Blues, Film, Rolling Stones

Classic Documentary: Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey

blues odyssey

Classic Documentary: Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey

“I discovered music during my teenage years and after I joined the Air Force, I found that I loved music that had its roots in the sound of Black people from the Southern states.

The way I learnt about their music seemed to echo the way their forebears had taught them: it was about tradition, a tradition passed on by word of mouth. I have learned so much from the Blues, and have come to realize that there is much more to the Blues than people think.”
– Bill Wyman

Bill Wyman’s personal tribute to the music and musicians that inspired him to pick up a bass guitar and become a founder member of the ‘Greatest Rock’n’Roll Band in the World’, The Rolling Stones.

Bill personally interviews such luminaries as BB King, Buddy Guy & Sam Phillips, in a global journey documenting the history of blues music, this documentary is essential to anyone who has either purchased the book or has an interest in exploring the story & journey of blues music narrated by an ex-member of The Rolling Stones, the band who did so much to introduce the music to the mainstream audience.

Bill Wyman has a deep and sincere love of the blues and it shines through in this great docu. He is a life-long fan/disciple/collector of blues music, and a true expert on this genre. Here we get almost two hours with great music clips and interviews from this important musical history.

Bill Wyman’s Blues Odyssey (Complete documentary):

– Hallgeir

Blues, Music Calendar, Sound

March 30: Happy 70th Birthday Eric Clapton

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eric clapton

 I am, and always will be, a blues guitarist.
~Eric Clapton

“I found my God in music and the arts, with writers like Hermann Hesse, and musicians like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter. In some way, in some form, my God was always there, but now I have learned to talk to him.”
~Eric Clapton

….Paul Simon writes great songs. George Harrison great songs, a lot of people, Eric Clapton produces wonderful music.
~Bob Dylan (Press Conference, July 1981)

Robbie Robertson inducts Eric Clapton Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000:

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Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan - The songs he didn't write

Bob Dylan: Brown Sugar (Jagger/Richards)

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bob dylan Jagger richards

Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields,
Sold in a market down in new orleans.
Scarred old slaver know he’s doin alright.
Hear him whip the women just around midnight.
Ah brown sugar how come you taste so good
(a-ha) brown sugar, just like a young girl should
A-huh.

“They say things – try to kid you – no, I don’t like the Rolling Stones.”
~Bob Dylan (18 April 1966)

“The Rolling Stones? Who else has come through? Mick Jagger and Keith Richard have come through the same fire that I’ve come through.”
~Bob Dylan (to Robert Shelton, June 1978)

From Wikipedia:

Released 16 April 1971 (UK)
7 May 1971 (US)
Recorded 2–4 December 1969
Genre Hard rock
Length 3:50
Label Rolling Stones Records
Writer(s) Jagger/Richards
Producer Jimmy Miller

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Great Concert, Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen: Live in London (2009)

leonard cohen live in london

..Cohen sounds genuinely moved by the affectionate reception he receives from his audience, and he seems determined to give them a show to match their loyalty, and with his band (who he frequently lauds during the performance) he truly gives of himself; if this isn’t quite the strongest live performance Cohen has released for public consumption, it’s certainly the warmest and the most emotionally resonant. Perhaps fate forced Leonard Cohen’s hand to stage the tour documented in part on Live in London, but it seems that fate knows just what it’s doing, and this album eloquently demonstrates how much Cohen still has to offer, and how clearly his music still speaks to him (and us).
~Mark Deming (allmusic.com)

London’s O2 Arena
July 17, 2008

For over four decades, Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, a figure whose body of work achieves greater depths of mystery and meaning as time goes on. His songs have set a virtually unmatched standard in their seriousness and range. Sex, spirituality, religion, power – he has relentlessly examined the largest issues in human lives, always with a full appreciation of how elusive answers can be to the vexing questions he raises. But those questions, and the journey he has traveled in seeking to address them, are the ever-shifting substance of his work, as well as the reasons why his songs never lose their overwhelming emotional force. Documentaries, awards, tribute albums and the ongoing march of artists eager to record his songs all acknowledge the peerless contribution Cohen has made to what one of his titles aptly calls “The Tower of Song.”
–
In 2008 Leonard Cohen embarked on his first tour in 15 years. Quickly recognized as musical folklore in the making, 29 of the original dates sold out almost immediately, leaving fans and critics alike hailing the show as a once in a lifetime experience. By popular demand, the Canadian/UK tour was extended and by the end of that year it had reached 84 markets worldwide, selling more than 700,000 tickets. The Live In London release fully captures and recreates the extraordinary show from that tour that earned Cohen more than 80 five-star reviews for his performances.
~amazon.com

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Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan video

Bob Dylan: 5 Great live versions of Trying To Get To Heaven

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bob dylan 2001

The air is getting hotter
There’s a rumbling in the skies
I’ve been wading through the high muddy water
With the heat rising in my eyes
Every day your memory grows dimmer
It doesn’t haunt me like it did before
I’ve been walking through the middle of nowhere
Trying to get to heaven before they close the door

A very strong song from the brilliant album “Time Out Of Mind” (1997).

Tryin’ To Get To Heaven has been performed 156 times live, top years were 2010 & 2011 with 19 performances each.

–

Guildhall
Portsmouth, England
25 September 2000

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Charlie Sexton (guitar)
  • Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
  • Tony Garnier (bass)
  • David Kemper (drums & percussion)

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