Who did Neal Schon of Journey play guitar for when he was fifteen?
Hey guys, I just realized that I had skipped ahead to Round 12 on the last few posts but, alas, it is still Round 11! And here’s the tally so far… Woody-7, Kev-6, Crystal-3, Dave-3, Vinary-1.
And here’s Question 24…
Don’t Touch Me There (1976)
Check out the new AC/DC tune. It sounds like something that would fit in on a classic AC/DC album like Back In Black, For Those About To Rock, or Flick of the Switch!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba4xujkWeQ4&hl=en&fs=1]
A-maze-ing, no? Alice Cooper said that he was flattered when he heard that in a recent interview, Brian Johnson was complimented by the interviewer on the new album, and Brian said, “Yeah, but have you heard Alice Cooper’s new album?!” Nice. You likey?
Where was the 1979 ‘riot’ at a Who concert? (US City)
…And it was great to see Saturday night at the Lower East Side’s Cake Shop! We were there to see the band Apache, whose debut album is excellent, and I wanted to see how they translated live. Well live is where the band really lives! It was complete sweat-drenched, classic style garage/glam rock & roll… reminiscent of the old Detroit masters of that game… the MC5, the Stooges, and even early Alice Cooper.
And we got there in time to see one of the bands that went on before Apache called Electric Shadows, who rocked equally well and grittily…and who gave us a great Kiss “Strutter” cover! It was obvious that these guys have been touring with each other at least for a while, as they were all buddies and there were lots of Shadows playing with Apaches, and Apaches playing in the Shadows set. It was like one big happy rock family!
Check out these bands on Myspace now…that is, if you like to rock!
And also check out this other band that went on first that night, who I missed, but loved their songs on Myspace…
I’ve never really stopped to think about what our friends across the pond think about our New York-centric Steely duo, but it comes to mind now that I’m checking out the UK release of the new Walter Becker joint, Circus Money, on Sonic 360. Perhaps they didn’t grow up sneaking their parents’ Steely Dan records like I did, giving them spins in between Iron Maiden and Def Leppard albums, and becoming addicted to the sheer sonic quality and unique songwriting of Becker and Fagen. There was always something special to the quality of Steely Dan music; it walked the musical tightrope between jazz and rock, but sneering at you before you are able to dare lump it into the same pile of other fusion garbage that came from the mid-70’s. There was some really good stuff that came out of that fusion era and there was a lot of bad…and then there were the innovators like Steely Dan.
With Walter Becker’s new Circus Money album, only his second solo album overall and his first in 14 years, you shouldn’t be surprised to get the kind of high-gloss production that we’ve been used to from the Steely brothers, at least ever since 1980’s Gaucho or perhaps, arguably, Aja (from 1977). Yes, the production is very sleek and maybe some fans yearn for the grittier (yet still super-smooth) style of the Dan’s first 5 albums leading up to Aja…but we know better than to expect that from any post-70’s Steely productions. All that said, Circus Money is certainly up to par with the high-level of quality that we’ve always known we could expect in any era of Steely Dan.
Circus Money has a decidedly reggae flavor throughout, a style that we’ve seen crop up on a few Steely tracks over the years… The Royal Scam’s ”Haitian Divorce” comes to mind. Becker told Rolling Stone he has long been a fan of…“ska, Rock Steady reggae, rockers, steppers, all these different variations on the patterns as the drumming changed a little bit and the tempos changed. A lot of Lee Perry stuff, the stuff that the rhythm section from the Wailers played on — Style Scott, Sly & Robbie, Flabba Holt.” And Becker’s band pulls off the skanking in a most delicious way…just listen to the deep-bass dub groove on “Bob Is Not Your Uncle Anymore”, probably the standout track for me.
The usual clever Steely wit is here in full-force (“Selfish Gene”), the songwriting is top-notch (“Paging Audrey”), the players are fantastic, the production is crisp, and the only thing you might find yourself missing is that classic Dylan-meets-Manhattan-R&B-jazzbo vocal of Donald Fagen. These two are always at their absolute best when they work together, but since it’s been five years since their last combined offering, Everything Must Go, the next best thing is grabbing the two superb solo works that these guys have done during that time off from Steely Dan recording…Fagen’s 2006 album Morph The Cat and Becker’s just released Circus Money. You can’t go wrong.
Check out this original post on Blog Critics Magazine…and leave me some comments over there!
What song on the ‘White Album’ was Lennon’s tribute to his mother?
This comment about the new AC/DC album (that still isn’t out for another couple months) from music industry ‘guy’, Bob Lefsetz really grabbed me…
The groove to “Decibel”… Like you’ve just stripped naked and are sauntering to the bed to stick your rod into a woman who’s BEYOND FANTASY! Wow, this is too much, PURE SEX!
Wow! The song better be amazing to legitimize using such a porny and corny word as ‘rod’. Reminiscent of Penthouse Forum letters, no? Cheers to ya though, Bob! You’re writing is always quite captivating. Check out the whole review of Black Ice. It looks like we can look forward to a gem from the Aussie boys this October! Subscribe to the Lefzsetz Letter here.
