Game Day Commentary

Everywhere I turn I see duckfan. There is an orgy of green and yellow going on here in PDX. Ironic, since the team they follow eschews those colors of late. One radio station is playing the Oregon fight song over and over again. Every player that ever played or coached football for the U of O has been interviewed at least ten times. I must say I've had my fill. Bring on the game and get it over.

I'll get to watch the game at home on the big TV with my solidly Orange daughter. I've been invited to duckfan parties, but no thanks. If I went I know I'd have to excuse myself early.

If Oregon wins, I'll be happy for my many Duck friends, John Nilsen, Mark O'Doherty, the entire Frey family and my brother-in-law Wayne, whose kids, my nephews, have a new found enthusiastic allegiance to all that is U of O. I can't deny them their fun. Think how far the program has come to even be in this game. If they win, it will be bigger than Terry Baker or Steve Prefontaine in state of Oregon sports legend. A huge accomplishment, not likely to be repeated. I appreciate all the Pac-10 vs SEC arguments. I concur that it would be nice to see the whole country awaken to the idea that west coast football is now more than just USC. I even think that Oregon's success might force the Beavers to raise the bar in Corvallis. It has always seemed to do so in the past.

If Oregon loses, I will have a smile in my heart that will last for days. I can't explain it. I always get happy to hear that the Ducks lost a game. Does not matter which sport. A loss in this game would probably make me happier than most. My distaste for all that is Oregon was honed in the 1970's at Gill Coliseum and Mac Court. I have personally witnessed many Civil Wars. At times it seemed my own blood was spilled. Simply put, they are my school's arch rivals and hated enemy. Its like the Greeks and the Turks, ingrained in me. And all of their financial blessing from Phil Knight has me putting the Ducks in the same category I hold the New York Yankees. Over-privileged and spoiled. They did not earn this as much as they bought this. Don't get me wrong. I love Phil Knight. I think he is a treasure for the whole state. He sometimes gives money to OSU. Just not quite so much.

While I don't like Oregon, I sure as hell respect this football team. They have been amazing to watch. Their lightning strike offense can be jaw-dropping. Their kickoff and punt returns are incredible. Oregon is loaded with skilled athletes and speed. It's like Chip Kelly has invented a whole new way to play this game. I'm sure we will see many copycat coaches playing fast-tempo offense in the next few years. Oregon, along with Nike, has also invented a new sports fashion culture. It won't be long before we see many other teams featuring new uniforms, shoes and helmets for every game. I think Phil Knight might get his investment back on this deal.

And Auburn? They remind me of that Texas team a few years ago that beat USC carried by quarterback Vince Young's amazing all-around skills. He seemed to win that game all by himself. Can Cam Newton do the same tonight? I think he's every bit as talented as Vince Young and similar in so many ways. Won't he show up when the stage is the biggest of all? My guess is that he will. Can Oregon stop him? No one else has been able to.

I watch in peace and calm tonight. I expect a great game. I root for neither team. Whoever wins, there will be reasons to celebrate.

Grateful Dead - Althea 03-28-81

One of my favorites from the old days. I miss Jerry.

Neil Young's Twisted Road Tour – 7/19/10

I had seen Neil Young in concert four times before last night, but never as a solo act. The previous events always featured either Crosby, Stills and Nash, or the band Crazy Horse as his sidemen. The idea of seeing Neil and his Martin guitar alone on the stage of the Schnitzer Auditorium was a prospect I could not resist. So, I was first in line with a few thousand other people when the tickets went online a few weeks ago. I got good seats and knew I would be in for a special evening. That was unless the "other" Neil Young showed up... the Neil Young that produced awful recent recordings like "Fork In The Road" or "Are You Passionate?". Those of us who have followed Neil since the Sixties know that he is prone to go down such strange artistic paths from time-to-time. You never know for sure who'll you'll get next time. However, what transpired Monday night exceeded my expectations.

First off, it wasn't a solo acoustic show. It was a solo acoustic, electric, electronic effects, vocal effects, feedback, piano and organ show. Neil, always the tall dominant figure onstage with any band, somehow became even larger up there all by himself. Dressed as some funky country gentleman in white hat and long coat, Neil wordlessly took the stage, grabbed his Martin, sat down and launched into "Hey hey my my, rock and roll will never die, there's more to the picture than meets the eye..."

