A's Musical Daily Driver
(Newest On Top)
Feb 22 - Mar 2, 2025
March 2, 2025
"Funeral For A Friend-> Love Lies Bleeding"
Elton: 77 London, UK
Metallica: March 20, 2024 - Washington D.C.
We've got a 2-piece 🐔🍗 today folks. You might think that Elton and Metallica are from two different sides of the musical planet but take a listen to both and I think you'll find that's not nearly as true as one might at first surmise. It certainly feels that way to me.
Leg 🍗:
Bernie Taupin obviously wrote the lyrics for "Love Lies Bleeding", which is a song about a man struggling with the idea of his lover being with someone else. Elton actually wrote the instrumental first portion of the number, "Funeral For A Friend", while thinking about what sort of music he'd like to be played at his funeral.
Perhaps a bit on the morbid side, but I must admit that I've thought about that very same thing on numerous occasions. I really should write that stuff down. I've narrowly avoided death somewhere around six or seven times over the years. I'd hate to be unprepared for my own funeral, and the idea of others choosing the music is infinitely more frightening to me than the death itself. We've got to get these things in order.
Elton's rendition of the song(s) is a favorite of mine from 1977. There obviously are more recent versions but he certainly had an energy, and vocal range, in the 70's which, natrually, isn't there these days. Also, we always go with live material here as opposed to studio recordings whenever possible. Two different galaxies in the musical universe.
Breast 🐔:
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the M-boys are all huge fans of Elton but what's probably more surprising is that Elton is an enormous Metallica fan. In fact, he said that their tune "Unforgiven" is one of the greatest songs that's ever be written. What a fucking monstrous endorsement by musical royalty. Doesn't get much bigger than that in my estimation.
Elton & Bernie were honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in March of 2024 in connection with their having won the Gershwin musical award. Many of their songs were performed by various artists but this particular tribute rendition of the timeless tune(s) was certainly among the most special, at least in my mind.
What's perhaps even more special than the band's performance of the song is Elton's reaction at its conclusion. The guy comes fucking unglued and non-verbally praises James Hetfield in particular. He's so demonstrative that you can actually read his lips as he says, "You're the best!". Just unreal.
Incidentally, Elton and Metallica have talked about recording some material together for a good while and word on the street is that they're currently at work on the project. Dear God, I sincerely hope that collaboration comes to fruition soon. I believe it would be one hell of a special record.
- A
Feb 27, 2025
"Neanderthal"
From: "Here We Go Crazy" (Forthcoming)
For the last week or so I've been working madly on a ton of content for sections of this site that have yet to be announced. Truth be told, the primary of those sections is actually the reason I chose to build this site in the first place and I'm extremely excited about it. It's coming very soon. Stay tuned...
A lot of the musical content for the latter part of that section has been on the relatively mellow side, for lack of a better description, and the piece from the 24th, below, is most certainly not on the overly-energetic end of the spectrum either. That sort of thing certainly has its place within musical excellence but I'm now feeling a little worn out with it. I need an adrenaline infusion.
As luck would have it, I thought of a new tune that's perfect for the bill. Bob Mould is dropping a new record, "Here We Go Crazy", on March 7th and I couldn't be more jazzed about it. It's been a while since his last release. The first single from the record dropped a couple of weeks ago and honestly I didn't know what to make of it at first. (It's since grown on me a whole lot.)
Today's tune is the second release from the new album. With this one I was throttled the first time through. It really is signature Bob material. Give it a listen. He's a velvet-covered sledgehammer.
- A
Feb 24, 2025
"The Road Not Taken"
From: Here Come The Noisemakers - Live 1998 - 2000
This one was very difficult to put together and I put it off for days. It's as important to me as it is difficult though. I have quite a bittersweet and complicated relationship with this song.
Sara and I met during my senior year in college and were together for nearly four years. It was the first and only time I've experienced what some call love at first site. I've had four long-term relationships in my life including a 14-year marriage. I loved Sara more deeply than any of the other three. I love her deeply still. I don't know that it will ever fade.
I called her Sunshine because that's exactly what she was to me. Gorgeous, warm, ever-present, unconditional sunshine. I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I've been sober now for very long time. I lost Sara to my addictions. I'd tried with all my being to get better but that was destined to happen only later. I couldn't stand myself and understandably she reached the point at which she had no choice but to move on. I didn't resent her at all for it. There was no anger involved for either of us. Only anguish and despair.
A number of years ago I was going through some live Bruce material and heard this song for the first time. Musically, I fell in love with it within the first bar. It throttled me lyrically shortly thereafter as I began to understand the story he was telling. Then, the only thing I could think about was Sara and that incomparable heartbreak. Tears didn't run down my face but covered it entirely. I sobbed uncontrollably as the song went on.
Today, this tune, for me, is essentially titled "Sara". That's the relationship I have with it. The two are one and the same. There's a great dichotomy there. Emotionally it never feels exactly good to listen to but musically it's one of my favorite Bruce tunes. It's a bit cursed for me and that somehow feels poetically just.
Take a listen. I hope that it doesn't have the same impact on you as it does me, but I do hope that, musically, you like it by a fraction of how much I love it.
- A
