Posts tagged 60′s
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Van Morrison
Aug 31st
Today is George Ivan (Van) Morrison’s Birthday. It’s also my mother’s birthday (Hi Mom!…of course she’d never find this blog…thankfully…I don’t even tell her about it…Happy 73rd Margaret). Van Morrison is a more manageable 65 today, but then again my mom doesn’t have to go on tour whenever she needs to make a buck. When you sift through All Time Critic’s Favorite books you find Van The Man material. 1968′s Astral Weeks is a long time favorite. 1970′s Moondance is another. 1974′s Live LP It’s Too Late To Stop Now is sometimes mentioned amongst the greatest live records ever made. My personal favorite is 1972′s Saint Dominic’s Preview, but I’m not really mad for Van. I saw his Avalon Sunset Tour at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre in 1989 and almost fell asleep. Sorry Van. Intentionally there were no hits, but even if there had been; I really only went because of this girl I was dating at the time. I wasn’t expecting a rockin’ show and I didn’t get one. Van Morrison is larger than life itself, but I swear, if you skim 25 songs off the top you could be happy with his work.
I don’t want to say that I don’t like Van Morrison. That is obviously not true or I would not be posting about him. The thing is, I worked at a bouncer, all 160 lbs of me at the time…if only that were true today, at The Bull & Finch Pub (Cheers) in 1984 and 1985. We had this DJ that played Van Morrison until I thought I was going to lose my lunch. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he mixed in “Wavelength” or “Blue Money” once in a while, but no….it was straight “Brown-Eyed Girl” and “Moondance” until I didn’t care if I ever heard those songs ever again. The girls love Van The Man. Like Cetera (!). I get that. Really I do, but the guy has been a crooner for decades now. Pop music, if that is what you want to call his once fresh sounding Irish Folk Rock, is a thing of Morrison’s past if you ask me. Any artist is going to be pulverized back to the stone age if their catalogue is reduced to five songs, but in Morrison’s case the rest was sit down and pay attention ballads. Usually last of my list on things to listen to at home. That doesn’t make me right or wrong, it just makes me a respectful Van Morrison fan from a distance. I own everything up until Avalon Sunset (1989), but I took a pass on the rest. I don’t even listen to Astral Weeks that much to be honest. I love Tupelo Honey (1971) and Saint Dominic’s Preview. Even Moondance is still very listenable if you skip the title track (repetition, not quality is the reason for that remark). There are several very good Van Morrison songs amongst those first ten or so records, but nobody ever hears them anymore. He’s only got five songs don’t you know (insert sarcasm here)? Most people would call themselves Van Morrison fans I would venture.
Van Morrison’s career began in earnest fronting the seminal Irish band Them in the 60′s. Patti Smith’s cover of “Gloria” (as in G-L-O-R-I-A)” in 1975 reminded everyone, in case anyone forgot, just how great Them were. You may remember “Here Comes The Night,” which is actually a Bert Berns tune (Berns also wrote “Hang On Sloopy, Piece of My Heart, Cry Baby, 25 Miles and Twist and Shout” just to name a few of his masterpieces) first recorded by Lulu and The Luvvers, as well. David Bowie did a nice rendition on his 1973 covers LP “Pinups” as well. If you are wondering, Bert Berns was a seven year veteran of the famous Brill Building; a songwriter’s haven noted for other superstar writers like Carole King and Neil Sedaka. But 1965 was a long, long time ago. Morrison began writing solo material in 1967 and released a little known single called “Brown-Eyed Girl” on his first solo LP Blowin’ Your Mind. Them eventually broke up in the early 70′s and Morrison was free to continue down the solo path without friction. He was definitely living the poor man’s starving artist’s existence for many years, but by the mid 70′s he was on his way to legend status. Boston, in particular, latched onto the Irish born Morrison because he chose to live here for a spell in the late 60′s. I’ve heard second hand tales of him palling around with Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band, so if that’s true it’s no wonder he has a strong foothold here in Boston. Classic Rock will not let go of his early 70′s songs in this market, but I suspect it’s true of other markets across the country as well. Nobody doesn’t know the name Van Morrison.
I have to run and see Iggy Pop tonight…talk about the other end of the spectrum, but I wanted to jot down a few thoughts about Van The Man and leave you with a couple of my favorite Van tunes. Happy birthday Van. I may not be your exact market, but don’t take it personally. You are still a legend. Live on in good health.
