Bar Yarns and Manic-Depressive Mixtapes: Jim Walsh on Music from Minneapolis to the Outer Limits (Posthumanities)

Bar Yarns and Manic Depressive Mix Tapes distills thirty delirious, jam-packed years of some of the best music writing ever to come out of the Twin Cities. As a writer and musician, the ever-curious Jim Walsh has lived a life immersed in music, and it all makes its way into his columns and feature articles, interviews and reviews, including personal essays on life, love, music, family, death, and, yes, the manic-depressive highs and lows that come with being an obsessive music lover and listener. From Minneapolis’s own Prince to such far-flung acts as David Bowie, the Waterboys, Lucinda Williams, Parliament-Funkadelic, L7, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, U2, Hank Williams, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley and Nirvana, Walsh’s work treats us to a chorus of the voices and sounds that have made the music scene over the past three decades. The big names are here, from Rosanne Cash to Bruce Springsteen to Bob Marley and Jackson Browne, but so are those a little shy of superstardom, like the Tin Star Sisters and Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, the Gear Daddies, Semisonic, and The Belfast Cowboys. The book is also a tour (de force) of the Twin Cities' most celebrated music venues past and present, from the Prom Ballroom to Paisley Park to Duffy's. When Walsh isn't celebrating the sheer magic of live music or dreaming to tunes blasting from the car console, he might be surveying the scene with the Hamm's Bear at Grumpy's or the Double Deuce or singing the last night at the Uptown Bar blues. Whether he's dishing dirt with Yoko Ono or digging the Replacements' roots, giving an old rocker a spin or offering a mic to the latest upstart, Jim Walsh reminds us that in the land of a thousand lakes there are a thousand dances, and the music never dies. Capturing the pure notes and character of the sound of the Twin Cities and beyond, with a keen eye for trends and the telling detail, his book truly is a mix tape of thirty years of unforgettable music. Contents Introduction: Going Underground Summerteeth Fly Me to the Moon Chickery Chick We Could Be Heroes Just for One Day Nye’s: The Long Good-bye 1. Spirit in the Night We’re Going to Be Friends Baptism by Bruce Taken by a Photograph For a Dancer 2. On the Road to Find Out No Direction Home Side of the Road All Down the Line Legalize It Merry Christmas to the Thief Who Stole My CD Player 3. Mix #1: Crush on You Singing in My Sleep Short Man’s Room After the Dance All about Chemistry I Saw the Light Times Like This Partners in Crime 4. Bar Yarns From the Land of Sky-BlueWaters Uptown Bar Blues Closing Time Ballad of the Tin Star Sisters Driftwood Nights 5. Showmen’s Rest Are You Lonesome Tonight? All Apologies Do You Remember Rock ’n’ Roll Radio? Meeting across the River 6. Mix #2: Teenage Kicks One Love Ooh La La This Is the Sea All My Life Beautiful Day 7. The Beautiful Ones The Gold Experience Salesmen and Racists Put a Little Love in It Magic 8. Mix #3: Heart and Soul I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For Peace on Earth The Ballad of Paul and Sheila Signed, Sealed, Delivered Love Is the Law Toxic I Am the Cosmos Georgia on My Mind It’s the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine) 9. Minneapolis Confidential Geese of Beverly Road Greetings from Lake We Be Gone Phantom of First Avenue Winter of Our Swedish Fiddler All These Weeks 10. Mix #4: Funky Ceili Free Your Mind . . . Grindstone Windfall Ballad of El Goodo Second to No One 11. Prince in the ’90s Emancipation Give Up the Funk Everyday People I Wish U Heaven 12. Mix #5: Float On Bittersweet Symphony Danny Boy How to Fight Loneliness She’s So Heavy Looking for the Northern Lights Harriet If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out Acknowledgments Index __Bar Yarns and Manic Depressive Mix Tapes__From Minneapolis’s own Prince to such far-flung acts as David Bowie, the Waterboys, Lucinda Williams, Parliament-Funkadelic, L7, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, U2, Hank Williams, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley and Nirvana, Walsh’s work treats us to a chorus of the voices and sounds that have made the music scene over the past three decades. The big names are here, from Rosanne Cash to Bruce Springsteen to Bob Marley and Jackson Browne, but so are those a little shy of superstardom, like the Tin Star Sisters and Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, the Gear Daddies, Semisonic, and The Belfast Cowboys. The book is also a tour (de force) of the Twin Cities' most celebrated music venues past and present, from the Prom Ballroom to Paisley Park to Duffy's. When Walsh isn't celebrating the sheer magic of live music or dreaming to tunes blasting from the car console, he might be surveying the scene with the Hamm's Bear at Grumpy's or the Double Deuce or singing the last night at the Uptown Bar blues. Whether he's dishing dirt with Yoko Ono or digging the Replacements' roots, giving an old rocker a spin or offering a mic to the latest upstart, Jim Walsh reminds us that in the land of a thousand lakes there are a thousand dances, and the music never dies.Capturing the pure notes and character of the sound of the Twin Cities and beyond, with a keen eye for trends and the telling detail, his book truly is a mix tape of thirty years of unforgettable music. Bar Yarns And Manic Depressive Mix Tapes Distills Thirty Delirious, Jam-packed Years Of Some Of The Best Music Writing Ever To Come Out Of The Twin Cities. As A Writer And Musician, The Ever-curious Jim Walsh Has Lived A Life Immersed In Music, And It All Makes Its Way Into His Columns And Feature Articles, Interviews And Reviews, Including Personal Essays On Life, Love, Music, Family, Death, And, Yes, The Manic-depressive Highs And Lows That Come With Being An Obsessive Music Lover And Listener. From Minneapolis?s Own Prince To Such Far-flung Acts As David Bowie, The Waterboys, Lucinda Williams, Parliament-funkadelic, L7, The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, U2, Hank Williams, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley And Nirvana, Walsh?s Work Treats Us To A Chorus Of The Voices And Sounds That Have Made The Music Scene Over The Past Three Decades. The Big Names Are Here, From Rosanne Cash To Bruce Springsteen To Bob Marley And Jackson Browne, But So Are Those A Little Shy Of Superstardom, Like The Tin Star Sisters And Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, The Gear Daddies, Semisonic, And The Belfast Cowboys. Jim Walsh. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.