Best Of 2009

Well, here it is … the end of another year, and as I check out all the blogs, magazines and radio shows, everyone is putting out their “Best Of 2009” – and hey … why should I be any different. So, here it is, my list of some of the best music that kept me smiling throughout 2009.

As you’ll notice, there are a few great bands that are missing from the list; Wilco, Justin Townes Earle … not to mention Justin’s Dad, The Avett Brothers, Slaid Cleaves, The Bottle Rockets and so many others who put out really great music this year. But, for whatever reasons, the following tracks are the ones that stuck with me.

CD Of The Year
Lucero: 1372 Overton Park





Hands down, my favorite record of the year. I was late to the party when it comes to Lucero, but – since the first night I saw them perform in Brooklyn a few years back – I have been riding on the bandwagon of the Memphis gang of believers. With this album, Lucero augmented their line up with a killer horn section (horn arrangements by Jim Spake - who has worked with Al Green, John Hiatt, Solomon Burke, Cat Power) – taking their runaway train style of rock and roll and blowing the roof off the joint. I’ve told folks that these guys sound like what the Replacements would have sounded like had they come from Memphis. But, the more I got into the band, the more I realized that Ben Nichol’s style of writing is more R&B/country, whereas Paul Westerburg was more pop. Live, I haven’t seen anyone outside of the E Street Band even come close to touching the power and emotion of their performance. Maybe that’s why in a list where everyone get’s one song … these guys get two.

Best Songs of 2009

“The Devil And Maggie Chascarrillo” – Lucero
Remember the first time you listened to rock and roll? I do. OK … maybe not the exact first moment … but I do remember the rush of Fogerty’s guitar blasting out of the speakers as that opening riff to “Up Around Then Bend” kicked my ass. Well, that’s how I feel when this tracks blows by. I defy you to listen to this track and not; 1) Turn Up The Volume & 2) Dance.

“Know Your Enemy” – Green Day
Bless these guys. They kept the flag from falling. There needs to be a band out there that knows how to mix pop sensibility, punk spirit, being pissed off at the government and still having fun. These guys accomplish it all with the added bonus of HUGE hooks.

“Gonna See My Friend” – Pearl Jam
I’ll admit it – I am not a big Pearl Jam fan. It seems that I love the “idea” of Pearl Jam more than I do the music. And with each new CD, I give them the benefit of the doubt. With this new record – I’ve found a great collection of songs that will keep be coming back.

“Country Roads” – Ryan Bingham
I have no idea how well this guy is doing with the Americana crowd … or the record buying public in general … but regardless of how good it is … it should be better. This CD is great (and I loved the first one as well). This track has such a great production, hook and vibe … aint that what we’re here for?

“I Need To Know Where I Stand” – Rhett Miller
Great lyrics, sing along hook, and a wide open production – I’m not sure why this needed to be a solo CD as opposed to an Old 97s – either way – this song works.

“Sulphur To Sugarcane” – Elvis Costello
T-Bone Burnett delivered a perfect setting for Mr. Costello’s lyrics. And, with the laid back approach to the backing tracks, the vocals have room to soar. Added bonus: listening to man sound like he’s having so much fun.

“Coal Wars” – Joshua James
In a year when so many acts got props for ‘great vocals’ – this song is the cream of the crop. On no other track this years did I hear such harmonies (and thankfully they kept them out of the most overused production toy: the echo-chamber). The vocals pull you in, the lyrics grab you – and by the time the band kicks in all bets are off.

“Water Spider” – The Duke And The King
I have such a soft spot in my heart for artists like this. There have been so many comparisons by critics trying to explain Simone Felice’s voice – that they’ve become useless. So I’ll just say that the vocals will make you believe … believe what you ask? You’ll believe that Jesus walked on water … and so did Marvin Gaye.

“To Ohio” - The Low Anthem
This CD caught me completely by surprise. When I first popped it in the player, I had no idea who these folks were. By the time I’d gone through it for the 15th time – they were destined for my Best of 2009.