At 64 years, Neil is a grandfather in the music business. It might be tempting to cut him some slack and say, "You know, he still sounds pretty good for an old guy." Let me tell you something. In spite of a long career and near-death due to brain disease, Neil has lost nothing. His voice was pitch-perfect and sharp, still capable of hitting those high notes. His guitar playing has only gotten better, even now embracing new technologies of sound. And on this night, he reminded us that he is still one of the great songwriters of our age.



The New Stuff - Everyone goes to Neil Young shows to hear the old songs, right? There's an emotional connection and personal history connected to those songs. I hoped he'd play "Pardon My Heart" or "For The Turnstiles". Certainly many in the audience gave Neil suggestions as the night played on. But it was the new music that made the strongest impression on me. Evidently, Neil is working on a new record, to be produced by Daniel Lanois of U2, Peter Gabriel and Bob Dylan fame. If the recording emerges anywhere near what I heard this night, I'm pre-ordering. "You Never Call" was a passionate and funny conversation with someone on the other side... in heaven... that Neil is longing to hear from. "Peaceful Valley" was a long and slow story about pioneers and bison, prospectors and gold, greed and oil, and the deteriorating health of the planet. "Love And War" was the song in my head as I woke up the next morning, far more authentic and personal than any of the songs on Neil's "Living With War" album. In all, he played seven new songs. My favorite was the encore closer, "Walk With Me", that left the Schnitzer audience vibrating long after the soaring closing moments of pendulum-swinging feedback and echoing voice.

The Old Stuff - Yes, Neil delivered the beloved songs and reached way back into his early catalog in doing so. He played, "Tell Me Why", "I Believe In You" and "After The Gold Rush", all from his third solo album. He played an achingly beautiful and delay-accented version of "Helpless" that we all first heard on CSNY's "Deja Vu". He surprised us with an old song that we'd never heard before, "Hitchhiker". Written over 20 years ago but performed only a few times in 1992, Neil has resurrected this incredible song. It's not surprising he never released it, because it is an intensely personal journal of growing up in a world of his own progressive drug use, fear of fame, and crushing paranoia. I really hope it makes the new record.



In no real need of a backing band, he played impressive solo-electric versions of "Cinnamon Girl", "Down By The River", "Ohio" and "Cortez The Killer". And it seemed completely appropriate that his first encore was "Old Man" from "Harvest". The audience joined him in singing that one and I don't think he minded.

It might seem strange to some that Neil played his electric guitar songs without some band like Crazy Horse behind him. But the solo approach was magical. According to someone I know with inside information, Neil has specially wired some of his electronics so that the upper strings on his guitar sounded one way and the lower strings sounded another. I could swear there was a bass player up there, hiding behind the curtains, but it was all Neil. Since he had no rhythm section behind him, Neil couldn't afford to wander off into spacey lead solos. He had to carry the whole song, so he was more of a rhythm/lead player, and he was very good at it. Thinking back, I don't think I've ever seen Neil play electric guitar quite like that. As a guitar-player myself, it was impressive to witness. I also want to point out that Neil is a master at delivering and controlling feedback to the benefit of the song. At times, his electric guitar literally groans with emotion that is only matched by Neil's own voice. We got to hear his famous "Old Black" Les Paul and the equally historic White Falcon Gretsch that dates back to Neil's days in Buffalo Springfield. Dare I say, I first saw that guitar at the Memorial Coliseum in 1970 during the CSNY "Four Way Street" tour. Thanks to Bill Mosser for getting me to that show. I've been on board ever since.



They call it the Schnitzer Auditorium, but to me it will always be the Paramount Theatre. It's a great place to see live music... maybe the best place. The acoustics are excellent and its such a beautiful room. The air is filled with ghosts of legends long passed through. Appropriately, I got to watch this concert with John Nilsen, fellow musician and friend since childhood. We have seen many amazing concerts together over the years at the Paramount. We agreed afterwards that this Neil Young solo show belonged among the very best concerts that we ever saw in that hall. By the way, the Portland audience was exceptional this night. Very quiet during the quiet songs and very appreciative of all the new music. Neil was virtually silent, with almost no between-song dialogue, but I could sense that he liked the crowd and was happy to be up there playing for us.

