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“Ingrid Bergman” (Wilco & Billy Bragg Acoustic Rock Cover Song) – The Laptop Sessions

Chris Moore — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:59:35 +0000

Originally posted 2008-09-28 22:12:31.

By Chris Moore:

In the spirit of the blog, I’ll be posting on several topics tonight. First, let’s get down to business and talk about my choice for an acoustic cover song session. “Ingrid Bergman” is my second selection from the Wilco and Billy Bragg album Mermaid Avenue. This album has one of my favorite back-stories; essentially (as I described for my “Walt Whitman’s Niece” post), Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and British folksinger Billy Bragg were given access and rights to boxes full of Woody Guthrie lyrics. They recorded this album by writing music to fifteen of Guthrie’s songs, and it is an excellent recording. Unfortunately, the second volume is not nearly as fresh and exciting as the first…

That being said, I had such a good time and a good response for my first Mermaid Avenue track that I decided to record this one also. “Ingrid Bergman” is a song that I have oftentimes gotten easily stuck in my head and I find it peaceful to sing along to in my head. It was actually more difficult to figure out the strumming pattern than I thought it would be. Other than that, it was a pretty straightforward performance that I hope you’ll enjoy listening to!

In other news, it was a bad day to be a Mets fan… After yesterday’s AMAZING outing by Johan Santana, I thought that there might be enough energy and momentum built up to translate into an important win of this, the last game played at Shea Stadium. I’d like to jump on the bandwagon and blame the bullpen, but the great point has been made that, really, it takes both defense AND offense to make a winning team. Not to mention the reasonable argument that Santana is essentially the sole reason why the Mets were in the race for so long to begin with. Well, I suppose I can’t really complain. I haven’t been a Mets fan for all that long, and this is really the first year that I watched or paid close attention to each game (thank you iPhone!!). Let’s hope that management and the team in general has learned some important lessons for next year…

And last, but certainly not least, I will second Jim’s reflections on friendship. I think that, all too often, with family, friends, lovers — we get so busy with our day to day lives and we lose perspective. I know that I have been guilty of that. And I’ve also been guilty of not taking a firm stand for those that I care about. Life is a crazy, crazy process, and every time I think that I’m getting ahead of the curve and finding happiness, I get set back a step. Ever felt that way? Ever felt trapped by a paradox, or a no-win situation? For those that don’t know me, I’m generally a pretty positive person — sometimes positive in the face of all logical proof to the contrary.

Contradictions, controversy, and general confusion are some of the best reasons we write. I know that they’re my motivations. And let’s just say I have a lot to write! (More about that on my upcoming Original Wednesday…)

Thanks for stopping by for your daily dose of Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song excitement; don’t forget to hurry back tomorrow for an all-new cover by Jeff.

See you next session!

The Weekend Review: January 2012 Report

Chris Moore — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:58:40 +0000

By Chris Moore:

Fallen Empires (Snow Patrol)

Producer: Jacknife Lee

Released: January 10, 2012

Rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Called Out in the Dark” & “The Symphony”

With an overall sound and feel crossing entirely too closely to that of 2006’s Eyes Open for my taste, Fallen Empires is no match for the best work in Snow Patrol’s catalog. Since the departure of Mark McClelland, their approach has veered away from the feel of 2003’s excellent Final Straw, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, especially given the achievements of A Hundred Million Suns (2008) as an album. Already, Fallen Empires has risen above this immediate predecessor in chart rankings in most countries. Though it is clearly an inferior, less artful, less fully rendered effort than A Hundred Million Suns, this album does have its moments: it kicks off strongly, and “Called Out in the Dark” is an excellent track. The next several tracks hold their weight until a fade is taken on the title track. From the middle to the end of the album, it is a hit or miss affair with some songs sounding half-baked, others coming across as masterful (see: the lively, catchy “The Symphony” or the aptly chosen – albeit fourth – single “In the End”).