Who released “Downtown” in 1965?
A true superstar, who really lived the rock’n'roll lifestyle and paid for it with his life, Phil Lynott embodies the ethos of the bassist/singer. inspired by Hendrix’s example, he proved a black man could rock, and the massive cultural hurdle (in those days) of being Irish and Black fed his music and lyrics, embodying them with a wild romanticism and a “me an the boys” gang mentality, reminsicent of Bernsteins West Side Story.
His mother, Philomena, figured large in his life, and he wrote a song for her. It’s said that his last words to her were “oh ma, what have I done to ya?” – and it’s quite clear that there were two Philip Lynotts – the caring father and son, and the wild man, the romeo, forever ligging at someone’s party, glass in hand.
Bon Jovi are vocal in their appreciation, saying Phil and Lizzy were a massive influence on them. Songs about Cowboys from the Irish – Inspiring the Americans to do the same – it’s like selling sand to the arabs!! No mean feat. John Norum and Swedish band Europe were also massive lizzyphiles – Norum covering “Opium trail” on one of his solo outings. Huey Lewis also cut his teeth playing blues harp with them.
He led Thin Lizzy to produce some of the finest rock in the last forty years, employing a succession of guitarists that reads like a who’s who – Eric Bell, Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham, Snowy White and John Sykes. He even employed Ultravox’s Midge Ure at one point!
But it was his driving bass, his power stance and delivery, and his completely unique voice, that really sold Lizzy. listen to the bass line on “the boys are back in town”, or the earlier “I’m a gonna creep up on ya”. He WAS rock bass, straight-ahead, no-nonsense. There are so many great Lizzy bass lines, delivered on the now iconic black Fender precision with the mirrored scratchplate – an idea he nicked from Slade’s Noddy holder when he saw how the spotlights reflected off the mirrors on Noddy’s trademark top hat!
I had the pleasure and privilege to briefly meet him in Derby, when he’d taken the new-look twin-guitar lizzy out on the road to promote “Nightlife”. he was quite, unassuming, a gentleman. But onstage, the consummate rocker. Recently, that very show I attended at Derby college has been released on CD, where they previewed the as yet untitled Cowboy Song, calling it “Derby Blues!”.
I’ve always felt a connection with Phil. He’s one of my strongest and earliest influences, and I had the good fortune to portray him on the UK TV Show “Stars in their Eyes”.
I met Eric Bell some time afterwards, and he told me he’d enjoyed it alot, and Phil would be looking down saying, in his inimitable Irish accent “jaysus, I tort oi was dead!” it was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Happy Birthday Phil.
Recommended listening…”I’m gonna creep up on ya” “The Hero and the Madman” “The boys are back in town” “Don’t believe a word” “The Rocker”…..the list goes on!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umdj-GG0y6g&hl=en&fs=1]
Start drinking your bleach and smoking those banana peels, because the good ol’ bad boys from Philly are back at it! They’ve just been announced on the Fun Fun Fun Fest schedule in Austin, TX on November 8 &9.
And this is what Dean Clean (of the Dead Milkmen) says:
Yes its true. Looks like they posted about it in the newspaper already. Keep your browser pointed here to find out more as it develops: http://www.funfunfunfest.com/
Of course I”ll be posting info about it on the home page when more details are available.
So…y’all come on down to Austin to see us ya’hear?!
– Dean
I’ve gotta say that I am officially giddy, and praying that they’ll be touring full-on! But what band just reunites for one show? Oh yeah, Zep! Obviously, this Milkmen formation will be without the late Dave Blood on bass, but I’m sure everyone invloved, from fans to band to the new bass player, will all be remembering him fondly as we get to hear the songs performed live again.
Burrow owl, burrow owl, burrow owl…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVkD0RKAjt8&hl=en&fs=1]
I’ll be rocking out to your music today! Wish you were here. Thanks for all the great rock & roll!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rENy7MQIYJs&hl=en&fs=1]
Check out my blog post for Nights With Alice Cooper…
It sounds great, and there are many options for purchasing the album through their website. Listen to the album through the embedded player if you click keep reading below.
And here are tour dates.
And be sure to get the free mp3 download of “Strange Overtones” on their front page. The song is great!
Cheers, Brian and David!
Marshall _______ Band (group)
If I was gonna be in town on August 31st, I would go see this show. I highly recommend this show if you’re in NYC on Sunday, August 31st. Burning Spear’s Winston Rodney is a true roots-reggae classic originator, who’s been doing his thing since the late 60′s.
Listen to “Slavery Days”: [audio http://www.frannysilverman.com/NewmRadio/01%20Slavery%20Days.mp3]
I had recently caught wind that Manuel Gottsching, of Ash Ra Temple and Ashra fame (or semi-underground type fame), would be performing at some sort of minimalist festival in NYC on Friday night along with someone called Rhys Chatham (who I’m sure I’m a douchebag for not knowing) who would be playing with 200 local guitarists (doesn’t seem all that minimal an idea, but okay). Manuel Gottsching was going to perform an electronic trance piece called “E2-E4″ that I recently found out is considered ground-breaking in the electronica world. I’ve had the hour-long piece in my collection for a couple years and dig it on occassion, but I totally praise Gottsching more for his 70′s era Ashra-monikered guitar-heavy, almost new-age projects, which I can listen to endlessly, like the albums Correlations or New Age of Earth. His psych/space/Kraut rock Ash Ra Temple work with Klaus Schulz in the late 60′s is also very different and quite amazing and ground-breaking.