Van Morrison – Saint Dominic’s Preview.mp3
Van Morrison – Tupelo Honey.mp3
Van Morrison – And It Stoned Me.mp3
Buy or Download Still On Top: The Greatest Hits from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Keith Moon
Aug 22nd
Monday August 23, 2010 would have been Keith John Moon’s 64th birthday. Now it’s just another reminder that excess will eventually catch up to you sooner or later. Musicians that seem to disappear prematurely have a way of bothering music fans more than most early deaths. You have their albums and hopefully there are many before their time comes, but it always leaves you wanting more. Getting cut down in the prime of your life, let alone your musical career, is just sad. And frustrating. As a life long Who fan I still miss Keith Moon. No matter how many times I hear ”Bargain” I always think of the drumming. Man could this guy play. I’ve seen what’s left of The Who dozens of times, but I never saw Keith Moon play. I was only eighteen when September 7, 1978 rolled around and Moon passed away. Most people think he partied himself to death, but his death was an accident really. He was trying to battle his alcohol demons by ingesting prescription sedatives. Unfortunately, as usual, Keith Moon overdid it. It’s hard to argue that taking 32 tablets of Clomethiazole in one sitting is the smart thing to do, but there were other factors involved with that decision it seems. It had to be more than just alcohol didn’t it? They say 26 of those pills were never even digested. Not good.
In 1970 Keith Moon was involved in an accident that haunted him for the rest of his days. In early January Moon was attempting to protect his Bentley, which was being damaged by some “fans” outside an English bar called The Red Lion Pub in Hertfordshire. Moon had been drinking, surprise, and inadvertently was involved in running over his friend and bodyguard, Neil Boland, as result of trying to flee. There are still questions as to whether Moon was actually driving, but that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty and having awful nightmares. They say he was always a damn the torpedoes type party guy, but some say this put him into overdrive. I don’t know how I’d handle it if I was responsible, in any way, shape or form, for the death of another human being so it’s hard to criticize his methods of self medicating. I won’t even try. I wouldn’t call his behavior a death wish, but there are folks who believed he thought he didn’t deserve to live after what happened to Neil Boland. It’s a theory anyway.
By all accounts Keith Moon was a fun loving guy with a big heart. He may have had a personality disorder because he had periodic displays of violence from time to time. He loved to smash things like toilets and TVs (it’s probably what made him such a great drummer) and allegedly once drove a Cadillac into a swimming pool, but that might be more lore than fact. He famously ingested animal tranquilizers and mixed them with brandy before a 1973 performance at The Cow Palace in San Francisco during the Quadrophenia Tour. He made it about forty minutes until he literally was relieved mid show by a fan named Scot Halpin. He had passed out. A kid from Iowa had to finish the show with Pete, John and Roger. Unfortunately Halpin is no longer with us having passed on in 2009, but what a story no? Another in a myriad of stories that add to the Moon legend is his remark to Jimmy Page that led to the eventual naming of his new band Led Zeppelin. He was referring to something going over like a lead balloon, but used the term “lead Zeppelin” instead. Page adroitly spelled lead “Led” so that it would always be pronounced correctly, but latched onto to that phraseology big time. Good job Keith!
I don’t think we’ll ever know everything we’d like to know about Keith Moon. Separating fact from fiction is always a chore with Rock Stars. They are generally more responsible than they would like the public to believe, but with Moon it’s hard to tell if that was true. All I know is I loved the way he attacked the drum kit. He had this great way of spacing his cascading drum rolls with split second tension building pauses. I have no idea what I’m talking about to be truthful, but if I had to pick a drummer to be my favorite I’d be leaning towards Keith Moon. He just does it for me. The Who can still produce great shows without The Ox and Moonie, but it just isn’t the same. I’m going to rummage around my Who collection now and see what I can drum up (sorry) for reasonable examples of what I’m on about here. I’m very sorry Keith isn’t around today to celebrate his birthday, but we at The Giant Panther (well maybe just me) are thinking about him.
The Who – Put The Money Down.mp3
Buy or Download The Who: The Ultimate Collection from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Robert Plant
Aug 20th
I don’t know about you, but I’m psyched about today’s post. Rock God Robert Plant was born on August 20, 1948. Today is his 62nd birthday. Isaac Hayes was also born today, but he’ll have to wait until next year for his post. But I’m talkin’ ’bout Shaft! Too bad. Robert Plant is one of my all time favorite Rock & Roll personalities. Yeah Zeppelin is wedged into my front four (Beatles, Stones, Who, Zeppelin) somewhere, but it’s more than that. I’ve seen Robert Plant perform both solo, with Jimmy Page and with Alison Krauss. I loved them all to death. I never did get to see Led Zeppelin proper thanks to the death of Robert Plant’s son Karac in 1977, but I was scheduled to come face to face with them at the venerable Madison Square Garden that year. Kind of like when a rookie goes to The World Series in his first year I thought Zeppelin would be around for years to come. I could see them anytime. I was disappointed, but I wasn’t nearly as broken up about as I probably should have been.