“Joey’s Arm” – Sons Of Bill
“The South aint gonna rise again – but we’re holding out for Jesus – or so they say on AM radio.” Could be one of the best lines of 2009. If you are a fan of alt/country, this group will literally give you all the best parts of that genre.

“Girl From The Office” – Ian Hunter
To start; I loved Mott The Hoople. I loved Ian Hunters solo stuff. Now, he’s back with an introspective, low-key, solo CD. Start to finish - this CD is solid. Had it not been for Lucero; this most likely would have been my pick for CD of the year. The toughest decision was only picking one track.

“When Will I Be Loved” – John Fogerty & Bruce Springsteen
What can I say? Two of my faves having fun with one of the all time classic rocking/country tracks. No need to think about it … just sit back and enjoy the ride.

“To Find My Love” – Cross Canadian Ragweed
These guys deliver musically on every track they record. The songwriting comes and goes – but when it hits the mark, the results are amazing. On this track, it not only hits the mark – it’s a direct bulls-eye.

“That’s The Way The World Goes Around” – Miranda Lambert
CD#3 – and I still can’t get over how much I enjoy this artist. If there has ever been a person who I consider to have their “heart in the right place” – here she is. Her band smokes, her originals are pretty damn good, she wears her influences on her sleeve – and here, she’s having fun with an old John Prine track – I am on board for this trip.

“Sounds Of The City” – Lucero
Sweet Lord … this song kicks ass. The B3, the horns, the killer rhythm section … this kind of track is the reason I’ve spent the last 35 plus years loving rock and roll. Thanks, fellas!

I Still Believe

OK Kids;

We here at the Brothers McC wear our hearts on or sleeves. We do it proudly and without apology. Sports, Film, TV, Politics, Religion ... you name it, we have an opinion about it. And, for the pricer of a pint, we're happy to tell you it ... all night long if we must.

But it's music that burns the hottest and deepest in our souls. And even through the three of us find plenty of common ground, there are still the acts that make us travel our separate ways. Knowing, in our hearts, that the other two brothers are idiots for not 'getting' what is so plain to see. Luckily ... this is not one of those cases. re: The David Johansen Group.

There was a time when there was no better band on the planet (with the humbled exception of one Mr. Springsteen) than The David Johansen Group. My brother and I would travel near and far to watch this band total destroy any and every stage that it stood upon. The songs were great, the music was loud & brash, and the band's live show felt like a runaway train, rolling downhill and closing in fast on a bridge that was out. No one knew what was gonna happen next ... and that's what made it all fun.

Well, the Senior Member of the Brothers McC dove back into those waters a few nights ago. And, without his permission, or permission from Major League Baseball, I will rebroadcast his thoughts.

I still believe.



David Jo In Trenton

I am leaving for a Thanksgiving run to Rhode Island in six hours. I just got back from seeing "An Evening With David Johansen" at The Trenton War Memorial. It was David and a four piece combo including Brian Koonin (Scott - you'd recognize him from early-mid 80's David Jo shows) as musical director. The entire crowd (80 to 100 graybeards) was seated on the stage. It was crazy intimate and the sound was fantastic (as possibly Scott, Reber and Michael could attest).

Of all the rock stars pushing 60 plus, I can only think of one who provides a bigger rush for me than David Jo, and that's Bruce. I believe David Johansen to be an incredibly under rated singer. He gets bashed for gruffness, but the guy can sing. Whether handling scuzzy glam rock, a menacing bossa nova reinvention of "Melody", classic blues or torchy jazz, David Jo brings heart, humor and soul to every note.

