australian charts. Opening track "X-Offender" served up Blondie's clever agenda on a vinyl platter, pitching them somewhere between the Velvet Underground and the Shangri-La's. Packed with the same kind of lyrical melodrama that had driven the great '60s girl groups, about a young transgressor's feelings for the cop who busted her -- "You had to admit you wanted the love of a sex offender" -- the tune owes plenty to the early work of Phil Spector and the Beach Boys. It's to the band's credit, musicianship (check out the spot-on surf guitar stylings of Chris Stein) and evident love for their sources that the song transcends mere parody, and hits home on its own electrifying terms. Similarly "In the Sun" brings the beach to Manhattan, opening up with a classic wipe-out drum roll and Debbie Harry's playfully absurd battle-cry, "Surf's up!" -- more familiar with the sidewalks of the Lower East Side and than the sands of Malibu, Blondie was obviously having fun with the thematic mismatch, and the song remains an all-time party classic, regardless of geography. With it's West Side Story allusion, "Shark in Jets Clothing" puts a spin on the big city by cranking up the morbid melodrama of forbidden love, and decorates the whole overblown saga with some great keyboard work by Jimmy Destri. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=422175726,405004,14814856,425927518,175598836,253614323,250487149,250486522,60189,106302262,59421878,59421933,129022587,192941778,289325939,392345561,351489,432825233,432825240,432825234,432827909,432827910,434396980,434396978,432828396,278835237,406650,217272849,14268587,23474674,406784,406778,406804,406626,406635,406632,415161,406644,5281064,5519857,300203920,300204416,300204414,300204288,159362594,159362598,300204751,300203854,300203863,428637212,428637213,428637208,178050256,192691837,379981640 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-138-iPhone.m4a Tue, 17 May 2011 17:29:03 -0700 Music no 00:52:14 Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Elvis Presley, The Coasters, John Lennon, Jimmy Ruffin & David Ruffin, Bob Marley, The Cars, Rodrigo y Gabriela iTunes Beastie Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Bootsy Collins, Blake Shelton This week, we're listening in on music from Beastie Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Bootsy Collins, and Blake Shelton. Born just six weeks apart 78 years ago, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are one of the most prolific, successful, and talented writing duos in the history of rock, so it's little wonder that the American Idol hopefuls would turn to their oft-raided songbook for inspiration. But much like we did in our last episode with Goffin & King, we're going to look at a side of their work not as widely known, but which certainly deserves some attention. First, to refresh your memory, some of their hits: "Hound Dog.""Stand By Me.""Kansas City.""There Goes My Baby." And, of course, the title track to their smash Broadway musical revue, "Smokey Joe's Café," the cast recording of which won them their first-ever GRAMMY®. During the '50s, they ran up a string of playful, raucous teen culture favorites like "Yakety Yak,""Charlie Brown,""Love Potion #9," and "Little Egypt," to name but a few. And bands like the Coasters, the Clovers, and the Drifters regularly sought out Leiber & Stoller's prolific pens for their next hit. But there's another, more socially-conscious side to L&S's writing that often gets overlooked, obscured by their mass of hits. Way back in 1954, just as rock'n'roll was gaining traction as the dominant force in pop music, the Robins had an R&B chart-topper with "Riot in Cell Block #9," one of Lieber and Stoller's self-described "three-minute playlets" that depicted a much darker side of life behind bars than the writing duo's later hit for Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock." And while their compositions never turned the corner into actual "protest songs," tunes such as the Coasters'"What About Us" (in which "He's got a house made of glass / Got his own swimming pool - what a gas" while "We've got a one-room shack / A pile of sticks by the railroad track") give voice to the economic inequalities in the inner cities of 1950's America. Similarly, the Coasters'"Shoppin' for Clothes" tells the story of a guy out to buy a suit having his credit denied. "Oooh-oooh-oooh-oooh-oooh" moans the chorus, as the would-be customer laments the loss of his "pure pure herringbone" before being told "That's a suit you'll never own." By cloaking them in the trappings of pop, Leiber and Stoller were able to expose some rather uncomfortable truths that are every bit as relevant now as they were back in the day. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=71062067,26171,41562405,1013890,78258826,261707183,300973491,5805816,430943103,14319925,14319914,14319909,205127218,286223524,289269811,433622079,278835237,426454986,265698092,287826001,256607333,426454857,426454995,356155064,331699186,331699177,27293435,272499629,279162473,430142035,255976940,430111458,430111465,430111449,255977706,309646673,255976961,255977051,202271895,304937069,255977004,220364781,215786428,432687858 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-137-iPhone.m4a Tue, 10 May 2011 21:33:15 -0700 Music no 00:40:57 Beastie Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Bootsy Collins, Blake Shelton iTunes The Voice, Adele, Dixie Chicks, Sam Cooke, Carole King, Steve Earle, Fast Five, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Pitbull This week, we're listening in on music from The Voice, Carole King, Steve Earle, and Fast Five. With the American Idol hopefuls raiding her songbook for inspiration just last week, we turn our attention to singer-songwriter extraordinaire Carole King and her ex-partner -- both in songwriting and in life -- Gerry Goffin. And for a change, we're not going to be scrutinizing their hits, but digging deeper into the crates, for some almost-hits and shoulda-beens that you ought to hear for yourself. Right around the time that the Goffin-King songwriting factory provided Herman's Hermits with their first UK #1 ("I'm Into Something Good"), a little-known British Invasion band called the Rockin' Berries turned to the Brill Building duo's songbook in search of the same sort of magic, and while their recording of "He's In Town" failed even to graze the American charts, it clicked across the pond, reaching #3. With its sky-high falsetto, it almost sounds like the greatest Four Seasons song that never was. Incidentally, the Tokens' version almost cracked the Top 40 in the summer of 1964. A couple of years later, soul singer Barbara Lewis, best known for songs like "Hello Stranger" and "Baby I'm Yours," took a more Carnaby Street-friendly turn with her Spector-esque reading of Goffin and King's "Don't Forget About Me," which would later be covered not once, but twice, by Dusty Springfield. While Lewis' version is uncharacteristically poppy -- for her, anyway -- Springfield's second recording, from Dusty In Memphis, brings out the tune's more sultry side. And just to explode the myth that the Brill Building's squadron of professional songwriters was just too out of touch to create the "groovy" sounds the pop scene demanded post-Summer of Love, allow us to introduce Exhibit A, "Porpoise Song" by the Monkees, also known as the theme from the movie Head. Every bit as swirly as the trippiest Donovan tune, and exploring the same psychedelic textures that the Beach Boys had employed in the long-lost Smile, "Porpoise Song" demonstrated not only what the Monkees could be, but what Goffin and King could do . . . which was pretty much anything they set their minds to. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=80014,159826536,79308071,412585111,269573303,388232992,400588071,420075084,283636333,76532100,304822413,432448506,3484718,432448673,309392990,430969724,299122847,314974207,2663627,2663611,20150816,20150814,20150805,6577322,278835237,158588221,158588228,158588380,158588543,193964677,186152534,325933728,193965301,204797667,163137736,310134716,310134670,310134721,1014025,431288885 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-136-iPhone.m4a Tue, 03 May 2011 13:11:51 -0700 Music no 00:47:25 The Voice, Adele, Dixie Chicks, Sam Cooke, Carole King, Steve Earle, Fast Five, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Pitbull iTunes Scala and Kolacny Brothers, The Langley Schools Music Project, Dead Man’s Bones, Emmylou Harris, Maná, Caifanes, Tim McGraw This week, we're listening in on music from Scala and Kolacny Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Maná, Caifanes, and Tim McGraw. Possessed of a voice so clear and pure it can reduce the toughest roughneck to willing, simpering submission long before the chorus kicks in, Emmylou Harris is one of country's most distinctive, original and enduring artists. After the slow start of her debut album Gliding Bird (1970), released round the time she first became a mother, she joined the late Gram Parsons on his quest to deliver "cosmic American music" to the world, only to see that alliance derailed by tragedy. Guided by a survivor's instinct as strong and unwavering as her voice, Harris pressed on, and began to assemble an incredibly bold and eclectic body of work: some of her tunes were drawn directly from country tradition ("Sweet Dreams,""Together Again" etc.), others she positioned left of left field. Her cover of the Chordettes'"Mr. Sandman" belongs to that fascinating and wide-ranging set of Emmylou Harris tracks with immense appeal beyond the borders of country. Not only does it reveal a certain delight at operating outside her comfort zone, it also dilutes some of the novelty value instilled in the original, which has become a sonic signpost for '50s nostalgia. The Harris version was first recorded in 1978 alongside Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, but her collaborators were hamstrung by record label red tape, so Emmylou returned to the studio, sang all the harmonies herself, and wound up with a single that dented both pop (Top Ten) and country (Top 40) charts. The Parton/Ronstadt/Harris triumvirate would successfully reconvene for the 1987 album Trio, featuring a truly gorgeous cover of the Phil Spector-penned classic, "To Know Him Is to Love Him" -- while the Teddy Bears' original radiates teenage infatuation, the Harris collaboration stirs experience into the mix, and the result is intoxicating. Finally, we'd like to recommend her cover of the Lennon/McCarney song "Here, There and Everywhere." Early on, Harris had revealed a fondness for Beatles material -- "For No One" was included on her major label debut Pieces of the Sky (1975) -- and this often overlooked Revolver composition benefitted from the exquisite Harris touch on Elite Hotel (also released in '75). http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=194024051,93961,193032919,427401302,522343,395433076,423530860,423530856,283965528,283965564,16620591,76535200,76921251,58339614,138668,332573538,42017386,427805821,427805789,179573237,278129661,206093414,299566327,298543572,412581720,278835237,327610684,259755449,260026925,80604828,68872592,22178487,68891680,419339483,129642153,32426613,304907801,74226165,5560315,5559853,72787288,72787252,426522687,325515552,325515529,187593047,291184231 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-135-iPhone.m4a Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:39:06 -0700 Music no 00:43:09 itunes weekly rewind, weekly rewind, itunes iTunes Hanna, The Chemical Brothers, Paul Simon, Big Audio Dynamite, The Judds This week, we're listening in on music from Hanna, Paul Simon, Big Audio Dynamite, and The Judds. We can't outright assume that Paul Simon derives a warm frisson of satisfaction from the fact that his commercially disappointing 1983 album Hearts and Bones is now held up as a classic, one of his finest, most ambitious and most personal pieces of work . . . but it's nice to imagine that he allows himself a self-congratulatory chuckle from time to time. The years have revealed the album to be a hugely rewarding, massively underrated achievement, with its mid-life perspective and mediations on love and relationships, notably the title track, part-inspired by his early '80s romantic involvement with future wife Carrie Fisher. Initially, the album was supposed to mark a Simon & Garfunkel reunion, but creative differences put paid to that, and it became Simon's final rock/pop-rooted LP before his shift in focus to world music (on 1986's Graceland). Every track holds up really well, but we can especially recommend the wistful ballad, "Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War" -- an affecting lyrical blend of innocence and experience set to a gorgeous melody. Inspired by an actual photograph of the surrealist painter and his wife, Simon imagines the pair dancing naked, in a hotel suite, by moonlight, to '50s doo-wop groups "the Penguins, the Moonglows, the Orioles, the Five Satins," so that the track becomes a two-sided tribute, to great art and great music. Set against a feeling of lightness and childlike wonder are references to loss and pain -- the war, "decades gliding by,""the cabinet cold of their hearts" -- and it's in the delicate tension between those elements that the song finds its heart and soul. "The Late Great Johnny Ace" is a truly outstanding reflection on pop mythology, tracing a timeline from the death of R&B singer Johnny Ace in 1954 (in a game of Russian roulette, if some accounts are to be believed), through the assassinations of JFK and John Lennon. The song is thought-provoking, musically complex, not nearly as morbid as that brief description implies, and it rolls towards its conclusion on a coda composed by Philip Glass. Finally, if you ever want to communicate the gap between imagined, idealized love and the disappointing reality of real-life relationships, just cue up "Train in the Distance" -- that track says it all. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=145083947,391706457,365096,278129142,421678896,5805816,423742744,392116868,167622328,415906878,423742628,19605473,19605510,291875111,201847021,68887952,68884903,68888814,68885928,74009079,68877196,278835237,169896638,193147363,193004759,192786176,169897750,197981364,197980750,192751666,169897116,430022409,380588849,380625660,380590967,380590959,380588827,380597294,380597267,430022413,414895953,413327479,374134419,426210588 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-134-iPhone.m4a Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:24:25 -0700 Music no 00:41:01 Hanna, The Chemical Brothers, Paul Simon, Big Audio Dynamite, The Judds iTunes Treme, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, LL Cool J, Taylor Swift, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Paul McCartney This week, we're listening in on music from Treme, LL Cool J, and the ukulele. Here at iTunes Weekly Rewind, we like to take you beyond the classics and highlight great tunes you may have overlooked. But we also believe that "new" music should be defined as anything you haven't yet heard, to account for any well-known sounds that may somehow have evaded your radar. With that in mind, and inspired by HBO's Treme, we decided to pick out a fistful of tunes that best represent New Orleans -- so apologies in advance if some of the following songs can already be found among your own personal Essentials. Professor Longhair (aka Roy Byrd, aka Fess) never shifted the same kind of units as fellow ivory-tickling Crescent City natives Fats Domino and Huey "Piano" Smith, but his "Tipitina" remains the definitive New Orleans piano track -- an incredible showcase for the eminent Prof.'s unique, influential fusion of rhumba rhythms with blues and boogie-woogie. He died in 1980, and one of several legends to have carried his torch is Dr. John (aka Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr.) whose version of Cajun standard "Iko Iko" on Dr. John's Gumbo (1972) is right up there with the best of them -- it follows in the spirit of the original by James "Sugar Boy' Crawford and possess enough razz, rattle and roll to fuel a lifetime of Fat Tuesdays. We can't possibly honor New Orleans' finest without mentioning the Neville Brothers: for Aaron at his angelically soulful best we have to recommend his 1966 hit "Tell It Like It Is," while "Fire on the Bayou" showcases the funked-up '70s overhaul of New Orleans R&B by siblings Art, Charles and Ivan. Finally, there's that sweet shower of early '60s R&B from Irma Thomas, "It's Raining," which is all the proof you'll ever need that she's the rightful Soul Queen of New Orleans. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=148895083,321166704,121478403,427881999,76532483,315384856,106224674,301564387,301565720,219355289,265041110,77782,33906447,283977912,278835237,330925720,50314,7312591,21547852,426240823,183933148,25092826,335627639,372770284,365046697,6920352,337808924 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-133-iPhone.m4a Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:29:45 -0700 Music no 00:29:47 Treme, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, LL Cool J, Taylor Swift, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Paul McCartney iTunes Grey’s Anatomy, Josh Rouse, Inara George, Jamie Lidell, Elton John, Little Big Town, The Strangeloves, Bow Wow Wow This week, we're listening in on music from Grey's Anatomy, Elton John, Little Big Town, and the history of "I Want Candy". A dedicated theme week on American Idol; a hosting slot on Saturday Night Live -- Sir Elton Hercules John is on everyone's radar at the moment, and that can only be a good thing . . . not least because it gives us a great excuse to revisit his back catalog, which includes Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) -- the magnificent double album that towered over the pop landscape of the early '70s with colossal authority, gigantic ambition and stylistic abandon. An expansive work that delivered three hits on both sides of the Atlantic (for some reason, "Bennie and the Jets" went to Number One here in the U.S., but only scraped into the Top 40 in the U.K.) the record dared to push the boat out with challenging material, and confirmed once and for all that Elton was a talent of two halves, creatively joined at the hip with lyricist Bernie Taupin. "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)" is a small masterpiece that plays out like a big screen drama, echoing the fascination with Americana pursued earlier by John/Taupin on Tumbleweed Connection (1970). The eponymous anti-hero, evidently cut down in his prime, is a fictional depression-era gangster, but the tragic romance saturating every line -- "I guess the cops won again" -- takes us into that cinematic dream-space of righteous gallantry on the wrong side of the law. The phrase that seals the deal, and gives the tale its permanence, is as simple as it is brilliant: "The harvest is in" -- it's all over for Danny Bailey, but his tragic arc is going to be traced time and time again, sure as fall follows summer. There's also a stiff shot of tragedy running through "All the Girls Love Alice" a meaty, beaty, deceptively cheery tune about a young lesbian. The song's emotional heart is reserved for the chorus, which drops the tempo by more than half, and plays games with the word "tender" to mean to both emotionally vulnerable and sexually supple. Again, the John/Taupin synergy is extraordinary. Further exploration of the album will reveal a rare excursion into reggae ("Jamaica Jerk Off"), epic prog -- the 11 minutes of "Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)" -- and a torch song or two. And that's just scratching the surface. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=251042368,256915140,391706502,420075185,298284284,155714177,152267584,291307138,162514401,162514707,414786,80567480,73678223,73678170,286529519,286529525,286529516,292352272,285448901,385389477,385389853,278835237,2481665,131590679,262058747,40582066,292225288,292225406,250506118,318394458,313548,379829,45275,379904,379916,5243856,5243899,5243860,3451732,45372,313534,313536,45323,45321,45351,45337,427300306,427300317,427300325,1010649,32426628 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-132-iPhone.m4a Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:52:19 -0700 Music no 00:46:29 Grey’s Anatomy, Josh Rouse, Inara George, Jamie Lidell, Elton John, Little Big Town, The Strangeloves, Bow Wow Wow iTunes Sucker Punch, The Smiths, Jefferson Airplane, Björk, Duran Duran, Jennifer Hudson, The Strokes This week, we're listening in on music from Sucker Punch, Duran Duran, Jennifer Hudson, and The Strokes. For much of the '80s Duran Duran relished their role as the pop idol pretty boys of new wave -- five androgynously handsome Englishmen who tanned their bodies by day in exotic video locations, and blanched their faces by night, cutting through the powder-puff fog with slashes of lip rouge and extra-sharp cheekbones. They delivered an unstoppable run of irresistible, meticulously layered hits, styled up to the nines like life was an endless catwalk, and recorded for MTV every step of the way by a no-expense-spared film crew. If you bought into their world, you were rewarded with great tunes, an excess of glamor, and a finely tuned sense of fantasy, whether that meant the jet-set escapism of "Rio," the tropical balladry of "Save a Prayer," the shaken-not-stirred sophistication of "A View to a Kill" or the Road Warrior futurism of "Wild Boys." But, as you might expect from a band that started out on the post-punk, new romantic club underground, Duran Duran had a darker side, and some of the band's most interesting work was obscured by their big, shiny, mainstream output. If the margins appeal more to you more than the limelight, you might like to return to their self-titled debut album from 1981, which not only produced calling card "Planet Earth" and "Girls on Film" (the latter's original softly pornographic video was first banned, then heavily trimmed for MTV) but also the excellent overlooked cut, "Friends of Mine." Driven by John Taylor's funky, sidewinding bass, the track explodes from a deadpan verse into a glittering, cloud-busting singalong chorus -- a perfect reflection of the band's brooding/breezy duality. The sleazy "All She Wants Is" from fifth studio album Big Thing is also well worth seeking out -- recorded during the twilight of the band's '80s golden days, the track takes us into artfully X-rated domain, looping orgasmic female voice samples around a sophisticated beat structure. It's shady, dangerous and more than a little bit kinky. Finally, bringing our dark Duran Duran selection up to date is "The Man Who Stole a Leopard," a Kelis collaboration from 2011's All You Need Is Now which confirms that their urge to explore the shadows is still strong. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=517522,279691959,425382777,394022283,159580074,424973382,424973408,35880667,424973407,281811771,424973390,300205685,424973386,423019707,206336444,281652391,423019611,423019604,420041822,266376993,266377055,266377010,337458986,332637059,284383137,281254337,420041816,278835237,425283971,425283943,14552927,327678766,14597491,14597514,157919774,157920034,157919508,267952777,406226001,406226004,123052605,298438254 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-131-iPhone.m4a Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:45:07 -0700 Music no 00:41:25 Sucker Punch, The Smiths, Jefferson Airplane, Björk, Duran Duran, Jennifer Hudson, The Strokes iTunes The Only Ones, The B-52’s, Billy Lee Riley, Alice Cooper, Orchestra Manoeuvres In The Dark, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Badfinger, Mariah Carey, Tears For Fears, Gary Jules with Michael Andrews This week, we're listening in on music from Paul, American Idol, Alice Cooper, and Orchestra Manoeuvres In The Dark. Not many Greatest Hits collections can be labeled indispensable, but a few take on a life of their own and perfectly capture a band's essence. You could argue that Creedence Clearwater Revival's Chronicle (1976) falls into the must-have category -- likewise, Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits (1974), a true and enduring classic in the Best Of department. Over the course of twelve well-chosen tracks, we understand just how Vincent Damon Furnier and his cohorts managed to fuse hard rock power with pop song structures, glitter-era imagery and proto-metalhead dynamism under the production guidance of revered mix-desk maestro, Bob Ezrin (who had a hand in all but the last two songs). The album spans the period up to, and including, Muscle of Love, the last studio album featuring the original Alice Cooper band -- Glen Buxton (lead guitar), Michael Bruce (rhythm guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums) -- and makes it clear that Alice Cooper was far more than one charismatic frontman. "School's Out" gets a full group songwriting credit, as does the excellent "Elected" which confirmed that the band could look beyond hard rock AM/FM anthems for messed-up teenagers. Loaded with Nixon-era political satire, and preceded by a tongue-in-cheek run for Presidency in '72, the track was a re-write of an earlier tune ("Reflected") and became a global hit, the ideal calling card for 1973's Billion Dollar Babies. The opening track from that album "Hello Hooray" also leaps out from the perfectly formed pack, not least because it was originally recorded by activist folkie Judy Collins. The band wanted to skew the tune so that it generated a camp theatricality reminiscent of the movie Cabaret, and they succeeded, but what truly stands out is the defiant chorus, an unshakable hook cemented to Cooper's exultant cry: "I've been waiting so long to sing this song." Finally, check out the brilliant "Desperado" -- nothing to do with the Eagles track of the same name, but a tribute to friend Jim Morrison, and one of the greatest Alice Cooper tracks never released as a single. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=251378950,425054842,319166509,414904965,30724391,208269811,203767447,300964529,276646056,278835237,17731155,252992870,171646861,17731131,17731133,391116567,391116573,391116578,40458562,79574400,79574383,40458497,40458539,298756807,380051032,275765380,50232544,192662956,304815013,397675212,171022180,411377,208118932,375190234,375190140,419747416 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-130-iPhone.m4a Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:38:58 -0700 Music no 00:44:21 The Only Ones, The B-52’s, Billy Lee Riley, Alice Cooper, Orchestra Manoeuvres In The Dark, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Badfinger, Mariah Carey, Tears For Fears, Gary Jules with Michael Andrews iTunes R.E.M., Lionel Ritchie, Lykke Li, Darlene Love This week, we're listening in on music from R.E.M., Lionel Ritchie, Lykke Li, and Darlene Love. Of all this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, powerhouse soul pop vocalist Darlene Love is the artist most people know the least about -- and that's hardly surprising, given that the credit for some of her greatest work for Phil Spector was, for one reason or another, buried: "He's a Rebel" (1962) appeared under the Crystals' banner (Love was best known as one of the Blossoms), and her lead vocal on the hit "Why Do Lover's Break Each Other's Heart" was released under the moniker Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. If you're struggling to put a face to her name, check out the Lethal Weapon movies (she plays Danny Glover's wife) and if you need a glowing endorsement of her vocal talent, look no further than E-Street Band stalwart, Steven Van Zandt, who rates her as the greatest of them all. Like Little Steven, we're also smitten with Love, and would like to ensure that she's not solely remembered as the performer who turns up on Letterman for the last show before Christmas, as she has done every year since 1986, to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" . . . even though we'll never tire of her seasonal routine. Exhibit A among the evidence that Darlene Love possesses a truly special voice must be her version of "River Deep - Mountain High" which she nailed when she played herself in the Broadway musical, Leader of the Pack, and which also appears on the excellent live release, Concert of Love (2010). If you thought that Tina Turner owned that song, Love will make you think again. From the same set, "Marvelous" is also a standout: it's a beautiful jazz workout that lacks nothing in gravity and leans with unforced, natural grace into gospel. While those two cuts feature in Love's current repertoire -- amazing to think that the power and the tone have stayed with her through the years (she's 72) -- we have to recommend a couple of throwback tunes: "Strange Love," from her Spector years, sounds like a Ronettes song but is transformed by the singer into something truly unique, perhaps to do with the mic-melting way she rounds out the really big notes; and the post-Spector side "Good Good Lovin'," which was recorded with the Blossoms in 1965, and remains soaked in a soul-deep satisfaction that's immune to the passage of time. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=262492759,363109590,304667807,368054533,360459799,413746011,258939477,32908759,32908786,32908768,25506903,276468217,276468218,25506906,31134244,253211375,278835237,421468454,281625359,281625331,283495492,334818022,421468393,421468456,421468457,421468399,391034415,358131504,358131463,420123377,420123388,420123392,391034408,420123372,2294703,2954460,2954398,2954392,414467,414473,414463,2954426,297546,111189496,254676619,420086327 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-129-iPhone.m4a Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:10:04 -0700 Music no 00:44:42 R.E.M., Lionel Ritchie, Lykke Li, Darlene Love iTunes Los Lobos, Dionne Warwick, Lupe Fiasco, Buddy Miller This week, we're listening in on music from Los Lobos, Dionne Warwick, Lupe Fiasco, and Buddy Miller. No showbiz affectations; no sense that they're trying too hard; just a desire to get down to business, for the love of the music. These have remained the hallmarks of Mexican-American roots-rock troopers, Los Lobos, who began life in the mid-'70s as a wedding/bar band just as comfortable with blues and rockabilly as they were with traditional cancions. And while they're still, essentially, Just Another Band From East L.A. (the phrase that served as the self-effacing title for an excellent 1993 compilation) that description betrays a touch of false modesty, because the extent of Los Lobos' talents is far-reaching and far from ordinary. To offer a sense of the band's many overlooked layers, we'd like first like to flag up a couple of cuts from their contemplative follow-up to How Will the Wolf Survive? Released in the same year as the soundtrack to La Bamba -- the Richie Valens biopic that opened up a global audience for the band and cast them as party-starting roots rockers -- 1987's By the Light of the Moon gave the band an opportunity to explore deep reserves finesse and subtlety, not least on the spiritually powerful "Tears of God." The production, overseen by T-Bone Burnett, is perfectly understated, and the lyrical balance between desperation ("When your only escape is a cheap nickel wine") and solace ("The tears of God will show you the way") is strung between a highly emotive shared vocal and surrounded by rolling waves of organ keys. It's enough to make a believer of the most hardened cynic. Tough times again provide the inspiration for "Is This All There Is?" a fine example of the way Los Lobos fuses style and substance -- elements of jump blues, folk and rock (resting on the tight rhythm guitar framework constructed by Cesar Rosas) coalesce around the song's simply effective lyrical poetry ("Fifteen years on a sewing machine/Where twisted hands don't mean a thing"), marking out Louie Perez and David Hidalgo as songwriters capable of venturing beyond the merely accomplished and into the realms of brilliance. Lastly, if you'd like a dose of the band at their most innovative and experimental, plug into "Mas y Mas" from 1996's Colossal Head: this is what might have happened if Captain Beefheart had ever jammed with Eric Clapton in the Este de Los Angeles . . . under a full moon. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=402882142,402882185,332260548,76179096,200304009,416898283,211499978,418673808,120995697,309581879,309581873,120995525,309581874,309581865,382830868,382830856,278835237,192005874,192006056,269746765,386247390,420441509,201459292,370370189,312607616,193068182,250056064,157513221,294879042,192494179,294878833,421556380,421556374,302981260,41688513,50232588,41688511,284618153,40284751,342339995,41688399,40284759,136140538,192691835,171050214,171050153 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-128-iPhone.m4a Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:42:00 -0800 Music no 00:36:45 Los Lobos, Dionne Warwick, Lupe Fiasco, Buddy Miller iTunes "Political Science" -- from 1972's Sail Away -- is one of Newman's greatest satirical tunes, delivered with the deadpan bluesy growl that has become his trademark, cunningly bereft of the nod or the wink that would give his game away at first listen. Recorded during the twisted Nixon era, it takes the darkest impulses of belligerent American foreign policy to their logical conclusion, suggesting that the other countries of the world (with the notable exception of Australia) could be pulverized by nuclear strikes, because "they all hate us anyhow": "Asia's crowded and Europe's too old/Africa's far too hot and Canada's too cold." So why do the Aussies get off so lightly? Well, sings Randy, "don't wanna hurt no kangaroo." What's more, "they got surfing, too." The title track from Sail Away is even more outrageous in its satirical conceit, and darker too. As the song's soothing, beautifully arranged melody starts to fill our souls with light and joy, and Randy stirs our spirits with the remembrance of ancestors who crossed "the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay" -- reminding us that "in America, every man is free" -- it dawns on us that he's singing from the perspective of a slave trader, selling the New World to Africans unaware of the chains jangling behind his back. Lastly, we have to mention the song he wrote about the devastating, levee-crushing Louisiana flood to which a callous government responded with criminal indifference . . . the kicker being that "Louisiana 1927" was a tragically timeless highlight on 1974's Good Old Boys, to be revived in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. ]]> Adele, PJ Harvey, Bell Biv Devoe, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, John Lee Hooker, Amos Milburn This week, we're listening in on music from Glee, Adele, PJ Harvey, and Bell Biv Devoe. If you're a fan of Randy Newman's movie soundtracks, especially his Academy Award-winning Pixar tunes -- including last weekend's Academy-honored "We Belong Together" -- and his gorgeously nostalgic compositions for The Natural and Pleasantville, you'll already know that the man has an endless supply of beauty, sincerity and life-affirming humanity at his fingertips. Much of Newman's material connects directly to the heart, but he's also mastered the art of throwing pop curveballs and he loves to play narratorial games when spinning his musical yarns, often under the cover of melodies so arresting they misdirect the unwary. It's not hard to tell that he's pulling our legs on "Short People," but "I Love L.A." still passes for a straight-up celebratory anthem at Dodger Stadium, on the occasion of every home-turf victory, despite its first-person portrait of a man scoffing at the homeless from the comfort of his fat convertible car, with a "big, nasty redhead" at his side. b>"Political Science" -- from 1972's Sail Away -- is one of Newman's greatest satirical tunes, delivered with the deadpan bluesy growl that has become his trademark, cunningly bereft of the nod or the wink that would give his game away at first listen. Recorded during the twisted Nixon era, it takes the darkest impulses of belligerent American foreign policy to their logical conclusion, suggesting that the other countries of the world (with the notable exception of Australia) could be pulverized by nuclear strikes, because "they all hate us anyhow": "Asia's crowded and Europe's too old/Africa's far too hot and Canada's too cold." So why do the Aussies get off so lightly? Well, sings Randy, "don't wanna hurt no kangaroo." What's more, "they got surfing, too." The title track from Sail Away is even more outrageous in its satirical conceit, and darker too. As the song's soothing, beautifully arranged melody starts to fill our souls with light and joy, and Randy stirs our spirits with the remembrance of ancestors who crossed "the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay" -- reminding us that "in America, every man is free" -- it dawns on us that he's singing from the perspective of a slave trader, selling the New World to Africans unaware of the chains jangling behind his back. Lastly, we have to mention the song he wrote about the devastating, levee-crushing Louisiana flood to which a callous government responded with criminal indifference . . . the kicker being that "Louisiana 1927" was a tragically timeless highlight on 1974's Good Old Boys, to be revived in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=14880515,399794110,398077318,402057938,375893770,161397957,403822316,401685484,420062522,420062393,2477425,1967476,303128520,68954,267770522,311350,99060,328170,68952,328168,30371672,278835237,420075087,420075185,47558,420075084,420075124,420075180,334361596,418242912,418242917,252585,254341,418242900,418242899,158588223,158588221,152996840,153420695 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-127-Computer.m4a Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:51:44 -0800 Music no 00:31:34 Adele, PJ Harvey, Bell Biv Devoe, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, John Lee Hooker, Amos Milburn iTunes George Michael, Wham!, Keb’ Mo’, LCD Soundsystem, Motörhead This week, we're listening in on music from George Michael, Keb' Mo', LCD Soundsystem, and Motörhead. Wham! -- the '80s pop phenomenon that paired golden-voiced George Michael with largely decorative side-kick Andrew Ridgeley -- tends to get consigned to the same repository for bubblegum that also contains Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and New Kids on the Block. That probably has a lot to do with their biggest worldwide chart-topper, the unstoppably bouncy "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" (1984), forever associated with the supremely-perky DayGlo stylings and camp fun of its heavily-rotated video. However, we'd like to make the case for Wham! as a powerhouse of masterful, soul-dusted pop whose musical lineage reveals a much tighter connection to the Jackson 5 than to NKOTB. Written by Michael, whose true colors as the band's creative driving force were apparent from the start, "Freedom" is easily good enough to be ranked alongside the greatest soul-pop hits penned by Holland-Dozier-Holland. The lyrics, detailing a mis-matched love affair, form a perfect complement to the song's rhythmic structure, and Michael's delivery of them is nothing short of brilliant. The arrangement -- featuring a foot-stomping piano run, wicked bursts of brass, intricate guitar work, and swirling gospel-inspired keys -- provides the ideal backdrop for the soaraway vocal melody that hits home without resorting to histrionics or excessive showboating. Like much great pop, it touches your heart while simultaneously compelling you to dance, and that takes a special talent. The largely overlooked final Wham! single "Where Did Your Heart Go?" (1986) is well worth seeking out, and stands as a great choice of cover on which to bow out -- originally released by Was (Not Was) in 1981, the track marked the transition to Michael's heavyweight solo career, marrying elements of soul and rock to a slower-than-usual Wham! tempo, and signaled to the world that 1984's solo dry run, "Careless Whisper," was no flash in the pan. Finally, check out another cover: their faithful version of the Isley Brothers'"If You Were There," included on 1984's Make It Big, and more evidence of the gold-dust within Wham!'s candy floss. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=387712108,291315467,358822692,418611404,278672871,395679697,207071404,193085002,193085066,395679695,395679694,395679703,395679723,395679706,193085040,278835237,386264602,358963232,45743999,45744129,216249051,386264607,404441334,303825979,269862335,278843007,192927475,274930931,402650283,160189103,199986158,157337341,157337334,199985865,193005147,153441867,153441803,153442050,160189279,303740799,192762484,275221071,275221081,6737527,275231468,214775966 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-126-iPhone.m4a Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:46:57 -0800 Music no 00:41:36 George Michael, Wham!, Keb’ Mo’, LCD Soundsystem, Motörhead iTunes Aretha Franklin, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Bob Dylan, Solomon Burke This week, we're listening in on music from the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, including songs by Aretha Franklin, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Bob Dylan, and Solomon Burke. If the opening medley at this year's GRAMMY® awards told us anything, it was that Aretha Franklin's catalog of soul-defining tunes is even deeper and richer than perhaps we had ever fully appreciated. The eight-song tribute was rooted in the assumption that the only fair way to honor the great lady was to assemble the combined forces of five huge talents from across the stylistic spectrum -- Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride and Florence Welch . . . a magnificent show of vocal strength by anyone's reckoning. More to the point, the experience of hearing these all-star belters navigate the requisite changes of tone, mood and tempo truly brought home Franklin's comprehensive ownership of her domain: the entire kingdom of soul. The most memorable of the songs to stand out under the GRAMMY® spotlight was "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" which has evolved from its origins as a Dave Stewart/Annie Lennox composition, and now sits comfortably among Franklin's greatest solo releases, despite the fact that she was co-billed with the Eurythmics on the track's initial release back in 1985. The vocal is shared with Lennox, who owns an outstanding set of pipes, but Franklin takes the tune out of the ordinary, and into legend. While its merits as a feminist anthem can be debated, this brilliant hijacking of the duet is beyond dispute. Another great song established in its classic-status context by the GRAMMY®-night sisterhood was the title track from Spirit in the Dark, Franklin's relatively overlooked 1970 album (it didn't crack the Billboard Top 20) now recognized as one of her finest Atlantic-era LPs. It's one of five songs on that release to carry her own songwriting credit, and showcases her peerless command of the gospel-soul arena. Finally, it was satisfying to be reminded of Franklin's range by "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967) -- that supreme gospel-infused soul ballad written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and added by King to her own album, Tapestry, only after Franklin had laid down the definitive version. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=382340827,406006,3437410,521332,417064158,83446230,419434433,284532566,202807254,284524840,81161366,284618184,284525929,330015948,153439428,153439393,251081851,251081801,330015712,330015927,374174852,278835237,394571371,296472,368016726,370918965,331921274,355891582,331921095,355891453,312354950,177964814,79995624,266616765,76532518,79995649,79995681,338396841,274550414,274550366,192494153,79995618,192493674,282863498,193086870,316075783,316075711 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-125-iPhone.m4a Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:37:20 -0800 Music no 00:37:35 Aretha Franklin, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Bob Dylan, Solomon Burke iTunes The Zombies, Esperanza Spalding, George Clinton, Zac Brown Band, Easton Corbin, Miranda Lambert This week, we're listening in on music from The Zombies, Esperanza Spalding, George Clinton, and Academy of Country Music Awards nominees Zac Brown Band, Easton Corbin, and Miranda Lambert. Almost a mid-'60s after-thought in their homeland, yet better appreciated here in the States on the evidence of three big hit singles -- "She's Not There,""Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season" -- British Invasion legends the Zombies required several decades of staunch underground support to earn the golden seal of greatness they so richly deserved . . . and, you may have noticed, the band even picked up the accolade of a cover slot on the 2011 Superbowl episode of Glee. Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle, released after they had split and played live thanks only to a run of artfully arranged 21st Century reunion performances, has claimed a place alongside Love's Forever Changes and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds as one of the best and most influential albums of the Sixties. Aside from their stunning heyday output, much of what happened in the wake of the Zombies'"decomposition" is also worth discovering, and we can especially recommend frontman Colin Blunstone's solo track "Say You Don't Mind." Written by Denny Laine (The Moody Blues, Wings), who also recorded his own version, the track rounded out Blunstone's 1971 debut album, One Year, and showcases his remarkable voice -- always laced with a strong hint of vulnerability and sensitivity -- to perfection. Set to an orchestral string arrangement that's by turns jaunty and heart-melting, the lyric tells of a flawed lover who's made mistakes ("stupid fish, I drank the pool") but wants a sincere shot at reconciliation. Will he get it? Well, any man who can sing as sweetly Blunstone would almost certainly find his entreaties not only welcomed, but accepted. Bassist Chris White and classically trained keyboard wiz Rod Argent, who had split songwriting duties in the Zombies, continued their creative alliance during the '70s -- and they receive a joint credit for "Hold You Head Up," a highlight from the back catalogue of the sonically ambitious Argent, and the opening track on 1972's All Together Now. Although White didn't actually play with that outfit, the eponymous founder unleashed his instrumental skills along several fascinating art-rock avenues, and with this cut he lays down a keyboard solo for the ages. It's a radical departure from the Zombies, and rocks hard enough to give the likes of Deep Purple a solid run for their money. Finally, we'd like to point you towards "Crestfallen," that gorgeously melancholic late-'90s confection by the Pernice Brothers, for no other reason than, if you love the Zombies, there's a good chance that you'll fall hard for it. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=294083025,354127827,264439988,159058583,263589796,258623204,371879331,252724012,252723872,252723873,251848276,252723846,252723947,252723911,394212641,348805041,391668097,391668099,354714997,354715035,330015708,330015927,321585898,380416148,380416150,321585901,321585926,380416132,82025,380416138,278835237,129186433,332461858,108231788,108231801,267205940,84449,79954,84455,342901,108231882,198517119,3537465,201418648,293590060,101863678 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-124-iPhone.m4a Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:01:44 -0800 Music no 00:48:28 The Zombies, Esperanza Spalding, George Clinton, Zac Brown Band, Easton Corbin, Miranda Lambert iTunes Wanda Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Amos Lee, Taylor Swift, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Paul McCartney This week, we're listening in on music from Wanda Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Amos Lee, and contemporary songs featuring the ukulele. Still going strong in her eighth decade, Wanda Jackson -- "The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice" or, more regally, "The Queen of Rockabilly" -- has a new album, the excellent Jack White-produced throwback, The Party Ain't Over. And if your acquaintance with Jackson extends to little more than a hunch that she once dated Elvis Presley (correct: it was Elvis who steered the budding country singer towards rockabilly) then this new collection of songs provides the perfect excuse to dig out her earlier work, much of which will make the hairs on the back of your neck not only stand up, but also self-combust. The 1958 single "Mean Mean Man" showcases Wanda Jackson at her very best. The song even scraped into the Top 40 in the UK (her European fanbase has always been robust) and while there's little to like about the inconsiderate fella Jackson describes, it's impossible not to love the way she describes him: that coarse 'n' crackling rasp; the way she contorts the word "man" into two syllables; the friction burns on every line, assuring us her emotions may be scorched, but she's no victim. No doubt, she's giving those rockabilly boys -- Eddie, Gene, Johnny, Jerry Lee and Elvis himself -- a great run for their money. Best known by the Coasters' or the Beach Boys' version, Leiber & Stoller's "Riot in Cell Block # 9" is bottled as a molotov cocktail by Jackson and infused with extra volatility -- first-time listeners have been known to report a burning sensation, due to the fact that the song has set their ears on fire. Jackson knows exactly how to add her vocal spark to the lyrical gasoline, and the screamin' guitar work echoes the inescapable sense of imminent combustibility. Finally, we should remember that Jackson spent the early part of her career switching between her two favored styles, country and rockabilly: she often used vinyl's two sides to effect a literal stylistic flip-flop. So in fairness to the country portion of Jackson's equation, we're going to recommend "Why I'm Walkin",a sequel of sorts to Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" which enshrines her incredible ability to switch from sandpaper to polished crystal. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=367738740,216546781,363449192,167358213,113722,416623536,64923726,25092826,295757181,372770284,365046697,6920352,337808924,278835237,403927930,376324867,403927939,403927932,409224654,409224710,409224658,409224652,204684578,323384201,135133420,303980395,311005,267096904,396595426,2605965,14864879,413923070,15978214,257798910,265778049,291638070,277664045,413923066,413923063,388077752,352199504,257041737,257993267 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-123-iPhone.m4a Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:11:39 -0800 Music no 00:41:14 Wanda Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Amos Lee, Taylor Swift, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Paul McCartney iTunes Social Distortion, Jimmy Iovine, The Decemberists, Broadcast This week, we're listening in on music from Social Distortion, Jimmy Iovine's production career, The Decemberists, and Broadcast. Head honcho at Interscope Records; the A&R visionary who handed Eminem's demo tape to Dr. Dre; in-house mentor on the current season of American Idol . . . industry heavyweight Jimmy Iovine is all of the above and more -- but his work as a producer, especially during the '80s, tends to get overlooked, mainly because he started to distance himself from the mixing desk during the '90s. And that's quite some oversight, because he started out as an engineer for John Lennon, Meat Loaf and Bruce Springsteen, and his standout production credits include U2's Rattle & Hum and Dire Straits' Making Movies. So here's a selection of great Iovine-helmed tracks which not only share a technical lineage, but also have a common thematic thread. That theme, appropriately enough for a man with such proven longevity in the music business, is perseverance, a lyrical focus on "The Waiting" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- the excellent opening track and lead single on 1981's Hard Promises. Delivered in the folk-rocking vein' of the Byrds, the track blends a wry comment on the album's delayed release with the notion that all good things come to those who wait, despite the fact that "You take it on faith/You take it to the heart/But the waiting is the hardest part." On one level, it's realistic love song with substance, and the same can be said about another great Iovine-overseen track, "No Holding Back" by Graham Parker and the Rumour. A driving, piano-backed rocker, the song opens 1980 album The Up Escalator at a fair clip, and finds the frontman in defiant mood, deflecting all manner of slings and arrows, but pushing on without compromise. Patti Smith's "Looking for You (I Was)" has been eclipsed by "People Have the Power" as the most memorable song on 1988's Dream of Life, but it's well worth seeking out. Again, it's a kinetically charged rocker (Iovine's hard-rock signature was the cornerstone of his reputation) and, in common with our previous recommendations, the song champions the merits of tenacity in the face of an endurance test -- namely, the lifelong quest for love -- and lends it a mythical, poetic dimension: "To be your destiny," sings Patti, "was all that I pursued." Her co-writer and husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, shares the production credit with Iovine. Finally, we'd like to put in a word for Lone Justice's "After the Flood," a keep-on-keepin'-on classic that sets perseverance in the American heartland and showcases the stunning vocal talents of Maria McKee. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=392690156,159363317,299608012,192990599,394918465,89343444,401558399,401558132,197984900,201415136,316762889,316763127,197986000,186000032,186000177,316763359,251002253,316763884,278835237,282547698,305120233,305120242,281220034,305120228,291071746,282547787,282547700,407622147,324879174,324879193,407622149,407622143,407622152,407622142,407622158,346619,255900085,394935582,209671962,40285222,362088,1525388,328409,327858,38557,169897741,147678394 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-122-iPhone.m4a Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:28:07 -0800 Music no 00:42:03 Social Distortion, Jimmy Iovine, The Decemberists, Broadcast iTunes Cheap Trick, Gregg Allman, Magic Sam, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Skip James, Cake, Tom Tom Club This week, we're listening in on music from Cheap Trick, Gregg Allman, Cake, and Tom Tom Club. If you were to illustrate, in the style of a rock family tree, how Cheap Trick and the Allman Brothers Band stand in relation to each other, you'd find them connected by only the slimmest of branches. The seeds of the Allmans can be found in a Daytona Beach garage band, the Escorts (formed 1963), which drew inspiration from the early Beatles . . . who were also a formative influence on Cheap Trick. And that's just about it. The thing is, now's a great time to revisit the finest work of both the Allmans and Cheap Trick -- Gregg Allman has a great new album of old blues covers (produced by T-Bone Burnett) and Cheap Trick has been popping up everywhere from the play-off half-times to Conan. Eleven years ago, as the new millennium rolled around, Cheap Trick were without a label -- so it's been satisfying to watch their 21st Century renaissance unfold over the course of three studio albums, the excellent Sgt. Pepper Live project, and the theme tune for the Colbert Report. The first of two '00s Cheap Trick standouts we'd like to flag up here is "Too Much" from 2003's Special One. The melody is sweeter than treacle, the band's command of pop-rockin' pace is peerless, and frontman Robin Zander walks the line between power and tenderness with masterful ease. For a taste of the band at their most joyously explosive, cue up the lead-off track on 2006's brilliant Rockford, "Welcome to the World." Of all the tunes in their recent catalog, this one's the leading contender to sub for traditional concert opener, "Hello There." The Allman Brothers Band's "Whipping Post" is more of a revisitation than a rediscovery. But while the legendary 23-minute live jam from At Fillmore East would most likely emerge as the version of preference, the somewhat eclipsed studio original is, for our money, the best place to start. This closer on the band's self-titled 1969 debut has it all: elements of jazz fusion, hard rock, soul, gospel and blues are stirred into one magnificent melting pot, proving that Southern rock was always too narrow a definition for the Allmans' hugely influential sound. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=378639701,299793719,3436592,413582652,340466229,294956438,193204271,155715268,203267195,198516739,203267147,157428976,156971351,170515830,185866144,198517323,325396134,157428972,278835237,390313767,390313720,332853211,332853273,190175231,50234462,279648467,181630818,159002002,408899235,277260104,276567398,74368908,287484871,298111038,21481318,407622147,159527330,413422763,251667,30377473,413422770,413422768,193639493,96612118,516574,258273441,413422759,288232659,310789777,310789778,78368501,21481294 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-121-iPhone.m4a Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:32:46 -0800 Music no 00:48:52 Cheap Trick, Gregg Allman, Magic Sam, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Skip James, Cake, Tom Tom Club iTunes Wynton Marsalis, Best Coast, Teena Marie, Captain Beefheart This week, we're listening in on music from Wynton Marsalis, Best Coast, Teena Marie, and Captain Beefheart. Sometimes it's easy to forget that Wynton Marsalis can seriously swing. That's because he has become so much more than just that. As a recent profile on 60 Minutes reminded us, he has become something of a global jazz ambassador, leading cultural missions to Europe and Cuba as leader of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the outfit that sits at the heart of his laudable ongoing role as a mentor, performer, composer and inspirational figurehead. Sure, he has divided opinion in his time: critics have contended that his traditionalist reaction to avant-garde jazz, fusion, funk, R&B and smooth jazz was in some ways stifling, but it's easy to forgive Marsalis's selective reading of the jazz canon when you factor in his sincere passion for communicating a deep love of music. Let's not forget, before his overarching ambassadorial role overshadows his individual talent, that Wynton Marsalis was the guy who returned the trumpet to the jazz spotlight during his early years with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers -- many characterized him as a technically brilliant successor to Miles Davis, and he has improved and matured in astonishing ways since then. With that in mind, the first of three stand-out Marsalis tracks we'd like to recommend is "Night Life" from his brilliant 2009 live collaboration with Willie Nelson, Two Men With the Blues. The pair make something of an odd couple, especially in light of Marsalis's staunch purist opposition to genre-mashing and experimentalism, but the hook-up is a delight from start to finish, especially this reinterpretation of a Nelson standard that seamlessly showcases the jazz man's peerless horn skills. Cue up "Black Bottom Stomp" and you might find yourself shaking a leg like you're leading a street parade through New Orleans -- the tune is a feelgood highlight on Mr. Jelly Lord (1999), the Jelly Roll Morton installment of the artist's Standard Time album series, on which Marsalis's intention was to "reiterate the contemporary power of even the earliest jazz." Following the trumpet maestro's mazy runs leads only to joy and sunshine. Finally, check out "Autumn Leaves" from defining 1986 release Live at Blues Alley, from the time when comparisons with Miles Davis gave way to critical recognition of a distinct new musical personality. The interplay with outstanding pianist Marcus Roberts is truly something to behold. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=389294357,14518270,271950474,403939392,195194423,378442197,192784562,185995808,306892898,78593097,284465354,323729189,323729194,209939983,78593118,278835237,13341218,86747,543436,202995927,7308193,7308197,196224418,33434,2157855,251979,124918476,78368501,397488299,162459706,382095121,382095123,382095128,382095122,382095126,382095136,387010129,387010282 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-120-iPhone.m4a Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:10:44 -0800 Music no 00:44:48 Wynton Marsalis, Best Coast, Teena Marie, Captain Beefheart iTunes Aretha Franklin This week, we're listening in on music from Aretha Franklin. Outside the set-in-stone brilliance of Aretha Franklin's golden Atlantic years -- the late-'60s/early '70s phase that produced an incredible run of hits including "Respect,""Think" and "I Say a Little Prayer" -- it's fair to say that the Queen of Soul's output requires a little sifting . . . which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Plenty of great tracks have been lost in Aretha's shuffle, which makes their rediscovery all the sweeter, and the first of three we'd like to flag up here is "Lee Cross" -- a largely forgotten highlight from the tail-end of the Columbia period (1961-1966) during which many believe her soul-stirring R&B potency was diluted for the sake of a more mainstream pop appeal. Written by her first husband, Ted White, "Lee Cross" was released as a single in 1967, and also showed-up on the Columbia "leftovers" album, Take it Like You Give It. The song is an irresistible blast of gospel-soul, and a prelude to the fabulous vocal storm Franklin was about to unleash with Atlantic, but there's more to the track than simply a great excuse to worship at the altar of groove. By sounding out her warning that the eponymous gentlemen is "a trouble-maker, a heart-breaker, a love-maker" Franklin is also anticipating that brand of go-girl soul later perfected by the Honey Cone and Laura Lee. Check it out . . . and then follow the trail to 1972, when "A Brand New Me" appeared mid-way through game-changing LP Young, Gifted and Black. A Dusty Springfield cover, the song more than holds its own among a host of belters -- there's not a single weak link on the entire album -- but it's worth separating from the rest because Franklin takes an already exceptional original and really makes it her own: we sense that she finds a intense and personal connection to the lyrics and takes them to the next level, right at the height of her powers. Finally, we'd heartily recommend "This Is For Real" from 1982's Jump to It: teamed up with Luther Vandross (wearing his producer's hat), Franklin makes the switch to contemporary R&B without compromising her classic soulful essence and the result is spectacular: elegance, finesse, intense emotional power . . . it's all here. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=284532566,320457397,250326782,98740,98745,190728259,185869580,158570795,158570732,264607321,294796783,190728305,309191711,268462882,329935045,158570769,284532536,284532554,284532553,284532537,284532549,284532528,284618179,284525673,266606311,284518992,278263698,310516504,258594393,211466922,268157370,98755 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-119-iPhone.m4a Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:57:32 -0800 Music no 00:26:50 Aretha Franklin iTunes Cee Lo Green, The New Pornographers, Kanye West, Kem, Elvis Costello Wherever you end up on New Year's Eve -- and here at the iTunes Weekly Rewind we hope you have a happy and memorable night -- you're sure to hear plenty of great tunes: some glowing with possibility, others ripe with optimism, or perhaps suggestive of new beginnings for a fresh year. And with those thoughts in mind you might like to browse our New Year's Songs Essentials where three songs in particular deserve special attention . . . and the first of those is "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" It appears twice on the playlist, sung with melancholy elegance by both Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Connick, Jr., and opens with the slightly baffling couplet -- "Maybe it's much too early in the game/Aah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same" -- suggesting that, in the song's chronology, the final night of the year is still quite some time away. That's because the tune is really a summer song in disguise, recorded (by Fitzgerald) in July/August 1960, and it's almost sunny, despite the strong suggestion of year-end loneliness. Both versions will prompt wistful contemplation of the bubbles in your champagne. Less guarded in its optimism is "This Will Be Our Year" by the Zombies, a blissful piano-driven anthem from that baroque-pop landmark, Odessey and Oracle (1968) -- an album that has lately been accorded overdue classic status, alongside other acknowledged masterworks of the era, Love's Forever Changes and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the track uses sunbursts of trumpet in a way that recalls "Penny Lane" and it's guaranteed to send you into 2011 (or any other year, for that matter) with a smile on your lips and spring in your step. Finally, before you give in to knowing cynicism and accept the probability that most new leaves will remain unturned in 2011, check out the soul-stirring, life-affirming "New Year's Resolution" by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, a Stax-standout on 1967's King & Queen duets album. The timing and vocal understanding between the two artists is easy and natural, while the lyric is rooted in naked honesty, down-to-earth realism and the strong possibility of reconciliation between two people who know they've not been perfect, but want to move forward. "I'm sorry," sings Otis. "And I'm sorry, too," responds Carla . . . and instantly the world seems like a better place. Happy New Year. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=400588071,152471393,304765351,400593884,263615479,400594129,400593826,382739346,382739347,382739366,382739359,299604356,278835237,403822299,403837276,403822318,403822449,403822383,397301728,397301843,397301789,385715,315778053,79565689,24245527,398623564,398623379,398623274,63196833,403656182,283033476,158701291,157434150,162327477,367139794,367139817,367139868,367139876,367139780,367139897,387247408,386004892 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-118-iPhone.m4a Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:00:43 -0800 Music no 00:41:47 Cee Lo Green, The New Pornographers, Kanye West, Kem, Elvis Costello iTunes Joanna Newsom, A Very Glee Christmas, Ray Charles & Betty Carter, Carpenters, Daft Punk, The Hives & Cyndi Lauper This week, we're listening in on music from Joanna Newsom, A Very Glee Christmas, Daft Punk, and a special duet from The Hives & Cyndi Lauper. In the spirit of both the season and last week's post, we've devoted this Weekly Rewind blog-slot to more standout Christmas songs that tend to get buried -- for no good reason, these tracks have somehow been relegated to the lower decks Santa's annual audio shuffle. First up is 1992's "All Alone On Christmas" a terrific recreation of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, written and arranged by Springsteen collaborator/Sopranos actor, Steve Van Zandt, and sung with soulful majesty by Darlene Love, recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Love appeared on many great Spector records, including "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and her familiarity with the territory is obvious from the very first note she sings. Cinephiles may remember that the song was originally included on the soundtrack for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which probably accounts for its relative obscurity, but don't let the association put you off. "All Alone On Christmas" packs a socially conscious punch that sits well with its upbeat, sax-blasted, feelgood vibe -- "Today's celebration is bittersweet/There's mothers and children in the street" -- and the instrumental work by the E-Street Band and the Miami Horns is as monumentally impressive and light-fantastic as the Christmas tree at the Rockerfeller Center. Spiritual passion, soulful funk and nimble word-play combine in the Staple Singers' groove-riding 1970 release "Who Took the Merry out of Christmas" -- an eloquent entreaty to see the season in its Christian context: "Too busy fighting wars/Trying to make it to Mars/Searching for light/And can't seem to find the right star." With a deft phonetic twist the "Merry" in question is revealed to be Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the tune's serious message is carried along joyously by its get-up-and-groove momentum. Finally, we'd like to flag up Louis Prima's "Shake Hands With Santa Claus" -- a big and brassy transformation of the season into a swing-fest, with an unmistakable Italian flavor and an infectiously amorous lyric: "If you do the dreamin'/I'll do the schemin'/Shake hands with Santa Claus." http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=45744179,256180524,407774038,393862967,355201254,354801170,354803161,354801678,354802640,354801178,160361170,354803117,278835237,406192557,17523573,133709221,14918216,388195172,388195400,406192549,406192566,107639519,297369809,27244482,66083596,77819571,407262,268841446,66083590,398792760,398792694,398792754,73987,296428882,398792733,357897,132878,31740261,3444083,200912887 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-117-iPhone.m4a Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:18:38 -0800 Music no 00:40:12 Joanna Newsom, A Very Glee Christmas, Ray Charles & Betty Carter, Carpenters, Daft Punk, The Hives & Cyndi Lauper iTunes R. Kelly, Dave Brubeck, Keith Urban, Annie Lennox This week, we're listening in on music from R. Kelly, Dave Brubeck, Keith Urban, and Annie Lennox. Here in the U.S. we're no strangers to Christmas rock 'n' roll, perfected on great tracks like the Beach Boys'"Little Saint Nick" and Bruce Springsteen's sleigh-speeding cover of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" -- but in the U.K., the pursuit and celebration of the Xmas rock classic is nothing less than an obsession, as much of a seasonal ritual as crackers, mince pies, the Queen's speech and nostalgic re-runs of the Morecambe & Wise Christmas TV specials. In fact, some of the Great British rock tracks are so fantastic, they play well at any time of the year, especially those first released during the golden age of glitter rock -- something of a rock 'n' roll afterthought on this side of the Atlantic, but a major part of '70s mainstream pop over there. Three such songs deserve special attention, and the first of those is 1973's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" by Wizzard, written, produced and sung by ELO co-founder, Roy Wood, who occasionally dyed his prodigious beard white for performances of the track, the closer to resemble Santa. Recorded in August (with the Phonogram Studios air con locked on its coldest setting, for authenticity) the song is a joyous explosion of bells, sax, high-voiced children and doubled-up drum kits, as if Phil Spector's wall of sound had been constructed from igloo bricks during a sonic blizzard. There's no doubt that the song deserved to top the charts, but had the misfortune to come up against the second of our recommendations -- Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody," which bagged pole position through mid-January, 1974. If you only know Slade from covers of their wackily mis-spelled songs by American bands (Quite Riot recorded both "Cum On Feel the Noize" and, in common with the Runaways, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now") definitely check out this light-hearted and purely celebratory glimpse into the typical British family Christmas, in which "everybody's having fun," and granny says "the old songs are the best/Then she's up and rock 'n' rolling with the rest." The tune's piece de resistance? Frontman Noddy Holder's joyous climactic yell -- "It's Christmas!" -- which packs the combined vocal wallop of Captain Caveman and ye olde towne crier. Finally, fill your stocking with the seasonal Number One from 1974, Mud's "Lonely This Christmas" -- an Elvis Presley soundalike classic that could easily have found a place in the King's Yuletide catalog. For more criminally overlooked cuts by all three bands, explore the various excellent Best Of collections available in the iTunes store. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=372285333,402057959,16018446,298326255,20540665,405565424,293521583,389682029,254528972,254938753,186047837,405040645,405040657,405040649,3446320,308870793,254978457,283567752,283567748,278835237,402666904,13913419,13913410,16148192,16148219,402666910,402666911,402666905,397488287,397488336,30946887,397488158,397488452,397488351,27244482,30946917,379839,15038573,30947021,268841446,3444083,193085832,203767933,193085554,164150708,157368722,276974843,193085790,284531899,202400902 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-116-iPhone.m4a Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:30:29 -0800 Music no 00:39:59 R. Kelly, Dave Brubeck, Keith Urban, Annie Lennox iTunes The Black Keys, Eminem, Karen Elson, Lady Antebellum, Bruno Mars, Camila, Chino Y Nacho, Javiera Mena This week, we're listening in on some of the best music of 2010, as chosen by iTunes staff members. If April is the cruelest month, perhaps December is the most contentious, as the annual ritual of compiling "Best Of" lists generates a frenzy of critical opinion and enough heated discussion to light up a forest of transplanted fir trees. We hope you enjoyed our reasons for highlighting the work of the Black Keys, Eminem, Lady Antebellum and Bruno Mars, among other 2010 standouts, but we feel a little guilty for not devoting more podcast minutes to briefly mentioned breakthrough act, Best Coast. Here's why we think they're here to stay. Fronted by Bethany Cosentino, with staunch support from Bobb Bruno and recently inducted drummer Ali Koehler, Best Coast has cracked a winning noise-pop formula by striking a near-perfect balance of familiar elements -- cruise through debut album Crazy for You, on which most songs clock in around the two-and-a-half minute mark, and you'll find "echoes" (and we choose the word with care, given the reverberating sonic feel of the release) of punk era wizards the Ramones and the Buzzcocks, a plethora of surf and garage rockers old and new, modern West Coast wonder-girl Jenny Lewis (who shares with Cosentino a pre-pubescent brush with L.A. showbiz), and those '60s girl groups distinguished by collaboration with Phil Spector. Wherever distortion appears on the album, it's an unforced accent, not a mechanical assault, and you quickly find yourself wanting to sink deeper into the band's comforting layers of pop-fuzz. While Cosentino indulges a lyrical obsession with romance, indolence and cats, there's far more going on here than first meets the ear. Check out "When I'm With You" and you'll hear an artist who hits an honest emotional note without spilling her guts all over the place: the way she slowly and sweetly drawls "I hate sleeping alone" will follow you from shower to sidewalk -- in fact, every track here nails the old grey whistle test, pop's most fundamental measuring stick. The charm of the album's title track emerges from the way she's so upbeat about all the things that drive her mad about her other half. If you'd like a sense of where this hugely promising outfit is heading, cue up "Our Deal" which follows a thread of emotional complexity without ever deserting the band's simple songwriting principles. Watch this space. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=370968846,370968869,370968870,295477247,340065269,370969155,5132972,370968830,370969112,370968913,278835237,378423786,1017954,1018037,378423583,362086,315867022,370389835,370389850,370389858,370389888,348805046,348805048,348805041,348805120,348805059,382513482,357963586,400588071,394571494,394571371,4512090,351106320,351106355,351106378,364291609,364291667,390344647,390344662 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-115-iPhone.m4a Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:27:48 -0800 Music no 00:33:46 The Black Keys, Eminem, Karen Elson, Lady Antebellum, Bruno Mars, Camila, Chino Y Nacho, Javiera Mena iTunes A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector, Marvin Gaye, William Bell, Prince, Pearl Jam, The Decemberists, The Kinks This week, we're listening in on some of our favorite Christmas music segments from the past two years. We talked a little about the A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector album this week, and while a lot of the focus on anything he ever touched points back at Phil (and not without reason), we'd like to take a look at a couple of the players who were keystones in Spector's Wall of Sound: Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector. In that short window between dawning of the '60 and the peak of the British Invasion, Darlene and Ronnie and their bands combined for 23 singles that hit the Top 100, including "He's A Rebel,""Be My Baby,""Da Doo Ron Ron," and lots more. But in both Darlene's and Ronnie's careers, it's songs out at the periphery that perhaps best define them as artists. Darlene Love positively shines in "Long Way to be Happy," one of the last productions released on Spector's Philles label, and yet another bit of genius from the pens of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. On this track, Love pushes her voice -- and the era's recording equipment -- right to the ragged edge of her shredded heart's emotion, and while the song specifically revolves around a breakup, the universality of its gonna-take-a-long-time-to-mend message speaks well to any sort of personal tragedy. The other track of Love's worth mentioning here is "All Alone on Christmas," which was originally featured on the soundtrack of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (a good part of the reason you probably never heard it before). It was written and arranged by Steve Van Zandt, and recorded with members of both The E Street Band and The Miami Horns. While it seems at first listen a lot like your typical Spectorian production, Van Zandt wrote a couplet in the song's second verse that you'd never find in a typical sunshiny Philles single: "The day's celebration is bittersweet / There's mothers and children on the street." And Love? Again, she sings her heart out, proving more than three decades into her career that she's still got it. Twice now, Love's been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- she's still awaiting her much-deserved induction pending the outcome of this year's vote --and these songs make the argument for her inclusion just as powerfully as any of her hits. Ronnie Spector, Phil's ex-wife, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Ronettes, but one of Spector's last productions for that group, "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine," never saw the light of day as a single. Written by the late, great Ellie Greenwich, along with then-partner Jeff Barry and Spector himself, the tune is considered by many to represent the Ronettes at their best, and demonstrates the kind of bigger-than-bigger-than-life productions Spector would soon undertake, including Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High." The song remains one of Ronnie's personal favorites to this day (in fact, she recorded it live on her 1999 EP She Talks To Rainbows). And our last song, "Try Some, Buy Some," has only just recently been re-issued, after being unavailable for the better part of four decades. Originally recorded in 1971 as a Ronnie Spector solo single for Apple (the label, not the iTunes parent), the song was written by George Harrison, and produced by Phil Spector. If it sounds strangely familiar, it might be because Harrison used the exact same backing track for the version he released two years later on his Living in the Material World album. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=336037273,382736554,1013881,336037290,30535656,336037282,29295940,336037344,334344466,64742681,263979146,1524381,31740271,220241127,157006176,212976439,31740261,278835237,30948267,217299274,268412917,55050362,272153549,147990458 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-114-iPhone.m4a Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:17:37 -0800 Music no 00:25:06 A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector, Marvin Gaye, William Bell, Prince, Pearl Jam, The Decemberists, The Kinks iTunes Cher, Bruce Springsteen, Moby, Grinderman This week, we're listening in on music from Cher, Bruce Springsteen, Moby, and Grinderman. With her new movie Burlesque just out in theatres, Cher is, once again, all over every possible media outlet, including the radio, where her meteoric rise to fame began nearly five decades ago. But if your acquaintance with the woman began with her second comeback, the song "Believe," you might want to take a closer look at the early work of the GRAMMY®- EMMY®- and Academy Award®-winning superstar. As the 60's "It Girl," Cher pretty much grew up in the limelight, from the lovey-dovey-ness of her chart-topping debut single, "I Got You Babe" (recorded with then-husband and musical partner Sonny Bono when she was just 19) to the weekly television variety show she co-hosted with him in the early'70s, which netted her the first of her three Golden Globe® awards. As she grew into the Cher persona we've come to know and love, she also began to outgrow her mentor. That said, you have to save at least a little applause for the late musician-turned-mayor-turned-Congressman. Sure, he got top billing in "Sonny and Cher," but everybody knew she was the star. Meanwhile, working at least to some degree in her shadow, Bono helped craft Cher's emergence as a force of nature with songs like "You Better Sit Down Kids," arguably the first pop song to deal with divorce, and "Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies)," a young girl's wistful dream of what her future might look like. In fact, those two Bono-penned songs (as well as one he wrote for the duo, "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"), roam pretty far outside the range of typical Top 40 pop in that they deal with adult issues . . . as seen through a child's eyes. This unusual undercurrent even spills over into two of Cher's biggest early hits: "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," where childhood is remembered as treasured (in the first song) or troubled (in the second). While childhood may now be some distance in her rearview mirror, Cher's managed, somewhat remarkably, not only to stay on top of trends, but continue to create them. Years ago, another hitmaker, Paul McCartney, famously mused "Will you still need me . . . when I'm 64?" In Cher's case, we believe the answer is an unequivocal yes. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=340466229,391885028,391884796,78964530,360314421,278116251,401685450,59421629,73273491,114241,3581972,1969922,284211736,148037297,15988546,1013881,15988433,278835237,402030976,281242336,402030978,164594396,118413517,118413395,281242430,384823702,387856266,275887100,310539187,387298475,387298348,262482900,14613906,259362692,131589291,319170012,157475347,156868335,107630812,14149037,401143355,400714036,402313360,402313329,402313362,334332117,192689330,192689345,400714223,402313372,400588071,303133048,398658369,218213957 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-113-iPhone.m4a Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:04:55 -0800 Music no 00:45:19 Cher, Bruce Springsteen, Moby, Grinderman iTunes Loretta Lynn, Quincy Jones, Cassandra Wilson, ChocQuibTown, Camila, Prince Royce This week, we're listening in on music from Loretta Lynn, Quincy Jones' production career, Cassandra Wilson, and the Latin Grammy Awards. As the late, great soul man Solomon Burke always said, "Give me my flowers while I'm livin'!" The sad truth of it is, it doesn't always happen that way, so it's especially rewarding to see Syl Johnson re-appreciated while he's still around to appreciate it himself. And his renewed popularity, thankfully, hasn't come at the hands either of his demise or some hot producer's concept of a "comeback" album. No, Syl Johnson's re-emergence from soul's back pages is the result of some longtime fans -- in this case, the folks at The Numero Group -- digging through the dusty crates to assemble the Complete Mythology anthology, pulling together a selection of Johnson's finest tracks recorded between 1959 and 1972. To hear Johnson tell it, his life has been a litany of barely-missed opportunities for a guy who sees himself as "more soul than Marvin [Gaye], more funk than James [Brown]." And while his music makes a pretty good case in backing up that statement at least to some degree, it's an indisputable fact that he was grinding out gritty sides like "Straight Love No Chaser" back in the mid-'60s before turning his focus to more hard-edged political stuff like "Is It Because I'm Black" and "Concrete Reservation" at a time when soul stirrers such as Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield were still couching their opinions in musical metaphor. In that sense, Johnson is more the spiritual godfather of artists like Chuck D than the likes of D'Angelo. What the Mythology set is missing, and what you really need to hear to get the complete snapshot of Syl, can be found on Fat Possum's The Best of Syl Johnson: The Hi Records Years, recorded while Johnson was under the wing of producer Willie Mitchell and playing with the Hi crew that carried Al Green to the top of the charts. In fact, Syl's closest brush with the pop Top 40 (and later a hit for the Talking Heads), "Take Me To The River," was actually co-penned by Green. But the record also uncovers one of the great 1-2 punches in soul history, with "Anyway the Wind Blows," where Syl tells his woman it's his way or the highway, and "Wind, Blow Her Back My Way," in which Johnson pleads for... yeah, you guessed it. You can even hear the wind in these tracks, courtesy of the Hammond B3 backing his vocal. Syl's voice has by no means been stilled, though he plies his trade more on the blues side these days, and a second-generation Johnson, Syleena, is making her mark on the R&B charts just like Daddy did back in the day. And maybe that is the best kind of flower any artist could ever hope for: the one that keeps on blooming. