The middle-aged dummies are forming a band called "Blanket"! It's a cover band. (2 Viewers)

[scorchy]

Forgive me middle-aged dummies for I have sinned. It's been 11 days since my last appearance in this thread, but unlike rockaction, I can't blame it on the mods.

Got back from the UK on Tuesday and arrived to find chaos at work, a third dog at home (Mrs. Scorchy was playing the role of emergency dog sitter), and an urgent need to do our taxes. I did manage to listen to the playlists on the dog walks and will likely get around to posting a few highlights tomorrow.

London was amazing as always. The three Hold Steady shows ranged from sweaty fun to flat out amazing. The Sunday show is always in a tiny venue so 200 of us were packed in like sardines. THS opened with a B-side I hadn't heard since 2010, dropped another B-side mid-set that was on my "never heard live" list, and closed with Oaks - another rarity that I've only experienced once and have been pining away for. Can't wait to go back next year.

Still can't get over how much cheaper food is over there. Mainly ate at Food Halls and street markets and don't think I ever paid more than $15. Had Nigerian, Uzbeki, Korean, Thai, Georgian, Singaporean, and of course, Indian. All delicious, and didn't gain a pound b/c we walked like 7-10 miles a day.

The one night we ate a pub, we wandered in while England was playing Ireland in Six Nations rugby. As we sat, a woman wearing red and white ambled over and squawked - "Who you two rooting for, and you best not say 'Ireland' you c###s." Love it. Like Philly with less grating accents.

Also found some obscure old industrial 12" singles across the various shops. Scored a pristine copy of Consolidated 's"Crackhouse/You Suck" for 5 quid from some old punk selling out of a tent on Brick Lane. He was so happy to find someone else who knew Consolidated, telling me that the record was so rare it should cost at least 30 pounds but unfortunately no one except the two of us remember them. I definitely wouldn't have paid 30 pounds though...

 

[Pip's Invitation]

HOLY **** CHICAGO BEARS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

A sixth round pick? Seriously? Did Fields test positive for ... everything?

Steelers making out like ****ing bandits right now.

It seems like the entire NFL concluded that Fields isn't an NFL starting quarterback. At this price I presume he's backing up Wilson.

 

[krista4]

HOLY **** CHICAGO BEARS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

A sixth round pick? Seriously? Did Fields test positive for ... everything?

Steelers making out like ****ing bandits right now.

It seems like the entire NFL concluded that Fields isn't an NFL starting quarterback. At this price I presume he's backing up Wilson.

He will at first. I don't see that lasting.

 

[krista4]

scorchy is back!!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

HOLY **** CHICAGO BEARS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

A sixth round pick? Seriously? Did Fields test positive for ... everything?

Steelers making out like ****ing bandits right now.

It seems like the entire NFL concluded that Fields isn't an NFL starting quarterback. At this price I presume he's backing up Wilson.

He will at first. I don't see that lasting.

Both have sucked recently, so they're betting that one will stop sucking. When you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none, or something like that.

 

[krista4]

The one night we ate a pub, we wandered in while England was playing Ireland in Six Nations rugby. As we sat, a woman wearing red and white ambled over and squawked - "Who you two rooting for, and you best not say 'Ireland' you c###s." Love it. Like Philly with less grating accents.

Also found some obscure old industrial 12" singles across the various shops. Scored a pristine copy of Consolidated 's"Crackhouse/You Suck" for 5 quid from some old punk selling out of a tent on Brick Lane. He was so happy to find someone else who knew Consolidated, telling me that the record was so rare it should cost at least 30 pounds but unfortunately no one except the two of us remember them. I definitely wouldn't have paid 30 pounds though...

This is all brilliant.

I got a Songkick notification (I don't know what Songkick is) that The Hold Steady were coming here late May/early June for three nights at the Crocodile, which is an excellent venue. But it's Thurs-Sat, and OH only gets Sunday and Monday off and I don't know another soul here who would go. I guess I could pull a U2 where I went by myself.

 

[krista4]

HOLY **** CHICAGO BEARS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

A sixth round pick? Seriously? Did Fields test positive for ... everything?

Steelers making out like ****ing bandits right now.

It seems like the entire NFL concluded that Fields isn't an NFL starting quarterback. At this price I presume he's backing up Wilson.

He will at first. I don't see that lasting.

