Old Men in Chairs Music Channel

Nobody can spit venom like Bob Dylan! The target of this 7-minute classic rant off of the Blood on the Tracks album was presumably Bob's soon-to-be ex-wife Sarah Lownds (although Bob is doing his best to deny it!) This live version was recorded at the "Hard Rain" concert in Ft. Collins, Colorado in 1976. The audio was later released as a Live album, but fortunately Japanese TV was also there to record Dylan's brilliant performance for posterity. The full concert can be found here: https://youtu.be/no-Kuw1olrQ?si=_NYFrBnh1JiN_LmY Idiot Wind starts at the 35:20 mark. If you enjoyed this reaction, I have so far reacted to 18 other Dylan songs. A complete listing can be found on my "Deciphering Dylan" playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuFOmMajgSWy9HxIIq-nk6gkQwSmBuep8

Released in 1977 on the "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" album, this extended 16-minute symphony may be Joni's masterpiece. The song features Joni on the piano with a full orchestra backing her and ends (14 minutes in with her jazz band jamming along. That group features bassist Jaco Pastorius along with Wayne Shorter on Sax and John Guerin on drums. A link to the album version of the song is here: https://youtu.be/JMKWLIFNZS4?si=DqwPUdDzVS2k7RSe The original album cover included lyrics for the extended orchestra section in the middle that were not sung. Here they are: (Where crows gaze vigilant on wires Where cattle graze the grasses Far from the digits of business hours The moon clock wanes and waxes But here all time is stripped away Nowhere on these plains Is a sprout or an egg in evidence To measure loss or gain Only a little Indian band Come down from some windy mesa No women to make them food and child No expressions on their faces I'm low in a helicopter And the wind from whirling blades Flaps their woven blankets And flags their raven braids How came they to this emptiness? How came they to this dream? How came I to this view From a flying machine Of earth and air and water And a band of Indian men Without herds or flocks or crops Or families or fires to tend? Like a phoenix up from ashes now A blanket figure springs With a fist raised up to turquoise skies Like liberty And at the point of vanishing Where the sky and the earth meet A bomb blooms Deadly mushroom White Gold Heat Like a phoenix up from ashes Up from violent mysteries And growing 'till the giant blast Is to it like a golfer's tee There comes a child's beach ball And memory takes me back To the beach to toss it up To the garage to get it patched A pink and yellow beach ball Rolling Grand Detached Turning the blues and greens of earth From space probe photographs I float out of the hovercraft Naked as infancy And weightless And drifting Horizontally Like a filing to a magnet Like the long descent of rain I am drawn I fall against the ball And lose paprika plains I suckle at my mother's breast I embrace my mother earth I remember perforated blinds Over the crib of my birth And just as Eve succumbed To reckless curiosity I take my sharpest fingernail And slash the globe to see Below me Vast Paprika plains And the snake the river traces And a little band of Indian men With no expressions on their faces.)

This video features two songs from Joni Mitchell's "Mingus Tour" in 1979. This concert was held in Santa Monica California and portions were included in her 1980 Live album "Shadows and Light." The featured song "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" was the single from the Mingus album released in 1979. It was an album made in conjunction with Jazz great Charles Mingus who wrote the music for 5 of the songs, including this one, while Joni wrote the lyrics. Mingis was probably the most jazz-influenced album that Joni ever made and included an all-star backing band including Pat Methany on guitar, Michael Brecker on Sax and Bass Superstar Jaco Pastorius. There is also a portion of Jaco's bass solo in which you will hear a familiar Jimi Hendrix riff. The video I am using includes 10 songs. Jaco's bass solo starts at around the 26 minute mark and is followed by the Dry Cleaner song. Here is a link to the full video: https://youtu.be/bLKb9Ms68ME?si=1ujethyegw4vEmvM

