OH CANADA

The Week in Music on Melnick In The Afternoon:

1. "Oh Canada (Bilingual Version)" - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
2. "We're All In This Together" - Sam Roberts Band - "Lo-Fantasy"
3. "Stay Gold" - Annakin Slayd - www.annakinslayd.com
4. "Oh Canada (French Version)" - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
5. "High Hopes" - Bruce Springsteen with Tom Morello - "High Hopes"
6. "American Idiot" - Green Day - "American Idiot"
7. "I Believe (CTV Olympic Theme 2010 & 2012)" - Stephen Moccio & Alan Frew - "CTV 2010 Olympic Theme Song EP"
8. "Oh Canada (English Version)" - Chris Nilan Live In Studio
9. "Oh Canada (Bilingual Version) - Roger Doucet ("Songs Of Glory") with Chris Nilan Live in Studio
10. "Whistle Blower" - The Arkells - "Michigan Left"
11. "Supersoaker" - Kings Of Leon - "Mechanical Bull"
12. "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie - "Diamond Dogs"
13. "Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie - "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars"
14. "The Lookahead" - The Tragically Hip - "Now For Plan A"
15. "Bright Lights Big City" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
16. "Who Let The Dogs Out?" - Baha Men - "Who Let The Dogs Out"
17. "Living Out My Dreams (CBC 2014 Olympic Theme) - Roch Voisine - www.cbc.ca/olympics
18. "Slip Sliding Away" - Paul Simon - "Greatest Hits, Etc."
19. "It Don't Matter" - Kings Of Leon - "Mechanical Bull"
20. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - Devo - 1977 Single ("Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!")
21. "Best In Town" - Buddy Guy - "Rhythm & Blues"
22. "The Sound Of Music" - Julie Andrews - 1965 Movie Soundtrack
23. "Right From Wrong" - MonkeyJunk - "All Frequencies"
24. "Roving Gambler" - Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones - "Foreverly"
25. "Sweet Marilyn" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
26. "Goin' Back To New Orleans" - Dr. John - "Goin' Back To New Orleans"
27. "Fortunate Son" - John Fogerty with Foo Fighters - "Wrote A Song For Everyone"
28. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx - "Late Registration"
29. "Soviet Anthem" - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"

VALENTINE'S DAY

The week in Music on Melnick in the Afternoon:

Friday February 14:

1. "Oh Canada" (Bilingual version) - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
2. "I Believe (CTV 2010 Olympic Theme) - Stephan Moccio & Alan Frew - "I Believe: CTV Olympic Theme Song EP"
3. "Love Minus Zero/ No Limit" - Bob Dylan - "Bringing It All Back Home"
4. "Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad" - Eric Clapton with The Allman Brothers - "Crossroads (Guitar Festival)"
5. "That's Where It's At" - Sam Cooke - 1964 Single 
6. "Sweet Marilyn" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
7. "Skinny Jeans" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
8. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - Chuck Berry - 1958 Single
9. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
10. "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge - 1966 Single ("When A Man Loves A Woman")
11. "Alison" - Elvis Costello & The Attractions - "My Aim Is True"
12. "Valentine's Day" - Bruce Springsteen - "Tunnel Of Love"
13. "Someone Like You" - Van Morrison - "Poetic Champions Compose"
14. "Valentine"s Day" - David Bowie - "The Next Day"

Thursday Feb 13 - Monday Feb 10:

