Michael Elliott's Blog, page 2

Rest in Funk, Sly Stone

Photo: Stephen Paley

Sly Stone died in LA during Black Music Month while there was a riot going on. He was 82.

James Brown was my first exposure to funk, but Sly and the Family Stone were right there on his platform heels. They started off urging us to dance to the music, but within a few short years, the good times gave way to harsh realities. Of course, not unlike Nero, the mainstream audience wanted to dance more than protest. Sly was having none of it. He answered Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On...

Talkin’ Bob Dylan Birthday Bash Boogie

Two Bob posts in two weeks? Yep. Sorry. But hey, I can’t just ignore his big day…

On May 24th, Bob Dylan turns 84 years old and he’s right in the middle of touring (again) with Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Tour, showing no sign of slowing down. It’s quite fitting that both Bob and Willie have a song called, “On the Road Again.”

Last year, for Zimmy’s birthday, I offered up a Mixtape of 100 Bob Dylan covers. I’m sharing it again below, with a link for both Spotify and Apple users, along with an updated M...

Bob Dylan's Garden Party

So far this year, Bob Dylan’s sets on the Outlaw Tour have been surprising even the most jaded die-hards. As Adam Selzer reported in ’s standard-bearing Dylan ‘stack, , the Minnesota Bard has been pulling out deep cuts, even deeper covers, and apparently just having a blast switching things up.

Last night’s tour stop in Chula Vista, CA, was no different. Jettisoning the most recent opener, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” for previous opener, “Things Have Changed,” the rest of the set seemed to rein...

The Best of 1975

Jaws was the hit of the year at the box office. It signaled a change from the gritty realism—and sometimes nihilism—of late ‘60s/early ‘70s cinema, into a new era of blockbusters spearheaded by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. On the small screen, All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Happy Days, and its spinoff, Laverne & Shirley, ruled the sitcom roost. At the same time, we all went nuts over the bionic abilities of The Six Million Dollar Man and his counterpart, The Bionic Woman (I don’t recall...

A Requiem for No Depression's Print Journal and More May Miscellany

As we jump into May, here are a few random thoughts inspired by this week’s music news…

A Requiem for No Depression's Print Journal

We’ve been down this road before.

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Issue #75 signalled the end of No Depression’s first print run in May-June of 2008. Buddy Miller adorned the cover, and it boasted features on Hayes Carll, Pinetop Perkins, James McMurtry, the Old ‘97s, Billy Bragg, and others. It also contained...

R.I.P., Mac Gayden

Even though you may not know his name, you’ve heard Mac Gayden’s guitar, and you’ve damn sure heard his songs.

Gayden was an in-demand session guitarist who elevated tracks like JJ Cale’s swamp rock classic, “Crazy Mama” (Gayden perfected the use of a slide through a wah-wah and chorus pedal, which in turn encouraged Steve Miller to give it a go on “The Joker”), classic albums such as Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, and co-founded legendary outfits Area Code 615 and Barefoot Jerry. He also penned a...

Play Ball!

Photo by Joshua Peacock on Unsplash

The weather’s warming up and there’s new grass on the field. It’s time to hit the ballpark again.

I inherited my love of baseball from my dad. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV while he was on a ladder painting the living room when “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record by sailing number 715 over the fence at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Dad almost toppled off the ladder from excitement.

I’m still a Braves fan to this day.

To...

New and Notable: 2025 So Far

We’re barely a quarter of the way through 2025 and we’ve already been pummeled with a plethora of powerful musical moments. Here’s 21 of ‘em to gear you up for the warmer weather…

Billy Idol - “Still Dancing”

Who knew in 1985 that forty years on Billy Idol would still be delivering such vital material? Yet over the last few years, Idol has been surprising us (check out his 2021 EP, The Roadside). Cynics may rightfully complain that this first taste from his upcoming album Dream Into It leans heav...

One Year of the Mixtape

One year ago, I started The Mixtape.

Over the last 12 months, it’s been a blast sharing stories, reviews, interviews, and just random thoughts with you on a mostly weekly basis. Thanks for coming along for the ride and I hope you stick around for even more of whatever this is.

Thanks for reading The Mixtape! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

To celebrate the first year, here’s a mixtape of first songs: some of my favorite album-openers spanning all genres and eras.

Since...

R.I.P. to the Ice Man, Jerry Butler

Jerry Butler was born on December 8th, 1939, on the same day as my dad, just four years earlier. In fact, several legends were born on that date. Just this past December, I posted this remembrance:

Crazy to think that all four of these artists were born on December 8th. Crazier that the eldest of the four, the great Jerry Butler, who's 85 today, is the only one still with us.

Craziest of all, though, is that Jim Morrison and my dad were born on the same day and in the same year, 1943.

The Ice Man’s...