Both have sucked recently, so they're betting that one will stop sucking. When you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none, or something like that.

Hard disagree that they both sucked recently, but obviously NFL cognoscenti disagree. I guess I should stick to posting about music, though.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

HOLY **** CHICAGO BEARS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

A sixth round pick? Seriously? Did Fields test positive for ... everything?

Steelers making out like ****ing bandits right now.

It seems like the entire NFL concluded that Fields isn't an NFL starting quarterback. At this price I presume he's backing up Wilson.

He will at first. I don't see that lasting.

Both have sucked recently, so they're betting that one will stop sucking. When you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none, or something like that.

Hard disagree that they both sucked recently, but obviously NFL cognoscenti disagree. I guess I should stick to posting about music, though.

It's a reasonable conclusion to draw given their old teams' decisions about them (I get that salary was a factor in Wilson's case). I'm no analyst, though.

 

[krista4]

It's a reasonable conclusion to draw given their old teams' decisions about them

I see you are not familiar with the Chicago Bears.

 

[zamboni]

HOLY **** CHICAGO BEARS WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?

A sixth round pick? Seriously? Did Fields test positive for ... everything?

Steelers making out like ****ing bandits right now.

It seems like the entire NFL concluded that Fields isn't an NFL starting quarterback. At this price I presume he's backing up Wilson.

He will at first. I don't see that lasting.

Both have sucked recently, so they're betting that one will stop sucking. When you have two starting quarterbacks, you have none, or something like that.

Hard disagree that they both sucked recently, but obviously NFL cognoscenti disagree. I guess I should stick to posting about music, though.

So essentially it’s “Russell Wilson Said (I’m in Primanti’s When You Smile)” or ”Justin Fields Forever”

 

[krista4]

Steelers fans I know (including the one in my household) are thrilled. And the Steelers usually know what they're doing. As a Bears fan, I'd love to be wrong, though.

 

[zamboni]

Steelers fans I know (including the one in my household) are thrilled. And the Steelers usually know what they're doing. As a Bears fan, I'd love to be wrong, though.

Steelers are paying Wilson and Fields combined half of what the Vikings are paying Sam Darnold this year.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Steelers fans I know (including the one in my household) are thrilled. And the Steelers usually know what they're doing. As a Bears fan, I'd love to be wrong, though.

Steelers are paying Wilson and Fields combined half of what the Vikings are paying Sam Darnold this year.

The Broncos are paying Wilson something like $39 million not to play for them. Must be nice to have Walmart money.

 

[krista4]

Steelers fans I know (including the one in my household) are thrilled. And the Steelers usually know what they're doing. As a Bears fan, I'd love to be wrong, though.

Steelers are paying Wilson and Fields combined half of what the Vikings are paying Sam Darnold this year.

The Broncos are paying Wilson something like $39 million not to play for them. Must be nice to have Walmart money.

Guy seems like a cancer in the locker room. We regular folks in Seattle didn't know this when he was here (though his teammates sure did).

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Get Down Make Love - Nine Inch Nails (Queen) -- In which we get the answer to "what would Queen sound like if they performed 'Closer'"?

I said much the same thing to Mr R.

 

[simey]

@Just Win Baby!! wooohoooo howwlll!! 5 games in 5 days.

The last time they won the ACC Tournament was 37 years ago. Lucky 37!

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Leaving On A Jet Plane - John Denver (Peter, Paul and Mary) -- I like the version that Denver sang with Cass Elliott on the pilot episode of The Midnight Special.

I love that version. Two exceptional harmony vocalists.

Denver wrote the song, but somehow PPM got their version out first, so my gain here.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

The one night we ate a pub, we wandered in while England was playing Ireland in Six Nations rugby. As we sat, a woman wearing red and white ambled over and squawked - "Who you two rooting for, and you best not say 'Ireland' you c###s." Love it. Like Philly with less grating accents.

Also found some obscure old industrial 12" singles across the various shops. Scored a pristine copy of Consolidated 's"Crackhouse/You Suck" for 5 quid from some old punk selling out of a tent on Brick Lane. He was so happy to find someone else who knew Consolidated, telling me that the record was so rare it should cost at least 30 pounds but unfortunately no one except the two of us remember them. I definitely wouldn't have paid 30 pounds though...

This is all brilliant.

