Joni Mitchell wrote “Woodstock” despite never actually making it to the iconic festival held on Max Yasgur‘s farm in 1969. Joni said that ‘the deprivation of not being able to go’ provided her with ‘an intense angle on Woodstock.
“Maybe she’ll find an island with a shaded tree just like the one in our backyard” February 19, 2012
I was travelling back to York with Catwoman earlier today after a great weekend with family and friends down south. The drive back is a great opportunity to take in Johnnie Walker‘s excellent ‘Sounds Of The 70s‘ show on BBC Radio 2. The music choice as usual was excellent and as occasionally happens for me Johnnie played one track that I don’t think I’ve heard since the 1970s. It was “Shannon” by Henry Gross. I used to really love this when it had just a small amount of radio play in the UK back in ’76.
The song was written after Henry read about the death of Carl Wilson‘s (off of the Beach Boys) Irish Setter Shannon. I think you can definitely pick up a Beach Boys vibe and influence in the performance and production. The song was a number 6 hit in the US Billboard chart in 1976 and a number one in Canada. It only made number 32 in the UK. Another claim to fame the Henry Gross has is that he was the youngest artist to appear on the main stage at Woodstock in 1969. He was a founding member of Sha Na Na with whom he took to the stage immediately before Jimi Hendrix at Max Yasgur‘s farm some 43 years ago this year.
Henry is still recording and performing. Enjoy “Shannon” below along with a great performance from Sha Na Na;
How cool is that? Henry Gross gets a namecheck in an issue of Spiderman!
“And my time is a piece of wax fallin’ on a termite” June 13, 2010
The song says that ‘Football’s coming home’ but after England’s performance yesterday it’s more likely that England will be coming home early. Their performance against the USA was pretty poor overall. Sure we suffered from the keeper Rob Green’s awful fumble (see below), but frankly we really weren’t up to the job. If we get far enough in the competition to play the likes of Italy, Spain, Brazil or Germany and we play like we did yesterday we will be slaughtered!
As for the commentary team, were they watching the same match? They kept saying how well the Gerrard and Lampard partnership was working. Most of the time I didn’t even realise that Lampard was on the pitch. For me he is the epitome of overrated and overpaid. It can only get better against Slovenia and Algeria, can’t it?
This has been a brief post match analysis of yesterdays England game against the USA in the FIFA World Cup 2010. But as I have said so many times before this is a music blog, so here are a few appropriate songs
“Fuckin’ Up” – Neil Young with Pearl Jam. Especially for Robert Green
“Loser” – Beck. For most of the England team
“The Invisible Man” – Queen. Especially for Frank ‘Invisible’ Lampard
“Star Spangled Banner” – Jimi Hendrix. For the USA team, well done guys
“Things Can Only Get Better” – D Ream. For me because underneath it all I’m an optimist
Could this be what Rob Green saw on the terraces before his famous fumble?
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 