Do you ever have a dream that brings you right back to a moment and place in time from your past, but you're looking at it now? The smell of the very neighborhood, or kitchen of your childhood friend's home. The feeling in the pit of your stomach in an awkward high school situation. The ecstacy of a psychedelic or religious experience you've had. And then you become more of just an observer walking along and reviewing the scenes of your previous life, your life now and the life to come. Sounds like facing the prospect of death and mortality doesn't it?. Sounds likes Bob Dylan's epic 16:32 song Highlands from his 1997 classic album Time Out Of Mind. Bob is one of the few people who can write a song that long and have you completely transfixed the entire time. Even though you might sometimes not understand some of his songs in the literal sense, you understand them in a sensual and sensory way. The song is painting something you've seen and felt. Much like a dream. And really what's more real than a dream? I'm sure his description of "listening to Neil Young" and having to turn it down and his interaction with the waitress and art are very concrete subjects for the mind of Bobby D.


     My iTunes DJ is playing some killer selections from my own collection tonight. Following Highlands was Dylan's awesome MTV Unplugged version of Like A Rolling Stone and then it was cosmically connected to Rollin' And Tumblin' from Muddy Waters. Wow...magic voodoo on one string with a slide. Mmm. 
                                                                                    

       ....Now DJ brings us into the top shelf example of todays sonic world with some killer Dawned On Me from Wilco. One of today's tightest and most spontaneous bands all at once. A fully informed band that mixes all their influences from alternative and punk  to country to jazz to avant-garde and folk and plays their own absolute original brand of rock and roll.

      
     Boy if I ever need to hear Rescue Blues from Ryan Adams it's tonight. Beautiful. I've always loved Ryan Adams ever since wandering into the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota on a cold snowy night in winter 2000 after a long evening teaching because I was curious about this guy I had read a short article about but hadn't actually heard. The place was packed and there I was staring up at the stage at this tousle haired young man sitting on a folding chair flipping through a notebook, scratching his head trying to decide what to play, then proceeding to play the most amazing songs. I turn and looked and I'm standing next to Lucinda Williams who was in Minneapolis recording with Bo Ramsey. I look the other way and I see members of The Jayhawks and I realize it's time to get on board.   
                                                                                                                                     
Are you listening to some good tunes tonight?  Or making some of your own? Be sure to share your song and music stories in the comment section. 
             
Peace and good listening,

Jer