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=333325853,400283364,375362819,400756499,400594129,373163229,2133580,71460,65710725,71439,5241876,7306063,6737529,6737527,278835237,364291609,351106355,351106326,354557565,19501388,19501370,398819206,19501392,16637094,1118735,81224505,37014,152765261,81897647,81897651,399861683,399861138,399861684,48872,399861083,250978758,1636432,273598917 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-112-iPhone.m4a Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:28:49 -0800 Music no 00:38:16 Loretta Lynn, Quincy Jones, Cassandra Wilson, ChocQuibTown, Camila, Prince Royce iTunes Tyler Perry, Nina Simone, Mayer Hawthorne, Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Huey Lewis, Ice Cube, Weezer Lifeless covers, lumpen arrangements, stale technique . . . such are the hallmarks of the stereotypical bar band. But, as we mentioned while musing on the excellence of Huey Lewis & the News during this week's podcast, not all bar bands are born equal. A few stand head-and-shoulders above the others, and among the highest ranks of spit 'n' sawdust rock 'n' roll royalty sit Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, the second outfit after Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band to emerge from the mid-'70s Jersey shore scene. The group's extended family tree has included over 100 musicians over the years (including touring guest Jon Bon Jovi in 1990, and Conan O'Brien drummer Max Weinberg) but the two prime movers/groovers were Southside Johnny himself (John Lyon) and longtime Springsteen cohort, Steve Van Zandt: guitarist, songwriter, future star of The Sopranos and general maestro-of-all-trades. It was Van Zandt who produced the band's opening three-album salvo, and a highlight on the first of those -- 1976 debut I Don't Want to Go Home -- is "The Fever," a Bruce Springsteen composition that showcases Johnny's powerfully soulful pipes as well as Van Zandt's talent for arranging a knockout brass section. As an aside, it's worth pointing out that Van Zandt's extensive knowledge of soul music had shaped the classic horn section on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" from Springsteen's breakout album Born to Run. Equally strong is the brilliant title track: "I Don't Want to Go Home," with its perfect blend of strings and brass, has become an Ashbury Jukes anthem, and it was written by -- guess who? -- that man Van Zandt. Two more Boss-penned tracks would show up on third Southside Johnny studio album Hearts of Stone (1978): one is the bitter-sweet, broken-hearted title track, which steers Johnny into Otis Redding/Percy Sledge territory -- where he obviously feels right at home -- and boasts a stunning, cathartic Van Zandt guitar solo. The other is "Talk to Me" a radio-friendly belter that was released a single but failed to crack the charts. For whatever reason, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes never transformed their stellar live reputation into world-beating, platinum-plated fame, but give them any bar, any place, any time, and they are kings. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=376372293,13623795,394022276,385720862,398914047,398914322,398914326,257178828,325250751,358194756,358194833,278835237,396834903,16269388,15833437,14835171,14931221,16282859,392687996,392687920,115241,115243,393635542,393635747,116049,7206181,275223102,145123387,145124104,276350647,219389666,315251810,300355729,300355733,153926437,398645991,153926685,14659121,13793469,252702255,13793464,14659123,14659140,14659188,398645890,398646316,389816925,383530664 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-111-iPhone.m4a Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:14:10 -0800 Music no 00:44:10 Tyler Perry, Nina Simone, Mayer Hawthorne, Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Huey Lewis, Ice Cube, Weezer iTunes Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Buffalo Springfield, The Slits, Gregory Isaacs This week, we're listening in on music from Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music, Buffalo Springfield, The Slits, and Gregory Isaacs. Bryan Ferry's new album, Olympia, got us thinking about the peculiar brilliance of Roxy Music, from the art-rock explorations of the Ferry-led outfit's 1972 self-titled debut album to the lush soundscapes of 1982's Avalon. Given a little more time, we'd have dwelt a while longer on the early tracks that fused progressive musicianship with an anarchy of spirit and a fierce proto-punk energy -- so, to make up that shortfall, here's a short appreciation of Roxy Music's wild side, beginning with their very first single. Picture the scene: British TV's weekly chart show, Top of the Pops, 1972. Brian Eno is hovering over his synthesizer in an oversized fur coat, wearing a pair of silver gloves, Riff Raff's twisted sister, while Brian Ferry (on piano and lead vocals) comes across as a demented, jet-set sophisticate, batting his glittered eye-lids like an unstable replicant gigolo and informing us with a demented smile that "we're all flying down to Rio". Unlikely as it might seem, this was glam rock subverted, made even more strange, just a couple of months after Bowie had released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and as soon as "Virginia Plain" kicked in -- with its wailing guitar-alarm, steam-pump percussion and screaming Phil Manzanera solo -- it was clear something clever and electrifying was happening. That initial thrill retained its charge through second album For Your Pleasure (1973), which opened with "Do the Strand" -- the freaky anthem (for a non-existent dance craze) that re-imagined Noel Coward as a hopped-up soul-stomper: as Ferry drolly entertained us with his surreal, alliterative wordplay -- "tired of the tango, fed up with fandango" -- Andy Mackay dominated the sidelines with a sax than can only be described as unhinged. It was like a twister had blown through half a century of popular music, and this was its unstoppable dust devil. The same album's "Editions of You" works well for similar reasons -- it's crazy and experimental, but compacted within a four-minute pop song-structure. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=353032606,274565187,15037456,398531108,327912493,396205358,396205435,396205619,396205272,17944847,17944966,17878231,278835237,2538180,2285544,309766066,331351424,2285530,265856795,300276130,364297925,314984080,314984081,314984083,215500134,334525730,21315510,273128080,273424607,272860443,208495820,208494483,265611986,265612671,265612094,304947728,63820782,265611841,186230353,394954583,394954533,394954585,3537644,3537609,3537996 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-110-iPhone.m4a Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:26:26 -0700 Music no 00:44:52 Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Buffalo Springfield, The Slits, Gregory Isaacs iTunes The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Leon Russell, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Bobby Brown On this week's podcast we talked about The Union, Elton John's outstanding new collaboration album with the too-long-overlooked Leon Russell, the genesis for which can arguably be traced back to Ryan Adams. Back in the year 2000, the great Sir Elton -- by his own admission -- had an epiphany: he was so impressed by Adams' solo debut, Heartbreaker, that he resolved to give his career an overhaul. No longer would he rest on the laurels of his undisputed legend. Largely thanks to the impetus provided by Adams, he returned to his roots. So it was that, in 2001, Elton delivered the excellent Songs from the West Coast, and the album opener, "The Emperors New Clothes," provided the perfect statement of intent: Elton's tone is wry and wistful, his piano bright like an autumn sunset, and the colorful but heartbreaking lyrical narrative of self-delusion -- "The tears never came, they just stayed in our eyes/We refused to admit that we wore this disguise" -- bears the unmistakable imprint of longtime creative partner Bernie Taupin. In fact, the album marked a stunning return to form for both men. Another standout is "American Triangle," a song written in memory of Matthew Shepard, the young student murdered in 1998, a victim of homophobia. Elton is one of many artists -- including Cyndi Lauper, Ron Sexsmith and Melissa Etheridge -- to have sung about Shepard, and this beautiful, hard-hitting song, featuring backing vocals from Rufus Wainwright, is a brilliant union of unforgettable imagery, emotion and melody. Final track "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" closes the album with note-perfect finesse: it's a nakedly honest confessional ballad about facing up to the cold realities of post-middle age life, sung in a way that expresses weariness and resignation, but not defeat. He even addresses the fans he has sometimes short-changed with the words: "All the purple prose you bought from me . . . the sentimental things I write . . . never meant that much to me." In the old days, he says, he was "ridin' on the storyline, furnace burnin' overtime" but those days are now gone. The kicker is that, if he continues to give us songs like this, we'll start to believe that Elton's train will never run out of steam. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=370968846,160966881,137056477,40288233,369180873,396169252,186472409,61906,1008107,1007063,139988983,92644,278835237,99019,267770522,99050,99013,99015,81276639,394623161,293627188,394623174,293627184,293627177,198517119,219178272,1290775,257220,268879852,205784426,205784081,389816928,215471897,215471902,215447660,81775436,215471883,215447616,378151799,215473874,193891668,215471890,389816923,389816994,292469315,292469260,292469265,292469261,292469259 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-109-iPhone.m4a Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:18:43 -0700 Music no 00:45:41 The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Leon Russell, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Bobby Brown iTunes Belle And Sebastian, Solomon Burke, Mark Ronson, Johnny Mathis The legendary Solomon Burke, the King of Rock 'n' Soul, died on a flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam on October 10, leaving behind 90 grandchildren and an untouchable stack of classic wax. Atlantic Records co-founder Jerry Wexler considered him the greatest of all soul singers, and we echoed that praise by covering as many of his major '60s songs as the limits of our podcast would allow. Given a little more time we would also have explored the final remarkable decade of his life because, as was the case with Johnny Cash -- and remains true for Bettye LaVette and Neil Diamond -- advancing years did nothing to diminish Solomon Burke's talent. The perfectly titled Don't Give Up on Me (2002) was a timely reminder that Burke had much to offer in his 60s, and stands as a measure of the towering esteem in which he was held by other great artists. Among those who (on request from producer Joe Henry) contributed material to the album were Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Brian Wilson and Elvis Costello, and its the last named among that quartet who penned one of the finest late-era Burke recordings, "The Judgement." Playing out the conceit of a soon-to-be-condemned man who's "guilty of nothing but loving you," the singer delivers an emotional tour de force, generating a soulful intensity few others could ever match. "Diamond in Your Mind," submitted to Burke by Tom Waits, is a less feverish (but no less memorable) cut, set to the rhythm of a rocking chair, and it carries the wonderful line: "She's like a wrecking ball, but no longer connected to the chain." Burke's next album turned out just as well: Nashville (2006), a cast-iron country-soul classic, is packed with songs built to last a lifetime, but if we had to pick out one, we'd unreservedly recommend the stripped-back "Valley of Tears" written by Gillian Welch, who also plays and sings on the track. Burke's immersion in the material is a sources of lasting wonder, likewise the way he expertly rolls the song to its conclusion. "Oh What a Feeling" opens 2010's Nothing's Impossible, produced by Willie Mitchell, the man who steered Al Green to success in the early '70s, and who was narrowly outlived by Burke -- that song stands not only as a great testament to the perfectly paired talents of both men, but also as a fitting memorial. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=395260608,1579064,1579076,386004892,387438797,355891442,391817181,391817172,391817183,2989409,121961411,121961404,260061020,318234280,278835237,389480750,389480762,217937850,2356532,16400949,259107481,259214652,389480761,389480752,391217357,391179039,389480773,391981668,201414349,201415678,158590777,158591193,391981728,391981671,78607487,24317212,14375421,204123153,24317210,207684851,207684871,79995624,274550414,79995618,79995649,79995775,79995681,79995479,274550366,192494174,192493674,164094413,40284352,198758773,199097146,198757299 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-108-iPhone.m4a Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:53:48 -0700 Music no 00:45:25 Belle And Sebastian, Solomon Burke, Mark Ronson, Johnny Mathis iTunes Ben Folds, John Lennon, Broken Social Scene, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, DJ EZ Rock & Rob Base This week, we're listening in on music from Ben Folds, John Lennon, and Broken Social Scene, and some classic hip-hop tracks. We'd like to add an afterword to our segment on John Lennon, on the occasion of the 70th birthday he never reached. Rather than seek out overlooked Lennon recordings, we're going to highlight a couple of tracks by Yoko Ono, on the assumption that much of her work has been lost in Lennon's shadow. The short shrift doled out in Yoko's direction has been unthinking and unfair, and to challenge the Yoko-doubters we can firstly point to two tribute albums: Every Man Has a Woman (1984), featuring Yoko covers by the likes of Roberta Flack and Harry Nilsson, and remix project Yes, I'm a Witch (2007), which includes tracks by Yoko fans Cat Power, Peaches and the Flaming Lips, among others. Sonic Youth and Barenaked Ladies have also found inspiration in her work. A good starting point for any reconsideration of Yoko's original output is the avant garde new wave dance track "Walking on Thin Ice" which has been remixed by Jason Pierce (from Spiritualized) and the Pet Shop Boys, and has been covered by Elvis Costello & the Attractions. Released in 1981, it was her first charting single -- and in its expression of life's fragility, the track carries a surreal poignancy in the context of Lennon's death. He had been working on the crashing, distorted guitar part on the day he was murdered, and was in possession of the final mix when he died. Considered independently of those tragic circumstances, the song affirms Yoko's talent, and helps explain why she became such an icon for new wave artists. "Listen, the Snow is Falling," the b-side to 1971's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)", will also mesmerize newcomers to the Yoko catalogue. Built around a soothing and simple chord progression, and backed by a soft jangle of sleigh bells (with some wintry wind effects added at the end), the song should be reclaimed as a lost seasonal classic. Yoko's approach to the lyrics -- as minimal poetry -- is genuinely affecting and thought-provoking. Lastly, by way of linking this thread back to Lennon, we urge you to check out "I'm the Greatest," written by John for Ringo and performed by all the Beatles except for Paul, with Klaus Voorman on bass and Billy Preston on keys. It's a joyous, tongue-in-cheek blast o' good times, and a great way to remember Lennon in his best humor. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=272750708,265383356,298111038,394960616,4976516,387461904,387461799,387461800,387461801,193602784,193602768,17506298,31521025,31521002,177978602,177979792,177979023,278835237,51958108,266768502,50314,6259027,258655676,392116897,385049894,81005712,166670902,6925804,187593058,314837675,258756419,45318173,281086428,275300612,392747512,392350650,392350695,392350696,392350654,392345528,392357257,392680738,392680754,392680627,13959746,391194058,391194056,322449801,322449814,322449817 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-107-iPhone.m4a Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:56:35 -0700 Music no 00:46:45 Ben Folds, John Lennon, Broken Social Scene, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, DJ EZ Rock & Rob Base iTunes Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Go-Go’s, Trent Reznor, Zac Brown Band, Culture Club This week, we're listening in on surf music, Trent Reznor's work outside of Nine Inch Nails, and the sounds of Zac Brown and Culture Club. Outside of the bona fide surf classics, many of the songs inspired by West Coast waves tend to get lumped into one salt-crusted, wax-clogged mass. But several superior surf tracks simply got lost in the spume . . . and Jack Nitzsche's brilliant instrumental "The Lonely Surfer" truly deserves to be rescued from surf-rock's tide pools. Nitzsche would go on to become one of the great LA producer/arrangers, known for his collaboration with Phil Spector on Wall of Sound landmark, "River Deep, Mountain High," and selected by the Rolling Stones as their go-to guy in California. "The Lonely Surfer" is that rare beast: a downbeat surf track -- this existentially vexed wave-rider is standing on the edge of the unfathomable abyss, not cruising Malibu in a T-Bird because the bad guys know him and they leave him alone. As such, he really stands out from the pack. Formed in Washington D.C. in the dying rays of the '70s, Insect Surfers tag themselves "Planet Earth's longest running modern surf band" -- you can still catch them on the L.A. bar circuit -- and with "Polaris" they've hooked up a bloodline back to Nitzsche. The track remains a highlight on 1991's Reverb Sun, and carries a dark undercurrent, reminding us that there's something more dangerous than a mean riptide or rogue shark out there, beneath the waves. Although Dick Dale himself endorsed the band in idealist, sun-kissed, Endless Summer terms, the apocalyptic guitar echo and hint of nuclear demons in "Polaris" takes us way beyond the regular wipeout. At first listen, 1968's "Surfer Dan" by the Turtles, with its roarin' engine and crashin' wave effects, comes across as solid-but-standard frat-surf fare . . . until you realize it's half pitch-perfect homage, half tongue-in-cheek parody. Dan, in his own vain and bone-headed way, is a lonely surfer -- "He's so ripped he can't see you go by" -- and, in purely musical terms, it comes as no surprise to find out that the Turtles started out as a decent surf-rock outfit, the Crossfires, formed in L.A.'s Westchester suburb by Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. There's a humor at work on this early - '60s track that anticipates Kaylan and Volman's post - Turtles recruitment, under the moniker "The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie," by the Mothers of Invention. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=280146616,576767,78480811,110680,23204012,276177992,6655794,3634260,3634219,340466395,283260529,193935783,39351137,278835237,295740278,391668049,295740274,295740273,295740277,391668091,391668095,391668099,391668097,289774077,289774216,289774093,389480762,120999824,289774212,16266210,310505240,187938665,135995,191446804,345939,140554,375998790,375998809,109194,387329641,30526404,3450984,3451082,3451079,281814562,375998822,371164895,170548160,251016073,375582439,375582577,14700854 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-106-iPhone.m4a Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:40:08 -0700 Music no 00:41:52 Dick Dale, The Ventures, The Go-Go’s, Trent Reznor, Zac Brown Band, Culture Club iTunes Santana, Deep Purple, Richard Thompson, Shuggie Otis, David Byrne, Bilal, Tom Jones Think of Santana, and you tend to go straight to either their best-known hits -- "Oye Como Va,""Black Magic Woman" -- or 1999's hugely successful, GRAMMY-amassing comeback album, Supernatural (the band's biggest seller). What's often forgotten is that, before the band fractured into a kaleidoscope of line-up changes, and became increasingly more mellow and jazzy (the immense list of alumni includes Miles Davis), Santana put out three groundbreaking Latin rock albums that should be considered as a single body of work: the self-titled debut, Abraxas and Santana III. Such is the group's untouchable Woodstock-era legacy. The last of that outstanding trio contains "Everybody's Everything" -- a great place to start any exploration of golden early Santana. This frenetic, brass-backed track is raw, tight and hugely spicy, and a reminder that Santana III (1971) marked the arrival of guitarist Neal Schon, future Journey lynchpin. The vibe here is big and celebratory, in a tribal kind of way: it's the kind of song best appreciated by a worshipful groove-grinding throng, and it has held up really well over the years. Cult radio show Little Steven's Underground Garage takes the track for a regular spin, and if you're coming to it for the first time, prepare for a revelation. Schon's rock-flavored contribution to the whole Santana equation, based on his solos and brilliantly judged interplay with main man Carlos, is nothing short of marvelous. It's amazing to think that Schon was only 17 years old at the time. The same album's bluesy "No One to Depend On" is another potent and masterful combination of disparate elements -- Latin, rock, psychedelia -- that tends to leave new listeners slacked-jawed in utter amazement. The duelling axes are as sharp as ever but here it's Carlos who steals the show, spiraling off on a wah-wah rocket ride near the mid point before coming back to land on the blues riff that forms the tune's bedrock. As a final Santana taster, you might like to skip back to the band's second long-player, Abraxas, featuring the jazzy multi-textured instrumental, "Incident at Neshabur" which, four decades down the line, found its way onto Guitar Hero 5. Despite several time-signature tangents, the grounding riff is catchy as hell, and the piano work shows true finesse. Fans of the Coen Brothers will know that Abraxas gets a hilarious, if anachronistic, name-check in A Serious Man: the film is set in 1967, but the album was released in the fall of 1970. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=45298715,265757176,185622748,384155619,271874819,378505943,375464644,392270609,392270634,392270699,392270607,18236245,266075581,40284566,15864180,162575959,250978758,181644979,278835237,386039192,386037131,109529,109535,386037292,324897714,386037492,386038829,386038184,382718761,382718785,85052,382718888,389914198,205744899,331061002,215256532,85059,320263944,279641541,302746242,20833681,292492913,298326032,292492892,5675407,292492874,292492919,5675411,387247306,387247408,266075331,267651612 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-105-iPhone.m4a Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:22:43 -0700 Music no 00:44:59 Santana, Deep Purple, Richard Thompson, Shuggie Otis, David Byrne, Bilal, Tom Jones iTunes Robert Plant, John Legend & The Roots, Baby Huey, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, Gonzales, Florence + The Machine You've gotta love Robert Plant -- not merely content to have forged the template for heavy metal with Led Zeppelin, the legendary frontman has stoutly refused to enter the winter of his career, instead prolonging a golden autumn by creating some of the most imaginative roots rock of the 21st Century: a growing body of contemporary recordings remarkable in its vitality and interpretative range. "Harm's Swift Way," a track written by Townes Van Zandt but never released by its author, is a highlight on 2010's Band of Joy. Plant is known to harbor a fascination with the life and work of Van Zandt, and covered "Nothin'" with Alison Krauss on 2007's Raising Sand -- the Texan legend's widow Jeanene met Plant after a gig and left him a CD entitled "Townes' Last Song" . . . which turned out to be "Harm's Swift Way." The Band of Joy version, which ticks along at a steady open-road pace, stakes a strong claim to "definitive recording" status, despite competition from the slower-tempo, minor-key interpretation that appears on Israeli artist David Broza's Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry of Townes Van Zandt. Plant's decision to cover Low's "Silver Rider" proves that he's willing to search for great material outside of the expected roots sources. As performed by the Minnesota slowcore outfit, the song offers a hypnotic and strangely uplifting experience, layering euphoric voices over sleepwalking guitars in a way that somehow generates a skyscraping sense of bliss. Plant is pretty faithful to the original, especially during the verses, but he laces it with fragility, and scales down Low's feel-good heights, leaving us instead with something more ominous, brooding and -- when the sidewinding guitar kicks in -- psychedelic. Plant is definitely shoegazing where Low looks to the heavens . . . and the result is intoxicating. Having mentioned Raising Sand, we'd like to flag up a couple of exceptional Everly Brothers covers on that album, as a means to rediscover the originals. The way Plant and Krauss handle "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)," with its chuggin' backbeat, takes us into dive-bar jukebox territory, whereas the Everlys generate a brighter kind of skiffle/rockabilly energy: on some TV shows, they even performed the track backed by go-go dancers. They also deliver "Stick With Me Baby" in buoyant style -- complete with flashing guitar break -- but Plant and Krauss slow it down, and make the title sound more like a plea than a confident assertion. Brilliant. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=186249423,217635848,1698017,370370180,151463247,365346245,381758663,310126556,386247393,386247395,386247413,386247509,386247390,263516309,254162768,254160855,254163493,278835237,388619371,388041482,310023169,387208485,331188936,322821281,322821504,388041699,388041539,321595573,92626,209672065,17427272,17427257,17427282,335649502,325808201,325808210,384127893,193768621,392345674,390176472,120146339,111212025,120198311,281714129,888653,392345684,252137693,392345774,203801287,389905026,18623731,302446183,203795516,203797689 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-104-iPhone.m4a Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:52:15 -0700 Music no 00:48:09 Robert Plant, John Legend & The Roots, Baby Huey, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, Gonzales, Florence + The Machine iTunes Soul Train, The O’Jays, Barry White, The Main Ingredient, The Staple Singers, Kenny Rogers, The Laurie Berkner Band The first golden decade of Soul Train featured too many class acts to mention, so rather than merely highlighting a few key artists, we thought we'd direct you beyond their biggest hits. The Staple Singers remain best known for "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There," and although the band had appeared on the R&B chart before 1971, their breakthrough pop hit was a far more playful track than their politically and spiritually driven stock-in-trade: that year's "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sh-Na-Boom Boom)" has a killer hook and the suggestion of an unorthodox, somewhat ironic philosophy -- that the key to inner contentment can be found in the depths of seriousness. The lyric is brief, but the notion it contains will most likely stick with you for a long time. Cue up the track and, like the song says, "spread a little heavy." In 1972, the O'Jays scored with the million-selling "Back Stabbers," a dramatic and startlingly paranoid track which, paradoxically, encourages smooth dance moves (as the old Soul Train footage confirms), but because that cut is most likely on your radar already, we'd rather point to towards "992 Arguments" which didn't break the pop top 50 but generated serious urban DJ rotation -- there's no paranoia here, just a complaint from someone who's fed up with confrontation. The song fared well on the R&B chart, reaching #13, but in mainstream terms it stands as the great lost sister record to "Back Stabbers." The Gamble/Huff composition tells it straight -- rhyming "992" with "I'm sick of you" -- and the beefed up brass and string arrangement is pure Philadelphia International magic. Most people know the Main Ingredient for the Top Ten pop hits "Everybody Plays the Fool" (1972) and "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (1974) -- featuring Cuba Gooding Sr., father of the Oscar-winning actor, on the mic -- but rewind to '71 and we find the magnificent, supremely danceable black-power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing." Written by original lead singer Donald McPherson (whose sudden death from leukemia brought about Gooding's inclusion in the line-up) the track is a bold testament to African-American strength and resilience against the odds. Beginning with a spoken-word intro over tribal drums, it erupts into unstoppable grooviness and stays there for the duration. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=255445333,288390509,328345874,326492760,389706529,274680747,1523074,169937868,3449401,298318350,278835237,251004787,7308504,380903313,257441367,137057393,262485664 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-103-iPhone.m4a Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:59:22 -0700 Music no 00:45:54 Soul Train, The O’Jays, Barry White, The Main Ingredient, The Staple Singers, Kenny Rogers, The Laurie Berkner Band iTunes Heart, T-Bone Burnett, Trace Adkins, Lauryn Hill This week, we're listening in on music from Heart, T-Bone Burnett, Trace Adkins, and Lauryn Hill. Hear the name T-Bone Burnett, and you most likely think of the tall, pale, shade-wearing producer who cuts a well-tailored dash at 21st-century GRAMMY® and Oscar ceremonies, where he's accustomed to picking up a prize or two. His behind-the-boards work has taken in a range of collaborators, from Roy Orbison to Spinal Tap, and brilliant albums bearing his unmistakable imprint have included Elvis Costello's Spike and King of America (the latter featuring members of Elvis Presley's TCB Band), Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? (a surprise success which went eight times platinum in 2007 and earned for Burnett four GRAMMYS®). Cold Mountain, Walk the Line, Crazy Heart . . . his name has become synonymous with first-rate movie music. So it may come as a surprise to find out that, before the switch to production, Burnett was a compelling artist in his own right, whose superb and unique '80s output has somehow drifted into the margins. Lyrically and musically, there's a quality to his songs that sets him apart, and thanks to his 2006 Best Of -- Twenty Twenty: The Essential T Bone Burnett -- it's easy to catch up with outstanding cuts that may have slipped under your radar. His cover of the Marilyn Monroe standard, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," from the 1982 EP Trap Door, is a great place to start. He sings it laconically, from the hip, landing somewhere between Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, investing every word with a laid-back cynicism, and accenting the track with an understated degree of twang. There's a similar stripped-back approach to the spoken-word tale of a life-long over-reacher, "House of Mirrors," which highlights Burnett's inventive wit as a lyricist, and concludes with the perfect fate-sealing line, "Eventually, like Napoleon, he attacked Russia." Another standout on 1980's Truth Decay is "Power of Love," a gem of righteous simplicity and tight wordplay that stands alongside the later "River of Love" as one of Burnett's most affecting, sideways-spiritual compositions. 1983's Proof Through the Night also features a couple of tracks that are sure to delight and surprise in equal measure: the myth-conflating, gothically epic "Hefner and Disney" and the brooding, soulful "When the Night Falls" (featuring Ry Cooder on guitar). All of these songs, if heard for the first time, should come as a revelation, and turn you onto the solo work of that imposing southern dude who hangs out with the likes of Bono, the Coen Brothers and Jeff Bridges. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=311564,24317208,251155097,64744133,76179096,77671435,377385496,14553818,220021664,193090373,14561382,14561392,207168846,278835237,268771656,384531127,15994821,171639520,250266767,296172227,384530758,384530798,384530882,281701739,157497318,157497387,157497391,157497337,157507006,321159439,267758113,158298208,321159450,16635120,250038561,385285111,2356335,2356302,309582015,40459165,252701974,252701961,252701935,360175,360155,153623012,153623246,153623060,387459318,387459297,175104847,175104860 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-102-iPhone.m4a Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:04:56 -0700 Music no 00:45:26 Heart, T-Bone Burnett, Trace Adkins, Lauryn Hill iTunes John Mellencamp, Brian Wilson, George Gershwin, Kylie Minogue, Fantasia This week, we're listening in on music from John Mellencamp, Brian Wilson, George Gershwin, Kylie Minogue, and Fantasia. On this week's podcast, we chatted about the curveball R&B persona of the supremely talented Betty Wright, who -- after the first casual listen -- sounds every bit the strong, take-no-nonsense, proto-feminist soul sister . . . until you get to the lyrics. Tracks like 1974's "Secretary" (on which she explains that women are at fault for their husbands' infidelities: "Girls, we make it necessary/For the secretary to put/A little joy in his life") and 1972's "Baby Sitter" (which concludes with the following advice: "So girls if you want your man/And no one else/Buy yourself some sizzle pants/And babysit your baby yourself"), leave little room for mis-interpretation. To redress the balance, here are a couple of tracks that carry through on the vocal promise of fierce, assertive independence. You probably know Freda Payne by her hits "Band of Gold" and "Bring the Boys Home" but we highly recommend that you seek out minor R&B charter "The Unhooked Generation" -- her first single for Motown splinter label Invictus. No sooner has the sizzling guitar intro done its stuff than Payne weighs in with the defiant statements: "I'm so glad I joined the unhooked generation/I just kicked the habit of being a fool for you." As the song grooves its way to a full head of steam, Payne's personal reflection becomes a rallying cry for all wronged women -- "Hey girls if you're in misery/Get yourself together, come on set yourself free" -- and by the end of the track, she makes sure to let us know that the man she left has lost much of his swagger: "Since I've been gone boy/You don't talk so loud." The Honey Cone's "While You're Out Looking for Sugar" is another righteous stunner. Released in 1969 on the Hot Wax label (Holland-Dozier-Holland's precursor to Invictus), the song tees us up with the image of a lonely and unhappy woman left at home while her man puts himself about . . . but self-pity is the last thing on her mind. "If I find myself in the arms of someone else/Darling it's all your fault." There's nothing submissive or defeatist about the message expressed by Carolyn Willis, Shelly Clark and Edna Wright, and beat is dangerously infectious, which is probably why the track became a staple on the U.K.'s dance-driven Northern Soul circuit. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=340341999,1717367,264610342,203880958,304668973,386249364,386249362,52310753,52310931,52310757,64614575,52310811,157508971,386249351,52310934,52310937,278835237,376411164,312326903,299608205,15818192,16281750,388266459,377586361,376411166,376411178,376411173,382631393,382631372,382631490,382631442,275765419,382631437,382631510,267153674,22772281,265606704,298683316,298683305,382631424,283033476,214511487,214511375,383234601,383234518,383234550,386846,18034306,71536323,383234620,139665,1952746,383234552,7377774 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-101-iPhone.m4a Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:58:27 -0700 Music no 00:49:28 John Mellencamp, Brian Wilson, George Gershwin, Kylie Minogue, Fantasia iTunes Etta James, The Swell Season, Public Enemy, Sia To mark our 100th iTunes Rewind podcast, we got to thinking about some of the incredible songs we discovered after they were used on TV shows, commercials, sportscasts and -- most memorably of all -- movie soundtracks. Well placed film songs tend to really stand out, especially when they effortlessly complement the action. Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire," for example, works brilliantly in the "Sunday, May 11, 1980" sequence in Goodfellas, and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" will forever conjure images of David Naughton's transformation from man into lycanthrope (An American Werewolf in London). Few tracks, though, have ever been used as fittingly and effectively on screen as the Five Stairsteps "O-o-h Child" in Boyz n the Hood (1991). Included on the Chicago Soul band's eponymous 1970 album, the track reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and soon became a signature, as fans warmed to its bright, sincere delivery and uplifting message. The shared vocal suited the Five Stairsteps -- all members of the prodigiously talented Burke family -- down to the ground, and the song offered a sense of shared struggle and togetherness: positive qualities that Boyz n the Hood director John Singleton would cleverly undermine for the maximum cinematic impact. Here's the scene: Furious (Laurence Fishburne) has taken his young son Tre (Desi Arnez Hines II) fishing at the coast, where they find the space to relax and bond. As they drive back into South Central Los Angeles, the track comes on the radio. Furious starts singing along, and for a brief instant, that undeniably hopeful "O-o-h Child" vibe hooks characters and audience alike. Then, over lines like "Things are gonna get easier" and "Some day we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun," it gets dark. Tre's friends Doughboy and Chris have been arrested by the LAPD for stealing, and are being taken away in a squad car: despite the optimism of the song, drowned out by a siren as the scene fades, there's a twisted-gut feeling of crushing despair. It's the perfect way to end the movie's opening phase, as we prepare to meet the same characters seven years down the line. As one of the movie's tag lines puts it: "It ain't no fairy tale." http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=196492641,131366944,20003668,263508627,263508379,322447713,321595573,278671972,366981481,313861995,361487253,6933902,190392700,252525863,64682,91209,84684,298291634,164127942,278835237,123987,123989,303895122,124011,260786601,250295529,155714177,350514208,323359924,323360154,373641725,282374076,328074588,16028888,273428135,253147229,6931368,3271782,211203216,270407185,19096594,312873391,254349724,254347902,254349932,254347632,254347748,334522317,334522246,334522251,1286264,72191,256420031,314837675 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-100-iPhone.m4a Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:11:21 -0700 Music no 00:45:24 Etta James, The Swell Season, Public Enemy, Sia iTunes Jon Brion, Aimee Mann, Kanye West, Macy Gray, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Beck, T. Rex, Mark Chesnutt, Joao Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto This week, we're listening in on music from Jon Brion, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Mark Chesnutt, Joao Gilberto, and Bebel Gilberto. Fronted by the effortlessly charismatic Marc Bolan, T. Rex was a glam sensation in the U.K. -- embedding the phrase T-Rextasy in the English pop vernacular -- but only enjoyed one major hit in the U.S., a stunning shortfall when you consider the band's lasting influence. Rockers admired their flamboyant image and borrowed their glistening chords, while punks would appropriate their stripped-down, three-chord immediacy. In honor of that legacy, we'd like to put to rest the bogus notion, that T. Rex was simply a one-hit wonder, and flag up a few of the tracks that cemented the legend. "Metal Guru," magnificent album opener from The Slider (1972), announces itself with a joyous scream before easing into a regal stomp, gilded with orchestral strings and accented with lush, trippy flourishes. The incantatory lyrics conjure up some unspecified deity, quite possibly Bolan himself, playing both the worshipper and the worshipped. As he later revealed: "I thought how God would be. He's be all alone without a telephone. I don't answer the phone anymore." If anyone deserved god-like status on the glam scene, besides David Bowie, it was Bolan: both icons would end up performing together on Bolan's TV show. Preceding "Metal Guru" at the top of the British charts, but peaking at an unjust #67 here in the U.S., was "Telegram Sam," a storming riff-riot on which Bolan clearly delights in twisting his kaleidoscope of disposable images -- a seemingly random cast of characters including the eponymous main man (the artist's nickname for manager Tony Secunda or, according to other sources, a reference to accountant Sam Alder) and Bobby, "a natural-born poet who's just outta sight" (Bob Dylan). "Children of the Revolution," also from 1972, is worthy of your collection if only for the line "I drive a Rolls Royce, 'cos it's good for my voice." All of the tracks above can be found among our T. Rex Essentials. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=281086428,357909472,327266761,382095121,336390911,385450572,28458451,258757121,331242248,153019659,79483298,79483412,157506997,278835237,376838646,38966,329251,376838644,376838650,376838652,376838638,377595048,377595049,377595047,43972,286752292,275982203,379543923,121255598,6737765,301391944,337920,119689,385049894,385049858,19820274,1049830,385049952,381443567,385049949,5133001,220149487,310914714,310892596,380906838,380906660,380906836,284992949,104068,3448608,187583901,258595172 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-099-iPhone.m4a Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:23:21 -0700 Music no 00:42:04 Jon Brion, Aimee Mann, Kanye West, Macy Gray, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Beck, T. Rex, Mark Chesnutt, Joao Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto iTunes The Black Crowes, Herbie Hancock, Swizz Beatz, DMX, T.I., Jay-Z, Jimmy Cliff This week, we're listening in on music from The Black Crowes, Herbie Hancock, Swizz Beatz, and Jimmy Cliff. The tail end of this week's appreciation of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff led us briefly, via the iTunes Genius tool, to the U.K. ska revival (aka 2 Tone) that arrived in punk's wake. A couple of the bands at the vanguard of that movement -- Madness and the English Beat (know in their homeland as, simply, the Beat) -- made an appreciable dent in the U.S. charts, but too many great tracks went largely unnoticed outside the collections of Stateside 2 Tone aficionados, so we'd like to highlight a few of them here. After all, without 2 Tone there would have been no "third wave" of ska over here, as embodied by the likes of Rancid, the Might Mighty Bosstones and Sublime. The Specials were formed in the Midlands by Jerry Dammers, the son of a clergyman and founder of 2 Tone Records (hence the genre's moniker), and epitomized that signature blend of punk attitude/energy, social and political commentary, multi-racial unity and supremely danceable Jamaican rhythms. "A Message to You, Rudy" picked up the 1967 rocksteady track by Dandy Livingstone, and supercharged it with stellar brass work from Rico Rodriguez (a former Skatalite, on trombone) and Dick Cuthell (cornet). Flanked by the sharp-suited Lynval Golding and Neville Staples, frontman Terry Hall took a deadpan approach to the wake-up-call lyric ("Time to straighten right out, better think of your future, else you'll wind up in jail"), and the overall effect was electrifying. The Specials' entire (self-titled) first album (1979) remains the definitive ska revival LP and is well worth seeking out. One of the scene's liveliest singles -- "On My Radio" -- was cut by fellow Midlands outfit, The Selecter, who deserved far more than they received outside of the U.K. Fronted by Pauline Black, who added a dramatic, Grace Jones-like quality to the vocals, the band dropped an excellent debut album, Too Much Pressure, and a lone follow-up, before splitting (a re-jigged incarnation would surface in the '90s). Another cut that should be added to your 2 Tone playlist is the English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom," with its edgy, bundle-o'-nerves energy, and stunning sax work (by Lionel Martin aka Saxa) . . . further proof of the too-often-overlooked scene's dynamism and lasting vitality. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=339278296,298321100,2236546,283797034,382340946,366543716,380304933,380304815,267716437,380304797,380304990,267716426,300993699,273844240,273844245,274925047,326904467,278835237,310939892,411595,135721,289693782,358057534,329659180,3965849,281836883,3966068,3965923,352938,352944,1811584,406742,3965942,14606215,14606208,352942,192859115,291590476,303069012,300455199,372850138,210448912,14644081,158571527,262887465,158571552,157473887,157473842,264454101,61625362,383745616,383745603,317050858,215136369,215136388,6239229,160730526 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-098-iPhone.m4a Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:32:40 -0700 Music no 00:41:10 The Black Crowes, Herbie Hancock, Swizz Beatz, DMX, T.I., Jay-Z, Jimmy Cliff iTunes The Black Keys, Paul Weller, The Jam, The Style Council, Ely Guerra, Francisca Valenzuela, The Morning Benders In scope and influence, the still-unfolding career of Paul Weller is nothing short of astonishing. More astonishing still is the fact that the Jam, fronted by (songwriter-in-chief) Weller, remains criminally under-appreciated here in the US, despite iconic status in the UK, where virtually every band at the cutting edge of Britpop (and beyond) was quick to acknowledge a huge debt of influence. If you feel compelled to contact the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to lobby for the Jam's induction at their earliest possible convenience, don't let us stand in your way. When the Jam debuted in 1977 with their first album In the City, they presented a glorious anomaly -- here was an outfit that channelled the aggression, ferocity and ideological commitment of leftist punk, but wore sharp suits, not a safety pin in sight, and allied themselves with the Mod revival. Dapper, angry and full of melody: who could ask for more? "Away from the Numbers" is an outstanding track from that early period -- the melody could have come from the Small Faces or the early Who, and the sentiment is pure rebellion, with the hint that any splinter movement (punk, mod, whatever) represents a conformity of sorts. Keep your wits about you, think for yourself, Weller appears to be saying, and time has proved him sincere. "The Butterfly Collector," a B-side from 1979 (backing "Strange Town") is also well worth seeking out and provides further evidence that Weller's talents and imagination would ultimately exceed the limitations of the Jam. Here, Weller nods in the direction of the Kinks (the opening section of "Shangri-La" comes to mind) with the damning portrait of a rather desperate groupie he knew from the punk scene: "the queen of the butterfly collectors." After the breakup of the Jam, Weller expanded his musical horizons (to include soul, R&B and jazz) with the Style Council, and for a taste of that outfit at its finest, check out the upbeat groove of "Headstart for Happiness." Weller's tenth solo studio album, Wake Up the Nation was a cornerstone of this week's podcast -- by exploring the back catalog of the Jam and the Style Council, you'll understand more completely how he arrived at where he is now. Respect. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=139988219,385847493,293597636,6944567,7057213,370968841,276473658,303733885,340065269,370968830,370968916,370968846,370968913,342016637,370969112,303733891,276473667,278835237,373134142,373134098,373134200,373134218,296676756,296676755,296676761,279679481,357534663,357534656,323004038,283346777,17339521,283346786,294868476,271652425,373193671,258053678,315607972,258052523,345953,345937,345941,345939,373193670,373193678,373193923,293597635,293597650,293597639,63196833,63196839,371741310 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-097-iPhone.m4a Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:35:53 -0700 Music no 00:41:37 The Black Keys, Paul Weller, The Jam, The Style Council, Ely Guerra, Francisca Valenzuela, The Morning Benders iTunes Crowded House, Neil Finn, Split Enz, Sheryl Crow, M.I.A, The Gaslight Anthem If you were raised outside the Antipodes, chances are you know little more about New Zealand's Split Enz than Neil Finn was a member before he went on to form Crowded House. The band's most successful single, "I Got You," did really well down under, in the UK and in Canada but maxed out at #53 in the U.S., and the feeling remains that the world-at-large was never quite ready for them. During this week's podcast, we offered little more than a condensed history of Finn, with the focus on Crowded House, and we didn't have the time to do Split Enz full justice . . . so here goes. Formed by Finn's elder brother, Tim, in 1972 the outfit followed an array of stylistic tangents (including a phase where their costume designer also played the spoons) and tried its luck in the UK under the wing of Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera, but made no great impression before Finn the younger came on board (in 1977). 1980 breakthrough album True Colours offered the first real indication that Neil's sublime songwriting talents would mark out Split Enz as something special (notably "I Got You") but one of the album's highlights is Tim's exquisite ballad, "I Hope I Never" -- a lovely track shot through with infinite sadness. In the video Tim wanders through the dregs of what was probably a marvelous party, white scarf draped disconsolately over his dinner-jacketed shoulders, his soaring falsetto a last defense against the agony of lost love. For next release Waiata (titled Corroboree in Australia) Neil wrote "One Step Ahead", a truly brilliant tune that weaves its way with mesmerizing skill though subtle changes in tone and melody -- here, we sensed, was a young songsmith who could hold his own in such revered new wave company as Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford (Squeeze) and Andy Partridge (XTC). Side Two of the same album kicked off with "History Never Repeats", a harder-rocking track that steps up the pace but also showcases the band's trademark preoccupation with existential unease, fear and confusion. By contrast "Message to My Girl" from 1983's Conflicting Emotions -- for which Neil was the songwriter-in-chief -- is full of love and resolve, a far cry from the nerviness of those previous tracks, and boasts one of the prettiest choruses in all of '80s pop. The collection History Never Repeats - The Best of Split Enz is an excellent selection of the band's best tracks, and if you're relatively new to them, we'd highly recommend that you seek it out. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=13782782,15146901,1523001,270247797,346566838,362552748,14561569,378441567,15851873,14561573,378441586,353345,93546,157505360,157505352,278835237,378505952,378505958,63570798,378505925,378505935,378505926,378505944,378505967,375620417,375620429,375620439,287370022,202562673,247128,375019058,117017498,247138,185672650,388288,378553534,111010,2556308,378553542,378553525,378553524,378553607,305118379,191446804,191447328,378553503,14145143,16555422,16136080 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-096-iPhone.m4a Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:21:27 -0700 Music no 00:39:37 Crowded House, Neil Finn, Split Enz, Sheryl Crow, M.I.A, The Gaslight Anthem iTunes Johnny Marr, Harvey Fuqua, Marvin Gaye, New Birth Inc., Sting, Nortec Collective, Ana Tijoux This week, we're listening in on music from Johnny Marr, Harvey Fuqua, Sting, Nortec Collective, and Ana Tijoux. Harvey Fuqua, who passed on July 6, was one of the great all-rounders of soul. If you're struggling to work out exactly where his legend fits into the big picture, that's because there's a strong trace of his influence across a multitude of spheres: he founded and sang with '50s doo-woo group the Moonglows (discovered by Alan Freed in Cleveland), appeared on duets with Etta James, worked in an executive/A&R capacity for Motown, discovered and produced disco pioneer Sylvester, collaborated with Smokey Robinson, and -- perhaps the most impressive and significant of all his achievements -- he oversaw Marvin Gaye's late-era return to prominence with the album Midnight Love and its now-classic single, "Sexual Healing" (1982). And all of that's just the short version -- the more we investigate Fuqua's legacy, the more we realize the extent and range of his talents, especially his work with a band that history has stranded on the fringes of classic R&B: New Birth. Under Fuqua's guidance, the outfit was nourished with various former members of Love, Peace & Happiness, around the core of instrumental group the Nite-Liters, who brushed the Top 40 in 1971 with "K-Jee." The idea was to create a touring ensemble of groups that would support and back up each other, but ultimately those inter-connected elements coalesced as a dynamic 17-piece ensemble under the New Birth banner. The Very Best of the New Birth is well worth exploring -- the collection serves as a reminder that it can really pay dividends to look beyond the household names of '70s R&B. A rich, funky and brilliantly layered cover of Bobby Womack's "I Can Understand It" took the band into the R&B Top Ten in '73, but you should also check out "It's Impossible," a soulful reworking of Perry Como's popular lounge ballad, as well as their soaring take on Skylark's "Wildflower." New Birth's version of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go" is nothing less than revelatory, with its meandering sax, angelic backing vocals and unexpected lead turn from future Supremes member Susaye Greene (drafted in during a management company dispute). Hopefully, these tracks will help to pull Fuqua's extraordinary career into even sharper focus. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=355807261,251652727,388078349,371959709,370389835,380350137,294844819,294844378,124907221,348188362,348627322,193887828,192492504,291875083,216544545,327651782,327651788,292491958,263139468,264347311,358350832,2580938,298901795,292491959,362135787,298901796,378590993,378590996,361200,378591060,353777,357222504,128233,355027,994428,256227604,353773,53340,93793,278835237,517112,517225,720058,41562342,250038645,159512860,299609893,299609896,205881936,158539349,298321904,251307777,378614992,378616259,302184523,375181271 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-095-iPhone.m4a Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:35:34 -0700 Music no 00:46:24 Johnny Marr, Harvey Fuqua, Marvin Gaye, New Birth Inc., Sting, Nortec Collective, Ana Tijoux iTunes The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams, Beyoncé, Gnarles Barkley, Bobbie Gentry, Big Boi, Grease This week, we're listening in on music from The Neptunes, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time list, Big Boi, and Grease. Our recent chat about Rolling Stone's (updated) 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list led us, via the #419 entry, "Ode to Billie Joe," to the incredible country/pop-crossover talents of Bobbie Gentry -- an artist whose most fascinating work is too often overlooked, even by seasoned music aficionados. Since we never pass up an opportunity to spotlight criminally under-appreciated genius, here's what you need to know. The Chickasaw County-born singer is best known for her hits -- the marvelous 1967 tune singled out by Rolling Stone, and maybe 1969's "Fancy," another four-minute masterpiece of Southern Gothic narrative -- but further exploration of Gentry's catalog reveals enough riches to form the basis of sizable and hugely devoted cult. Legend has it that the family piano, on which she composed her first tune, was procured by her grandmother in return for a dairy cow. She performed for a while as a Vegas revue girl before making her debut in the recording studio, and was one of the first female country artists to write, produce and control her own output, which is why much of it contains creatively daring elements unsuited to the anodyne mainstream. We suggest you make your entrance into the wonderful world of Gentry with "Mornin' Glory," a minor hit in '68 when performed as a duet with Glen Campbell, but available in its original (dreamier) state on The Delta Sweete -- the track contains elements of glossy Bacharach-style pop, but the arrangement takes it in much more interesting, subtle and rustic direction. The brilliant "Casket Vignette" chips away at its breezy, poppy exterior from the inside, by setting up a conversation with an undertaker going through his coffin sales routine: "How about a satin brocade/Guaranteed not to fade/Or maybe you'd prefer another shade/Trimmed in gold or silver braid/Would you like a lemonade/There's no ice I'm afraid." The mundane and the tragic are set in poetic opposition, in a way that recalls the off-hand discussion of suicide recreated on the superbly nuanced "Ode to Billie Joe." Gentry's talent with the pen takes a surreal turn on "Refractions," in which she recounts "a most distressing dream," while "Bugs" is fanciful and witty riff on frustration with the insect world. It all amounts to an engrossing and cult-worthy body of work. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=367215908,83348283,307592244,282863498,371754428,379630662,379630685,37574181,252606583,30523766,250053056,28659162,62442306,78600813,328607,304765357,278835237,379650032,255836745,263570571,303133048,281430671,379650203,379650217,267205940,3437803,3437846,40454293,3437801,3437798,141082581,264475331,5870827,220141422,268879852,257220,257248,201281527,114661,341535896,201274644,111288132,298575037,58339620,353032615,152471393,215080335,311530,517112,205881936,47607 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-094-iPhone.m4a Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:22:32 -0700 Music no 00:43:54 The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams, Beyoncé, Gnarles Barkley, Bobbie Gentry, Big Boi, Grease iTunes Eminem, Jill Scott, Carly Simon, Loretta Lynn, Scissor Sisters, Gladys Knight This week, we're listening in on music from Eminem, Lilith Fair, Scissor Sisters, and Gladys Knight. It's great to see to see that the revived Lilith Fair has expanded its scope for 2010. The ground-breaking celebration of female talent, founded by Sarah McLachlan in the late-'90s, now looks outside the generously populated realms of introspective singer-songwriters to include the likes of the Bangles, Gossip and Rihanna, which got us thinking . . . who would we select for a hypothetical, historically unrestricted line-up in the spirit of the all-new Lilith Fair? A couple of candidates quickly rose to the top: Laura Nyro and Concrete Blonde. Officially disbanded in 2006 -- but touring this year on the back of Bloodletting's 20th anniversary re-release -- Concrete Blonde would, if all the stars aligned, make a crowd-pleasing addition to the Lilith Fair roster. Over time, it seems, frontwoman Johnette Napolitano has only become more dynamic as a performer, and the band's catalog of great tracks is rich and deep. Check out the punk-fueled "Still in Hollywood" -- both in its relentlessly tough, surreally freaky original version and in its alternative "It'll Chew You Up and Spit You Out" guise: the latter track whips up a storm of frustration but plays out like an almost celebratory post-punk anthem, a kind of scuzzy L.A. counterpart to Sinatra's "New York, New York." We also have to mention Concrete Blonde's excellent cover of Leonard Cohen's small masterpiece of sardonic wit, "Everybody Knows." Napolitano and her boys nail the song's tone to perfection, as you'll hear on the excellent 1996 compilation, Recollection: The Best of Concrete Blonde. Another great fantasy Lilith Fair addition would be Laura Nyro, the supremely talented songwriter and performer who died in 1997 (her 50th year). Admired for the tunes she composed for others -- including "Stoney End" (recorded by Barbra Streisand) and "Eli's Coming" (Three Dog Night) -- Nyro drew on a variety of styles and elements (Brill Building pop, gospel, soul, jazz, folk) which she fused in truly inspired combinations. Her own recordings are well worth seeking out, especially those on revelatory 1967 debut album More Than a New Discovery, later released and re-ordered as The First Songs. If we had to pick out one track, it would be "Billy's Blues" a classic jazz-pop piece and the ideal introduction to Nyro's magnificent, lost-too-soon talent. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=295925745,220281468,159781027,322521042,325808208,375464754,378423544,360506,362145,362088,1018037,351956378,362137,362151,99159665,111060,378423797,278835237,378442475,378442497,5610588,13331018,378442505,378442511,378442482,378442513,7372174,253291598,6796610,103339,304819349,258594631,103342,253618391,5245803,382257,290075703,105191292,309677247,79565507,118125081,32332430,32332424,21331359,271491331,271491074,271581767,271491423,2133580,59433,6737529,378412901,378412831,102496291,290075712 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-093-iPhone.m4a Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:49:03 -0700 Music no 00:46:43 Eminem, Jill Scott, Carly Simon, Loretta Lynn, Scissor Sisters, Gladys Knight iTunes Merle Haggard, The Isley Brothers, The Ramones, Cyndi Lauper, Jamey Johnson, The Roots This week, we're listening in on songs for the 4th of July from Merle Haggard, The Isley Brothers, and The Ramones, and music from Cyndi Lauper, Jamey Johnson, and The Roots. Most of the songs that appear on Independence Day playlists -- including our own 4th July Essentials -- tend to fall into one of three broad categories: those that stoutly defend the nation; those offering an aspirational ideal of the U.S.A.; and those that celebrate the rockin', rollin' diversity of American culture. But there are a couple of expertly crafted songs that touch on all of the above . . . and go even further: tunes about national identity that can be heard as both protest songs and national anthems depending on the perspective of the listener. With that in mind, two songs really stand out, and the first of them is Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" -- arguably the best known of all American folk songs, memorably performed last year (by Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen) at President Obama's inauguration. Guthrie wrote it in 1940 as a response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," and took a fluid approach to the basic lyrical skeleton, making changes and amendments when the occasion demanded. Many singers (amateur and professional alike) have covered the song without the verses that allude to "private property" and the "relief office" with its queue of hungry people. Springsteen called it "the greatest song ever written about America," and included a tremendous concert version on his Live/1975-85 collection, while the soulful interpretation offered by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, which invests the tune with civil rights significance, was smartly added to the soundtrack for Up in the Air. Another song which has become timeless by lacing apparent simplicity with possibilities for interpretation is "Power and the Glory" by '60s protest singer Phil Ochs -- an artist whose leftist leanings could not mask a deep-rooted patriotism. Like Guthrie's folk classic, the song celebrates America's awe-inspiring beauty. It also singles out "the strength of her freedom" as the defining measure of the U.S.A.'s power, and contains this key line: "Yet she's only as rich as the poorest of the poor, only as free as the padlocked prison door." While the overall tone of the song is celebratory and anthemic it's clear that Ochs wanted to hold his country -- our country -- to a higher standard, and to question the status quo. A version recorded by former beauty queen Anita Bryant reportedly amused Ochs, prompting him to re-record and reclaim the song in '74 with a full marching band arrangement, and highlighted the gulf between unquestioning patriotism and restless, critical love of country. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=376365447,260580956,2517226,371879479,186048548,291890676,26516070,6036369,27476,84819603,78050444,78399253,344800528,198021483,158512987,65065561,77816965,77816362,278835237,376269572,270240782,270240765,268596930,286224685,286224648,377445364,377445321,340065057,368016728,377445351,1484796,329917988,377445333,192007251,290223888,290223829,290223830,310908515,310749152,57547395,287818293,215115305,371601737,193521054,372500439,305124260,305124179,372501196,7306504,372500107,63428,63430,328409,372500382,328405,267343523,372499871,319600872,356104750 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-092-iPhone.m4a Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:48:28 -0700 Music no 00:46:24 Merle Haggard, The Isley Brothers, The Ramones, Cyndi Lauper, Jamey Johnson, The Roots iTunes Stevie Wonder, Devo, Robyn, Drake This week we're listening to the music of Stevie Wonder, Robyn, Drake and Devo, as well as selected cuts by Barbra Streisand, the Gypsy Kings, Edwin Starr, and Squeeze. In the week after Stevie Wonder played Bonnaroo 2010, we delve a little deeper into the R&B legend's Essentials to highlight several classic tracks that may have passed you by. "A Place in the Sun" made the Top Ten in 1966, but what makes the song remarkable is its vein of activism -- like Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" (1964) the tune spoke to the civil rights movement without addressing specifics, and stands as a reminder that there was far more to the Motown hit machine than apolitical pop and soul. The message is bold and serious and, even though the song contrasts with Wonder's more groove-driven Up-Tight era material, the artist's interest in poetic social commentary was anticipated by his previous single release, a righteous crossover cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind.""Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" was included on 1971's Where I'm Coming From, one of the standout LPs of young Stevie's career. It was his 13th album, released shortly before he turned 21, and marked the first time he was granted full artistic control over his material. What comes across in this heart-wrenching ballad about a failed relationship (which would surge in popularity after its inclusion in the 1993 Tupac Shakur/Janet Jackson movie, Poetic Justice) is the singer's maturity: the next phase of his incredible artistic journey was, we sensed, truly underway. Like "A Place on the Sun" you can find this track in the Next Steps section of Essentials reserved for those tunes that aren't exactly obscure, but are well worth seeking out because they've fallen into the shadow of the biggest hits. By revisiting "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)," we're reminded that Stevie Wonder wrote (and co-wrote) a host of great songs for other artists. Best known by the 1973 Aretha Franklin version, but also covered memorably by Cyndi Lauper, Bobby Caldwell and American Idol contestant Katherine McPhee, the tune was originally cut by its author in 1967, but gathered dust for a decade until its inclusion on Anthology (1977). As as result, despite showcasing Wonder's vocal skills to the max, the track has slipped through the net, which is why we given it pride of place in the Deep Cuts section of Essentials, where lesser known gems are routinely stashed. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=164926527,178057632,375893786,375893770,260581830,15039976,311530,300953761,1969962,1969952,102051,3440000,418217,102120,311847,80864319,278835237,376372265,376372274,304745146,278861577,278489247,278861617,272223930,376372283,376372290,376372313,376372295,376324880,376324867,330204885,330204801,376324725,376324868,376324860,171763033,280535012,162887781,192789247,15383004,287818280,32182593,83134182,1264527,336673792,373932450,337005996,335254383,336673811,335252247,337005972,373932742,373932569,309732001,113287900,373859843,373859884,373860409 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-091-iPhone.m4a Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:23:31 -0700 Music no 00:46:25 Stevie Wonder, Devo, Robyn, Drake iTunes The Go-Go’s, Diane Warren, Goodie Mob, Jermaine Dupri, Gucci Mane, Renée Fleming This week we're listening in on In the week after the Go-Go's announced their farewell tour, then abruptly cancelled it after guitarist Jane Wiedlin hurt her knee in a hiking accident, we figured the time was right to remind ourselves just why the new wave all-girl band was more than that -and influential. There's much more to the Go-Go's than their best-known hits, "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed" -- along with with Nick Lowe and the Pretenders, they gave us classic pop with added resonance, and several songs really leap out from the iTunes Go-Go's/Belinda Carlisle Essentials. First up is "Lust to Love" from debut album Beauty and the Beat, a cut that takes a minimal approach to verse construction (i.e. there's only one, a technique also perfected by the Ramones) and has a fabulous chorus. There's something ominous about the tune that recalls the Shangri-Las, as well as a vein of vulnerability in the lyric, which describes a party girl ambushed unexpectedly by love. No doubt, it would have made a great single if Beauty And the Beat didn't already offer up so many. We also have to mention "Mad About You," frontwoman Belinda Carlisle's debut solo single from 1986 (one of the first ever CD singles), co-written by Paula Jean Brown (sometime touring bassist for the band) with Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey (from classic line-up Go-Go's) on backing vocals . . . which makes the track a mini-reunion of sorts. Andy Taylor from Duran Duran was drafted in for a sweet guitar solo and, as band-to-solo transition tracks go, this is one of the best. "Beneath the Blue Sky" is a highlight on third album Talk Show (1984), and Essentials fans can also find it in the Next Steps section reserved for those excellent tracks lurking just behind the hits. The track has a hint of apocalyptic darkness beneath the sparkling harmonies that gives it heft and intrigue. And don't overlook 2001 reunion album, God Bless the Go-Go's, a truly brilliant piece of work featuring a couple of lesser-known belters, namely "Automatic Rainy Day" and "Daisy Chain" (you'll see them in the Deep Cuts section of the band's Essentials) -- both tracks are the work of 40-something rock 'n' roll wild women who have survived and moved on, without losing that crackle of immediacy that always made their songs sparkle. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=375194175,368317028,300959296,92300208,196883906,311198,311186,311184,341655514,341655513,272260021,279523414,98869,304097958,33844,278835237,255836745,31520479,75724370,298575037,30383707,342302310,287818365,372084128,22135650,61316629,61316526,372084158,372084268,261605086,36259531,292173091,4421278,4421312,217472068,1010649,93520,218213946,218213977,218213957,114241,374388818,217271368,264603369,328256989,79590476,171142410,293814595,267153674,214695703,335856123,372770282,258056620,193322123,4512485,4512395,25329057 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-090-iPhone.m4a Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:01:06 -0700 Music no 00:38:15 The Go-Go’s, Diane Warren, Goodie Mob, Jermaine Dupri, Gucci Mane, Renée Fleming iTunes Parliament, The J.B.’s & Fred Wesley, The Gap Band, The Cure, Janelle Monáe, Focus This week, we're listening in on classic funk music from Parliament, The J.B.'s & Fred Wesley, and The Gap Band, as well as music from The Cure, Janelle Monáe, and Focus. In light of our recent reconsideration of funk classics, prompted by the Rufus and Parliament covers featured on Glee, we thought we'd shine a light on three crucial-but-undersold tracks in the funk canon. "Express Yourself" by the Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band -- a highlight in The Basics section of iTunes' Funk Essentials -- is one of those irresistible cuts that only seems to get fresher with the passage of time. Its unshakeable bass line has become embedded in the DNA of R&B via multiple hip-hop samples (check out the outstanding NWA version) and the tune is especially memorable for the line, "It's not what you look like, when you're doin' what you're doin'/It's what you're doin' when you're doin' what you look like you're doin'!," which not only makes complete sense (in a roundabout way), it also flows like silk. We should also point out that there was much more to Charles Wright's outfit than funk -- other standouts include "Spreading Honey,""Do Your Thing," and the sweet soul ballad "Love Land." In 1973, Oakland's Tower of Power, another great California-based rhythm & funk band, released an outstanding slow-grower: a track that became a standard in retrospect. We're talking about the funk classic "What Is Hip?" (1973), which barely scraped into the pop Top 100 in the year of its release but refused to gather dust -- the distinctive horn arrangement justly earned a GRAMMY® nomination for lynchpin member Greg Adams, master of the funkalicious trumpet and flugelhorn. And while a shout-out for Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" will come as no blinding revelation, that incredible track demands a mention because it was outshone by the brighter lights around it on the classic 1972 album Talking Book: "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." It's as funky as hell but, in a perverse kind of way, it's not especially danceable: the lyrics touch on the emotional pain of betrayal ("Maybe your baby done made some other plans") and that darkness is reflected in a sidewinding arrangement. The overall effect is a creeping funk that works its way into your bones over the course of a seven expertly jammed minutes . . . and it's topped off by guitar solo from Mr. Ghostbusters, Ray Parker, Jr. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=384670698,5240167,280390219,303886726,353032615,268023251,373203998,373196341,1485613,332461858,1485603,135765,198023033,853482,7303529,7303535,538775,278835237,370300706,157483949,177391198,286635629,370300755,370300743,370300720,370711671,81358234,81358308,30377473,157274264,258603323,1297152,247142,269173269,157273940,157274020,371772236,371772245,371772244,282971248,269730990,31739774,294151003,371772251,263527704,15039765,90702,381130,192481323,306973,94833 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-089-iPhone.m4a Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:14:26 -0700 Music no 00:39:51 Parliament, The J.B.’s & Fred Wesley, The Gap Band, The Cure, Janelle Monáe, Focus iTunes Sex And The City 2, Helen Reddy, Eurythmics, Mary J. Blige, Laura Lee, Bettye LaVette, Marc Anthony, Stone Temple Pilots At a time when the women of R&B put a premium on need to be "fierce" it's as well to remember the truly impassioned soul sides of Laura Lee, who recorded an incredible bunch of songs for the sister labels established by Holland-Dozier-Holland after they left Motown, Hot Wax/Invictus. Lee remains best known for the the brace of empowering and supremely groovy hits "Women's Love Rights" (1971) and the following year's "Rip Off." The latter track is memorable for the line "I know he's cheating but I'm sweet as I can be/He thinks he's making a fool out of me/But I'm setting him up." This lyrical tack, structured round the idea that deceitful men are not half as smart as they think they are, would be echoed by other contemporary (early '70s) soul sisters who all deserve a big shout-out. Freda Payne, one of the all-time great talents of that era, recorded with Invictus from 1969-1973, kicking off with her debut single for the label, "The Unhooked Generation", and boldly pushed the lyrical concerns of soul into new territory by tackling impotence (on "Band of Gold"). Seminal trio the Honey Cone -- Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis and Shellie Clark -- continued soul's musical storming of chauvinist bastions. They were the very first addition to the Hot Wax/Invictus roster, and recorded the label's first single: 1969's "While You're Out Looking for Sugar", a triumphant and foot-stompin' blast of defiance rooted in their assertion that a woman's wiles and independence should never be underestimated. The phenomenal "Want Ads", was released at the end of 1970 but eventually reached the top of the both the pop and the R&B charts, truly established the trio as a soul force to be reckoned with, and the brilliantly constructed "Stick Up" -- in which a romance gone wrong is likened to a heist -- hit the top of the R&B chart in 1971. Check out Honey Cone: Greatest Hits for some prime examples of vintage fierce. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=351472107,18034523,371601737,303894843,364908827,284618123,151463247,207056758,303097836,293395858,282739,302986579,159359901,3537901,200179318,200178716,278835237,259198892,369371211,3449597,358588044,191009391,369371447,369371234,369371318,372011220,300973607,300973555,300976287,300206125,300206176,300206137,303131429,339399244,192659427,5277027,266075721,191454213,148895089,209700004,371992713,300694043,300694015,271950471,271950503,271950474,264606579,264606662,264606650,264606416,371992632,371992629,371992671,371992643,79574389,79574398,79574385,288280343,288280195,193890821 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-088-iPhone.m4a Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:21:41 -0700 Music no 00:42:35 Sex And The City 2, Helen Reddy, Eurythmics, Mary J. Blige, Laura Lee, Bettye LaVette, Marc Anthony, Stone Temple Pilots iTunes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Monkees, Hunx And His Punx, Summer BBQ party music This week, we're listening in on music from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Monkees, and Hunx and his Punx, as well as our picks for great summer BBQ party music. With long summer days come trusted summer sounds, so we thought we'd depart from inevitable roster of classics like "California Girls" and "Under the Boardwalk" and offer five outstanding seasonal songs which, for one reason or another, are under-represented round this time of year. First, Lindsey Buckingham's "Countdown", from 1992's Out of the Cradle, a tune bursting at the seams with the sweet anticipation that clings to the onset of summer. "So I'm sittin' in the shade, under the dreamin' tree," sings Buckingham, who is a confessed admirer of Brian Wilson, and here he channels the same kind of harmony and buoyancy generated by the most uplifting of Beach Boys tunes. "Summer Teeth" by Wilco, the elision-free title track from their 1999 third album, is a joyous tangle of pop and Byrds-like country rock strands. The tune carries echoes of the Velvet Underground's "Who Loves the Sun" and, even though the lyrics hint at something dark, it's a truly uplifting piece of work. The incredible long version of Billy Stewart's "Summertime" (1966) -- a radical reworking of the Gershwin standard from the musical Porgy and Bess -- is one of those covers that feels like a true original. The soul singer's semi-scat vocal fireworks set the track aflame as it builds to a strong Stax-like flow. Many fans of the Rascals would pick out hits "It's a Beautiful Morning" and "Groovin'" as that band's definitive summer tracks, but we've gone with "Easy Rollin'" from Once Upon a Dream (1968) which radiates a bright West Coast positivity without sounding like a hippie cliché: For that warm, carefree summer feeling, little else can match it. And finally, we've chosen the Isley Brothers' 1974 take on "Summer Breeze", which you may already know well, but the song merits inclusion not just for its celebratory magnificence but because it has replaced the soft rock original (by Seals & Crofts) as the definitive version. Just let it blow through the jasmin in your mind. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=309586667,325146,254685026,341902604,346627674,5277573,5277513,5277025,153421341,296207320,338176702,351937685,5277509,5277525,278835237,359395930,3206662,3206672,359396130,359396267,359395988,359395909,359395981,372087939,78931680,215746999,4512481,4512412,4512395,198003536,409957,319075572,197460136,159672783,215747404,215746851,15834106,283029621,122701,3965891,3965849,258757121,352148414,352148376,370968830,370968841,365416537 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-087-iPhone.m4a Tue, 25 May 2010 11:36:50 -0700 Music no 00:37:37 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Monkees, Hunx And His Punx, Summer BBQ party music iTunes Movie music, Harry Nilsson, The Rolling Stones, Reflection Eternal, Lena Horne All the recent press surrounding the remastered 2010 re-issue of Rolling Stones 1972 masterwork, Exile on Main Street, got us thinking . . . what if we had to recommend a pick from all the band's subsequent albums? Immediate thoughts turned to vastly underrated follow-up, Goats Head Soup (1973), which gave us the timeless "Angie," the driving, bluesy "Silver Train" and the wah-wah razorwire of "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)," and we also had to consider next album It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (1974), the band's last with Brain Jones replacement Mick Taylor, with its too-hot-to-handle title track and the hugely affecting "Time Waits for No One." The arrival of Ronnie Wood (in 1975) helped keep the magic flowing through the '80s (when they scored multi-platinum sales with Tattoo You and Steel Wheels), but the release that most deserves re-consideration is, for us, Voodoo Lounge (1994), their 20th studio album. You could argue that, clocking in at 15 tracks, it's overlong, but that's part of the appeal -- all the more reason to dig deeper and be astounded by stuff you'd previously filed under "casual acquaintance". It was the band's first without bassist Bill Wyman, and the anointed Glimmer Twins co-producer was Don Was, a man known for his retro (read "classic") preferences. There's plenty to love here, including "Sweethearts Together" with its blended Cajun/flamenco/country vibe, the pop-rockin balladry of "Blinded by Rainbows,""The Worst" -- a standout lead vocal from Keith Richards, backed by a gorgeous rustic arrangement -- and the harpsichord-dappled "New Faces," a throwback to the baroque pop that had illuminated Between the Buttons ("Ruby Tuesday"). http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=365837712,309796639,325237000,553568,31739384,346224086,56209296,196492641,214146211,27243429,2356335,57474,177395009,331242163,252019732,304815013,282821235,217281662,217282296,217282250,278835237,368124963,328703,328693,328684,3603674,33874766,365045424,319396318,258627894,285167439,298726775,27031588,197884891,258628810,712941,712998,122114375,14699666,308751,24317234,310178,293484650,368520560,368520575,368520588,368520561,368520591,368520593,368520564,368520590,368520568,364375690,364376758,367205303 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-086-iPhone.m4a Tue, 18 May 2010 11:04:03 -0700 Music no 00:42:09 Movie music, Harry Nilsson, The Rolling Stones, Reflection Eternal, Lena Horne iTunes Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Solomon Burke, Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Court Yard Hounds, The New Pornographers The soul revival is truly underway -- and not just the young retro variety, epitomized by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Adele. A handful of longer-in-the-tooth artists are now getting the attention they deserve -- artists like Lee Fields, Solomon Burke (both a discovery and a veteran) . . . and especially Sharon Jones, who's finding more success today (in her mid-fifties) than back in the '70s (when she was told by label bosses she had an image problem). Appearances on The Colbert Report and Saturday Night Live, and her alliance with backing band the Dap Kings (who were hired to work with Mark Ronson on Winehouse's on Back to Black album), have confirmed that, in the words of Etta James, she's made it "at last". And Jones isn't the only great, new re-discovery: we'd like to draw your attention to a couple more artists, each boasting the kind of golden ability that makes you wonder why on earth they're not already legends -- Betty LaVette and Irma Thomas. LaVette -- The Great Lady of Soul -- has been making records since 1962, when (age 16) she recorded "My Man - He's a Lovin' Man," but it was with 1965's "Let Me Down Easy" that she really turned heads. That early success was translated into little more than fleeting brushes with a substantial breakthrough . . . until the mid-'00s, when the ANTI- label (which boasts an eclectic roster, including Tom Waits, Merle Haggard and the aforementioned Solomon Burke) picked her up. The best of the tracks on 2005's outstanding I've Got My Own Hell to Raise, an album of songs written by women, is LaVette's stunning take on Fiona Apple's "Sleep to Dream". Then there's the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, who cut a 1964 version of "Time Is On My Side" before by the Rolling Stones, and who -- for our money -- is the most talented of all the overlooked soul stars, right up there in all but celebrity with Aretha and Etta. Check out "Ruler of My Heart" (a precursor to Otis Redding's "Pain in My Heart"), "It's Raining" and "Breakaway" before going deeper with Rounder Heritage: If You Want It, Come and Get It, a collection of Thomas highlights from the '80s and the '90s. Better still, check your local listings and go see Jones, LaVette and Thomas do their thing live. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=369351941,1286253,326874382,365100614,366827703,359971386,359971389,264783642,316451443,290382224,316451364,274550366,360298335,360298332,278835237,365973709,365973593,365973716,365973691,365973704,365973687,367139876,78948789,5346204,4978496,78948823,260217633,367139780,319170012,40459578,300889758,405349,383945,252723911,152997721,3258060,308204381,308110435,301393314,301391945,43972,301391949,301391951,301400341,301391947,301391943,301391946,301391950,266217,352713,368031933,368031924,315384856,315384964 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-085-iPhone.m4a Tue, 11 May 2010 12:55:45 -0700 Music no 00:45:50 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Solomon Burke, Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Court Yard Hounds, The New Pornographers iTunes Hole, Courtney Love, Crystal Castles, Suzanne Vega, American Idiot, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Spring Awakening This week, we're listening in on music from Hole, Courtney Love, Crystal Castles, Suzanne Vega, and rock musicals that include American Idiot, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Spring Awakening. It's been more than 12 years since the debut off-Broadway performance of John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch and, looking back, it's clear that the original show -- a dynamic hybrid of drag act, underground gig and illicit cabaret -- marked the reinvention of the rock musical. It paved the way for the likes of Spring Awakening and Passing Strange, inspired hundreds of productions worldwide, spawned an outstanding 2001 movie adaptation, and attracted a cult following of dedicated, lifelong Hedheads. The arrival of tribute album Wig in a Box (2003), which features cover versions from aficionados like Spoon, the Polyphonic Spree, They Might Be Giants, Frank Black and Rufus Wainwright, represented a cast-iron seal of muso-approval. So why did Hedwig succeed so gloriously where many other rock-based plays and films dismally failed? Well, the piece works on so many levels -- as a killer satire, a rock 'n' roll spectacle, a tongue-in-cheek melodrama, a meditation on all manner of dualities . . . we could go on, but -- with a deferential nod to JCM's composer and lyricist Stephen Trask -- we have to salute the songs, the best of which are rooted in glitter-era Bowie. "Angry Inch" has that same "Suffragette City" energy also channelled by punk-fueled glam-bangers the New York Dolls, and "The Origin of Love" (inspired by a passage in Plato's Symposium, no less) takes on Bowie-esque balladry with more than the necessary intelligence, wit and finesse. Best of all, perhaps, is "Midnight Radio" which has the epic feel of "Five Years" and serves as the ultimate affirmation that rock n roll really can save your life. All the misfits and the losers . . . lift up your hands. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=316531407,359510853,264386893,285657473,339278255,368317063,115280,116503,116505,116509,115272,115267,16342360,368317099,278835237,275732232,369025285,369025394,275732250,369025290,369025148,369025144,389465,353860,311221,311213,1967184,311233,910413,79565502,192743216,255919148,169719259,414776,390196,414786,315611467,18454559,298387473,409783,218320104,7302405,7302454,207607741,207607760,289428485,308204381,289428492,327923377,250687349,64744268,64744252,64744262 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-084-iPhone.m4a Tue, 04 May 2010 10:43:03 -0700 Music no 00:45:53 Hole, Courtney Love, Crystal Castles, Suzanne Vega, American Idiot, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Spring Awakening iTunes Public Image Ltd., The Specials, Cypress Hill, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson Of all the untouchably great '60s guitarists, Jeff Beck remains one of the most influential...but the least appreciated by a mass audience. His career -- which has taken in blues-rock, jazz fusion, proto-metal, electronica and more -- has been almost too varied for easy consumption, even though he's viewed by peers and rock aficionados as very much "the guitarist's guitarist". Since we didn't have room enough to go deep with him on this week's podcast, now's perhaps a good time to flag up the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee's irrefutable genius. More than Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, Beck was crucial in honing the experimental edge of the Yardbirds: 1966's Roger the Engineer (his first and only full album with the band) is a fantastic showcase for Beck's alchemical touch with distortion, and marks the moment the group laid the foundations for heavy metal. Beck never played alongside Clapton in the Yardbirds, but he and Page (initially recruited as bassist, then switched up to share the lead) rubbed shoulders for a while: "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," one of the first ever psychedelic rock cuts, features the dream pairing, as does "Stroll On," a garage rock treatment of "Train Kept A-Rollin'." As a priceless aside you can witness them performing that song in Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 movie, Blow-Up. In 1967, Beck formed the Jeff Beck Group, offering much of the world its first exposure to both Rod Stewart and Ron Wood, and continuing his adventures in early metal. Check out the Willie Dixon cover "I Ain't Superstitious" -- which features on the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's Casino -- and the landmark virtuoso instrumental, "Beck's Bolero" (with Keith Moon moonlighting on drums). Following a car crash, Beck helmed supergroup Beck, Bogert and Appice, and recorded a great rock version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," before sidelining into jazz fusion on 1975's Blow by Blow. And all of that was just the beginning. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=1967184,253129236,343437258,361977019,275754965,298086375,298086357,366402840,16184957,16184874,16184728,275814357,16184895,16184742,16184621,16184890,278835237,366956063,203304656,192754958,203303701,366956170,358588044,16576620,361893612,158639545,300141958,300141892,361893625,185825504,128218,27889347,852935,284191614,1014025,308077480,359941578,359941570,190237121,190237062,194369918,194369595,194370240,357788004,129021060,129021030,278698453,505159,505267,6036359,16053199,16053183 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-083-iPhone.m4a Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:09:43 -0700 Music no 00:44:21 Public Image Ltd., The Specials, Cypress Hill, Jeff Beck, Willie Nelson iTunes Treme, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, Madonna, Iggy Pop, The Stooges This week, we're listening in on music from Treme, Madonna, and Iggy & The Stooges. Here at iTunes Weekly Rewind, we like to take you beyond the classics and highlight great tunes you may have overlooked. But we also believe that "new" music should be defined as anything you haven't yet heard, to account for any well-known sounds that may somehow have evaded your radar. With that in mind, and inspired by HBO's Treme, we decided to pick out a fistful of tunes that best represent New Orleans. All of them (and more) can be found on our New Orleans Essentials. Professor Longhair (aka Roy Byrd, aka Fess) never shifted the same kind of units as fellow ivory-tickling Crescent City natives Fats Domino and Huey "Piano" Smith, but his "Tipitina" remains the definitive New Orleans piano track -- an incredible showcase for the eminent Prof.'s unique, influential fusion of rhumba rhythms with blues and boogie-woogie. He died in 1980, and one of several legends to have carried his torch is Dr. John (aka Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr.) whose version of Cajun standard "Iko Iko" on Dr. John's Gumbo (1972) is right up there with the best of them -- it follows in the spirit of the original by James "Sugar Boy' Crawford and possess enough razz, rattle and roll to fuel a lifetime of Fat Tuesdays. We can't possibly honor New Orleans' finest without mentioning the Neville Brothers: for Aaron at his angelically soulful best we have to recommend his 1966 hit "Tell It Like It Is," while "Fire on the Bayou" showcases the funked-up '70s overhaul of New Orleans R&B by siblings Art, Charles and Ivan. Finally, there's that sweet shower of early '60s R&B from Irma Thomas, "It's Raining," which is all the proof you'll ever need that she's the rightful Soul Queen of New Orleans. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=158788559,276175271,365022482,80970215,315384856,301564387,106224674,301565720,219355289,265041110,77782,33906447,283977912,278835237,270236927,304858045,18501321,83248801,83248805,329064703,361324013,186033732,409995,268167359,307442,289774216,157341271,14683915,270899795,270899778,131590679,89317414,89317205,157475373,157475347,157475353,157475358,74136553,365991687,365991832 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-082-iPhone.m4a Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:43:45 -0700 Music no 00:37:58 Treme, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, Madonna, Iggy Pop, The Stooges iTunes Slash, Angélique Kidjo, Dr. Dog, Peter Wolf, The J. Geils Band This week, we're listening in on music from Slash, Angélique Kidjo, Dr. Dog, and Peter Wolf. Most people know the J. Geils Band by their electrifying, pop/rock early '80s hits ("Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame") but their lifeblood was the live circuit during the '70s, where they picked up a dedicated fanbase by supercharging great-but-overlooked R&B tunes. Frontman Peter Wolf had been a DJ -- on Boston's WBCN in the late-'60s -- and the band represented a kind of mission statement for him: a way to express his passion for R&B on rock 'n' roll's front lines . . . which sounds like a commonplace notion these days, but when the J. Geils Band covered an arcane R&B cut, it was like they had lifted it from a parallel universe. Wolf's intention wasn't to faithfully preserve his sources, but to douse them in thick rock gloss, which meant we were treated to a double pay-off. First, we were blown away by a timeless tune invested with that unstoppable J. Geils momentum. Then, when we discovered of the original, the impact was nothing short of revelatory. 1972's Full House -- the band's first live album -- features "First I Look at the Purse" a tongue-in-cheek lyrical dissection of male gold-diggers. Dig out the Contours' 1965 original, and we discover that the song was co-penned by the king of soulful romance, Smokey Robinson, with Joe Stubbs (brother of Levi Stubbs from the Four Tops) on vocals. "Looking for a Love" (on the same album) leads back to the Valentinos 1962 original -- released on Sam Cooke's SAR label -- and anticipates the 1974 version by Bobby Womack, while "(Ain't Nothin' but a) Houseparty" from Blow Your Face Out (1976) takes us back to the magnificent 1968 original by the Showstoppers, now (rightfully) lauded as a Northern soul classic. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=268974784,25524,300959296,388071933,5648288,365154511,366705059,260484698,16416365,364786118,322847195,113712,113728,114547,41681828,115561,283567581,364785628,364785868,278835237,358577040,358577033,258052977,258052933,358577034,358577723,266603083,358577431,348993405,320691531,363515119,283346786,283346777,363515081,363515178,314837699,279648361,320263944,290878377,289452369,271414377,276473656,357534656,279679210,364751696,59392752,163513,299793664,299935040,299935043,14088725,299793719,6184626,364751892,364751800,14088731,337808688,337808744,256136217,266317271,292225406,274243554 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-081-iPhone.m4a Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:01:59 -0700 Music no 00:46:01 Slash, Angélique Kidjo, Dr. Dog, Peter Wolf, The J. Geils Band iTunes Usher, ABBA, Erykah Badu, The Brian Jonestown Massacre This week, we're listening in on music from Usher, ABBA, Erykah Badu, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Given the global ubiquity of revivalist play/movie Mamma Mia!, we might presume there's not much left to be discovered within ABBA's back catalog -- but we'd be wrong. Revisiting the band's albums can prove hugely rewarding, and their 1976 masterwork Arrival (released in '77 in the U.S.) is a great place to start. While the lyrics of "When I Kissed the Teacher" are delivered with a certain cheeky naivety, the song's melodic structure lies at the true heart of the seduction, and the same can be said of the rockin', climax-crunching "Tiger." Early videos for both tracks, by the way, reveal a marked obsession with the U.S.A. -- they're all wearing American sports jerseys in the former, and driving around in a Chevy truck in the latter, so there's a certain irony in the fact that they never hit the same highs in the States as they did other parts of the world. Moving on to 1979's Voulez-Vous, we find three singles that were huge in the U.K. but afterthoughts on the charts here -- the energetic "Does Your Mother Know" (featuring Bjorn on lead vocals), dreamy pop confection "Angeleyes," the dancefloor-filling title track (cut in part at Criteria Studios in Miami, home of the disco-era Bee Gees) and "If It Wasn't for the Nights" -- a sublime intermingling of perky funk, crystalline harmonies and existential darkness. Also worth seeking out is "I Wonder (Departure)" on The Album, featuring a magnificent solo vocal from Frida. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=338393903,363288239,334782855,317112872,280535012,280535015,280535006,279661041,280535016,278835237,27798975,5242584,358419,274232046,354593332,282090891,282090750,282090908,3731058,41704809,290334565,276473717,252520710,271489607,271489608,283346814,283346810,409923,252702280,373011,409905,409921,410052,409979,326907727,193020312,409913,358851661,2474839,350844005 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-080-iPhone.m4a Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:48:55 -0700 Music no 00:40:05 Usher, ABBA, Erykah Badu, The Brian Jonestown Massacre iTunes Hot Tub Time Machine, Alex Chilton, The Bird And The Bee, Robbert Bobbert This week, we're listening in on music from Hot Tub Time Machine, Alex Chilton, The Bird And The Bee, and Robbert Bobbert. The eccentricities and waywardness of Alex Chilton -- who died suddenly, 17 March, on the eve of a scheduled performance at South by Southwest -- will always be a part of the man's legend, but purely in terms of rock 'n' roll, he'll be remembered for a talent that truly merits the over-used term, "genius" . . . which is in some ways astonishing because, after a high-profile start with the Box Tops, and the 1967 hit "The Letter" (perhaps a case of too much, too young), Chilton's hugely influential albums with Big Star placed him closer to the underground than the mainstream. Listening to tracks like "Feel," with its transformation from lethargic chug to full-blown brass-blasted volcano, and "When My Baby's Beside Me," a sure-fire radio hit that never was -- both from #1 Record (1972) -- it's hard to believe he never reaped greater commercial rewards. "I'm in Love With a Girl," the closing track on Big Star's stunning Radio City (1974), would sit comfortably among the best acoustic ballads by Paul McCartney, while that same album's opener "Oh My Soul" is such a unique collision of guitar styles (funk, country twang, driving rock, all held together by the muscular drumming of Jody Stephens), it could only have originated in some antic, fevered portion of Chilton's ever-compelling imagination. By the time 1978's Third/Sister Lovers arrived, four years after it was cut, that fever had only intensified, and the results were astonishing. Tracks like "Thank You Friends" and "Jesus Christ" would not have sounded out of place on Big Star's first two albums, but alongside them were starkly contrasting tunes: check out "Nightime,""O, Dana" and especially "Holocaust" -- one of the saddest songs ever recorded, a sliver of personal darkness that slowly unwinds over a semi-conscious, weeping guitar. Looking either side of Big Star -- to second-tier Box Tops singles like "Neon Rainbow" and "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March" and to a late-'70s solo track like "Bangkok", which anticipates Chilton's production work with the Cramps -- we can only reaffirm the legend: Alex Chilton -- genius. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=355829667,199843860,270090877,340054534,411462,359746731,40288041,358007822,167316438,35843520,35843443,388078349,309579114,274049698,278835237,304455896,304455874,304455878,213699466,304455796,304455883,304455887,358968195,264036067,252325276,358968900,298269087,358969083,332663881,111288332,111288282,216088477,299608205,193962660,65663,65674,290652257,258594706,258595168,319170119,319170044,319170016,319170159,160333438,160333443,260331512,160615655,160615526,160340520,258594541,193052090,258594398,31740178,3537653 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-079-iPhone.m4a Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:38:13 -0700 Music no 00:41:46 Scritti Politti, The English Beat, Alex Chilton, Big Star, The Box Tops, The Bird And The Bee, Robbert Bobbert iTunes Jimi Hendrix, Julieta Venegas, Kool & The Gang, The Runaways This week, we're listening in on music from Jimi Hendrix, Julieta Venegas, Kool & The Gang, and The Runaways. New movie The Runaways -- starring Kristen Stewart from the Twilight series as Joan Jett, and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie -- has generated a fog of sensationalist buzz, but if we strip the story to its basics, something truly impressive, and widely overlooked, starts to emerge. Neatly retro-packaged as the "original rock chicks," the Runaways were far more than that, and they never really received the dues they deserved. Incubated in the adolescent furnace of Southern Californian suburban rebellion, and hatched like a treacherous plot at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco on the Sunset Strip, the all-teenage, all-girl five-piece forged a crucial connection between the glam-slammin' New York Dolls and the filthy, furious Sex Pistols. They arrived around the same time as East Coast (boy) counterparts, the Ramones, and played a lynchpin gig in October '76 at London's Roundhouse, which was attended by Billy Idol, the Pistols and a host of other like-minded punks who would go on to revolutionize rock 'n' roll. When the fuse of punk was lit, the Runaways left their prints on the matchbox. Fronted by Currie, but held together by Jett, and managed by Kim Fowley -- who sold the band as rock 'n' roll jailbait -- they played hard and threw down a lace-fringed gauntlet which, make no mistake, had spikes sewn into the knuckles. Even though they were auditioned and assembled by catalyst/svengali Fowley, who had been approached separately by Jett and Currie, they never appeared wholly "manufactured" in the Monkees sense of the word. Jett was a true rock 'n' roll aficionado, who worshipped Keith Richards and Suzi Quatro (check out the 1974 U.K. chart-topper "Devil Gate Drive"), and at their finest, the Runaways delivered songs that sound as electrifying now as they did back then. "American Nights" from 1976's self-titled debut sets out the band's agenda -- "Queens of noise, the answer to your dreams" -- while the riff-roarin'"Neon Angels (On the Road to Ruin)" signposts the powder-keg outfit's demise, and "California Paradise" showcases the outstanding skills of fearsome axe-woman Lita Ford. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=298275581,288541493,170522819,347827009,353361377,219986996,357651011,355027,128233,357222504,357225419,192677308,278835237,348594188,251197291,304779334,282271314,282271313,252667348,252667883,44282,44288,128516,342195,31475,267205940,79954,59401366,59401193,538757,295280013,250038759,103774,103785,343258,360319797,343284,359281439,343272,298272119,209683416,198017838,358583695 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-078-iPhone.m4a Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:52:49 -0700 Music no 00:39:24 Jimi Hendrix, Julieta Venegas, Kool & The Gang, The Runaways iTunes The Rolling Stones, Lil Wayne, Perry Como, Gorillaz This week, we're listening in on music from The Rolling Stones, Lil Wayne, Perry Como, and Gorillaz. Given how universal the Rolling Stones catalog is (or should be) it's truly bizarre how a lot of exceptional output by the Stones between December's Children (1965) and Beggar's Banquet (1968) has remained hazy, somehow stuck in the shadows. While most of us, if asked, could instantly hum cuts like "Under My Thumb,""Paint It Black,""Ruby Tuesday," and "She's a Rainbow," who but the most devoted of Stones aficionados could muster a bar or two of "She Smiled Sweetly" or "Sittin' On a Fence"? Part of the problem lies in the fact that, during this period, the Stones stepped away from their R&B bad boy identity (to which they would return, all guns blazing, on Beggars Banquet), and started taking a few creative chances. The results can be heard on Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967), the fascinating compilation release Flowers (1967), and Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967). "Out of Time" (on the U.K. version of Aftermath), features Brian Jones on the xylophone-like marimba, and made clear the band's thirst for fresh sonic textures, balancing a sweet pop melody against a cleverly cutting lyric. Leftfield ballad "I Am Waiting" -- with its tinkling harpsichord -- saw the band ringing the changes in pace and tone, and "She Smiled Sweetly" (Between the Buttons) found Mick and Keith really starting to mature as songwriters: the track is underscored by a rolling Hammond organ and is genuinely romantic . The same album's "Cool, Calm & Collected" is whimsical, witty (is that Mick singing, or Noel Coward?) and driven merrily along by a ragtime piano. "Ride On, Baby" (Flowers) offers more harpsichord and marimba, while the totally acoustic "Sittin' On a Fence" (Flowers) is rustic and genuinely pretty. Also worth adding to our great, overlooked Stones selection is "I'd Much Rather Be With the Boys" (from Metamorphosis, a 1975 collection of outtakes and alternative cuts) on which manager Andrew Loog Oldham shares a writing credit with Keith Richards. With its big, Phil Spector-like production, and back-up harmonies lifted from the Four Seasons, the song is most definitely a Stones anomaly, but there's no way you'll ever forget it. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=129649456,351859071,150118455,354802640,337327064,267954842,76533482,361971,76533507,76533098,326875058,76532991,278835237,351956378,176477729,287818317,304784052,302991068,302991005,59401001,192700744,179168712,24317210,277774192,204123027,358100651,54962795,206114037,567070,206113781,58339679,58339620,58339710,358100569,358100623,358100630,537228,88477,14823722 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-077-iPhone.m4a Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:22:42 -0700 Music no 00:40:23 The Rolling Stones, Lil Wayne, Perry Como, Gorillaz iTunes Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hart, Gang Starr, Corinne Bailey Rae, Peter Gabriel This week, we're listening in on music from the Richard Rodgers songbook, Gang Starr, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Peter Gabriel. The bands of the British Invasion fell into two broad camps: those rooted in a moody, hard-edged blues/R&B vibe (the Rolling Stones, the Pretty Things, the Yardbirds) and those more obviously in service to the overlords of family-friendly pop (Freddie & the Dreamers, Billy J Kramer, Peter & Gordon). While the blues-based contingent is generally reviewed in a golden critical light, their more pop-orinted cousins haven't fared so well -- they're seen as the foppish cavaliers and court jesters of the mid-'60s charts . . . and if you doubt that analogy, check out old footage Freddie Garrity's dance moves in front of the Dreamers: such a travesty of beat-driven footwork it's surprising he wasn't carted off by men in white coats. So there's a palpable sense of injustice in the tendency to pigeon-hole Gerry & the Pacemakers -- the second band signed by Brian Epstein (after the Beatles) -- with the purveyors of British Invasion Lite. It's time to set the record straight, with a selection of tracks from You'll Never Walk Alone (The EMI Years 1963-1966). Sure, they knew how to wield a great pop hook -- take your pick from "I Like It,""How Do You Do It?,""I'm the One" -- but when frontman Gerry Marsden tapped into deeper emotions, and shaded his voice with melancholy, something truly poignant and soul-stirring kicked in. Listen to "Ferry Cross the Mersey" (written by the underrated Mardsen) and it's practically alchemical the way an industrial waterway in rain-soaked northern England is transformed into a mystical river, illuminated by pride and love. "Walk Hand in Hand" takes those sentiments to an almost spiritual level, and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" is a brilliant, gorgeously arranged, heartbreaking ballad. Best of all, though, is their cover of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone," best known in the U.K. as the anthem of Liverpool Football Club, yet emotive enough to melt partisan ties. Simply calling the song "pop" doesn't come close. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=260797545,284696700,304205550,319345865,347023649,3494459,273851722,298275212,50232652,1131584,213527088,74128090,290437159,283567014,81420,278835237,278233766,15904276,15904322,65073942,272268982,16576646,385712770,160447992,160447999,385712713,418219,279016704,3251329,268168192,270246724,23616718,351859758,268524793,290885891,19842934,19842920,290885892,327441639,327441641,290886044,271649387,3451539,291354140 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-076-iPhone.m4a Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:58:25 -0800 Music no 00:41:14 Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hart, Gang Starr, Corinne Bailey Rae, Peter Gabriel iTunes Martin Scorsese, Johnny Cash, Daniel Merriweather, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas This week, we're listening in on music from Martin Scorsese films, Johnny Cash, Daniel Merriweather, and the Silver Age of Disney animated films. Johnny Cash would've been 78 had he ever made it to February 26, 2010, and the eve of that date brought the release of American VI: Ain't No Grave final installment in the Rick Rubin-helmed set of late-period Cash recordings. It's a powerful collection and, in common with the previous entries in that series, the material is lent staggering depth by the artist's full, tempestuous, conflicted, often magnificent life. If anyone ever possessed a lived-in voice, it was Johnny Cash at twilight. Even casual knowledge of the Cash story is enough to confirm that much water had flowed under his bridge, so it's rewarding return to the source -- Sun Studio in Memphis -- where in 1955 he joined Sam Phillips' recording stable accompanied by his jammin' buddies, the Tennessee Two: guitarist Luther Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant. It was here that the legend started to take shape, and we've included many of the great man's finest early cuts among our Johnny Cash Essentials. "Get Rhythm" (1956), which appeared on the flip side to his first Number One ("I Walk the Line"), was remarkable, overtly rebellious even, for its pioneering blend of hillbilly stylings and R&B impulses -- just check out the opening line, "Get rhythm when you get the blues," and the empathetic way he celebrates the song's hero, a shoe-shine boy. Hicksville wins out over Hollywood on "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" (1957), the tale of a starlet who finds only unhappiness in Tinseltown and returns home to the boy next door -- the track stayed atop the country charts for ten weeks but, for our money, its B-side, "Big River," is way more interesting. From the first phrase ("I taught the weeping willow how to cry") through the drum-less tick-tack rhythm that drives and underscores the great man's peerless phrasing, Perkins' simple and sinewy riffs, the despairing pursuit of an unattainable woman . . . it all amounts to a Cash classic. '57 was also the year he made his Grand Ole Opry debut, dressed in sombre black to set him apart from the rhinestone-studded norm. The A-side of his next single, "Guess Things Happen That Way" (itunes 10 billionth down coincidentally) from Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous(1958) complements "Big River" with its electrifying pulse and poetic sense of deflation in the face of lost love . . . and on February 25, 2010, it became the 10 billionth track downloaded from iTunes. Coincidence, of course, but a great way to salute the memory of the Man in Black. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=192576974,388806448,18762891,352418567,281811771,16025039,78403812,76533465,76532234,128239,298089105,204113343,159577855,276788098,200692683,278835237,156087234,193376530,193376503,156088147,156089582,156089569,191902471,156089500,259107481,350895863,350895884,350895857,190642287,180145081,303097836,199336101,273750246,292405,355807240,355807261,355807321,352180,3678282,267536813,203952290,261729193,153014119,121694202 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-075-iPhone.m4a Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:45:21 -0800 Music no 00:39:02 Martin Scorsese, Johnny Cash, Daniel Merriweather, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas iTunes John Williams, Vangelis, Whitney Houston, k.d. lang, Joni Mitchell, “We Are The World” Over the past several weeks, k.d. lang has given us a couple of reasons to be extremely cheerful. Her performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" on home turf at the Winter Olympics' opening ceremony -- in all its transfixing, white-suited, Elvis-like glory -- is one of them; the release of an excellent new career retrospective, Recollection, is the other. For all its many strengths, including rarities and previously unreleased live tracks, Recollection could never pretend to cover the the full extent of k.d.'s brilliance, so we'd like to help redress the balance by focusing on a couple of great albums which, while never exactly overlooked, provide the perfect excuse to dig a little deeper into her catalog: Absolute Torch and Twang (1989) and Invincible Summer (2000). The earliest of that pair was her last true country album. Her songwriting is powerful, notably on "Nowhere to Stand," which tackles child abuse with a sense of steady, clear-eyed courage, while landmark cut "Pullin' Back the Reins" takes a bluesy approach to torch song tradition, fusing those dual elements suggested in the album's title, and anticipating the change in direction she was about to make with her next release, Ingénue. The song remains one of her greatest ever vocal outings, as she strikes the perfect balance between passion and control, power and delicacy . . . torch and twang. In marked contrast stands Invincible Summer, an unexpected, golden-hued greeting to the 21st Century and a magnificent leap into the realms of extravagantly produced pop. Maybe the album was a step too far for listeners who had grown accustomed to k.d. the pared-down torch-song queen, so make no mistake -- this is a big, shimmering record, cast in a warm West Coast light, featuring an orchestral array of backing musicians. The excellent "Simple" stands out because of its conspicuous lack of embellishment, and the work as a whole is better judged by "The Consequences of Falling" -- which gives off a Bacharach & David-esque glow -- and "Extraordinary Thing," with its euphoric revelation of new love . . . wrapped, as always, in k.d.'s remarkable vocal velvet. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=354076073,288555763,267782208,289076747,334782966,157360242,158330776,196876129,56307,173560130,159505619,161064009,251102747,278835237,27074169,72800678,15810888,40287160,48346627,301110147,328211400,292808106,2952248,41737859,261986052,193521054,289774216,81161558,118125081,207011098,354089127,302136817,304582733,302139913,251007106,326873415,281704929,79565644,271934252,352499192,352499228,79565689,280031264,194051652,342282159 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-074-iPhone.m4a Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:13:08 -0800 Music no 00:47:48 John Williams, Vangelis, Whitney Houston, k.d. lang, Joni Mitchell, “We Are The World” iTunes Massive Attack, Jill Scott, Gil Scott-Heron, Sade In common with Sade and Massive Attack, Gil Scott-Heron marked 2010 with a new release after a long lay-off, but the infrequency of fresh output is felt most acutely in Scott-Heron's case because, in recent years, his staggering legacy has gathered a thick layer of dust . . . which is criminal, given his undisputed status as one of rap's inventors: the "black Bob Dylan" who also drew (and fully merited) comparison to Bob Marley and John Lennon. In fact, Scott-Heron's lengthy absence from the public arena led some to presume that the mercurial author of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" had died. Thankfully, that's not the case, and while we recommend you heartily celebrate his return to the fray -- I'm New Here is his first album of original material in 15 years -- we'd also like to bring front and center some of the signature Scott-Heron tracks that somehow drifted into the margins. Everyone from De La Soul to S'Express has sampled "The Bottle" from Winter in America (1974), but the track stands proud on its many merits, from exotic bass-line and soaring flute (provided by collaborator Brian Jackson) to deft lyrical flow: it remains a classic example of Scott-Heron's piercing, far-sighted poetic vision, packed full of empathy and street-level truth. It's also worth seeking out the politically charged "Winter in America" (a live cut, recorded in 1982 and added to the 1998 reissue -- there was no title track on the original LP) on which he alludes to "frozen hopes," a phrase that echoes strongly in the era of Obama buzz-words. The smooth-groovin' anti-apartheid cut "Johannesburg," offers further evidence of Scott-Heron's prescience, as it appeared nearly a decade before the Jerry Dammer's-penned Special A.K.A release, "Free Nelson Mandela," while Spirits, his outstanding '90s album, contains some of the finest work of his career: "Message to the Messengers" makes an argument for hip-hop responsibility with Shakespearean rhetorical finesse; "Work for Peace" is a razor-sharp meditation on "the military and the monetary"; and "Don't Give Up" intersperses his spoken-rap with a soulful singing style reminiscent of (a raspier) Bill Withers. Suitably enough, he opens the track with the exhaled phrase "Aah, lovely day." Dylan had it right, you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows . . . but you absolutely need Gil Scott-Heron. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=300854659,76534983,192826929,348805041,314837675,17641110,274180156,14231685,17507495,14231671,80815012,349640170,84088,349640158,349640117,278835237,32332442,32332424,264572795,264573045,32332452,351170507,258600868,298284284,410609,1288359,79801,2598414,68075551,155657007,348072963,155657062,157526161,158796562,193532153,348073394,348073141,348073151,348073416,293521573,353081684,155715268 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-073-iPhone.m4a Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:03:29 -0800 Music no 00:40:53 Massive Attack, Jill Scott, Gil Scott-Heron, Sade iTunes Leon Russell, Roberta Flack, Les Paul, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Boukman Eksperyans, Kate McGarrigle This week, we're listening in on music from Leon Russell, Roberta Flack, Les Paul, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Boukman Eksperyans, and Kate McGarrigle. To look at Leon Russell in his big-bearded, dark-eyed prime, staring like a hypnotist from the cover of 1970's self-titled solo debut album, you might presume he was conceived in a deep southern swamp, the result of moonshine-fueled congress between a sorceress and a werewolf. In fact, he was born in Oklahoma and, as a teenager, parlayed his multi-instrumental talents into support work for Ronnie Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis before heading off to Los Angeles, where he became one of the greatest session players rock 'n' roll has ever known. A member of the legendary Wrecking Crew, he played on hundreds of '60s hits, collaborating with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to the Monkees and the Byrds, and was hand-picked to work with Joe Cocker -- on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour -- and George Harrison (check out Russell's dazzling contributions to 1971's Concert for Bangladesh). It was inevitable that the supremely versatile and talented player would emerge from the shadow of his illustrious cohorts, but what tends to get forgotten is that, in 1973, he was named as Billboard's top live draw in the U.S. Russell needed no help in packing out venues, and when we revisit the too-often-overlooked heart and soul of his first three solo albums -- Leon Russell (1970), Leon Russell and the Shelter People (1971), and Carney (1972) -- we're left in no doubt that he sat at the pinnacle of rock's royal family tree. He could do just about anything, from classic rock and R&B to soul and multi-layered singer-songwriting. His barrelhouse piano style, a measured boogie-woogie that never went over the top, was a huge influence on Elton John, who more than once name-checked Russell as his hero and chalked up a clear stylistic debt on The Tumbleweed Connection. Standout Russell tracks that demand your acquaintance include "Roll Away the Stone" and "Shoot Out on the Plantation"; incredible Dylan covers "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"; "Queen of the Roller Derby" and "Out in the Woods," both of which distill the same potent essence of musical voodoo so often imbibed Dr. John; and "If the Shoe Fits," one of the most damning put-downs of music industry freeloaders ever penned. Check out 1997's Retrospective to find out why everyone from Zac Brown to Elvis Costello is currently tipping their cap to the great Leon Russell. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=350514208,313861995,300799335,337208842,353672045,353068751,353948598,78047894,357897,281714129,78058414,353871048,120198397,120156538,66327534,278835237,305097344,151593894,151593903,305097354,316365967,121050771,121050866,121050824,190187670,301072215,414227,298089836,79765100,123905900,302746242,309656738,270909515,23261859,270808010,270808015,270808005,131366561,68926,6845663,332365933,332365938,348073416 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-072-iPhone.m4a Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:32:58 -0800 Music no 00:43:06 Leon Russell, Roberta Flack, Les Paul, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Boukman Eksperyans, Kate McGarrigle iTunes Vampire Weekend, Teddy Pendergrass, Wyclef Jean, Engineers This week, we're listening in on music from Vampire Weekend, Teddy Pendergrass, Wyclef Jean, and Engineers. All this excited chatter of Vampire Weekend -- and their startlingly fresh combinations of worldly guitar (delivered with a conspicuous lack of reverb), Ivy League smarts (they've crafted a song around an optional punctuation mark etc.) and sideways indie rock -- takes us back, with the minimum of recollective effort, to ground-breaking new wavers, Talking Heads. From the late '70s to the late '80s, the David Byrne-led four-piece, three of whom attended the Rhode Island School of Design, delighted, perplexed and grooved the world in fairly equal measure and, befitting Byrne's intriguingly schizo stage persona(s), appeared to divide their songs into three quickly identified types: there was the intense, arty Talking Heads ("Psycho Killer"), the infectiously funked-up Talking Heads ("Slippery People"), and the supremely playful Talking Heads (the last comma, by the way, was an example of the optional punctuation mark after which Vampire Weekend named "Oxford Comma"). If you were to play every Talking Heads album, one after the other, that playful side would most likely stand out as the most common thread. Talking Heads 77 (the band's jittery debut), delivers "Don't Worry About the Government," on which an impish tinkle of guitar serves to highlight Byrne's nervy, poetic musings on the state of the nation. But, as with the soul-warming sunburst of steel drums on "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town," we realize the band places smarts at the service of sounds -- you don't need to penetrate every subtle twist of Byrne's poetry to appreciate the tune as a gorgeous, uplifting pleasure in its own right. More Songs About Buildings and Food has "The Good Thing," with its coquettish winks of guitar, and "Found a Job," which minces brazenly along the avenues of T.V.-dependent America. "Animals" on Fear of Music walks the line between the whimsical and the psychotic (and that's a line that only Byrne is capable of walking), Speaking in Tongues has "This Must Be the Place," Naked delivers "(Nothing But) Flowers" . . . for sure, there's a lot to be said for playful. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=193085790,17801027,338279756,341980081,270425151,340466395,340466448,340466185,319345858,340466439,124907221,270812040,340552,208460100,278835237,281701724,281701739,267126376,267126208,153425795,268625075,18759085,72850686,282428784,299605048,64807903,78301870,260234268,217680213,3029790,311281886,260654822,316076164,193086870,267033202,316069452,298084883,298084936,298103602,316075711,273424584,273424593,328490504 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-071-iPhone.m4a Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:47:01 -0800 Music no 00:42:19 Vampire Weekend, Teddy Pendergrass, Wyclef Jean, Engineers iTunes Hope For Haiti Now If you'd like to donate to the Haiti relief effort, click here for the Hope for Haiti Now donation page https://www.hopeforhaitinow.org/ All donations will help to provide essential supplies for the earthquake survivors, with no backend costs and no administration fees. Whatever the record-setting Hope for Haiti Now telethon reveals about compassion, or generosity, or collective responsibility, one thing's for sure: there are few phenomena more affecting than a spiritually loaded song taken to new heights by a genuinely impassioned performance. Here's where pop starts to come out of itself and truly justifies its power to unite emotions and galvanize the best that human nature has to offer. There's no shame in admitting to the stone-cold fact that the volume of tears shed correlates directly to the amount of money donated, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris took on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." The song has been elevated to spiritual classic status by subsequent interpretations (Jeff Buckley's stands out among the strongest) and the Timberlake/Morris cover lacks nothing in reverence and respect. The undeniable, soulful sway of gospel unites Stevie Wonder's take on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (performed as a medley with "Time to Love") and Jennifer Hudson's "Let It Be." Both interpretations owe a huge debt to Aretha Franklin, who won a GRAMMY® in 1972 for the rendition of the Simon & Garfunkel song that appeared on Aretha Live at Fillmore West, and whose January 1970 cover of the uplifting Beatles' track actually appeared on vinyl several months before the Fab Four's own recording. Time and treatment have lent each of these songs extra weight and significance over the passing years, and their power to move us only becomes greater, as the combined stature of all the artists associated with the best versions is ingrained in every note. When it comes to the Pretenders'"I'll Stand by You," sung by Shakira for Haiti, previously covered by Carrie Underwood and Girls Aloud, you get the sense that it's transformation from outstanding rock ballad to modern spiritual classic is now truly underway. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=340086791,321407393,79087150,171050214,50703676,994426,70453,92694185,281836883,129918295,281484080,305097354,406742,219986996 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-070-iPhone.m4a Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:55:50 -0800 Music no 00:30:40 Hope For Haiti Now iTunes David Bowie, Dan Zanes, Brian Eno, Ryan Bingham, Stephen Bruton, The Louvin Brothers This week, we're listening in on music from David Bowie, Dan Zanes, Brian Eno, and Crazy Heart. For much of the world, David Bowie first fully registered on the pop cultural radar as his gender warping alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust, while his career pre-transformation into kimono-clad alien rock god was barely considered, if known at all. But 1972's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was in fact his fifth album, and what came before, especially prior to 1969's Space Oddity (with its U.K. Top Ten title track hit), was more than just an entertaining early diversion. During the mid-'60s, across a huge variety of styles -- from mod to cod-vaudeville, acid folk to dramatic Scott Walker-like pop -- Bowie cut some of his finest sides. Check out I Dig Everything:The 1966 Pye Sessions -and consider three of the singles he released on Pye in 1966: the angst-ridden black-sheep anthem "Can't Help Thinking About Me," the soaring, swinging hymn to an easily-pleased loser "I Dig Everything," and the snappy lovelorn melodrama "And I Say to Myself." All of these tracks mark out Bowie as an important (if undersold) detail in the big British invasion picture. Here he is, totally immersed in the times, crafting superb tunes, yet standing left of centre: a sharp-witted insider/outsider. Then it started to get really interesting, as our rock 'n' roll genius-in-the-making embarked on an exploratory creative odyssey with seemingly boundless energy. On songs recorded between 1966 and 1968 all collected on the Deram Anthology 1966-1968, you'll find elements of the mock-Edwardiana familiar to fans of the Kinks and the Beatles, and the odd instance of trippy, rustic whimsy ("Ching-a-Ling"), as well as several outstanding, gorgeously orchestrated ballads: check out the beautifully undulating melody of "When I Live My Dream" and the smartly-drawn portraiture of the string-backed "Karma Man." Best of all, perhaps, is "The London Boys" -- an incredibly poignant, heart-breaking tale of isolation and teenage anxiety that offers the mod-culture flip-side to, for example, "The Kids Are Alright" by the Who: "Now you wish you'd never left your home/You've got what you wanted but you're on your own." Bowie's emotively cracking voice has rarely as sounded as soulful as it does here, as he delicately draws us into the drama before building up to a crescendo of existential despair. This track is not just an early-phase Bowie highlight -- it's a career landmark. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=326927311,349222080,71310750,294844819,162564072,552001,552036,552014,552024,32182817,268869825,14684516,309819858,278835237,77065951,168328430,13062642,153602247,339210675,339210703,279184078,19502512,292492919,19502386,49761228,19502390,78920331,175664368,81361244,286535152,279977488,69085481,119445760,357251,317475103,32426599,317475085,2356302,159363048,257045967,257046565,265570852,17247550,323107191,323107103,267033202,266083109,129643643 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-069-iPhone.m4a Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:14:27 -0800 Music no 00:40:07 David Bowie, Dan Zanes, Brian Eno, Ryan Bingham, Stephen Bruton, The Louvin Brothers iTunes Jay-Z, Frank Sinatra, Lhasa De Sela, Rage Against The Machine, Elvis Presley This week, we're listening in on songs about New York, music from Lhasa De Sela, Rage Against The Machine, and Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley would have been 75 on January 8 . . . and it's a shame that the King is too often remembered through the gauze of white neckerchiefs brandished by legions of impersonators who invariably take jump-suited Vegas Elvis as the blueprint for their homage. While the glitzy later chapter of the Elvis story has much to recommend it, we'd urge a return to his beginnings, as captured on The Sun Sessions. Here's where country, blues, gospel and rowdy, howlin' hillbilly music first bonded to form pop's equivalent of nuclear fusion: rock 'n' roll. On these electrifying early recordings, made at Sun Studios in Memphis, 1954 and 1955, we get Elvis young, raw and crackling with energy, every note and yelp matched by the sheen on his quiff, the snap of his hips and the glint in his immortal, lip-curling smile. Here, for the first time, was music that didn't attempt to charm the pop-consuming public into submission with a soporific croon or a goody-goody grin, but gave every teenager a rebellious sense of identity, and the right to stick it to their parents' generation. Time has largely obscured the other musicians involved in these seminal songs -- everybody else seemed to slip out of focus whenever Elvis took the stage -- but a few words of recognition should be reserved for guitarist Winfield "Scotty" Moore and slap bass player Bill Black, who were invited to the studio by boss (and Sun Records founder) Sam Phillips. Legend has it that when Presley started riffing on the Arthur Crudup blues tune "That's All Right (Mama)," Moore and Black joined in . . . and Phillips knew instantly he was in exactly the right place, at the right time. "Good Rockin' Tonight" began life in the '40s as a jump-blues track (by Roy Brown), but Elvis invests it with the kind of wildcat sex appeal that would send teachers and preachers into a frenzy of finger-wagging. And when he wanted to drop it a notch, Elvis took a primal approach to the Rodgers and Hart ballad "Blue Moon," infusing it with a feral melancholy, as if he was using a ghostly backwoods moonshine still as his echo chamber. Want to know why successive generations of hell-raisers took their cues from Elvis; why the Clash adapted his debut album artwork for London Calling? Look no further than the Sun recordings. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=79033499,326492752,219949366,321595573,330822932,329523355,341455243,158816060,256874349,59403259,52310995,301400343,1010599,278835237,18236247,285102958,285102781,18236266,18236254,310793716,310793731,191450927,159732736,255389572,121522192,290665893,49482346,192816698,250486544,257551005,258383075,258383470,258383529,217636919,217637172,286722805,260837681,260837577,305118368,305124179,307228544 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-068-iPhone.m4a Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:51:47 -0800 Music no 00:38:32 Jay-Z, Frank Sinatra, Lhasa De Sela, Rage Against The Machine, Elvis Presley iTunes Jason Isbell, The Decemberists, The Foreign Exchange, Morrissey, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis This week, we're listening in on music from Jason Isbell, The Decemberists, The Foreign Exchange, Morrissey, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. Last week, we reconsidered the early work of Graham Nash, an artist from the north-west of England who left a brilliant band at the height of its powers and forged strong musical connections where he picked up a stellar second wind and gilded his legend. Much of the same can be said for another export, Morrissey. Whereas defection of Nash from the Hollies to Crosby and Stills brought relatively instant superstardom, the former Smiths icon has emerged as a true renaissance man, maturing elegantly into middle age (his vocal delivery seems to get better with every new release), and confounding recurring suspicions that we have seen the last of him. While the first phase of his solo career (1988-1997) held no shortage of highlights, the fruits of his 21st century comeback have proved especially satisfying. You Are the Quarry (2004) got us wondering why he'd ever been allowed to languish the borderlands of rock's millennial wilderness, as we were jolted back into the land of Moz by the welcome cosh of "Irish Blood, English Heart," and left to savor his trademark cocktail of spleen and sardonic wit on "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores" -- a mellifluous rant aimed at various types of folks who've rattled Mozzer's cage. 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors gave us "I Will See You in Far-Off Places", a track that exerts within his solo catalogue the same kind of irresistible pull generated by "How Soon Is Now" for the Smiths, as well as "In the Future When All's Well", a dark blend of arcane language, allusions to the hereafter, and nerve-shredding guitar work. The quality work continued 2009's Years of Refusal, featuring "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" -- packed with all the yelps, wails and honeyed groans you could ever expect from the great, tortured man -- and the utterly gorgeous, endlessly charming "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris." http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=304553477,157934052,304553467,304553478,304553474,306065855,306065857,306065849,306065850,278835237,290892272,290892142,290892176,290892129,290892123,333337868,326904838,315611495,322055634,325439938,301645758,207604459,319170012,218214024,278762975,160317783,273871447,340052583,340052529,340052524,340052789,340052533,284465336,284465299,284465280,308681023,319600872 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-067-iPhone.m4a Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:44:21 -0800 Music no 00:38:03 Jason Isbell, The Decemberists, The Foreign Exchange, Morrissey, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis iTunes Graham Nash, Elliott Smith, Mary J. Blige, Silversun Pickups, and Fela Kuti This week, we're listening in on music from Dr. John, They Might Be Giants, Alicia Keys, and the album A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector The surprising inclusion of Graham Nash's "Be Yourself" (1971 demo) on the soundtrack to George Clooney's latest, Up in the Air got us thinking about the Hollies, and how they've been criminally underrated. It's great to finally see them on the list 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees-an overdue reminder that the band deserves to be considered in the same league with the other great pre-CSNers the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. Formed in early-'60s Manchester, England, by Nash and lead singer Allan Clarke, the Hollies were arguably the second best pure-pop, harmony-driven British Invasion band of the Sixties They possessed that elusive ability to deliver bright, jangling, spine-tingling pop while avoiding the sickliness of bubblegum, thanks in no small measure to an incredible gift for vocal harmony. Exhibit A is their first U.S. Top Ten hit, "Bus Stop". Exhibit B "Look Through Any Window" a minor hit from around the same time might have been even better with a fairly unconventional and quite brilliant song structure. 1967's "Dear Eloise" edges up there alongside the experimental landmarks of Sgt. Pepper and the most inventive tracks of the psychedelic era; and the ambitious "King Midas in Reverse" from the same year) looked to the future -- the track could almost have been an early Crosby, Stills and Nash record . Following the departure in December 1968 of Nash, who had decided to re-route his career with help from Messrs. Crosby and Stills, the band (still led by Clarke) would go on to have well deserved hits with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "The Air That I Breathe." For a crash course check out their Greatest Hits. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=192484420,202250027,82097920,285448849,340221235,159781287,340221302,192969898,53381601,40285035,40285047,252108834,342016531,3445025,278835237,307957,337297467,282739,108791159,306550655,167388092,258756419,1265205,276473667,276473658,2522329,270079880,264720173,3271795,211203216,336349066,3965849,1811584,19606202 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-066-iPhone.m4a Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:33:51 -0800 Music no 00:38:10 Graham Nash, Elliott Smith, Mary J. Blige, Silversun Pickups, and Fela Kuti iTunes Dr. John, They Might Be Giants, Alicia Keys, A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector This week, we're listening in on music from Dr. John, They Might Be Giants, Alicia Keys, and the album A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector. While Phil Spector is, for our money, the all-time greatest manufacturer of Christmas songs, there's a fistful of outstanding seasonal tracks by other artists that can never be regarded as mere (stocking) fillers. In fact, we'd go further than that, and say that the following songs belong on any of these artists' best ofs. Take the tinsel off "Step Into Christmas" by Elton John, and you'll find that the song stands proudly on its own merits -- released in 1973 between "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Bennie And The Jets", it delivers Elton at the peak of his powers, pushing the upper limits of his range, nailing notes a choirboy would struggle to match. Naturally enough, there's a killer bridge, teeing up a glorious knees-up chorus, and if you stick with the song right the way through, you're rewarded with an outro dripping in vocal harmonies worthy of the Beach Boys. In fact, just pretend he's singing "Step into Summer", and you'll instantly extend the tune's lifespan way beyond December. "Father Christmas" (1977) by the Kinks should also be rescued from the dusty box of Xmas decorations that sees the light of day but once a year. As we'd expect from the band, the lyrical conceit sets it apart from run-of-the-mill releases, as Ray Davies recounts the tale of a department store Santa getting mugged by poor kids who want cash instead of toys. In the track's energy and spirit (a Kinks-ian mock-aggression) there's a hint of kinship with the punks who hijacked the late '70s, and Dave Davies' guitar work flames like the liquor on a Christmas pudding from start to finish. It's all grounded by the section where Ray slows the song down to say: "Have yourself a good time, but remember the kids who got nothing, when you're drinking down your wine." And we shouldn't neglect "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders: a classic post-punk ballad, the song brings out the finest in Chrissie Hynde, with its gently twisting guitar line and warm acoustic underlay. Coldplay's simple, piano-based cover of the song is solid proof of the its timelessness . . . and its ability to transcend the season. Merry Xmas. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=288862247,262883165,14684062,260484698,340025995,340167835,106225210,104690678,145075811,279491367,278835237,156094281,298111038,19130175,156094329,328074281,328953549,328074272,339023924,255343130,267757828,267757713,160447992,217937866,303344611,418219,214146211,219986979,280535012,279661041,279661044,336037273,1013881,336037290,336037268,336037282,29295940,336037344,129643643,129643753 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-065-iPhone.m4a Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:22:05 -0800 Music no 00:39:30 Dr. John, They Might Be Giants, Alicia Keys, A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector iTunes Katrina & The Waves, Billy Idol, Blakroc, Bon Jovi, Marvin Gaye, William Bell, Prince This week, we're listening in on music from the past season of Glee, Blakroc, Bon Jovi, and our favorite R&B Christmas songs. When Generation X first turned up in 1977, kicking a ragged hole through Marc Bolan's TV show with debut single "Your Generation", the whiplash insolence of frontman Billy Idol, together with the dirty, flaming chords of guitarist Bob "Derwood" Andrews, appeared to set the band up as a pure force in punk. Here they were, throwing down a gauntlet with the line "your generation don't mean a thing to me" and strongly hinting, despite Idol's pretty-boy pallor, that their fight would be brief and bloody. As it turned out, the band's savvy agenda wasn't quite so radical. On their second, glam-rock influenced single "Wild Youth", the snarling and fist-pumping seemed entirely playful, and with "Kiss Me Deadly" (from 1978's self-titled debut album) they delivered a surprisingly finessed pop-punk classic. Here was an outfit whose second album would be produced by Ian Hunter (ex-Mott the Hoople), and whose lead singer would ultimately head for the world stage on the back of 1981's brilliant radio-friendly crossover hit, "Dancing With Myself". There was always a lot more going on with Generation X than first met the eye, and revisiting ambitious tracks like "Promises, Promises" and "The Prime of Kenny Silvers" (Parts One & Two) is highly recommended. Also worth a second listen is the mid-'80s output of Anglo-American pop-rock chart-stars, Katrina & the Waves, whose solid reputation has been defined by two high-profile tracks: 1985's "Walking on Sunshine", whose undeniable sparkle has been dulled by repetition over the years; and the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest winner "Love Shine a Light". Largely thanks to the superior songwriting talents of guitarist Kimberley Rew (who had penned the Bangles hit, "Going Down to Liverpool"), K&TW was a band capable of creating pop every bit as enduring and perfect at that of fellow Eurovision victors, ABBA. And in Katrina Leskanich they had a vocalist whose pipes merit comparison with those of Bonnie Raitt, or even Janis Joplin . . . seriously. Just check out the way she handles "The Sun Won't Shine Without You" or, from 1986's Waves, the potent (forgotten) single, "Is That It?". http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=59680969,383242901,24164239,267550645,27243429,339077386,333706914,197460136,250055904,209470726,278835237,340065068,250013055,340065057,340065158,340065076,338395658,6271292,297019865,14088731,27243712,198227598,76533507,326874384,334344466,64743236,294299574,1524381,31740271,334221813,157006176,212976439,31740261,321159450,299162139 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-064-iPhone.m4a Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:17:15 -0800 Music no 00:38:42 Katrina & The Waves, Billy Idol, Blakroc, Bon Jovi, Marvin Gaye, William Bell, Prince iTunes Michael Jackson, Kings of Leon, Zoé, Natalia LaFourcade, Hello Seahorse!, Maxwell, Lady GaGa, Raekwon, Christian McBride, Leonard Cohen, The Dead Weather, Zac Brown Band This week, we're listening in on music from Michael Jackson, Kings of Leon, Zoé, Natalia LaFourcade, Hello Seahorse!, Maxwell, Lady GaGa, Raekwon, Christian McBride, Leonard Cohen, The Dead Weather, and Zac Brown Band. When Lady Gaga dropped debut album The Fame in 2008, the question wasn't so much "will she be huge?" (first two singles "Just Dance" and Poker Face" were chart-toppers in multiple countries), but "is she really all that?" Now, it seems that the answer can only be, "Yes." The artist previously known as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta initially drew a rash of comparisons from skeptical observers eager to deconstruct her fashion-forward, glamorously crowd-pleasing vibe -- everyone from Donatella Versace to David Bowie -- while Gaga herself admitted an unlikely philosophical kinship with the German poet Rilke, busted moves like the Pussycat Dolls and announced in so many words that she was going to revolutionize pop. It turns out that she is, in fact, prodigiously talented: she started playing the piano by ear at the age of four, has written songs for Britney Spears and New Kids on the Block, and -- even after she was dropped by her first label, Def Jam, after only three months -- honed her vision with a hybrid live show incorporating elements of variety, pop and burlesque. So who are Lady Gaga's true forebears? Bette Midler ("Do You Wanna Dance?") should be factored into the Gaga equation for the pioneering way she combined theatricality and pure sass, likewise the restlessly creative Rickie Lee Jones ("Chuck E's in Love"), Laura Nyro ("Billy's Blues") for her intelligent fusion of styles, and Nellie McKay, who wields a killer lyric with the best of them (check out "I Wanna Get Married"). http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=273047572,273598917,349954,104088,158995998,252606583,291106869,219985477,76533502,219985465,303085378,255389572,303085384,291106870,278835237,295727814,295727817,318715242,329425116,329424975,321159450,162887829,33871815,304563974,177977182,294084155,294084106,340054497,294084101,27243742,303282137,294084097,388068464,258637558,294370465,388068596,388068490,286201022,39642,14354421,333727696,169842472,333727405,333727676,307746281,333727522,190338100,192678292,321981081,321981100,275223102,6737527,321981066,321981120,295740274,295740281,295740273,295740278,325052823 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-063-iPhone.m4a Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:48:40 -0800 Music no 00:55:06 Michael Jackson, Kings of Leon, Zoé, Natalia LaFourcade, Hello Seahorse!, Maxwell, Lady GaGa, Raekwon, Christian McBride, Leonard Cohen, The Dead Weather, Zac Brown Band iTunes LaBelle, Shakira, Norah Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis This week, we're listening in on music from LaBelle, Shakira, Norah Jones, and Jerry Lee Lewis. If you're wondering why Jerry Lee Lewis opened both nights of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary celebration (with "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" the first night and "Great Balls Of Fire" the next), look no further than his recent duets album, Last Man Standing. The folks he corralled to collaborate with him are not the typical tribute fare -- in fact, most of them are either pretty picky or exclusionary when it comes to melding voices. The roster includes Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, John Fogerty, Kid Rock, and Toby Keith among others. And if we still can't convince you based on Lewis' impressive affiliations, then look beyond his two biggest hits and check out "It'll Be Me" and "Big Blon' Baby" -- a couple of his best sides (as good as any of the hits) from the Sun era. In "Big Blon' Baby" you can hear Jerry using the phrase "Jumpin' Jehosaphat" effectively in a rockabilly record -- didn't think that was possible. In "It'll Be Me" we get Jerry the unrelenting pursuer of (hopefully) the object of his affection. That's just a small sample of a two-decade country career that we're barely touching on. So if you're willing to give those recommendations a try, click on "What Made Milwaukee Famous" on the podcast playlist, "Another Place, Another Time", or virtually anything on Killer Country, a near perfect collection of Jerry Lee's best tracks. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=33871815,336380169,3444775,275223105,337297467,185862719,188249668,337298120,293582167,293582147,293582159,293582146,322339099,340234734,340234778,192683153,192682831,159120417,278835237,388263245,16139969,16337765,388263305,128541122,906491,192927427,96200,206631280,20344137,20150814,300958956,21818557,71067819,158702373,71064578,186591608,71067564,3478890,123167,123169,145547642,187496390,337005993,337005972,187565790,160767757 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-062-iPhone.m4a Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:51:49 -0800 Music no 00:37:17 LaBelle, Shakira, Norah Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis iTunes Eric Clapton, Nirvana, Maxwell, 50 Cent, Carrie Underwood, Janet Jackson This week, we're listening in on music from the MTV Unplugged series, 50 Cent, Carrie Underwood, and Janet Jackson. If you love Nirvana's version of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World", we encourage ... no, we demand you to check out the original: a truly scary sci-fi styled song in the vein of Ziggy Stardust about a guy who no longer recognizes himself (he's in a dress on the album's cover); a kind of glitter rock take on Elvis Costello's "Stranger In The House. "If you're a Bowie fan but just own a best of, don't miss out on what many consider one of his best songs from one of his best albums -- the first to feature his famous Spiders From Mars lineup (as well as other crucial early sides "The Width Of A Circle", "All The Madmen", and "The Supermen"). The constantly repeated guitar riff, courtesy of Bowie collaborator Mick Ronson, is, despite the song's melodic quality, the real hook and one of rock's greatest riffs ever. Which would explain its presence on Guitar Hero 5. There's also a version by Lulu (a forerunner to the R&B-fueled songstress Duffy best known for the hit "To Sir With Love") with Bowie playing sax and Ronson playing guitar that's worth discovering. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=275887129,279648357,270407198,318004214,337602426,337602880,179168712,167758745,167758837,115503,115493,115483,337602596,162887781,162887829,278835237,48504172,316971656,1018011,76150304,363819,338878009,148894449,336669067,265826612,307298450,329595,250203,170345815,191445485,158502118,251004787,74026970,74108846,133757881,14261258,251811498,251811486,251720495,251720626,14261280,14261412,6185003,41741181,137658281,115487,191445418,203793579 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-061-iPhone.m4a Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:14:15 -0800 Music no 00:34:23 Eric Clapton, Nirvana, Maxwell, 50 Cent, Carrie Underwood, Janet Jackson iTunes Pixies, Roy Orbison, Juan Gabriel, Calle 13, Luis Fonsi, Bobby Fuller Four, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys This week, we're listening in on music from the Pixies, Roy Orbison, Juan Gabriel, Calle 13, Luis Fonsi, Bobby Fuller Four, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys. The virtues of The Rolling Stones' tracks Wes Anderson has chosen for his latest film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, aside, we'd like to use this opportunity to talk about the time in the Stones' career when they stopped being the white British R&B Stones, but well before they became the Rock (with a capital R) Stones of Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main St., and practically everything that came after. We call it The Great Lost Middle Period. December's Children (And Everybody's) showed the beginning of some cracks in their original model. Rockers and R&B covers like "Talkin' About You,""She Said Yeah," and "Route 66" were joined by very atypical quiet, poppier, more introspective sides like "The Singer Not The Song,""Blue Turns To Grey," and especially "As Tears Go By." That burgeoning style broke open full circle on their next album, Aftermath (the UK version), when for the first time Jagger/Richards penned every single track. Aftermath is arguably on a level with Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile On Main St. for the music's variety and stunning consistency in quality. Hits like "Mother's Little Helper", "Stupid Girl", "Lady Jane", and "Under My Thumb" are balanced by the aforementioned "I Am Waiting", The Searchers and Hollies friendly "Take It Or Leave It", and their own stabs at rhythm and extended blues on the 11-minute "Going Home". Aftermath's high point is the 5-minute version of "Out Of Time", which lyrically belongs in the company of "Mother's Little Helper", "Get Off Of My Cloud", and "Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown" -- songs sung from a superior and critical point of view. That "Time" is sung with more gentle musical underpinnings doesn't make it any less powerful. The Stones' least appreciated album, Between The Buttons, soon followed. Sure, it had hits like "Let's Spend The Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday", but the majority of its tracks rarely scrape the sounds of oldies AM radio or hipper-than-thou FM stations that choose to dig back. It's a shame, though, because tracks like "My Obsession", "Complicated", and "Miss Amanda Jones" that straddle the style between beauty, vulnerability, and exalted superiority continue to be overlooked. This period was bound to end, and it did with Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Stones' psychedelic record and, attempt to match The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's. The album didn't meet those standards, but its four best songs, "Sing This All Together", "2000 Man", "Citadel", and "She's A Rainbow", are up there with the best psychedelic hippy-era pop of its time. If you like this forgotten nether land in the Stones' career, skip all the way up to their highly underrated (and best '90s-era album) Voodoo Lounge and check out "New Faces", a song with noted harpsichord accompaniment that seems like Mick plucked directly from this under-appreciated and often ignored period. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=186303030,121048015,338399566,285478254,76533070,15817787,29123995,29123999,76532707,82297,293552063,293552067,287828575,276120244,205328793,278835237,304582630,183170453,1646486,1646488,273564853,252583547,71107555,337242,75486720,162338256,162337958,7060443,7060439,7206121,7060457,114661,7060441,7060447,7060451,6721460,336106835,336106820,336106799 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-060-iPhone.m4a Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:06:46 -0800 Music no 00:38:35 Pixies, Roy Orbison, Juan Gabriel, Calle 13, Luis Fonsi, Bobby Fuller Four, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys iTunes Yoko Ono, Cornelius, Guitar Wolf, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Owl City, Kris Kristofferson This week, we're listening in on music from Yoko Ono, Cornelius, Guitar Wolf, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Owl City, and Kris Kristofferson. We've been mentioning the great American songwriters from pre-rock giants Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin to Brill Building greats like Goffin/King, Greenwich /Barry and such Motown staples as Holland-Dozier-Holland and Whitfield/Strong, yet have given short shrift to country music's equally accomplished class. Let's begin to rectify this and talk about Kris Kristofferson's legacy as a songwriter. There's the trilogy that introduced him to pop audiences in a one-year period between 1970-71 that included Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through The Night", Ray Price's "For The Good Times", and Janis Joplin's "Me And Bobby McGee". Let's also add "The Talker", popularized by Waylon Jennings, "If You Don't Like Hank Williams", Kristofferson's defense-of-country-music manifesto performed by -- of all people -- Hank Williams, Jr., "Nobody Wins", an early '70s hit for Brenda Lee, and Ronnie Milsap's "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends", just a few more among the 400-plus existing covers of Kristofferson songs out there. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=329658872,280146611,302157843,331340577,294084155,329431682,213338455,213338438,207955925,329431717,218116082,2959465,2959445,83289612,331605467,331605484,258401668,331605493,331605510,363457,331605469,278835237,322447713,322447721,388090605,27997047,281242423,281242430,78916866,275731567,295849548,284672390,284672433,157525970,247402,157525726,250529253,193761482,304563974,157525719,185604229,192743989,332295010,332294970,315663763,152820598,98538678,261986286,260487992 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-059-iPhone.m4a Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:49:16 -0800 Music no 00:36:16 Yoko Ono, Cornelius, Guitar Wolf, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Owl City, Kris Kristofferson iTunes Madonna, Monty Python, The RZA, Rod Stewart This week, we're listening in on music from Madonna, Monty Python, The RZA, as well as the original artists that Rod Stewart covers on his new album. You may be a newcomer to Rod Stewart because of his Great American Songbook series, conceiving of him as an apt interpreter of pop and classic rock, but that has really always been the case. Almost from the beginning (around 1969), his first four solo records revealed how great his taste, record collection, and music vocabulary are -- with an early version of the great Irish songwriter Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town" (most of us already familiar with via The Pogues), an early version of Eddie Cochran's "Cut Across Shorty" (back in 1970 when minor '50s rock icons were not so fashionable), great reinterpretations of The Rolling Stones' (actually The Valentinos') "It's All Over Now" and "Street Fighting Man", a terrific cover of The Small Faces' (his Faces' predecessors') "My Way Of Giving", and three of his very best: "Country Comforts" (one of the top early Elton John/Bernie Taupin covers -- possibly even better than Elton's original on Tumbleweed Connection), Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe" from Every Picture Tells A Story (actually the original A-side of "Maggie May"), and on Never A Dull Moment, his cover of Etta James'"I'd Rather Go Blind." Again, all of these were done before '50s and '60s R&B/rock rediscovery became hip. That these gems were all in the company of such stellar original compositions as "You Wear It Well,""Every Picture Tells A Story," and "Maggie May" make it all the more remarkable. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=63838049,72968217,285921881,333313680,160382540,80811691,80815248,83445997,212028603,329043334,80815277,80815271,80815275,329043319,278835237,254985981,254986543,292469260,305648060,157485772,273308459,527348,527333,527386,527239,278064258,407252,48346567,107425517,304319171,327051213,73668985,164282754,335686513,335686713,335686722,335686506,111289585,111289020,189846658,335686718,335686701,169938961,278702074,171505863,315611299,306065849 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-058-iPhone.m4a Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:33:08 -0800 Music no 00:40:17 Madonna, Monty Python, The RZA, Rod Stewart iTunes The Cramps, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Thalía, Tito El Bambino, Gloria Estefan, Mika, Michael Bublé This week, we're listening in on music from The Cramps, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Thalía, Tito El Bambino, Gloria Estefan, Mika, and Michael Bublé. Where we were extolling the many virtues of this new album "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" we took a shot at describing Mika's sound by referencing Queen, George Michael, Elton John, and ABBA, but we weren't being precise enough. Each of these artists has lengthy careers and the accompanying artistic growth that comes with the territory. So we'll be more specific. When we mention Queen, we're talking about the early glitter-era Queen (the first four albums) that brought you "Killer Queen" (as opposed to the arena rock Queen of "We Will Rock You").We'll use our George Michael reference as an excuse to talk up the virtues of Wham!, unfairly denigrated as another teen bubblegum band (and what's wrong with that, by the way?) and call attention to their follow-up to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go": the mid-sized (but mostly forgotten) hit "Freedom," the best song that Holland-Dozier-Holland never wrote that the Four Tops never recorded. Our Elton John reference is meant to point you to his first rush of mass popularity when he was also flirtatious with glitter ala "Bennie And The Jets". Finally, our ABBA reference shouldn't imply the Euro-disco of "Dancing Queen" or the chipper "Take A Chance On Me" but instead point you to their early rock-inspired sides like "Waterloo" or, more specifically, their first single, "Ring Ring." Put them all together and you have the sound of Mika's first two albums. Well, not exactly. . . He's much more than an amalgamation of his predecessors. But this is something you need to find out for yourselves by catching his current tour in support of The Boy Who Knew Too Much, possibly the best pure/pop celebratory album of the year. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=325948888,304698083,300205693,322203070,297475439,186472409,260503369,260331512,260503069,121255556,192698767,44114686,192698676,192699470,278835237,55476977,120995697,335834937,306831295,196407939,330043595,219949352,219949358,330043647,330043594,293395862,331386104,278642366,278689711,315579227,270425147,315218279,315218320,42032021,332365936,332365932,332365927,381624851,1525258,310351161,190237121,332365931,170992883,308077479,308077480,193085002 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-057-iPhone.m4a Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:52:24 -0700 Music no 00:41:24 The Cramps, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Thalía, Tito El Bambino, Gloria Estefan, Mika, Michael Bublé iTunes Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Player, Gustafer Yellowgold, Toby Keith, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, The Four Tops This week, we're listening in on music from Blaxploitation films, the Yacht Rock genre, Toby Keith, and Gustafer Yellowgold. If your eyes started rolling when we referred to Steely Dan as one of the "roots of punk" artists -- in context of the our yacht rock discussion this week of all things-- you're not alone. It was only after hearing an appreciation of their early/mid-'70s work from people as diverse as Elvis Costello and Steve Wynn (of college rock staple The Dream Syndicate) that many of the knowing fans started to feel validated. Not convinced? Still focused on Steely Dan's jazz licks and smooth harmonies that come first and foremost to mind? Start by taking a look at the lyrics to "Kid Charlemagne", a cynical, unforgiving take on a '60s drug dealer who's fallen on hard times. The song itself works as a pretty savage dismissal of the '60s counterculture (or at least the more naive parts of it), which is an underlying theme in most of the early formative punk sides from the late '70s. Then there's "Black Friday", sung from the point of view of a ruined investor sharing his survival-of-the-fittest strategy after being caught in a mid-19th century stock market crash, or the title cut from The Royal Scam, a dark and disappointing story focusing on the disparity between the truth and the reality of the American immigrant experience in the late '50s. If you step away from the smooth grooves and sing-a-long choruses you'll hear that same wonderful disparity in "Black Cow", "Show Biz Kids", "Hey Nineteen", and, well, a large majority of their entire output. Really, how much more subversive can you get than hiding a bitter pill in a radio-friendly, oh-so-mellow package. But then what did you expect from a band that took their name from an object in a William Burroughs novel? http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=281338860,40454283,303159212,192698767,315979356,15130704,1697722,159294254,320085490,40453951,40284807,64950,6259736,314837742,278835237,304956974,218400201,212958932,305482688,304955108,304956971,3872101,3446063,78050444,3446065,63196712,3872099,333316545,209258331,307851319,283636325,193897932,259208130,325052822,333961645,3543712,131366944,257220,285172503,284518828,20003621,111217169,111216805,1290180,6943138,1290196,137056429,3642712,16267700,76195471,267024619 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-056-iPhone.m4a Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:52:45 -0700 Music no 00:42:36 Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Player, Gustafer Yellowgold, Toby Keith, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, The Four Tops iTunes Rosanne Cash, Ziggy Marley, Sonic Youth, Gary Glitter, Billy Idol, Blur This week, we're listening in on music from Rosanne Cash, Ziggy Marley, Sonic Youth, Gary Glitter, Billy Idol, and Blur. If you're as enamored of Rosanne Cash's new album as we are (and why wouldn't you be), we'd like to point you in the direction of the original versions. On the podcast we talked/raved about Lefty Frizzell's version of "Long Black Veil", Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash's duet on "Girl From The North Country", and Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings". We also mentioned our sadness at the passing of Mary Travers, forgetting that her "500 Miles" with Peter, Paul And Mary was yet another wisely chosen song by both Cashes. Because we don't want to leave you hanging or pass up the opportunity to expose you to more music while we've got your attention, here's our version of The List (The Original Versions): 1. "Miss The Mississippi And You" - Jimmie Rodgers 2. "Motherless Children" - Son House 3. "Sea Of Heartbreak" - Don Gibson 4. "Take These Chains From My Heart" - Ray Charles 5. "I'm Movin' On" - Hank Snow 6. "She's Got You" - Patsy Cline 7. "Heartaches By The Number" - Ray Price 8. "500 Miles" - Peter, Paul And Mary 9. "Long Black Veil" - Lefty Frizzell 10. "Silver Wings" - Merle Haggard 11. "Girl From The North Country" - Bob Dylan With Johnny Cash 12. "Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow" - The Carter Family http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=305796324,307643491,207935768,327574343,288668185,160730753,158713568,260797652,77819006,112218469,112217994,40285902,59412471,275230945,28007324,16112223,16591810,16115769,278835237,312426282,312426302,312426440,312426714,406781,65073316,312426263,364623,364639,312125,312147,7060455,162563992,301756964,41704809,41704807,5415565,314837673,256950157,325190114,157279964,118689716,331442636,177981171,175598724,176996739,331442746,106218434,78399214,331442752,316793604,170561885,78403831,331442650,330824514,330825029,170548160,170548264 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-055-iPhone.m4a Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:35:41 Rosanne Cash, Ziggy Marley, Sonic Youth, Gary Glitter, Billy Idol, Blur iTunes Jefferson Airplane, Noisettes, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Noisettes This week, we're listening in on music from Jefferson Airplane, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Noisettes. While we've got your attention for the Jefferson Airplane thanks to the Coen Brothers prominent use of "Somebody To Love" (and three other Airplane songs) used to great effect in their terrific new film "A Serious Man" let's take a break from pushing our JA Essentials and instead extol the virtues of their first album, The Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, made before Grace Slick joined the band for their acknowledged masterpiece, Surrealistic Pillow. While original singer Signe Anderson wasn't the icon Grace was, she was every bit the singer. Signe also brought a different, almost folk-inspired quality to the band, who were just finding their psychedelic bearings at the time. Although it could be heretical, it's also arguable that Takes Off is on a par with Pillow and a minor folk-rock masterpiece in a league with classic albums by The Mamas & The Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. Comprising the album's core are its first single, "It's No Secret," one of Marty Balin's best vocals ever, and the gorgeous "Come Up The Years," which also shows how well the Balin/Anderson/Kantner harmonies worked from the beginning. Even more revelatory are the album's bonus tracks (usually the source of more interesting than great material) that equal and in some cases exceed the best songs on the original album -- the rock-inspired-Grace-Slick-predicting "Go To Her" and three more folk-rock gems from the long deleted Early Flight rarities set: "That's Alright,""High Flyin' Bird," and "Runnin''Round This World-all of it adds up to one of the best debut albums becoming one of the very best. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=288521884,262764639,1969984,252647167,328074281,281811734,281811749,281811771,281811748,304723464,278835237,219906938,326904133,219906989,326904127,326904128,331386104,251316641,331386155,270836458,264568180,291875081,92708,343644,122524,253498183,253497872,285520435,253497727,253498127,409917,409905,192970173,192970362 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-054-iPhone.m4a Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:55 Jefferson Airplane, Noisettes, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Noisettes iTunes U2, Monsters of Folk, LL Cool J, Fame This week, we're listening in on music from U2, Monsters of Folk, LL Cool J, and Fame. George Harrison was often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", and while he earned that moniker due to his subdued and low-key style, it seems to have unfairly extended to the majority of his post-Beatles solo work -- beyond a handful of hits. But that's all starting to change with the release this year of Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison, the first comprehensive collection focused on his solo career, and Yim Yames' Tribute To EP (a spare recording of six of his favorite Harrison songs). Both releases show that there's much more to George than "My Sweet Lord", "What Is Life", and "Give Me Love"; both sets go beyond the obvious hits. But there's even more A-level material that's not covered on either of these titles. Harrison's triple-length debut, All Things Must Pass, gave us the foreboding (but never heavy-handed) "Beware Of Darkness", arguably the centerpiece of his Concert for Bangladesh; the song's been successfully covered by artists as diverse as Concrete Blonde, Joe Coker, Eric Clapton, and Harrison's friend and sometime bandmate Leon Russell. And "Wah-Wah" now feels like a great power pop song just waiting to be rediscovered -- and remade. His second album, Living In The Material World, showed no drop in quality, featuring the stellar "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" (one of the great anti-music industry songs) and the Spector-influenced (and produced) "Try Some Buy Some", which, not surprisingly, was also recorded by Ronnie Spector. And that's just from the first two albums! Two of his later albums Cloud Nine("Got My Mind Set On You" ) and Thirty Three And 1/3 ("This Song") are well worth checking out and both demonstrate some of his best work in came well in the 80s. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=325695013,135904,283495494,322447713,283567746,329918329,329919257,281147296,271414377,325230911,325230829,325119378,278835237,160586138,330925720,123909,123924,7312591,21547852,23426612,325254780,325254788,280711410,268159034,268159930,263596217,270898405,281242423,27997047,91991171,305352550,305352549,285477863,346619,346644,122714,122701,325439938,325439936,325439929,323004059,251499489 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-053-iPhone.m4a Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:09:27 -0700 Music no 00:35:05 U2, Monsters of Folk, LL Cool J, Fame iTunes The Ramones, Nada Surf, Rufus Wainwright, Muse, Kid Cudi, Gloria Jones & Pam Sawyer AOL's Spinner.com, recently posted a list called "Back To School Songs: A Classroom Survival Guide in 20 Tracks" featuring such selections as The Beach Boys'"Be True To Your School" and Twisted Sisters'"Be Chrool To Your Scuel" alongside tunes by a diverse group of artists consisting of the Ramones, Nada Surf, and Rufus Wainwright, among others. The list is also interesting because the number of songs that express excitement over being back in school is definitely less than the number of songs despondent about it! Also mentioned on the Spinner list is "School Days" by The Runaways, which is worth noting for several reasons -- first, because it's a great record and connects more directly to the high school experience than many of the other songs on the list (makes sense since all four Runaways had just barely reached graduation age); second, because The Runaways are the subject of an upcoming feature film due out next year starring Twilight's Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning; and third, because they were the first all-female rock group to make any kind of real impression in the predominantly male-dominated market. Formed in the pre-punk nascent Hollywood club scene of the mid-'70s, The Runaways never got credit for being one of the first punk bands, even though they stood beside the Blondies, Ramones, and Damneds of the world, not to mention gave us a very young Joan Jett, and -- in addition to "School Days" -- some of the best glitter-meets-punk songs of the era, especially "I Love Playing With Fire" and "Cherry Bomb." Treated at times like novelty, they have slowly been gaining the respect they deserved in the first place. While you're waiting for the media onslaught that will surely accompany the band's biopic, check out their Best Of. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=331175567,191617252,6737535,328256787,326764449,16620591,15834035,77819185,300958647,274590229,272323334,274589196,268917579,30524261,278835237,330341472,309819413,330341454,329659317,326492753,314261453,317961666,326492752,274930931,135132868,3730921,59412471,303079208,211203109,293390982,293526271,284315637,284243978,101862,89288,6907003,103339,286902161,327640061,327640103,327639970,212853889,212855832,212853001,168167,79029766 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-052-iPhone.m4a Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:49:50 -0700 Music no 00:33:54 The Ramones, Nada Surf, Rufus Wainwright, Muse, Kid Cudi, Gloria Jones & Pam Sawyer iTunes Glee, Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Brendan Benson, Danny Elfman, Oingo Boingo, Hispanic Heritage Month This week, we're listening in on music from the Fox TV show Glee, Brendan Benson, Danny Elfman, and the songs that celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. We casually mention the term power pop in referencing our Genius Pick of the Week, which combines an old and a new track by Brendan Benson: "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" (off of 2005's The Alternative To Love) and "Eyes On The Horizon" (off of this year's My Old, Familiar Friend). Probably best known as partner to Jack White in the Raconteurs, Benson's the one who supplies the catchier pop confections to White's harder blues riffs, who also has four solo albums to call his own. To us power pop is best defined as a mixture of the melodic elements of the early Beatles and mid-period Beach Boys, combined with some of the aggression heard in early records by the Who, Kinks, Small Faces, and some of the catchier punk records by the likes of the Ramones, the Buzzcocks, and the Jam. Though the term is now tossed around with casual abandon, it was birthed by critics in the early '70s in reference to the first great power pop band, the Raspberries. Fronted by Eric Carmen of "All By Myself" fame, the Raspberries were groomed (by of all people, Capitol Records) to be the next Beatles -- a full seven years before the Knack would surface (on the same label). This was during a time when hit music from the previous decade seemed to lack any credibility. And in response a small band of critics, mostly falling outside the Rolling Stone/FM underground, who were suspicious (if not outright contemptuous) of the Woodstock counterculture, took up the cause of the Raspberries' early hits "Go All The Way,""Tonight,""Ecstasy," and their near-Spectorian masterpiece, "Overnight Sensation," as a shot at rock's first great renaissance. Some other great practitioners of power pop are the now-revered Big Star (almost in league with the Velvet Underground for great cult band status), Nick Lowe, early Cheap Trick, Marshall Crenshaw (who added a healthy dose of late '50s and early '60s role models like Dion and Buddy Holly), the Smithereens, and Fountains Of Wayne (probably the most recent example and well worth a listen beyond "Stacy's Mom"). For a quick tour of how durable this format is, check out our Power Pop Essentials and let the songs absorb into your catchy-tune-ready bloodstream like so many simple sugar-y treats. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=16565184,329071750,259208123,320921907,79539319,315816850,329515170,282494360,301649381,291184231,326904527,95969775,296000131,51958108,300994538,281713751,136888,78996575,1970198,14880534,278835237,254085399,105275754,159936395,2139502,133477672,190547927,205203611,276567271,305680057,305680084,325439408,268138115,61582,328074588,213699846,213699466,219389666,295242682,162514707,153324,153408,153385,1697591,69341,96491,96493,74414440,74414388,41229142,80180009,263575200,326883033,326883041,40284751,284532736,53394,53386 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-051-iPhone.m4a Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:11:22 -0700 Music no 00:37:50 Glee, Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Brendan Benson, Danny Elfman, Oingo Boingo, Hispanic Heritage Month iTunes Oasis, Jay-Z, John Fogerty, The Black Crowes This week, we're listening in on music from Oasis, Jay-Z, John Fogerty, and The Black Crowes While we're contemplating the breakup of Oasis and America missing out on the whole Brit pop movement, consider a radical question that might be almost as outrageous as the whole Oasis as the next Beatles thing: Blur, as good or better than Oasis? A quick sampling of our Blur Essentials, namely "Song 2" and "She's So High," will help newcomers with an easy answer, but value seekers might want to spring for Midlife: A Beginner's Guide To Blur, a single-album-priced 31-song retrospective that makes the case for them being ignored by us an even greater sin of omission than us missing the Jam in the '70s. If you're hooked or even intrigued, we'd love to make a pitch for two more of the country's more melodic practitioners from vaguely the same era by pushing greatest hits compilations by bands that didn't have any (not here in the U.S. at least): Supergrass' Supergrass Is 10 and Pulp's Hits, which will give you a taste of what we passed on in favor of louder, more groove-oriented sounds and image-oriented pleasers in the '90s. Let's try and make it up to them retroactively, shall we? http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=158819096,275421091,59402075,326127215,311639126,290663556,290663574,290813320,290813317,290663560,291289823,291289829,291875111,291875081,291289478,291289589,312319419,312319413,291875465,278835237,413096,36283501,185731686,3566107,216114372,3566101,326487088,151923437,151923497,151923443,151923487,328345943,328345931,256889274,291353930,61536,256136230,254919161,514170,291354278,302493506,302493318,302493463,267716426,274578051,267716437,273844238,273844240,273844245,326904497,326904603,326904527,326904467,326904518,326904838,326904813,310338374,310338375,325250767,325250773 http://itstreaming.apple.com/itunes_shows/rewind/rewind-050-iPhone.m4a Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:56:58 -0700 Music no 00:40:30 Oasis, Jay-Z, John Fogerty, The Black Crowes iTunes Bonnie Raitt, Rosie Flores, PJ Harvey, Robert Glasper, Smokey Robinson, Air Guitar World Championships This week, we're listening in on music from Bonnie Raitt, Rosie Flores, PJ Harvey, Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Muse, and Mastodon Ellie Greenwich wrote songs for teenagers with an extreme sense of fantasy and wish fulfillment that characterized the best of the Brill Building recordings. "Chapel Of Love" may be the ultimate wedding song, if only because it's written from the point of view of someone who's sure that she's marrying the love of her life and that nothing will ever go wrong. "Be My Baby", the definitive Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" record, has even more of a wish fulfillment approach. And still more dramatic is "River Deep Mountain High" and unsuccessfully (commercially but not artistically) revive the career of Ike and Tina Turner using the lyrical device of extreme expression juxtaposed against childhood memories and desires. If this outpouring of good feelings is too much for you then check out the other side of her songwriting, specifically the mini-dramas she wrote with then-husband Jeff Barry for the Shangri-Las. "Leader Of The Pack,""Give Us Your Blessings," and "Out In The Streets" (found on a terrific 20th Century Masters Collection) all tell tales of tragedy, alienation, and regret and show off a dark side that one wouldn't think possible in the early 1960s. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=385774,318527,291354272,326492752,65922935,209683416,5457441,80896418,5498145,287515277,300723826,296547725,300723831,340736,252585,254341,278835237,264365064,324897706,324897697,217704734,324897698,324897714,318897536,361176,81893258,1645339,3436862,302416325,152996840,247138,148895083,209699992,275230945,276350647,267782171,90478,296722,88470,88475,88477,6278848,296472,88497,159426430,327041883,323717821,88503,88499,324897708,161044018,324897709,304553477,304553478,73433623,217280750,91364,19606202 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-49.m4a Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:37:28 iTunes Ennio Morricone, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Cray, The Wiggles This week, we're listening in on music from Ennio Morricone, the films of Quentin Tarantino, Robert Cray, and The Wiggles. If you were surprised to see Steve Wynn's "Amphetamine" in the midst of Bandslam--a kind of alt-rock version of High School Musical-you weren't the only one. So let's use it as an excuse to talk about Steve's career. Many of you remember him as the founder of the first great guitar-based postpunk band the Dream Syndicate. The words "guitar-based" seem like a redundant term, but at the time, 1982, guitars were nearly hunted to extinction, which was surprising as they seemed to aggressively fuel the revolution that brought about the glorious 1977 wave of the Clash, the Jam, the Ramones, et al that we're always so fond of talking about. But those six-string creatures were hard to find in the MTV era of the Human League, Ultravox, and Duran Duran that dominated the airwaves. The Dream Syndicate's debut album, The Days Of Wine And Roses, brought back the nearly invisible echoes of early Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crazy Horse-era Neil Young, early electric Dylan, and Marquee Moon-era Television and was in many ways the first great album of the college rock era. It helped pave the way for the Replacements, Husker Du, the Minutemen, and you know the rest. What you might not know was that the second Dream Syndicate album, Medicine Show, offered up even better songs, rivaling Days', and was followed by two more strong DS albums. Steve then spent the next 20 years making a series of solid records, including a great early 2000s trilogy with his band the Miracle 3 from which "Amphetamine" comes. If you love Nick Cave, Neil Young, and Tom Waits, do yourself a favor and click on "Amphetamine,""Burn,""Carolyn," and "Boston" within the Basics section of our Steve Wynn Essentials and ask your self -yet again -how you missed this the first time. But hey don't beat your self up-that's why we're here in the first place. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=252335712,20003398,122022368,304800690,316116935,290532645,101860538,101872943,101861463,40286468,36283549,217274456,290533096,159066303,276806056,327130434,160487993,278835237,19096594,192461999,267537093,257837972,312873391,5133007,220149582,514400,250975503,309579129,116517,116509,7066876,108225632,266698319,7067203,321786419,263925,212032851,212032324,284055318,7067919,324606307,1417619,1417617,300695490,300695496,300695488,6232715,6232673,21866821,21866766,322530741,325790462,30541893,256230924,256230490,206977109 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-48.m4a Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:34:10 iTunes John Hughes, Plastilina Mosh, Mink DeVille, Jimmy Page, Les Paul This week, we're listening in on music from John Hughes films, iTunes Mexico, Mink Deville, Jimmy Page, and Les Paul. It's a shame that Willy DeVille emerged in the early days of punk and CBGBs, because he really was ahead of his time, which was ironic for an artist who worshipped at the altar of doo-wop, early '60s soul, and Italo American rock. Had he come around about 10 years later in the NPR-era of roots re-appreciation that's embraced everybody from John Hiatt, Los Lobos, and the Neville Brothers to current focus Sharon Jones, he might have found, if not fame and fortune, at least a following. A student of both street-corner romanticism and West Side Story-like realism, one could feel the broken hearts, the sharkskin suits, the love and death in such DeVille songs as the mini-operatic "Venus Of Avenue D,""Guardian Angel", Drifters-in-Lou-Reed's-clothes "Spanish Stroll," and the could've-been-a-great-Springsteen-single "Maybe Tomorrow." As with artists like Big Star, the Velvets, and Leonard Cohen, the re-appreciation will build, though sadly it will be posthumous in Willy's case. Let's try and speed up the process as part of some small compensation for this month's lost http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=83155547,190811458,322339099,301399387,303093376,301699833,258404269,777436,278835237,325248223,323896284,280150934,293507042,298886032,290928802,123905915,217275135,267651315,76533404,458188,275538666,171067372,257400702,275538679,196067577,196067290,156862997,259922822 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-47.m4a Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:33:57 iTunes Woodstock, Janis Joplin, Detroit Cobras, Sly & The Family Stone, Amp Fiddler, Mountain, Santana, Los Lonely Boys This week, we're listening in on music from artists who performed at the original Woodstock festival (Janis Joplin, Sly & The Family Stone, Mountain, Santana) and artists who follow in their footsteps (Detroit Cobras, Los Lonely Boys, Amp Fiddler) No question about it ⎯ Woodstock, the event, was a culturally defining moment, yet now the word Woodstock is gratuitously name-dropped and the object of multiple branding opportunities. So let's use this opportunity, instead, to talk about Wattstax ⎯ an event often referred to as the Black Woodstock. It's a leap technically, because Wattstax was really of a piece with the early '70s, offering up some of the best performances from that era's soul icons ⎯ Johnny Taylor, the Staples Singers, Isaac Hayes, and a very young Richard Pryor. Where it really matters, the comparison of Woodstock to Wattstax is more than appropriate: the event captured a key cultural moment in African American history with its expression of pride, solidarity, and community (the concert opened with Jessie Jackson and the crowd's recitation of the famous "I Am Somebody" poem). The soundtrack album is just fine, but you might be better off with a good best-of from Isaac, the Staples Singers, or Johnny ⎯ or individual tracks from Stax 50 - A 50th Anniversary Celebration. The real revelation, however, is the Wattstax movie . It works as an excellent chronicle of both of the concert's highlights (especially Isaac Hayes career -defining set) and offers up a look at South Central Los Angeles, circa 1972. It's also one of the best rock docs ever. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=186433935,315218320,307029144,292505500,323910070,2424312,256297404,169973680,185604229,185603468,169974076,78772327,250386728,299433972,40287555,78772321,78771861,185604324,278835237,212571243,193126391,212976381,193126883,216546654,193126732,193126355,285317124,192492200,178075097,128142,6255241,107802,270960519,53381613,40287439,121052337,40287449,389220,264151,158685211,75078636,192940435,193610821,186232630,202395658,193611625,192939722,187774537,205109832,165118057,39312662,138286898,256297665 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-46.m4a Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:34:51 iTunes Funny People, Paul McCartney, Warren Zevon, Blaxploitation songs, A-Ha, Dave Matthews Band This week, we're listening in on music from Paul McCartney, Warren Zevon, A-Ha, Dave Matthews, and Blaxploitation films The phrase singer-songwriter is undoubtedly saddled with the baggage of the '70s and often associated with music that's mellow, sensitive, and/or overly sentimental. Let's not let that happen with Warren Zevon, shall we? Like Neil Young (especially with Crazy Horse) and Tom Waits, he had more in common with the early punk movement (though nobody in the class of '77 would acknowledge it at the time) than he did with the Eagles. Zevon's first appearance on record in 1966 was as the songwriter of "Outside Chance," a non-hit A-side for the Turtles; and it sounded nothing like "Happy Together,""You Showed Me,""Elenore," or any of that band's other feel-good hits. Instead the record is a full-fledged garage punk classic in the vein of the Standells and the Seeds. Zevon's first successful album, Excitable Boy, was produced by Jackson Browne, but the record's best songs ("Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner,""Lawyers, Guns And Money," and the title track) are sardonic, dark, and/or humorous ⎯ and sometimes all three. His last three records (among his best) were all concerned with death, the two before The Wind (ironically titled My Ride's Here and Life'll Kill Ya) were conceived without his own clear knowledge of impending mortality. And how many people do you know who wrote songs with Hunter S. Thompson, Mitch Albon, and Carl Hiaasen? http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=298321904,308842079,302138073,322018134,300355736,2521449,260173511,297252365,282973140,256615950,2521492,297252364,131366944,363578,20003668,3543712,284518828,292215748,118414,22178223,40059064,278835237,74217783,297475414,290885893,391210,40288041,157505352,93546,405529,79574218,312609363,308261264,308261265,308897421,308084557,308897449,308261272,312609362,312609373,312609364,312609365,263249550,263249573,197884513,322981907,322981838,111296433,111295669 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-45.m4a Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:33:23 iTunes Diane Birch, Betty Wright, Al B. Sure!, Nancy Sinatra, Otis Taylor This week, we're listening in on music from Diane Birch, Betty Wright, Al B. Sure!, Nancy Sinatra, and Otis Taylor. Listening to Diane Birch reminds us of the late, great, criminally underrated Laura Nyro. Known to most as a songwriter for writing (and recording) the original versions of "Stony End" (a hit for Barbra Streisand), "When I Die" (Blood, Sweat & Tears), "Eli's Coming" (Three Dog Night), plus "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Save The Country" (both for the Fifth Dimension), she got lost in the singer-songwriter sweepstakes of the late '60s/early '70s ⎯ missing the attention that came to the Carole Kings, Joni Mitchells, and Carly Simons of the era. Nyro's records are a brilliant mix of gospel/soul, introspective singer-songwriter elements, hippie imagery, and, most importantly, Brill Building pop formalism; and while most of her early albums exhibit a seemingly impossible balance of (and/or healthy tension among) those elements, that mix was never as perfect as it was on her first album (understatedly and very appropriately titled) More Than A New Discovery, but now known to most as First Songs, which she recorded when she was only 19 years old. The album is one of those great, lost singer-songwriter masterpieces rivaling (and perhaps exceeding) records like Tapestry, Court & Spark, and Sweet Baby James. Despite the fact that there are 12 insanely catchy songs on the album, you'll rarely find a traditionally delineated verse-chorus structure within any of them. Other (non-hit) highlights include "He's A Runner" and "I Never Meant To Hurt You," but the album's piece de resistance is "Billy's Blues," a song just waiting to be recognized as the gorgeous soul jazz vocal masterpiece that it is, and by all rights should be a future jazz vocal standard. Normally we're in the business of recommending Best Ofs or Essentials, but First Songs is too good to miss and plays like an undiscovered best of from a needs-to-be-discovered great. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=63839854,275137605,256136217,275871442,255025042,315579216,315579218,315579219,315579217,315579227,265520123,298791645,307957,265606704,298683307,298683308,278835237,316631671,319402024,56208843,56208806,316631587,316631580,316631669,316631590,147734401,148036556,147738106,147737592,147735003,291699468,148037563,317228310,82116614,76535121,16677994,16677986,16677997,80490365,61716029,61715834,80490376,49487093,273390186,273390194,273390095,321183191,321183225,321183186,264322271,21863530,164725,164709,119141605,119141583,119141577,119141397 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-44.m4a Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:35:02 iTunes The Dead Weather, The White Stripes, Hall & Oates, Spanish-language crossover hits, Petra Haden This week, we're listening in on music from Jack White (The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs), Petra Haden, Hall & Oates, and Spanish-language crossover hits. We casually mention the Chi-Lites this week and in several other episodes without going into the kind of detail that does them justice. They're among the best examples of vocal group-based '70s soul in a class with the O'Jays, the Spinners, and the Stylistics. Known predominantly for their chart-toppers "Oh Girl" And "Have You Seen Her?" (hits again in the early '90s for MC Hammer and Paul Young respectively)- both great, in the smooth romantic ballad mode (with strong nods to classic doo wop), yet in no way indicative of the wide range of things the Chi-Lites excelled at. Although the "Chi" part of their name appropriately references their Chicago roots (they were as representative of Chicago soul as anything from Jerry Butler or Curtis Mayfield) the "Lite" part does them a minor injustice, as they were anything but lightweight. Oldies radio listeners only familiar with the big hits miss out on their many political ("[For God's Sake] Give More Power To The People"), spiritual ("There Will Never Be Any Peace [Until God Is Seated At The Conference Table]"), and psychedelic soul ("Stoned Out Of My Mind") sides. Lead singer Eugene Record was their main songwriter and also a contributing musician, a-typical of many of the period's top vocal groups. Sure we like Hall & Oates, but we don't think John and Daryl would mind us telling you that any self-respecting fan who loves "She's Gone" but has never heard any of the above might be missing out . http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=279535854,289405625,290878363,321981120,275231496,275231468,275231479,275223092,275223102,275223114,6737529,6737549,6737527,205203291,321981066,321981100,278835237,322339482,265260628,319880841,317409294,314891195,261887321,281150607,281150624,289081657,107635410,282428784,64859835,158684384,158683484,61512,61522,20006472,217764773,252325276,273750237,262058983,262059059,217764626,217764735,217764791,262059600,273750253,217749916,318430245,318429951 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-43.m4a Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:37:21 iTunes Soul Power, The Spinners, Latin music at summer festivals, Maxwell, Prince If you were inspired by (or even moderately interested in) our segment on the film "Soul Power," you need to take a deeper dive into the sounds of '70s soul. When rock became a serious art form on FM radio in the wake of the Woodstock era, AM radio got softer and sillier with strains of novelty and bubblegum (not that there's anything wrong with that)ruling the charts. Thankfully most R&B and soul records from that time continued to show growth, innovation, and passion. A sense of experimentation and exploration still characterized many of these sides. But don't take our word for it; just do a quick compare and contrast from our '70s Pop and '70s Soul School Of Rock chapters. Black pride and political consciousness are everywhere on the Message In The Music playlist, from the positive ("Love Train,""O-O-H Child") and the critical ("Living For The City,""Respect Yourself") to the descriptive ("Ball Of Confusion,""The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"). The best production techniques and emotional content are all over the Sweet Harmonies playlist, with tracks by the Delfonics, the Three Degrees, and the Dramatics-to name a few-that built on the earlier victories from Motown, Stax/Volt, and much of the '60s soul that came out of Chicago and Philadelphia. And if you take no other action, at the very least, we're begging you to click on the opening track from the '70s Soul Discoveries Essentials list. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=157439990,207056758,307643507,321285232,278790335,117150,7054262,158556889,7054266,293521581,117165,80007861,6944567,80007866,80007856,80007854,204724060,303232806,257210945,278835237,293552068,5241691,299205734,298902176,310748432,321159439,308873916,321159450,283258458,21331363,120156538,888653,63196839,262072146,214511487,214511375,214145445,214146160,214145302,214145977,214145630,214146100,214146122,124887851,219394103,185868472,309579114,309579134,303232814 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-42.m4a Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:36:05 iTunes The Lovin' Spoonful, Smokey Robinson, Lindsey Buckingham, Marshall Crenshaw This week, we're listening in on music from Wilco, Scott Walker, The Lovin' Spoonful, Smokey Robinson, Lindsey Buckingham, Marshall Crenshaw, Kool & The Gang, and The Time. While we (and others) are rightfully extolling the virtues of Wilco's new album, many of us are also making the mistake of referring to it as their 7th album ⎯ when actually it's their 8th. Not counted in the musical numerology of their career are the two Mermaid Avenue albums they made with Billy Bragg in 1997 ⎯ with Bragg, Jeff Tweedy, and Jay Bennett adding music to the previously unaccompanied words of Woody Guthrie (at the request of Guthrie's daughter Nora). In many ways these sessions are the missing link between the archetypical alt country sounds of AM and Being There and the broader pop sensibilities and experimentation the group achieved with Summer Teeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot when they became Wilco (The Great American Band). The albums are easy to miss but not easily forgotten once you've heard them. Wilco fans miss out when they think of them as Billy Bragg albums (or even Woody Guthrie albums), forgetting the artists split the writing/singing duties evenly, with Jeff Tweedy writing and singing lead on over a dozen tracks between the two sets. Volume One's "California Stars" has become a Wilco standard of sorts at live shows. We tried to remedy this by including five Mermaid Avenue songs on our Wilco Essentials list in the hope that we inspire some revelation among fans. Most overlooked are Volume Two's "Someday Some Morning Sometime," which sounds like one of the best cuts that might have been on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and "Remember The Mountain Bed," which would have fit comfortably and proudly on Dylan's Blood On The Tracks or even Nashville Skyline. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=298528053,300065757,258655676,301234489,96903,193126470,169741041,253681783,253838638,253683194,328207,328223,88497,255976961,298888978,50235392,50235390,50235394,50235396,251172621,128516,40285858,44288,302057926,304668973,304692256,304692249,146424141,146424127,304691626,294084022,304668957,315779593,78681877,78681899,18707598,252723876,98363676,93616708,253211375,302187949,156936925,300981127,303235927,302188076,156936979,300981129,300981122,300981128,48511383,320263990,320263938,320263992,320263996,319183764,319183875,3632779,3632742,283049400,283049582,283049484,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-41.m4a Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:37:43 iTunes Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, The Jacksons (#40) This week we're celebrating the musical legacy of Michael Jackson. Despite all the (appropriate) attention given to the passing of Michael Jackson, the first five years of his career with the Jackson 5 have been reduced to a half dozen hits. Never mind that the group released 12 albums with over 200 songs among them. Yet they don't get anywhere near the attention that any of the classic rock acts of the early '70s receive. And because of that, lesser charting singles like "Maybe Tomorrow," along with unjustly ignored album cuts and B-sides, such as "Who's Lovin' You" and "I'll Bet You" -- both mentioned on this week's edition -- are relegated to the obscurity of "collectors-only" status. This reductive approach ignores a real period of growth for the band that preceded their move from Motown to Columbia Records (under the "more mature" moniker of the Jacksons) to escape the unjust categorization of teen pop. As a result most would-be fans miss out on this period, which included successful experimentation with musicals ("Corner Of The Sky"), gospel ("Hallelujah Day" ), and disco ("Dancing Machine"). Also lost in all of this week's events are the crucial contributions of Jermaine Jackson. Try thinking of "I'll Be There" having anywhere near its dramatic effect without his brief lead vocal parts contrasting with Michael's -- lending more adult quality to their first change-of-direction A-side. Don't forget his lead vocals grace two of their best non-hits -- "I Found That Girl" (The B-side of "The Love You Save") and their last real hit under the Jackson 5 name, "I Am Love." And that's just the beginning. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=271792457,273047571,5245738,5245734,104061,350065,104076,537245,32933,104088,217291851,217292030,217292258,200605434,159293312,214146211,212972932,270904283,270901826,263508379,269573447,269572927,269573208,273047570,215739235,158995998,169713536,282494347,217292344,27795426,381382,200009666,273047573,27795526 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-40.m4a Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:06 iTunes Street Sweeper Social Club, Rage Against The Machine, The Nightwatchman, Luaka Bop, Phoenix, Art Blakey This week, we're listening in on music from Street Sweeper Social Club, Rage Against The Machine, The Nightwatchman, Phoenix, Art Blakey, and the 21st anniversary of Luaka Bop. We casually offer up a brief a mention of the MC5 as influential in our Rage Against The Machine section. When it came to finding the intersection of musical and political aggresion nobody did it like the MC5-in fact nobody did it before the MC5. Along with other class of 67/68 graduates the Velvet Underground and fellow Detroit-ers The Stooges they practically wrote the template for the punk movement that would flower 10 years later. Rejecting the peace and love ethos of the hippie-era the MC5 opted for a different credo-one that can't be uttered in polite company. Their all too brief career produced three albums each markedly different from each other. Their first, Kick Out the Jams. was recorded live (for fear of not capturing the energy of their performance in the studio) soon after they were conceived as the musical spokespersons for the activist and agitators Jon Sinclair's White Panther Party. Their next Back In The USA produced by a pre-Springsteen John Landau marked a radical departure in to what can best be described as power-pop-metal with catchy numbers like "Shakin' Street" and "High School' mixed with the more ideological "The American Ruse" and "The Human Being Lawnmower". Their last,High Times, found them mixing more complex strong structures and musical textures (including a horn section on some tracks). A best of, The Big Bang, has key tracks from all three albums and a few choice pre-'Jams' era singles. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=204001889,297744198,82448687,300699168,205698172,191450927,192816780,269457995,269458057,269458024,269458197,278835237,314679599,3735671,314679595,314679656,5283469,314679603,314679761,314679601,315002383,315002364,260060974,50235392,58164694,305680084,305680058,157420874,301478937,1014603,1014578,1014586,1014564,207193593,207193583,255818591,255818586,137057234 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-39.m4a Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:35:22 iTunes Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Earth, Wind & Fire, Afrika Bambaataa, Mos Def, Poison, Hank Williams, Hank Williams, Jr., Hank Williams III This week, we're listening in on music from three generations of Hank Williamses, Mos Def, Poison, and four decades of Auto-Tune and vocoder. In our all too brief description of Vernon Reid's black rock coalition and his band Living Colour we mentioned Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Buddy Miles. One could argue that they formed the first black rock coalition save for one fact:they weren't trying to make a statement. They just were passionate and talented about making rock-something the Woodstock-era and the emergence rock as an art form helped make possible. This was,of course, ten years after folks like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Didley played key roles in inventing the whole thing in the first place. In to the middle of that short-lived renaissance stepped Arthur Lee and his band Love. Known by many for being the band that the Doors opened for during their Sunset Strip days, Love were like the Velvet Underground of the West Coast with hippie imagery and a sunnier disposition substituted for the darker alleyway/urbanscapes of Reed and company. Their first two albums were a mix of great 60's garage rock (including a punk-like cover of Bacharach/David's "My Little Red Book") and Arthur's more melodic ethereal creations. Their third album Forever Changes is now mentioned in the same breath as the Zombies Odyssey and Oracle and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds in the 'boy did we get it wrong the first time' critical and cult fan re-appreaction derby- for good reason. It's rare that we'd tell you start anywhere else but the Basics of an Essential (and you won't go wrong making that move with our Love Essentials)but if you've been singing the praises of the new hippie movement (Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear) or just want to have your mind blown by period-appropriate music, Forever Changes is just waiting for you. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=301027748,133716018,276908916,41737859,296905616,215551449,305074259,201590251,70991937,40555795,141708887,317627687,141709276,200005771,56207865,56207933,278835237,316656106,316656173,328693,328684,3689565,101860481,316656089,316656109,120955387,137267634,137267708,137267573,165997822,253129236,250055888,98275109,192492200,43098,159732967,192967267,15037526,15037534,68094538,296408809,16139986,18453527,15037472,15037514,71580639,158182783,71580472,121981897,121981689,121981792,316656149,5571373,311582101,83148646,311582089 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-38.m4a Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:35:31 iTunes Elvis Costello, Vive Latino, Grizzly Bear, Dionne Warwick This week, we're listening in on music from Elvis Costello, the Vive Latino concert, Grizzly Bear, and Dionne Warwick. If we're going to talk about Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach in one episode there's no way you're getting out of here without us raving about their 1998 collaboration Painted From Memory. The project originated when Elvis and Burt collaborated on "God Give Me Strength" (the album's centerpiece) for the period film Grace Of My Heart. This led to a full album's worth of collaborations-a song cycle about lost love with music by Elvis and Burt with lyrics from Elvis. Ignored at the time by those who were expecting EC to get back to his 'classic sound'(whatever that meant in 1996), Painted From Memory is now gaining traction as an adult pop classic in the vein (and dare I say approaching the quality) of Frank Sinatra's In The Wee Small Hours. The album has a few songs that hearken back to the Bacharch/David sound of the late sixties records he wrote and produced for Dionne Warwick ("Tears At The Birthday Party" and especially "Toledo") but it's core lies in more dark and despairing songs especially "In The Darkest Place,""What's Her Name Today" and "I Still Have That Other Girl." http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=278796544,74000189,297475425,252702570,294809842,317510989,252701935,252701961,317510918,317510919,317510928,317510923,317510951,252701974,278835237,278129649,289267423,289267488,286666624,286666621,314837675,314837673,167622997,262709357,187593047,171852491,253210562,253211295,41688577,281704929,302981260,40284751,41688513,146107050,41688511,50232535,5635986,5635992,6801805,292492919,315917090,344296,314821676,314821659,115213775 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-37.m4a Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:34:26 iTunes Journey, The-Dream, Sly & The Family Stone, Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens This week, we're listening in on music from Journey, The-Dream, Sly & The Family Stone, Dwight Yoakam, and Buck Owens. If you follow this blog you know we're always playing a game of bait and switch-the bait being artists we feature on the podcast and the switch is another artist related to those same artists-that we're just dying to have you discover. This week we're using our segment on Dwight Yokum and our mention of his cover of "Long White Cadillac" to steer you to the original version and to discovering the Blasters. The Blasters were, for all intensive purposes, were the first roots rock band of the post-punk era. Four guys out of Downey made their way to the nascent LA Punk making the world safe for rockabilly, country, blues early R&B and practically every other form of American Music (also the title of one of their best songs which also serves as their musical mission statement). Fronted by the brothers Alvin-Phil with a booming voice that reminds one of Little Willie John singing through Charlie Rich's vocal chords and Dave- guitarist/songwriter who played a key role in crafting songs that Hank Williams, John Fogerty and most of the Sun Records roster would be proud to call their own. Their "Long White Cadillac" is performed at a more breakneck pace-sounding more desperate in assuming the first person voice of Hank Williams on his death bed(or death car seat in this case). Other must-hears include"Marie, Marie," the best Chuck Berry song he never wrote, and "I'm Shakin" their cover of a Little Willie John song surpassing the original. If you're a fan of Credence Clearwater Revival and non-boring alt country you might be missing out on your next favorite discovery. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=308193057,363105,171007853,388251133,95497,158713568,185855811,185855590,170108942,170109155,170109579,170110382,157480018,170112622,278835237,306831232,282494345,296000131,269581616,269581838,306831738,306831736,193126391,212571243,216552717,216546654,193126732,216546781,137057223,3251341,169741041,40059059,90681,283258456,169937868,256612932,182258715,182258530,300721400,19046209,302299375,19046156,312889804,312889809,156936963,156936979 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-36.m4a Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:36:50 iTunes Green Day, Chrisette Michele, Rod Stewart, Mandy Moore This week, we're listening in on music from Green Day, Chrisette Michele, Rod Stewart, and Mandy Moore. Yes it's true music snobs! Mandy Moore was already breaking the mold six years ago when she did a surprisingly good version(with an equally good arrangement) of "Senses Working Overtime" -a song that seemed un-coverable at the time. That gives us a great excuse to talk about the song's original creators XTC. Many of you know them from their brief 80s brush with fame(and MTV notoriety)for "Dear God" and "The Mayor Of Simpleton". They started out in the late 70s as a more quirky version of their fellow punk and post-punk bands of the time (Wire, Echo And the Bunnymen) but soon found their way making intricate, melodic sides that rank with the best efforts from Squeeze, Split Enz and Crowded House. If you're a fan of The New Pornographers, Grandaddy or Super Fury Animals then you already understand that a term like progressive pop isn't an oxymoron.For the full story go immediately to our XTC Essentials and head straight for Making "Plans for Nigel" and "Life Begins At The Hop" -but don't miss the highlights form their alter ego the Dukes of Stratosphere- a massively successful attempt at slavish 60s recreation-where their best songs rival the best of those they were emulating/imitating. Start with "Vanishing Girl" which sounds like one of the Hollies greatest hits and marvel at "Pale And Precious " which could have been one the best songs on the Beach boys lost (but recently resuscitated) classic Smile. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=301980990,299844309,307592243,300339577,305012659,140202611,315611467,315611301,5132553,92694,278835237,313877187,257651230,257651221,257651238,313877185,271749075,271749069,6749240,200007376,6931362,20344137,295535357,75130433,318514,318527,75130216,75130292,256920067,302071045,215784320,204003362,263643260,315611495,250038607,257661 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-35.m4a Tue, 26 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:34 iTunes Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, Eminem, The Airborne Toxic Event, Cat Stevens/Yusuf This week, we're listening in on music from Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, Eminem, The Airborne Toxic Event, and Cat Stevens/Yusuf. You might wonder how this stage name was chosen for Steven Demetre Georgiou to fit the mood of the mellow introspective class of emerging singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell-whose ranks he hoped to (and eventually did)join. Few of our US listeners remember that his first sting of records in the mid-sixtes ware about his becoming a British Invasion era pop-star/teen-idol in the vein of Tom Jones and Cliff Richards. While this incarnation of Cat Stevens failed to make any impression stateside, it was a different story in the UK where he had a string of chart records including two top tens. This pre-Mona Bone Jakon period which included two full albums is usually reduced to "The First Cut Is The Deepest" and "Matthew And Son" on most anthologies. But the first 23 songs on his career spanning box set, On The Road To Find Out, shows just how diverse(and dare I say overtly commercial)a Cat Steven record could get. If you like what you heard in those on those two atypical sides, check out "I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun", "Here Comes My Baby" (a hit in the US for The Fortunes) and the you-just-have-to-hear-it-to-believe-it /heavily-orchestrated and produced/ non -ironic "I Love My Dog". Did I mention that these are some of the best pop records from that period? http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=217299214,309652892,309795622,357251,357241,78249,299813645,299813714,2663611,2663627,314974207,314974213,295772738,278835237,360506,1017954,1018037,307643491,307643534,216169360,129649334,263615479,276350647,211203216,292025904,258756516,403678,390665,390667,403598,403643,403629,403676,403726,203811231,313901885,313901888,314766926,314767651,309169411,309169402 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-34.m4a Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:48 iTunes Dark Was The Night, The Troggs, Biz Markie, Rudo Y Cursi, Adam & The Ants This week, we're listening in on music from Dark Was The Night, The Troggs, Biz Markie, Rudo Y Cursi, and Adam & The Ants. If you were inspired by our discussion of Adam & The Ants and the Burundi Beat in particular, do yourself a favor, drop everything and go to the Kongos album by John Kongos- specifically the album's single "He's Gonna Step On You Again" which melds those tribal beats with T Rex-style guitar, "Come Together"-era John Lennon-esque lyrics and Animal Collective-like production (instrumental credits include entries for 'jawbone, bicycle bell and clapper'). Unbelievably this was all written recorded in early 1971. The record went nowhere in America but surprisingly it was a Top Ten hit in Britain. The song was later popularized by the Happy Mondays in a more dance-oriented version under the truncated title "Step On" -but you've got to hear the original-arguably the first glitter record of the seventies and one of the last psychedelic records of the sixties. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=303384713,30724851,312889804,308842100,39979885,303463590,303463639,303463665,303463683,303463672,303463699,303463673,250978758,303463678,37536,5519739,37550,37534,278835237,283029629,219576847,313205402,313205419,313205618,313205302,193204271,157428976,77816362,275421091,308204381,193652116,217275427,292225406,278689711,217274456,217274485,193651923,193651878,185800454,312683587,262667105,186415235,185603468 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-33.m4a Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:00 iTunes Grateful Dead, The Gap Band, Big & Rich, Traveling Wilburys, Crosby, Stills, & Nash This week, we're listening in on the music of the Grateful Dead, The Gap Band, John Rich of Big & Rich, and "supergroups" like Traveling Wilburys and Crosby, Stills, & Nash While Crosby Stills Nash And Young are credited with being the first supergroup let's not forget the importance of their member's pre-CSN&Y incarnations. All three had both critical and commercial success with the bands they left behind. Let's start with David Crosby's stint in the Byrds-the band most people credit for inventing folk rock and for bringing Bob Dylan's music to the masses You probably know "Mr Tambourine Man"(the first Dylan song to hit #1) or "Turn Turn Turn"(the first Peeter Seeger song to hit #1) but you need to hear the David Crosby-penned should-have-been-an- A-side "Ladyfriend". Following a more pop direction Graham Nash's first group, the Hollies, are known for confections like "Bus Stop". Look Through" Any Window" and "Carrie Anne"- all masterpieces of sixties pop, but check out "King Midas In Reverse"for an early preview of what Hollies might sounded like if he stuck around. Finally Buffalo Springfield gave many of us our first taste of singing and writing with Neil Young's" Mr Soul"and Steven Stills' anthemic "For What It's Worth"-still used as shorthand for sixties protest in what seem like every period film. Both Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds are in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame-and the Hollies deserve a place as well. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=306065865,299260072,307195603,310336766,310336799,193943418,155655971,192969898,118110317,82378,309929826,263525382,281147296,278835237,304176008,304176022,304176044,189645976,172501732,250133586,39312662,39312634,39312726,30377468,853041,6748803,298558544,258417006,255145047,307851319,307851321,78050444,218337271,213527088,79483352,303817020,267760369 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-32.m4a Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:30:15 iTunes Spinal Tap, Delicious Vinyl, Sean Hayes, Playing For Change, Peter Gabriel, Ted Hawkins This week, we're listening in on the music of Spinal Tap, Delicious Vinyl, Sean Hayes, Playing For Change, Peter Gabriel, and Ted Hawkins. U HEEP! That abbreviation was the derogatory name given by snob rock critics to Uriah Heep -- often cited (more than any others) as the band Spinal Tap was based on. I'd like to call attention to them as one of the most underrated '70s rock bands. They occupied a strange place on the early 70s rock continuum somewhere between the heavy metal of Deep Purple/Black Sabbath/Led Zeppelin, and the prog rock of Jethro Tull, Yes and ELP. Uriah Heep found that perfect middle -- with David Byron's dramatic phrasing spewing out Lord of the Rings-type mythology backed by Ken Hensley's grandiose keyboard flourishes You'll hear this on songs like "Circle Of Hands,""The Wizard," and "Sunrise." But a closer look at their biggest hits "Stealin'" and "Easy Livin'" finds them in more classic rock territory -- two of best oultaw/"let's just party" anthems of the classic rock era. A great 12-song 20th Century Masters set has all of the titles mentioned here and a few more to correct another incidence of criminal and musical underexposure. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=267778459,55265077,306550655,307592238,304553477,407268,407252,407266,407250,278835237,270220976,270217091,217506356,270055496,281151058,123249359,272715202,19842934,3451525,3451519,3451539,381624851,81775432 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-31.m4a Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:33:14 iTunes Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Bajofondo, Rascal Flatts, Leonard Cohen This week, we're listening in on the music of the grunge movement, especially Pearl Jam and Nirvana, as well as music from Bajofondo, Rascal Flatts, and Leonard Cohen. With a 40-year history, approaching Leonard as a beginner (or even as an intermediate at times) can be daunting. And he's one of the few artists with a legacy who's not an oldies artist -most people got into him in the last 15 years which means that the nostalgia usually associated with classic rock is not applicable. Our Leonard Cohen Essential is the best place to stars. If you decide you're up for further exploration there a few approaches we'd recommend. First there's an excellent overview- the Essential Leonard Cohen (not to be confused with our feature with a similar name)that showcases both his early records (his Simon & Garfunkel-like folk singing on first versions of Suzanne and "Who by Fire") and covers all the high points from his late 80s reemergence ("I'm Your Man", Tower Of Song") -including all songs we mention in the podcast and one of the few songs he omitted from a recent tour that stands with his best, "Alexandra Leaving."Then there's the "Live In London" record, which duplicates most of the tour dates song for song (and rap for rap) -nothing wrong with that if you've been to the show and just need a second helping. Finally many have come to Leonard from hearing his work as a songwriter as interpreted by others. The best place to start is the album Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes -nicknamed Jenny Sings Lenny.-with great takes of "Bird On a Wire,""Ain't No Cure For Love" and "First We Take Manhattan." Now if somebody in the '00s will be as brave as she was in '87 and do an entire album of Leonard songs so we can hear a torch version of "Everybody Knows," an electronica version of "Democracy" or a gospel version of "A Thousand Kisses Deep." http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=220281468,63820558,3882649,309801623,114661,7206254,114672,114668,191454213,308192409,278835237,3501175,89671458,89671347,284696716,284696597,284696700,305135458,157042968,309929328,47126510,216345135,251081851,295740274,70212,59402374,192678729,167379787,190338100,167379740,250687728,250687486,192678832,192678812,192678803,192678821,307746267,298129817,186265622,81096,81092 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-30.m4a Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:22 iTunes Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Jadakiss, The Yardbirds, Paul McCartney This week, we're listening in on the music of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Jadakiss, The Yardbirds, and Paul McCartney. While we were raving about Paul McCartney we had little time to extoll the virtues of his 20 years of post-early Wings/ pre-renaissance gems. A good staring point is his 1982 album Tug Of War. Yes "Ebony And Ivory" was the big hit but the album's real gems are the title song and "Wanderlust" -- arguably one of the best sides he ever cut. Also overlooked is the 1989 album "Flowers In the Dirt" -- recorded right after a songwriting collaboration with Elvis Costello that bore fruit on four McCartney and Costello albums. In addition to the Elvis and Paul duet "You Want Her Too," the album's other high point include the gospel-inspired "That Day Is Done" and "This One" -- that's on top of one of his best ever A-sides, "My Brave Face." If we go back to the early days -1973 to be specific - Red Rose Speedway's "Get On The Right Thing" (which got lost in the shadow of "My Love")might be the best hit he never had. In other words you have no idea how much you're missing by staying in greatest hits land. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=413446,3260692,258854,276974647,306825820,306825822,1265203,1265205,131273692,306825824,306825827,204229436,202145640,5415565,7310695,278835237,310255498,310256209,350055,96120248,80978968,310255892,300141892,196067577,171216512,215784320,76535121,253508512,275538666,30535819,202317560,256136250,256136230,295849548,302370607,170984585,261939749,261940099 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-29.m4a Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:32:38 iTunes Adventureland, The Replacements, Pitbull, Bill Withers, Metallica This week, we're listening in on the music of The Replacements, Pitbull, Bill Withers, and Metallica. To condense Paul Westerberg's work to the two songs we mention on this week's Rewind is to miss a 20-year solo career that is just as impressive as the first 10. Heretical as it might be to hardcore fans, consider looking at the Replacements as the first part of Paul Westerberg's career instead of the other way around. That way the Faces-like rock of "World Class Fad," the gentle introspection of "Sunrise Always Listens," the pure pop of "What A Day For Night," and the almost bubblegum (musically) perfection with wit (lyrically) of "Dyslexic Heart" make a case for a diversity and legacy that's far from over. Step outside the confines of "Ioved his early records " and "whatever happened to" mindset and you'll see he's been there all along. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=66092529,104068,290581692,307592243,305684818,308090885,218763285,282973121,162564072,162563992,62445019,73297448,278835237,309392962,309392969,309392975,309392990,151908927,200557724,305395266,1017720,68364398,158618063,92528,381418,171050087,192692364,171050285,102474780,38557,267028002,343676,278116740,278128712,278129145,278116744,278116751,278110577,278118297,278118288,289553301,993223,993407,411853 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-28.m4a Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:31:06 iTunes Morrissey, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, The Decemberists, Mexican Institute of Sound, Wynton Marsalis This week, we're listening in on the music of Morrissey, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, The Decemberists, Mexican Institute of Sound, and Wynton Marsalis. If our talk about the Decemberists'"The Hazards Of Love" and its connection to the first wave of concept albums artists from the rock era got you interested, let's make a case for Jethro Tull. In the early 70s they released two of the best continuous/one song concept albums: "Thick As A Brick" and "A Passion Play." At their peak they were reviled by critics who labelled the ambitious as pretentious. Never mind that those albums rocked as hard as anything at the time ("Passion Play Edit #8") -- or that that their previous album, the classic Aqualung -- with one side devoted to a critique of the Church of England, was as angry as anything for the early punk movement. Or even that early sides ("Witches Promise,""A Christmas Song") revealed that, as practitioners of the British folk, they were up there with the Fairport Conventions and Steeleye Spans of their time. Any of their "Best ofs" on the iTunes Store can make the case for all of this, but we'd recommend Best Of Jethro Tull:The Anniversary Collection -- big enough to cover 25 years and small enough to offer an introduction. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=252924648,7057830,303463577,294844819,608233,302740378,302740381,302740386,284724297,298894968,298885390,307805036,307805021,307805276,306065857,306065855,306065851,414227,407256,306065849,269173001,193652116,148895089,343973,6255241,185865125,259208141,286224648,286224685,286224730,75132293,47126506,47126510,3444204,202428171,257837847,272300070,90478,88495,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-27.m4a Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:33:00 iTunes I Love You Man, Rush, Michael Penn, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Digital Underground, Booker T. & The M.G.'s, The Mar-Keys, Peter Gabriel, Diana Ross This week, we're listening in on the band Rush (as featured in I Love You Man), soundtrack work from Booker T. & The M.G.'s, The Mar-Keys, and Peter Gabriel, and the music of Michael Penn, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, and Digital Underground. While we're talking about songs that make frequent appearances we need to call out the mother of all media friendly songs -- Katrina and the Waves "Walking On Sunshine." Its musically sunny disposition and sharp poppy horn embellishments have made it the go-to song to connote optimism, good times, or anything upbeat, and landed it in numerous trailers, movies, and TV shows. Katrina and the Waves, like this week's genius picks Marshall Crenshaw and the Shocking Blue, are the undeserving recipients of one-hit wonder status. A quick trip to their anthology offers up minor sparkling pop gems "Going Back To Liverpool" (made famous by The Bangles), "Sunny Street," and the rock inspired Pat Benatar-esque "Do You Want Crying." But the real surprise here is the revelation of Katrina Leskanich as soul singer on both the Aretha/Annie Lennox like "Is That It" and the should-have-been-covered-by-Etta James "The Sun Won't Shine". http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=41441529,273390194,303356154,287137593,129748,260891,50535,260804,260883,306430328,306430330,251085253,194023563,288167231,251101881,282739,298679844,147678039,290885891,187583901,5277787,80390,70267637,81489347,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-26.m4a Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:27:44 iTunes Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, Grandmaster Flash, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Chieftains, Dropkick Murphys This week, we're listening in on Michael Jackson's music during The Jackson 5 era, the legacy of Grandmaster Flash, the reappearance of Echo & The Bunnymen, and the Irish music of The Chieftains and the Dropkick Murphys. Although we only had time for a honorable mention in our St. Patrick's Day Irish music segment, I'd like to call attention to the Boomtown Rats. Although they are now known as the band that Bob Geldof was in before Live Aid -- or maybe the one hit wonder who gave us "I Don't Like Mondays" -- we'd like to try and flip that the other way. They started in 1977 -- known in the UK as the Summer Of Punk -- with their first single "Looking Out For Number One" which is up there with anything coming from The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Damed or The Jam at the time. But most of their first album seemed to draw more on Van Morrison than the Iggy Pop; in particular the very Springsteen-esque "Rat Trap" and "Joey's On The Street Again." Later singles "She's So Modern" and "Like Clockwork" displayed a level of wit and cleverness reminiscent of the best of the (then) artier glitter bands (Sparks, Roxy Music, Cockney Rebel). Give a listen to their best of and re-discover the band punk forgot. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=1534921,3027535,273598914,299941623,46823,46801,104078,202586355,146107074,34187391,104086,207010770,252606583,278835237,303972994,50234456,74861525,50234464,50234472,31740091,31740184,31739924,353361,187593058,164391906,253064091,290813317,254328861,258713238,298402525,255376177,254977212,78964041,78963420,78964625,21315506,207010612,200605434,290382224 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-25.m4a Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:27:55 iTunes Neko Case, The Watchmen, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Do The Right Thing, Public Enemy, Simon & Garfunkel This week, we're listening in on music from the movie The Watchmen, the new album by Neko Case, the enduring legacy of Simon & Garfunkel, and the 20th anniversary of Do The Right Thing. Despite our devoting an entire segment to Neko Case's new album, we've only scratched the surface. Casual mentions were made of her contributions to all four of the excellent New Pornographers albums (each has two Neko Case lead vocals). Let's rectify that now. Go to our New Pornographers Essential and check out "These Are The Fables,""Go Places," and "Mass Romantic." You'll recognize the voice but something seems different. She's channeling her inner pop (and power pop) fan taking on these lyrically complex, multi-hook structures that come from the pen of bandleader AC Newman -- and pulling it off with a whole different kind of expertise. While you're digging deeper you also need to hear "I Wish I Was The Moon" from her third album, "Blacklisted." It's the Neko Case song most likely to be covered by the next (and hopefully) current generation of torch singers. Every time I hear it I can imagine an alternate universe with multiple versions by Ella Fitzgerald, KD Lang, or Diana Krall. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=305796324,257210538,305087263,294844847,126042827,310444,159476284,187958375,305688807,201281527,201283479,192776192,192811066,209896908,278835237,192480260,192775843,302766704,251029668,252723846,1697847,63351,2284878,3484689,1108418,13335448,304484275,271393795,411845,304484279,304484288,271944281,271944312,127962539,304484281,127962351,127963217,304484278,260218572,157525719,301645758 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-24.m4a Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:30:47 iTunes The Frames, Aimee Mann, ELO, The Roots, Snoop Dogg This week, we're listening in on music from The Frames, Aimee Mann, ELO, The Roots, and Snoop Dogg. We're finding a pop theme running through some of this weeks' subjects in Aimme Mann, ELO and Squeeze. On first glance they might seem like a strange grouping -- but all three come from the grand tradition of melody first. ELO started with Beatlesque structure and found a way to successfully blend in many of the more ambitious and orchestral textures often used to excess by their prog rock brethren (Exhibit A: "Showdown"). Aime Mann gave us a personal/confessional singer songwriter whose roots were more in Harry Nilson and melodic punk bands of the late 70s than in Joni Mtichell or James Taylor (Exhibit B: "I Should Have Known"). Squeeze added a sense of wit and observation not seen since the prime since Ray Davies and Bernie Taupin (Exhibit C: "Up the Junction'"). http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=270080089,308751,197974180,296876907,254347632,254347748,279681493,273144177,192747029,283339406,283339455,283338675,283338671,193895932,193894979,53381574,203267147,311542,1484802,43693,75486761,17994967,278927869,7306603,278927870,7306618,1484796,7797150,183134691,6655647,6655657,273658396,267970877,5254026,278115842,351492,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-23.m4a Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:32:02 iTunes MC5, The Knux, Roxy Music, Scissor Sisters, The Clash, Lily Allen, M. Ward This week, we're listening in on music from HBO's Eastbound & Down, MC5, The Knux, Roxy Music, Scissor Sisters, The Clash, Lily Allen, & M. Ward. The new buzzed about HBO comedy Eastbound And Down does the great service of introducing us to Wayne Kramer - and by extension the must hear music of The MC5. It's also a good opportunity to re-emphasize that not all musical roads that lead to Detroit come by way of Motown. While there's no quibbling about the magnificence of the sounds that came from the house that Gordy built, it's important to recognize the city's role in being a bridge between early heavy metal and punk. Exhibit A (and the best place to start) involves a trip to our Iggy Pop Essentials to visit early sides from the punk icon's first band, The Stooges -- arguably Detroit's best ever rock and roll band. A cursory listen to "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "No Fun,""TV Eye," and "Search And Destroy" will have you reeling and surprised that this predates what is considered the first golden era of Punk (Ramones/SexPistols/Clash) by over half a decade. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=20833655,276468221,303384713,216088341,187083563,50236263,50236279,50236265,73245749,293996379,293996380,293996386,293996381,193147332,193147363,303547012,303547018,5455287,162514707,5254026,2516277,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-22.m4a Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:28:37 iTunes They Might Be Giants, Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys, Beastie Boys, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, The Everly Brothers, Little Milton This week, we're listening in on music from They Might Be Giants, Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys, Beastie Boys, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, The Everly Brothers, and Little Milton. They Might Be Serious Even though we make the case that TMBG is far from a novelty band by citing "Your Racist Friend' a closer look at key songs on our TMBG Essential reveals more depth than they get credit for. - "I Should Be Allowed To Think" which uses Alan Ginsberg opening line from his classic poem Howl - "Memo to Human Resources" sung from the point of view of an 'I had enough worker' pondering his existence. - "How Can I Sing Like A Girl?" offers up both gender politics and identity issues under the guise of the song's title. They represent an even larger number of Giant's songs as proof that clever and ironic aren't wholly synonymous with lightweight. Don, Phil And The Lost Decade The two Everly songs covered by Alison Kruass and Robert Plant on Raising Sand are only the tip of the iceberg. During the sixties they tried their hands at everything: British Invasion style pop (including an entire album with the Hollies), country rock, and neo-psychedelia. Their hits in the sixties were few and far between ("Cathy's Clown", "Crying In The Rain" - both Everly classics) but the their creativity never ebbed. The large majority of songs on Next Steps and Deep Cuts on our Everly's Essential collect the cream of the nearly 20 albums they made for Warner Brothers in one decade. I'd start with the almost pre-power popish "Man with Money", the California chamber pop ode to Kentucy "Bowling Green" and the country-tinged melancholy of "Sleepless Nights." http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=281851090,278689734,299823206,303354732,164363819,19130197,19130175,273135934,273135938,278835237,303733885,303733897,276473685,295477247,7206157,1958593,5805829,5805819,5805821,2356302,191906615,102498669,174699774,3437097,98029570,279641589,295849548 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-21.m4a Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:33:16 iTunes Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Waylon Jennings, The Hives, Arctic Monkeys, David Bowie, Wu-Tang Clan, Sonny Rollins This week, we're listening in on music from Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Waylon Jennings, the garage rock sound of the Hives, the history of the Wu-Tang Clan, and jazz great Sonny Rollins. Don't Let Looks Decieve - Buddy Rocks Although Buddy Holly looked non-threatening make no mistake about it he rocked. When you get past hits like "Everyday,""It's Raining," and "True Love Ways" (which you shouldn't - because they're great too) you'll see another side. Many of his best records make the best use of the Bo Diddley beat this side of the man with the square guitar himself. How many of his ilk, even the other founding fathers (Fats, Elvis, Richard) could best Chuck Berry with one of his songs? When Buddy takes on "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" that rockabilly hiccup brings something out in the lyrics that take the song somewhere else. In the same league is his own "Rockin' Around With Ollie Vee." Let's not forget that Sonny Curtis, one of the original Crickets, wrote "I Fought The Law" -- a very Buddy Holly-esque song that was a hit for The Bobby Fuller Four. And even fewer know that he wrote "Love Is All Around," the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore show -- about as un-Hollyesque as you can get, but cool enough to be covered by 80s alt rock legends Husker Du. Lux-Loss and Discovery But nobody did a better version of the 50s/60s in the 70s/80s than the Cramps -- distilling everything that was great about 50s and early 60s trash culture: horror movie kitsch, rockabilly, surf, and some still unknown secret ingredients. The untimely passing of Lux Interior means we'll never see that combination of Iggy Pop, early Jerry Lee Lewis and Screamin' Jay Hawkins (fill in your own comparatives here) but that shouldn't stop you from acquainting (or re-acquainting) yourself with their early records. They were perhaps the first punk band to make peace with rock's past. Even a cursory listen to "Human Fly,"" Goo Goo Muck,""Sunglasses After Dark," or anything from their first two albums (Songs The Lord Taught Us and Psychedelic Jungle) will show you that they had the best record collections of any punk band and they weren't afraid to share the contents with us. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=303089712,107633400,59412277,296884963,298888701,357091,271381554,29124772,29124600,29124321,337248,357104,15038715,357112,5669797,76532174,256889360,278835237,267782171,121522167,300716862,254986543,254985981,135447422,145040513,145040502,164748872,137057525,288555860,145040487,37035,37014,121264878,192689345 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-20.m4a Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:28:48 iTunes Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart, The Gourds, Old 97s, The Band, Wanda Jackson, Bobby Womack, Run-DMC This week, we're listening in on the "New Hippie" movement involving Animal Collective and Devendra Banhart, the rootsy sounds of the Gourds, Old 97s, and the Band, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Wanda Jackson, Bobby Womack, and Run-DMC. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=357277,294467206,6259736,300339584,294084097,301756996,301756969,301756965,301756964,290586557,279390882,50235541,50235537,281714129,49250095,3271753,76533482,6931368,272865460,272865444,270245973,14864874,14864822,14864879,15978216,76532310,254345346,254344928,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-19.m4a Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:29:39 iTunes Inaugural celebration music from Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Common, Beyoncé, Sam Cooke, Bettye LaVette, Pete Seeger This week, we're discussing inaugural celebration performances by soul singer Bettye LaVette, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Wonder, timeless American songs by Woody Guthrie and Sam Cooke, and the newest music on TV, in commercials, and online. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=260801476,276473685,263305184,277635828,192903160,202562638,192689153,192703865,102055,102061,102063,102051,102059,171050214,193950222,210209380,3251278,418219,56209851,260405173,296012811,356456,297019122,160608981,271950471,271950477,264606650,264606416,77675755,76532115,175598668,82517620,195053273,159043389,96487383,125968828,159781287,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-18.m4a Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:31:38 iTunes Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Glasvegas, Raphael Saadiq, Richard Hawley, The Only Ones, Doves, Smokey Robinson, Jay-Z This week, we're listening in on Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, the modern legacy of Motown, the sounds of Scottish alt-rock band Glasvegas, and the newest songs you've heard on TV, in commercials, and online. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=203708455,19851181,1969744,27068488,273122918,18004546,363320,27068503,216651787,216650499,27068478,18004559,278835237,292025927,292025915,292025904,264386893,278689711,203767447,298530416,298530605,298531663,160071894,282280064,78404711,6933902,135995,217937850,278642286,290382224,127399,44342241,408431,270094667,6548306,6934159,79308071,272103931,272103912,280440906,361243 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-17.m4a Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:25:47 iTunes The Notorious B.I.G., Thin Lizzy, The Apples In Stereo, Blue Öyster Cult, Nina Simone This week, we're listening in VH1's 100 Greatest Rock Songs, The Apples in Stereo, The Notorious B.I.G., Nina Simone, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=213699466,258907197,290878371,247128,113712,247138,1954107,247134,346863,217556132,193026120,185865186,170587230,27068488,78948789,260546878,78996555,78988889,96120108,78996575,3847674,121255598,79801,119212043,121255556,119212087,89317414,157860909,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-16.m4a Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:29:33 iTunes The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Was (Not Was), Teddy Thompson, Drive-By Truckers, The Foreign Exchange, Kidz In the Hall, Andy Bey This week, we're listening in on the most underrated albums of 2008, the soundtrack of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, our favorite albums from veteran artists, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=282476784,162576165,282476838,89671356,282476781,282476801,282476793,271393796,258906148,271393797,293525021,290892129,258543284,298855529,76533136,155784452,323555,76174233,276973508,276973503,276973502,276973501,267084969,267084986,127962351,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-15.m4a Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:26:37 iTunes Flight of the Conchords, My Morning Jacket, Erykah Badu, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, George Jones This week, we're listening in on Erykah Badu, the Kennedy Center Honors, Bruce Springsteen's best soundtrack contributions, our favorite critics' picks of 2008, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=337685,299522419,291184228,279016602,290586553,278064269,268879001,407268,278064266,260747286,278064259,279648354,279648357,279648356,279648361,5242584,274231991,274232027,274231992,274232046,169989989,202562995,78258826,78258891,253615133,3448678,63140,117178,15139530,169742882,252702497,292282700,155673830,15139535,202251436,72083,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-14.m4a Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:28:27 iTunes Yes Man, Eels, Blitzen Trapper, Otis Redding, The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl, The Emotions This week, we're listening in on the soundtrack of Yes Man, Blitzen Trapper, The Emotions, our favorite "bummer" Christmas songs, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=251410318,296423812,296424005,296423871,315251810,369897,296423864,3444643,3444655,3445065,3445083,57538056,296000131,290586553,290586557,277774192,212603024,260218572,270909324,40287757,3537402,107459125,189233734,45170,215558885,157434233,170523220,283339245,281150975,295740278,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-13.m4a Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:21:58 iTunes Cadillac Records, The Duke Spirit, Anthony Hamilton, The Kinks, Isaac Hayes This week, we're listening in on the music of Chess Records, The Duke Spirit, Anthony Hamilton, our favorite unexpected Christmas songs, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=514138,272857429,297019122,514410,297019124,5414277,64682,513519,4511786,96915,328207,96903,3537653,522819,272857433,272638212,272857430,272857426,272638156,290145693,111162333,267153674,30948267,217299274,55050362,147990458,296548117,272265268,272265236,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-12.m4a Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:25:45 iTunes Slumdog Millionaire, A Colbert Christmas, Donny Hathaway, Tom Jones This week, we're listening in on the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire, the Stephen Colbert Christmas special, the legacy of Donny Hathaway, the new Tom Jones album, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=296876829,296876756,206578566,296876776,262161799,262161877,259063637,219193715,41231227,270714557,296548014,296548018,296548057,296548117,296548089,296548079,217281662,888653,120156255,120156538,3260698,81230654,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-11.m4a Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:27:06 iTunes Twilight soundtrack, Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Wizzard, Clarence Carter, Run-DMC, and more. This week, we're listening in on the Twilight soundtrack, the Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, our favorite Christmas songs, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=294342486,294342499,294342495,294342514,220172413,260218572,277774183,277774192,297019865,1008500,257500906,257500886,257500890,171434594,1524381,40458901,189233734,212976439,782292,888653,30946952,282387324,271393796,256874349,355317,364922,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-10.m4a Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:24:15 iTunes Elvis Costello, Lee Dorsey, Allen Toussaint, Justin Timberlake, Aretha Franklin, Erykah Badu, George Jones This week, we're listening in on Justin Timberlake, music from the TV series True Blood, the BET J Virtual Awards, Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=268167655,273840883,411843,2960653,25092849,156872091,1609619,157144839,157144811,83148621,59401193,77671644,185862719,56217259,296000131,254675934,159293312,152471414,264250198,275861821,274232046,250777063,284532566,263494509,80809755,284532649,284532549,190728305,177965612,292173391,376059,145031581,252833795,290436135,169742882,78976358,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-09.m4a Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:26:19 iTunes Kaiser Chiefs, Leona Naess, Q-Tip, The Kinks, Miriam Makeba and more. . . This week, we're listening in on the Kaiser Chiefs, Leona Naess & Ryan Adams, Q-Tip, Ray Davies and the Kinks, Miriam Makeba, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=268869569,294082925,294082930,49482346,219949408,294083062,294083025,290490668,2232419,111189496,44890905,3481244,294662665,294662713,284765459,294296246,55050360,5384820,5389019,268870485,268869669,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-08.m4a Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:23:58 iTunes James Bond themes, T-Pain, Soul Men soundtrack, and more . . . This week, we're listening in on the soundtrack to the movie Soul Men, T-Pain (and his vocoder), James Bond theme songs, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=293235481,294584921,294585216,63607641,187407263,294585145,217879541,294585166,294585153,267153674,294584965,258404069,40454681,292777550,285830671,290331874,292721376,198517119,148037731,15039976,148037337,85059,279016745,288293876,278689711,278835237,418219,418221,192903160 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-07.m4a Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:23:36 iTunes X, The New York Dolls, The Damned, Hanson, Coldplay, Nas, Common, and more. . . This week, we're listening in on 70's punk rock, Hanson and other "one-hit wonders", Coldplay, Nas, Common, and more... http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=6749223,267024619,203886908,267023717,81700,81687,214472630,77819006,193895932,62176,252525863,254347632,259710654,46801,194023563,284871458,284871640,157987526,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-06.m4a Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800 Music no 00:28:26 iTunes Ludacris, Keane, The Pretenders, The Four Tops, David Bowie, and more. . . This week, we're listening in on Ludacris, Keane, The Pretenders, The Four Tops, and the 70's music of TV's "Life On Mars". http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=289405500,255900708,197210830,118125081,289405506,19443891,2663647,214310283,273128345,290331874,155713685,27031692,267915521,6767315,291186249,6943150,47468,1290180,1296385,286902161,15139519,201270417,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-05.m4a Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:26:43 iTunes Conor Oberst, Taylor Swift, Lucinda Williams, music from the new movie Rachel Getting Married, and more... This week, we're listening in on Conor Oberst, Bon Iver, Taylor Swift, Lucinda Williams, and music from the new movie Rachel Getting Married. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=291722823,291722852,285147277,6939376,6939374,285147276,285147249,41654186,159476284,288793225,3627939,285147284,258905971,258906148,291184228,80546623,290073037,269211163,78980779,283522727,291413312,273428135,273428130,264340887,277774192,80632109,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-04.m4a Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:24:52 iTunes Fleet Foxes, Chris Brown, Miles Davis, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and more . . . This week, we're listening in on the Fleet Foxes, Chris Brown, Miles Davis, and some of the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=281086428,291413312,281338844,197995197,281086435,270960513,281086432,281086447,279641589,271653825,282428784,89317414,89317104,89317571,89317205,157475347,77675501,162322922,162322687,162322554,150132515,50235753,278835237 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-03.m4a Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:25:42 iTunes The Raconteurs, Duffy, an international video game soundtrack, and more... This week, we're listening in on Duffy, The Raconteurs, MGMT, Randy Newman, and the international soundtrack for EA Games' FIFA 09 soccer video game. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=276350646,279016736,264720106,264720124,284724392,280390224,281625331,282374069,217937850,258056504,279016704,292173391,276691175,279016602,257837972,278642280,129956511,205491884,217001898,276567271,414776,276350653,156093464,65014,51957181,18197814,285921902,285921886 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-02.m4a Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:30:43 iTunes The Emmys, TV on the Radio, Kings of Leon, and more... BUBBLING UNDER - A weekly look at one standout track making its way up the iTunes charts. This week, we riff on Kings of Leon and "Sex is On Fire" from their newest album, Only By the Night. THE PRIMETIME EMMYS - In a memorable segment of the televised 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, Josh Groban covered an amazing 40 years of TV theme songs with his hilarious medley. Featuring everything from the sounds of South Park to Love Boat crooning, Josh's performance had us talking about how many great TV theme songs have become stuck in our heads over the years. BANDS ON TOUR - Each week, we spotlight a great artist currently out on tour. This week, we talk about Brooklyn's TV on the Radio and their art rock forefathers. The band is touring behind their brand-new release, Dear Science, and they just appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman on Friday night. GENIUS - Every week, we pick one track to run through iTunes' brand new Genius program, which then gives us a playlist of songs that go great together. This week, we dig deeper into TV on the Radio with "Province" a song from their new album. THE MOTOWN SOUND - Sadly, one of the great pioneers of the Motown sound - Norman Whitfield - passed away this week. We explore the legacy of a man whose contributions to music history have been sampled by artists like the Beastie Boys and Lil Wayne, and covered by everyone from Mary J. Blige to Madonna. http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStoreServices.woa/wa/wsLookup?id=278835237,291413315,291106869,291106868,291106875,186832093,51957766,219076419,95765277,269339790,40454447,279999215,83985,270909515,1008500,3440657,291184231,17804453,280143382,187593047,291184242,211541847,1523094,6933902,212571243,6759102,3434645 http://movies.apple.com/datapub/us/podcasts/rewind/rewind-01.m4a Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700 Music no 00:26:25