RhapSmear: November 2005

Sad to hear the news that Chris Whitley died today at 45.

This mix has my three favorite Chris Whitley albums. It starts with his 1991 debut, Living with the Law, followed by his acoustic Dirt Floor (1998), and ends with his 2001 "rock comeback," the DMB-aided Rocket House.

Living with the Law is such a lost classic rock album, even I forget about it sometimes. Produced by Daniel Lanois protege/engineer, Malcom Burn, the record introduced Whitley as a great singer/songwriter and an innovative guitarist who mixed acoustic dobro slide riffs into modern rock anthems like "Big Sky Country," "Kick them Stones" and the title track. It also captured that spooky Americana sound Burn & Lanois brought to their work with the Neville Brothers, Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson, as well as the most-important-album-ever sound of U2's Joshua Tree and Peter Gabriel's So.

As much as Living with the Law deserved to be the big mainstream hit it never was, you can't blame Columbia for not trying. While I was working for Sony Music years later, I learned that one of Columbia's top execs truly believed this was one of the greatest records ever made, and thought this could be their alt-rock smash while Nirvana was breaking. It was everyone's priority, but it just didn't happen.

I'll admit Chris Whitley wasn't always great, but at least he consistently challenged his fans, as well as himself. His grungier records (Din of Ecstasy and Terra Icognita) were a bit too much for me, and by the late 90s, I gave up on him. Then I heard his solo acoustic Dirt Floor at a listening post one day in the now defunct WTC Borders. I regained faith that peaked once more in 2001 with Rocket House. It's tracks (especially the Dave Matthews duet "Radar") brilliantly blended all the bluesy riffs, dissonance and beautiful melodies within him.

I heard he's been sick for a while, though I'm not sure what was the cause of death. Maybe he knew his time was running out, because he was very prolific in his last years, releasing four CDs since 2003. If you like Living With the Law, check out Weed - a 2003 collection of solo acoustic versions of songs from his Columbia years.

Someday, Chris, I wanna see you in the Big Sky Country. Until then, thanks for the music.

Poker Night

Poker Night: Mitch Cahn's poker mix.

Crowes RhapUp - 3/26/2005

Crowes RhapUp - 3/26/2005:

Black Crowes
Hammerstein Ballroom
March 26, 2005

1. Sting Me
2. Kickin' My Heart Around
3. Black Moon Creeping
4. Torn And Frayed - The Rolling Stones
5. Ballad In Urgency
6. Wiser Time
7. Roll Um Easy - Little Feat
8. Thorn In My Pride
9. P. 25 London
10. Descending
11. Hotel Illness
12. Remedy
13. Do Right Woman - Flying Burrito Brothers
14. Hot Burrito #2 - Flying Burrito Brothers

Slightly Guilty

Slightly Guilty

Here's a bunch of guilty pleasure classics from the 70s and 80s.

I call the playlist 'slightly guilty' because most of these tunes aren't all that bad. Some, however, are pretty bad, but they at least bring up pleasant childhood memories.

1. So In To You - Atlanta Rhythm Section
2. Kiss You All Over - Exile
3. Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs
4. Imaginary Lover - Atlanta Rhythm Section
5. Don't Fight It - Kenny Loggins
6. Lonely Boy - Andrew Gold
7. Thunder Island (LP Version) - Jay Ferguson
8. I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near) - Michael McDonald
9. Heart To Heart - Kenny Loggins
10. Miss Sun - Boz Scaggs
11. I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You - The Alan Parsons Project
12. Roll With The Changes - Reo Speedwagon
13. Bloody Well Right - Supertramp
14. Goodbye Stranger - Supertramp
15. Dreadlock Holiday - 10cc
16. Almost Saturday Night (Live) - John Fogerty
17. Ridin' The Storm Out - REO Speedwagon
18. Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx
19. Rosanna - Toto
20. Alone - Heart
21. Find Your Way Back - Jefferson Starship
22. Come And Get Your Love - Redbone
23. Fox On the Run - Sweet
24. Living Next Door To Alice - Smokie
25. Keep On Smilin' - Wet Willie
26. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman - Dr. Hook
27. Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
28. Amie - Pure Prairie League
29. Fins - Jimmy Buffett
30. One Of These Nights (LP Version) - Eagles
31. He's So Shy - The Pointer Sisters
32. Whatcha Gonna Do? - Pablo Cruise
33. Lonesome Loser - Little River Band
34. Games People Play - The Alan Parsons Project

WSP RhapUp - 11.06.2005

WSP RhapUp - Denver 11/6/2005:

I'm taking credit for the idea of the 'RhapUp' - using Rhapsody tracks to recreate a setlist from a recent show.

This works well with Widespread shows because they have a few live discs online. I use the original version of a cover if I can't find their version online. Tracks not in Rhapsody are listed in parenthesis in their setlist positions.

Tell me what you think of this one...

Widespread Panic
The Fillmore, Denver, CO
Nov 6, 2005

Set I:

1. Hatfield
2. Riders On The Storm - The Doors
3. Little Kin
4. Action Man
5. Down
6. Sleeping Man - Vic Chesnutt
7. Bust It Big - Widespread Panic With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
8. Vampire Blues - Neil Young
9. Thin Air - Widespread Panic With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
10. Tall Boy

Set II:

11. Thought Sausage - Widespread Panic With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
12. Give
(A of D)
13. Gimme
(B of D)
14. Chilly Water
15. Drums
(Ribs and Whiskey)
16. Mercy
17. Henry Parsons Died
18. Space Wrangler

Encore:

19. Disco - Widespread Panic
(Vacation)
20. Porch Song - Widespread Panic