Opener "Funky But Chic" (schwing!) set my heart racing and my little fingers texting. I mean, it’s only the opening song on one of the five greatest rock and roll records ever made. I immediately thought of all the magical nights chasing David Jo around the quad state area of PA-NY-NJ-DE. From The Bottom Line (nothing like seeing DJ on his home turf) to The Fast Lane (Scott and I saw 1979 into 1980 with two shows and no dates, but at least that girl at our table flashed her tits at us at midnight) , from Ripley's (where I sang "Reach Out" with David Jo at one show and he personally shook the hand of every audience member at another) to Glassboro State College (with Blondie, Elvis Costello, Moon Martin and Marie O'Donnell), and from Alexander's (the drunkest show ever) to The Tally Ho (the Tally-fucking-Ho!), I remembered all the nights celebrating real rock and roll with the ultimate fun junkie. And mostly I thought of Scott, Beth (yeah we're still tight - don't even think about it) and Jim McNulty, because they shared many of those nights with me. And I had wished so much that they were there with me tonight. And if it's true you can't go home again, then it's just as true that it pays to get out the house once in a while.

The first (actually only) text was to my sister Beth and it said simply "Funky But Chic". And she knew. And I knew she knew. David Johansen held a mystical quality for us. He was an iconic legend but also the life of a party you couldn't believe you were invited to. It's similar to the feeling experienced at The Hold Steady shows over the last couple of years, but deeper and drunker and crazier, because being 22 and king of the world is a combination that just can't be beat.

I was aware of The Dolls but in 1972 they weren't my band. They were an exotic diversion with an allure and mystique that as a 15 year old went way over my head. But in May 1978, WMMR dj David Dye interviewed David Johansen just as his self titled debut was released and he was in town to play The Tower opening for Patti Smith. I remember David Dye played “Frenchette” (and I am forever in his debt) and later remarked to David Jo that it was a “great, dumb song”. Even though I had just heard the song for the first time, I knew what David Dye meant but I also thought that was selling the song short. David Jo politely disagreed, for the song is nothing less than the celebration of rock and roll. When all else fails and “we can’t get the kind of love that we need or that we want, let’s just dance”. Let’s rock and roll because there’s really nothing else to do. Because in 1978 and 1979, I needed David Johansen. I needed something to believe in. And I needed fun.

In Almost Famous, I always think of that first David Jo album when Sapphire (yeah Sapphire) talks about the band-aids and how they “truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band so much that it hurts.” For the first time in a long time, I felt that pain tonight.

So who’s with me this Saturday for “An Evening With David Johansen” in New York?

p.s. In typical Teek Time fashion, I got to the Tower that night in May 1978, got in line to buy a ticket and the guy in front of me was some record company mook with a mullet, who got his comps and then held one extra up and said “who wants it?” I still had hops back them and snagged that free row SS (about 20 rows back) bad boy. My concert karma was ON.

For those who have read this far, and seriously who would except Beth, Scott and McNult, below is tonight's set list. I scribbled it on a bunch of white space on an ad in the Sports Illustrated I brought to read because the concert going life of 52 year old rocker can sometimes be a solitary one. GEEEEEK!

And if you’re wondering why I sent this missive to you, it’s because all of you, at one time or another, believed or continue to believe.

Funky But Chic
Plenty of Music (Dolls – One Day)
Melody – slow vamp bossa nova
Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker)
Making Rain (Dolls – ‘Cause)
Rope (The Let Go Song)
Eight Men, Four Women (O.V. Wright) “I am crazy to sing this one”
Maimed Happiness (Dolls – One Day)
Better Than You (Dolls – ‘Cause)
Big City
Temptation to Exist (Dolls – ‘Cause)
Crazy For Love
New Song (“Don’t make me wonder”)
Justine
You Don’t Know What Love Is (Billie Holiday)
I Ain’t Got Nothin’ (Dolls – One Day)
Donna
Bohemian Love Pad
Frenchette
Take A Good Look At My Good Looks (Dolls – One Day)
Lookin’ For A Kiss
My Reverie (Sarah Vaughn / Tony Bennett)
Animals Medley

And I’m now leaving for RI in five hours. If I didn’t at least need a wee bit of sleep, I could have kept writing until dawn.

p.p.s. Don't forget to check out Teenage Kicks Top 100 of the decade.

http://teenkicks.blogspot.com/

Again ... Some Sports Stories Aren't About Sports

I really love when real men step up and surprise us!!!

