A great album: John Lee Hooker's Urban Blues (1967). This is the one that features "The Motor City is Burning," a personal take on the '67 Detroit Riots (brazenly politicized in the MC5 cover version -- but this one is much better, the real thing). JLH has a powerful electric sound on this album, with a very raw feel. In addition to "The Motor City is Burning," songs like "Mr. Lucky" and "Backbiters and Syndicaters" stand out -- the first is kind of creepy (imagine Mr. Lucky -- angel or devil? --standing in your room, telling you how lucky your life will be) and the second is just plain cool.
"Hot Spring Water" is a two-part mini-story about a dude trying to contain his deranged girlfriend/wife; and "Cry Before I Go" vs. "Think Twice Before You Go" are flipsides of a man leaving a woman and a woman leaving a man. In other words, in this one album John Lee Hooker writes a whole book on life. For an extra period piece, there's always, "I Gotta Go to Vietnam/(I Don't Wanna Go to Vietnam)."
Love Detroit! Go Red Wings! Good luck to GM! And a salute to Motor City Burning Press!
Today's Rune: Signals.
6 comments:
Don't know why, but I'm thinking of Urban Renewal by Eric Miles Williamson; Maybe there's hope for Detroit yet.
Odd isn't it how when you Google Motor City Burning it is the MC5 version that pops up well before John Lee Hooker's.
Let's get the party started.
The city has been in a slow-burn since the original fires over 40 years ago. Just now we're feeling the effects.
So that's where Michelle got her Journal title.
I think I've heard I Gotta Go To Vietnam before, but I'm not sure where.
Eric, 2 more games and we got Stanley again! Maybe Mike Babcock should take over GM!
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