Further details about the forthcoming Kris tribute CD were announced in a letter from Kris' publicist, Tamara Saviano. The CD will hit stores June 27 and - in addition to 17 tracks by artists ranging from Russell Crowe to Willie Nelson to Gretchen Wilson - includes a previously unreleased 1970-era demo of Kris singing Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends. Saviano said the tribute came about after realizing that so many people are unaware of Kris' songwriting legend and see him only as an actor. "Kris is a man I’ve come to know and love," Saviano wrote in the letter. "This is our collective love letter to him—a gift for his 70th birthday and a token of our admiration and respect for his musical legacy. Kris’s songs will live forever, and I am proud and happy to add this record to the national archive." Click here to read the full letter. It also includes the full track listing:
1. The Pilgrim: Chapter 33 – Emmylou Harris & Friends (Sam Bush, Jon Randall, Byron House, Randy Scruggs) (3:51)
2. Maybe You Heard – Todd Snider (3:28)
3. The Circle – Marta Gómez (4:20)
4. Lovin’ Him Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) – Rosanne Cash (3:37)
5. Come Sundown – Rodney Crowell (3:15)
6. For The Good Times – Lloyd Cole & Jill Sobule (3:25)
7. Jesus Was A Capricorn – Marshall Chapman (3:51)
8. The Silver Tongued Devil – Shooter Jennings (5:08)
9. Sunday Morning Coming Down – Gretchen Wilson (6:01)
Kris was all over the news today. Here's some highlights:
In the Philadelphia Inquirer, staff writer Nick Cristiano interviews Kris. He says of This Old Road, "I'm just pleased and surprised by the positive response to it, because it's pretty stripped-down and bare. I wasn't sure that people wouldn't think it was just a demo." Click here to read the whole story.
This weekend, Kris is introducing two films he made with Sam Peckinpah at New York screenings. According to a story in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, staff film critic Jack Garner says Kris will speak before showings of Pat Garett and Billy the Kid and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. He'll also introduce a showing of Cisco Pike Saturday night. Tickets are just $10 if you're in the Rochester area. Click here to see the whole story.
Michael Eck, a self-described Kris fan, reviews Kris' show at The Egg in Albany, N.Y. Eck writes that "(t)he real beauty of the show was that Kristofferson just sang one song after another, barely recoiling from one melodic bullet before firing another," and called the whole performance "magnificent." Click here to read the whole thing.
¶ 3/31/2006 08:59:00 PM0 CommentsLinks to this post
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Dave McKenna of the Washington Post reviews Kris' concert at the Birchmere, writing "when Kristofferson changed the punch line of 'Help Me Make It Through the Night' to 'Help me make it through tonight,' a roomful of admirers was at the ready. Their hearts and minds were his." Click here for the full review.
¶ 3/30/2006 08:59:00 PM0 CommentsLinks to this post
Thanks to Rick Maue for submiting this review of Kris' show in Pittsburgh:
'There are moments in all of our lives that help to define who--and what--we are. At age 47, I experienced one of those moments last evening as Kris Kristofferson took the stage at The Rex Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An old converted movie house, The Rex normally plays home to acts that are certainly much flashier, much louder, and much younger--and yet, I would also bet, much less passionate. The employees at the venue were very surprised at how early in the day the line began to form, but that is probably because they simply did not understand that this was not merely another concert--it was a reunion. 'At 8:00, a buzz near the back of the hall began, and it quickly grew to loud applause as Kristofferson was being led down the side aisle toward the stage. As he climbed the stairs, the crowd was standing--and they respectfully quieted themselves as the familiar opening chords of "Shipwrecked in the Eighties" rang out. From there, it was "Darby’s Castle", and "Me and Bobby McGee"--all of our old friends were here, and the reunion was in full swing. 'As with any concert, the audience was there to hear the songs that they love, but after all these years, a Kristofferson performance is about much more than just the songs he sings--it is about the man that first breathed life into those songs. Each lyric is another weathered photograph in an aging photo album, and each can bring a smile, or a tear--both of which were in great abundance last night. 'The first half of the evening was like a great songwriter’s history lesson as Kris led the audience through one classic after another--stopping between them, every so often, to say a few words. When he announced that he would play one more, and then there would be a short intermission, it was a bit surreal because it seemed like he had just climbed onto the stage a few moments before. Amazingly, it was almost 9:00, but like a great magician, Kristofferson seemingly made that hour vanish right before our eyes--but in truth, he magically transformed those fifty-plus minutes into a treasured collection of memories that will last a lifetime. 