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Pop Rock Nation

Category: Videos

  • Veteran’s Day…

    Veteran’s Day…

    I know yesterday was Veteran’s Day, but I was spending that day with my favorite veteran…

    I come from a long line of veterans. My father, most of my uncles, and quite a few cousins are vets. I think the only service that hasn’t been represented by someone in my family is the Coast Guard. I am married to a soldier who will finally be retiring next year after thirty years of service. The military has its problems and some may think of it as a job no more honorable than any other job. And maybe, when we’re at “peace”, that’s true.

    Anyway, in a few days, my husband Bill and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. For most of our marriage, the United States has been at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bill went to Iraq for six months in 2007. Somehow, he has avoided other deployments, though he has friends who have gone downrange over and over again. They leave behind family members who worry about them all the time. Many times, they survive their deployments just fine. Sometimes, they don’t. I wanted to dedicate a post to all the veterans and their families out there.

    Rhonda Vincent and the Rage is one of my favorite bluegrass bands. They have done a couple of great songs for vets.


    “Till They Came Home”


    “God Bless The Soldier”

    Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler famously sang “The Ballad of the Green Berets”.


    I’ve always thought this song was kind of hyperbolic, but it’s definitely a song for veterans.


    “Dogface Soldier” by Russ Morgan

    This first time I ever heard the song “Dogface Soldier”, I was at a dining out with Bill and some old veteran got up and sang this. The guest of honor happened to be Captain Dale Dye, a highly decorated Marine who went on to consult on military affairs in Hollywood. Dale Dye was a really good sport and gave the veteran the sharpest salute ever!

    In 1990, Hank Williams Jr. famously sang a song for the late Saddam Hussein, who had just invaded Kuwait…


    This song kind of cracks me up now. It’s full of bravado and bullshit.

    Like something a little edgier? Sammy Hagar has you covered.


    “Remember The Heroes” by Sammy Hagar

    Actually, this is the first time I’ve ever heard this song. I give Sammy Hagar props for this. It’s nice to hear a rock star singing something for the troops.

    Want something even edgier than Hagar? Check out “Don’t Tread On Me” by Metallica…


    This’ll get you out of bed for PT…

    A woman I used to work with was in the Army for a spell. She said her daily workout sessions with her unit started with this song…


    I’ve always loved this song, but never thought of it as a military song until my former co-worker pointed it out.

    Veteran’s Day is over now and so is this post. I’m grateful to all the veterans in my life… and the day off my sweet veteran enjoyed yesterday.

  • Discovering Sandy Denny…

    Discovering Sandy Denny…

    I am a little ashamed to admit that 35 years after her death, I am only now discovering Sandy Denny…

    My husband, Bill, has been out of town all week. When he goes out of town, I try to find more things to keep me busy. That keeps me from wallowing too much in self-pity. I hate it when he goes away on business because I end up feeling pretty lonely. This week, I ended up making a number of new recordings and a tentative deal with a fellow music enthusiast who plays guitar. My YouTube friend from Scotland proposed that he play a track for me on guitar, which I would then add vocals to. As we were trying to come up with an appropriate song, he suggested “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”, which was written by British singer and songwriter Sandy Denny.


    Sandy Denny sings “Who Knows Where The Time Goes” with Fairport Convention.

    I knew the song. The person I first heard sing it was not Sandy Denny, though. It was Judy Collins. I own a copy of her greatest hits album, Colors of the Day, which I used to listen to all the time when I was in college twenty years ago. That album includes Judy Collins’ take on Sandy Denny’s beautiful song. For some reason, I never bothered to find out who had penned it, even though I so enjoyed the lyrics and melody.


    Judy Collins’ version of “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”.

    Years later, the late Eva Cassidy covered “Who Knows Where The Time Goes” and my YouTube friend proposed that we should try to do the song in Eva’s style. Honestly, I am not all that familiar with Eva Cassidy’s music, either. Sure, I have heard some of her better-known covers like “Fields of Gold” and “Songbird”, but I haven’t yet sat down with one of her albums and given it a proper listen, even though I think Eva Cassidy’s voice was beautiful.


    Eva Cassidy’s version of “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”.

    As I listen to these three women’s interpretations of the same lyrics, I am struck by how beautiful and ethereal they are in their own way. Sandy Denny’s vocals are simple and pure, while Judy Collins gives the song sort of a luminous quality. Eva Cassidy’s take is more soulful and emotional. All three versions are timeless and would have been as much at home in the 60s as they are in 2013.

    Sandy Denny, like Eva Cassidy, died young. She was just 31 years old and a new mother when, in March 1978, she fell down some stairs and hit her head on concrete. Denny abused drugs and alcohol and in the wake of her accident, she visited a doctor who prescribed Distalgesic, a drug that does not mix with alcohol. On April 17, 1978 Denny collapsed and fell into a coma. She died four days later, officially of a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage after blunt force trauma.