Those Around Us (Jim Fusco)

Producer: Jim Fusco

Released: January 13, 2012

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Chameleon” & “Opportunities”

For several records now, Jim Fusco’s advertising rhetoric has focused on the theme of continuous improvement, on the idea that the album in question is at least one step forward from the previous one. While That’s All Jim (2003) will forever stand higher in my estimation than What About Today? (2005), I had to admit that the technical expertise, songwriting, production quality, and concept of the latter were indeed a step forward from the former. Then, when Halfway There was released in 2009, it would have been difficult to argue that it was not Fusco’s best record. Now, with the arrival of Those Around Us, it is time again to weight the question: does this most recent release truly outshine the previous record? More on that after the review… The brighter, crisper sound of Those Around Us is the logical progression from the clean, sharp innovations that were immediately apparent on Halfway There, though it is less a progression than an extension of that sound, with the single greatest difference being the addition of crunchy distortion on the electric guitars throughout, in addition to the new instruments introduced this time around. Several songs would have fit seamlessly into Halfway, most notably the live, tuning-up feel of “Run My Way” kicking of the album much like “A Night Away” revved up Halfway’s “b-side” and the upbeat, vocally driven rock track “Opportunities.” And yet it would not be fair to suggest that Those Around Us is some sort of Halfway There, Part Two (or would it be called All the Way There?). This album offers some unique tracks heretofore unequaled in the Jim Fusco catalog. The standout track is clearly “Chameleon” which, as was the case with Halfway’s “I Got You,” showcases an impressive leap forward in terms of lead vocal, instrumentation, and overall songwriting quality. The brilliance of “Chameleon” lies in its use of the high and low ranges, mixing the bright guitar and keys with the dull throb of a disappointed-sounding bass line. Other standouts include “In Your Head,” one of the most naturally fast-paced Fusco songs to date, and “Helpless,” if not as much for its overall quality then for its out-of-time feel and for featuring what is perhaps the least recognizable, least predictable guitar part on the record. Elsewhere, the sequencing of the album is typically thoughtful, as in “Chameleon” – a song about appearances, adaptation, blending in and thus fading away – being followed by an extension of the visual/appearances theme in “Look Around,” which is also notable for being Fusco’s first recorded performance on lap steel, unless you count his part on the May 2009 Laptop Sessions cover of the Wilco / Woody Guthrie song “Jolly Banker.” Elsewhere on the album, there are several aspects that either confuse previous sentiments from Fusco’s music or demonstrate maturation. Take, for instance, “Choose Your Words (Carefully)” – which, for the record, seems less a referendum than a lecture – and its track two advice; seven years ago, he used the second track to instead assert that you “can’t count on words to fill the space between.” This is an interesting modification of that original suggestion. Another notable difference comes in the closing track. “How Are You Feeling Tonight?” marks the first time Fusco has ended an album with an interrogative song since 2003 (That’s All Jim’s “Where Do We Go From Here?; before that, he ended side one of 2002’s My Other Half with “Why Do You?” and side three with “What Did I Expect?”). This most recent question track is a departure in the sense that it closes with the refrain: “Try to live just for today, hey…,” whereas the other three end by fading out with the question still unanswered (though, to be fair, “What Did I Expect?” offers syntactical challenges that would easily merit a ten page paper to fully deconstruct, and that’s a task for another day…). What this structural difference suggests is not entirely clear, though it is in keeping with the declarative nature of the record’s other songs, which taken as a whole constitute a series of observations and, ultimately, recommendations: Fusco sings “Choose Your Words (Carefully),” “Don’t Give Up,” “if she’s the one, believe in me, you would know,” “just don’t put off what you can take right now,” “Look Around,” and “in your head, it always comes out the way you choose it; in your head, you live at the top until you lose it,” in addition to reminding us – in a slight variation on “Follow You Home” – of that classic theme “you can never go home again.” Ultimately, the technical achievements of Those Around Us cannot be denied, particularly in Fusco’s nice overall use of reverb, distinct instrumentation, and (as the bonus tracks further prove) vocal arrangement. However, there are several facets of Halfway There which, I would argue, serve to maintain its position as the best Jim Fusco album to date: namely, there is a certain longing, a sense of innocent questioning, exploration and discovery, and raw displeasure that surge through the 2009 album that simply isn’t present here. This is not to undermine the strengths of Those Around Us, but rather to put them in relative perspective. To my thinking, and I’ve often seemed alone in this critical stance, My Other Half still stands as the second best album in Fusco’s catalog (for its conceptual sequencing, ambitious strides in songwriting and packaging, and for its raw, unsettled emotion), placing Those Around Us in a smack down with That’s All Jim. As must as I love the latter, I’m pretty certain the former would triumph in the end.