'The second half brought a wonderful combination of the old and the new. Showcasing a number of selections from "This Old Road", Kristofferson transformed from merely one of the greatest songwriters in history, into a solid, ageless force--the kind that is so desperately rare in the music of today. His honest lyrics provided clues to his inner passion; and his ability to share that passion with an audience is simplyunmatched. And personally, with almost four decades of concerts under my belt, I have never seen an audience respect a performer more than Kris Kristofferson. After all, in our sound-byte, short-attention-span world, it is just about impossible to enjoy any performer without constant distractions--the hustle and bustle of audience members going in and out of the hall; the annoying discussions; obnoxious people repeatedly calling out; and others that are simply not paying attention. Last night, you could hear a pin drop. Even Kris commented on how quiet it was--but believe me, it today’s world, silence is rare, and it is certainly a sign of absolute respect. 'As the evening was coming to a close, it was obvious that the vast majority of the patrons simply did not want it to end. But the troubadour had completed his job masterfully, and now it was time for each and every one of us to carry his passion as we go along our own personal path. After all, as I said before, there are moments in all of our lives that help to define who--and what--we are. At age 47, I experienced one of those moments last evening as Kris Kristofferson reminded me about how important he has been to my life--and how his passion and honesty has helped to shape me as a person. In today’s self-involved iPod world, it is rare that an individual can tell us so much about ourselves by simply telling us about himself. And although we have all come a long way, there is still quite a bit of road to travel--but we have a great teacher walking with us. There is only one Kris Kristofferson, and we are all very lucky to have him in our lives. 'And if any of you will be at the show in Annapolis on April 4th, I look forward to seeing you there.'
¶ 3/30/2006 04:55:00 PM0 CommentsLinks to this post
After two flights in three days and six hours waiting in line, I've returned from the D.C. metropolitan area and the Kris concert at the Birchmere. It's a great place to see a show and Tuesday's concert was no exception - we sat right at the front, just a few feet left of Kris. I'll list the set list below and add any notes I can remember from the concert. Any quotes, though, are from memory and approximate, as I didn't write any of them down. And, sadly, my camera was turned away at the door, so I couldn't take any photos of Kris.
Shipwrecked in the Eighties
Darby's Castle
Me and Bobby McGee
Best of All Possible Worlds (Here, Kris started into the harmonica part of the song and abruptly stopped, before announcing that he'd picked the wrong harp of the two he was switching between. At the end of the song, he lamented that he had intended to do a harmonica outro, but couldn't. "If I was Roger Miller, I'd think of some clever scat here," he said. "But I'm not, so this is it.")
In the News
Here Comes That Rainbow Again (Kris introduced this song saying he had recently been reading Johnny Cash's autobiography and learned it was his favorite song. He joked that he was glad he hadn't know because otherwise he would have "played it every time I saw him."
Johnny Lobo (Two fans raised a flag during the end of this song - I couldn't see what was on it from my seat, but Kris looked over and seemed to appreciate it.)
The Heart (Here, Kris began and got through the first line and then stopped suddenly saying 'Oh shi..'" He laughed it off and began again without error. At the end of the song, I believe near the line 'The Heart is all that matters in the end,' Kris said something along the lines of 'Isn't that right, George?' Everyone in the audience seemed to think he was making some comment about Bush, but he announced after the song that two of his army buddies were in the audience and they were both named George. He called them two of the greatest human beings on the planet, or something to that effect)
Help Me Make it Through the Night
Casey's Last Ride
Nobody Wins
The Hero
Loving Her Was Easier
Jesus Was A Capricorn (After this song, Kris explained why this song was listed as being 'owed to John Prine.' Kris said it was a line in the Prine's song 'Everybody' that goes "I bumped into the Savior / And He said pardon me / I said "Jesus you look tired" / He said "Jesus so do you" that inspired it. "Actually, I think I might have stolen it," Kris said after explaining the backstory.)
Jody and the Kid
The Pilgrim
Beat the Devil (Kris stopped just a line into this song saying 'Oh, I forgot to tell you something. I was watching the news last week and Mike Ditka said "The going up was worth the coming down."' He then played it through completely.
