I found Bruce Springsteen’s “High Hopes” on Spotify today providing me an early opportunity to listen to it as it was not available at my local CD store.
I’d read a few reviews in the lead up to the release of this album and they hadn’t necessarily been fulsome in their praise. As a result I was a little uneasy as I hit the play button on my iPhone.
A sense of relief overcame me Continue reading
I saw my rock and roll past flash before my eyes. I saw something else: I saw rock and roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.
– Jon Landau, May 1974.
Warning: Spoiler Alert
Springsteen & I pays homage to a true Rock Icon!
This is a fan’s movie, made by fans about their (and my) rock hero.
Icon and iconic are terms bandied around too much these days – one hit and you’re there, but with Springsteen it was after his third album that he truly moved to iconic status and it’s Born to Run that are my three words to describe Springsteen.
The personal accounts
So this is 2014!
Just a few hours in and I am feeling so energized about how the year will go. Not sure why? Maybe it’s the long walk home from a New Year’s Eve Party when our cab didn’t show up or that I’m having a lazy New Year’s Day sitting on the couch watching music videos and reading blogs that I follow on my Reader.
I loved so many posts, but these two stood out
Teaching an old dog new tricks
– Reflections of a fellow traveller
Empty Garden the Tragic Death of John Lennon in Song
– Capturing a memorable moment in my life.
I worked on my Facebook Fan Page – maybe someone else will find it in 2014!
Found a fantastic prompt for posts 365 Writing Prompts. Wonder how many I will use this year?
So what’s in store for 2014?
Quite likely my last full year of working in Professional Services. I’m definitely up for the challenge!
Starting Honours in Finance, hopefully the first step to a future career in Academia.
More articles for The Adelaide Review.
Perhaps some success for my sporting teams – The Crows, Arsenal and Sturt.
Springsteen’s first visit to Adelaide – I never thought would happen!
I’m so looking forward to 2014.
Happy New Year!
Earlier in the week my wife said it didn’t feel like Christmas. As we discussed this further it became obvious why – a lack of Bing! That’s right, not Bling but Bing!
For her Christmas is synonymous with White Christmas. For me it’s pretty similar and for about a week in each year, I look forward to Christmas favourites. I actively seek them out from my own CD rack, Pandora, Spotify and on the TV. Foxtel obliged this year with their 20 favourite songs most of which were also in my favourites as well.
So along with everyone else I thought I’d have a go at my favourite Christmas Songs.
Band Aid – Do they know its Christmas and John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (War is Over) are my quintessential Modern Christmas Classics.
White Christmas – Bing’s is simply the best!
More Bing with Do you Hear what I Hear.
I have always loved Andy William’s Little Drummer Boy although Bing and David Bowie’s version is pretty good.
Kylie’s version of Santa Baby is a hoot! I had always assumed it was originally sung by Marilyn Monroe, but infact the originalwas sung by Ertha Kitt.
Springsteen’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I remember the first time I heard it was on a very scratchily recorded bootleg in the 70s. Maybe one year I will see Springsteen at Christmas and see it sung live! Until then I will have to be satisfied by the numerous versions on YouTube.
Mary’s Boy Child by Bony M is on my list; it’s certainly a blast from the past.
I’m not a big Mariah Carey fan, but make an exception of her at Christmas with All I want for Christmas is You
The Pogues A Fairytale in New Yorkis one that I have played pretty constantly in the run upto this Christmas. Whilst not in any way uplifting it is the most played Christmas a Song in Britain this century.
Littls Saint Nick by The Beach Boys reminds me of Summer Nights at one of my close friends place.
It used to be a family tradition that I would get a Chieftains CD at Christmas, which one year was The Bells of Dublin. A collection of Celtic songs with a Christmas theme and regularly gets a spin on Christmas morning.
I also love Tori Amos’s Midwinter Graces with Star of Wonder my favourite.
From an Australian perspective it’s hard to go past Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy .
Pretty much everyone has had a go at a Christmas Song. In my search I found songs by Jimmy Durante, Gene Autry, Nat King Cole, The Beatles, Wings, O’55, Miley Cyrus, Rod Stewart, Destiny’s Child, Tegan and Sara, Elmo, The Muppets and the list goes on.
I also love the traditional carols Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Come all ye Faithful but have to join the majority in saying that Silent Night is my favourite carol.
What’s your favourite?
Here are some other posts to get the brain flowing
There is something pretty special seeing Australia’s own Rock and Roll Royalty and Friday Night at Her Majesty’s in Adelaide was just such an occasion.
An audience of 50 plussers talking about their grand kids and rocking away – all a bit incongruous but that was how it was.
From the first song to the last, it was a walk down memory lane for the audience who just like me lapped it up.
The first set was a history of Australian Rock which was no surprise given Brian Cadd and Glen Shorrock feature so heavily in it. Covers demonstrating their influences, The Rolling Stones, Beatles and Everley Brothers and then into their own early bands, The Twilights and The Group. With a backing band that included the other two members of Axiom, a lazy 40 years on, we were treated to Arkansas Grass, Ford’s Bridge and to end the set Little Ray of Sunshine.
The stories