A Different Sort of Solitude [Mini-EP/Single] (Steven Page)

Producer: Steven Page

Released: January 17, 2012

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “A Different Sort of Solitude” & “Manchild”

While I find it difficult to be excited about a mere two song EP two years after Page’s first album was released, I suppose we can’t expect more than for him to “make art when inspiration blows [his way],” as he sings in “Manchild.” In that sense, this “mini-EP” – aka glorified single – is a tease, as both songs are clearly not throwaways from Page One but new, fully realized compositions with a tendency toward the expansive and epic in their soundscapes. If anything, the theme of separation and recreation of one’s identity is stronger and more focused here than it was on his debut album, a thread that’s made clear up front in a title like “A Different Sort of Solitude.” One has to wonder if “Manchild” is a significant title given Page’s long tenure as a Lady, but perhaps that’s just the BnL fan in me stretching things a bit…

Clear Heart Full Eyes (Craig Finn)

Producer: Mike McCarthy

Released: January 24, 2012

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “”Honolulu Blues” & “Not Much Left of Us”

There is something truly beautiful about a solo project from the front man for a rock band that redefines his sound while retaining his core attributes and maintaining the interest and edge of a full band effort. Craig Finn has achieved this sort of stark, perhaps even raw beauty on his solo debut Clear Heart Full Eyes. As soon as the opening chords of the first track, “Apollo Baby,” there is just a hint of a gorgeous sort of menacing snarl that pervades the record. The instrumentation on Clear Heart is stripped down in comparison to the Hold Steady’s typical arrangements of Finn’s songs, but it is far from minimalist; on most tracks, there are one or two guitar parts with distinct parts, unique bass tracks that add cohesion, and a drum beat to drive the progression. Even though Finn’s themes here are as serious as ever and perhaps a little more so in some places, there is an unmistakable sense that he is having the time of his life. It may be written off as a side effect of his lead vocals being stronger, higher in the mix than usual, but it is difficult not to feel the smile – or is it a smirk? – in “New Friend Jesus” or not to sense the general lyrical force and vocal conviction offered up by Finn throughout. There’s not a clunker in the bunch, and tracks like the character tale “Jackson,” the rootsy romp “Honolulu Blues,” the sparse, devastating “Rented Room,” and the heartbreakingly perfect closer “Not Much Left of Us” will stand among the best songs in his catalog. While I hope this solo detour doesn’t extend the time between Hold Steady records too much, I also hope that he’ll find his way back to a solo record in the not-so-distant future.

iTunes Session (Wilco)

Released: January 24, 2012

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “War on War” & “Cruel to Be Kind”

I’ll preface this by admitting that if Wilco wasn’t one of my favorite bands of all time (top ten, if not top five), then I would never have considered spending money for what is essentially a live-in-the-studio rehash of tracks from last year’s The Whole Love, with the lead single from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) and a deep track from A.M. (1995) thrown in, topped off with a cover of Nick Lowe’s “Cruel to Be Kind” with the man himself taking lead vocal duties. This being said, while there’s nothing really new here, there is the tremendous take on YHF-alum “War on War” and a general sense of vitality in their performances. While I can’t in good faith rate this iTunes Session higher than three stars, I do recommend it for diehard Wilco fans. Others should download The Whole Love in its entirety, as it was the best album from 2011 and perhaps the second best Wilco album of all time.

Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International (Various Artists)

Producers: Jeff Ayeroff & Julie Yannatta

Released: January 24, 2012

Rating: 1.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Ring Them Bells” (Natasha Bedingfield) & “One Too Many Mornings” (Johnny Cash, [Bob Dylan,] and the Avett Brothers)

What a mess. One would think that, what with nearly eighty tracks assembled from a widely varied and not-so-untested array of artists, a compilation of this depth and breadth – referring to both artist and song choice – would have enough gems to make its purchase worthwhile. Instead, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International largely function as a reminder that there is no replacement for artistry and, often, perfection the first time around. The only truly great track here is the only one previously released: the title track, from Dylan’s 1964 acoustic album Another Side of Bob Dylan. There are standouts, of course, in the efforts of artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Brett Dennen, Patti Smith, Jack’s Mannequin, Elvis Costello, and others. There is remarkably strong work from artists that surprised me – most notably Rise Against’s take on “Ballad of Hollis Brown” and Raphael Saadiq’s better-than-competent cover of “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” (though none will ever top Beck’s version). And then there are the other sixty-something songs, less than half of which are bearable enough to be termed mediocre. The majority are simply uninspired, and an uncomfortably high number are utter garbage. The only truly surprising jewel is a reworking of The Times They Are A-Changin’ alum “One Too Many Mornings” by the Avett Brothers, who were granted access to the session held with both Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan early in the 1970’s, when Dylan was still in the heart of his “Lay, Lady, Lay” voice phase. I have yearned to hear fully rendered songs from this reportedly spotty (in terms of quality) session, and the Avett Brothers have done this track justice. At the end of the day, my consolation arrives in the knowledge that the proceeds here go to Amnesty International, and I wish I could recommend more than a handful of – maybe ten at best – tracks.

Ringo 2012 (Ringo Starr)

Producer: Ringo Starr

Released: January 31, 2012

Rating: 3.5 / 5 starrs

Top Two Tracks: “Wonderful” & “In Liverpool”

Ringo Starr returns to rock after but a brief absence – a mere two weeks more than two years since Y Not was released – and this time without an embarrassing title and without the song quality falling apart at the end. It would be disingenuous to suggest Ringo 2012 is a return to pre-Y Not form, as it is no less a hodgepodge than its predecessor, an album on which Ringo collaborated with someone different to write every track, as well as returning to a previously recorded track. Ringo 2012 follows the same pattern, including a cover of a thirties folk song (“Rock Island Line”), a Buddy Holly cover (“Think It Over,” first released last year on the Listen To Me: Buddy Holly tribute album), and two re-recorded songs (“Wings” from 1977’s Ringo the 4^th and “Step Lightly” from 1973’s Ringo). This leaves a mere five wholly original tracks. Even still, this latest Ringo album bears the marks of an artist who has worked to make a cohesive compilation of songs. They are smartly sequenced, the best being saved for (almost) last, namely the beautifully arranged, heartfelt “Wonderful” and “In Liverpool,” which somehow manages to transcend being the token “remember when I was a boy on the verge of becoming a Beatle” track. The rest fall in line well: despite its brevity, “Think It Over” is fun and well arranged, of all the tracks to revisit, “Wings” fits well here as the single, and “Slow Down,” despite bearing the oh-so-obvious songwriting influence of Joe Walsh (see: Y Not’s “Fill in the Blanks for comparison), is an excellent, upbeat closing track whose energy defies its title. In the end, Ringo 2012 won’t change the world, but it will make you want to tap your feet, dance and sing, or play along, not to mention crossing your fingers that Ringo continues to be so prolific.

Old Ideas (Leonard Cohen)

Producer: Ed Sanders

Released: January 31, 2012

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

Top Two Tracks: “Darkness” & “Different Sides”

