When it comes to music I have pretty eclectic tastes. I enjoy everything from The Bravery to Mozart depending upon the mood I'm in. One artist that I greatly enjoy is Rick Vito.
I was first introduced to Rick and his music when he became a member of the band Fleetwood Mac in 1987. He toured with the band on their Tango in the Night promotional tour then went on to record new music with the band for both the 1988 Greatest Hits record and the 1990 Behind the Mask record. He was a valued member of the band for the Behind the Mask promotional tour before embarking on his own solo career in 1992. Fleetwood Mac fans were wrong in dismissing Rick Vito as being simply a "replacement for Lindsey Buckingham".
Since his first solo release, King of Hearts in 1992, Rick has released a total of eight solo records, including one greatest hits release and has had one solo DVD release, 2003's Rick Vito in Concert.
Rick's style of playing is influenced by the great old blues standards as well as a little bit of rock and roll and a little bit of country. He is a strong singer/songwriter and pens most of the music appearing on his solo releases.
Rick Vito's second solo album was originally supposed to include a song titled "Blues Town". As work progressed on the record, Blues Town eventually was put aside. Upon release, the album was titled Pink & Black and Blues Town was no where to be found. It did appear later on the 2003 release Band Box Boogie. However, the mix and overall style of the song was much different.
Now, thanks to Mr. Michael Killen, fans of Rick Vito and his music are finally able to hear the original mix of Blues Town. Mr. Killen has uploaded to YouTube a never-before-released music video for Blues Town that he and Rick Vito shot in the city of Nashville, Tennessee in 1996.
Not only do we get to hear the awesome original version of Blues Town but we get to see some of the many fantastic sights the city of Nashville has to offer. As you watch the video, you will see some landmarks that are world-famous including the Wildhorse Saloon and the "Batman Building" (yes, some locals really do call it that, it's really the AT&T Building).
In light of the struggles Nashville is currently dealing with, it's nice to see the city back in happier days.
So, set back and for the next three minutes and twenty-six seconds enjoy Ricks original version of Blues Town and a few sights around Music City.
Thank you, Michael Killen for sharing the video and thank you to Rick Vito for writing and performing this fantastic song!
Showing posts with label Tennessee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennessee. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Flooding in Kentucky & Tennessee: Photos
As promised day before yesterday, here are some photographs that were taken of the flooding in the state of Tennessee at Paris Landing State Park on May 7, 2010. They aren't professional quality and aren't as close up as I would have liked them to be but there were limitations in getting them.
A good portion of Paris Landing Park is cordoned off due to the severe flooding. Areas that are usually packed with tourists and picnicking locals must be roped off because of the deep water that is covering them. Not only is the water very deep but it is also filthy and littered with debris. Poisonous snakes are also in the water. The water poses a huge safety hazard and state officials have taken every possible measure to protect park visitors.
You can click on the thumbnails for larger images.
Both of the following pictures were taken at Gray's Landing. Gray's Landing is an informal boat ramp of sorts. Boaters can back their boat trailers into the water and put their boats in the lake from here. The dirt ramp is much longer than in these photos. You can see the Ned McWherter Bridge (Paris Landing bridge) in the background of the second photograph.
The next two photographs show the lake level from Highway 79. Usually, the water is several feet below the guard rail. Fishermen often stand on the bank and the rocks there to fish. The water level is so high right now that they cannot do that.
The following five photographs are of the Paris Landing Marina. The first three photos were taken from Highway 79, as was the fifth photograph. The fourth was taken inside the Marina entrance near the information station. The light poles are half submerged in water and virtually all of the walkways leading to the boats are under water. There is always a United States Coast Guard vessel at Paris Landing. It can be seen in the right middle of photographs 1-3 between the boats and the blue/green roof. The last photograph shows the marina and someones SUV in the marina parking lot that is almost entirely covered by the flood waters.