I got a Songkick notification (I don't know what Songkick is) that The Hold Steady were coming here late May/early June for three nights at the Crocodile, which is an excellent venue. But it's Thurs-Sat, and OH only gets Sunday and Monday off and I don't know another soul here who would go. I guess I could pull a U2 where I went by myself.

Do it. Meet the nice people next to you.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

New Binky the Doormat:

I Don't Need No Doctor - Humble Pie (Ray Charles)

I'd never heard the version on the playlist before. The one that was released as a single and was played a lot on FM radio appeared as the last song on the Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore album in 1971. The version on the playlist is from 2 years later, after Peter Frampton had left the band. The 1973 version has more of an aggro edge to it. The 1971 version has more of a "sweaty blowout" vibe*. The 1973 performance is from a show that was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour and not released as a proper album until 2012.

* In other words, 1971 : whiskey :: 1973 : cocaine

 

[Tau837]

@Just Win Baby!! wooohoooo howwlll!! 5 games in 5 days.

The last time they won the ACC Tournament was 37 years ago. Lucky 37!

I remember watching that 1987 championship like it was yesterday. This year’s tournament run for State was amazing, and made even better by beating traditional rivals Duke, UVA, and UNC in the last 3 games. What an unexpected pleasure the past 5 days were!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I hesitated to do this before, for reasons I'm not quite sure of, but I wanted to send a shout-out and recommendation for my friend Mark's book that came out last year, Country and Midwestern: Chicago and the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival. Given how many of us are interested music history and these genres, I thought you might enjoy it. Mark's an honest-to-deity real journalist, and as you can see the book has been extremely well-received as a fascinating history of a somewhat-forgotten Chicago musical connection.

ETA: foreword by friend-of-the-thread Robbie Fulks.

Ordered!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

@Just Win Baby!! wooohoooo howwlll!! 5 games in 5 days.

The last time they won the ACC Tournament was 37 years ago. Lucky 37!

We did it!

 

[simey]

I hesitated to do this before, for reasons I'm not quite sure of, but I wanted to send a shout-out and recommendation for my friend Mark's book that came out last year, Country and Midwestern: Chicago and the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival. Given how many of us are interested music history and these genres, I thought you might enjoy it. Mark's an honest-to-deity real journalist, and as you can see the book has been extremely well-received as a fascinating history of a somewhat-forgotten Chicago musical connection.

ETA: foreword by friend-of-the-thread Robbie Fulks.

Ordered!

Same. I'm glad it was available in hardcover. I still love hardcover books.

 

[zamboni]

@Just Win Baby!! wooohoooo howwlll!! 5 games in 5 days.

The last time they won the ACC Tournament was 37 years ago. Lucky 37!

I remember watching that 1987 championship like it was yesterday. This year’s tournament run for State was amazing, and made even better by beating traditional rivals Duke, UVA, and UNC in the last 3 games. What an unexpected pleasure the past 5 days were!

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

 

[simey]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

 

[scorchy]

I got a Songkick notification (I don't know what Songkick is) that The Hold Steady were coming here late May/early June for three nights at the Crocodile, which is an excellent venue. But it's Thurs-Sat, and OH only gets Sunday and Monday off and I don't know another soul here who would go. I guess I could pull a U2 where I went by myself.

Do it. Meet the nice people next to you.

Gotta agree with Mrs. R here, but my bias may be showing. THS fans tend to be very friendly and welcoming bunch, but it's definitely a bit dude-centric. If nothing else, it will be a spectacle - saw one journalist describe it as a bunch of middle-aged dudes acting out Rocky Horror-esque shouts and hand signals all led by an accountant-looking spastic singer. Even if it's a bit goofy, the group confetti shower during the bridge of Hoodrat never gets old for me.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

Didn't they also have Rodney Monroe & Chris Corchiani (sp?)? Was Washburn there, too?

 

[scorchy]

Trying to wrap up the major highlights for me from six playlists - keeping it short so as not to Hipple.

