A's Musical Daily Driver
(Newest On Top)
June 18 - July 23, 2025
July 20, 2005
Mystery Artist
Widespread Panic
Three Mystery Songs
Haven't done this before and I thought it would be a little fun to try it. Today's tunes are live covers. No song titles. Titles removed to protect the guilty. Guessing is the game of the day. I'll provide a couple of clues as to the identity of the songs. Your solemn pledge is to make a guess before listening to the tunes. I promise that you'll have some fun with the surprises.
The first of today's three tracks is likely one of the most iconic songs in the history of Rock n' Roll. This rendition was played by the most spectacular Bruce Hornsby. Clues: It's a piano driven tune. The guy who wrote it was American. He was known to be quite eccentric. Had a heroin addiction which he kicked ultimately. Died as the result of cancer. He played piano and performed the vocals for the song. It's about exotic wildlife. Think, guess and listen.
The second track is the same song but performed/recorded by the author. Who doesn't love this guy? As a matter of fact, I was fortunate enough to see the guy play a solo gig here in Memphis which was the size of a broom closet. (616 for those in the know.)
Today's final track is also a cover of one of the truly timeless songs in Rock n' Roll performed by Widespread Panic. They've also cemented themselves as a band which tours a ton and has done it forever. I've seen them about forty times. This is a performance from New Orleans during their annual three-night Halloween run. Seth and I hit that every year for a few years. I was there the night they played this tune live for the very first time. This recording was captured that night. Needless to say, once we realized what the hell it was, the crowd blew the fucking doors off that place. I'm infinitely Grateful that I was one of those who got to be there that night.
The track was written and recorded by the Hollies and was released in 1972. It's about a guy who gets jammed up with organized crime along with the Feds and is also about a woman he runs into along the way. The song's title is the description of what that woman was wearing that night. What she wore was black. Think-> Guess away-> Listen. I believe this is a surprise that you'll really dig.
- A
July 19, 2025
"Descending", "Thorn In My Pride" & "Horsehead"
"Descending"
From: Live - Somewhere at some point - circa 2005
Was talking with a life-long friend about this band the other day. He and I go way back with them to the very beginning in 1990. He brought up Ed Harsch and "Descending" specifically, given that it's one of the tunes people most associate with him. The song is near to my heart. Nearly everyone mentions it who's heard a good chunk of their catalogue beyond the first album. It's always in the first two or three that they mention.
Ed was an incredible musician & piano/keys player. A very strong argument could be made that he's one of the top four or five piano & keys players in the history of Rock n' Roll. That's certainly true for me.
This particular version is obviously live but I don't have the details about the where and when. I really wish I knew. It was definitely during the early 2000's. They had a magic period there for a number of years in terms of their performances. Anyway, if you haven't heard Ed's stuff before, you're in for a hell of a treat. To those who do know Ed's playing - of course you want to listen anyway. I hope you guys really dig this.
"Thorn In My Pride"
From: "The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion - Remastered & Extended Edition"
As the conversation advanced my aforementioned friend asked for a few other songs on which I thought Eddie really glowed. It took a couple of hours but I came up with three. We go with this one today because it's one of my favorites from the album. What a tremendous song.
"Horsehead"
(Chris & Rich Robinson)
From: "Brothers Of A Feather" (2007)
Technically this presentation of the song isn't the Black Crowes but the tune was written within the confines of the band. I think it's a marvelous rendition. It's about living with the effects of someone's addiction. The inspiration for the song was, so sadly, Mr. Ed Harsch who died as a direct result of his heroin addiction. It'll get ya, kids. I also present this tune today because if you haven't heard just Chris and Rich by themselves it's your solemn musical duty to check it out. Truly majestic stuff.
- A
June 28, 2025
"Lesson Learned" & "Private Hell"
From: "Black Gives Way To Blue"
I got a request from a very good friend of mine the other day. I haven't forgotten about it and will post it tomorrow but first I've got to do these two.
Continuing the last post's joyous and sunny song from The Grateful Dead we bring you two more happy-go-lucky tunes today.
As you may know I've been a rabid fan of Alice In Chains since their debut album, ("Facelift"), hit the streets during my freshman year of college. If you know the year of that release you'll know that I'm really dating myself. I've spoken at length about Layne Staley elsewhere on this site so I'm not going to rehash old ground with too much of that here. Suffice it to say that he died as a result of his drug addictions. "Black Gives Way To Blue" was the band's first album recorded and released after Layne's death upon them discussing whether or not to continue.
AiC is typically considered a Grunge band but their musical and lyrical styles are much broader than those of other bands normally associated with that genre. They have a metal streak through them a mile wide but they also recorded and released more acoustic material than any of the other Grunge bands.
Lyrically, no other band was so disturbingly open and honest about telling their stories. Mental health struggles, relationship issues, addictions, family difficulties and the deaths of loved ones have largely been the core matters about which they've written. Their material is not surface-level and the lyrical content is not for the faint of heart. Because of that, however, many experience an identification with their material that exists with few other bands. This is certainly true for me.
The first tune of today's two-fer was written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and speaks to the ups and downs of living one's life and the often painful truths one learns the hard way along the arduous journey. The second addresses mental health struggles, specifically deep depression. Both of these songs resonate very profoundly for me as they tend to for most of us who've experienced struggles with addiction and/or the life-crushing experiences associated with mental illness.
Experience and enjoy.
- A
June 18, 2025
"Sugar Magnolia"
From: 10/17/74 - Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco CA
Captured from "The Grateful Dead Movie"
Some time ago someone asked me, "How would you describe The Grateful Dead to someone?". On the spot, I couldn't give an answer. I thought about it for quite a long time. It became a bit of a personal challenge. How the hell could I provide a proper, accurate description? The Dead have been a huge part of my life since I was 13. They're so much more than albums, so much more than favorite songs. One of their boxed sets is titled "Beyond Description". A very apt title. (Sadly, it's not sold new through retail anymore. Glad I got mine when I did). That's certainly what i felt when I tried to formulate an answer to the question.
One day recently, when the description question was the furthest thing from my mind, I stumbled across the answer. Ironic. The near-perfect answer came with no thought whatsoever. Adding to the irony was the fact that my answer didn't couldn't be said or written.
This tune was filmed on Oct. 17, 1974 at the renown Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. When watched and listened to all the way through it provides the best description of the band that I could ever provide. This is what it was like, how it sounded and how it all felt. Take a listen and see what you think.
"They're a band beyond description
Like Jehovah's favorite choir"
("Playing In The Band")
- A
