1AM

Hi, I'm Amanda. You might remember me from such blogs as Flop Eared Mule. No sooner had I stopped being absorbed by university, I started being absorbed by the World Cup. I blogged previously about my devotion to the Australian soccer team. And here we are, gearing up for the historic match against Brazil this time tomorrow. DEEP BREATH! It's 12.14am and Portugal vs Iran is on. I hate Iran, see previous link. I, however, do heart Martin Tyler. Luis Figo is old and slow but still a spunk. How shite are England. Verily yea, alot.

You know. Australian soccer is like Johnny Cash, bandwagon wise. No one cared and suddenly .... Kochie and Mel are wearing 'roos scarves, there are 8 pages of soccer/football in the papers every day where previously
you were lucky to find a few paragraphs and everyone's an instant expert on midfield organisation and the jogo bonito. In a music shop the other day some women were browsing the Johnny section looking for things "with that chick, his girlfriend." Dear reader, was I wrong to want to punch them?




Anyway. I went to a function tonight -- on the other side of the bridge, where I never go -- and on the way back on the train I listened to Dylan's radio show on the topic of Jail. How busy have I been? So busy, I have the last four radio shows here but haven't listened to them. Bobby plays alot of old blues and stuff which is great but it is intriguing to hone in on the newer material. The post-Dylan material, in other words. In "Jail" he plays John Prine, "Christmas in Prison." Prine is of course one of the many dozens (hundreds??) of singer-songwriters named the "new Dylan." Re-listening to this early song it's actually not hard to see why, even though its a loathesome and lazy tag. Quite moving really, Bobby here paying tribute to those who came after him and who have quite a debt to him. Not in a crappy, shallow Voice of the Generation bestowing favours on the acolytes way, but a humble, serious, music nerd (Bob) to music nerd (me, you) way. Sweet.

He starts the show with Folsom Prison Blues and doesn't mention it but there's another historical touch -- Johnny Cash of course saved Bob's career. After his first album tanked at Columbia he was close to being let go but Cash, a bone fide star, fought for him and he stayed to write the songs that made him famous and to record Freewheelin'. On the Cash tribute he plays on he acknowledges this saying "thanks for standing up for me way back when." He also says on the radio show something about Kris Kristofferson not replying to his letters. I'll have to listen again, there must be a joke in there somewhere.

This week I've been listening to Dave Alvin's new one, West of the West. It's him covering his favourite California songs. As the website says: "West of the West mixes much loved songs by Merle Haggard, John Fogerty, Tom Waits, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, Jerry Garcia, Kate Wolf, Robert Hunter and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Louis Perez, with unearthed gems from such previously overlooked talents as Blackie Farrell and Jim Ringer." It's Dave Alvin, I hardly think you need more recommendation.

I also got around to getting (from emusic) Dion's new album Bronx in Blue. Yes Dion. The 60s pop bloke. Top few releases of 2006 thus far. He has a bloody great voice, you know? And covering blues standards you can hardly go wrong. I'm loving it. Sean's review at HickoryWind back in March for more.