This year is the 35th Anniversary of a song that I know quite well, but I never paid much attention to the Official Video until just recently. If you are looking for an explanation of the 119 historical references in the song, this is not the video for you. I am more interested in the cultural references in the video of changing, mores, fashions, hair styles, decor, appliances and especially children's toys. Billy and I are from the same generation and watching this video was a nostalgic trip through my own childhood and teenage years in the 1950s and 60s. Here is a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/eFTLKWw542g?si=7sGlHnojVUxdkYKc

It took me a while and about 12 viewings to figure out how I felt about this 8 and 1/2 minute rant. On one level Tom lets loose and responds to all of the criticisms that have been leveled against him by fans and in recent diss tracks by other rappers. If that were all he did, I would probably skip reacting, however, he also makes some strong statements about the role of God and Faith in getting him through the hard times. I am not a religious person myself, but I recognize for a person in Tom's influential position in the culture this is huge! Here is a link to the original video. Please watch it, like it and comment on it: https://youtu.be/YyAumYg5Hxc?si=hSXQX6FQbPDBs303 Late in the video Tom makes a remark about Vegans. I don't believe it is an actual diss, but if it were I would be upset. I have written a column "In Defense of Vegans" on my Substack if you would like to read my thoughts on that: https://open.substack.com/pub/corrin/p/in-defense-of-vegans?r=ze2j1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web I also published a recent column about my Top 50 musical artists. The link to my 8,000 word opus, which serves a a musical guide to my channel, is here: https://open.substack.com/pub/corrin/p/my-top-50-mostly-musical-artists?r=ze2j1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

The Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967 provided a big boost to the careers of many little-known musical performers including Jimi Hendrix , Janis Joplin, Otis Redding and four guys from England who called themselves The Who. Their performance of "My Generation" was the last in their set on Sunday night and the audience was shocked when lead guitarist Peter Townsend smashed his guitar into his amplifier and drummer Keith Moon kicked over his drum set amid an explosion of smoke bombs! The song had been the band's first hit record. Released in October 1965, it rose to #2 in England. It only reached # 74 in the United States, so the band was somewhat unknown here before their appearance at Monterey. Like it did for do many groups, Monterey made them instantly famous. Her is a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/Kr82lZOAFYI?si=gwOhYfIcaGSeSfQt The band also performed the song with even bigger explosions on the Smother's Brothers TV Show. That video is definitely worth a watch: https://youtu.be/OiSKu7SbGNQ?si=MeunJYhUGVJMy5ok As mentioned, I have now updated my original Top 40 column to a Top 50 on Substack. The link to my 8,000 word opus is here: https://open.substack.com/pub/corrin/p/my-top-50-mostly-musical-artists?r=ze2j1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

When Joni met Jaco, beautiful music ensued! This is one of 4 songs on Joni's 1976 album "Hejira" on which Jaco played bass. I previously reacted to "Refuge of the roads" which also featured an hypnotic bass line from Jaco. Here is a link to the original live performance in Santa Barbara in 1979, also featuring Pat Metheny on lead guitar: https://youtu.be/QEtj1Vc1MnE?si=vNTSlGgWOwBu6YSj This version was included in Joni's 1979 live album "Shadows and Light," but it is worth listening to the original studio recording in which Jaco overdubs multiple bass parts. What a genius! By the way, here is a link to the column I wrote a number of years ago about "My Top 40" albums. https://theclarioncall.wordpress.com/my-top-40/ I have now updated my original Top 40 column to a Top 50 on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/corrin/p/my-top-50-mostly-musical-artists?r=ze2j1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

I have been a long-time fan of Albert King ever since buying his second album "Born under a bad sign" shortly after it came out in 1967. I have only recently come to realize what an incredible guitar player Stevie Ray Vaughn was. (I was kind of busy in the 1980s!) I had never known about this collaboration on Albert's signature song until I happened on it the other day. Although very familiar with the song, I decided to do a a "first time" reaction to this version of it. Here is a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/SeLddbrzsHk?si=d-LGbQp4arNzjcaU

