« September 2007 | Main | November 2007 »
My web site - davetutin.com - has been totally redesigned by my good friend Brian Fallon. Click on over there and let me know what you think. A better email system is part of the redesign so mail@davetutin.com is now the best way to contact me.
After you check out the new site, click on any of the places selling Raised In Vain and buy a few more copies. It makes a great gift for the season that will soon be upon us:
But, as far I'm concerned, a finished song. I hope to record this with a band some day but writing-wise this is done. I'm happy. The constant messing with a word here and a word there is over. I hope you like it. I know I often return to the theme of getting older but hopefully this time twisted in with the observations on reality is the light of hope of the knowledge that age brings..."We see things in fading light we never saw before." Both I and this song owe a lot to Larry Campbell - it was during a conversation when I was making Raised In Vain that he used the phrase "reality will break your heart." I told him at the time that sounded like a great title. I hope he likes where it took me.
REALITY WILL BREAK YOUR HEART
(Mutual Friend)
There's not much I haven't done
And even less I haven't seen
I've been all those places
And the stages in between
But a mutual friend
Said keep myself apart
Dreams may not be real
But reality will break your heart
After you have changed the world
After you have said it all
It's okay to stumble 'cause
You got no place to fall
But a mutual friend
Said keep the songs apart
The man is just the man
And reality will break your heart
The evening sky is still bright
Gently holding back the night
We see things in fading light
We never saw before
Oh so few women understand
Just what drives the hearts of men
These walls we build from things
We think we'll never do again
And a mutual friend
Said keep the love apart
It will always comfort you
But reality will break your heart
© 2007 Dave Tutin
Listen:
It seems our Cowboy-in-Chief has successfully managed to introduce the phrase World War III into the global political turmoil. Brilliant job George! Maybe his determination to find 'newcular' weapons will be satisfied when someone reminds him that we already have them...but then it may be too late to remind ourselves that back in the 60s we called the President the 'man with his finger on the button.'
George W with his finger on the button. Now there's a thought that should keep you from sleeping tonight!
Footnote: Added October 21.
I think this no longer has anything to do with Republicans and Democrats - it simply has to do with dangerous men. I think that Cheney and Bush are ramping up the talk of war with Iran deliberately to get the country back into the state of fear that would make people think twice about whether or not a Democrat is the right person to lead the country. The sad thing is, even their fellow Republicans should see through it and stop their madness! If the Republican party has any collective brains at all it will begin to judge the Presidential candidates on how well they can repair the damage Bush has done, not on how they can continue the mirage of strength/aggression in the way Giuliani seems to. It's important to remember that Giulani did nothing to prevent 9/11. He did nothing particularly extraordinary following 9/11. He was just there on the day. And did his job. So many Americans, not just New Yorkers, went so far beyond the limits of their jobs that day it sickens me to see how Rudy thinks it gave him some insight into terrorism that others lack. It's politcal bullshit of the worst kind.
This is what a 1957 Gibson J160e usually looks like. And this is what mine looks like:
And I know times are a little tough right now...even for guitar collectors. So I'll entertain any serious offer over $6500. I must be insane! But I have two new guitars on order and I need to make room. Is it your lucky day?
"A good song has doors and windows you can penetrate if you want to...but the song itself must move swiftly from heart to heart."
- Leonard Cohen
...the word stereotype has never made sense to me. Shouldn't it be monotype?
As the debate rages over whether a crack in the floor can be art, I'd like to do two things:
First, quote my old friend Leonard Cohen who said:
"There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."
Second, to thank someone at CNN for the headline I borrowed for this piece. It cracked me up. Which was oddly appropriate I guess.
He'll be 74 next month. But that doesn't stop "The Father Of British Blues" John Mayall from turning in a spirited performance. OK the age shows in his voice more than his harmonica playing, it shows in his guitar work more than in his keyboards (Perhaps there's a reason why both Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan have turned to keyboards instead of guitar in their older years?) but overall he's still got the blues. And his new Bluesbreakers do a fine job of backing him up. His guitar player in particular does a great job of revisiting songs from the entire 40 years or so of Mayall's recording life. Even tackling those tunes from the famous "Beano" album which saw a young but already impressive Eric Clapton in the band. His name is Buddy Whittington.
Now the sad part. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers were the opening act for The Dave Mason Band. What can I say? Dave has had a great career, written some fine songs and deserves his place in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. But what I heard was an over-loud bar band with better than average players.
I read that Sting was recently awarded some magazine's top slot for terrible lyrics. They obviously hadn't heard Mason's new songs: "You are all the women in the world to me...specially when I'm making love to you." I'm happy that someone is keeping Mason happy but I also wish it provoked something approaching an insight or at the very least a snappy rhyme. But, as I said, the evening wasn't really about that, it was a bunch of good players jamming to their hearts' content, a little too loud to be enjoyable (not that loud bothers me but when the gear is not good enough to handle the volume it just detracts from the playing).
Dave Mason obviously has a bunch of loyal followers judging by the audience's reaction. But I just left wishing I'd left after John Mayall.
Waiting for the moon’s return
Waiting for the heart to burn
Waiting for the chance to learn
What’s hidden by the light
Waiting for the end of days
Waiting for a change of ways
Waiting for a voice that says
The dark will put things right
©2007 Dave Tutin
One of my favorite tunes from Raised In Vain - Halfway Home - was just awarded an Honorable Mention in the UK based 2007 Singer/Songwriter Awards.
For those who haven't read my earlier posts about similar awards for other songs, they describe an Honorable Mention like this:
Artists with Honourable Mentions are those that the judges could not agree on and, therefore, had to be listened to several times and submitted for multiple listening pools. We award you with an Honourable Mention because, ultimately, your submission was very good!
