#Bruce Hornsby & the Range

[krispyweiss]

Archival “Unbroken Chain” Captures Phil Lesh & Friends at 2005 Apex

Despite more than 100 musicians passing through its revolving doors over a quarter-century of concerts, Phil Lesh & Friends were an “Unbroken Chain” anchored by their namesake former Grateful Dead bassist.

Released in wake of Lesh’s Oct. 25 death, an audience-shot video of the Oct. 9, 2005, lineup performing “Unbroken Chain” in New Jersey illustrates and soundtracks Lesh’s counterintuitive wisdom.

With Barry Sless on lead guitar, John Molo manning the kit and Mookie Siegel on keys, the band (with Larry Campbell and Chris Robinson playing electric and acoustic guitar, respectively) nails the “Chain”’s tricky tempo changes and polyrhythmic instrumental sections with the tightness of a seasoned group of players.

Lesh sings his composition passionately, while both holding down and pushing along the song with his inimitable style of bass playing. It serves as a reminder of the new ground Lesh continued to explore in his post-Dead career and stands as another reason to thank the folks who spent decades recording Lesh’s exploits so the rest of us may revel in them for decades more.

10/28/24

[churchofsatannews]

The Metro #713

This week on The Metro, Rev. Jeff Ivins brings you the 80s from the following bands: Kim Carnes, The Knack, Fools, Wham!, Roxy Music, Red Rider, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, The Cars, Eddie Grant, Gleaming Spires,Cutting Crew, Split Enz, Roman Holiday, and finaling with Golden Earring. Stream The Metro #713. Download The Metro #713.

[tuuneoftheday]

Bruce Hornsby and The Range - The Show Goes On

[duranduratulsa]

Bruce Hornsby, The Range - The Way It Is (Video Version)

80's Fest Song 🎵 of the day: The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby & The Range (1986) #BruceHornsby #brucehornsbyandtherange #thewayitis #80s #80sfest #durandurantulsas5thannual80sfest

[sugarmusicnews]

Shine On Me – Watershed

In The Meantime – Watershed ‘Shine On Me’ is the opening track to Watershed’s debut album, ‘In The Meantime’. And it is as strong an opening track as can be found on virtually any South African album. Starting with a beat and gently strummed guitar, which leads into a waterfall of piano before lead singer and main driving force behind the band, Craig Hinds, vocals take you on a journey.There is…

[daddysmusicblog]

[filosofablogger]

♫ Mandolin Rain ♫

I was rather at loose ends for a song tonight, so I flipped back through some of my notes and found this one that Clive had recommended somewhere along the line (unfortunately, I don’t date the notes).  I listened and remembered liking it, and it’s one I haven’t played before!  Thanks, Clive … you’ve rescued me from the scourge of my blank mind yet again! Unfortunately, I didn’t find much…

[cerebipalsy]

Got this stuck in my head tonight. Feeling restless and irritated at my parents’ views of current events.

[ultra-francesca-mercury]

april 1st, 1986

Bruce Hornsby and the Range release The Way It Is, an album that produces four hits (including the title track) and is certified multi-platinum.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Bruce Hornsby Continues on the Trail

Bruce Hornsby performs at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, 10/17/23

BY JORDAN MAINZER

At one point last Tuesday in Milwaukee, in response to one of many moments in the night fans shouted their requests at him, Bruce Hornsby joked, "I love the battle between disparate elements of my audience." Funny enough, I can't think of a statement that better defines the virtuosic pianist and singer-songwriter. That is, what's amazing about Hornsby is not just that he's traversed the worlds of rock, jazz, bluegrass, but that he has diehard fans of each of his endeavors. Go to a Hornsby show--even a solo one like at the Pabst Theater, sans defunct backers The Range or current band The Noisemakers--and you're bound to find both classical music appreciators and Deadheads alike.

In that sense, 1998's Spirit Trail, a storied and purposeful left-turn into modern rock after the jazz-focused Harbor Lights and Hot House, exemplifies Hornsby's multi-pronged approach. On Friday, Hornsby will release a 25th anniversary reissue of the record via Zappo Productions and Thirty Tigers. It contains a remastered version of the record, four "lost" songs from an unfinished record that was meant to be Spirit Trail's follow-up (shelved in favor of the almost piano-less Big Swing Face), and previously unreleased live performances of many of the album's songs. In Milwaukee, venue employees were handing out early CD copies of the reissue, the night a celebration of both Spirit Trail and Hornsby's discography as a whole.