Led Zeppelin is on the cover of this month’s Classic Rock Magazine. I haven’t even opened the thing yet, but the cover is awesome. It’s the cover of Physical Graffiti, one of my all time favorite records, as well as the picture of the adjoined apartment buildings at 96-98 St Mark’s Place in New York City. They say the upper floor had to be cropped out so that the building matched the square format of the record album cover. Man 1975 was a long time ago. I know I’ve mentioned this in past posts, but this same stoop is where The Rolling Stones shot the video for “Waiting On a Friend” from 1981′s Tattoo You. The builder of the building should be proud. A slice of Rock history. According to our friends at Wikipedia, the basement of the building currently houses a used clothing store that goes by the name of, you guessed it, Physical Graffiti. Ah Capitalism.
Led Zeppelin, as you know, was forced to disband upon learning of the death of Mr John Henry Bonham. Bonham allegedly consumed some 40 shots of Vodka on September 24th 1980 and was officially pronounced dead the next day at the age of 32. Let that be a lesson to you youngsters out there. I can’t imagine inhaling 40 shots of anything, let alone vodka. My personal best without losing lunch is probably six shots of Jack Daniels. No Rock Star I. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page along with John Paul Jones decided to go Cold Turkey on the Led Zeppelin thing as a result of Bonham’s passing. I don’t begrudge their decision really, but man that one hurt at the time. A Posthumous Odds & Sods (borrowing liberally from the criminally underrated Who throwaway track album) like release called Coda put an end to Led Zeppelin’s catalogue. In a not so funny sort of way, Bonham’s passing and the subsequent demise of Led Zeppelin ensured that every single song they ever recorded made it onto the air at Rock Stations, Classic and otherwise, over the years. Nine studio records and some 40 years later we are still straining for more Led Zeppelin. Naturally Led Zeppelin is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but it’s really something how people still love to get the Led out. I stand 1000% with those people. I can remember vividly when Led Zeppelin was lock up your daughters, run for your life (to quote Bon Scott) material. They were the devil’s disciples. Didn’t you read Hammer of The Gods? My God what’s wrong with you? Now? Elevator fare. Society is bleeped up sometimes…
Robert Plant could have been just another lead singer who lost his band. He could have been exposed as a no talent poser. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. His first solo album, which in my mind is still his best, was called Pictures at Eleven and came out in 1982. You’d have thought Led Zeppelin had gotten back together. I still listen to this record often. It was a natural progression from the softer tones of In 1979′s In Through The Out Door. I know there was no Jimmy Page, but I just loved this album. Not too long after this masterpiece, Plant sprung The Principle of Moments on us in 1983. This might be the masses favorite post Zeppelin release. It probably sold the most without checking. “Big Log” and “In The Mood” were mood (sorry) pieces, but the public, who might have been prepared for this record, sopped it up like bread gets to New England clam chowder. I was working at WBCN at the time and I heard these two songs about 500 times in the first six months after their respective releases. What the public didn’t know what that the rest of the record was flat special. I don’t think he’s made a record quite as good since. “Messin’ With The Mekon, Stranger Here…Than Over There, Wreckless Love, Horizontal Departure, Thru With The Two Step”…these songs absolutely rock. “Other Arms,” the other “hit” from the record, did OK, but those other five songs made the record great.
Subsequent Robert Plant studio releases, and have something to write home about, but Shaken ’N’ Stirred, Now & Zen, Manic Nirvana, Fate of Nations, Dreamland, Mighty ReArranger and, eventually, Band of Joy had a lot to live up to after those first two. I own (or will own in the case of Band of Joy, which can’t get here fast enough for my liking) them all and know them all inside and out. I like them all, don’t get me wrong, but the first two really stand out for me. I absolutely loved Page & Plant’s 1994 release No Quarter and play that one fairly often as well. Raising Sand was fun, but it seemed like an extension of Dreamland to me. No complaints though. His solo stuff was getting a little complacent in my opinion and that’s a diehard fan talking. I though 1998′s Walking Into Clarksdale with Jimmy Page was great as well. The Honeydrippers were fun, but I don’t miss them. I was having breakfast at a diner recently that plays only oldies and heard the original “Sea of Love” (Phil Phillps) and had to chuckle.
