Post by: Thomas S. England on September 12, 2003, 09:21:34 AM
Post by: Paddy on September 12, 2003, 01:55:03 PM
For those who haven't seen the newspaper notices, Johnny Cash died yesterday at the age of 71, from complications of diabetes.
I'll always remember a Toronto concert he did at Roy Thomson Hall (probably almost 20 years ago now) - the audience was the most incredibly mixed bag I've EVER seen at a concert - everyone from grannies in pastel pants to country fans in rhinestones to punks in chains and spiky hair (and dressed in black, of course!).
Not a good week...first Warren Zevon (do you have any pics of him, Tom?) and now The Man in Black.
Post by: Thomas S. England on September 12, 2003, 02:26:26 PM
QUOTE
Johnny Cash died yesterday at the age of 71, from complications of diabetes.
Not a good week...first Warren Zevon (do you have any pics of him, Tom?)
Not a good week...first Warren Zevon (do you have any pics of him, Tom?)
Well, you and I know that he really died from a broken heart.
Never saw Zevon.
Post by: beacher on September 12, 2003, 02:54:39 PM
For both Warren & Johnny; exceptional people, and a real loss for the music world. Nothing I can say about Johnny, except he was an incredible human, as well as an artist. Have been listening to him for about 50 years. . . Two weeks ago, I picked up Warren's album album, "My Ride Is Here", (under the misconception that it was his "latest"; didn't notice the 2001 date), which is truly wonderful. Nothing in the first listening disavowed me of the notion that he knew he was dying, and the label illustration of a skull sucking on a cigarette still hits me as being the epitimy (sp?) of irony. A wonderful disc, full of dark (although couched in Warren's weird humor) lyrics and rich music. He wrote several of the songs in collaboration with Carl Hiasen ("Skin Tight", "Basket Case" [newest novel, and the name of the single off the album], "Tourist Season". . .Great sense of humor!) , and Hunter S. Thompson ("Where the Buffalo Roam" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". . .wacked out drug epic from the 70's; may be hard to relate to if you weren't "there", or had friends that were! Was on the campaign trail with Nixon in the 60's, if you can believe THAT! Sheesh! Maybe that's why he's so strange. . .) and Paul Muldoon, who, strangely enough seems to be a "serious" writer and poet. . .The music is definitely ROCK AND ROLL, but not "hard", and the wit and irony should appeal to most everyone who appreciates beautiful use of the English language.
So, you can't imagine my joy in discovering, 2 weeks later, that there was still one more album to enjoy. "The Wind" is another fine offering, with help from Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley (Eagles), David Lindley (great guitarist from Jackson Browne's early days), Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Joe Walsh (Eagles, and The James Gang), Ry Cooder, John Waite, T.Bone Burnett, Jackson Browne, Tommy Shaw ("hair band from the '80's". . .can't remember which one; sorry, just wasn't my flavor!), and Timothy B. Schmit.
And I still have one more thing to look forward to, from Warren. A&E followed him around, the last year of his life, through the making of "The Wind", and did a 1 hour special, which a friend has taped for me, with the warning that it's pretty hard to watch, because of the toll that the lung cancer was extracting from him. Apparently, he "faded" with the same grace as George Harrison, which prompts me to ask, "Why does our government still condone the cultivation and distribution of tabacco?", and that really is one of those questions you ask, that doesn't really expect an answer (another "senior moment". . .there's a term for that, but I just can't come up with it!).
Which leads me to another serious question. . .Is there such a thing as a "phonetic dictionary"? Twice, I wanted to use a word, but no matter how I spelled it, the MacDictionary wouldn't give me a "real" spelling. . .
And I agree with Thomas. . .I can't imagine him without his wife.
Post by: RobW on September 12, 2003, 03:23:09 PM
Beacher, like you, I was a real big Warren Zevon fan. I believe that he really had me hooked in the 70's with "Lawyers, Guns, and Money"--which for reasons that shall remain unexplained, was a song that my friends and I used to sing--a lot.