#16s

Known favorite - Wheels on Fire by Siouxsie
I can't believe they pulled this off - Carry on My Wayward Son by Anthrax
No idea what/who this is but loved every second - Lost Continent by Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio

#17s

Listened to this unknown twice-in-a-row b/c I liked it so much - Birds by The Meters
Wow, I've never heard a Neil Young cover that absolutely floored me like this - Into the Black by The Chromatics
Simply beautiful take on an already beautiful song - Chelsea Hotel No. 2 by Rufus Wainwright

#18s

Another one that takes me back to my childhood - Help Me Make It Through the Night by Sammi Smith
Loved this despite the name "Ohtis" - Via Chicago by Johanna Samuels/Ohtis
Did Jonathan Davis wear a red codpiece during recording, b/c his take has no business being this good - Word Up by Korn

#19s

Here's a group I haven't thought about since middle school dropping an unexpected gem - Am I the Same Girl? by Swing Out Sister
Could this be any more in my wheelhouse - Public Image by Scrawl
Not as fun as Har Mar's cover but an infinitely more creative take - When U Were Mine by Crooked Fingers

#20s

Total love/hate with this band but this one is firmly planted in the love category - Rocket Man by MMJ
How can this not make you smile? - What a Wonderful World by Joey Ramone
Song that reminded me the most of Zilla/plinko shredding his vocal chords while playing Rock Band (and that's a high compliment) - Holy Diver by Liliac

#21s

All-time favorite where I've still never heard the original - Step On by Happy Mondays
How many interesting Neil Young covers are we gonna get - Southern Man by Merry Clayton
I can never get enough Emmy Lou - Pancho & Lefty by Emmylou Harris

 

[zamboni]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

Didn't they also have Rodney Monroe & Chris Corchiani (sp?)? Was Washburn there, too?

I thought Corchiani might have been there as well, but looked it up and he came right afterwards. Loved watching that guy run the court. Not sure about Monroe and Washburn - would have to look up.

 

[rockaction]

11. Living After Midnight - The Donnas (Judas Priest)

The Donnas had started out as a manager's band, a band that was conceived as a novelty act in the vein of the Ramones. Their crude playing and almost infantile songs earned them a name in the Bay Area punk scene. They were members of the Lookout! label and all that entailed back in the late nineties, which gained them a weird cult following at their inception, a following that was sort of Brony-esque. As time went on, The Donnas learned how to play their instruments rather well and they morphed from a garage/pop-punk band with that weird following into women who rocked with gusto, garnering new and more traditional rock fans along the way.

They then turned towards heavy metal as their genre of choice, cutting a few albums that showed they could definitely rock with chops that were damn surprising considering where they had started from. They even parlayed their new competence into a major label contract, with a label push that focused on their hard-earned instrumental skills rather than other elements that could have been more cynically marketed. This cover is off of The Donnas Turn 21 while they were still on Lookout!, and it is a sublime cover of a Judas Priest classic. The female vocals are welcome here and the riffage and hooks are performed with aplomb and gusto. In my opinion, it's just a winner of a song.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I get a kick out of The Donnas.

 

[simey]

Thoughts on some songs new to the countdown...

- "You've Got To Serve Somebody" is a great live cover by Mavis and Levon. I love the addition of the horns, and Mavis takes us to church.
- Merry Clayton injects some soul into her "Southern Man" cover. It's very different than the original, and it's very good.
- Stephen Stills, Al Kooper, and Mike Bloomfield totally groove out on their version of "Season of the Witch." That bass running through it is awesome, as is the organ, guitar, etc. It was indeed a super session and a great cover.
- Emmylou's voice sounds heavenly in TVZ's "Poncho and Lefty." I love the arrangement, and I like Rodney Crowell and Albert Lee on backup vocals. It's a fantastic cover.
- Humble Pie's live cover of "I Don't Need No Doctor" is high octane rock'n'roll! Love it.
- "Living After Midnight" is one of my favorite Judas Priest songs, and The Donna's do a great job rockin' it in their cover.
- The Detroit Cobras rock your socks off with their cover of "Bad Girl." I have a feeling that lead singer just may know something about being a bad girl.
- I've always found John Denver's voice warm and comforting. Him covering himself on "Leaving, On a Jet Plane" brings on those warm fuzzy feelings.
- "Hush" by Deep Purple is great 70s rock. I didn't know it was a cover. I listened to the original and I like it. Deep Purple turn up the volume and rock it more.
- The Black Pumas cover of "Sugar Man" is great. I love their soul sound.
- Chris Isaak brings a seductive sound to his cover of "Heart Full of Soul." It's great.
- I like the singer's voice and the piano in Happy Monday's cover "Step On."
- Carla Bruni's mellow version of "The Winner Takes it All" is great. The lyrics stand out in this version, as does Carla's vocals in this well done bare bones cover.
- Aretha sounds wonderful in her "A Change is Gonna Come" cover. I wonder if she is on piano in this cover.
- John Coltrane "blows" minds in his breezy rendition of "My Favorite Things." Great song to hear on a Sunday morning.
- I need to add the "Surfin" Bird" cover by The Ramones to my workout playlist.
- Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's cover of the Mac's "Oh Well" is . Love it.
- Guns'N'Roses cover of "Live and Let Die" stays faithful to the original, and is well done.
- Sonic Youth goes low and slow with their cover of "Superstar." Their cosmic cover gives the song a different vibe than the original. I dig it.
- Phish's cover of "Boogie on Reggae Woman" puts some shake in my booty.
- Uncle Kracker's cover of "Drift Away" will always remind me of my oldest nephew, and that's a great thing. He loved this cover when it came out.
- The Chieftains and Sinead do a beautiful cover of "The Foggy Dew." Happy Saint Patrick's Day, MADs