1. "Oh Canada" (Bilingual Version) - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
2. "I Believe (CTV 2010 Olympic Theme)" - Stephan Moccio & Alan Frew - "I Believe: CTV Olympic Theme Song EP" 
3. "Reverberation (Doubt)" - The 13th Floor Elevators - 1966 Single ("The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators")
4. "Mambo Italiano" - Dean Martin - 1954 Single ("Dean Martin")
5. "Who Let The Dogs Out?" - Baha Men - 2000 Single ("Who Let The Dogs Out")
6. "Stay Gold" - Annakin Slayd - www.annakinslayd.com
7. "Made Up Mind" - The Tedeschi Trucks Band - "Made Up Mind"
8. "Do I Look Worried" - The Tedeschi Trucks Band - "Made Up Mind"
9. "Big Time" - Peter Gabriel - "So"
10. "High Hopes" - Bruce Springsteen with Tom Morello - "High Hopes"
11. "Bastards Of Young" - The Replacements - "Tim"
12. "Living Out My Dreams (Canadian 2014 Olympic Theme)" - Roch Viosine - www.cbcsports.ca
13. "Hawaiene" - Les Trois Accords - "Gros Mammouth"
14. "Penny Lane" - The Beatles - 1967 Single ("Magical Mystery Tour")
15. "Stawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles - 1967 B Side ("Magical Mystery Tour)"
16. "Telephone" - The Black Angels - "Phosphene Dream"
17. "Bad Vibrations" - The Black Angels - "Phosphene Dream"
18. "Soviet Anthem" - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
19. "Slip Inside This House" - 13th Floor Elevators - "Easter Everywhere"
20. "Crockett's Theme (Miami Vice)" - Jan Hammer - "Miami Vice" (Soundtrack)
21. "Sweet Marilyn" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
22. "Don't Play With Guns" - The Black Angels - "Indigo Meadow"
23. "Goodnight My Love" - Shirley Temple - "Stowaway Soundtrack"
24. "The Ceiling" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
25. "That's Amore" - Dean Martin - 1953 Single ("Dean Martin Sings")
26. "Get Together" - The Youngbloods - 1967 Single ("The Youngbloods")
27. "American" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
28. "The Coffee Song" - Frank Sinatra - "Ring-A-Ding-Ding"
29. "A Change Is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke - 1964 Single ("Ain't That Good News")
30. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
31. "Got It Wrong" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
32. "Hey Bulldog" - The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine"
33. "Hard Wind" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
34. "Yellow Submarine" - The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine"
35. "Here Comes The Sun" - The Beatles - "Abbey Road"
36. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - The Beatles - "The Beatles (White Albim)"
37. "Revolution" - The Beatles - "The Beatles (White Album)"
38. "Teenage Kicks" - The Undertones - 1978 Single ("The Undertones")
39. "Hard Times" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"

TEENAGE KICKS

Friday Scrum & Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Oh Canada (Bilingual version)" - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
2. "Almost Saturday Night" - John Fogerty with Keith Urban - "Wrote A Song For Everyone"
3. "The Boys Are Back" - The Dropkick Murphys - "Signed And Sealed In Blood"
4. "Rock And Roll" - Led Zeppelin - "Led Zeppelin IV"
5. "Misirlou" - Dick Dale - "The King Of The Surf Guitar: The Best Of Dick Dale and his Del-Tones"
6. "Oh Canada (Bilingual version)" - Chris Nilan - Live in Studio "Off The Cuff""
7. "The Soviet Anthem (USSR)" - Roger Doucet - "Songs Of Glory"
8. "Save Us" - Paul McCartney - "New"
9. "Long Before My Time" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes & Dying Quails"
10. "Past Time" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes 
11. "Teenage Kicks" - The Undertones - 1978 Single ("The Undertones" - 1979)
12. "I Believe (CTV 2010 Olympic Theme)" - Alan Frew & Stephen Moccio
13. "Things We Said Today" - The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
14. "You Can't Do That" - The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
15. "A Hard Day's Night" - The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
16. "Hard Wind" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"

WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED

Melnick In The Afternoon Wednesday Set List:

1. "Pride And Joy (Live)" - Stevie Ray Vaughan - "SRV" (Box Set)
2. "American" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
3. "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead" - Warren Zevon - "Mr. Bad Example"
4. "At Transformation" - The Tragically Hip - "Now For Plan A"
5. "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" - Jimmy Ruffin - 1966 Single ("Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten")
6. "Just Like Fire Would  - Bruce Springsteen Feat. Tom Morello - "High Hopes"
7. "High Hopes" - Bruce Springsteen Feat. Tom Morello - "High Hopes"
8. "Past Time" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails"
9. "Remember (A Tribute To The Montreal Expos)"  - Annakin Slayd - www.annakinslayd.com

NOWHERE TO GO

Melnick In The Afternoon Tuesday Set List:

1. "Hard Times" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
2. "Backwoods" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
3. "America" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers" (2x)
4. "I Ran (So Far Away)" - A Flock Of Seagulls - "A Flock Of Seagulls"
5. "Lightning Bolt" - Pearl Jam - "Lightning Bolt"
6. "Nowhere To Go" - Ron Sexsmith - "Forever Endeavour"
7. "Feeling Good" - The Sheepdogs - "The Sheepdogs"
8. "Paradise City" - Guns N' Roses - "Appetite For Destruction"
9. "Ain't That The Truth" - Matt Mays - "Coyote"
10. "Get Lucky" - Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories"
11. "Reflektor" - Arcade Fire - "Reflektor"

