Phillip Ward On Sandy Denny

Phillip Ward posits an in depth view of Sandy's work and life. For those of you who are discovering this tragic talent, Clinton Heylin's biography, published in 2000, is a definitive look at Sandy Denny's time and music. We all wish that she could have righted her ship, but that which kills, fascinates. I have searched for the "real" in artists and music my whole life and Sandy Denny, kids, is the real deal.

photo courtesy Phillip Ward

Sandy Denny: 30th Anniversary of Her Passing

She haunts me still with her voice and that cold within. Gone too soon but not forgotten. This video is of her with The North Star Grassman and The Ravens. If anyone can tell me if the recent BBC special can be accessed on the web, please leave a post.

CK

(From Jason Hartley and Advanced Theory)

(From Jason Hartley and Advanced Theory)

I actually thought Lou was married to Laurie years ago, so good luck and many happy years to them!

CK

Lou Reed Gets Married, Plays Music, Likes Tai Chi

From Contact Music:

Veteran rocker LOU REED has reportedly married his longtime partner LAURIE ANDERSON in a secret ceremony in Colorado earlier this month (12Apr08). The couple, who have lived together since 1995, was recently spotted celebrating in New York with drinks and dessert at the East Village, New York townhouse of photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Sanders made the Grammy-winning documentary Lou Reed: Rock And Roll Heart about the musician in 1999.
Guests at the gathering included filmmaker Julian Schnabel and Law + Order: Special Victims Unit star Richard Belzer, reports New York gossip column PageSix.

And he's playing shows too (Washington Post):

Lou Reed called his most famous live album "Rock n Roll Animal," but the title was kind of a joke even then, in 1974. The unofficial poet laureate of New York City is one of the least-pandering rockers ever, and his complete absorption in the music gives him a paradoxical charm: Like all icons of existential cool, he seems truly not to care whether you like him or not.

Take Tuesday night's powerful but maddeningly brief show at the 9:30 club. The majority of the mere dozen songs performed were mid-'80s-and-later album cuts, with only "Sweet Jane" (disposed of early in the set) and "Perfect Day" among Reed's "hits." He might have rolled his eyes introducing the Velvet Underground curio "I'm Sticking With You" ("This was in 'Juno,' that's why we're doing it") but you just never know with this guy.

Finally, if you're planning to interview Lou Reed, here's some advice (Style Weekly):

“Talk to Lou about playing music, manipulating sound [guitar feedback], the power of focusing your energy. He’s really into tai chi — that Chinese, slow motion exercise stuff,” he writes. “I got lucky when I talked with him, he didn’t get pissed off once in the entire eight-or-so minutes. Even invited me backstage, which was later withdrawn by his management, the bastards. Good luck!”

Grand Rapids GRAM Warhol Exhibit

I had a chance today to check out the new Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Warhol exhibit that came to town this week. Fantastic! We have a brand new world class art museum! My wife and I caught the presentation by Roberta Bernstein, a woman who worked as a studio assistant to Warhol in 1966-67. Her presentation, Andy Warhol: Myth and Reality, was very informative. If anyone is in the area, check this exhibit out. Far more than the media persona that was projected in the 1960's, he was almost solely responsible for art's turn to the New Age of Popism.

The Velvets Part 4

My GAWD He's Still Alive!!!! (Thank God)

Keith Richards on Weed, Drugs: Lay Off the Dope
By Brenda JonesFeb 29, 2008

Keith Richards has never really taken his own advice but he would like to at least help out some of the youth across the world when it comes to drug use. His advice is to lay off the dope. Good work Keith. The Rolling Stone guitarist would know, right? He says "Give it up, it ain't really worth it. I know the fascination, but it ain't worth it."
Keith Richards on Weed, Drugs: Lay Off the Dope (Image: Wenn)According to MSNBC, Richards also brands bandmate Mick Jagger a "power freak" in the interview and belittles Led Zeppelin’s December one-off reunion gig. That should certainly go over quite well for the old (and I do mean old) friends.
***The BBC reports that the 64-year-old, who famously claimed to have snorted his father’s ashes — but later denied it, revealed what his message would be to anyone using drugs and it a bit like the old Nancy Reagan saying, "Just say No!"When asked about Jagger's onstage persona he said: "Excuse me while I laugh. He's a bit vain, let's put it like that. We want a vain bloke up there, don't we? Meanwhile, the band can go to work. Vanity will not carry a band. But a band can carry vanity."

Back From The Holiday Shuffle

Wow, the holiday is over, the last kid now married and off! Maybe I can get back to the blog now that things are settling down here in River City. A belated Happy New Year to all!

2008 will see a blend of politics and music on this site (what else) and we should have some interesting posts with the primary and election season upon us.

This is a Zeitkratzer performance of Metal Machine Music. It is an amazing human performance of Lou Reed's machine driven creation of the mid 1970's. I was one of those kids who brought it back to the record store a day after originally purchasing it. This version is a warmer White Light White Heat, if you will, anchored with the fabled drone.