STLBlues Reviews

My “year in blues"

By 'Cornbread'

As the year comes to an end and the holidays are just about here I am reflecting about my “year in blues”. I have had a blast listening too and reviewing a bunch of CD’s as well as meeting some great people who I will forever keep a piece of them with me. To start, Dave and Shauna Beardsley, great folks, going through a tough time with health issues yet always are positive and friendly. We have become good friends. I have had the opportunity to study bass with Gus Thornton, Bob Babbitt and Chuck Rainey. I’ve had many conversations, a meal and jammed with Tony T. I interviewed Jeremy Segel-Moss and Kari Liston from Bottoms Up Blues Gang although because of technical difficulty I am not able to provide details of our meeting. I can tell you they love, feel and even respect the music. After all that’s what it’s about – the music. There are CD’s in my collection that can take me up when I’m down, or visa-versa. We celebrate much freedom, we disagree over big and small issues, we bury our friends too soon – in the background the music is always there, always playing, the music unites us, allows us to forget or get by. We celebrate to music and sometimes because of the music.

Think about the Beatles. They forever changed Rock and Roll, paved the way for endless others, yet they themselves were inspired by music. Throughout the Beatles recordings you can recognize and feel the influences of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. One of the blues originals Elmore James had a huge influence on John and George. I would have loved an all blues Beatles recording.

This season and forever we should celebrate the music, we celebrate forty years since those Liverpool lads conquered the U.S. and we are given yet another gift. Through old recordings of John Lennon, often playing just a guitar or piano while developing songs we get one more CD from Lennon. One more piece of insight into this musician who had so much music inside him – you’ve got to wonder if somehow he knew he would only be here for a short time. Strip out the production leaving an instrument and vocals we get John Lennon Acoustic.

John Lennon – Acoustic
{2004 | Capitol}

A beautiful CD! Easily among my favorites.

17 songs that are raw, full of soul and reaping of mojo. If you are looking for the production versions of these popular songs then this CD is not for you. The songs, music and vocals are pure – I love this CD! I can only imagine all the songs, the music Lennon would have given us over the last 20 years if he were here today. He died too soon.

1. Working Class Hero (Acoustic)
2. Love (Acoustic)
3. Well Well Well (Acoustic)
4. Look at Me (Acoustic)
5. God (Acoustic)
6. My Mummy's Dead (Acoustic)
7. Cold Turkey (Acoustic)
8. I'm a Man (Acoustic)
9. Luck of the Irish (Live) (Acoustic)
10. John Sinclair (Live) (Acoustic)
11. Woman is the Nigger of the World (Acoustic)
12. What You Got (Acoustic)
13. Watching the Wheels (Acoustic)
14. Dear Yoko (Acoustic)
15. Real Love (Acoustic)
16. Imagine (Live) (Acoustic)
17. It's Real (Acoustic)