I can’t say anything about Led Zeppelin that hasn’t already been said. I’m just a fan. But Robert Plant is definitely one of my Rock heroes. Sounds quaint for a 50 year old man to have a man crush on an aging Rock Star, but so be it. The first time I heard When The Levee Breaks or Whole Lotta Love I was dumbstruck. Who are these guys? This is the band for me. No questions asked. Just because everybody else and their brother now loves them too I’m not about to abandon them. I bawled like a baby seeing Page & Plant perform at Boston Garden in 1995 and then again at The Fleetcenter (Boston Garden with a major face lift) in 1998. I don’t care who knows it. Happy Birthday Robert from The Giant Panther. Thank you so much for everything!
P.S. Does anyone out there know where I can buy or download The Priory of Brion sessions? I have some of the Sheffield recordings, but I’d like to buy all of them if I can find some very good quality. Thanks in advance my friends…
Robert Plant – Horizontal Departure.mp3
Buy or Download Picture at Eleven from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Ginger Baker
Aug 19th
What are synonyms for prickly? Cantankerous? Crotchety? Ornery? Cranky? Testy? A Case could be made that legendary drummer Ginger Baker is all of these things. Jack Bruce is no picnic, but Ginger Baker, if you read Eric Clapton’s Biography, Clapton, it seems pretty clear that Baker was the uncompromising force that eventually split up Cream. Cream, for the uninitiated, was a power trio in the mid to late 60′s that shook up the Rock world. Rolling Stone Magazine, according to our good friends at Wikipedia, named Baker the third greatest drummer of all time. That is high praise indeed. Very high. Those other two drummers had better be named Moon and Bonham or I’m cancelling my subscription. Still, what Cream meant to the world of Rock music cannot be understated. Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce co-existed for four years (1966-1969) and four studio records. It feels like much more to me. Fresh Cream, Disreali Gears, Wheels of Fire and Goodbye Cream seem larger than life to this blogger. Four records can get you into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I didn’t know that. I’m not arguing in the least, but that’s really something. As a baseball fan, Hall of Fame status usually requires some amount of longevity. A dominate status over a period of say, ten years. In Rock apparently you just need to dominate period. Well, amen to Cream and their domination. Spectacular.
When I was a boy of maybe seven or eight, my neighbor Tim Schneider and I used to hang around his house after school. His older brother Dickie (I haven’t had contact with these two in over 40 years, but I remember this stuff like it was yesterday) was a fan of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Cream. He would play his records on his parents stereo in the living room at 11. I mean ear splitting volume. The first time I heard the Rolling Stones’ classic “Street Fighting Man” I heard it loud. Thank you Dickie, wherever you are today. I was sold on the spot. I’ve been a fan ever since. The other song Dickie would consistently wail for us was “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream. This song still gives me chills today. I know many of you have heard it so many times you don’t even hear it when it comes on. That’s how I feel about Robert Palmer’s “Bad Case of Loving You.” I don’t even hear it when it comes on the radio. Not that I should be listening to any station that plays it, but the DJs on my local Alternative/Indie Rock station are just kids. And irritating ones at that. I’m so down on radio it’s not funny and it was my first true love. Oh well.
Eric Clapton was a troubadour of sorts bouncing from band to band in the 60′s. Clearly the guy was beyond talented, but he didn’t seem to have much compromise in his bones either. I mean The Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie, Derek & The Dominos, Solo career…enough already. I don’t know, maybe that’s what it takes to achieve what he’s achieved. We all know it was The Blues or bust in his world, but there sure seemed to be more flight than fight when it came to working with difficult musicians. Cream was something else. It’s no accident that when they reunited in 2005 for a handful of shows at Madison Square Garden and Royal Albert Hall that tickets were at a premium. The concert, even though I wasn’t privileged enough to attend, sounds wonderful. I’m not surprised.
Old Blues numbers drove Cream for the most part. “Spoonful, Born Under a Bad Sign, Rollin’ and Tumblin’, Cat’s Squirrel, Outside Woman Blues, Sitting On Top of The World, Crossroads and I’m So Glad” were a nice foundation for their catalogue. Their original tunes though were the ones that folks got into the most. “Sunshine of Your Love, White Room, Badge, Strange Brew, SWLABR and Tales of Brave Ulysses” are still played on Classic Rock radio to this very day. There is just something about the way these guys played this music that makes it timeless. The Blues are timeless, I get that, but most of their songs were played at a measured and slow pace that built to a crescendo of sorts. Blues Rock at it’s finest.
