I haven’t listened to Tuatara’s East of the Sun in quite awhile, but I’ve been humming a few bars of “Rainbow Drops” all morning.  East was the first Tuatara record to feature vocalists, “Rainbow Drops” featuring the lead vocal talents of Victoria Williams.

There is something very catchy about this song despite it not being an overt pop song.  Williams’ unique voice and delivery sounds so good in this setting.  East of the Sun has so many excellent moments, and this is one of the highlights.  The endless playlist in my head has great taste.

“I’ve never considered myself a political writer,” he said.  “I don’t write politically inspired tunes, not that I don’t have my own thoughts on what’s going on in the world, not that I don’t have my own convictions and passions about the way things are going.”

As for how the song came about, Moss said he was watching CNN one night and as images from Iraq flashed on his screen he remembered a story his brother told him about the son of a family friend.

“It really kind of hit home because my brother had told me a story about a friend of ours, a drummer whose son — a really good kid, always has a smile on his face  — enlisted,” said Moss.  “This was in 2002, right after the towers fell.  He enlisted and they sent him to Afghanistan.  He served his tour in Afghanistan and he was not the same person that he was when he left, which is a side effect of what these guys are seeing over there, obviously.  He doesn’t look you in the eye.  He doesn’t laugh, doesn’t smile, doesn’t talk.”

Some months later, this young man was called up with his unit to go to Iraq.  When Moss thought about this kid going back for a second tour, he thought about his own child as well as his childhood.

“There’s a line in there [from "Mistakes Of The Past"] I say ‘don’t you think they’ve got those kids growing up too fast?’  Being a parent and I’m thinking this kid was 18 when he left to go to Afghanistan and I remember what I was doing when I was 18,” said Moss.  “I was having a ball and now this kid has had his whole life turned around, seeing things that I don’t think anyone should have to see and he’s never going to be the same person.”

Moss was quick to point out his frustrations have nothing to do with the soldiers, doing a dangerous job.

“I don’t want people to get me wrong thinking I’ve got a hard time with our soldiers over there,” he said.  “I don’t.  I have all the respect in the world for these men and women that are over there.

“I think any 18-year old kid that’s raised right and has his own convictions and wants to enlist, that’s great and I stand up for all these guys and women that go over there.  I know it’s not just kids, there are a lot of older guys and reserves going over there, too.  My heart is with them.  I really feel that these guys deserve a lot of credit for going over there, especially under the pretenses of what we were told why we were going over there.  Yet they’re still going over there doing the jobs.”

I can almost guarantee none of you have a record like this in your collection, and you absolutely should.  Chicago blues, played on mandolin.  This is about as cool as it gets.  Listening to Gerry is making me want to dust off my Johnny Young CDs (Young being one of Gerry’s influences on SWB).  Did you notice that none of those are the Oasis or Dylan record I’m supposed to be talking about?  Yeah, me too.

I suppose if I’m going to drown, this is a great way to do it but I’d sure like to start swimming.

Daniel Pearl, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and musician, was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002.  Pearl’s wife, Marianne, gave birth to their first child, a son, three months following his murder.  Marianne, wrote a book that was turned into a film starring Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman.  The book and movie were titled A Mighty Heart.  Grisly video of the murder itself was leaked on the internet, shocking and outraging millions around the world.

Daniel Pearl Music Days run from October 1-31 and since 2002, more than 2,000 events in 77 countries have been dedicated to Daniel Pearl Music Days, bringing awareness to the theme of “Harmony for Humanity.”

Sir Elton John and Herbie Hancock participated in a 60 second PSA about Daniel Pearl Music Days.

From our friends in S. Carolina, I got The Ultimate Freddie King.  I wasn’t especially familliar with this King until I listened to Nick Moss’ Live At Chan’s, when Nick did a great cover of a Freddie King tune.  I’m excited about this one.

Mr. Saleski will approve of the gift my brother brought me last night:  the deluxe edition of Howlin’ Wolf’s London Sessions, an album that pairs the great Howlin’ Wolf and his guitarist Hubert Sumlin with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Rolling Stones’ rhythm aces Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman.  My research indicates that album is not universally loved by critics, but critics have been known to be wrong.  I can’t wait to find out if this is one of them.

