Video Of The Week: Cowboy Junkies

As I've mentioned previously when featuring Joseph Arthur a year and a half ago, covering Lou Reed in a straightforward, stripped-down manner can prove to be a great idea.

The first ones to be extremely successful with the idea were the Cowboy Junkies - technically from Toronto, though all four band members were born in Montréal - when they covered the Velvet Underground classic Sweet Jane:


I won't go as far as saying it's better than Lou's or the Velvets' versions, but it is certainly on par with it, which is still saying quite a lot.

The song is from 1988's The Trinity Sessions and is based on the Velvets' moody 1969 live version. Margo Timmins' vocals are on full display, as is the subdued-yet-consistent playing of her brother Michael; third sibling Peter Timmins plays drums, while childhood friend Alan Anton handles bass duties.

Video Of The Week: Joseph Arthur

(As many of you know,) I'm a writer, and I'm a musician. I write my own songs, and I like to re-interpret those of others, particularly when I really love the song and the person who wrote it no longer does it the same way, or no longer can (old age, death) or wants to. And my versions usually differ greatly from the originals.

For years, I'd wanted to cover Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side, and this is exactly how I would have done it (so I kind of no longer have nor want to):



Director Ehud Lazin also did a good job of capturing the slow vibe of Joseph Arthur's version, and juxtaposed it with images of today's New York City - not quite the nightlife, excess and cultural hotbed it was in the 1970s, but still a fine place to live, both literally and figuratively, at any time of the day. The low-fi effects just add a bit of a late-1970s/early 1980s touch to the whole thing, with taste and subtlety.

Joseph Arthur hails from Akron, Ohio, but moved to Atlanta to pursue his music career - or so he thought. He was soon picked up by Peter Gabriel's label and moved to Brooklyn, becoming (with the likes of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - a.k.a. Will Oldham - and Jeffrey Lewis) one of the artists who would - inadvertently - turn it into the hipster haven it is today.

Like many musicians working today, he is involved in many projects, namely the bands RNDM (with Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament) and Fistful Of Mercy with Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison, and also has received some acclaim as a painter and designer. He's made his own album art, which is cool, but opening his own self-serving museum may have been a tad much. In my humble I-operate-a-music-festival-around-my-birthday opinion.

Re-Plug: Loaded Sings The Velvet Underground, December 19th At L'Esco

It had to happen, and it will. Lou Reed left us, and left a huge void countless musicians are vying to fill, and tributes to the man's work came left and right.

In my neck of the woods, there is one collective that has attracted hundreds of people to their shows, specializing in his Velvet Underground era, the one I'm in, Loaded.

There will be absentees (Ingrid Wissink, Will Austin, Zuzu Knew, Cassie Doubleday), but enough will be around to make it worthwhile: grandmaster Allan Lento, maestro Dave Lines (also in A Devil's Din, who will close out the evening), Patrick Hutchinson, Jackie Gallant, Jordy Rosen, Caroline Glass, John Stuart, Luca Fantigrossi and myself, playing all the songs you'll want to hear, from Sister Ray to After Hours, from Heroin to Femme Fatale, from Pale Blue Eyes to White Light, White Heat.

The only ones we're forgoing are those usually sung by absentees and those off Squeeze, because, let's face it, it's not a real VU album.

Each musician will sing at least one, as usual.

Five bucks gets you in, on December 19th (2013), at L'Escogriffe, corner St-Denis and Mont-Royal.