Today is Ginger Baker’s 71st birthday if my math is correct. Born August 19, 1939 in South London, Baker fancies himself a Jazz drummer. He suffers from Arthritis these days, but back in his heyday he used two bass drums as opposed to one bass drum and one kick bass drum. How that translates to his sound I’ll leave for real musicians to discuss. He apparently played harder with one hand and softer with another. Again, I know nothing about drumming. I know he sounded great, but why? I can’t help you there. After Cream and Blind Faith Baker had his own band called Air Force for a time. He also teamed up with some bands you wouldn’t expect him to in Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster and Public Image Limited. As you can see in the picture directly above he has a couple of palm prints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I was reading an article about him in Classic Rock Magazine recently and he trashed everyone from Led Zeppelin to The Beatles. He complained about Rock Music being so loud. Baker no longer cares for Rock music and he sounds bitter as all get out. Well, there’s nothing we can do about that here at The Giant Panther, but we can pay tribute to one of Rock’s legends. Happy Birthday GB.
Buy or Download Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – David Crosby
Aug 14th
Today is Aerosmith & The J. Geils Band at Fenway Park Day. I don’t need to see this show. I’m going to be disappointed with the set list and I’ve seen Geils twice in the last 15 months or so. It’s a social event. The acoustics at Fenway Park are putrid and there are only about 50 good seats unless you count the Executive Suites upstairs. If I had my druthers that is where I would sit for every show. Paul McCartney last summer was fantastic from that vantage point. You can see the entire mob, the big screen TV, the weather, the Prudential Center and you have your own beer stand and bathroom. The beer will still be $10 a pop, but that’s the cost of doing business in this town. Luckily the weather is going to be mint, as in not hot. Wish me luck.
Today is David Van Cortlandt Crosby’s 69th birthday. 1941 was a long, long time ago. Even before this writer’s time. How he got this far is flat amazing. I wouldn’t exactly call him Keith Richards, but I read his book Long Time Gone a number of years ago and it was quite apparent that he wasn’t a health nut. I had to struggle to find reasonably flattering photographs of young David on the Internet. In most of them he looks like he’s near death. That’s probably because he was. So You Want To Be a Rock & Roll Star you say? It’s a Long Way To The Top as some famous Australians once said. Imagine if David Crosby played more taxing music? Those groupies must have been murder. I have the feeling, give or take some substance abuse, David Crosby wouldn’t change a thing. Not sure he was expecting to be a sperm donor, but it’s all good.
Say what you will about Crosby, the man could sing. I can’t sing a lick. It’s embarrassing. Not even as well as Bob Dylan or Ozzy Osbourne. Nothing. It’s a crying shame too because I love music so much more than the casual fan it’s frightening. I was never formally trained, even though we’ve established that I’m an Alto, or more accurately was, in 6th grade. I have zero range before my voice cracks or my vocal chords begin to shred. Yes, in all my concert going years, I have attempted to sing out loud knowing nobody could hear me. I only draw attention to myself once in a blue moon. When The Who took Quadrophenia back on the road again a decade or so ago the people around me knew I knew the words. That too, was embarrassing, but for different reasons entirely. Tears of joy are not manly…
So David Crosby was in this seminal 60′s Folk Rock band called The Byrds beginning in 1964. He player rhythm guitar after trying to play bass initially. Has joined in The Byrds by Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman at the onset. The band had a number of problems over the years, probably due in part to the monster success they enjoyed as a result of a magnificent cover of Bob Dylan’s ”Mr Tambourine Man.” Few bands sounded as beautiful as did The Byrds. I don’t know anything about instruments either (another crime), but their 12 string guitar sound was promptly patented by a gazillion bands after them. Superstar Tom Petty probably represents The Byrds in all its jingle jangle glory today. His cover of “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” is almost note for note. Sometimes I hate that in a cover, but not on this one. Fantastic song, fantastic cover. The Byrds are famous for a number of tracks including “Eight Miles High, Turn! Turn! Turn!, Chestnut Mare, Jesus is Just Alright and half a dozen Bob Dylan covers. Truthfully, I didn’t know much about Bob Dylan, one of my heroes, before I heard The Byrds version of “Mr Tambourine Man.” I was just too young. I fixed that over the years…
With The Byrds in acromonious turmoil, David Crosby was asked to leave the band around September 1967. He then stumbled on Stephen Stills in early 1968 at a party and began to jam with him. Shortly thereafter Hollies great Graham Nash joined the duo to form one of Rock’s all time famous trios. There was something magic about the three of them singing together. If you have seen footage of their appearance at Woodstock it might strike you as amazing that they sounded so great in what was only their second public appearance as a band. It’s kind of hard to describe the scene for me as I was only nine years old in 1969, but Crosby, Stills & Nash was a fantastic debut record. Classic Rock owns “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Teach Your Children, Marrakesh Express, Long Time Gone, Helplessly Hoping and Wooden Ships” to this very day. There is a ton of Classic Rock music that I don’t care if I ever hear again, but I will never get tired of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Wooden Ships or Long Time Gone.” Never.
