Michael Elliott's Blog, page 8

A Belated Bob Seger Birthday Bonanza

NYC ‘77 Photo: Lisa Tanner

For the last few years, I decided to go through my record collection from A to Z. Partially inspired by an article on Discogs on how to kill time during the pandemic, partially inspired by journalist and author David Menconi who spent the lockdown doing an Archive Deep Dive of his CD collection. The exercise was sometimes fun, sometimes a chore, depending on the day. When it was time for Bob Seger, listening to his journey from Motor City Midnight Mover to Hollywood Nig...

30 Years Back to Where it All Begins

Where It All Begins completed a trilogy of fantastic return-to-form albums that showcased the talents of not only the ABB foundation of Allman, Betts, Jaimoe, and Trucks but also the mighty string section of Warren Haynes and Allen Woody who, along with drummer Matt Abts, formed Gov’t Mule the same year as this album’s release.

For those who may have been too young to fully appreciate the Duane and Berry years in real time, Seven Turns, Shades of Two Worlds, and Where It All Begins exposed the br...

91 Willies

No other artists started me on my journey through music more explicitly than Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Willie was first, even though it’s crazy (haha) to consider their debut albums were released within a year of each other, and they both have recorded for Columbia. (Unlike Dylan, Willie’s debut was all self-penned, so there.)

From the age of 11, I devoured any and all things Willie-related. I joined his fan club. (Remember fan clubs?) I held on to issues of Life and People magazines that had ...

New Book Announcement; R.I.P., Dickey Betts; Mark Knopfler's Latest

“I’m goin’ down to the swamp…” Photo by Nils Leonhardt on Unsplash

That’s how Ronnie Van Zant kicked off Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Swamp Music” on 1974’s Second Helping. 50 years later, I’m writing a book about Swamp Rock. Coincidence, maybe? Maybe not.

What is Swamp Rock, you ask? It’s quite simply several styles of American music mixed into one hefty pot of jambalaya: blues, soul, country, rock, and funk. It all comes out as sweaty guitar, deep bass, and a slinky backbeat, with a pinch of sinister organ...

R.I.P., Michael Ward

John Hiatt played with many legendary and incredible guitarists over the years, from Ry Cooder and Sonny Landreth to David Immerglück, Doug Lancio, and scores of others. Arguably none kicked his ass as loudly or fiercely as Michael Ward, who died on April 1st at the all-too-young age of 57.

Born in Minneapolis, Ward first made waves in School of Fish, whose “3 Strange Days” was an early ‘90s alternative hit on MTV and rock radio.

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Celebrating Al Green

Nothing too fancy, just a soul-filled Mixtape birthday shout-out to one of the best to ever shout out the soul sound.

Here are some of my favorite Al Green moments. Your mileage may vary.

…and while we’re at it, some of my favorite covers of songs associated with Reverend Al.

(Note: Both lists are made to fit on each side of one 90-minute cassette, just as God intended.)

40 Years of 'Reckoning'

Growing up glued to our local album-oriented rock station, WQDR, in Raleigh, I had heard a couple of tracks from Murmur, R.E.M.’s first LP. I’m sure I’d heard “Radio Free Europe” and/or “Gardening at Night” as well on WKNC, NC State’s college station, but I could be wrong. I do remember where I was, however, the first time I saw the video for “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)”. I was, like so many Gen X’ers, seated on my living room floor, staring at MTV like a rock-and-pop zombie sponge. Unlike so ...

One Month In, Five Years Out

Happy One Month Anniversary to The Mixtape! To celebrate, I’m looking back at my favorite albums from 2019 to see if I still agree with myself. Turns out - Shocker! - I do. Let’s travel back now to those seemingly innocent days of 2019 B.C. (Before COVID)…Except who back then predicted Lizzo would lose it?

This piece was originally published on another site on December 20, 2019…

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It was a strong year for mu...

Beyoncé Makes America Great Again.

Country music has long been touted as American music. To many, the “country” in country music represents not only rural areas and the quickly fading agrarian lifestyle but also the United States itself. Fans boast that the stories told in country songs tell the story of America. The music is so strongly associated with America that in the last several years, the part deemed “too country” for country radio was cordoned off - along with other “roots”-based genres - under the label of Americana. So...

Bruce Springsteen - 'Human Touch' / 'Lucky Town'

Springsteen continued his exile from E Street with a pair of albums that offered quite a few highlights but ultimately overstayed their welcome.

By 1992, the CD era allowed artists the freedom to make Big Statements. The more space available meant an album’s average runtime increased from 35 to 45 minutes to 50 to 60 minutes and beyond. It was also the era of big budgets. Major labels had money to burn and they invested in big projects for their biggest sellers. As a result, many acts decided to ...