"To be loved like that makes all the difference. It does not lessen the terror of the fall, but it gives a new perspective on what that terror means. I had jumped off the edge, and then, at the very last moment, something reached out and caught me in midair. That something is what I define as love. It is the one thing that can stop a man from falling, the one thing powerful enough to negate the laws of gravity." Paul Auster (Moon Palace)

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Sister Irene O'Connor - fire luke twelve forty-nine, 1973

"Fire of God’s Love is also a quintessential winter record, perfect for the cooler months ahead."

The Moody Blues - question live at red rocks, 1993

"The Moody Blues made a some sort of a come-back in 1993 with this album, which also can be founded as DVD. I won't comment only the album but also the DVD which is a nice way to know this band a bit more. All the golden oldies are there: Tuesday Afternoon, Question, I'm just a singer in a Rock and Roll Band."

Club 8 - sneaky feelings, 2025

"a tale of love possibly gone wrong soundtracked by a warm but sparse arrangement. The vocals of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård have a hint of melancholy about them, and the jangly guitar is full of summery hope that goes against the grain of the lyrics."

My Sad Captains - all hat and no plans, 2009

"Melancholic indie folk-rock with jangly guitars, subtle keyboards, and Ed Wallis's warm, narrative-driven vocals. It evokes a sense of wistful reflection, fitting the band's "sad captains" theme—perhaps nodding to Philip Larkin's poem "The Old Fools" or just poetic melancholy."

My Morning Jacket - in its infancy the waterfall, 2015

"And there's a scenic drive out there where you pass lots of waterfalls. Whenever I stand in front of a waterfall, I try to pause it in my mind, then rewind it and make it go backwards. Obviously you can't do that."

Pet Shop Boys - it's alright cover live at the mermaid theatre, 2006

"This performance of "It's Alright" (a 1989 cover originally by Sterling Void) is a standout from Pet Shop Boys' orchestral live show at London's Mermaid Theatre on May 8, 2006. The concert, titled Concrete: In Concert at the Mermaid Theatre for Radio 2 with the BBC Concert Orchestra, was an exclusive event for BBC Radio 2's Sold on Song program, broadcast on May 27, 2006. It served as a launch for their album Fundamental and featured the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Trevor Horn, plus guests like Rufus Wainwright, Frances Barber, and Robbie Williams. The intimate 600-seat venue created a unique blend of synth-pop classics and new tracks with full orchestral backing—PSB's first official live album release."

Friday, November 7, 2025

Paul McCartney - all my loving live back in the us, 2002

"In a candid and perhaps unguarded moment, Paul McCartney told Guitar Player in 1990, "What do they say? 'A good artist borrows, a great artist steals' – or something like that. That makes The Beatles great artists because we stole a lot of stuff." McCartney wasn't admitting to theft. He was saying that The Beatles didn't operate in a vacuum and they assimilated what was happening around them to create original music. Their "yeah, yeah, yeahs" had previously been used by Elvis Presley and The Isley Brothers and their introduction to "I Feel Fine" mimics Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step". When McCartney woke up one morning with a beautiful melody in his head, he was sure he had nicked it. After friends told him it was original, he recorded it as "Yesterday". I would speculate that McCartney had heard Nat "King" Cole's "Answer Me, My Love". The mood and the tempo are similar and Nat even sings, "You were mine yesterday, I believed that love was here to stay." Written in 1963, "All My Loving" was McCartney's first attempt at writing an MOR standard, but play "Kathy's Waltz" from the Dave Brubeck Quartet. You might think that a modern jazz group was improvising around "All My Loving", but "Kathy's Waltz" was recorded in 1959."

Neil Young - king of kings journey through the past, 1972

"Journey Through the Past is a double LP soundtrack album from the film of the same name by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released in November 1972 on Reprise Records, catalogue number 2XS 6480.[4] It peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200. Its initial release was on vinyl, cassette tape, reel-to-reel tape, and 8-track tape cartridge. Although its follow-up Time Fades Away was finally released on CD in August 2017, Journey Through the Past remains the only 1970s Neil Young album yet to see an official CD reissue."

Peter Bjorn And John - longer nights intro, 2018

"Peter tackling what's happening in the world right now, Bjorn delving into relationship issues and John, the most existential, exploring the shadows of our own psyche."