A couple of years later the legendary Neil Young recorded with the trio. Deja Vu was released in March 1970 and if you are inclined to like C,S,N & Y and you don’t own this record go sit in the corner. Deja Vu is a masterpiece of the highest Folk Rock order. Nothing less. “Carry On” still sounds magnificent to this day. “Almost Cut My Hair” is tremendous. Joni Mitchell’s reworked “Woodstock” is still a classic. Luckily 1971 brought Four Way Street, a live double album, to really document this magical time. Take an hour an listen to this record the next time you get a chance. It’s magic. It still sounds fresh today. Check it out.
OK, I’ve GOT to shut it down now. C,S,N and sometimes Y had a number of successes after 1971, but between Crosby’s substance abuse (allegedly starting in earnest when his long time girlfriend Christine Hinton was killed in an automobile accident in 1969) and Neil’s solo career the alliances sort of came and went. David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young were all monster talents in their own right though none of them had the success of Neil Young. He’s one of my all time favorite artists. August 14, 1941 was the day the world met David Crosby and we at The Giant Panther are happy about it. A gentle soul and a talented musician and a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer twice over, we hope he lives another 25 years.
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Long Time Gone.mp3
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Wooden Ships.mp3
Crosby, Stills & Nash – I Give You Give Blind.mp3
Buy or Download Crosby, Stills & Nash from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Ian Anderson
Aug 10th
Every now and again I feel like a post is going to go over like a Led Zeppelin, to coin a phrase, and this is one of them. I don’t care. I was “hired” to provide content and dad gum it (I obviously listen to too many Hawk Harrelson White Sox broadcasts on the MLB package), that is what I’m going to do. Today is Ian Scott Anderson’s 63rd birthday. Born on August 10, 1947, Anderson has built an empire by mixing Blues, Progressive Rock, Folk, Jazz and some traditional sounds to form a sound no one else has. When you are trying to establish territory in the world of Rock music, the best thing you can do is sound like nobody else…ever. Mission accomplished. Love ‘em or hate ‘em (I think you know where I stand), Jethro Tull has been an institution for some 42 years. Who else could be identified with a mere silhouette to begin the post? Ten, fifteen musicians max? Excepting the blaring headline “Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Ian Anderson,” even folks who don’t care for Jethro Tull’s music would easily be able to identify the artwork. No words needed. Just black and white. If you are interested in building a rock brand see Anderson, Ian. My friend Mark always asks me to name five rock bands that feature the flute and I always kind of struggle to name bands he might know. The Moody Blues? Horslips? Focus? I give up almost immediately. If I dig deep with the help of the Internet I can now locate Genesis, The Guess Who, King Crimson and The Marshall Tucker Band.
If you have even a modicum of affinity for the music of JT and all you know is Aqualung, Bungle in The Jungle, Locomotive Breath, Living in The Past and the other half dozen tracks still getting Classic Rock airplay, I feel sorry for you. I’ve been a Jethro Tull fan since maybe 1972. Twelve years old. That’s a fair assessment. FM radio, with their new found Progressive formats, incorporated Jethro Tull in the early 70′s like it was going out of style. By the time Benefit, released in 1970, was released, Jethro Tull, the English Rock group with the Scottish lead singer, were already famous. I was watching The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus the other day for fun and the first band out of the chute is none other than Jethro Tull. That might sound like warm up act material to you, but on the bill were The Who, Taj Mahal, The Dirty Mac, Marianne Faithful (I think she was sleeping with someone we all know at that time), Yoko Ono and you know who. They did a killer rendition of “Song For Jeffrey,” which appeared on This Was as well as opening up 1972′s Living in The Past. This was December 1968. You can bet Mick, Keith, Pete and the rest had respect for this fledgling band back then.