Top 10s This Week

Top 10 Songs:

10. LE RÉPONDEUR, Les Colocs (1998)
9. YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH, Metric (2012)
8. RUN THIS TOWN, Jay-Z (featuring Rihanna & Kanye West) (2009)
7. BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES, Atoms For Peace (2012)
6. COPY OF A, Nine Inch Nails (2013)
5. AREA 52, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2013)
4. SIRENS, Pearl Jam (2013)
3. GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS (Peter Gabriel cover), Arcade Fire (2013)
2. COSMIC CANNIBALISM, UUBBUURRUU (2013)
1. REFLEKTOR, Arcade Fire (with David Bowie) (2013)

Top 10 Lou Reed (Solo) Albums:

10. METAL MACHINE MUSIC (1975)
9. STREET HASSLE (1978)
8. THE BLUE MASK (1982)
7. NEW YORK (1989)
6. ECSTASY (2000)
5. LOU REED (1972)
4. THE BELLS (1979)
3. SET THE TWILIGHT REELING (1996)
2. BERLIN (1973)
1. TRANSFORMER (1972)

Top 10 Lou Reed (Solo) Songs:

10. DOWNTOWN DIRT, Between Thought And Expression boxed set (1992)
9. STREET HASSLE, Street Hassle (1978)
8. SET THE TWILIGHT REELING, Set The Twilight Reeling (1996)
7. MEN OF GOOD FORTUNE, Berlin (1973)
6. I LOVE YOU, SUZANNE, New Sensations (1984)
5. DIRTY BLVD., New York (1989)
4. CAROLINE SAYS I, Berlin (1973)
3. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE, Transformer (1972)
2. BERLIN, Berlin (1973)
1. PERFECT DAY, Transformer (1972)

Top 10 Lou Reed (Solo) Songs Not In Previous List:

10. MODERN DANCE, Ecstasy (2000)
9. SEX WITH YOUR PARENTS, Set The Twilight Reeling (1996)
8. THE KIDS, Berlin (1973)
7. NYC MAN, Set The Twilight Reeling (1996)
6. THE POWER OF POSITIVE DRINKING, Growing Up In Public (1980)
5. ROCK MINUET, Ecstasy (2000)
4. I CAN'T STAND IT, Lou Reed (1972)
3. THIS MAGIC MOMENT, Till The Night Is Gone (Doc Pomus tribute album) (1995)
2. VICIOUS, Transformer (1972)
1. SATELLITE OF LOVE, Transformer (1972)

Top 10 Velvet Underground Songs:

10. I'LL BE YOUR MIRROR, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
9. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT, White Light/White Heat (1968)
8. FEMME FATALE, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
7. VENUS IN FURS, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
6. I'M WAITING FOR THE MAN, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
5. ROCK & ROLL., Loaded (1970)
4. SWEET JANE, Loaded (1970)
3. SISTER RAY, White Light/White Heat (1968)
2. HEROIN, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
1. PALE BLUE EYES, The Velvet Underground (1969)

Top 10 Velvet Underground Songs Not In Previous List:

10. OCEAN, Live (Volume 2) (1974)
9. HERE SHE COMES NOW, White Light/White Heat (1968)
8. BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT, The Velvet Underground (1969)
7. AFTER HOURS, The Velvet Underground (1969)
6. I'M STICKING WITH YOU, VU compilation (1985)
5. EUROPEAN SON, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
4. I'M SET FREE, The Velvet Underground (1969)
3. RUN RUN RUN, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
2. ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
1. LISA SAYS, Live (Volume 1) (1974)

Pearl Jam: Lou Reed Tribute

As tributes came left and right to mark the passing of Lou Reed these past few days, my favourite band got in the mix and covered one of the Velvet Underground's hardest songs - not because it's complicated by any stretch of the imagination, but because it's repetitive and almost toneless. The song is Waiting For The Man; it's from their show in Baltimore last Sunday:



Notice how even Eddie Vedder can't stop himself from moving into his actual, loud voice for the last verse...

R.I.P. Lou Reed

I mentioned it when J.J. Cale passed away, and now another member of my Sacred Five songwriters has died, Lou Reed. Of all of them (Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits and Renaud are the other three), Reed's vocal delivery and guitar playing (though not his ''ostrich'' - i.e. all-the-same-notes - tuning) was the one I ended up closest to resembling, albeit not on purpose.