In a fast-paced world, Leonard Cohen refuses to hasten his step to draw us in. Listening to a Leonard Cohen album requires attention and patience to fully appreciate its lyrical and musical nuances, and Old Ideas is no exception. There is a timeless quality to this album, a sense throughout that the songs could have been written at any time during the past one hundred years. Yet they weren’t written long ago and they are not covers; these are brand new tracks, and clearly driven by Cohen’s passion. What I find most intriguing about Old Ideas is the manner in which Cohen manages to interweave elements of the sad and the sensual, taking the gruffness of turn-of-the-century Dylan vocals and flavoring it with a subtle array of inflections that make it inextricable from the casual beauty of the instrumental arrangements. “Darkness” is as close as the album gets to an up-tempo track, and it is driven along by some of the strongest lyrics on the album; as the song continues, so the darkness spreads as though it were a contagion whisking away pleasures both present and past. Likewise, “Different Sides” kicks off with one of the best opening lines: “We find ourselves on different sides of a line nobody drew.” This closing track incorporates all the best elements from the nine that precede it: crisp, grumbling Cohen vocals, silky smooth female background vocals, an organ hovering somewhere between lilting and mournful, and percussion that holds the piece together. In short, Old Ideas is a strong effort with consistently arranged and strongly poetic tracks, and though some do fade into the mix there are several that stand out as more, elements able to stand apart from the rest and yet encapsulate the beauty and sorrow of the overall record.

“The Jolly Banker” (Wilco / Woody Guthrie Acoustic & Lap Steel Cover Song) – The Laptop Sessions

Chris Moore — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:31:41 +0000

Originally posted 2009-05-25 23:17:29.

For Wilco/Woody Guthrie chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

This is quite the story for a session. It seems that, in order to outdo my previous “new release” Laptop Sessions, I needed to call in some outside help…

In the form of one Jim Fusco on his brand-new metallic blue lap steel guitar!

Oh, and if you’re a Wilco fan, then I hope you can appreciate how exciting it was for me to host the first Lap-(steel)-top Session. Throughout their catalog, they have incorporated country tinges with instruments such as this. Most recently, even as they continue to play around with more experimental forms, Nels Cline plays beautifully on the lap steel in several of their concert set list mainstays, from the older deep track “It’s Just That Simple” to more recent material off of Sky Blue Sky, their 2007 album.

This track, “The Jolly Banker,” was written by Woody Guthrie and originally recorded on March 22, 1940 (as reported in the Library of Congress records for these sessions with folk music expert Alan Lomax). Nearly seventy years later, Wilco has recorded their own version of this song — which is eerily relevant as of its release on April 30th, 2009 — and released it as a free download online. Technically, they suggest/request that you donate at least $2 to the Woody Guthrie Foundation — this is quite funny, as one of the three options for downloading states “I am/was a banker/hedge fund manager/credit default swap trader. I know times are tough, but I’m just fine thank you. (Suggested minimum donation $100.00).”

Tonight, I jokingly challenged Jim to not only play this song as his debut performance on his new guitar, but to actually record a Laptop Session on the spot. He must have taken me seriously or at least had the urge to give the Rogue brand lap steel an official test run, because he didn’t skip a beat when we set up downstairs. As you’ll hear — and I hope you’ll agree — this is a great, loyal rendition of Wilco’s cover version, right down to the tapping opening count and the aforementioned lap steel. I was initially thinking that this would be just another session with me recording just another version of a simple song. Instead, I am proud to say that this is one of my favorite sessions I’ve recorded in a long time.

Unfortunately, although the actual playing of the song with Jim was very fun and relaxed, the events around the recording were frustrating. As I’m sure Jim will explain in “tomorrow’s” post (don’t forget that I forgot to remember to record on “Memorial” day… there’s some irony for you), he just got his new HD video camera in the mail. We tried to record the session with the camera — and the video quality was amazing — but the audio quality was terrible. Jim finally gave up for the night, but I’m sure he’ll come up with some plan to augment and/or jury rig the setup before next week’s Jim Fusco Tuesday.

Maybe then I’ll bug him to record a saxophone solo for a Bruce Springsteen cover… (Kidding!)

On a side note, today started off sadly, as I awoke to find the news of former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett’s death on my iPhone AP News app. While I haven’t followed his work outside of Wilco, I was sad to hear this, especially as I read a quote from Bennett from a couple weeks ago about how excited he was for his new album and the future in general. It all came in a burst for me, as I also just learned yesterday of the lawsuit Bennett had filed against Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy calling for $50,001.00 in back royalties he felt he was owed, citing the YHF documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart as a film for which he did not sign a proper release form.