Look, I get that Tull is a polarizing act. I was giving this girl a ride home not six weeks ago and had War Child in my CD player. “The Third Hoorah” to be exact. This woman is sizzling hot and a yoga instructor. Way out of my league. And also twenty years, at least, younger than I am. I didn’t have the thing blasting or even loud, but she felt the need to complain about the music even as I was saving her ten miles worth of cab fare just the same. She asked me who it was and when I told her she said she just could never get into Jethro Tull. At least she knew who they were. I put on the local crappy R&B station after calling her high maintenance for fun. She’s a sweetheart of a woman, but Tull is out of the question apparently. That’s OK, I don’t need anyone to listen to it with me. I’ve been doing it for coming up on 40 years now. I love seeing the other die hard fans at the shows each year and my friend Jefferson, probably the only other Tull fan of any consequence I know, went to the show earlier this summer. We saw WZLX’s Carter Alan there and had a few laughs with him knowing him from our days as glorified gophers at WBCN, The Rock of Boston. Carter, at least, still likes Jethro Tull too. Tull fans are like a dinosaur cult slowly going extinct, probably because we never have sex (kidding!) like The Shakers. And I can’t even make any furniture and Ken Burns isn’t interested in doing a documentary on us. Shocking.
For those of you interested in learning more about the Tull catalogue the sleepers are Benefit (1970), Living in The Past (1972), Minstrel in The Gallery (1975), Songs From The Wood (1977), Heavy Horses (1978) and Crest of a Knave (1987). Excepting the Classic Rock format, FM radio hasn’t played current Jethro Tull since Songs From The Wood came out in 1977. I remember “Songs From The Wood, Cup of Wonder and The Whistler” getting cursory airplay back in the 70′s, but since then? 1980′s A had “Crossfire” (definitely not to be confused with the Stevie Ray Vaughan classic), 1982′s Broadsword and The Beast had the underrated “Hard Times,” 1984′s Under Wraps had “Lap of Luxury” and 1987′s Crest of a Knave had “Farm On The Freeway,” but Tull’s music had faded to black on the airways. If you listen to Classic Rock radio and you didn’t much care for them before, I can’t imagine your hatred for them now. I remember my friend Jefferson and I went out to the venerable Worcester Centrum on November 21, 1987, taking advantage of our dubious radio contacts, and got backstage to meet Ian. He couldn’t talk due to vocal problems, but we got him to sign our CDs and chatted with ZZ Top, if I have my facts straight, whom I believe were sharing the bill with them that night. A blip on the radar screen of my concert going life, but it’s still fun to look at my Crest of a Knave CD with “Hello John!, Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull” scribbled on it. It sees the light of day once every five years now that the CD is digitized, but it’ll take it’s place next to the other half dozen luminaries I suckered into signing a CD cover for me. Anyway…
My stories always make my posts run long and this was supposed to be about Ian Anderson so here goes…Ian Anderson stumbled on the Rock & Roll life while working as a sales person in a department store in the Blackpool section of England. He was reading Melody Maker and the New Musical Express and decided the Rock life might be fun. He started a band called The Blades and tried his hand at lead guitar. He quickly gave up that aspiration once he heard Eric Clapton play, but he took up the flute and mastered it rather quickly. Apparently he had been playing for only a few months before the tracks for Jethro Tull’s debut album, This Was, were laid down in 1968. Ian is a salmon farmer and has survived a bout with Deep Vein Thrombosis, a disease which he does Public Service Announcements for.
Jethro Tull still releases records every couple of years although they’ve been kind of quiet the last few years since releasing a fantastic Christmas Album in 2003. I hear there is something on the horizon, but Ian Anderson and Martin Barre will doubtless solider on until they feel like quitting. Judging from the performance I saw a couple of months back, I don’t think that will be anytime soon. Happy Birthday Ian from The Giant Panther. I’m posting a couple of my favorites for fun.