Anyone who thinks Captain Beefheart's music is full of disorganized sound needs to listen to this hot rendition of "Nowadays a woman's gotta hit a man!" The original was off their 1972 album "Clear Spot," but the Captain and the Magic Band prove in this 1980 live version that they still had the magic! Featuring the Captain on blues harp and growly vocals, this iteration of the Magic band is as tight as can be. If this doesn't put a smile on your face, you ain't listening! Here is a link to the original broadcast on French TV: https://youtu.be/J_jZ_DgR8Yk?si=4hlE4H16dk0HtdBf This is my 6th Beefheart reaction. You can find the other 5 on my Beefheart playlist on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuFOmMajgSWxDhDcX14fhgbe1PgqAqTKJ

Howard Tate has been called "The Greatest Soul Singer that you never heard of!" This song was his first hit in 1967 and part of his great album "Get it while you can." I purchased that album in a discount bin for $1.98 and it was the best value I ever got in music! Howard retired from music in the early 1970s and had a difficult life. His daughter was killed in a house fire, he got divorced, starting abusing drugs and got addicted to crack. He was homeless for a while before he was able to get his life back together and re-start his music career around 2001. This live performance of his hit song was recorded a few years before his death in 2011. You can see the original video of this performance here: https://youtu.be/7h6QQ4jvAgM?si=Mxd_jglpBtF2VwTp

David Minnick has been working for many year to create cover versions of all the songs on Captain Beefheart's seminal 1969 album 'Trout Mask Replica." This latest release of another of the Captain's A capella classic sea shanties is a masterpiece! To help orient the viewer, I have included a short sample of the Captain's original song and added the lyrics to the 180G's version. David announced with this video that he will be releasing an album with covers of all 28 songs on Trout Mask this Spring. Can't wait! Here is a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/LrrRjDSbPy8?si=sOP3M... If you want to hear the Captain's version it is here: https://youtu.be/-DYyds9shCA?si=RLpSP... In this video, I also talk about the reasons why I recently created a second Rumble Channel to feature my non-political music reactions. The new channel is called "Old Men in Chairs Music Channel." I also mention in the video that I recently wrote a Substack essay reflecting on my 2 years in the trenches of YouTube. If you would like to read it, the link is here: https://corrin.substack.com/p/why-you... Finally, I did have some technical problems with this video and in the second half of the video my face is very blurry. Sorry about that!

This is great tribute from the surviving members of the Fab Four to their former partners who have passed, but it is it really a "Beatles" song? I would argue that it is not possible to turn a post break-up John Lennon song back into a Beatles song. It appears that the original demo was recorded by John when he was working on his "Double Fantasy" solo album in 1980, shortly before he was assassinated. A cassette tape of the song was finally given by Yoko Ono to Paul in 1994. Paul and the three surviving members at that time, tried to record the song, but had technical difficulties because John's voice could not be separated from his piano playing on the demo. Almost 30 years later, AI had progressed to the point that John's voice could be isolated. That was done and a new version of the song was built around John's voice. Unfortunately George Harrison passed away in 2001, but some of his playing from the 1994 sessions was incorporated into the new version. Here is a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/Opxhh9Oh3rg?si=i_ssOER9RndJzBGG

This is probably the cleanest dirty song you have ever heard! Ren is heavy into the pop sound and the innuendo in this hymn to the hook-up. This is my second trip down the Ren Rabbit Hole, but I am still staying away from his heavier, emotional Rap songs. I'm working my way up to those, but in the meantime I am enjoying his amazing musical talent and his great sense of humor. Enjoy! Here is a link to the original: https://youtu.be/rXxVv1zxNeM?si=wJhBHernhJNL2cUZ

This is one of many great songs that Bob released in the 1980s, a period when a lot of people had stopped listening to him after his "Jesus" period. This was on the album "Burlesque Empire" that came out in June of 1985. This live performance was at the Farm Aid Concert in September of 1985 at Champaign, Il. In this video he is backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Willie Nelson. He shares the lead vocal with Marilyn Quebec who will soon be his mother-in-law. Her daughter, Carolyn Dennis (6 months pregnant with Bob's child) is one of the back-up singers. This song is part of a 5-song set that can be found here: https://youtu.be/QZbODVff42k?si=pTTJ1Imj427tN01N By the way, my most recent Dylan reaction to "Murder most foul" was age-restricted by YouTube because the video included part of the Zapruder film. It can be viewed without restrictions on my Rumble channel of the same name.