 

[rockaction]

I get a kick out of The Donnas.

Yeah, I remember when they were a joke in the music world and even for their own label. The way they started out and the reasoning behind them was, as the kids say, pretty cringe. But then I remember listening to them in the bookstore way back when (remember those big box stores?) and thinking they had begun to really be able to play and that the music was up my old self's alley. I think it was "Too Fast For Love" by Motley Crue that I heard them do, and I liked it. I would eventually buy Spend The Night and Gold Medal on the major. Too bad they never broke big.

Also, they were a chapter in the book that scorchy sent me—it was in a book called Sellout, which was a fine read and a much appreciated gesture and thought.

 

[simey]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

Didn't they also have Rodney Monroe & Chris Corchiani (sp?)? Was Washburn there, too?

Monroe and Corchiani were on the team, but I'm not sure about Washburn.

 

[higgins]

@rockaction Good to see that the prodigal son has returned.

 

[rockaction]

@rockaction Good to see that the prodigal son has returned.

Thanks, higgins. I appreciate it. I got popped for calling somebody a name, which is fair. I would go into the underlying circumstances a bit, but this thread isn't the place for it. But thank you.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

11. Living After Midnight - The Donnas (Judas Priest)

The Donnas had started out as a manager's band, a band that was conceived as a novelty act in the vein of the Ramones. Their crude playing and almost infantile songs earned them a name in the Bay Area punk scene. They were members of the Lookout! label and all that entailed back in the late nineties, which gained them a weird cult following at their inception, a following that was sort of Brony-esque. As time went on, The Donnas learned how to play their instruments rather well and they morphed from a garage/pop-punk band with that weird following into women who rocked with gusto, garnering new and more traditional rock fans along the way.

They then turned towards heavy metal as their genre of choice, cutting a few albums that showed they could definitely rock with chops that were damn surprising considering where they had started from. They even parlayed their new competence into a major label contract, with a label push that focused on their hard-earned instrumental skills rather than other elements that could have been more cynically marketed. This cover is off of The Donnas Turn 21 while they were still on Lookout!, and it is a sublime cover of a Judas Priest classic. The female vocals are welcome here and the riffage and hooks are performed with aplomb and gusto. In my opinion, it's just a winner of a song.

Good to see you back, rock.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

Didn't they also have Rodney Monroe & Chris Corchiani (sp?)? Was Washburn there, too?

Monroe and Corchiani were on the team, but I'm not sure about Washburn.

Washburn was the one that got Coach V in trouble, right? Something about sneakers maybe?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

Didn't they also have Rodney Monroe & Chris Corchiani (sp?)? Was Washburn there, too?

I thought Corchiani might have been there as well, but looked it up and he came right afterwards. Loved watching that guy run the court. Not sure about Monroe and Washburn - would have to look up.

Weren't Corchiani & Monroe called something like "Fire and Ice"? All of the years run together for me these days.