Josh Cribbs walks with late coach's son on his senior night

In a dismal year for the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver/returner Josh Cribbs has proved to be one of the only bright spots. Last month he showed he's equally good off the field.

The Pro Bowler traveled to Berea, OH to walk onto the field on senior night with the son of one of his former college coaches. Michael Drake, a senior receiver at Stow High School, lost his father, Mike, in 2005 to lymphoma. He had assumed he'd be accompanied by his mother and sister for senior night introductions and was stunned when he saw Cribbs arrive minutes before the game.

''I looked, then looked away, then said, 'Why are you here?''' Michael recalled. ''I was shocked.''

A receiver, cornerback and holder for extra points, Michael said Cribbs offered advice before his final game.

''He said, 'Play your heart out. This is it. Give it your all. Don't ever stop on any play. Keep pushing,''' Michael said. ''I almost felt worried. I didn't want to look bad for him.''

Michael's late father recruited Cribbs to play at Kent State and served as a father figure to the Washington, D.C. native during his time at Kent. Mike Drake was the offensive coordinator for the Golden Flashes during Cribbs's freshman and sophomore seasons. Cribbs played quarterback in college and credits Drake for helping him drive home the fundamentals that he still uses today. So, when the idea of returning for senior night was pitched to Cribbs this summer, he didn't hesitate.

It's a small gesture, but it says a lot about the character of Cribbs. He apparently didn't feel the need to talk about it publicly; this happened Oct. 30 and, as far as I can tell, yesterday's report in the Akron Beacon Journal is the first it's been mentioned. Similarly, Drake's mother is quoted in the piece as saying that Cribbs took great pains to underplay his presence at the game for fear of taking away the spotlight from Michael and the other seniors. This shows a humility that other professional football players could sometimes stand to emulate.

By Chris Chase
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Josh-Cribbs-walks-with-late-coach-s-son-on-his-s?urn=nfl,202608

It's Only Rock & Roll ...

On Saturday, September 2nd, 1995, my brother Trip & I drove to Cleveland, Ohio for the inaugural Rock & Roll Hall Of Concert. It was completely insane; Dylan, Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Mellecamp, James Browne, Soul Asylum, Dr, John, Bon Jovi, John Fogerty , Al Green, The Kinks, The Pretenders … the list just rolled on and on.

Well, this passed week, the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame staged a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. This time, the show was spread over two nights … but all the stars came out to play again. What can I say??? Simply AMAZING!!!

OPENING:
1) A killer 20 minute film clip covering the history of rock & roll. And, it is worth noting that if you ever get to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – go see the film clips – they will blow your mind.

2) Tom Hanks gives a great speech on having to tell your Dad that: this music means something to ME!!! That's why I have to play it LOUD!!!"

3) Followed up Jerry Lee Lewis playing a solo/piano version of "Whole Lot Of Shaking"

Already I know it's gonna be a great night. The sound is PERFECT!

Crosby, Stills & Nash (with band) take the stage to start their set:
The set included: Woodstock, Marikesh Express, Almost Cut My Hair, as they say – the hits just kept on coming.

Bobbie Raitt joins them; she sings lead on "Love Has No Pride" - Then Bonnie stays on stage while Stills sings "Midnight Rambler" - Jackson Browne joins them: The Pretender. And this is followed by James Taylor: Mexico

Love The One You're With – well, this just smoked, where all the singers traded lead vox. Then CS&N added a Buffalo Springfield song: Rock & Roll Woman - Ending with an all hands on deck version of "Teach Your Children"

Second Set:
Another great film montage. Then Paul Simon and his band take the stage and play the hits: Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes - Me & Julio - You Can Call Me Al. Them with Dion: The Wanderer – Then CS&N join Paul for acoustic "Here Comes The Sun" – then back with his band, we get: Late In The Evening

Little Anthony & The Imperials go all acapella: Two People In The World (which blew the roof off the place).