Chase the Feeling
The Last Thing To Go (Kris introduced this song with the exact same intro as the CD, pretty much word-for-word)
Pilgrim's Progress
This Old Road
The Final Attraction
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Silver Tongued Devil and I (Kris told the story in this song how he played it for his then-5-year old son who told him he didn't think it was a good song. When Kris asked why, his son told him he was blaming his problems on someone else. Kris said as the son has grown older, Kris convinced him the silver tongued devil and he were 'pretty tight.')
For the Good Times
Love is the Way Encore
Thank You For A Life (Right before the encore, someone shouted out 'Hey Kris, do you remember Pat Garrett?' He looked a little confused by the question, but responded 'Oh yeah. He shot me down in cold blood')
Moment of Forever
Don't Let the Bastards (Get You Down)
Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends (Here, everyone sounded disappointed when he sang 'We may never pass this way again.' Kris responded 'But if we do, we're definitely coming back here.' That made everyone happy."
Kris shook a few hands, signed a couple autographs and then was gone. Apparently, the two Georges he spoke of joined him backstage. He left by police escort about 45 minutes after the show and didn't stop to talk to fans. All in all though, it was a great show.
¶ 3/30/2006 04:31:00 PM1 CommentsLinks to this post
Thanks to Kevin Jeffers who sent along the following review, set list, photos and video clip from the Toronto show!
"Kris music has been part of my life since for the last 25 years. Whether I was sending Kris songs to a girlfriend in highschool or 5 years ago when To The Bone got me thruogh those nights away from my son after I had separated from my wife. I showed up at the event 7 hours early and hung around outside hoping I could just say thanks to Kris for being a huge part of my life even if he didn't know. Unfortunately I chose the wrong entrance to stand at and missed him altogether. "The place was sold out and every person was there to see Kris. He came out alone and solo and began the evening with Anthem 84. Two songs in I could tell Kris was comfortable and in fine form. His guitar playing was surprisingly good and his voice was strong. It was amazing seeing him up there intimate and comfortable. It was like we were in his living room and he was just jamming a bit for us. His buddy Ronny Hawkins was there and gave him plenty shout outs. At one point after singing 'you're loaded again' from Chase The Feeling he shouted 'I ain't talkin' about you Ronny !!'. He was in a terrific mood and he was funny as hell. He said 'I notice a lot of clapping your hands keeping time, well if you find you're off beat.. it ain't your fault". Or my personal favorite story about the song The Silver Tongued Devil. He told how he was playing it for his 5 year old boy years ago and his 5 year old boy told Kris that this was a bad song. Kris asked why and his boy said 'because you're blaming everything on someone else' which got a laugh then Kris added 'He's older now and he's come to realize that the silver tongued devil and I are pretty tight' "There was a lot of shout outs from the audience including one guy who kept asking for him to come over for a drink. It was bit annoying but Kris didn't seem to mind. He was appreciative of the audience asking us if we all wanted to come to the Pittsburgh show. Someone had a baby there that got kinda fussy during the latter part of ths show. It wasn't too bad, kinda lent to that living room atmosphere and Kris said during one song 'I know how he feels'. After the show he shook hands with some of us in the first row, I just kept saying thanks Kris. It was like seeing your best friend up there and being really proud of him. Of course I don't know the man just the music but he sure seemed like a good friend last night. All in all it was an amazing night for me with the highlights for me being Lovin' Her Was Easier, Nobody Wins and Moment Of Forever. "My friend and I waited outside with a handful of other people. The door opened and we saw him in there so I was excited that I was finally going to meet him. His wife came out and asked that we didn't ask for autogrpahs because his hands were cramped. I wasn't going to I was just going to do what I had intended to do 9 hours earlier. Just say thanks. Anyway he never came out and we waited until it was clear there was no one left. I wish she had let him, I didn't need an autogrpah. I imagine it will be a long time before Kris comes this way again if ever."
Jane Stevenson has a great review of Kris' Toronoto show, complete with some quotes from Kris during the performance: • After playing Chase the Feeling: ""Well, it ain't Dylan, but it's all I've got." • About a young child crying in the audience: "I know just how he feels." • And, about U.S. politics: "Oh Canada, do you ever wonder about your neighbours to the south? I don't hate George Bush. He's just the hood ornament on a machine run by a bunch of right-wing ideologues going over a cliff." It's a very good review, and you can read the whole thing here.
¶ 3/27/2006 12:17:00 PM1 CommentsLinks to this post
