New music

On the way to work I listened to a few cuts of Diving Board – Elton John’s latest. Not sure why but I was looking forward to this. Still looking but not sure for what.

He still has good vocal and piano chops. But I guess he’ll always been somewhat frozen in time for me back in the Tumbleweed Connection days. Going to be hard to live up to that high standard for me. I kept waiting for Josh Groban to join him on stage (oh, this is a CD) – soaring ballads just beg for someone like Groban. Maybe EJ has been doing this for awhile and I just haven’t noticed. So far about 6 cuts in and nothing is happy. All sort of melancholy.

I went to see him back in the early 70s (he was still wearing normal clothes and glasses) at the Music Hall at the State Fairgrounds in Dallas. I was pretty close to the stage and it was a good concert.

Disc #2  - whilst munching lunch, is Bakersfield; the Vince Gill/Paul Franklin tribute to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard – parents of the Bakersfield country sound (certainly NOT to be confused with whatever identity crisis the Nashville sound has been having for more than a few years.)

I’m sure this style of country is an acquired taste. Not everybody’s going to like the tiny whiny-ness of some songs, the pedal steel and high lonesome sounds. But I can imagine this one in the 8-track while cruising down some long ole straight highway out west at about 75 or so. Thinking maybe Wyoming.

See ya.