The following two pictures were taken from Highway 79 overlooking the Paris Landing State Park Marina. There is a dark blue vehicle almost completely submerged in the flood waters. When I first saw the car I could see there was something on the roof but I couldn't quite make it out. When I got a bit closer I could finally see what was on the roof. At the very least, ten to fifteen turtles were taking a break from the flood waters on the roof sunning themselves. Some of the turtles were small and clustered in around the larger turtles but about five of them were almost as large as dinner plates. It's kind of hard to see the small turtles in the photo but they're there! As my car pulled away from the railing, I could see a couple of the large turtles jump off the roof of the car and into the water and start swimming. As disastrous as this flood is, that was a sight I greatly enjoyed. In all this mess, filthy water and looming mosquito problem come summer these little guys were having a ball. The three dark spots in the muddy water at the left of the vehicle are turtles that were already in the water swimming.
This photograph was taken from Highway 79 and shows the lake entrance to the marina. A limestone structure currently being built by the park service to control water traffic is underwater. Its shadow can be seen just in front of the trees near the center of the photograph. To the left, you can see the old Paris Landing bridge that is on display and the road that circles around it to the marina parking lot. That area is blocked off due to the flooding.
This photograph was taken at the entrance to the marina by the information station off of Highway 79. There is usually a much larger grassy area and a large parking area that can be seen from here.
Both of the next two photographs show the entrance to the marina parking lot that is completely flooded. The sign that you can barely see in the first photograph says "Absolutely No Alcoholic Beverages Allowed".
The following three photographs were taken in a picnic area on the marina side of the park. As you can see, the water is so high that half of the tables and grills are inaccessible. The ducks that live at the park are most certainly enjoying all the water they have to play in right now.
The following photograph is a concrete boat ramp that is located on the "lodge side" of the park. The ramp extends down past the sign that is almost covered by water in the center of the photograph.
The following three photographs were taken on the "lodge side" of the park. The area you are seeing here is usually full of tourists and locals spending the day having picnics, family get togethers or just spending a relaxing afternoon outdoors. Joggers also frequently use this area. The park rangers have most of it cordoned off.
A good portion of Paris Landing Park is cordoned off due to the severe flooding. Areas that are usually packed with tourists and picnicking locals must be roped off because of the deep water that is covering them. Not only is the water very deep but it is also filthy and littered with debris. Poisonous snakes are also in the water. The water poses a huge safety hazard and state officials have taken every possible measure to protect park visitors.
You can click on the thumbnails for larger images.
Both of the following pictures were taken at Gray's Landing. Gray's Landing is an informal boat ramp of sorts. Boaters can back their boat trailers into the water and put their boats in the lake from here. The dirt ramp is much longer than in these photos. You can see the Ned McWherter Bridge (Paris Landing bridge) in the background of the second photograph.
The next two photographs show the lake level from Highway 79. Usually, the water is several feet below the guard rail. Fishermen often stand on the bank and the rocks there to fish. The water level is so high right now that they cannot do that.
The following five photographs are of the Paris Landing Marina. The first three photos were taken from Highway 79, as was the fifth photograph. The fourth was taken inside the Marina entrance near the information station. The light poles are half submerged in water and virtually all of the walkways leading to the boats are under water. There is always a United States Coast Guard vessel at Paris Landing. It can be seen in the right middle of photographs 1-3 between the boats and the blue/green roof. The last photograph shows the marina and someones SUV in the marina parking lot that is almost entirely covered by the flood waters.
The following two pictures were taken from Highway 79 overlooking the Paris Landing State Park Marina. There is a dark blue vehicle almost completely submerged in the flood waters. When I first saw the car I could see there was something on the roof but I couldn't quite make it out. When I got a bit closer I could finally see what was on the roof. At the very least, ten to fifteen turtles were taking a break from the flood waters on the roof sunning themselves. Some of the turtles were small and clustered in around the larger turtles but about five of them were almost as large as dinner plates. It's kind of hard to see the small turtles in the photo but they're there! As my car pulled away from the railing, I could see a couple of the large turtles jump off the roof of the car and into the water and start swimming. As disastrous as this flood is, that was a sight I greatly enjoyed. In all this mess, filthy water and looming mosquito problem come summer these little guys were having a ball. The three dark spots in the muddy water at the left of the vehicle are turtles that were already in the water swimming.
