Soul Man (Blues Brothers)

An utterly infectious smile-provoking act, one of those priceless pairings, like Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson....

Women's Dictionary

Pay attention!

In My Life

Although I haven't performed it since 1989, this song was one I played every time, either on stage or busking in Cork, Ireland. Over the years, in my mind, the line "I love you more" applied to different women, and, after his death, to John Lennon.

While the Beatles could not have been what they were without the contributions of all 4, Lennon was the star among stars. I still recall the excitement of hearing "I wanna hold your hand" on the radio when it was a new release by a new band. How amazing to have been witness to their progress! I still have every vinyl album they released in the US,although I no longer own a means to play them (how dumb is that?)

"Some are dead and some are living / In my life, I've loved them all"

A simple twist of fate

Sometimes I wonder if Dylan and the others who wrote and performed the soundtrack of my life did me a favor or a disservice, supplying with their words a substitute for my own poor efforts, as I wonder whether the trials of contining to write might have improved my craft enough to join their ranks. So many artists, thoughts, melodies and words. One thing is certain: I have been fortunate to have their music enrich my life.

"People tell me it's a crime, to feel too much at any one time..."

Love minus Zero / No Limit

This is an amazingly good recording, considering that it looks more like a cheap hotel room than a studio.

"She knows there's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all..."

Temple of Love-Tania Smith (Space Junky)

My virtual friend, Tania Smith, and her partner/producer, Rafe van Hoy, wrote this song in 1994, 10 years before visiting Tibet, where this video was filmed. There is a glitch in the sound - the change is partially intentional, I believe.

Planet 7 - Space Junky

Another video from this amazing band.

Femme Fatale - Space Junky

Another song from my (virtual) friend's group. You can buy their CD, "Resident Alien," at CDBaby.com, or read more about them at

http://spacejunky.com

Are the good times really over for good?

I wouls walk on the shore of Swansea Bay, in Wales, listening to this and other country sons, somehow more poignant, more relevant than they had ever seemed before spending an extended amount of time away from the USA. It seemed so comforting to hear Merle singing in his eloquent way about the things that had troubled some of the younger generation for some time. It was both sad and somehow validating that a mainstream guy was finally wakng up. Gotta give him credit for being willing to admit he had been wrong, not about what was right about America, but what had begun to go wrong.

Ring of Fire

Following Rainbow Quest led to Johnny Cash, and this is perhaps one of his best songs. If memory serves, it's about his love for June Carter, who was married when they met. He seems so young here, and as it was over 40 years ago, I guess he was.

It was 1963, the year before the Beatles began the "British Invasion," which changed the music scene forever. And this makes me think of Merle Haggard...

3 Kingfishers (Donovan)

Oh I dreamed you were a jewel, sitting in a golden crown on my head...

Donovan plays and sings, Shawn Phillips accompanies on sitar. From Pete Seeger's tv series, "Rainbow Quest"

I am, I said...

My first exposure to this song and singer came in a Philosophy course in Jr. College in 1972.

The struggle between believing in oneself and the repeated reminders that this is foolish is something that has haunted this life. And now, as I face the end of this life, in a year or a decade or two, I wonder if being aware I suffer this dichotomy is enough to move beyond it?

Done too soon...

Following tonight's stream of consciousness I move on from Trower's personal blues lament to Diamond's more poignant observation on the lives of some more prominent figures. One never knows what process leads to the selection, in this case, of one name over another, although perhaps the number of syllables in each selected name led to their inclusion from a short list, either on paper or in the poet's mind. In any event, the compiler here adds photos of the named individuals, to either inform or remind us of who that person was. I for one appreciate the inclusion of those images.

Bridge of Sighs (Robin Trower)

A flip-side, of sorts, to the smiling exuberance of the Wilburys, this song has spoken to me over the past 30+ years. I tend to think being sad all the time is not healthy, but sometimes a little self-indulgence allows me to realize just how good my life is on the good days, and that the good can outweigh the bad, if I let them. If I make them, for sometimes it is a choice to recall that no matter how long it takes to cross the bridge of sighs, once we have crossed, those sighs are behind us. For a while, at least.

So let us not pause too long in the middle, gazing at the sluggish turbulence. Let us finish crossing, and see if the clouds don't break, and a shaft of sunlight doesn't illuminate the road ahead.

Handle with care...

An amazing, "can't sit still" song... makes me think I have wasted my life by not sticking with music. But even so, I just love it.

Real good, for free...

A nice version, although the best I have heard is on her live album, "Miles of Aisles" 'And I play if you have the money - or if you're some kind of friend to me...' what honesty!

A Case of You

Sometimes I forget how eloquent her words are...

tears and fears and feelin' proud...

It's easy...

a montage from one of my favorite films

Immortal Desire

My friend Shakti Cianci (Tania Smith) fronting the RL band, Space Junky, performing in the online world, Second Life.

Why must I torture the one who adores me? Why must she torture me? Do we not crave the same thing?

Somebody to Love - Queen

Same sentiment, same need, different group....

Somebody to Love

Jefferson Airplane, this version recorded in 1967

A time of awakenings, a time of protests, a longing for pece, a time of some pretty stupid behavior on all sides of the political spectrum.

Yet is it not the same now as it was 40 years ago, that if there was more love shared, among men and women, among neighbors, whether in the same town, the same country or the same planet, would we not all be better off?

Tocatta and Fugue in Dm, JS Bach / Karl Richter

I believe there is no higher calling than music, the composition or writing, and performance thereof. I believe it trumps Art, which is most likely second, and writing, which I rank third most important. In this life I have at times been a pretty poor exponent of all of these, but fortunately little evidence remains. Others in all three genres are far better than I, and sometimes I like to share these favorites. Although Bach is not my favorite composer, this is one of my all-time favorite pieces, nd this is a superb rendition.

May it Be

Having first read Lord of the Rings more than 40 years ago, the Peter Jackson films were the culmination of a long-held desire. As an Enya fan from the first moment I heard her, this song blending the two was sheer delight.

Acoustic Eidolon - A Sample

Joe Scott and Hannah Alkire live about 15 miles north of here and may be heard locally as well as on tours through various parts of the US. What you hear here is barely enough to give you a taste of their talent and range, but if you find them interesting, learn more at http://www.acousticeidolon.com/frameset.html

The Orange, the Lemon and the Egg

Guaranteed to bring a smile!