Old and new sounds

His voice is unmistakable and his songs are timeless. Even years after his passing, there hasn’t been anyone that has come close to filling Roy Orbison‘s shoes. Orbison’s sweet, operatic voice combined with those haunting melodies are his and his alone. And thanks toEagle Rock Entertainment, we can all continue to celebrate his legacy by listening to his last live performance on the newly released CD titled, The Last Concert: December 4, 1988. All the hits are here including “Crying”, “Only the Lonely”, “Blue Bayou” and “Oh, Pretty Woman”. Contrary to what you might think, Orbison sounds energetic and in good spirits during this historic performance. Even at the age of 52, he still had command over his four octave voice, hitting those spine-tingling high notes with ease.

No one knew Orbison would pass away two days after this concert so we’re very fortunate to have a high-quality soundboard recording of this show. I’m pretty certain this isn’t a multi-track recording so the sound mix that was captured onto tape that night can’t be changed in post-production. So there are some issues with levels being a bit uneven at times. For instance, the backing vocals are a bit too upfront on “Only the Lonely” and “Blue Bayou”. But that might be just me being a little nitpicky. Ultimately, the sound level issues are just minor quibbles. Orbison and the band gave a great performance that night in Ohio and this recording is a must have for any Orbison fan.

Ever since the premiere of Jason Lee’s detective-dramedyMemphis Beat on TNT, I’ve been hankering for a roadtrip down to the town where Elvis Presley used to call home. There’s so much music history ingrained into Memphis. Besides Elvis and his Graceland home, Memphis is also known for both Johnny Cash and B.B. King starting their careers there. And don’t get me started on the many songs that have been written about the town. “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn, “Wrong Side of Memphis” by Trisha Yearwood and “Graceland” by Paul Simon are just a few of many.

But when I often visit a town or city that I’m unfamiliar with, I find myself not really knowing where to start, you know what I mean? Thankfully there’s a Memphis-savvy travel guide where you can custom build an itinerary with all the important places to visit and experience. I really like the fact that you can click on the types of attractions you’re most interested in such as “Music & Memphis History”, “Outdoor Activity”, “Family Fun”, or “a bit of Everything” and the website instantly lists out relevant attractions. For instance, my custom 3 night itinerary includes – the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Graceland (of course), Beale Street, the birthplace of Rock n Roll – Sun Studios. But say you’re interested in some “Family Fun”, the site suggests places like – The Memphis Zoo, a Carriage Ride through the historic downtown district, Mud Island River Park and a stop to enjoy some finger-licking Memphis style BBQ. The Memphis travel site is very well done and a great place to start when planning a visit to the “Home of the Blues”. While you’re on the website be sure to enter to win a trip package courtesy of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. They are giving away a trip every week so be sure to enter your name in the drawing. I personally picked the “Single & Friends” package since it includes an “American Dream Safari Tour”, tickets to the Rock n Soul Museum and dinner at BB Kings.

Come on, remember what resulted when Bono and the rest of U2 visited Memphis back in the 80′s. The power and history that’s found in Memphis, re-energized the irish band which led to some fantastic tracks on their album “Rattle and Hum”. If Bono found some much needed inspiration just by visiting Memphis, maybe you will too. Why not go and see?