California Stars

[polz2010]

ive just heard this song by channel surfing on tv one night and watched this awesome musician sing california stars im glad to hear this song its made me love your love ones more thankyou

[spookybeast]

Definitely better live. Wilco played this song two weeks ago in Helsinki, and I hadn't heard this before, but it felt like I'd been waiting my whole life to hear these notes. It was a simple moment of perfection. Cline played heart-wrenching solos. Glorious.

[suzannamlambert]

Glorious...

[JJ942FLY]

guys when i listen to California Stars its just help me surviving the day .... thank you from deep deep deep of my heart fro this terrific piece

[bommerillo]

Oh my god. why are you, haunter112, so worried about chord progressions and technicalities? This is a wonderful, simple interpretation of some brilliant words. Why complicate things? It's highly debatable whether there is a Guthrie melody but i really don't think he'd be tearing it apart and analyzing it. Folk music, which is what this is, is all about re-interpretation. I'm sure Tweedy and Bragg had Guthrie's best interests at heart when they re-worked all those words. No need for cynicism!

[Schnepf2]

To clarify, this is not a "Guthrie song." The words are Guthrie, the music is Jay Bennett and Jeff Tweedy.

I've heard several arrangements of this song and this one is pretty horrid. The keys are completely unnecessary.

[caseymusic34]

actually im not even sure the origional melody by woody is even recorded.i think it got lost just like his thousands of other lyrics that his daughter Nora owns. She gave Tweedy and Billy Bragg several lyrics for them to put to songs on a compilation. Although we'd like to think Woody had a melody, there is no proof. Not giving or taking away from anyone of course, Guthrie is a legend.

[NateMcMurph]

1,5,4,1...yeah that makes sense. nope

[7777srd]

YEAH, but it's only 3 chords, just like Woody would've done

I don't know about the Keys, and i love Nels-far and away the best guitarist Wilco has had-but his soloing on this doesn't compare to Bennett's.

[pavolca]

A very week voice. Done much nicer by Nora Jones at Neil Young's Bridge Concert 10/08.

[Schnepf2]

Yeah, she copied the song.

[Schnepf2]

Nothing against Starbucks Jones, but if she's so much better than Wilco, why aren't they covering songs she wrote?

[LittleM1021]

i'm the more straight forward laid back type, so ill have to go with wilco

[Saraswatiji]

Woody Guthrie wrote lyrics, was put to music many years later with the permission of Guthries family, as letitride has previously stated.

[JimmyScrote]

They are Woodie Guthrie's songs intended for recording, with music added posthumously by Billy Bragg and Wilco.

[CharlotRiver]

The lyric is of Guthrie, but the music is of Tweedy/Bennet

[mdumas43073]

Really like this arrangement of it w/ the organ and all. Great performance.

[danielryanmusic]

man what a great song. Woody sure did know what he was doing.

[michaeljohnmaloney]

sorry dude. didn't see you had been informed when I read the comment. but way to be douche about it.

[TheBhoyJoe]

This heavily rips off that Woody Guthrie song.

[letitride92885]

Because it is Woody Guthrie's song. It's from Mermaid Avenue Sessions that Jeff Tweedy did with Billy Bragg where the did all Woody songs.

[TheBhoyJoe]

Really!?

Whoa.......

[michaeljohnmaloney]

this is a Guthrie song. it's a cover.

[TheBhoyJoe]

No way! You're kidding, right?

[yermusicsshite44]

i saw the show two nights prior to this one, up in portland oregon. apparently nels was just getting over the chicken pox. you wouldn't have known it. they played for 2 1/2 hours. one of the best concerts i have ever seen. jeff was having a really good time. top 3 shows for me all time.

[ibanez6789345]

haha Nels' pants!!!!! how wicked are they?!!! he wore them at his show in wellington. Solid effort!

[melissery]

this sounds so amazing.

[keyehaw]

I've seen Wilco do this many times, but this is the loveliest version I've heard. Is there nothing Nels Cline cannot do?

[jahoulah]

this is awesome. i love this band. i have a version of When The Roses Bloom Again (from the same recording project) on my page...check it out if you get a chance.

[themerryhankster]

Yay yay yay! This show was so F'in awesome!! I've seen Wilco many times over the years, but the current line up is SO tight (nels cline really brings an awesome oomph!), this was a magical show. Great band, great venue, ahhh, bliss. Thanks for posting this!

[pandah462]

The Greek in Berkeley is an awesome place to see a show. If you haven't been, I suggest making a trip out for a show. I used to live close by and I'm pissed I wasn't around for this show. To me, Wilco is so much better live than they are in the studio, which is saying quite a bit.

[scodug]

I saw the english beat with some rapper at eh greek (although I thought it was in oakland?) in 1990...gansters and hippie wannnabies crownd surfing and slam dancing together with awsome tunes cranking...one of those evenings everyone remembers

[andersedward]

This was great!! Thanks for posting it! I need to move to Berkeley and listen to this song under those starts!!!!

[thisbemyteevee]

oh, you luckies got to see him sing this UNDERNEATH THE CALIFORNIA STARS! so good!

[cestlavm77]

I love that song!!!

[sometimesoonfan]

i wish i was there. damn.

[nnkased]

yeah, this is my favorite too. I think it's even better live

[alphablonde]

Thank you!!! my favorite. I was so in awe I couldn't even function my camera!

[mmloveyou]

Hey, did you get On and On

Please oh please post if you did

so need to see it again

[MoniterLizard]

this show was SO AWESOME! during this song i was as happy as I've been in a LONG time. thank you.