Friday, July 26, 2013

Grateful Dead~Morning Dew 3/25/93



The spring of 1993 is often overlooked in Grateful Dead history. I do disagree with this view. Jerry was sober and back playing. His energy and voice were very clear and there was new material to boot.  On this tour there was also another major difference in the fan's reaction to Jerry' s recovery compared to the spring of 1987 return. On that tour Jerry was worshiped at every show and would give fist pumps during songs and fanned his guitar as well aka. like Pete Townsend.
It was quite special. On this tour people were very grateful but it was more business as usual in many ways. The Chapel Hill shows were noteworthy for the music as well as soundman Dan Healy throwing out a patch to the tapers, who were pleasantly shocked, and it was a  first. The music from both nights were the best nights of that tour.
The first night is most often spoke of, with the Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds , which is one of the best  version they ever did play, but the second night's second set is much longer and deeper and ends with this quintessential version of Morning Dew.
With clarity and conviction  Jerry's playing is simply majestic on this version. He is emotional and present in his  vocals and his playing is subtle as it is poetic and played with an intent and focus that is pure Garcia. With this  great camera shot you see all of it.
The bridge and the finale is very  sweet and beautiful as Jerry plays softly hitting every note he reaches for and perfectly builds it  up to a dramatic peak and even Jerry knows it. This reading is easily one of the best of the 1990's
So all you Jerry heads crank it up!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Visions Of Johanna, 2/21/95 ☮ Grateful Dead



It is always welcoming when  a soft steady mid-summer rain lulls to sleep. You enter that world of deeper sleep and dreams. With soft grey skies at dawn you are still very much in a deep  restful sleep, and at least for me, it was a morning when you  hit that snooze button a couple more times... maybe even three?

This beautiful song will help you stay in that dream like state all morning.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Mark Mulcahy's newest album: Ear candy for the soul

In today's music world the majority of music listeners now limit themselves to the one or two tracks of an artist they like or think are cool. They download one song and it quickly get lost in the shuffle of the hundreds already on their device of choice. The pleasures of listening to an artist's record in its entity has become a thing of the past... unless you are a fan of Mark Mulcahy.

Mark's solo records quickly become a sound track to the listener's life. Each track you listen to grows in fondness and familiarity for you.What separates him from his contemporaries is what  he can do with his voice, his music, and especially his lyrics. He is simple one of the best song writers out there.
His newest release in over eight years is Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You  and is available through the Mezzotint label. In many ways it is his best solo record to date. Unlike the celebrated, and cerebral, In Pursuit of Your Happiness . This record jumps out at  you. In the opening track  I Taketh Away Mark delivers a punchy get up and move anthem on the frustrations of avoidance and choices peppered with religious commentary that is equally sarcastic as it is  insightful.

This street level  insights continues with the next track Everybody Hustles Leo which begin with a shuffling drum beat that is sexed with the clangy guitar riff of Mark's rich sounding electric hallow body guitar. This song seduces you with the opening line "She tried to sell me some sky, she kept it in her wonder bra" is the song that places you on that seedy avenue on the wrong side of town where the protagonists Leo is a willing  participant at the  hands of street folk and happens to fall in  love with the dealer or is it the white stuff ?

This is  followed by the next track that deals out infatuation with an S & M twist with a woman who is in complete control of her man. She Makes The World Turn Backwards is hilarious as it is seducing. Who is she? Have you know her? Do you want to know her? Will she hurt you? In Mark's world when he sings
 " black and blue that is the way with you. The worse is yet to come. The crowds are yelling jump!  Its jump you fool" We all have a voyeuristic desire to be controlled by dominant and unforgiving sexual force of nature. In this song you are  more than willing to go for the ride.

Mark's fourth track is a funky Dada type number that is part Animal Farm and a late night cartoon and could also be an ode to the zoo animals of Forest Park in his hometown of Springfield. Let the Firesflies Fly Away is  lyrical gem, filled with wild metaphors on a cast of characters from the ark as Mark sings with conviction and power as he drives the tunes through with a gospel inspired passion for freedom. He ends it with a child  like fancy as the title reveals.

What will also strike you by now is the wonderful production on this record. Co-produced by both Mark and Henning Ohlenbusch  the sound is rich, bright and has an analog warmth to it. Henning is also a vital part of Mark's current band along with Ken Maiuri.


Mark continues to populate this record with characters that are obsessed with religion like with He's a Magnet with its soft core chorus. To friends who may be always be there to recharge our batteries in My Rose Colored Friend a song that  we can all relate to as Mark sings in the chorus " All we want is a straight story from somebody"

Bailing Out on Everything Again with its chop stick keyboards melody is as  beautiful as it is haunting as the singer  fall in love in things he hate and is not filled with rage  but instead with a romantic complacency.