I had a lot of connections to State in those years and, as Maryland had gotten the equivalent of the death penalty, the Pack was who I followed the most.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

New-to-me covers from #11 that I very much enjoyed:

Step On - Happy Mondays (John Kongos) -- Bumpin'.
You Got to Serve Somebody - Mavis Staples, Levon Helm (Robert Zimmerman) -- It does indeed flow nicely after Merry Clayton's Southern Man. This has always worked well in an R&B arrangement, Booker T. and the MGs' take on it, which they performed at Dylan's 30th anniversary concert and then recorded 2 years later.
Heart Full of Soul - Chris Isaak (The Yardbirds) -- Agree that this is more emotional than the original.
The Winner Takes it All - Carla Bruni (Abba) -- The spare arrangement works well here.
Pancho and Lefty - Emmylou Harris (Townes Van Zandt) -- A very compelling performance.
Sugar Man - Black Pumas (Sixto Rodriguez) -- Very soulful, with nice guitar work.
Living after Midnight – The Donnas (Judas Priest) -- They came here to chew gum and kick ***, and now they're all out of gum.
Bad Girl - The Detroit Cobras (Original by Oblivians) -- Bad ***.
A Change Is Gonna Come - Aretha Franklin (Sam Cooke) -- I had no idea she did a version of this. Yeah, it's just as great as you'd expect.
Surfin’ Bird - The Ramones (The Trashmen) -- Not all that different from the original, pointing up the similarities between surf rock and punk.

 

[scorchy]

The bummer today wasn't the Gators losing in the SEC final. It was their sophomore center going down with a compound leg fracture less than 3 minutes into the game. The crowd apparently saw the blood before the TV cameras and you could hear a pin drop in the arena. Gotta say I teared up a bit when Mom and Dad came down and held his hand while he was being stretchered out.

On a cheerier note, a few thoughts on my last several picks (actually, after writing the last entry, the below ain't particularly cheery either):

You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory - Ronnie Spector (Johnny Thunders): I'd listen to Ronnie sing the phone book. Johnny can't sing a lick, bless his heart, but he wrote a great song.

Baby One More Time - Travis (Britney Spears): I bought the same CD single that @John Maddens Lunchbox talked about and was just as surprised by the Britney cover. The A-side was Turn, which is still my favorite Travis song and one that the missus and I considered for our first dance before wisely opting for Portishead instead.

Carmelita - GG Allin (Murray McLachlan): When the Linda Ronstadt version came off the board, I said it was easily the prettiest version of Carmelita. Nothing about GG Allin's take is pretty, but then again, I'm pretty sure Linda Ronstadt never took a dump on the stage either. See the Drive-By Truckers goofy singalong The Night GG Allin Came To Town (supposedly Patterson wrote the song after GG's antics made the local paper and an elderly Baptist man in the diner booth behind him and Cooley was incredulously reading the story to his shocked wife).

Get Down Make Love - NIN (Queen) - When I first heard this in the clubs, I had no idea it was a cover. I'm sure that surprises no one in here.

Bad Girl - Detroit Cobras (Oblivians) - It seems dismissive to call the Detroit Cobras a cover band, but I think they only had a single original on their five CDs, so the shoe fits. Their taste was impeccable though and Rachel Nagy's voice always stole the show. I made sure to catch them whenever they rolled through town, and yes @simey , Rachel Nagy was a badass. I remember one time at the Khyber, this albino Peter Garrett-looking mofo was aggressively dancing elbows up and pissing everyone off. Rachel yelled at him to stop twice to no effect before getting down into the crowd and taking care of the dude herself. To say I was smitten would be a huge understatement. Rachel died at 48 back in early 2022. The Cobras have carried on with a new guy on vocals - caught them once but it's just not the same.

 

[Tau837]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

I think of it as the Vinny Del Negro team.

 

[Tau837]

Was that the Charles Schackleford team?

Yes, he was on the 1987 team.

Didn't they also have Rodney Monroe & Chris Corchiani (sp?)? Was Washburn there, too?

Monroe and Corchiani were on the team, but I'm not sure about Washburn.

None of them were on the 1987 ACC championship team. Corchiani and Monroe were freshmen the next season. Washburn was on the team the previous season but went pro and was drafted by Golden State in the 1986 NBA draft.

That's why it was such a surprise that they won the ACC tournament that year. They didn't really have much star power, with Shackelford and Chucky just sophomores and guys like Drummond, Giomi, and Lambiotte starting most of the games.

 

[zamboni]

The bummer today wasn't the Gators losing in the SEC final. It was their sophomore center going down with a compound leg fracture less than 3 minutes into the game. The crowd apparently saw the blood before the TV cameras and you could hear a pin drop in the arena. Gotta say I teared up a bit when Mom and Dad came down and held his hand while he was being stretchered out.

I hadn’t heard about the injury, but morbid curiosity made me look it up. That was gruesome - poor kid.