A closing highlight for me is that my good friend, Jason Moore, used his well-earned connections to be able to get on Neil Young's beautiful tour bus after the show and actually sit with Neil to chat privately for twenty minutes while the artist ate his post-show meal of fish and wine. Jason described Neil as "very down-to-earth" and "just like you and me, only a superstar." I'm going to buy Jason a beer just so I can hear the WHOLE story for myself.

If you've got good speakers on your computer, turn this video clip up loud...

Up Close with Michelangelo

The last time I was in Rome, I went to the Vatican in hopes of seeing the Sistine Chapel for the second time. Perhaps the greatest single work of art in history, it is Michelangelo's masterpiece. Painted between 1508 and 1512, at the commission of Pope Julius II, it is one of the most renowned artworks of the High Renaissance. I had seen the chapel in 1976, and it had made a monumental impression upon me. That was also pre-restoration. Back then, the colors were dark and the paint had lost its lustre. The restoration of the 1990's had changed all that. The colors were apparently now revealed in their original glory. The paintings now glowed with their original energy. I could not wait to see it.

On arrival, I was informed that the chapel was closed as they were restoring certain parts of the artwork. There would be no entry for the entire duration of my stay in Rome. I had to settle for the post cards being sold just outside Saint Peter's Square. While I enjoyed my visit to the cathedral and the other parts of the Vatican, I was deeply disappointed.

Imagine my joy when I discovered this Sistine Chapel web site.

The Vatican has created an online virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel. It is fantastic in its quality. You can use your mouse to turn in any direction. You can look straight up to see the creation of Adam, or turn to your left to find Michelangelo's hidden self-portrait. You can even look down at the ancient tile floor. In the lower left corner is a zoom button, so you can take a closer look at any part of this massive creation. The interactive web environment puts you right in the Chapel, but without being surrounded by hordes of fellow tourists. You have the whole room to yourself as you listen to soft choral music that seems entirely appropriate. Needless to say, it would never be this good in real life.

My grateful thanks to the creators of this web site. While I would still relish another visit to this amazing room, I no longer feel like I missed something. Perhaps on my next trip to Italy I'll go to Venice instead. I've yet to visit Piazza San Marco.

Shearwater is an Art band.

I've been listening to Shearwater a lot lately. Looking forward to seeing them at the Doug Fir next week. The more I listen, the more I realize that there is no convenient niche to place them in. They are a jam band with an improvisational streak, so I hear the Grateful Dead. They are at-the-edge creative, so I hear Talking Heads. They are comfortably falsetto, so I hear Neil Young... or Joni Mitchell. They are instrumentally original, so I hear Pink Floyd... or Yes. They are authentically Southern, so I hear REM... or Creedance. And somewhere in there, I realize a strong undertow of Richard Thompson. And Peter Gabriel. Yes, they are one-of-a-kind.

I liked frontman Jonathan Meiberg the first time I heard him sing and play the guitar. His voice is urgent and powerful and gentle at the same time. Now I'm dazzled by his originality. Isn't it great to see a true musical artist come along here in 2010?

Shearwater is Meiburg's band. They do an awesome job as his companions. They blasted out of the pack at SXSW in Austin.

So if you can...

Tuesday, April 27, 8/9 pm
Doug Fir Lounge
PDX

Willy, Tom and I will be there. A small room with a band on the rise. Last I looked, $10 tickets were still available.

Tickets West / Shearwater

Keep an eye out in your town. Shearwater's web site.

Here's an excellent link to a live show this year in St. Malo, France

The Moment We Have Waited For

With their impressive 104 - 76 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night behind them, the Portland Trail Blazers are headed to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2003. True Blazer fans, like me, have been waiting for their team to arrive at this moment for much longer than that, however. 

The last time the team was truly competitive was in 2000, when the Scottie Pippen-led "Jailblazers" made it all the way to the Western Conference finals against the hated Los Angeles Lakers. It was game seven in LA where the Blazers blew a 15-point fourth quarter lead and lost the chance to return to the NBA Finals for the 4th time in franchise history. From there, it was downhill fast. They were already known as the "Jailblazers" due to their collection of low-life talent, but now they were also to be known as losers.

