Happy Birthday, Ry Cooder.
music
Dolly Parton once noted that there were just three real female singers around—Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, and Connie Smith. “The rest of us,” she said, “are only pretending.”
He shared beautiful gifts from a sad life and a tortured mind.*
Yes, my father used to beat the hell out of us… That is probably why I wrote those happy songs. I try to get as close to paradise as I can. I try to steer clear of heartbreaks.
– New York Times Magazine, 2024
*One might say the same of Sly Stone, may he also rest in peace.
Happy Birthday to this fine fellow.
He was the driving drummer who powered Blondie in the ’70s. Just appreciate his work here:
“Anybody who gets a chance to play with Garth Hudson, they’d be a fool not to. As far as The Band is concerned, he’s the one who rubbed off on the rest of us and made us sound as good as we did.” – Levon Helm
Update: more here.
🎵
Rewatching, and loving, Ken Burns’ “Country Music,” Episode 4: “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” It’s gotten a little dusty in here a few times.
Modern Sounds, indeed. Thank you, Mr. Charles.
Here’s a thoughtful and appreciative review of a new(!) album of all-new country songs by Ringo Starr. Some remind me a little of Nick Lowe.
Robert Herrick:
The darling of the world is come,
And, fit it is, we find a room
To welcome Him. The nobler part
Of all the house here, is the heart …
Merry Christmas!
White Purple Christmas