Badly Madly is possibly the most bittersweet song Mark has every written on being in a love triad. With its lilting English country ballad music dancing  with an accompanying flute like syn sounds. Mark's poetic  lyrics illustrate both a plea and a warning for his love choosing the wrong man. Mark's rich and sweet voice is not demanding her affection, but instead using clever prose to express his heart " I don't believe you feel as badly. If he loved you madly... like I do, like I do"

This is juxtaposed with the poppy Posion Candy Heart, possibly an reaction to be dumped in the previous song? Or is she from that seedy avenue Leo inhabits? Once again Mark takes the role of a man done wrong but is more than a willing victim as he sings "Your serious but wonderful...reckless as a chainsaw...thrilling in the bedroom and I am average in so many ways"
This triad of love songs ends with the most amazing track on this record. The Rabbit. Once again Mark shows his brilliance as a lyricists as he displays such yearnings tempered with contempt for the predicament he  has once again placed his heart in ." Wilting willingly your too much to handle...and I am just a  Chinese candle on the window sill." In once sentence Mark's mastery of perception of two lovers is put on full display. Who can write such lyrics? Sadly not many these days. The music is both sad as it is is beautiful a lap steel guitar helps foster the sense of loss or is it acceptance?

The final track is Where's The Indifference Now?  is a powerful commentary on suicide and our celebrity obsessed society. One in which we want to know everything but honestly are not moved  emotionally to do anything about such tragedies. We just rubber neck or even worse are inconvenienced by such events as the unknown character declares " Don't interrupt my evening. I am on the phone and watching TV" upon finding out about the poor kid next store.

Lucky for fans of Mark Mulcahy's music we are paying attention and do notice and appreciate the nuances , insights, and paradoxes in the worlds that Mark paints and we are very well rewarded for such efforts on this record.
You can be as well and  in less than thirty five minutes too.






Friday, July 19, 2013

Mark Mulcahy "The Rabbit"



It has been awhile since I was inspired to  create a new video but once you hear this new song from Mark Mulcahy's new album you will know why I had to do it. I think it may be the  first one up of this incredible tune too.
Enjoy.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Mark Mulcahy: The resurrection of the song writer's singer at Spaceland 7/12/2013

Mark Mulcahy has earned the reverence and adoration of fans, critics and fellow musicians for a career that has spanned over twenty five years.
A master story teller, who can wisp you off to a world of his own creating in less than four minutes,  his lyrics can be as introspective, raw, and funny as they are generous with developed metaphors that detail the beauties and nuances of life as well as dreams. Mark unites his writing in rich and organic ways with music featuring sweet melodic chords and his beautiful voice. It is a well deserved mantle of brilliance, that he wears with a soft and humble smile, after years of work with the seminal New Haven band Miracle Legion, Polaris and his amazing body of solo work. He and his two piece band, featuring  Henning Ohlenbusch and Ken Maiuri ventured in to familiar and welcomed territory last night at the Spaceland performance space in Hamden. 

Gliding in on the heels, and  dressed in angelic white, of his latest record release in eight years, " Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You" and playing his second Connecticut gig this year, since performing in April at the Meriden Daffodil Festival.

There was an air of welcomed and familiar anticipation of something very special to be witnessed by all in attendance.
Opening the show with of the best of his new tunes from the record. He went deep dealing out "The Rabbit" solo which begins " Wicked trickery...it must take a long time. You need two cups of extra desire. To be able to learn the tricks you learned to do"  The song is laced with contempt as it is filled with yearning.
He next went to the  first track of the new album  " I Taketh Away"  which  begins with compelling chords as Mark spits out frustration and sarcasm. He  even takes on JC with this swipe " He was so cool when first come around. Now all that love my brother shit...just make me mad, mad, mad" 

 By the fourth  song Mark was on fire possessed by frenetic  and  boundless energy, reminiscent of a Grotto gigs from days past, as the band laid down the sultry and provocative "She Makes the World Turn Around." Mark once again revealing his passion and confusion for the feminine mystique. 

A highlight of the night  followed as Mark erupted into a power  punk version of " I Have Patience" that had him and many in the crowd bopping up and down as he proclaimed in the chorus 
"The things I love don't bring me joy. The things I love, I want to destroy. I have patience, I have patience."

Mark continued to marry the new material with the old as he played a couple more track off In Pursuit of Your Happiness  then the closing track off the new record with the powerful and disturbing "Where's The Indifference Now?"
He continued to power on with a ripping version of "Saturine" and then went  soft with a tender " Love's the Only Thing That Shuts Me Up". The fun times continued with a sing-a-long version of a crowd favorite "Ladies From Town" followed by the garanimals portion of the show with the  band getting silly before striking out with powerful version of the funky "Let the Fireflies Fly Away" as Mark gets surreal painting the canvas with imagery of a donkey driving a Chevrolet among a few things.

Mark next  then sang " Quiet One" being both hilarious as it is sinister. He continued with the religious sarcasm with "He's a Magnet" with its soft porn chorus of " ooooo yeah oh no no no oh yeah he's a magnet baby"

The set closed with the one dedication of the night to man from New Haven who inspired the  sweeping "Bill Jocko."

Mark began the encore the way he began the night, alone with his music and his guitar. The stage  lights glistening off the chrome on his hallow body guitar as he pulled out a inspired and sweet reading of " Hey Self Defeater."

"Never mind overjoyed
Just start with happy
There’s no more silent nights
And no more horrid fights
Just got a new place
And put a thousand miles"




Musical guests Jeff " Baby Huey" Wiederschall and Richard "Doctor Managua" Brown joined for the joyous closing of "Mr. Mingo" and " The Backyard"
One of the best nights of live music all year for this fan.
Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, we love you...and thank you.





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