But this team is different. It sparkles with potential at every position. The talent level is matched by the remarkable high character of these young men. Not a whiff of scandal or misbehavior. These are guys we've come to admire even as they have been losing. Their youth may offer inexperience, but the upside is that you can actually see the players get better and better from game to game. 

The losing days appear to be behind them now. This past month in particular, the young Blazers have been playing as well as any team in the entire NBA. I've come to see a team that is energetic, loaded with talent and depth. The second unit may be the best in the league. They appear to be ready to take on the powerful Houston Rockets in the first round. It will take their finest effort to survive this series, but I expect them to do so. I imagine most other Blazer fans do as well.

The last time I felt this good about the Blazers was 17 years ago. 1992 was the moment the Clyde Drexler-led team got to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls. They could not defeat Michael Jordan, but they were an excellent team and the city loved them. Those years of Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Williams and Duckworth were magical.

The other team that we all love and remember is the 1977 championship winners. Led by the mercurial redhead, Bill Walton, that very young team came out of nowhere to shock the world and win it all. Their first playoff appearance took them all the way to the title. They created the buzz that became known as Blazermania and they solidified Portland's identity as Rip City.

Why do I reminisce? Perhaps its that this team, Brandon Roy's Blazers, remind me of those two other great eras. I find myself wondering if this team can also shock the world and get all the way to the NBA Finals in their rookie appearance. I don't doubt their ability any more. I expect it to happen, if not this year, then next year or the one after that. They WILL get there, and the world knows it. The question is when. I'm thinking we might be surprised by this bunch with how much they can accomplish right now.

Go Brandon, LaMarcus, Steve, Nicolus, Joel, Greg, Travis, Rudy, Sergio, Channing, Jared, Shavlik and Michael. I'm with you all the way. I have been waiting... for 32 years, for 17 years, for 9 years. I have not lost hope. I still see the visions and dream the dreams. I can almost taste it... Blazers over Houston in 6, Blazers over Lakers in 7, Blazers over Denver in 6, Blazers over Cleveland... LeBron James???  Rip City is alive. History awaits. 

Album Of The Year - 2008

Willy Snook, my friend and esteemed musician joins me in offering our opinions on the best musical recordings of 2008. I gave serious thought to NOT awarding a 2008 winner, a protest move to bemoan the sorry state of the music industry. I couldn't find an album that floored me. Maybe I'd just award "best-songs-of-the-year" instead. Finally, I decided that was a cop-out. I looked around to see what other critics were lauding, and found their "winners" to be mediocre at best. Maybe my tastes are too far out of mainstream opinion at this point. I found the winning releases by Coldplay, TV On The Radio, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver...etc., to be lacking. A good song here and there, but not a great album of songs in the bunch. The Grammy nominees? What a joke.

This award is about our opinions, right? To hell with the rest of those fools. Through our exhaustive search for the truth, we discovered a few great recordings, and a few surprises that we find worthy of mention. By the way, all of the album titles below are linked to iTunes. If you want to hear any of the music for yourself, just click on the titles.










DON'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR -

Shearwater ~ "Rook"

Until recently, I had never heard of them. This Austin-based band has emerged out of the SXSW festival scene to establish an identity that reaches beyond their Texas confines. They are being noticed, as they were booked to open the show on Coldplay's recent international tour. So this might be the beginning of something bigger for them. Singer and principal songwriter Jonathan Meiburg's voice is just one instrument among many that color these ten tracks. A stunningly expressive singer, Meiburg reminds me of Morrissey (The Smiths) and David Byrne (Talking Heads), but his range probably exceeds either of them. Harp, hammer dulcimer, and a host of other interesting instruments join brass, strings, and woodwinds to complement Shearwater’s already multifarious musical core. Each instrument’s voice is a character playing its role in this tale. Every lyric and vocalization is orchestrated not just for the meaning it expresses, but also for what the sound of it communicates. These are hardly song-sketches; all of them are careful compositions adding new instruments, moods, and sounds around the anchor of Meiburg's voice. The edges of these otherwise lulling, hypnotic songs hint at danger and chaos, but only the brief feedback excursion of "South Col" pokes a hole in the album's fabric and hints at what more avant-garde threads the band might be capable of following. As impressive and uniformly gorgeous a record as Rook is, the band's best work is likely still to come.