I didn’t plan to go to Friday’s show, as I heard about it a bit too late and the weather was looking awful anyway. Well, I guess a bunch of dickheads went out to the show to see Rhys Chatham, since perhaps Bowie approved of him or he collaborated with Deerhunter or something, and Chatham’s set was cancelled, but only after the crowd had to ‘sit through’ Gottsching’s hour-long “E2-E4″ piece, which couldn’t have possibly been as bad as the way that these Brooklyn Vegan commenters describe it!
Here’s an example: Rhys Chatham can eat me for making me sit through that Gottsching stupidity. You’re never gonna live this one down. You should’ve have done it in the church. You KNEW it was gonna rain, yet you exercised poor judgement and made everyone else pay for it. Nice going.
What this mainly means is that I need to stop reading Brooklyn Vegan’s comments sections and just read the stories. But I’m just drawn to them and can’t help but see what so many (unfortunately) fellow New York music lovers think about certain local shows and events. Unfettered negativity with the occassional nice and/or logical comment.
Anyway, the BV commenters who were so mad at what their ears had to put up with before they found out about Chatham’s cancellation have no idea of the beauty and talent of Manuel Gottsching’s music, and it will be their loss…but it won’t be yours. Here’s a Muxtape mix of some great Gottsching material from his Ashra period of the 70′s. And you won’t get rained on as you listen…and be surrounded by dickhead music snobs. Dig…
Since Muxtape is experiencing RIAA legal difficulties, your best bet is to listen to some of Manuel Gottsching’s music over at his MySpace page. There’s some great stuff there, including edits of “E2-E4″ and “Echo Waves”.
Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies were part of what group?
Like Ahmet Ertegun, with whom he worked hand-in-hand, Jerry Wexler loved music and worked with and signed many of the greats that we still listen to today. Jerry and Ahmet represent the goodness and talent and love that the record industry veered away from when it became a big business. Ain’t that America, though? Wexler set the bar high. Maybe the new movers and shakers in the recording industry will be more like the Wexlers and Erteguns that revolutionized music, and less like the profiteers and crooked capitalists that had the industry hijacked for the last few decades. The future is open, and it could learn from the greats of the past. R.I.P. Jerry Wexler, may your love of music live on!
Go take a listen to these classic Wexler productions…you’ll be glad you did!
Who did Carly Simon write “Anticipation” about?
I have an article contained within the pages of a tatty 1970’s periodical called Music Week that pigeon-holes a certain female bassist/vocalist as “bubblegum”. With the benefit of hindsight, I would postulate that “bubblegum” is not an epithet one would use about the girl in question, Suzi Quatro, and most certainly not one you would use to her face, unless you were looking for a quick nose-job.
Suzi Quatro’s assault on the British charts in the early 70′s, leather cat-suited, a tiny thing grasping and spanking a frankly huge-looking Precision is remarkable for a number of reasons. The fact that she refused to adopt the smaller Mustang bass spoke volumes for her desire to be taken seriously in what was then predominantly a male domain.
There was your Sandie Shaws, your Olivia Newton-Johns, all vaseline-lensed and wistful, and then there was Suzi, implausibly inviting you to “Can the Can” and insisting that the 48 Crash was a “silk sash bash” delivered in a tough, caterwauling hell-cat scream that took no prisoners. It was magnificent.
A prodigy of Mickie Most, whose pop touch destroyed Terry Reid, Suzi made it her own with a string of hit singles. Although LA bands such as Fanny and Birtha were making some waves in America, their brand of girly rock never quite made it to UK shores (despite Suzi’s sister Patti joining Fanny in its later incarnations).
She clearly paved the way for countless female bands, and guess what? She could play!! This was much in evidence as she took to session work when her career suffered a dip in the mid to late seventies. Giving credence to the saying “a prophet is never recognised in his own town”, Quatro never really achieved musical recognition in her native America though her character from Happy Days – Leather Tuscadero, is remembered fondly.
I’ve had the pleasure of touring with Suzi in the 90′s when I was with Christie – she borrowed my Phil Lynott Precision one time AND we appeared on the same CD once, a German Christmas album!
Her live shows were always gutsy, and when she took her solo on bass, it just screamed “this is what I do, it’s not a gimmick”. A feisty character, one of the guys backstage, she is now married to our old German promoter, Rainer Haas, and continues to tour.
Given the state of play nowadays with simpering pop from the likes of Sugababes and Atomic Kitten, God knows the world needs another Suzi on the scene!
Recommended listening: Can the Can, 48 Crash, Devilgate Drive,Take me in your Arms (Suzi’s Doobies cover, from O, Suzi Q)
Keep following the series folks – A few off-the-wall choices coming up!