This is my first ever, first-time reaction to a song that I have never heard before. For the past two years I have been doing analysis videos after pre-screening the songs, but I decided it was time to ty a real reaction. This iteration of the street-busking band The Big Push features Ren on bass guitar and vocals, as the group sings and jams to a couple of traditional gospel and blues songs. See the original video here: https://youtu.be/DbL7Frf6nJI?si=o4JpO1tzDjTV1rUk

Before Ren blew up into an International solo star, he was a member of a British busking band called The Big Push. In this video I react to the final song of the band's final street performance: a cover of The Rolling Stones classic, "Paint it Black." Ren does not sing in this performance, but he plays an amazing bass guitar. Here is a link to the original video: https://youtu.be/h_MyHJZxRl8?si=MUUP3MKIxaXljyLB

Last week I used this great Kink song as my new intro, because of its very apt commentary on the digital world we are living in today. Unfortunately, it was claimed as copyrighted, which means if I continue to use it, all my videos would not be able to monetize. Before I abandon the song permanently, however, I decided to give it a full reaction. This was the title song of The Kinks great 1986 album. UnlIke most of the Britain Invasion bands of the 1960s, the Kinks had great staying power and were still putting out great new music through the 1980s. Here is a link to the original live performance: https://youtu.be/kW4aTLR6khU?si=EWaBp55XGvvnQbmY

This is one song that there is almost universal agreement that the cover by Jimi was better than Bob's original. Even Bob Dylan said so! It is still fun to compare the songs side by side and see what people think. Here are links to the original videos that I used: Bob Dylan: https://youtu.be/jff6pZJvrWk?si=nUWnFbwDP6_OyFSj Jimi Hendrix (With Vietnam footage): https://youtu.be/G7jEBjpbTC0?si=sL-WVwQOW6oZtF5s

I was very sad to hear of the passing of Toby Keith yesterday at the much too young age of 62. I have been a huge fan of his ever since I bought his Honkytonk University album in 2005, which contains his all-time greatest hit "I ain't as good as I once was." Although also known for his great patriotic songs such as "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" which was inspired by 9/11, I chose a more personal song to remember him by. "She ain't hooked on me no more," co-written by Toby tells the familiar story of the end of a relationship, something most men can probably relate to. The fact that the song also is a duet with Merle Haggard makes it just about the perfect country song! Here is a link to the original: https://youtu.be/Ts-iG27BzW8?si=0Qfw2gYSQjxZ-uv4

The big news in Hip Hop today is a Diss track that Ryan Upchurch dropped yesterday against Tom MacDonald. I'm not going to react to that because I think it's just silly. On the other hand, Ren gave a perfect response to a Diss track that he was the subject of last summer. See the original video here: https://youtu.be/gcVUnFisx_Q?si=XYsYO2H5tcXWzTmg

It took me a long time to feel comfortable reacting to this song. When I first saw it about a year ago, I found it too disturbing to even watch. Slowly as I went down the Ren Rabbit Hole in recent weeks, I realized that it is a work of pure genius, an absolute masterpiece of not only music, but a pretty good tutorial on how to triumph over emotional and mental health problems. Thanks to all the Ren fans who have supported me on this journey and encouraged me along the way. It is not easy for a not very empathetic person like me to relate to something so emotionally intense, but I did the best I could. In preparation for this analysis, I watched many other reactions to this song and learned a lot from a list too numerous to mention. I also prepared my own lyric version of the song so I could be sure of catching every word. Please support Ren by going to his site, watching the original video and so many of his other great works here: https://youtu.be/s_nc1IVoMxc?si=WYIUOObEXMTMKhLd

