Silver Moons
The Pop & Jazz blog
I’d heard that Springsteen was covering “local” songs in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, but hadn’t heard that he’d worked up “Don’t Change.” It surely is one of the best songs, period, an affirmation of a loved one called out at a point of turmoil, a moment of need. In my reading of it, the opening and closing guitar theme—simultaneously soaring free and coming home—describes the beauty and rock-solid character of the person being celebrated. I miss the percussive subtleties of the INXS original, but Springsteen clearly loves the song and honors it in this performance.
4 October 2014
It was all there for freshly formed Crowded House back in 1986: the fun, the charm, the chops. Turned on MTV one afternoon and out poured pure-pop joy like I’d never known it, a full set, live from a stormy Florida beach. I didn’t know who it was, but that TV wasn’t changing channel ’til I found out. Adolescence is full of life-changing moments, but few remain as vivid to me as this one.
16 September 2014
Existential wisdom from Frank Zappa.
Do you know what you are?
You are what you is
You is what you am
A cow don’t make ham
You ain’t what you’re not
So see what you got
You are what you is
And that’s all it is
6 September 2014
