First Reviews of Upcoming Springsteen Bio-Pic
Plus our usual cartoons and first new Alabama Shakes songs in a decade.
Quick Note: As you may know, my latest film, “The Atomic Bowl:Football at Ground Zero—and Nuclear Peril Today” has been airing over PBS stations this past month and streaming via PBS (key links and more here). A companion e-book has been available but today it is also published as a paperback, and you can read more or order here. Thank you. And subscribing to this newsletter still somehow FREE.
Just a quick holiday weekend edition here.
One of the latest in Gavin Newsom’s continuing parody of Trump’s social media posts. I saw a couple of Trump’s posts in past two days that were NOT all caps so maybe Gavin is getting to him.
BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT KID ROCK IS NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR GREAT STATE, I AM GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO TAKING AWAY HIS RESIDENCY. HE IS A THREAT TO CALIFORNIA'S EARDRUMS, AND SHOULD REMAIN IN THE WONDERFUL STATE OF MICHIGAN, IF THEY WANT HIM. GOD BLESS AMERICA! — GCN
Also, the first Newsom vs. Vance match-up poll for 2028 has appeared from a decent polling outfit, Emerson, and found them in a dead heat. I don’t know if that is encouraging or discouraging.
The first reviews of the much-anticipated (by some) Springsteen bio-pic, Deliver Me from Nowhere, focusing on the “Nebraska” period, appeared late yesterday after the first screening at the Telluride film fest. Most I have seen were very or at least somewhat favorable, with filmmakers getting a lot of credit for not putting out a “greatest hits” kind of movie but one focusing on Bruce’s mental and musical turmoil surrounding the making of one unusual, for him, album.
As I have mentioned previously, I was a Bruce friend from about 1972 to 1978 but had left his orbit by the time “Nebraska” rolled around so I have no special insight on that period—but it holds interest for me because of that. Was happy to see that Marc Maron is in it, as legendary engineer Chuck Plotkin, who had to converted Bruce’s 4-track home tape to something that could work as a album release. As you may know, Jeremy Strong plays someone who is still a friend, Bruce’s longtime producer/manager Jon Landau. And the great Stephen Graham as Bruce’s dad.
Here are a few links for reviews:
Meanwhile, there’s a new Alabama Shakes song out—the first in over a decade.
Came cross this and felt, how many times have I and most others ever seen the legendary Skip James performing live? Well, here you go, wity “Hard Times Killing Floor Blues.” Just bow down.
From Tunes to Toons
Thanks for the tunes and toons!
Incredible Skip James tape. There is one of him playing at Newport in '66 on YouTube that's worth taking a look at.