Honorable Mention -

R.E.M. ~ "Accelerate"

Not since 1994's "Monster" have we heard this R.E.M. They seem to have recovered, finally, from the loss of drummer Bill Berry and rediscovered their rock-based roots. This is the band I flipped over while listening to my college radio station in Spokane. Peter Buck's guitar ignites each song. Mike Mills is a very-present second vocalist. And Michael Stipe? He's got a lot to say. I suggest we all listen. This album, one of their very best, works from start to finish.

The Infamous Stringdusters ~ "The Infamous Stringdusters"

I don't listen to bluegrass often, but when I hear good bluegrass, it knocks my socks off. This band prefers to be known as a "newgrass/acoustic" group. Whatever they call it, this young band is loaded with talent. Great singing and instrumental performance that sounds more like a bunch of Nashville veterans. No classic "Orange Blossom Special" here however. These are all originals. If you liked Nickel Creek, I'll recommend this one and tell you that these are better musicians to boot. Not one bad song on this record.

The Stills ~ "Oceans Will Rise"

As you can see below, Willy and I agree on this one. And it is only appropriate that a Montreal band is recognized on this blog, as we all know that Canada provides most of the world's musical wealth. The Stills are a good rock band. On this album, they sound supremely confident. While their guitars are front-and-center, vocalists Tim Fletcher and Dave Hamelin deliver punchy melodies and tight harmonies. This one gets played regularly on all of our iPods and in each of our cars. You should ride with it too.

– Don Woodward


In considering the Album of the Year for 2008, I considered many things: innovation, strength of musicianship and vocals, intelligent songwriting, and finally how much do I really listen to it. With that in mind, my awards for 2008 are:





WILLY'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR -

Mudcrutch ~ "Mudcrutch"

What does a rock icon like Tom Petty do when he’s seemingly done it all? Return to his roots and reunite his first band 33 years later in an alchemistic blend of old Gainesville friends. No Rickenbacker for him this go ‘round, Tom mans the bass and lets Tom Leadon and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell do what they do best. These guys don’t sound just like a Petty band, they have their own sound, their own “spook.”

"You wouldn't exactly call it a career move, would you?" Petty says "What this is all about is the music. Being in this band is so much fun, there's something pure about it.”

Petty’s music is the cool side of the pillow, a comforting hand on your shoulder, a reminder of what’s good in the world. The music, inspired by their early influences with today’s coloring, is fabulous. Think early Birds, Fying Burrito Brothers, classic SoCal country-rock band. Ten days at Petty’s Malibu home studio did the trick, with simplicity ruling the day.

"There are no ornaments," Campbell says of the music. "We performed without headphones in the studio, all live takes, playing in a circle."

What becomes very clear during your first listen is that they are having a lot of fun and they are really good at their craft. The classic “Six Days On the Road” screams “fun” and just smokes! Take a drift on “Crystal River” for a psych-jam fest. Want classic Petty? Spin “Scare Easy” and you’re there. Guitar showmanship? Try the instrumental “June Apple” or “Bootleg Flyer.” Takes you back. “Lover of the Bayou” makes you want to play your guitar… loud.

As I said up top, my criteria was innovation, strength of musicianship and vocals, intelligent songwriting, and how much I really listen to it. This is the one.

Honorable Mentions -

Kings Of Leon ~ "Only By The Night"

These guys were completely off my radar. I’d read a Rolling Stone article about them and was curious. Bought this album, and have been wearing it out. Saw them live at the Schnitz… they were off the charts cool. And guess who opened for them?!

The Stills ~ "Oceans Will Rise"

Wood turned me on to this very happening Canadian jewel. Smart prog-rock, strong guitar band, with great melodic songs. I listen to them a lot. Yep, they opened for The Kings of Leon and smoked it!

Jackson Browne ~ Time The Conqueror"

An old friend, Jackson continues to inspire. Current and heartfelt, this record reminds me that it’s important to stay passionate about life. Great stuff from a master songwriter.



– Willy Snook