All posts by Egil

Bergenfest: Jonathan Wilson Concert

Thursday – june 21, 19:15  – Magic Mirrors tent

“..So.. is anybody drunk yet?”
–Jonathan Wilson joking with the audience
(the bass player immediately raised his hand)

Jonathan Wilson’s concert at Bergenfest on Thursday evening was a time travel back to 70s California and Wilson and his band turned the hot venue into a cool west-coast breeze.   Jonathan Wilson had an easy going vibe going, he joked with the audience and it was an overall good feeling in the “tent”.

Wilson’s album, Gentle Spirit, have been making huge waves this last year and it was on many best-of-the- year lists in 2011. That said, the evening wasn’t all calm and cool. The band (and what a band, they’re fantastic both individiually and as collectively) frequently manouvered into a heavy rock’n roll groove. Just magnificent.

On the album his music is clearly related to the softer Laurel Canyon sound, cool, melancholic tunes layered in strings and organs, beautiful . In concert, the songs open up  in a more “aggressive” way. It’s like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with emphasis on Neil Young and I also heard Pink Floyd’s influence on several songs.

It was an absolutely great concert, and we all wanted more when it was over.

Best song: “Can We really party today?”

Rating:  Egil 5/6 , Hallgeir 6/6

Here is his great album:

-Egil & Hallgeir

Today: Bob Dylan’s album: “Saved” was released in 1980 – 32 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Saved is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan‘s 20th studio album, released by Columbia Records in June 1980.

Saved was the second album of Dylan’s “Christian trilogy,” following his conversion to born-again Christianity. It expanded on themes explored on its predecessor, Slow Train Coming, with gospel arrangements and lyrics extolling the importance of a strong personal faith. Many critics dismissed Saved as dogmatic or bombastic. The album hit #3 on the UK charts, but managed to reach only to #24 on the US charts and did not go gold.

The replaced cover for ‘Saved’:

Released June 23, 1980
Recorded February 11–15, 1980
Genre Rock, gospel
Length 42:39
Label Columbia
Producer Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett

5 best songs from the album:

  1. In The Garden
  2. Solid Rock
  3. Are You Ready?
  4. Saved
  5. Pressing On

Clip from the Toronto concert in 1980 – Saved:

Album of the day:

Other June-23:

Continue reading Today: Bob Dylan’s album: “Saved” was released in 1980 – 32 years ago