Meanwhile, I have gotten fuckall done on my writing but I think I’ll be able to do something about that today and this weekend.  Oasis, Gilmour, and Dylan are at the top of my list.  I also need to get ahead and get working on my Dave Carter review.

11 and I spoke briefly about Dig Out Your Soul and 11 believes “Falling Down” may be the best song Noel-led Oasis song on an Oasis record.  He may be on to something.  If you look at Oasis’ seven proper albums, Gallagher has typically done 2-3 lead vocals fronting the band.  Some of those songs have been spectacular.  “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is an all-time classic.  “Little By Little” is an underappreciated gem favored by TheWifeToWhomI’mMarried.  “The Importance of Being Idle” is a wonderful, whimsical song off the great Don’t Believe The Truth record.

“Falling Down” may be the best of the bunch, and as someone who still wells up with emotion every time I hear “Anger” that is saying something.

To be continued…

“Dear Chicago” and “Desire” are always a winner with me (might have mentioned that before) and I’m also a fan of “How Do You Keep Love Alive.”  Overall, CycloneNation got a solid selection, including one song that may well have been a live debut.

1. Cobwebs
2. Everybody Knows
3. Sinking Ship
4. Born Into The Light (live debut)
5. Come Pick Me Up
6. Wonderwall
7. Off Broadway
8. Mockingbirds
9. Note to Self: Don’t Die
10. Dear Chicago
11. Goodnight Rose
12. Fix It
13. Peaceful Valley

14. Sun Also Sets
15. Rescue Blues
16. Shakedown on 9th Street >
17. I See Monsters
18. Natural Ghost
19. How Do You Keep Love Alive
20. Love is Hell
21. Go Easy
22. Cold Roses
23. Band Intros
24. Please Do Not Let Me Go
25. Games
26. Desire
27. Let it Ride
28. Two
29. Easy Plateau

1. Living Well Is the Best Revenge 
2. What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? 
3. Drive 
4. Man-Sized Wreath 
5. Ignoreland 
6. Bad Day 
7. Hollow Man 
8. Electrolite 
9. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville 
10. The Great Beyond 
11. One I Love 
12. She Just Wants To Be 
13. Losing My Religion 
14. Let Me In 
15. Horse To Water 
16. Orange Crush 
17. Imitation Of Life 
18. Supernatural Superserious 
19. It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 
20. Man On The Moon

1. Living Well Is the Best Revenge
2. So Fast, So Numb
3. What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
4. Drive
5. Man-Sized Wreath
6. Ignoreland
7. Disturbance At The Heron House
8. Hollow Man
9. The Great Beyond
10. Electrolite
11. Sweetness Follows
12. Bad Day
13. Horse To Water
14. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
15. She Just Wants To Be
16. One I Love
17. Fall On Me
18. Nightswimming
19. Let Me In
20. I’m Gonna DJ
21. Imitation Of Life
22. Orange Crush

23. Supernatural Superserious
24. Losing My Religion
25. Walk Unafraid
26. It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
27. Man On The Moon

I did something I else I don’t often do.  I read a review of the album today.  I read a lot of album reviews but typically not for albums I intend to review on my own.  I couldn’t help myself though, and I’m glad.  Stephen Thomas Erlewine at All Music had something interesting to say not so much about the record itself but about Oasis’ principle mastermind Noel Gallagher.  Erlewine said while Gallagher obviously is influenced by The Beatles, his particular way of channeling them is different than the way other songwriters do it.  He’s absolutely right.

One doesn’t have to look hard to find songwriters who have been influenced by The Beatles, but when you hear the term “Beatlesque,” I think a lot of us tend to hear the same thing.  We get an idea of what a Beatles-inspired song is going to sound like and we’re not often wrong.  With Gallagher, it’s an understanding that a lot of his songwriting begins with The Beatles, but then he twists that mythology and sound in a way that stands apart from other artists.

I can’t wait for my box to arrive.  This is going to be a good one.