THE BIG LEBOWSKI SOUNDTRACK

The other night I watched The Big Lebowski for maybe the 50th time.  I lent out my DVD, so I bought it on iTunes so I always have it on my computer. It's a perfect film on every level: it's fun, funny, holds up to repeated viewings, has a great story, it's quotable, the acting is great. Even Tara Reid shines.

But it struck me how great the music is. The Coen Brothers definitely know their music (further proof of that is O Brother Where Art Thou). The often use T-Bone Burnett to be music supervisor, and he did an incredible job here.

Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" which opens the film sets the tone perfectly.  Kenny Rogers & The First Edition "Just Dropped In" during the freakout sequence: genius. The Gipsy Kings cover of "Hotel California" during Jesus' bowling scene: awesome. Especially given that The Dude hates The (fuckin') Eagles. Also the choice of fairly obscure artists: Captain Beefheart, Moondog and Meredith Monk is cool.

The Dude's music choices make sense: he loves Creedence Clearwater Revival. He's listening to Elvis Costello at the doctor.  But sometimes he just listens to tapes of bowling.

The movie rocks even more with its choice of cameo actors. Aimee Mann as the nihilist who cuts off her toe. Flea, another nihilist with a ridiculous accent.  Jimmie Dale Gilmore as Smokey, did he really step over the line? Jeff Bridges as The Dude is just perfect, and he's a rocker in his own right (he actually releases his second album tomorrow. It's produced by... wait for it... T-Bone Burnett).

I've often talked of my respect for music supervisors who do their job really well.  So, I have to tip my hat to the Coens and T-Bone for this one.

JOINT (HA HA) TOURS: JAMES TAYLOR/CAROLE KING, EAGLES/FLEETWOOD MAC

Lots of boomers may have to take a break from recession-inspired austerity. This summer there are at least two co-headlining tours that are kind of big deals, and neither are likely to be cheap.  I'm being a jerk here: anyone who loves classic pop songswriting will probably dig these tours, especially the first one.

First off, James Taylor and Carole King. Two peers and incredible songwriters. In 2007, they did a handful of shows together at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, where I guess they used to perform back in the day.  I think the shows may have been based around their era-appropriate albums, Sweet Baby James and Tapestry. Judging by the photos that I've seen (including the one at the left,) it looks like they will perform at least a few songs together. Tapestry is an incredible album. It's weird that Carole is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a "Non-performer" (i.e. as a songwriter for other people, but not for her own recordings) but James is in as a performer. That seems, I don't know, sexist.


The other tour, which is only in the rumor mill at this point, is The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Both are quartets that were more famous as quintets.  Fleetwood Mac's loss of keyboardist singer Christine McVie (to retirement) is a bigger deal to them than The Eagles' loss of guitarist Don Felder (who was fired). I imagine that this will be a greatest hits deal for both bands, and I doubt there will be any collaboration.  There's too much jealousy and ego between the members of the individual bands, and probably between both bands.

"I HATE THE F@#$IN' EAGLES!"

In The Big Lebowski - one of my favorite movies ever - "The Dude" yells at his cabdriver: "I hate the f#$%in' Eagles!" The Dude was a big Creedence Clearwater Revival fan, but the cab driver took Don, Glenn and co. pretty seriously, and unceremoniously threw The Dude out of the cab.

(I wonder how the guys in the band took that? Joe Walsh has a pretty warped sense of humor, and Don Henley once joined Mojo Nixon onstage for Mojo's classic "Don Henley Must Die," so I guess at least some of the members can laugh at their own expense.)

Anyway, I'm not a huge Eagles fan, but I don't hate them. And I'd like to offer them congratulations: their first new album in 30 years, Long Road Out Of Eden, is the #1 album in the country. The album was sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, and sold over 700,000 copies (well more than what Springsteen's Magic sold in it's first week).

This is cool for a few reasons: one, it clobbered the first week sales of the new album by Britney Spears. I hate to jump in with all the people who rip on her all the time, but she deserves it. She exemplifies America's junk culture. Another cool thing is that, like an increasing amount of older artists (and not-so-old artists, like Trent Reznor and Radiohead) The Eagles have decided to bypass the major label system. I have lots of friends at major labels, and while I think the labels do great work with reissues and box sets and stuff like that, they seem not to be too interested in artists that have been around for a long time.

Finally, Don Henley knew what he was getting into with Wal-Mart - I know he had some conditions about their enviornmental practices, and since they've become a little more "green," he was OK with going into business with them. Which is a good thing.

I like some of Don's solo music, and I usually find myself 100% with him when it comes to politics, whether he's talking about the government or major labels.

So, congratulations, guys. And thanks for keeping Britney out of the #1 spot.