Two-Lane Blacktop – You Can Never Go Fast Enough

Some said it was an answer to the commercial success of Easy Rider. Released exactly two years after the “first ever” road-movie directed by Dennis Hopper (read here), Universal Pictures asked Rudolph Wurlitzer and Monte Hellman to build a story around a journey of two friends from West to East USA, the name: Two-Lane Blacktop.
In both movies you’ll find a lot of similarities: bikes/cars, two bikers/two drag racers, two main protagonists (Dennis Hopper + Peter Fonda / James Taylor + Dennis Wilson), who picked up a hitch-hiker during the trip (Luke Askew / Laurie Bird) and are joined by a third character (Jack Nicholson / Warren Oates), etc, etc…
The only difference is the soundtrack, unlike Easy Rider Two-Lane Blacktop music is not a major actor of the movie (except the original version of Me and Bobby McGee performed by the song's author Kris Kristofferson), and no soundtrack had ever been released which is a surprise when you know that, the two stars of the film, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, could contribute with some very good music.
So, we had to wait April 2003 to find a Tribute album to Two-Lane Blacktop this definitive road movie that I saw again on public television one night two weeks ago. It is call You Can Never Go Fast Enough; you’ll find the Tracklisting here. I was happy to purchase one copy, Yeap! A special mention to Roy Montgomery for his contribution.

More: Wikipedia and All Music or Two-Lane Blacktop Tribute Website

James Taylor - Fire And Rain .mp3
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James .mp3
James Taylor - You've Got A Friend .mp3
Roy Montgomery - Sterling Morrison Corner 10th And First 1966.mp3
Roy Montgomery - Zabriske Point (Part 1).mp3

Glastonbury Fayre, The Movie

You all know that the Glastonbury Festival, England, is one of the places to be every summer. The last one was held at the end of last June, headline acts included Leonard Cohen, Kings of Leon, The Verve… Cool.
But I want to talk about the beginnings. The first one was organized in 1970 for an intimate crowd, the main act was T.Rex. Then the next one called The Glastonbury Fayre was organised during the summer solstice of 1971. The Festival featured the first incarnation of the Pyramid Stage built from scaffolding and metal sheeting. Performers included David Bowie, Family, Gong, Traffic, Fairport Convention, Hawkwind, Quintessence, and Melanie. The 1971 festival was filmed by Nicolas Roeg (Performance) and David Puttnam and was released as a film called simply Glastonbury Fayre (1972).
You must see this film (documentary!) even if David Bowie refused to be shown and that you will only hear the music of Gong without having the pleasure to see Daevid Allen and his friends on stage. Despite those little remarks, catch it if you can… on TV or on DVD. It’s a legendary moment. It’s fun, it’s free and it’s peace.

More details and pictures: ukrockfestivals.com
The Triple album and the Gong At Glastonbury LP: Revelations

Gong - Radio Gnome .mp3
Melanie - I'm Not In Love Anymore .mp3
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World .mp3
Arthur Brown - Fire .mp3 via Palms Out Sounds

I'm Not There - Bob Dylan Revisited

Excuse my silence these last days, I've been a little bit lazy but that doesn't mean that I was staying at home doing nothing. For example, I had the chance to discover the music of Ryan Bingham one evening in one of the oldest Paris's Irish pub. I also bought - in a shop not on the web - the last Radiohead, In Rainbows. I'll try to come back later next days on those two discoveries.
To start this New Year, I want to write a little report about this amazing movie called I'm Not There (2007). I’m sure that you read a lot about it or already seen it, I hope. My opinion is that this movie directed by Todd Haynes is not a film about Bob Dylan like everyone seems to think. Dylan is never on the screen. His name never mentioned. He’s nowhere. He’s not there. See Cat Blanchett for example, she’s not him, she’s just Jude. Jude who? Hey, Jude? Judas? I don’t believe her, she’s a liar…
Seriously, I'm Not There is a nostalgic carnival, a black and white puzzle with colors, a subtle kaleidoscope of words and faces. Also a game: where, when and who. History revisited. The perfect counterpoint to Martin Scorsese’s No Direction Home: Bob Dylan. Great job Mister Haynes and Miss Blanchett you’re unbelievable!

Trailer: I'm Not There

Bob Dylan - Going To New Orleans .mp3 from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes (1993)
Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street .mp3 from Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits (1967)
Bob Dylan - Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again .mp3 from Blonde On Blonde (1966)
Cat Power - Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again .mp3 from I’m Not There – Original Soundtrack (2007) via Dead Flowers

Greg And The Valerie Project

Some news from someone I really do appreciate not only as a musician but also as a human being, Greg Weeks. Long long time ago we used to talk for hours about a young artist called Chan Marshall (Cat Power) and about a wonderful actress named Irene Jacob (La Double vie de Véronique (1991))… Greg, now member of Espers, is also the Executive Producer of a beautiful idea called The Valerie Project Series. Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders is the first film in The Project Series:
"Philadelphia musicians bring new life to a forgotten classic of the Czech New Wave: Jaromil Jires' Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders (1970). The sound goes off and the amps get cranked (do harps need amps?) as a collective of Philadelphia's finest underground musicians pay tribute to this seminal film of the new folk movement. Spearheaded by Greg Weeks (Espers, Grass), Margie Wienk (Fern Knight, Eyesores) and Brooke Sietinsons (Espers, Grass), the ensemble includes harpist Mary Lattimore, cellist Helena Espvall (Espers), Vocalist Tara Burke (Fursaxa), bassist/percussionist Jesse Sparhawk (Timesbold), flautist/keyboardist Jessica Weeks (Woodwose, Grass), enigmatic electronicist Charles Cohen and percussionist Jim Ayre (Fern Knight)."

The CD/2xLP was released on Drag City November 20th.
Info: valerieproject.org
Pitchfork: pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/47179-the-valerie-project

Here are a few MP3s from the very first performance of The Valerie Project at the International House, Philly, PA on Sept 18, 2006.
Valerie Project - Intro .mp3
Valerie Project - Grandmother's Theme .mp3
Valerie Project - Feast .mp3

Jim Morrison - The Movie

Last week-end, I saw, maybe for the tenth time, Oliver Stone’s biography of Jim Morrison and The Doors (1991). The movie is really enjoyable even if it has the limit of a documentary and Val Kilmer is excellent. One thing that bothers me a little is why Mister Stone called his movie The Doors instead of Jim Morrison – The Movie. It is obvious that all along this feature film you mainly follow Morrison, the writer, the poet, the alcoholic… The band - The Doors - is behind Jim and is only the music vehicle for his writing. Jim Morrison doesn’t really care about the music, as the lead singer of a band who never plays any instrument, he only wants to read his poems, his prayers.
This year, Warner celebrates the 40th anniversary of The Doors first album : “All Six of The Doors’ Studio Masterpieces, the brand new 40th Anniversary mixes, remastered and expanded to include bonus outtakes and other bonus material are now available for the first time as single disc releases. All six studio albums are newly mixed as supervised by The Doors and Bruce Botnick, their original engineer/ co-producer.”

Web: thedoors.com

The Doors - Light My Fire .mp3
The Doors - The End .mp3
The Doors - Riders on the Storm .mp3
Snoop Dogg ft. The Doors - Riders On The Storm .mp3