Friday, October 24, 2008

Grey Friday Random Ten

It's a typical grey October day here in Chicago, the kind I love.

Tomorrow, I'm travelling down to Charleston, Illinois, my college town. They've opened a new arts building there, and are using the grand opening as an oppurtunity to announce the inauguration of the Mark "Atwood" Evans Scholarship. Between what we, his friends raised, and what his family added to it, it'll endow an annual scholarship that will provide about half the tuition to an art student.

One of the guys I had looked forward to seeing, Graham Lewis, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, apparently of a heart attack. He was in his mid-forties. He had returned some years back to Eastern Illinois University to work as an English professor. He was one of the most intelligent and funny guys I ever knew. He was the brains behind the "Silly Party" episode at Eastern in 1983-- the most fun and crazy time of my life. I've been working on a post about it for a few weeks.

It's fitting that the Band's version of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" started out my Random Ten today.

1. I Shall Be Released- The Band
2. Heavy Music- Bob Seger
3. England Swings- Roger Miller
4. It's All Right, Ma, I'm Only Bleedin'- Bob Dylan
5. Double Yellow Line- The Music Machine
6. Harden My Heart- Quarterflash
7. Wait and See- The Byrds
8. The Beautiful Ones- Prince
9. Wild West- Joe Jackson
10. That's What I Want To Hear- Phil Ochs


Notes:
1. This song has become a human rights anthem over the years. I love the version Dylan and the Band did at the end of "The Last Waltz."
2. The studio version of this was Seger's first hit, with his first band "Bob Seger and the Last Heard." This was from his great "Live Bullet" live album.
3. I love me some Roger Miller
4. Dylan at his darkest.
5. From the Nuggets collection. The Music Machine's big hit was "Talk Talk"
6. I'll bet these eighties artifacts are playing at a Holiday Inn somewhere tonight.
7. I hear this one on Little Steven's Underground Garage a lot.
8. From "Purple Rain."
9. Late eighties Joe Jackson
10. Phil Ochs' call to poltical action.

4 comments:

Foofa said...

So sorry to hear about your friend.

SkylersDad said...

That is too bad about you friend, sorry JY...

Erik Donald France said...

Sorry to hear that about Graham Lewis. That's so cool abut the scholarship, though.

Dale said...

I'm glad you'll be there to see the scholarship honouring your friend come to life, it'll make a huge difference in a student's life. Sorry to hear about Graham Lewis.