This photograph was taken from Highway 79 and shows the lake entrance to the marina. A limestone structure currently being built by the park service to control water traffic is underwater. Its shadow can be seen just in front of the trees near the center of the photograph. To the left, you can see the old Paris Landing bridge that is on display and the road that circles around it to the marina parking lot. That area is blocked off due to the flooding.
This photograph was taken at the entrance to the marina by the information station off of Highway 79. There is usually a much larger grassy area and a large parking area that can be seen from here.
Both of the next two photographs show the entrance to the marina parking lot that is completely flooded. The sign that you can barely see in the first photograph says "Absolutely No Alcoholic Beverages Allowed".
The following three photographs were taken in a picnic area on the marina side of the park. As you can see, the water is so high that half of the tables and grills are inaccessible. The ducks that live at the park are most certainly enjoying all the water they have to play in right now.
The following photograph is a concrete boat ramp that is located on the "lodge side" of the park. The ramp extends down past the sign that is almost covered by water in the center of the photograph.
The following three photographs were taken on the "lodge side" of the park. The area you are seeing here is usually full of tourists and locals spending the day having picnics, family get togethers or just spending a relaxing afternoon outdoors. Joggers also frequently use this area. The park rangers have most of it cordoned off.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Flooding in Kentucky & Tennessee
The rain started around 3 a.m. on Saturday, May 1, 2010. At times, the rain was so heavy you literally couldn't see ten feet in front of you. The storms were severe and brought with them tornadoes and flooding rains. Flood watches and warnings and tornado watches and warnings were in effect pretty much 24/7 until the rains finally stopped. In some areas, the flood watches and warnings are still in effect. The waters rose so fast they caught people off guard even though they were fully aware of how serious the situation could become.
Kind of sounds like the opening to an old pulp novel, doesn't it? But that wasn't fiction. The southern United States saw extremely severe rain and flooding conditions beginning on May 1, 2010. The states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi were the hardest hit. Of the three, Tennessee suffered the most.
For days after the storm ended the capitol city of Tennessee, Nashville, was fighting flood waters of the likes that were either never-before-seen or hasn't been seen in decades. Even as you read this, there are parts of the Music City that are still under water. The storms took at least thirty lives with them and left thousands either homeless or in dire straits. The heavy rains even drenched the Kentucky Derby this year.
I've done several posts on various things around Kentucky before and I no doubt will be talking about Kentucky more in the future. Kentucky has its problems: way too many bugs (ticks!!!) and the summers can be very hot and miserable. But despite the bloodsuckers and July days that make you feel like you're in a pottery oven Kentucky is a gorgeous state. The winters are usually mild, the scenery is breathtaking in most parts of the state, there is virtually every kind of wildlife you would ever want to have the privilege of getting to see, the people are generally very easy to get along with and it's actually a very inexpensive place to live. The neighboring state of Tennessee isn't much different.
I've lived in the state of Kentucky for twenty-eight years now and I've made frequent trips to Tennessee. I've been here long enough and seen enough to know what is normal for both states and what isn't. Trust me, "normal" isn't exactly the right word to use now, especially in Tennessee.
In Western Tennessee there is a beautiful state park called Paris Landing State Park. It is an 841 acre park named for a steamboat and freight landing on the Tennessee River that dates back to the mid 1800's. It borders both Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River. The park has a lodge, marina and a very large picnic area as well as tennis courts, a golf course, playgrounds and several rangers stations. The park hosts an annual professional crappie and bass fishing tournament that fishermen from all over the world travel to attend. A state highway goes through the park and is connected to a one-mile long bridge that crosses the Tennessee River linking the park proper to another section known as "Grays Landing" then on to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. More than anything, Paris Landing is a beautiful and relaxing place to spend your free time.
Later tonight or tomorrow I will be posting some flood photographs I took on May 7, 2010 at Paris Landing State Park and of the Tennessee River. Photographs can never truly do justice to the flooding situation in Tennessee. It truly is something you must see to believe. To anyone unfamiliar with the area it may just look like a lot of water. But for those who visit these areas on a regular basis and live there it's something many of them have never seen in their lives before. It has taken them by surprise. And as the waters appear to get a bit higher every day due to water being released from area dams and from run-off they still are in disbelief that this has happened here, to them. And to the people in Nashville, it's their whole lives, everything they've worked for, gone in the blink of an eye.