Rolling Stone described his singing style thusly in 1971:

Reed's voice hasn't changed much since the early days. Outrageously unmusical, it combines the sass of (Mick) Jagger and the mockery of early (Bob) Dylan, but is lower-pitched than either. It is a voice so incapable of bullshit that it makes even an artsy arrangement work by turning the whole thing into a joyous travesty. Just as arresting as Reed's voice are his lyrics, which combine a New York street punk sensibility and rock song cliches with a powerful poetic gift.

As the tributes rolled in yesterday, you could see that his influence as a figurehead of all things New York- and arts-related still stood unscathed (everyone from Salman Rushdie to Samuel L. Jackson to Iggy Pop to Ricky Gervais had something to say); he was not only as unseparable from New York as Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Spike Lee, he was the city's underbelly, its history of upheaval, fights for gender equality (he even dated a transgendered lady in the 70s), its rampant drug scene.

He died of liver failure, 6 months after a transplant. It wasn't from eating too much citrus.

During his career, many critics noted that he had a tendency to forgo complicated musical arrangements and lyrics, instead opting for a more direct, succinct approach; still, his long list of musical collaborators over the years would leave a jazz and prog-rock fan a mouth-watering sensation: Jack Bruce (Cream), Aynsley Dunbar (Frank Zappa, Journey), Steve Winwood (Traffic, Blind Faith), Steve Howe (Yes, Asia), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Caleb Quaye (Elton John), Steve Hunter (Alice Cooper), Bob Kulick (KISS, Meat Loaf), and jazz great Don Cherry. Among others.

Some of his collaborations were ill-advised, particularly of late (yes, I'm thinking of the double-album from hell with Metallica, but he also could have done 2003's The Raven without bringing David Bowie back into his list of friends). But mostly, he'll be remembered for great songs about 'unclean' subject matter: drugs (Heroin, Waiting for My Man), sadomasochism (Venus in Furs), prostitution (There She Goes Again), the death of a parent (Standing On Ceremony), AIDS (The Halloween Parade), some favourite movies and plays (Doin' the Things That We Want To), racism (I Want to be Black), the electroshock therapy he received as a teen (Kill Your Sons), as well as transvestites and transgenders (Walk on The Wild Side).

But he could also write the perfect ballad, as can be attested by such gems as Pale Blue Eyes and Perfect Day. And while his early solo albums Transformer and Berlin stood as hard acts to follow and are no doubt considered his ''classics'' (especially after the post-dissolution praise for his work with The Velvet Underground), I'm still very fond of some of his later works, notably 1996's Set The Twilight Reeling (whose jewel case came in various colours, mine is purple) and 2000's Ecstasy.

I'll have never seen him perform live.

The Ever-Quotable Lou Reed

Remember when Lou Reed said his album with Metallica was the best thing ever created? It turns out most people don't agree; some actually feel it's the worst thing ever made. My favourite quote is from a user named lainso:

It made me want to illegally download it, then not listen to it.

Some Metallica fans want to go even further: Reed was told a few of them wanted to kill him:

[They] are threatening to shoot me, and that’s only because I showed up,” Reed said. “They haven’t even heard the record yet, and they’re recommending various forms of torture and death.

Then again, while Rolling Stone gave the record 3/5 stars, their readers gave it a 1; NME went as far as giving it a 7/10; but most sites seem to agree with the line of thought displayed by Pitchfork: 1/10.

Daniel Snyder from The Atlantic even longs for the days when Metallica was at its best merely selling out. Ouch.

Looks like Reed made another Metal Machine Music - only this time, it wasn't intentionally unlistenable.

By the way, I give it a 3/10, myself. And I loved Metal Machine Music.

I Wonder How Lou Reed Feels About His Work With Metallica

Let's start from the start, as Loverboy would say.

Lou Reed, a legend in his own right - and perhaps an even larger one in his own mind - decided to take two German plays from the early 1900s and re-conceptualize them as a rock opera/musical of sorts called Lulu, and then enlisted Metallica as his backing band for the project.