Then ... Art Garfunkle walks out ... with no introduction, he just walks out to a center mic - the entire Garden goes ballistic.
Sounds Of Silence - Mrs. Robinson - Not Fade Away - The Boxer - Cecelia - Bridge Over Trouble Water

Third Set: Stevie Wonder & his band. After an embarrassing 15 minutes of no vocal mic (the crowd just kept cheering to keep Stevie smiling), this guy owned the stage.
Opening number: Dylan’s; Blowing In The Wind - (Uptight) Everything's Alright - I Was Made To Love Her - For Once In My Life - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours - Boogie On A Reggae Woman. Smokey Robinson joined in: "Tracks Of My Tears" - John Legend sings: Mercy Mercy Me. Then a complete Stevie sings Micheal Jackson’s: The Way You Make Me Feel (in mid song, Stevie breaks down in tears). BB King joins in: The Thrill Is Gone. Stevie & the band rip “Livin' For The City” – then are joined by Sting for: Higher Ground/Roxanne/Higher Ground. Stevie brings it to a thunderous end with with Jeff Beck: Superstition.

Then ... Bruce ... and all bets are off!!
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out - Hold On, I'm Coming (with Sam Moore) - Soul Man (with Sam Moore) - The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello) - Fortunate Son (with John Fogerty) - Proud Mary (with John Fogerty) - Pretty Woman (with John Fogerty) and Jungleland to end the set.

The encores are pure celebration: A Fine, Fine Boy (with Darlene Love) - Da Doo Ron Ron (with Darlene Love) - London Calling (with Tom Morello) - Badlands (with Tom Morello) - You May Be Right (with Billy Joel) - Only the Good Die Young (with Billy Joel) - New York State of Mind (with Billy Joel) - Born to Run (with Billy Joel) – Then ending with an 'all hands on deck' - Higher and Higher. Five plus hours later … it’s time to grab a cab.

Night 2

Introduction – Film clips (same as Night 1); Tom Hanks (same as Night 1). Then Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis

Aretha Franklin & her band: Baby I Love You - Chain of Fools - with Annie Lennox – (Then the show comes to a screaming halt): Some song from the broadway musical: Ragtime (It took the life out of MSG); New York, New York. Then Ms. Franklin gave the crowd what they wanted: Think: with Lenny Kravitz; and ending with: Respect. Overall, an OK set.

Jeff Beck (filling in for Eric Clapton, who cancelled due to illness) surpised me with just how entertaining he can be – and, just how thrilled he was to be there.
Drown In My Own Tears - Freeway Jam - As We Part As Lovers - People Get Ready (with Sting) - Let Me Love You Baby (with Buddy Guy) - Foxy Lady (with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Topp); Then an incredible instrumental version of The Beatles “A Day in the Life: - Note to Trip: This set was a whole lot of fun. Even you would have dug it!!

Now was the biggest surprize of the night for me. These next guys were a boatload of FUN!!! Metallica!!!!
For Whom the Bell Tolls - One - Turn the Page (Bob Seager cover) - Sweet Jane (w Lou Reed) - White Light/White Heat (w/ Lou Reed) - You Really Got Me (w/ Ray Davies) - All Day and All of the Night (w/ Ray Davies) - Iron Man (w/ Ozzy Osbourne) - Paranoid (w/ Ozzy Osbourne) – then a really big stunner, a perfect Stone Cold Crazy (A Queen cover), ending with: Enter Sandman

Then U2 doing what U2 do best: entertain the hell out of the crowd:
Vertigo – Magnificent - Because the Night (with Bruce Springsteen & Patti Smith) - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (w/ Bruce Springsteen),
Mysterious Ways - Where is the Love (w/ Black Eyed Peas), then ... the unannounced, HOLY SHIT moment of the night: Gimme Shelter - w/ Mick Jagger (Fergie, from The Black Eye Peas NAILED the female vocal part!). - Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (w/ Mick Jagger) and closing with: Beautiful Day.

