“Recently” defined as anytime in the last few months …

Now who you jivin’ with that Cosmik Debris? – Frank Zappa

—-Ever since its release in 1974, it’s been common for fans to call out for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” regardless of its appropriateness  to the band on stage. (I myself once did it at a flute recital.)  But here someone shouted for it at a Dylan concert and damned if the band didn’t do it.

The clip is only 40 seconds or so, and you can hear it doesn’t quite have the power of the original. But still! (That’s Dylan in the hat, swaying. You’d think that after all these years he’d be able to jam.)

—-Jimmy Carter bestowed an honorary degree on Gregg Allman. As Carter notes, he might not have been president if the Allman Brothers had not supported him. I doubt that that has any veracity but it’s kinda fun to think of these mushroom-loving guys supporting a future President.

—-Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye and Chic got inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Although truthfully, the only ones I personally care about are Elvis, Petty and Marvin Gaye. Lionel Richie does nothing for me. Chic were ok I guess but not my bag. But the first three are the shit.

—-An analysis of the Billboard Hot 100 songs from 1990, 2000 and 2010 reveals that hit songs have become more narcissistic: “Songs in 2010 were significantly more likely to have the singer refer to self by name and general self promotion.

There was also a significant increase in the number of songs containing artists bragging about their wealth and possessions. Other forms of bragging (about their partner’s appearance and their own sexual prowess/exploits) also significantly increased. This is true of rap, R&B, dance/electronic and pop.” How fucking sad is that?

—-In 1944, Igor Stravinsky was living in the Boston area as he was then teaching at Harvard. He was going to conduct his own supposedly easier-to-sing version of the “Star Spangled Banner” but the Boston Police issued Stravinsky a warning, claiming there was a law against tampering with the national anthem. (They were misreading the statute.)

Grudgingly, Stravinsky pulled it from the bill. His “crime” was to add a chord (a dominant 7th if you wanna get technical) to the song. You can hear his version here if it floats your boat. Truthfully it’s not all that different. If there’s anything new or different, to this day it will at first be looked on with suspicion in Boston. Then eventually we’ll get around to adopting it.

—-Speaking of Frank Zappa (was I?) I saw a documentary about him called “Eat That Question.” Filled with interviews, concert footage and his Congressional testimony about censorship, it does a pretty good job of revealing Zappa the man and musician. Not in theaters any more, probably in that pre-DVD, limbo. Worth seeing if you’re a fan. Or even if you’re not.