Yes, the still-loved Reed (despite so-so albums based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe and live shows that piss off casual listeners and fans alike) has joined forces with the much-maligned/old-fans-hate-them Metallica for, essentially, an art project.

I for one, am confident it'll work, and not just because Reed's lyrics made both Kirk Hammet and James Hetfield cry. But I'm not as convinced as The Lou himself, who claims:

It’s maybe the best thing done by anyone, ever. It could create another planetary system. I’m not joking, and I’m not being egotistical.

Find out in November.

Video Of The Week: Susan Boyle

I had a whole other Video Of The Week all written and done, but I just couldn't let this story pass, and so I'll save it for later and do this one instead...

After refusing Susan Boyle sing his (amazing) song Perfect Day on American Idol, Lou Reed decided to ask for forgiveness by going all the way to Scotland to direct her video for the song.

Sure, her version is pompous and over-arranged, as most pop songs from 'voice' singers are, but she doesn't take away from the beautiful songwriting at all. And the landscapes are breathtaking.

Video Of The Week: The Killers Feat. Lou Reed

Ok. So I know The Killers from their pop radio hits - Somebody Told Me and Mr. Brightside being from and center. And while I'll admit they're catchy and well-written tunes any day, they reek of opportunistic douchebaggery for jumping on the dance-rock ''craze'' (post-punk my ass - The Killers have about as much in common with The Cure and Public Image Ltd. as me and Oprah do) that pretty much left the garage rock revival bands on the side (The Strokes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Kills, and many more) and relegated them to ''indie darling'' status with up-and-coming bands like Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade.

But still... that Brandon Flowers character has read and understood the book on how to write songs. And when Grade-A collaborators such as Lou Reed come in with their own magic to add to a tune, you'd pretty much have to not be alive to not be moved by it.

And although Tranquilize is, technically, the lead-off track off a B-sides compilation, it very well could be The Killers' best song. Reed adds an aura of mystique, danger, spookiness and greatness to the whole thing, and the video does the song justice - despite not much happening in that empty house.

Direct link here. Embedded below.

The F Word: Failure. Or Is It Fear?

I don't care who you are, what you do, or how you're doing it: at some point in your life, self-doubt rears its tiny head and starts munching on your soul. And for a while, there, nothing you try works out. Not only does nothing work itself out, but any way you try to make it better just clogs the whole ordeal up even more.

As a creator, I experience that a lot - particularly when it comes to writing songs. I'll write ten in a week, then none for six months.

Actors get this - particularly those who have had a taste of The Acting Life, a taste at doing well, only to see it inexplicably be taken from them - usually during moment that should have been of pure happiness: marriage, birth, after entertaining thoughts of 'graduating' to directing, etc.

One such person details her darkest thoughts on her blog, here. But she is, as Lou Reed once put it, ''beginning to see the light''. Whether that light is the day or an incoming train remains to be seen, but she no longer turns back to protect herself - she's headed towards it no matter what.

We all get to a point in Life where we need to make/take decisions, but I like reading about other peoples' ''go-times'' and see it as inspiring, even when I'm not faced with such a decision myself.

Although - how can you really be sure you shouldn't be diving in the pool yourself?

Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson And John Zorn: The Jazz Festival Experience

I briefly mentioned Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson in my previous post, but I've been holding back all week writing about them in a totally different context: their appearance at the Montréal International Jazz Festival with John  Zorn for a set of improvised music. Totally improvised. And, yes, that means no Velvet Underground stuff (that's ok, the tribute night more than made up for that!), and definitely no ''Walk On The Wild Side''.

Some people, who didn't seem to realize this was a jazz festival, not a pop one, booed and walked out. Zorn got so mad after booing started following the second piece that he said something along the lines of ''if you don't like this music, get the fuck out!'', which many did - most wanting a refund. About a third of Place-Des-Arts attendees left before the show was over, a large amount considering it barely lasted an hour and the expensive ticket prices - well over $100.