Over the last few weeks, I've read some great articles about him and about the making of The Wind. I've not had a chance to see it yet--I thought it may be on VH1 this weekend--but I'm not sure. I do want to hear his cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"--which I imagine is something special. Oh, was it a "rhetorical" question??
Post by: beacher on September 12, 2003, 07:47:24 PM
Post by: RobW on September 12, 2003, 08:59:36 PM
I "sampled" the cover of "Knockin--sounds great.
I'll have to pick up that CD this weekend. I don't know why, but I found myself listening to some old Tom Waits tonight.
Post by: sandbox on September 13, 2003, 03:37:24 AM
Hats' off to both! I’ve heard their music most of my life.
Rob funny you mentioned Tom Waits, I was listening to "Small Change" a few days back, after catching "Step Right Up" on the radio I had to come home and plug in the album.
Then I got hooked on Aztec two Step which I burnt on a CD to listen to on the road.
Beacher as usual your musical knowledge is fascinating!
I’ve got a question that maybe you can answer, do you think that Warren would have wrote the same music or sang the same if he didn’t smoke?
Post by: Peter on September 13, 2003, 10:14:47 AM
Great man- Great Music
What a Loss
Peace,
Peter
Post by: beacher on September 13, 2003, 01:23:22 PM
Hmmmmmm. . .Not sure if I ever heard of cigarettes changing the way people think, SB, except everybody I ever knew tended to get a little "edgy" when they started "jonesin' " for the nicotine. . .Now, the voice, that's a whole 'nother thing. Think I'd have rather had another 10-20 years and a little smoother voice from almost everyone. . .When it comes to Mr. Waits, I can't imagine him without that cigarette/whiskey voice. What an incredible talent! First time I saw him was the PBS video special of "Nighthawks at the Diner" (not sure about the title; it was about 15-20 years ago!), and I had no idea of who he was, but I was blown away as he sang/recited poetry and played guitar and piano.
Post by: Paddy on September 13, 2003, 01:54:10 PM
Keep Me In Your Heart makes me incredibly sad. It is wonderful to see the terrific bunch of musicians that gathered to work on The Wind with Warren - he was obviously well-respected within the music community. I haven't picked up the CD yet (heard some tracks on the radio though) and didn't know that T-Bone Burnett was on it too. He is one of my all-time faves (live, he has got to be one of the funniest performers I've ever seen) and I keep wishing he'd put out another album. He's done a lot of producing of other people's stuff, including CD's by wife Sam Phillips, but nothing new himself for years. (there's supposed to be something on the way...been that way for several years now!)
Post by: themagpie on September 13, 2003, 08:58:41 PM
Margie
Post by: pendragon on September 14, 2003, 07:56:46 AM
Thank you.
Harv
Post by: danf63 on September 14, 2003, 08:14:10 AM
Dan
Post by: kps on September 14, 2003, 10:22:42 AM
Always liked Johnny, too.
Post by: Highmac on September 15, 2003, 02:07:22 AM
From an article in the UK Daily Mail by Glenys Roberts
QUOTE
June wed Cash in 1968 when he was at rock bottom, and helped him kick his bad habits. It was a magic formula, the rebel saved by the love of a good woman. It seems no accident that his death comes only four months after hers.
and
QUOTE
Cash was brave and spot-on in his musical taste. He spoke up for Bob Dylan when he was a complete unknown and gave Kris Kristofferson, then a struggling songwriter, his chance at the 1969 Newport Folk Festival. In return they offered him the pick of the songs they wrote, as did Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, and even Paul McCartney, who wrote a song called Man, We Was Lonely, which Cash called "the countriest song I have ever heard".
and
QUOTE
British fans will remember him at Glastonbury in 1994 when he sang accompanied by an acoustic guitar about sin and redemption and brought tears to everyone's eyes. One critic said his performances were so deeply felt, so right, that a law should be passed making everyone listen to them.
RIP Johnny
Highmac