Some say Bennett was being unreasonable. Others say he was instrumental (no pun intended… okay, maybe a little) in Wilco’s mainstream breakthrough and that he deserved additional money. (Apparently he couldn’t even afford a hip replacement that he badly needed.)

Regardless of which side you take, the bottom line is that he has passed away, and at least for the moment, no one is exactly sure what happened.

I also learned today that our oldies/rock acquaintance, Tony Persia, also passed away recently. I was saddened to learn about this loss, as he has really set the tone at the annual Carbutti Christmas parties that both Jim and I attend. For those of you who aren’t familiar with him, he was probably best known as the piano player for the classic Danny & the Juniors single “At the Hop.” He was an incredibly kind, charming man who met many great music stars in his life and played lots and lots of music — I know I speak for Jim, Mike, and I when I say he will be sorely missed, particularly this December…

On a happy note, I just downloaded the Wilco iPhone app, and it’s great fun. You can access all the latest band news, photos, and listen in full(!) to every song from their official catalog, including both Mermaid Avenue releases and their live Kicking Television concert album. If only my other favorite bands would jump on the iPhone application train… (cough, nudge – “Dylan, Beach Boys, Barenaked Ladies, Moody Blues, Pearl Jam” – cough, nudge)

Without further ado, I will leave you to watch this collaborative session. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed recording it…

See you next session!

“Solitaire” (Wilco acoustic cover song) – The Laptop Sessions

Chris Moore — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:31:29 +0000

Originally posted 2009-06-29 19:17:41.

For Wilco (the album) chords and lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

Hello and welcome to another all-new edition of “Chris Moore Monday” here at the best acoustic rock cover song blog on the web today! For the first time in almost three months, it is my pleasure to bring you a song that has yet to be released.

“Solitaire” is a track from Wilco’s new album, which will be released tomorrow and is titled Wilco (the album). A few weeks ago, Wilco streamed the entire album on their website for fans to listen to. This is a tradition stretching back to when they streamed Yankee Hotel Foxtrot online after being dropped from their label at the turn of the millennium. This time around, I even broke my general rule of waiting to hear an album until it is released in full. While I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to listen, I also felt like I was breaking a sacred rule, as well as building myself up for disappointment when they stopped streaming it and I had to wait for the album to come out on June 30th.

My solution?

I decided to listen to it only once straight through, and I ended up talking on the phone and doing other work, so I got only a taste of what is to come tomorrow on New Music Tuesday.

From what I heard, I am very much looking forward to hearing the album in full through my car stereo and without distractions. To help prepare and build up anticipation for tomorrow, I found a YouTube recording of the eighth track, “Solitaire,” and I actually found a good set of chords online already to help me learn the song. Go figure: accurate chords online…

Anyway, I’m off to watch a replay of last week’s episode of TNA Impact! with Jim, Mike, and their father. Apparently, their dad was also out of town and missed what has been said to be one of the best Impact!‘s of the year. I’m excited, and thus I’m cutting my post a bit shorter than usual tonight so I don’t miss any.

I’ll be back soon with more writing and posting than usual if I have my way, as I am officially on summer break and beginning to plan out the next two months so that they are relaxing, and yet productive.

See you next session!

“Far, Far Away” (Wilco acoustic cover song) – The Laptop Sessions

Chris Moore — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:40:41 +0000

Originally posted 2009-12-28 23:30:40.

For Wilco chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

Hello and welcome to the final Monday post of 2009! It’s been quite a year, and certainly a year of changes and improvements here at the best cover song music video blog in the universe. For starters, we came up with a weekly schedule of new material that did NOT involve each of us recording a video once every three days.

The “session-a-day” concept may not have been the brightest idea I ever had…

I started the year playing a simple, pretty little Big Star song called “Thirteen,” covers of which I had heard performed by Elliott Smith and Wilco. In much the same way, I wanted to end the year with another simple but catchy song. I chose the Wilco track “Far, Far Away,” an acoustic song that incorporates harmonica — another definite plus! Over the past year and a third, I’ve recorded Wilco songs from all of their studio albums (including both Mermaid Avenue releases) except for two. Since this song was originally on the 1996 double album Being There, I now only have one uncovered album to select from in the future.