Nada Surf - blizzard of seventy-seven, 2002

"A funny thing happened to Nada Surf on the way to sure-fire late-'90s alt-rock stardom. Despite obtaining a decent amount of MTV exposure, their sardonic first single, "Popular," ultimately arrived just moments too late to capitalize on the era's short-lived mainstream fancy with geek rock."

My Sad Captains - here and elsewhere, 2009

"There’s no getting away from it, there’s something distinctly Blue Peter about this Camden quintet. We can’t help picturing them playing in matching knitted cardigans and black-rimmed specs chiming every fourth beat of the bar in an organic juice café in Brighton. With this in mind, there is a certain ‘here’s one we made earlier’ feel about their lethargic Wilco/Sparklehorse melodies and downbeat tempo. This Americana-indie debut does exactly what it says on the tin, but the fact is we’ve been here, there and elsewhere already with the jingly-jangly, vegan harmonies of The Magic Numbers, The Little Ones and… oh, you get the idea. All in all, it’s an agreeable debut, but a predictable one nonetheless."

Damien Jurado - tundra, 2025

"It's a sparse, atmospheric folk piece that evokes themes of isolation and reflection—fitting its title, which conjures vast, frozen landscapes."

Pet Shop Boys - dreaming of the queen live at the mermaid theatre, 2006

"Dreaming of the Queen" from their 2006 concert at London's Mermaid Theatre is a standout track from their first official live album, Concrete. This rendition features the duo (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, giving it a lush, orchestral swell that elevates the original's witty, satirical take on British monarchy and celebrity culture from their 1993 album Very. The song's spoken-word verses and soaring chorus shine in this intimate venue setting, with Tennant's deadpan delivery adding extra charm."

The Moody Blues - nights in white satin live at red rocks, 1993

"recapturing the song's poetic melancholy while adding symphonic depth—think lush strings and brass amplifying the themes of unrequited love and introspection."

Thursday, November 6, 2025

My Morning Jacket - into the woods, 2005

"The album was the second highest rated album of 2005 according to Metacritic, behind Sufjan Stevens' Illinois; the album has a total score of 90 out of 100. Technically, both Z and Illinois were tied for the highest Metacritic rating in 2005, with a score of 90 each. However, the score for Illinois was based on a larger overall number of reviews: 40, compared to 31 for Z."

The Everly Brothers - cathy's clown, 1960

"Cathy's Clown" was inspired by Ferde Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite. It was a major influence on the Beatles, who — having "once toyed with calling themselves The Foreverly Brothers" — three years later copied the Everly's harmonies on their first U.K. No. 1 hit single, "Please Please Me".

REM - i'll take the rain, 2001

"In an April 2021 interview, Michael Stipe declared Reveal his favorite R.E.M. release. While lacking the consistency of Automatic for the People or the ferocity of Monster, Reveal remains among them, a worthy offering from a brilliant band entering middle age, and looking toward the future with history still in mind."

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

The Moody Blues - lovely to see you live at red rocks, 1993

"Every once in awhile someone has a good idea that actually turns out well. That is what happened when The Moody Blues decided to record a live album backed by The Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The result, A Night At Red Rocks With The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, was recorded to celebrate the 25th anniversary release of Days Of Future Passed."

James - trouble demo, 2018

"Trouble (Demo)" is a bonus track by the English alternative rock band James, released in 2018 as part of their 13th studio album, Living in Extraordinary Times. The demo version captures a raw, introspective vibe typical of the band's style, with frontman Tim Booth's emotive vocals layered over atmospheric guitars and subtle percussion. It explores themes of mental turmoil, addiction to overthinking, and finding reassurance amid chaos—the chorus repeats the mantra "Trouble, trouble, trouble / It's gonna be alright" like a self-soothing incantation."

Fleet Foxes - going-to-the-sun road, 2020

"Going-to-the-Sun Road is a scenic mountain road in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States, in Glacier National Park in Montana. The Sun Road, as it is sometimes abbreviated in National Park Service documents, is the only road that traverses the park, crossing the Continental Divide through Logan Pass at an elevation of 6,646 feet (2,026 m), which is the highest point on the road. Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1932 with formal dedication in the following summer on July 15, 1933. Prior to the construction of the road, visitors would need to spend several days traveling through the central part of the park, an area which can now be traversed within a few hours, excluding any stops for sightseeing or construction."