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

I saw a Neko Case concert last night. She was as great as every other time I've seen her. Her band and backup singers were spot on as usual, though different than any other time. She is so authentic and witty. And always grateful to her audience.

Most impressively, at 53, her voice is still absolutely gorgeous. No effects, no embellishment---easily the best instrument on the stage.

And she sang a cover or two that I'm kicking myself for not including on my list for this thread.....

 

[Eephus]

None of them were on the 1987 ACC championship team. Corchiani and Monroe were freshmen the next season. Washburn was on the team the previous season but went pro and was drafted by Golden State in the 1986 NBA draft.

Washburn was in the cocaine draft class of 1986. The Warriors picked him right after Len Bias and a few picks before Roy Tarpley. I have no idea why they drafted him because they already had Joe Barry Carroll clogging up the middle but the franchise consistently made bad moves for decades.

Wash was just a big dumb kid who burned through his money and ended up living on the skids for a while before sort of getting his life back together.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

I saw a Neko Case concert last night. She was as great as every other time I've seen her. Her band and backup singers were spot on as usual, though different than any other time. She is so authentic and witty. And always grateful to her audience.

Most impressively, at 53, her voice is still absolutely gorgeous. No effects, no embellishment---easily the best instrument on the stage.

And she sang a cover or two that I'm kicking myself for not including on my list for this thread.....

what were the covers????

 

[Eephus]

21.ee - Emmylou Harris - "Pancho and Lefty" (Townes Van Zandt cover)

The original: Townes spelled it "Poncho" on his original version in 1972. This song is a Western saga without a chorus. Van Zandt's version is typically understated with some strings and Mariachi horns overdubbed to flesh out his reedy voice and guitar. It became one of his most famous songs primarily due to a hit cover recorded by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in the 80s.

The cover: Emmylou Harris TBD was penciled into my longlist early on but I dragged things out until just before submission to select this one out of a host of options. She prettifies the song with her angelic voice and her Hot Band builds the song up as it proceeds. When the harmony vocals kick in on the sixth verse, it's like Gram Parson wandered in from the desert.

Is the cover better than the original?: I'm voting Yes on this one. Emmylou has a beautiful voice and a knack for getting inside of the lyrics she sings. Her reading of "Pancho and Lefty" gives the song more of a legendary quality than the original which sounds like a second-hand account of people Townes knew personally.

Poncho & Lefty

Townes Van Zandt · Song · 1972

open.spotify.com

Pancho & Lefty

Emmylou Harris · Song · 1977

open.spotify.com

Running scoreboard: Originals 10 - Covers 11

 

[simey]

Washburn was the one that got Coach V in trouble, right? Something about sneakers maybe?

Washburn and Peter Golenbock (who wrote that trash book) got Coach V in trouble. The NCAA exonerated Jim from any wrongdoing, but NC State still forced him to resign. I know Coach K has haters out there, but he had Jim's back, and he was a true friend to him all the way to the end of his life.

My mom still loves to tell the story (and she did again today) about Jim riding in the back seat of their car from Winston-Salem to Burlington. He was going from a golf tournament to a fancy function, and changed clothes in the back seat of their car. He told my mom not to look while he changed clothes. Mom said he talked and sang the whole trip. He was always "on."

I love the story Coach K and Bobby Cremins have told about how Dean Smith would purposely come in late to every ACC meeting, and walk in like he was king. They said Dean did it to annoy everyone, and so Jim hatched a plan for K, Bobby, and himself to lie in wait and then come in after Dean. They hid in the bathroom, and paid someone to notify them when Dean arrived. When the person told them Dean had entered the building and was in the meeting room, K, Bobby, and Jim all marched out of the bathroom, and one by one walked slowly into the meeting room. They said Jim walked in last strutting and grinning from ear to ear, while winking over at Dean.

Anyway, I think the portal and some of this paying players business has changed college sports, and not for the better.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I saw a Neko Case concert last night. She was as great as every other time I've seen her. Her band and backup singers were spot on as usual, though different than any other time. She is so authentic and witty. And always grateful to her audience.

Most impressively, at 53, her voice is still absolutely gorgeous. No effects, no embellishment---easily the best instrument on the stage.

And she sang a cover or two that I'm kicking myself for not including on my list for this thread.....

what were the covers????

Maybe he's saving them for next time. You know, antici...