Spinner had this to say, while, somehow, The Guardian (in the U.K.) also got wind of the story. There were, however, satisfied customers, such as my friend Albérick, who some of you may know as art-sound creator .Cut from the Montreal Nintendo Orkestar, who wrote this review (and whose image I'm stealing for this entry).

Myself, I didn't go because I didn't know what to expect with the price range. I've been waiting for Reed to come to town with either his solo act without a concept or for one of his tours re-performing either the Berlin or Metal Machine Music records, and I was afraid this was going to be fluff - not because of Reed or his guests that night, but because the Jazz Fest, which has definitely gone from groundbreaking to very, very soft in the span of my lifetime (Lionel Richie being the opening concert of the festival attests to that). Basically, I was afraid the organizers would cut his balls off.

I'm glad to see they didn't, and I'm sad I missed the show, because, apparently, I was exactly the target audience for this. Luckily, it's available for download, recorded by a user named Patook, with artwork by schnitstelle. Go ahead, make your own mind up.

King Khan Does It Again

No, he didn't show Lindsay Lohan his ass again, but he made the news... for having been mistread by the Sydney Opera House and ranting and raving about it almost incoherently afterwards.

The lucky son of a bitch got to hang out with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, as well as the manager of the Blind Boys Of Alabama, who apparently would be interested in having Khan produce and record their next album.

In all the excitement, Khan and bandmate BBQ decided to disband their King Khan & BBQ Show project (see a video of theirs here) and have cancelled all remaining dates. It seems like over-reaction to me. The news was just too bizarre to pass up.

Loaded: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground

Unlike the Seattle band of the same name fronted by former GUNS N' ROSES bassist Duff McKagan, Montréal's LOADED is a limited-edition-in-its-life-expectancy band created for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not to be missed: a show called "Waiting For The Man- A Tribute To THE VELVET UNDERGROUND", to coincide with LOU REED's presence at the Jazz Festival.

Some of the City's most storied musicians will partake in this spectacle of delights, which will involve simultaneous video projection work by Zuzu Knew, who will also be playing viola in the band. Drummer extraordinaire Jackie Gallant (LaLaLa Human Steps, Lesbians On Ecstasy, American Devices, Rhythm Method) will beat the skins; Dave Lines (A Devil's Din) will shine on keys, John Stuart/Triangles Falling (the Mile-End Mission Tribute Benefit series, Papercrows, FingerDog) will man the bass with a style unequaled; genius and virtuoso Jordi Rosen (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Rufus Wainwright) will work the accordion who will be begging for more; Ingrid Wissink (Gigi French) will expertly take the lead with her violin; and Richard Rigby (Lake Of Stew) will manhandle the mandolin with man-love and affection, while Allan Lento (Chinese Backwards, skllffkk, Alien Lentil) and Will Austin (Normal Humans, There Is Still Time... Brother, skllffkk) will complement and compliment one another on their respective guitars bringing a unity of sound probably superior even to the Velvet's own early-90s reunion shows.

Joining them on vocals will be Patrick Hutchinson (Swift Years, Bare Bones) and myself, Sébastian Hell (the UnPop Montréal annual festival series, Unknown People, The Inferno Racket, Lame De Fer), the City's lone constant Lou Reed rip-off-er - as well as Lines, Lento, Austin, and Rosen each taking turns behind the microphone to help bring these tunes to life.

With such a display of talent, I'm sure you'd expect the show to be a costly affair at Place-Des-Arts, and while we will be playing like as if it were, it will instead take place at St-Denis street's beautifully intimate venue L'ABSYNTHE (1738 St-Denis), near the corner of Ontario street, close to Berri metro. Five bucks gets you in, drugs not included.

It's on June 25th, which isn't a Holiday, but we'll make it so just for you. Be there or beware.


LOADED
(Gallant, Knew, Stuart, Lines, Lento, Austin, Rosen, Rigby, Hutchinson, Wissin & Hell)
"Waiting For The Man- A Tribute To THE VELVET UNDERGROUND"
Friday, June 25th, 2010
@ L'Absynthe
1738 St-Denis
$5