Where I live, I saw flooding but I didn't see it as severely as did the people of Tennessee and especially Nashville. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones or everything they've worked hard their entire lives for. The "Unbridled Spirit" of Kentucky will get the residents through this disaster the same way it did the ice storm in 2009. Those in the "Volunteer State" of Tennessee will pull together to help their neighbors through this truly disastrous time. In a few weeks time the water will be gone and the debris cleaned up but this is something the locals will be talking about for years to come and even telling their grandchildren about.
For more information (including flood information) on both the states of Tennessee and Kentucky visit their official web sites:
The State of Tennessee
The State of Kentucky
Kind of sounds like the opening to an old pulp novel, doesn't it? But that wasn't fiction. The southern United States saw extremely severe rain and flooding conditions beginning on May 1, 2010. The states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi were the hardest hit. Of the three, Tennessee suffered the most.
For days after the storm ended the capitol city of Tennessee, Nashville, was fighting flood waters of the likes that were either never-before-seen or hasn't been seen in decades. Even as you read this, there are parts of the Music City that are still under water. The storms took at least thirty lives with them and left thousands either homeless or in dire straits. The heavy rains even drenched the Kentucky Derby this year.
I've done several posts on various things around Kentucky before and I no doubt will be talking about Kentucky more in the future. Kentucky has its problems: way too many bugs (ticks!!!) and the summers can be very hot and miserable. But despite the bloodsuckers and July days that make you feel like you're in a pottery oven Kentucky is a gorgeous state. The winters are usually mild, the scenery is breathtaking in most parts of the state, there is virtually every kind of wildlife you would ever want to have the privilege of getting to see, the people are generally very easy to get along with and it's actually a very inexpensive place to live. The neighboring state of Tennessee isn't much different.
I've lived in the state of Kentucky for twenty-eight years now and I've made frequent trips to Tennessee. I've been here long enough and seen enough to know what is normal for both states and what isn't. Trust me, "normal" isn't exactly the right word to use now, especially in Tennessee.
In Western Tennessee there is a beautiful state park called Paris Landing State Park. It is an 841 acre park named for a steamboat and freight landing on the Tennessee River that dates back to the mid 1800's. It borders both Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River. The park has a lodge, marina and a very large picnic area as well as tennis courts, a golf course, playgrounds and several rangers stations. The park hosts an annual professional crappie and bass fishing tournament that fishermen from all over the world travel to attend. A state highway goes through the park and is connected to a one-mile long bridge that crosses the Tennessee River linking the park proper to another section known as "Grays Landing" then on to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. More than anything, Paris Landing is a beautiful and relaxing place to spend your free time.
Later tonight or tomorrow I will be posting some flood photographs I took on May 7, 2010 at Paris Landing State Park and of the Tennessee River. Photographs can never truly do justice to the flooding situation in Tennessee. It truly is something you must see to believe. To anyone unfamiliar with the area it may just look like a lot of water. But for those who visit these areas on a regular basis and live there it's something many of them have never seen in their lives before. It has taken them by surprise. And as the waters appear to get a bit higher every day due to water being released from area dams and from run-off they still are in disbelief that this has happened here, to them. And to the people in Nashville, it's their whole lives, everything they've worked for, gone in the blink of an eye.
Where I live, I saw flooding but I didn't see it as severely as did the people of Tennessee and especially Nashville. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones or everything they've worked hard their entire lives for. The "Unbridled Spirit" of Kentucky will get the residents through this disaster the same way it did the ice storm in 2009. Those in the "Volunteer State" of Tennessee will pull together to help their neighbors through this truly disastrous time. In a few weeks time the water will be gone and the debris cleaned up but this is something the locals will be talking about for years to come and even telling their grandchildren about.
For more information (including flood information) on both the states of Tennessee and Kentucky visit their official web sites:
The State of Tennessee
The State of Kentucky
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