tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17254522932265193412011-07-07T21:14:11.413-04:00Music That Other People Wrote.Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-16876158064176869062011-05-26T21:35:00.000-04:002011-05-26T21:35:14.857-04:00

What can I say? My very first real musical remembrances are from the early 1970's, and this one stands out from many of the rest. Pretty sure that this song was popular at about the same time the Watergate hearings were interrupting my loyal viewership of things like Sesame Street and Grape Ape/Tom and Jerry Hour. Don't quote me on that though. This songs makes me want to climb in the 'way

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-26681576411282895622010-08-10T15:02:00.000-04:002010-08-10T15:02:58.526-04:00

I don't believe I was even aware of Jerry Jeff Walker until I was about 22 or so. Then all of a sudden he seemed to be everywhere to me.My first boss got into the habit of calling me Jerry Jeff - I thought maybe because I'd seen a bunch of Grateful Dead shows and was still in the practice of talking about it. (digression : This was annoying I realize now, in the same way that people refering

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-25938648570024588052010-07-25T00:32:00.003-04:002010-08-07T01:06:15.025-04:00

Pretty straight forward, this one. This song is a favorite with my kids, and they bet me I couldn't record it. I said I could.I'm honestly not sure who wins, afterall it is only about 2 minutes of the song. But hey, i was just trying to prove a point, not spend an entire evening recording this.I would just add though (in a completely unrelated note), that while Jason Mraz isn't exactly my

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-60614202208464006812010-06-07T23:27:00.001-04:002010-06-07T23:27:13.985-04:00

Okay, so here goes. Thought I'd resolved to be better about this, but spare time seems to be at a premium these days. Have a few songs in the pipeline that I could probably record, so this seems like as good a time as any to get started again.Here's a song that (again) just seems to remind me of my early childhood whenever I hear it. I really only reflect on it as one of the songs I used to

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-45790547723701660862009-12-30T01:10:00.002-05:002009-12-30T01:12:35.128-05:00

Yep, I know it's been close to three months since the last post. All I can say as an explanation is that I got a new job back in October and the hours are completely insane. The people are great though, and that's no small thing when you're expected to spend so much time in the office. Any way you slice it, there hasn't been enough time for music of any type, so it was nice to sit here and

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-677771189164214842009-10-08T23:09:00.001-04:002009-10-08T23:10:14.405-04:00

This has always been one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, though I didn't know until recently that it never actually appeared on an album.Growing up, my parents had it on Greatest Hits Vol. I, so that was really my only exposure to it. I guess I'd just always assumed that it was from Highway 61 or Blonde on Blonde or some other classic album that I don't own. The only Dylan records I've ever had

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-44489749020960261432009-09-30T23:43:00.000-04:002009-09-30T23:43:11.968-04:00

Pound for pound, minute for minute, track for track, I think Exile on Main Street is my favorite album of all time. From the opening riff of Rocks Off to the final wails of Soul Survivor it's just packed with energy and terrific songs.Of course it lacks the polish of a Sgt. Pepper's or the unmitigated excitement that you get when you listen to a 'new' band's debut album ( eg - Arctic Monkeys,

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-45193928310595029182009-09-21T15:45:00.000-04:002009-09-21T15:46:01.292-04:00

Everyone has a first favorite band, right? Well, mine was Aerosmith, no doubt about it. As a youngster of 10 or so, I was able to catch Aerosmith right in their heyday. Well, catch them as well as any 10 year old can be expected to.The first item that I ever purchased with money that I'd 'earned' on my own (albeit for bringing our family's garbage cans around back or something) was Toys in

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-58234524219273090162009-09-10T21:41:00.000-04:002009-09-10T21:42:47.187-04:00

Bennie and the Jets -This album (Greatest Hits) represents one of my absolute earliest musical memories. It was to this album that my cousins and I used to dance around the backyard singing along to Crocodile Rock, et al. while our parents sat drinking beer, barbequing and generally wasting time, probably happy to have us out of their hair for a few minutes.The record, as any purported Greatest

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-60050805623267777452009-09-03T12:35:00.002-04:002009-09-03T13:13:51.680-04:00

Cocaine Blues - Click Title To PlayWhen I first heard this song in the 7th grade or so, it was purely for the novelty of the last refrain of shooting "that bad bitch down". It was only later in life that I truly came to appreciate the breadth and depth of Johnny's contributions to the music world.It took a bar stool at Doc Holiday's for that.Yeah, he went through different 'stages' - the 'i'll

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-13302041416542289362009-08-30T00:51:00.000-04:002009-08-30T11:20:53.660-04:00

