Five Things I Saw & Heard This Week
Transcripts from the everyday world of music by Martin Colyer
When this old world starts getting you down, and people are just too much for you to face, Sister Rosetta is there to put words to your feelings…
This Week’s Playlist
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Aimee Mann Amanda Petrusich Aretha Franklin Barney Hoskyns Bill Colyer Bill Frisell Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen David Bowie Desert Island Discs Eddie Hinton Every Record Tells a Story Hot House Inside Llewyn Davis Janis Joplin JazzWax John Cuneo Joni MItchell Jonny Trunk Ken Colyer Leonard Cohen Levon Helm likeahammerinthesink London Jazz Collector Marc Myers Mark Pringle Martin Colyer Mavis Staples Michael Gray Miles Davis music Music Documentaries New Yorker Richard Williams rocksbackpages.com Rolling Stone Magazine Ry Cooder Sam Charters Steely Dan Studio 51 The Band thebluemoment.com The Guardian US Esquire Van Morrison
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On the Music Player this week
Bob Dylan, “Going Going Gone…”
Planet Waves sessions
I recently found this isolated vocal track of “Going, Going, Gone” from Planet Waves. It doesn’t seem to be the released take, but it’s fascinating to hear Bob’s unadorned singing [apart from some interesting chords and riffs on his acoustic guitar]. It’s impassioned and dramatic, and the timing is fantastic — listen to the delays on the title phrase.
Five Things I Saw & Heard This Week 
Thanks for the shout out Martin – which reminds me I must post #3 in the series. Was similarly nonplussed by Homegrown. Not sure I am brave enough to watch Sir Cliff, but will ask my mum to and report back.
Ever one to accept a challenge, I did watch Cliff’s video all the way to the end. It doesn’t change much, all taking place in the Corridor of Wardrobes. At one point he teases us that he’s actually going to disappear into the wardrobe, but then he emerges again with a cheeky smile. I am naturally envious of so much wardrobe real estate, though I’m not sure why the perforated doors—you’d think it would be an open invitation to moths. And he does seem to be singing it live rather than miming, so hat’s off to him for the state of his pipes at going on 80. A tribute to clean living.
Maybe you could recreate it, Simon, although it isn’t quite American Gothic, more Marbella Mid-Century, and there’s no role for Ali…
Two tales of endurance or lack thereof:
I made it to the end of Cliff’s video, jaw to the floor, and I claim my gold medal. Blimey. To be honest, I was mostly interested to see if the poor old sod would stay upright, as he looked a bit unsteady on his pins. If you baled out before 2’30” you missed the bit of business he does with one of his closet doors that goes wrong. (insert Cliff/closet gag here)
We’ve given up on Mrs America. Wanted to like it; expected to like it, in fact – it’s got Cate Blanchett, after all. But it’s just so boring and I don’t care about any of the characters. The soundtrack is good but it isn’t reason enough to persevere with it. Next!
Interesting that you felt the same way. It just didn’t catch fire (Mrs America, not Cliff’s wardrobes)…