Per usual, audience members requested songs both by shouting them out and via written submission, dropped off on stage prior to the show. As expected, they were all over the place, from Spirit Trail and even Lost Trail tunes to songs he simply refused to play because they were too boring or didn't age well, like "Dreamland" and "The Old Playground". Ever cheeky, at one point, Hornsby asked for requests and responded to the various audible shouts, "I haven't heard what I'm looking for yet." It was clear he wanted to give preference to Spirit Trail. He led off the night with "Preacher in the Ring Pt. I", his jaunty piano playing covering the song's ground in totality. You didn't even miss Sonny Emory's clacking drums from Live Trail, nor the dulcimer from both the studio and live versions of "Shadow Hand". Hornsby's finger exercises were simply a masterclass. He wrote standout track "Sneaking Up on Boo Radley" by learning to play over a left-hand ostinato, appropriating György Ligeti's "Etude 13: The Devil's Staircase", and nailed it live. It was a perfect Spirit Trail song to play without a band. His voice, too, was on point, wailing on the Black Crowes-inspired Lost Trail tune "Living in the Sunshine", doing justice to the studio version that indeed sounds like it could be sandwiched between the Southern rockers' "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride".

Yes, Hornsby's reach and influence goes beyond Spirit Trail. "The Show Goes On" has been featured in everything from Ron Howard's Backdraft to The Bear. During the set last Tuesday, he segued "Sidelines"--a duet from 2022's terrific 'Flicted with Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig--into his most famous song of all, "The Way It Is", during which he invited set opener/Bon Iver drummer S. Carey out to harmonize. That over the past decade Hornsby has fostered fruitful collaborations with the likes of Justin Vernon and Blake Mills is more evidence that he's as shaped by his contemporaries as his organic musical interests. So put yourself in his shoes in the mid-1990s, and you can hear his response to the sociopolitical and musical landscape of the past decade in many of the songs on Spirit Trail. He's asking himself tough questions about his own Southern heritage, challenging institutional racism on songs like "See the Same Way". The strummed mandolin of "Preacher in the Ring Pt. II" recalls Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road", "Resting Place" and "Pete & Manny" the radio-friendly heartland rock of Mellencamp and Petty. Yet, Hornsby's also dipping his toes in the worlds of electronica and hip hop, songs like the shuffling "Line in the Dust" written on a synth bed and with a drum machine beat like much of the second disc of Spirit Trail. And of course, the goofily titled "Sunflower Cat (Some Dour Cat) (Down With That)" is built around a sample of Jerry Garcia's riff on "China Cat Sunflower", as Hornsby was trying to explain the appeal of the Grateful Dead to producer Mike Mangini, a hip hop head. Mangini was so taken aback by the former band member's performance that he wrote a groove around the riff.

On fan favorite piano ballad and Spirit Trail highlight "Fortunate Son", Hornsby sings, "I've stared down the devil and had to look away." The song is ostensibly written from the point of view of a wheelchair-bound military veteran, lucky to be alive but maligning society's penchant to ascribe sacrificial glory to a life of physical limitations. I've always heard it, though, as the general antithesis to tough guy nihilism, whether action heroes or strong and silent singer-songwriters. Hornsby is the ultimate reflector, yet not quite ready to face mortality like many of the characters in his songs. After last Tuesday and 25 years of Spirit Trail, it certainly does seem like he's only just getting started.

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Grateful Dead - “Brown-Eyed Women” (Live, June 17, 1991)

Jerry Garcia really wanted Bruce Hornsby to solo. The guitarist looked the pianist’s way. He pointed his instrument’s neck toward Hornsby. And after a bit of fumbling around with keyboardist Vince Welnick, Hornsby lit into the Rangesque solo Garcia was looking for.

This unfolded during the Grateful Dead’s June 6, 1991, version of “Brown-Eyed Women” in New Jersey, just released as the latest entry in the band’s “All the Years Live” video series. A real gem of the Garcia/Robert Hunter songbook, “Brown-Eyed Women” was always a treat at Dead shows; same goes for “ATYL.”

The performance itself is unspectacular, but solid, despite Garcia muffing the beginning of the second verse and the absence of wordless backgrounds. But Garcia got what Garcia wanted and fans were probably OK with it, too.

Grade card: Grateful Dead - “Brown-Eyed Women” (Live - 6/17/91) - B

Read Sound Bites’ previous “All the Years Live” coverage here.

8/29/24

[clivechip]

Tuesday Tunes 147: More Rain

In the absence of any new inspiration I thought I’d share another set of rain songs this week: there are just so many good ones that it seems worthwhile. I have more still, but will probably save those for another time – for next week I’m playing with an idea given to me by one of you guys, and I think it will work. But for today, it’s raining again. To get things up and running I’m going way…

[musiclandoux]

: 🎼❤️‍🔥🎼

Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Way It Is (Video Version)

[duranduratulsa]

On the turntable today...

The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and The Range (1986)

Double Fun by Robert Palmer (1978)

Nothing In Common by Thompson Twins (1986) (12" Single)

Crimson & Clover by Tommy James & The Shondells (1968)

#brucehornsby #brucehornsbyandtherange #thewayitis #robertpalmer #riprobertpalmer #doublefun #thompsontwins #nothingincommon #tommyjamesandtheshondells #crimsonandclover #60s #70s #80s #records #album #LP #12inch #12inchvinyl #vinylrecords #vinyl

[ljaesch]

On December 13, 1986, Bruce Hornsby and the Range hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "The Way It Is."