"Redemption" by Johnny Cash (Circa 1979/80)

Johnny Cash was kind of an enigma. He was; at once; the hottest thing in country, while also one of the most mysterious. Some folks are not aware of the fact that Johnny Cash was against the War in Vietnam. He toured there, entertaining the troops engaged in a war he himself did not believe in, but he believed in all those men and women that were there fighting. These were not volunteers; these were people whose lives had been arbitrarily interrupted by politics. There’s a difference.

While Bob Hope always supported the position of the government, Johnny Cash gave of his time to the people who were caught up in something over which they had no direct control. These were the people he sought to comfort with his deep voice and larger than life heart.

This video is from around 1979, a time in which Mr. Cash had not had a big hit in a few years’ time, choosing mostly to concentrate on gospel music. And, as with anything he ever undertook; from booze to music; he took it seriously, reaching greater heights with each step he took.

About this time Rick Rubin came into his life as a producer. His premise was simple enough; strip away all the band; drums, electric guitars etc; and really get down to the essence of Johnny Cash. The resulting 5 albums which capped off Mr. Cash’s career are proof of the wisdom inherent in that approach. From such diverse offerings as U-2’s “One”, Nine Inch Nails “Hurt” (a #1 hit just before his death) and even former son-in-law Nick Lowe’s “The Beast in Me”, in which he tackles the topic of manic-depression, Mr. Cash was able to re-define his legacy. He was able to expand through the music of other’s, while lending a new take to their works. U-2’s “One” never got through to me until I heard Johnny Cash, alone with his guitar, perform the song.

If you have never heard any of those last 5 albums produced by Rick Rubin; some in Johnny Cash’s bedroom, from his sickbed; you have never really heard Johnny Cash. And that is truly a shame.

"The Weight" - Mavis Staples, Nick Lowe and Wilco

Music is magical and can happen anywhere at any time. This video from You Tube was filmed last December in Chicago prior to the Nick Lowe concert with Wilco and Mavis Staples, who sang this iconic song with The Band in the film “The Last Waltz” over 35 years ago. She still has the “chops” to make this song reverberate, and along with veteran performer Nick Lowe and the contemporary band Wilco, the song itself shows no sign of ever “aging.” It’s timeless. Ah, but were that true of us all…

Nick Lowe - "The Old Magic" - In Concert

Last night Sue and I treated ourselves to a mutual birthday gift. We saw Nick Lowe at the McGlothon Theater, which is located in Spirit Square in “uptown” Charlotte. Nick Lowe; for those unfamiliar with him as an artist; is one of the key people who kept rock and roll alive and kicking during the 1970’s disco craze. And when the end of that decade rolled around; with Punk Rock all the rage; Nick Lowe, along with Dave Edmunds, formed “Rockpile”, once again keeping the genre viable and raucous. And, people like me are glad they did. But sometime during the late 1990’s, Mr. Lowe re-invented his approach to some of his older tunes, and at the same time, developed a new way to express his more current thoughts.

For a while I had heard that Mr. Lowe was alive and well, living in Amsterdam for obvious reasons. (You can puzzle that one out for yourselves.) But last year he released a brand new album; on vinyl no less; titled “The Old Magic.” It is aptly named, as Mr. Lowe proved last night here in Charlotte. With a mixture of old songs, along with the new, he beguiled the audience for several hours, performing old favorites solo, and telling stories between numbers.

His performance of some of the new material; including “Sensitive Man” and “Somebody Cares for Me”; which are my two favorites from the new album; was absolutely wonderful, and would have been enough to satisfy me. But, at the audience’s insistence, Mr. Lowe came back for 3 encores. I was thrilled to see him play solo, using only 1 guitar throughout his extraordinary performance, and no capo to boot. His voice is as strong and expressive as ever, and his easy attitude with the audience was a delight to all.

I haven’t been able to find a video that does justice to last night’s solo, acoustic performance, but here he is performing with Wilco, a band which consists of Patrick Sansone, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy , Nels Cline, Glenn Kotche, John Stirratt. While this video may sound lush and full, there is nothing better than seeing your favorite artist striped down to the bare minimum, highlighting just what you love about their work. Seeing Mr. Lowe perform last night reinforced my suspicion that the “old magic” is not only back; but for some of us, it never left in the first place. It was a wonderful concert, in one of our favorite venues. What a great way to celebrate our birthdays together; listening to music which we both love. (And that’s not always easy to find!)

 

Well, it only took a day for someone to post this video from the concert at McGlothon on October 9th in Charlotte. So, here is Nick Lowe as I saw him from the 6th row.

"I'm a Sensitive Man" by Nick Lowe (2012)

Nick Lowe has been a force in rock and roll for almost 4 decades now. His solo efforts are legendary, and his all too short collaboration with Dave Edmunds in the early 1980’s supergroup  “Rockpile” was almost the apex of both of  their respective careers. But time has a way with performers like Nick Lowe; who used to be son in law to Johnny Cash, and even had the old man record one of his darker hits, “The Beast In Me” for his Rick Rubin albums; has matured like fine wine.  He has a certain elegance about him which draws you into the things, and people, about whom he sings.

His aptly named new album, “The Old Magic , released last September to much deserved acclaim, is filled with the type of music we have come to expect of Nick Lowe.  Take “I’m a Sensitive Man” as an example. He’s through playing games; and though he recognizes the value of his “kinetic” relationship with his significant other; he clearly wants to know what she really wants. It would be so much simpler that way. And he delivers the message with self-deprecating humor, which only adds to the punch.

Some of the other songs on the album, such as “Somebody Cares for Me”, are really upbeat celebrations of where Mr. Lowe is in his life right now; centered on being thankful for having made the journey intact, and with something to show for it.

The there is the laid back, and introspective track, “Shame on the Rain”; which examines the question of just who is to blame for Mr. Lowe’s melancholy; fixing the rain with the blame of his further persecution. It is a wonderful song.

The reason I’m telling you about this artist, whom I have followed for almost 35 years now, is that Sue and I have tickets for his Charlotte show in October.  It’s our birthday present to one another.  Sue is new to Mr. Lowe as a performer, having just recently heard him on NPR plugging the new album. And seeing him up close in a small venue like Charlotte’s McGlohon Theater is an added plus. It is a warm and intimate place for both the audience and the artist. We’re both looking forward to a great show from this talented singer/songwriter.