From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V16 #113 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, May 26 2011 Volume 16 : Number 113 To unsubscribe: e-mail ecto-digest-request@smoe.org and put the word unsubscribe in the message body. Today's Subjects: ----------------- Thea in London - John Wesley Harding tour [Adam Kimmel ] another meaningless piece of info [Julie B ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 23:53:22 -0800 From: Adam Kimmel Subject: Thea in London - John Wesley Harding tour Not a bad night with Thea Gilmore last night at the Union Chapel in London, a lovely little venue. To be honest, her recent album -- the complete cover of Dylan's "John Wesley Harding" -- doesn't do much for me. Not being a Dylan fan, the original doesn't have any sort of iconic standing for me, and although Thea's version is perfectly nice, it doesn't change my mind or make me go "Wow, what an album" and seek out the original. It's just...very nice, very pleasant listening, if a little pointless. Basically, it is the least essential Thea Gilmore album I ever hope to own. I was hoping that seeing it live, on Bob's Birthday, would help me into it, and a gig with "Special Guests" was promised. These, however, turned out to be Clive Gregson, the opening act. He was a genial, very funny man with a lovely voice and a great way with an acoustic guitar, but his songs were strictly maudlin MOR, and he closed with an inexplicable version of "Barefootin'". Thea opened with just her and Nigel duetting on "Old Soul", her hymn to her unborn child -- she's six months pregnant, and that was the last time in the evening she strapped on a guitar. Then a new version of her band (albeit with some veteran members) came out and, after a beautifully haunting version of "Girl from the North Country", launched into the whole of John Wesley Harding. There were some great moments along the way, but I'm still not convinced. Her "All Along the Watchtower", while a still a bit too laid back, had more of an urgency about it than the CD version, and the quieter songs like "I Am a Lonesome Hobo" and "Pity the Poor Immigrant" came across best, with a real simplistic beauty, the former preceded by a fantastic acappella introduction by Thea that wasn't on the album. Chat was at a minimum, although when Thea first read an extract from Bob's original liner notes and later, before "Watchtower", read the relevant piece out of the Bible, I thought there was going to be a flow and concept. This didn't last, and there were longeurs while the band tuned and Thea looked on, smiling silently. She did, at least, seem somewhat more engaged than the last time I saw her live, and seemed to be enjoying herself. The album out of the way, the band then did a few Thea numbers, starting with "This Girl is Taking Bets", complete with a bandmember doing cue cards a la Bob's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Then a stunning version of "Inverigo", a rare outing for "And We'll Dance" and, to wrap it up, a song none of us had heard before, which was also excellent. Oh, and there was a round of "Happy Birthday to You" for Bob at one point. All in all, a very pleasant evening if not exactly moving, although my partner, who is more of the Dylan generation and who has fond memories of the original, thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards I hoped to get something signed but, after waiting for 15 minutes, everyone got turfed out of the venue and told she wasn't coming out. I haven't had much luck with that, re! cently. Still, a nice night out. Adam K ____________________________________________________________ Send any screenshot to your friends in seconds... Works in all emails, instant messengers, blogs, forums and social networks. TRY IM TOOLPACK at http://www.imtoolpack.com/default.aspx?rc=if2 for FREE ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 18:59:27 -0400 From: Julie B Subject: another meaningless piece of info I gave a shoutout to Ecto on the air Tues morn for letting me know about Eliza Rickman. I have been on this list forever, forever, I can't even think how long. I would guess the 16-17 year range, but I could be way off. It was before Building the Colossus but I'm not sure how long before. - -- Dark Night of the Soul http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/JQ ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V16 #113 ***************************