I have had a great deal of trouble understanding and relating to Ren's intense and emotional music videos. In order to understand him better, I watched this interview that he gave in October 2023. I was amazed by his ability to describe many concepts of health and psychology that I had never even heard of, so I did a reaction to a portion of the interview. If you want to see the full interview from the Zach Sang Show, the link is here: https://youtu.be/AAIGsXEZ0WI?si=4HhKNtkabj3t0sZ2

I have known about Ren for quite a while, but I found his emotionally-intense videos a little too much to handle. This song, which is about a year old, is a little lighter in tone. Ren, a native of Wales, has had a real struggle with mental health issues. Some of those are mentioned in this video, but in more of a fun way. In order to understand the words better, I have also added the lyrics to the video . You can see the original video here: https://youtu.be/6_hnhVDtzTY?si=OGi9J--CS0t1XQO2

2023 was a tough year for musical artists. We lost some of the all-time greats including Tina Turner, Jeff Beck and Robbie Robertson. During the last year, I paid tribute to all of these and also Steve Harwell of Smashmouth and Dino Danelli of theYoung Rascals who passed away right before Christmas 2022. In this video, as we get ready to embrace a New Year, I sample portions of those prior reactions. If any of these whet your appetite, here are links to the original videos I did: (In order of appearance) Dino Danelli in the Young Rascals, "People gotta be free" https://youtu.be/T58zVYwQbZU?si=ZUG5irvTC-ku07XZ Jeff Beck with The Yardbirds, "Shape of Things to Come" (Sorry, actually it is Jimmy Page on guitar!) https://youtu.be/JH3jMQYrEDQ?si=gZ2ySSGtmK8236gu Jeff is also featured in y recent video about the great Bob Dylan song "Like A Rolling Stone." Who did it best? Here is a link to that: https://youtu.be/zEt9HBA5elQ?si=sP5igo7A0IhVbUYb Tina Turner performing "Steel Claw" on the Johnny Carson Show https://youtu.be/oTQEWfkl-dE?si=rS0qfjHuHmB9hUEq After Tina's death, I did another reaction to her classic "Overnight Sensation." https://youtu.be/iW-zOlpiQPY?si=VcAjGllE4aEEr7o3 Steve Harwell lead singer on Smashmouth's "Walking on the Sun." https://youtu.be/oTQEWfkl-dE?si=rS0qfjHuHmB9hUEq Robbie Robertson, songwriter and lead guitar on The Band's "Acadian driftwood" https://youtu.be/Xrtz81x_6As?si=OWtyjsj1lK-dOp3O As always, if you want to watch the original performance by the artist without my reaction, a link can be found in the description of each video.

Bob Dylan's 1965 masterpiece has been covered many times, but who did it best? In this video I review Bob's electrifying original at the Newport Folk Festival and four covers: Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stone, Bob Marley & the Wailers and Seal with Jeff Beck. Here are links to the original performances: Dylan at Newport (1965): https://youtu.be/a6Kv0vF41Bc?si=EYwFbMGI0ea8naaS Jimi Hendrix (1967) https://youtu.be/amZdiTpvRtY?si=HQnPtnHheD42ZMLa The Rolling Stones (Official Promo) (1995) https://youtu.be/aRYokc3VBC4?si=BdOawfavHiH0uJmh The Wailing Wailers "Rolling Stone Take 2 "(1966) https://youtu.be/aRYokc3VBC4?si=BdOawfavHiH0uJmh Seal with Jeff Beck (2012) https://youtu.be/BSixn8MeN_s?si=WK7r1rUzGOg00sFR I hope you enjoy this fun exercise. Please comment on who you think did it best!