Random Sample 8-15-08

Wow!  I’m on a roll these days.  I think I’m starting to find time for my blog again.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, but if you’re a faithful reader (all 30 of you), thanks for sticking around and reading something I’m afraid is becoming a bit out of fashion.  Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, it’s just that I’ve been thinking about the waning popularity of blogs and I think it has to do with general attrition, the fact that many bloggers are writers waiting on a professional gig, and that more and more professional entities have blogs that they pay people to write for.  So, that means the more home brew type blogs are probably not getting nearly as much love as they used to.

But…

That’s another post.  Right now, I’d rather focus on my Friday feature:  ye olde Random Sample.  So here goes…

“The Wait,” Pretenders (Download) One of the great things about this box set is the added DVD of live performances.  Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman Scott, Pete Farndon, and Martin Chambers where the Pretenders.  Only later did it become more of a Chrissie Hynde solo vehicle that had new members almost every album. Chambers came back to drum in the group in the ’90s, but nowadays, I’m not sure what the status of the band is.  However, in 1980 they were smokin’ hot as a band.  This live version of “The Wait” is from the DVD, so it’s kind of a rare thing to have in a music collection.

“Series of Dreams,” Bob Dylan (Download) In the early ’80s I went through a Bob Dylan phase where I bought is current music and didn’t bother with his classic recordings until later.  I don’t know why, but I took a chance on albums like Empire Burlesque, Down in the Groove, and Infidels and rather liked them.  Then Bob goes off and records Oh Mercy (which I really liked, too), and from that session came this out take.  It was produced by Daniel Lanois (one of the producers who’s been with U2 since The Unforgettable Fire), and it’s a wonder why this tune never ended up on the album.

“My Sister,” The Juliana Hatfield Three (Download) Pull up chair kids and let me tell you about the time when MTV used to play videos.  Yeah, I know, that’s and old story, but really, this was one of the ways I found out about new music. I believe I first heard/saw this song on MTV’s 120 Minutes, and I ran out and bought the CD a few days later.  I think it’s the only Juliana Hatfield CD I own — but it’s a good one.