What can I say? It is very rare that nights deliver on the hype that surround them, but these two nights delivered … and then some. And, to this old guy, it was a great reminder, folks with guitars are still the best live ticket out there.

When Sports Can Be Great ... another small story

OK … to start off … I love sports. Always have … always will. But, I also realize that the importance of sports is so overblown that we have reached comic proportions. All you need do is look at the Dallas Cowboys new stadium: Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost was $1.12 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. Not "the most expensive" ... at $1.12 billion - it's "one of the most expensive" ... Holy Crap!!!

Well, it’s in these ridiculous times that I need to find the true spirit of competition to put my faith back in the goodness of sports. Lucky for me, the internet gives us all the ability to find stories that go beyond the cuddled professional athletes of today – and lets us find stories the remind us that, in the end, it’s game … where the true joy should be in the ability to compete.

That’s why, when I read this story, I felt great!!

The Maryville Spoofhounds could have shut out the St. Joseph Benton Cardinals 46 - 0 at last week's game. But they let the other team score a touchdown.

They did nothing to stop freshman running back Matt Ziesel from running more than 60 yards to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard. Cardinals Coach Dan McCamey asked the Spoofhounds for their cooperation because Ziesel, 15, has Down syndrome and spent the entire season on the bench -- begging the coach to let him get some action on the field.

Hats off to both teams for showing classy levels of sportsmanship and compassion. The rival high schools are about 42 miles apart. Both are north of Kansas City near the Missouri/Kansas border. The Cardinals still lost the game but won a lot more.

Follow this link for the story – and the video of the play!!

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/09/21/rivals-give-last-touchdown-to-player-with-down-syndrome/?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parentdish.com%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Frivals-give-last-touchdown-to-player-with-down-syndrome%2F

Jim Carroll - R.I.P.

In 1980 I was 19 years old and I thought I was a pretty bad ass kid. I had fallen in love with rock and roll - the true rock and roll; Springsteen, The Clash, Dylan, The Stones, The Beatles, Mott The Hoople. The whole punk and new wave music scenes had drawn me in, and I ate up everything. There were no bad concerts back then ... cause every night you went out and rocked with your friends ... the kids in the audience - or the guys on stage - you always felt that you were amongst friends.

Then Jim Carroll released "Catholic Boy" and I was shown a side of the world that music companies have turned away from since the day The Velvet Underground first started making music. And I realized what a real 'bad ass kid' was.

I realized that I wasn't a bad ass. And that there were folks out there who truly talked the talk and walked the walk. The first time I saw the Jim Carroll Band live, I was floored. I knew that entire debut CD frontwards & backwards. Each screaming guitar, each snare drum hit and each pained vocal was tattooed on my soul. And, for the first time - I realized that there were folks out there who lived a life I would never be part. I was never going to shoot anything in my veins - no matter where my life took me. But then - there was no need to - Jim Carroll had traveled that road for me and wrote books and poetry about it - he delivered "the" record about it - and I could look from a safe distance and be amazed that "someone" walked that road and then took to time to tell us about the journey.

There has never been a time when I've heard "People Who Died" and not turned the volume up higher. Some things are just that visceral. And now he's gone, leaving behind a body of work that's so unique ... it really is hard to drop other names in to his company.

William Grimes (of the New York Times) wrote this about Jim. Read it. Then go pick up a Jim Carroll CD, a book ... something. His view on the world was not always pretty - but it's a view that you will never forget.


Jim Carroll, Poet and Punk Rocker Who Wrote ‘The Basketball Diaries’, Dies at 60
By WILLIAM GRIMES

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/books/14carroll.html?_r=1&em

Jim Carroll, the poet and punk rocker in the outlaw tradition of Rimbaud and Burroughs who chronicled his wild youth in “The Basketball Diaries,” died on Friday at his home in Manhattan. He was 60.

The cause was a heart attack, said Rosemary Carroll, his former wife.