Thanks to the Christmas break, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to sit back and play this song over the past five days. By the time I hit “Record with iSight” on my iMovie earlier today, this song felt like second nature. It’s one of those songs that is deceptively simple, and I respect the original Wilco version even more now, especially the way Tweedy’s vocals resonate throughout. I was also fortunate enough to be in the right groove and managed to arrange and record my session for next week. Because it will be my first session of the new year, I wanted to pick a thematically relevant song. The track I picked is fairly simple, but I initially had difficulty translating it to an acoustic performance. Overall, I am very pleased with my recording, and I can’t wait to post it next year.

Um, I mean next week.

Outside of these songs, I’ve been thinking a lot about my top thirty rock albums of the decade list. I’m due to post it in less than a week now, so the pressure’s on. I’ve had the list ready for weeks, but I keep listening to more of the albums again and, consequently, the positions of many of them have been fluctuating. For instance, I’ve been agonizing over my decision to make Maroon number five instead of number four. So, especially after conversations with Nicole and with Mike and Alb tonight, I’ve decided I need to spend some more time reconsidering my options, and then finalize this thing. After all, the reason I’m doing this in the first place is to (a) have a reason to revisit some of my favorite albums of the past ten years and think about them all over again, and (b) spark conversation with my friends and share opinions, engage in debates, and explain justifications for the rankings. Just tonight, Mike made a great argument for Snacktime being one of the best albums of the decade.

One more to consider…

Outside of music, I haven’t been getting any grading done yet this break, but I have been reading. I’m one chapter into The Wilco Book, a book I’ve been excited about reading since I first got into Wilco over a year ago. It was the perfect gift, as I could never bring myself to buy it. I’ve also been reading Revolution in the Air, a book by my favorite “Dylanologist,” Clinton Heylin. Heylin has somehow managed to compile a list of 600 original Dylan compositions written between 1957 and 2006 and organized them by when they were written (that’s right — when they were written, not recorded). The story behind each song is explained, and even though I’m only forty pages in, it’s a fascinating read. Just when I thought I had read all there was of interest about Bob Dylan, this book comes along…

Finally, I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie last night. Because I teach several Holmes stories to my Mystery class, I was hesitant about enjoying the action-packed previews. Fortunately, the movie is excellent: Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law perfectly play their parts as Holmes and Watson, and the film manages to balance action and an interesting mystery. It was so much fun, that I’ve finally set off on a goal I’ve had for some time but never followed through with: to read all 56 Holmes stories penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Nicole and I have taken turns reading the first seven “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” to each other, the most recent being “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.” If you know what a carbuncle is, then you are probably just as confused by the title as I originally was. Let’s just say that the story centers around a different kind of carbuncle than the common meaning of the word.

And, on that side note, I’m about ready to get some sleep. Before I go to bed, I’m going to finish watching Live Free or Die Hard, sort through the rest of my old bills and records (shredding whatever I can before moving), and continue to write and organize the poems I’m compiling for an upcoming poetry collection. In fact, there’s one poem I’ve had nearly finished in my head since I was washing my hands before dinner yesterday, so I better write that one down before I lose it…

See you next year for my next session!

“Solitaire” by Wilco – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

Chris Moore — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:13:33 +0000

Originally posted 2009-06-29 09:24:14.

For the acoustic cover song music video, CLICK HERE!

“Solitaire”
Wilco

(Capo I)

Intro: E F#m7 E F#m7 E

E
Once I thought the world was crazy,
F#m7
Everyone was sad and chasing
Happiness and love and
I was the only one above it.

Once I thought, without a doubt,
I had it all figured out.
Universe with hands unseen;
I was cold as gasoline.

E      G               F#m7
Took too long to see
F#m7   C               F#m7              E              F#m7    E    F#m7    E
I was   wrong to believe in me only…

Once my life was a game so unfair
It beat me down and kept me there.
Unaware of my naysaying,
F#m7 E
Solitaire was all I was playing.

INSTRUMENTAL: G F#m7 C F#m7 (x3)

Took too long to see
I was wrong to believe in me only…

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