compared to what

Yesterday’s talk about the Right Place got me thinking about what other songs have evolved significantly. In that case, a song I loved from its birth is growing into its maturity, with me loving every stage along the way. But I got thinking of a couple other songs that I found somewhat problematic at first, [...]

A biography of a song.
When The Right Place first was “leaked” prior to the release of Taylor Hicks first major label album, it sounded like a Taylor Hicks song. For one thing, advance promo suggested that it had been written for Hicks’ musical hero, Ray Charles, who was not able to record it before he [...]

It was at that moment that I realized that on one level there was no difference between the artist and his/her audience. Through the expression of his pain, joy, anger and unapologetic sexuality we were all united in our humanity Jason Ricci
Some artists, that I love, meet me in my comfort zone, [...]

It’s sometimes called G.A.S. - guitar acquisition syndrome. Lately, I’ve had something more like small-electronics acquisition syndrome, but for the last 18 months, I’ve been lusting after a guitar. In particular, the T5 thinline electric guitar, by Taylor Guitars. My unrequited love was already almost a year old when Hicks showed up playing one on [...]

Haruki Murakami, the famous Japanese novelist, says he learned to write from music. He started thinking he could get at The Mystery through jazz, but found instead that the music led him to words:
Then comes the part I like best: free improvisation. Through some special channel, the story comes welling out freely from inside. All [...]

When this story, Sex, Drugs and Your Blog, by Clive Thompson, was pointed out to me by faithful reader, Curious Joe, I thought at first it was in commiseration with the pressure of finding some lame thing or other to post about every day, because it starts out talking about this poor dude who has [...]

For a lazy Saturday, a place to talk about whatever you want, if you happen to wander by here today.
You can take the lazy way to sing the blues.
Or, just sit back and watch a few videos from the Taylor Hicks concert at the Pageant in St. Louis last night (07/13/07)
Heaven Knows

You need to a [...]

I remember sitting in the kitchen of a venue where we played in Pittsburgh talking to Josh White Jr. about musicians that changed us–we talked about his dad too. It was one of those perfect moments. I remember thinking I could live like that forever — they didn’t pay us much [...]

Here’s a few things to help you deal with any lingering paraskavedekatriaphobia you may be experiencing today.
Voodoo Woman, Susan Tedeschi, Austin City Limits

Superstition, Taylor Hicks, WorkPlay(b’ham), December 2005

Of course, if those doesn’t do it for you, this surely will:
Voodoo Chile, Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock, 1969

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Most [...]

play me:

With earlier talk this week of alternate ways for musicians to sell their recordings, we thought we’d continue the economics theme with a petition. I wonder whatever became of this effort?
Vote Ray

Recognize any of the signatees? (other than the viagra spam, I mean)