As a teenage basketball star in the 1960s at Trinity, an elite private school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Mr. Carroll led a chaotic life that combined sports, drugs and poetry. This highly unusual combination lent a lurid appeal to “The Basketball Diaries,” the journal he kept during high school and published in 1978, by which time his poetry had already won him a cult reputation as the new Bob Dylan.

“I met him in 1970, and already he was pretty much universally recognized as the best poet of his generation,” the singer Patti Smith said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “The work was sophisticated and elegant. He had beauty.”

The diaries began, innocently: “Today was my first Biddy League game and my first day in any organized basketball league. I’m enthused about life due to this exciting event.”

By the end of the book, Mr. Carroll was a heroin addict who supported his habit by hustling in Times Square. “Totally zonked, and all the dope scraped or sniffed clean from the tiny cellophane bags,” the final entry read, continuing, “I can see the Cloisters with its million in medieval art out the bedroom window. I got to go in and puke. I just want to be pure.”

“The Basketball Diaries,” reissued in a mass-market edition in 1980, became enormously popular, especially on college campuses. In a film adaptation in 1995, Leonardo DiCaprio played the part of Mr. Carroll.

The writer’s good looks and flair for drama made him ideal raw material for rock stardom. “When I was about 9 years old, man, I realized that the real thing was not only to do what you were doing totally great, but to look totally great while you were doing it,” he told the poet Ted Berrigan in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, with the encouragement of Ms. Smith, he formed the Jim Carroll Band, whose first release, “Catholic Boy” (1980), is sometimes called the last great punk album.

James Dennis Carroll, the son of a bar owner, spent his childhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where he attended Roman Catholic schools. After the family moved to Inwood, at the northern end of Manhattan, he won a basketball scholarship to Trinity. There he discovered a love of writing and began spending time at the St. Mark’s Poetry Project in the East Village, falling under the spell of Allen Ginsberg and Frank O’Hara.

Still in his teens, he published a limited-edition pamphlet of his poems, “Organic Trains” (1967), which, with its successor, “4 Ups and 1 Down” (1970), won him a cult following that was enhanced when The Paris Review published excerpts from his journals in 1970. “Living at the Movies” (1973), issued by a mainstream publisher, won him both acclaim and a wider audience.

His life was colorful. Hailed by Ginsberg, Berrigan and Jack Kerouac as a powerful new poetic voice, he became a fixture on the downtown scene. After briefly attending Wagner College on Staten Island and Columbia University, he found his way to Andy Warhol’s Factory, contributing dialogue for Warhol’s films. Later he worked as a studio assistant for the painter Larry Rivers and lived with Ms. Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, the photographer. He chronicled this frenetic period in “Forced Entries: The Downtown Diaries, 1971-1973.”

In 1973 Mr. Carroll left New York to escape drugs. He settled in Bolinas, an artistic community north of San Francisco, where met and married Rosemary Klemfuss in 1978. The marriage ended in divorce. He is survived by a brother, Tom.

Mr. Carroll’s music career started by accident when Ms. Smith brought him onstage to declaim his poetry with her band providing background. Encouraged by the response, he formed his own band. It caught the attention of Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who arranged a three-record deal with Atlantic Records.

The critic Stephen Holden described Mr. Carroll in The New York Times in 1982 as “not so much a singer as an incantatory rock-and-roll poet.” Like Lou Reed, he had a mesmerizing power, evident on songs like “People Who Died” from “Catholic Boy,” a poetic litany of his dead friends that became a hit on college radio and part of the soundtrack for “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.”

The group’s next two albums, “Dry Dreams” (1982) and “I Write Your Name” (1984), caused much less stir. After writing lyrics for Blue Oyster Cult and Boz Scaggs, Mr. Carroll returned to the studio in 1998 to record “Pools of Mercury.”

Mr. Carroll published several more poetry collections — “The Book of Nods” (1986), “Fear of Dreaming” (1993) and “Void of Course: Poems 1994-1997” (1998) — as well as releasing several spoken-word albums.

Keep A Good Thought In Your Heart Today