Listen to the Lion

Back on the Corner Again

Check out a nice video for Van Morrison's song "The Healing Game" here.

Walking the Line, Part 2

I saw Walk the Line this week and was pleasantly surprised. Nearly every aspect of the film was as good as could be expected for a biopic of one of the world's best-known and best-loved figures, especially the acting. Joaquin Phoenix as Cash was amazing; when I think of the film now a couple days later, my mind's eye places Cash himself in the scenes I'm thinking of. (The scar on Phoenix's lip adds the feeling of rough imperfection that Cash's face had from the bullet scar on his lower right cheek from an accident in the Air Force.)

Reese Witherspoon as June Carter is great too, and they both did a more than credible job singing and performing. Both deserve Oscar noms.

The always-good Robert Patrick was perfect as Cash's father Ray, but the part is probably too small to be considered for an award.

One small factual gripe involving Elvis, a Memphis contemporary of Cash who is portrayed in the film:

In a scene where a few of the Sun artists are out touring, someone offers Cash amphetamines, saying that Elvis, who is standing nearby, takes them too. It's pretty well-documented that Elvis didn't start popping pills until he entered the Army a couple of years later. (See both books of Peter Guralnick's awesome Elvis biography: Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love.)

Walking the Line

The Johnny Cash movie Walk the Line opens Friday, and I'm amazed how many people are talking about it. I'm a little apprehensive about seeing one of my heroes portrayed by Hollywood. Whether Joaquin Phoenix can capture Cash's essence is just as important that they get the details right (or right enough), and I think I have more confidence in the former than the latter.

As part of the media run up to the film, a concert tribute called I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash aired on CBS Wednesday.

It was OK. Brad Paisley did a good job on "Folsom Prison Blues," and it was nice to see Jerry Lee Lewis, even though he doesn't look well at all.

Alison Krauss and Dwight Yoakam singing "If I Were a Carpenter" was the best musical moment I've seen on TV in a while. Usually singers with such distinctive voices have trouble harmonizing, but this was pure magic.

One question though: What did Sheryl Crow ever do to deserve an invite to each and every tribute, benefit and awards show on TV in the last 10 years? Do people really buy her records?  Her version of "Ring of Fire" sounded more painful than two cats fighting.

Countrypolitan blues

My take on the 39th annual Country Music Association awards show at NRO is here.