    Though Sandy Denny had a devoted cult following, she never quite made it to mainstream success. That’s why I’m learning about her now. Oddly enough, I was actually living in England when Sandy Denny died. Granted, I was only five years old at the time, but I was already a music lover.

    Anyway, I did try my hand at this song, though not with help from my YouTube friend, and I think it turned out pretty decently. But I think I need to spend more time discovering Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention.


    My version of “Who Knows Where The Time Goes”.

  • Magnificent covers by women…

    Magnificent covers by women…

    A friend of mine introduced me to one of the most magnificent covers by women I have ever heard…

    And today’s post on PopRockNation is inspired by that discovery. The well-respected and long performing Seattle based band Heart is well-known for great original songs. But they’ve also done some great cover versions of classic songs. The other night, a Facebook friend posted a video from 2012, showing Ann and Nancy Wilson performing Led Zeppelin’s epic anthem, “Stairway to Heaven”. Listening to the Wilson sisters play Zeppelin made me think of all the women out there who have made magnificent cover versions of songs, turning them into something of their own.


    They were joined by John Bonham’s son, Jason, who played drums.

    This particular version of “Stairway to Heaven” brings tears to my eyes, just as it does the members of Led Zeppelin. And what a treat it is to watch the members of the audience react, too. I always knew Heart had a thing for Led Zeppelin’s music, having heard them cover “Rock and Roll” and “The Battle of Evermore”. They always do a wonderful job whenever they pay tribute to another band by covering a song. Heart has done some of the most magnificent covers I have ever heard.


    Heart performs “The Battle of Evermore” live.

    The other day, a YouTube friend in Scotland who makes musical videos sent me a video of him playing Sting’s “Fields of Gold” on acoustic guitar…


    YouTuber shargram plays “Fields of Gold”.

    That immediately made me think of the late Eva Cassidy, who performed her own magnificent cover version of Sting’s lovely “Fields of Gold”. I remember when figure skater Michelle Kwan turned this song into something truly inspiring when she skated to it years ago.

    In 1991, Sinead O’ Connor covered Elton John’s hit, “Sacrifice”. The song appeared on the tribute album, “Two Rooms: Celebrating the Music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin”. I have owned that album since it first came out and Sinead’s version of “Sacrifice” is the most magnificent cover, in my opinion.


    Sinead O’ Connor takes a song that was bordering on late 80s cheese and turns into something very meaningful and beautiful.

    No offense to Sir Elton John, whose music has brought me much joy over the years, but I think Sinead O’Connor’s version of “Sacrifice” is superior to his.

    Aretha Franklin’s magnificent cover of Carole King’s, Gerry Goffin’s, and Jerry Wexler’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” is still after decades the defining version of that song.


    Aretha Franklin performs in concert.

    This song was originally released in 1967 and Carole King later included it on her classic 1971 album, Tapestry. But if you were to ask someone whose song it is, it’s likely they’d tell you it belongs to Aretha. Frankly, as much as I respect Aretha Franklin and think her version of “Natural Woman” is one of many magnificent covers, I personally prefer Carole King’s more stripped down, intimate version.

    Joan Jett is also a great rock star who has done some great covers. I can think of a few right off the top of my head, but the one that immediately comes to mind is her magnificent version of “Crimson and Clover”, a song that was originally made popular by Tommy James and the Shondells.


    Watch Joan Jett flirt with the camera here… talk about a natural!

    Alison Krauss has done her share of covers. One song that she and her band, Union Station, did that I really enjoy is her version of a song made famous by Dolly Parton, “But You Know I Love You”, a song that was originally a pop hit for The First Edition, a band that featured Kenny Rogers and the song’s author, Mike Settle.


    As much as I love Dolly, I love what Alison Krauss has done with her hit.

    Another artist who has paid tribute to Dolly Parton in a great way is Rhonda Vincent, who covered Parton’s monster hit, “Jolene”.


    Rhonda Vincent is a bluegrass artist, but I think she’s got serious chops.

    What about Dolly Parton herself? Well, like Heart, she’s also done a cover of “Stairway to Heaven”. The jury is out on whether or not this qualifies as a “magnificent cover”. In fact, months ago, I included this in my post about “horrible covers“. I actually like it, but then I like Dolly Parton and I like bluegrass. Led Zeppelin purists may not enjoy this song as much as I do…


    Dolly Parton sings at Dollywood.

    There are certainly other masterful, magnificent covers out there which I will eventually write about. For now, I just want to bask in the excellence that is Heart doing most any cover of Led Zeppelin. I think they get the prize today!