And he did it, you understand, Festival is a tapestry of music an banter an Famous Types an the folks shiverin wi every syllable uttered from up front, it presents this collage right there in the 4:3, says here it is, jack, best you make your own damn mind up with regards how important it might be, or mighta been.
Make up your own mind, again.
Cause it's some kinda cultural expectation, t'is, a man can't hope to see Joan Baez singin' back in 64' without some age-ravaged talking-head waxing on about how significant it all is.
"See here, now, blessed mamma Mary, you ain't ever been alive less you stood knee-deep in beatnik piss back in the day, scrapin the flies out the teeth wi' Bobby Dylan telling us how "The Times They Are A-Changing", look at you there, with your compact MP3's an the motherfuckin' interwebbin', ain't no sense in even tryin, y'all buncha bastards, less you seen it, y'understand, less you been caught twixt Paul and Mary and Peter strumming top your damn skull."
And none a that, praise de Sade, not a frame of it, on account of the folks in the fields don't have time to grow up an get all embittered an nostalgic fore' the credits roll.
Didn't have time to see Punk an Acid House an Rave grabbin hold those very ideals and slappin them round the yap a every council estate in Britain, for one thing.
Didn't have time to spit in the paths a the teenagers turning off that documentary about how useless they are, compared to 67, y'understand, turning it off I say an headin in the direction of a field alive wi love an solidarity, an the music pourin out the speakers, soaked into every muck-scourged inch a the ground an risin up an out through the pores a the gyratin mass.
Because what's on evidence in Festival, a man can find it most any weekend, assuming he knows where to look, see, assuming he knows the directions an all, assuming the police ain't tailin the sorry bastard right the way there.
Some folks like to mourn the passin of the sixties, other folks ain't got the time to worry about it, they're too busy hitchin those sentiments cross the shoulders an headin on up yonder to wherever the hell that sound might be comin from, that guitar carvin the insides out, those beats breakin like shotgun blasts gainst the knee-caps.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
folks over at amazon have been bitching & moaning about the lack of full-length tunes (not that i'm gonna listen to 'em)...but the fact that there's not a lot of gushing commentary really makes me wanta check this out.
nice work man....little baby punk rock indeed.
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Mark, I see no reason why you wouldn't dig the hell outta this, although i was kinda miffed also by the absence of not just the full performances, but of ANY extras whatsoever. but still, what a damn film, regardless.
3 - Mark Saleski
i like watching Son House...tho he scares the crap outa me with his intensity.
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
i second that, for sure. him and Odetta, two of the most intense performers i ever did see.
5 - Mark Saleski
yes, those two...and John Mayer.
;-)
6 - DJRadiohead
Son House, the man who inspired both Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. "Hellhound on my Trail" is a walk in the park compared to Son.
And Saleski... stop the Mayer references! :)
7 - DJRadiohead
Fucking review you have here, Duke. My favorite live album of all times is of a Newport variety. Muddy Waters at the Newport Jazz Festival 1960. The Chess remaster is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
8 - Mark Saleski
i'll stop with the Mayer references soon. i'll have to pick somebody else next week. maybe Hansen or somethin'
Muddy Waters: favorite record -> Muddy Waters, Folk Singer. killer.
9 - DJRadiohead
Amen to that, Mark- the Muddy Waters bit. That is absolutely my favorite Muddy Waters album.
I have always enjoyed Muddy more as a blues singer than guitarist (although he knew what to do with a slide and guitar). "Folk Singer" gives such room for Muddy's big, beautiful voice. Buddy Guy is great on 2nd guitar and Willie Dixon keeping it together on bass. One of my favorite albums ever.
10 - Mark Saleski
me & a buddy spent nearly a year attempting to get that album on 180gram vinyl.
it was a beautiful evening when that record finally arrived in the mail.
11 - DJRadiohead
I want to buy the SACD version of it. I have the regular remastered CD.
12 - Mark Saleski
elusive disc claims to have one sacd copy left (it's apparently out of print).
don't know if i believe 'em or not.
13 - DJRadiohead
Thanks, Mark. I have a bead on it elsewhere. This conversation has made me think I should jump on it tomorrow when we get paid.
I had to queue up "Folk Singer" on my iPod. Just finished listening to the album proper (now listening to the 4 bonus cuts on the Chess remaster).
14 - Joanie
I've been looking forward to this one! Dick Waterman, legendary blues promoter and photographer, has written about it many times. As well, some of my favorite images were taken there.
15 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
DJ and Joanie, sorry i missed you, thanks for chippin in!
Looks like i'm gonna have to hunt me down that Muddy Waters record, then...
16 - DJRadiohead
Duke, you definitely want to do that. It's acoustic blues and it is brilliant!
17 - DJRadiohead
Actually, you want to hunt down "Folk Singer" and the "Newport Jazz" disc as well. Both are well worth your time.
18 - Mark Saleski
a duke review of Muddy Waters - Folk Singer would be freakin' sublime.
19 - Bennett
Frankly, when Dylan decides to power up for Maggie's Farm, the bun went into the oven.
Wha? Just now there's a story on Public Radio about Bonnie Rait, briefly starting out with Sun House... What do you folks know about that?
Great review Duke, I enjoyed it all the way through. Fantastic scrawlings indeed.
20 - DJRadiohead
Finally, something for me and Saleski to agree upon. Duke... bring us the goods, sir.
21 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
well hells bells, i doth smell a quest! and thanks for the tip on the other CD, DJ, i'll look into that!
Bennett, thanks for the kind words, man. i dunno about that Bonnie Rait business... maybe Sir Saleski could reveal something about it all?