THE NEEDLE & THE DAMAGE DONE

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana - "Nevermind"
2. "In The Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett - 1965 Single ("In Te Midnight Hour")
3. "The Needle And The Damage Done" - Neil Young - "Harvest" (2x)
4. "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead" - Warren Zevon - "Mr. Bad Example"
5. "Lightning Bolt" - Pearl Jam - "Lightning Bolt"
6. "We Take Care Of Our Own" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
7. "California Stars" - Jeff Tweedy (Billy Bragg & Wilco) - "Mermaid Avenue"
8. "Past Time" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 1 : Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails"
9. "America" - The Wild Feathers - "The Wild Feathers"
10. "Heart Shaped Box" - Nirvana - "In Utero"
11. "Empire State Of Mind" - Jay-Z with Alicia Keys - "The Blueprint 3"

CUT ME SOME SLACK (THE BEST OF 2013)

I love live music. It's my church of choice. One of the great regrets I have as I get older is the less time I seem to have to capture the live experience (My financial planner said it would be the other way around). That's not to say I never go out. From a crowd of about a dozen people at Casa Del Popolo for a sizzling Leeroy Stagger and his band (don't miss him next time around) to a packed Petit Campus for Justin Townes Earle and company (including a couple of former members of the Levon Helm Band) during the Jazz Festival to a sweaty throwback night at La Salla Rossa courtesy of Black Joe Lewis to a magical night at Metropolis featuring the wife-husband combo of the Tedeschi Trucks Band to a rocky trip down memory lane courtesy of the Rolling Stones at a packed Bell Centre, I've seen plenty (among other highlights - Justin's dad and the The Dukes were phenomenal at Corona, the brilliant songwriter and performer Tom Russell at Petit Campus, Three O'Clock Train - also at Petit Campus - providing an alt/country/punk flashback to the 80s and the Garland Jeffreys 70th birthday blow out at Highline Ballroom in Manhattan, a welcome night out during the NHL draft) but I do wish I could see more (but my ears might feel differently). 

Minus the amps and mics and monitors and energy of a live crowd I still do manage to listen a lot. Usually have a game on - especially the late ones from the west coast - with the sound muted in favour of the CD/DVD player. These 2013 albums spent the most time on that player and in their proper slot on Melnick in the Afternoon:

1. "Live at New York Academy Of Music 1971: The Rock of Ages Concerts" - The Band (I could listen to this nonstop 24/7. The Band in peak form. If you're a fan and wondering is it really worth getting if you already own "Rock of Ages" the answer is a resounding yes. The new mix by Bob Clearmountain is spectacular.)
2. "Crossroads: Eric Clapton Guitar Festival Recorded Live MSG New York April 12 & 13 2013" - Eric Clapton & friends (Like I said I love it live. Clapton joined by Jeff Beck, Warren Haynes, Gary Clark Jr and other guitar heros. Royalties of CD and the must see BluRay benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua.)
3. "Rhythm & Blues" - Buddy Guy. Most enjoyable studio album I heard all year. And it's a double. Buddy Guy, even at 77 years of age, at his best. Who's better?)
4. "Miami Pop Festival" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Jimi in Miami in 1968 less than a year after his historic performance at Monterey Pop. Yes you've heard the songs before. But not like this.)
5. "Made Up Mind" - Tedeschi Trucks Band (Unbeatable combination of Susan Tedeschi's soulful vocals backed by perhaps the best slide guitarist on the planet - Derek Trucks. Joyful.)
6. "Victim Of Love" - Charles Bradley (Old school soul. Not enough of this today.)
7. "The Low Highway" - Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses) (The hard core troubadour and baseball junkie hits another one out of the park.)
8. "Another Self Portrait The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 (1969-1971) - Bob Dylan (As a big Dylan fan I never understood the harsh criticism of 1970s Self Portrait. Hadn't Dylan released enough A+ material by then? I thought it was cool to hear him cover some of his favourite artists. As usual, he was way ahead of the curve. Now everybody does it. This is Dylan as country crooner. Some real gems here including, finally (expanded edition only), the entire Dylan & The Band set from the 1969 Isle Of Wight concert.
9. "Wrote A Song For Everyone" - John Fogerty and company (I was prepared to hate this. Do we really need Fogerty reworking some of his classics? Well, when there is new life breathed into "Fortunate Son" (Foo Fighters), "Long As I Can See The Light" (My Morning Jacket) and "Who'll Stop The Rain" (Bob Seger) maybe more classic rock era artists ought to give it a go.)
10. "Truth Be Sold" - Leeroy Stagger (If you love Steve Earle you'll dig our Canadian version.  Then tell your friends.)
11. "Alabama Ass Whuppin'" - Drive By Truckers (My favourite American band. This is actually a remastered live album circa late 90s when the Truckers were still playing small clubs. They were Southern punks before they grew up.)
12. "Blind, Crippled & Crazy" - Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark (Old partners reunite on record for first time since the early 1970s. McClinton is a Texas legend who once taught John Lennon the finer points of harmonica playing. Sure would be great to see him in Montreal.)
13. "Electric Slave" - Black Joe Lewis. (A bit of old school soul and R&B fused with fuzzed out punk courtesy of another native Texan. And a horn section. Don't hold his love of Dallas Cowboys against him.)
14. "Lightning Bolt" - Pearl Jam (Might be best pure rock and roll album of the year.)
15. "Indigo Meadow" - The Black Angels (Back to Texas for the audio heirs to the Velvet Underground. I get this sound completely. Think drone, fuzz, darkness. With some light finally coming through as well.)
16. "The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You" - Neko Case (Gorgeous voice who also sends me back in time.)
17. "Internal Sounds" - The Sadies (More fresh retro sound from one of Canada's best live acts.)
18. "Sound City Real To Reel" - Dave Grohl and company (Companion CD to Grohl's fantastic documentary on the famed LA Studio. Heavy duty rock and roll with guests Peter Hayes (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), Stevie Nicks, Josh Homme, Rick Springfield (yes!) and Paul McCartney who contributed the track of the year ("Cut Me Some Slack") while fronting the surviving members of Nirvana.)
19. "New" - Paul McCartney (Maybe he was re-energized by the Sound City sessions. Best McCartney studio album in forever.)
20. "A New Day" - David Bowie (Coming out of nowhere with no tour to support it. Worth the wait. Without a tour many of us settled for an informative and entertaining Q & A with producer Tony Visconti during Pop Montreal.)
21. "Magpie And The Dandelion" - The Avett Brothers (These guys are the best of the nouveau folk/country/rock types - maybe because they can also rock really hard.)
22. "Billie Joe + Norah foreverly" - Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones (Beautiful modern variation  on one of The Everly Brothers most respected albums - "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us" - released in 1958. No idea whose idea this was but they should take a bow. Made more poignant by recent death of Phil Everly.)
23. "Mechanical Bull" - Kings Of Leon (They'll always be greasy Southern rockers to me.)
24. "American Ride" - Willie Nile (If you're a fan of Dylan or Springsteen you'd really like Willie who's been around several blocks. Writes intelligently and touchingly about the streets of New York and the soul of America.)
25. "See You There" - Glen Campbell (Fading from sight with Alzheimer's this was a pleasant surprise. Like Fogerty, Campbell revisited some of his gold standards but stripped them of the original schmaltz. Brilliant guitarist brought to the front of the mix unlike the original recordings.)

Also enjoyed "13" by Black Sabbath; "Specter At The Feast" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; "Push The Sky Away" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (and the "Live From KCRW" follow up; "Tambourine" by Fred Eaglesmith; "In Our Nature" by Blue Rodeo; "Old Yellow Moon" by Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell; "Songs From St. Somewhere" by Jimmy Buffett; "Live at the Great American Music Hall" by Ry Cooder & Corridos Famosos; "Live at the Cellar Door (1970)" by Neil Young; "Sound The Alarm" by Booker T; "Lickety Split" by Robert Randolph & The Family Band; "Love Has Come For You" by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell; "Pushin' Against A Stone" by Valerie June;  "The Wild Feathers"by The Wild Feathers; "Can't Get Enough" by The Rides (Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Sheppard & Barry Goldberg); "valleyheart" by Justin Rutledge and "The Bravest Birds" by Rob Lutes - his best work yet.

And while Shane Murphy's latest "Dirty Work (The Good Years)" was actually released in December of 2012 regular listeners know I haven't stopped listening to it. It is that good. Now we wait for Shane's elusive live album.

In the meantime, Keep on Rockin' In The Free World.