Welcome to the Working Week - Click Title To PlayYou'd be hard pressed to argue against Elvis Costello being in the top 2 or 3 most prolific "pop" artists of the past 30 years. Sure I, (like I would assume post people) am partial to his earlier work (My Aim is True, Get Happy, This Year's Model, etc.), but you have to respect this guy's work ethic. Just a real quick check on the interweb will

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-89475615922292868552009-08-21T19:43:00.000-04:002009-08-21T19:43:44.199-04:00

Ramble on Rose - Click Title To PlayThis was the first take at Ramble on Rose. It was meant to be a sound test, and there are tons of fuck-ups. But somehow it seems fitting to use this one, even though I have others that are better in terms of lyrics and (especially) the playing. To me, this is what the Grateful Dead were about - the moment. Either it was gonna soar, or it was gonna crash and

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-59713742060161464762009-08-17T12:56:00.000-04:002009-08-17T12:57:55.423-04:00

The Weight - Click Title To PlayAnother 60s/70s group whose best years were slightly before my time. I grew up listening to The Band because my parents were fans, so it's really difficult for me to determine whether or not they received the massive radio play that they assuredly deserved. I'm almost certain that they did, though. I'm also not sure how much of a global presence they were or if

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-5564487069702250652009-08-03T01:42:00.003-04:002009-08-19T21:47:09.354-04:00

Waiting on a Friend - Click Title To PlayIs the the last truly good Stones album? I would contend that it certainly is. Undercover? Steel Wheels? Bridges to Babylon? Come on, what songs on those albums would have ever gotten any airplay if they were released by any band of lesser magnitude than the Rolling Stones? I'm sure I'll get some irate emails from hardcore stones fans extolling the

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-22130007381447239632009-07-23T00:23:00.002-04:002009-08-19T21:59:49.291-04:00

The Ballad of El Goodo - Click Title To PlayI'm still shocked to see that so many people aren't aware of how good this band was. Yes, critics and musicians (mostly) agree that they were awesome, but for some reason the mainstream commercial success never came to these guys. Not sure why.They were a clearly stated influence on a wide ranging array of bands: The Replacements, REM, The Posies,

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-42850264958221666082009-07-18T00:13:00.003-04:002009-08-19T23:36:33.107-04:00

The Bends - Click Title To PlayWell, like I think I said in an earlier post, I was a little late to the game in terms of my appreciation for Radiohead. This song from their second album has long been one of my favorites though. As opposed to say, Karma Police, this (to me, at least) is a more typical Radiohead song thematically. This one is all about alienation and isolation, which can be a

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-74548304906112574312009-07-10T00:28:00.004-04:002009-09-07T01:05:46.541-04:00

Bastards of Young - Click Title To PlayIf I could only listen to the music of one band for the rest of my days, I'd seriously consider making that band The Replacements. I know it's not exactly rational; there are many better bands - The Beatles, The Stones and Zeppelin come to mind. But for me, these guys have something that a lot of bands today don't seem to have. It's a kind of sincerity, I

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-17333109989547480952009-07-05T23:31:00.004-04:002009-08-19T23:44:46.696-04:00

Mother and Child Reunion -Click Title To PlayI like Paul Simon's music just fine, but I'm in no way a huge Paul Simon fan. In fact, some of those Simon and Garfunkel songs (Bridge Over Troubled Water, Scarbourough Fair to name two) make me want to gouge me eyes out with a hot poker. I mean, they're right up there with American Pie and The Wreck Of The Edumund Fitzgerald for sheer ability to

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-19142720770488456672009-06-30T00:39:00.013-04:002009-08-19T23:50:20.641-04:00

There She Goes Again - Click Title To PlayI mean, come on people, if y0u don't like this album we have an issue. Before 'Walk on the Wild Side' and before 'Sweet Jane' and before Lou Reed started spouting off all the spoken word nonsense; there was this. The debut album from the Velvet Underground is just about as influential as you can get. The list of bands who cite this record as a major

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-84807052545583065972009-06-22T00:03:00.006-04:002009-08-20T00:01:20.855-04:00

Ashes to Ashes - Click Title To PlayThe sequel to Space Oddity, I'm still incredulous that people debate whether there are allusions to drug use in both of these songs. To me, it's pretty clear. But maybe it's just me.Although, to support my point I would use as exhibit A the video for the song which was completely bizzare. He's dressed as a clown and there's basically no focus whatsoever on

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-82260365227294742942009-06-17T00:04:00.004-04:002009-08-20T00:06:19.355-04:00

