kenrg presents...

All The Young Dudes

2022-06-07T11:28:00.003-07:00

A new song cover, for Pride month: David Bowie's All the Young Dudes, given to Mott the Hoople to record first, then covered by Bowie and many others.

Sea Lion Feeding Frenzy

2022-03-24T19:12:00.001-07:00

A good day at the Santa Cruz Wharf for some hungry Sea Lions (not as good of a day for the fish)

How I Hate To See Christmas Come Around

2021-12-22T07:24:00.001-08:00

A little Xmas blues for the holiday season, by Jimmy Witherspoon.

J.D. Chandler Takes You to Slabtown

2021-05-28T09:37:00.002-07:00

My good friend, John (aka J.D.) Chandler passed yesterday morning.

Here are two videos I made with John, touring the sites of some of Portland's most notorious murders, burials, and hauntings:

Surrender...

2021-05-15T07:29:00.001-07:00

... but don't give yourself away...

A little Cheap Trick cover (written by Rick Nielsen). We're all alright.

Max Vax Vlog

2021-05-07T16:18:00.001-07:00

Talkin' about getting my second shot of the Moderna COVID Vaccine, adverse reactions, plans for future, and reminiscing about 14 months of pandemic (and pandemic weight).

Day After Day

2021-04-15T15:56:00.001-07:00

My take on Badfinger's Day After Day, written by Pete Ham.

The original Badfinger recording was begun under the production of George Harrison (who also played slide on the track). George got busy with the concert, album, and film of the benefit for Bangladesh, and Todd Rundgren was called in to finish recording and producing the album (Straight Up), including putting together the final mix of this classic.

This video made with the Acapella app for iPhone.

Crippled Inside

2021-04-02T14:38:00.001-07:00

One thing you can't hide... Some advice from John Lennon.

Square One

2021-03-24T12:18:00.001-07:00

Last year at this time I was starting a journey of learning and posting a song each day during shelter-in-place, thinking it would be six to eight weeks, tops. About 75 or 80 days later it was clear that would not be case, and I ended the daily postings. Now the end of the pandemic feels more in sight, but still many months away. We have vaccines and falling numbers, but in so many ways, it feels like we're back at square one.

Square One by Tom Petty, from the Highway Companion album.

Damn This Town

2021-01-01T08:22:00.001-08:00

If 2020 were a city we lived in... My New Year's eve feelings about 2020 expressed in John Hiatt's Damn This Town.

November Songs

2020-12-24T07:46:00.002-08:00

I've been remiss in posting to YouTube (and here) a couple of songs I put up on Facebook...

The first, a cover of Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans (made famous by Arlo Guthrie), that I recorded on the eve of the election. Some of my trepidation regarding the results of the election come through in the vocal.

The second, a cover of Ray Davies' Thanksgiving Day, recorded for, well duh, Thanksgiving.

Brand New Leopard-Skin Pillbox Mask

2020-07-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

With apologies to Bob Dylan, an update of Brand New Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat.

Coming soon:
Randy Newman’s You Can Keep Your Mask On
The Kinks’ She’s Bought A Mask Like Princess Marina’s
Del Shannon’s Masks Off To Larry

Ken Sits Down and Takes a Stand

2020-06-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

A rambling vlog about what I've gotten out of a lifetime of reading black literature, and coming face-to-face with my own privilege. Also, my opinion of the term "Woke." Leave me alone, I'm old.

Read: The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley
Listen: Whitey on the Moon by Gil Scott-Heron

80 Videos in 75 Days - Enough Already!

2020-05-31T13:26:00.001-07:00

This is my 80th new video since mid-March - 80 videos in 75 days! I think it's time to take a short break...

71 "Quarantine Hootenanny" songs (including one original)

8 Old School Vlogs (including this one)

1 Photo Vlog

Thank you for watching!

For What It's Worth

2020-05-30T12:47:00.001-07:00

For What It's Worth (Stephen Stills) by Buffalo Springfield is #quarantinehootenanny #71 of ???

My Man

2020-05-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Eagles' My Man (Bernie Leadon), about the passing of Gram Parsons. (Parsons and Leadon had been in The Flying Burrito Brothers together.) #quarantinehootenanny #70 of ???

San Francisco Bay Blues

2020-05-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

The San Francisco Bay Blues by Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller has become something of a standard blues tune covered by everybody from Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton and Sir Paul McCartney - #quarantinehootenanny #69 of ???

Dirty Water

2020-05-27T14:50:00.001-07:00

The Standells' Dirty Water (Ed Cobb) is a little story about the number one place, the town where I was born, a long long time ago. #quarantinehootenanny #68 of ???

Science Fiction/Double Feature

2020-05-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

More rock movie music: Science Fiction/Double Feature (Richard O'Brien) from the Rocky Horror (Picture) Show, #quarantinehootenanny #67 of ???

HAiR!

2020-05-25T12:55:00.001-07:00

HAiR! (Gerome Ragni/James Rado/Galt MacDermot), from the rock musical of the same name (and as covered by the Cowsills), #quarantinehootenanny #66 of ???

If I Needed Someone

2020-05-24T16:23:00.001-07:00

If I Needed Someone (George Harrison), from the Beatles, #quarantinehootenanny #65 of ???

The Open Road

2020-05-23T15:04:00.001-07:00

John Hiatt's The Open Road, #quarantinehootenanny #64 of ???

My Best Friend (Courtship Of Eddie's Father Theme)

2020-05-22T14:31:00.001-07:00

A TV theme song? Well, yes. But it's much more than that. In 1968, when John Lennon was asked what American artists he was listening to, Beatle John replied, "Harry Nilsson." The other day I maligned Harry's over-blown cover (IMHO) of Badfinger's Without You, but this simple little song shows why I agree with John's admiration of Nilsson. It perfectly and memorably captures the playfulness, love, and range of emotion of the series in barely a minute. This song is also probably the first time I was a fan of a Harry Nilsson song, as I loved the show when it aired, and sang along with it each week. #quarantinehootenanny #63 of ??? is My Best Friend (Nilsson), aka The Courtship Of Eddie's Father Theme Song.

Somebody to Love

2020-05-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

When the truth is found to be lies, don't you want Somebody to Love (Darby Slick), the Jefferson Airplane, #quarantinehootenanny #62 of ???

Without You

2020-05-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

Another Badfinger song today, Without You (Pete Ham/Tom Evans). It was Pete Ham’s girlfriend who gave up a date night so he could go back to the studio and work that inspired the verses, but Pete didn’t have a good chorus. And then Tom Evans had a near breakup with his future wife, and wrote the chorus that brought the song together and gave it a title.

Paul McCartney called Without You as “the killer song of all time,” and I find it hard to disagree with Sir Paul’s assessment. It’s been covered literally hundreds of times, and the first massive hit with it, by Harry Nilsson, set the pattern for how it would be interpreted. I love Nilsson, and his vocal range is amazing, but frankly, I always found his version (and most of the versions since) to be a bit schmaltzy and over-produced. For me, the song is beautiful and powerful enough to work in a more restrained and simple arrangement, and nobody can ever top Badfinger’s original. #quarantinehootenanny #61 of ???