Oh yes, it is time to get our harmonica on

I see my light come shining, from the West unto the East, any day now, any way now, I shall be released, Torn Slatterns and Nugget Ranchers

-The Band "I Shall Be Released"




This week on “American Idol” it’s “Idol Gives Back” where they donate money, food and clothes to the needy. It was nice, Sanjaya’s manager at Dominoes donated 50 pizzas.



Post Master General, John Potter, warned Congress the Post Office could go broke. Potter was earnest about the message so he sent it to Congress via e-mail, fax, Federal Express and UPS.



At a Philadelphia Phillies game, Matthew Clemmens, an obese and loudly vulgar male from New Jersey, was arrested for intentionally vomiting on an off-duty cop. Clemmens was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and impersonating the Washington Nationals.



At a Philadelphia Phillies game, Matthew Clemmens, an obese and loudly vulgar male from New Jersey, was arrested for intentionally vomiting on an off-duty cop and his 11-year-old daughter. Yo, New Jersey. You want comedians to stop making fun of you? Ya gotta stop stuff like this.



It should not be surprising the Pittsburgh Steeler, Ben Roethlisberger has been charged twice with drunken sexual assault. The letters in Ben Roethlisberger spell: Sir Rebel Beer Thong.



Tiger Woods announced he will play in the Quail Hollow Championship next week in Charlotte. Gosh, I can’t imagine why Tiger wants to get out of the house these days?



George Washington has racked over $300,000 in fines from books he borrowed – and never returned - from a New York library in 1789. The library wants the books back, one is the only original copy they have of the biography of John McCain.



Boise State is getting rid of their ugly blue turf field, the bad news is they are replacing it with another ugly blue turf field. This is the field where ducks crash on it mistaking it for a lake. Now don’t confuse this with the field where the Eagles crash, that’s in Philadelphia



John Edward’s mistress, Rielle Hunter, is set to go on Oprah. And John Edwards is trying to get on Bonnie Hunt, not “The Bonnie Hunt Show” he’s trying to get on Bonnie Hunt.



The Chicago Cubs are three games out of first and playing below .500%, but don’t worry, Cubs fans, it’s too early to panic. Five, four, three, two, one, OK, you can panic now.



Did you see how cold it was Sunday in Chicago when the Cubs lost to the Houston Astros 3-2 in the tenth inning? It was so cold the Cubs fan weren’t just shaking with frustration.




Since you asked:
It is easy to see why some people hate “American Idol.” Our family happens to be fans. I mean, it exposes a lot of people to a lot of great music and it is great drama, even when it is awful. And it is fun, we all sit together and critique what is happening.

One point I got a little stern with my lovely wife and daughter because I felt they were being too critical.

“Unless you’ve performed in front of people, it is easy to sit back and be negative,” I self-righteously reminded them.

Then one contestant really blew it and, after a pause, my 11-year-old Ann Caroline announced:

“I’m sorry, but that was poop on toast.”

It is interesting how some songs work and some don’t. It made me notice how some great songs can have a dozen versions of them, like my favorites, “Pancho and Lefty” “Angel From Montgomery” “Crazy” “People Get Ready” “Yesterday” “Hallelujah” “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

And other great songs cannot ever be replicated. They belong to the artist that created them alone:

“Honky Tonk Woman” “Layla” “Stairway to Heaven” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” “Maggie Mae.” “Heart of Gold” “Gimme Three Steps”

There are many great artists and brilliant song writers who really don’t have great voices. That, if I were a contestant, would be who I would zero in on. But, even though his voice isn’t classic, Neil Young songs don’t generally work for other people. But Bob Dylan is in the same category, but his songs are covered better than his versions, especially “Knockin’ On Heavens Door.” Dylan diehards would argue this, but they would be wrong.

That’s why “AI” contestants should pour over the records of someone who is a great, great songwriter, but only a good singer.

Now I love John Hiatt, and I go see him whenever he is in town, especially at Humphries by the Bay. But his voice sounds way too much like mine for him to be considered a great singer. He is a soulful singer. That is precisely why so many of his songs have been such huge hits when sung by somebody else. Bonnie Raitt’s “A Thing Called Love” and Eric Clapton and BB King’s “Riding with the King” are two good examples.

And I can’t even count the number of artists who have had hits with John Hiatt’s “Have a Little Faith In Me.”


One of those "AI" contestants should stick their nose into the song catalog of one of the most underrated bands of all time: Badfinger, and go to town.

Another way to go would be to use great songs that most people have never even heard. Being a huge blues fan, there are a ton of artists that most folks wouldn’t know from monkey-do. Junior Wells, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Slim Harpo. The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin all made billions working on this premise.

Hell, one of the most underrated artists of all time I saw a bunch of times in a club in Evanston and he is listed by Eric Clapton as one of his favorite guitarists, Luther Allison, has great songs. The only reason my man Luther never had a hit is it was against his DNA to jam on a song for less than six minutes. Not conducive to radio play.

After Casey James very stiff and lackluster performance, would somebody please tell him to do the White Stripes (Jack White) “Seven Nation Army”?

Tear into those power chords on your guit-box and sexy that bitch up, Eagle-lookin’ Dude.