Karma Police -Click Title To Play.To me, these guys are head and shoulders above any other band that's come out since Nirvana. I was way behind the times in terms of hearing them, but sometime in 2001 or so a co-worker turned me on to OK Computer and I was instantly blown away. I love the intertwining of the ambient music with rock melodies and beats, which sort of reminds me of some of the

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-16410578457161603422009-06-05T00:33:00.005-04:002009-08-20T00:08:48.703-04:00

Dirty Old Town - Click Title To PlayThe Pogues are probably the quintessential band at fusing traditional Irish music and rock. Unless you come from New York, in which case you might lay a claim for Black 47 who are (were?) an awesome band in their own right.This song holds so many memories for me, most of which involve knocking back more than a few pints of Guinness at some of NYC's finer Irish

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-49976939286573070662009-05-25T23:27:00.002-04:002009-08-05T00:23:05.746-04:00

It's gotta be tough having your father be legendary and then choosing to follow in his footsteps. By any measure though, Hank Jr. has been incredibly successful - and not just because of who is father was either. This guy was hard drinking, a multi talented musician and an incredibly gifted song writer; though I must admit his last name does give him a certain credibility when talking about

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-39553542926858912892009-05-24T23:57:00.002-04:002009-08-05T00:22:43.405-04:00

Not so much to say about this one. I've always been a big fan of Warren Zevon's songs. The storytelling always had a dark wit and lots of political overtones which provided a nice (but usually brief) break from all the Grateful Dead I was listening to for about a 10 year stretch. I did see him once at Irving Plaza in New York, though. I remember being really disappointed that he wouldn't

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-43556085041134241432009-05-11T14:47:00.005-04:002009-08-05T00:22:21.398-04:00

Not exactly the REM of my high school years - I was always more of a Murmur / Reckoning /Fables fan - but an awesome song nonetheless. I saw them do a great version of this live at MSG sometime in the mid-nineties and was hooked.Growing up, it seemed like these guys were the great American hope for up and coming rock bands. Well, them and The Replacements, anyway. Looking back, who'd have

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-2455801990211782912009-05-08T11:28:00.002-04:002009-08-05T00:22:01.299-04:00

If you're my age, it's pretty well doubtless that your initial exposure to Buddy Holly was via The Buddy Holly Story which starred Gary Busey. Not that it's a bad movie, it's just that I can't think of any other halfway decent movie that Gary Busey has ever starred in and everyone still knows his name. I'm pretty sure that was a made for TV movie too. Those were different times. At least it

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-75183416847248698882009-05-07T00:38:00.008-04:002009-07-06T00:36:49.292-04:00

Everyone listened to Dark Side of the Moon, right? At least everyone I grew up with did. It took a bunch of really demented 10th graders to sit around spacing out to Animals, though. Well, that was us. Sitting around my friend Bob Joiner's house on the weekends while his parents were away and just listening to crazy stuff.By the way, I have to credit Bob for having about the most eclectic

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-30822075205212694172009-05-02T23:28:00.003-04:002009-08-05T00:21:36.510-04:00

I never really knew much about Jeff Buckley. I still don't know a lot. One thing that I do know is that he used to play quite often at Montana Studios in Manhattan and was very close to some of the engineers there. Our band plays every week in the same room at Montana that Jeff used to play in before he passed away. I didn't know that at the time that I recorded this, I just thought it was a

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-25349253369181215482009-05-02T23:07:00.003-04:002009-08-05T00:21:06.682-04:00

Little Feat. A major staple in my musical diet during my high school and (especially) college years. I'm pretty sure Waiting for Columbus was behind the bar at Sigma Chi for my entire 4 years at Gettysburg. I can't be so sure, because a bunch of us got thrown out of the fraternity late Junior year for throwing a coke machine off the roof of the house. I still don't regret it though.

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-43349800852063866902009-05-01T23:32:00.003-04:002009-08-05T00:20:26.651-04:00

1993. The Village Idiot. The real one on First Ave and 10th street, or so. The one where the floor was so dirty that whatever pants you were wearing were automatically ruined by the beer and assorted other nonsense on the presswood floor 'splashing' up on you. With owner Tommy, and bartenders Liliana and Natasha buying shots for everyone and then sometimes passing out on the bar themselves

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1725452293226519341.post-22598495772412889702009-05-01T15:20:00.000-04:002009-05-03T00:52:24.479-04:00

The intention here is twofold. To post some music that I've recorded in my home studio, and to post some interesting pictures of things that I come across in my daily life.The music will be mainly acoustic recordings of songs / artists who have influenced me.The pictures will (probably) be of my sons Brandon and Colin, with a few others taken during my daily trips into NYC. I'm really not sure

Jeff Franciscohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09705906704146828311noreply@blogger.com2