Jethro Tull – Up The ‘Pool.mp3
Jethro Tull – Nothing To Say.mp3
Buy or Download The Best of Jethro Tull from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Mick Jagger
Jul 26th
I don’t know if I qualify as anything other than just another fan of The Rolling Stones, but they will always be my favorite band. The Giant Panther, better known as Ryan to his friends, considers Talking Heads his favorite band. You really never know what actually cements that final nail in the favorite band coffin, but generally it’s a formative years type of thing to me. I remember a friend of my father’s named Tommy Armstrong lending me a copy of The Rolling Stones 1967 release Flowers when I was just a tyke. I had heard Stones classics like “Get Off of My Cloud, Satisfaction, Time is On My Side and Play With Fire” on AM radio stations like WABC in New York by then, but I wasn’t a mad Stones fan the way I already loved The Beatles. I can’t recall if “Honky Tonk Women” was a hit just yet, but consider the time frame I’m describing late 1968 or early 1969. I have mentioned Tommy in past posts, but he has no idea how much influence he eventually had on my musical tastes. He introduced me to Donovan and Bob Dylan almost as if he were my own father. He knew I was a rocker already even though I was just eight or nine years old. The funny thing is, he and my old man had almost nothing in common. My father was an old school Navy man with a Vitalis ‘do. Tommy was a bit of a hippie and I’ll bet he was a Mary Jane fan too. They played ball together (softball and basketball mostly) and I just happened to be tagging along most of the time with my root beer float as those guys were swilling their post athletic endeavor brew. Those were different times, as they say…
Flowers was a soft record as Rolling Stones records go. It had a couple of ballads, but the first track was a killer and sucked me into the world of The Rolling Stones forever. It was called “Ruby Tuesday.” I still love this tune to this day. Mick and Keith were just transitioning from The Blues and Garage Rock to a bit of Psychedelia. I wouldn’t figure out that music by The Beatles, The Stones, The Animals, The Doors, The Chambers Brothers and everyone from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown to The Strawberry Alarm Clock to The Moody Blues were all influenced by some type of drug related experience until many years later. I didn’t care either. The music had depth if that makes any sense. “Ruby Tuesday” still blows me away. Flowers also contained the relatively tame, but racy at the time “Let’s Spend The Night Together.” It had “Lady Jane” and “Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in The Shadow.” “Out of Time” appeared here as well as “Mother’s Little Helper.” Not your most rocking Stones album, but I didn’t care at the time. I loved it. Flower(s) Power. What else you got Uncle Tom? I was a sponge.
I was hooked just in time for the ridiculous studio fearsome foursome of Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile On Main Street (1972). I got my Ya-Ya’s Out and then some thank you. I’ve been a hardcore fan ever since. Today, as I’m sure you know by now, is Mick Jagger’s 67th birthday. I can never imagine being Mick. I’m sure he’s done some things he’s not particularly proud of (as have we all), but what a life he’s led. I’ve criticized the Stones sets the past two decades many times for being too rigid and predictable, but every time I get there I am so entertained by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards that the frustration of not getting to hear one of my personal favs just melts away. I’m listening to the underrated 1994 Stones record Voodoo Lounge as we speak. Sometimes I forget how good some of their not so popular records were. Some of you are probably chuckling as I wax nostalgia at days gone by, but you’ll be here some day. I’m sure there are those of you who figure The Stones, if you ever liked them at all, made their last good record in 1976. Or 1981. Or 1994. Whatever, The Rolling Stones represent the Big Leagues in Rock & Roll and there aren’t too many bands on their level. I don’t care how old they are. I hope they live forever. There, I said it…
Michael Philip “Mick” Jagger was born on July 26, 1943 in England’s Dartford, Kent region. He was a singer at a very young age in church, began to admire Rhythm & Blues rocker Little Richard and a star was born. I was born in New Jersey. I remember my mother refused to let me be named Michael because she was certain my father would start calling me “Mick” because of New York Yankees baseball star Mickey Mantle. If I had a name like Jagger I could probably have gotten away with it, but since I’m clearly without talent it was all for the best. I’m not going to go into the rest of Mick’s life, but let’s just say he’s done very well for himself and kept The Stones machine on track for all these years. Nobody in that band is hurting for cash that’s for sure. Lord knows I’ve spent a boatload on Albums, CDs, DVDs, posters, buttons, concert tickets and whatever else. I still have a silk tapestry of the famous tongue logo I can break out at tailgate parties without too much embarrassment; although I guess that depends on your point of view.
Mick’s solo career has been a bit shaky, but if you own 1985′s She’s The Boss and 1993′s surprisingly good Wandering Spirit you’re probably covered. I’m going to leave you with a couple of my personal fav Mick vocals for fun. Happy birthday Mick. Somewhere between “I Love You Man” and a mild mancrush is where this blogger sits as he gazes lovingly at his massive Rolling Stones catalogue. Mick will always rule in my book.
Mick Jagger – Memo From Turner.mp3
The Rolling Stones – Some Girls.mp3
Buy or download Wandering Spirit from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Ringo Starr
Jul 7th
As a Rock music fan, it really is impossible to quantify the impact The Beatles made on what we have going on some 50 years later in the world of music. There can be no doubt that musicians like Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bo Diddley and scores of others laid the groundwork for what happened to Rock & Roll in the early 60′s, but The Beatles sort of crystalized it all. The British Invasion is looked upon lovingly by most rock fans as bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks and The Animals made their way over here to shake up the establishment. It was The Beatles who seemed to make Rock & Roll palatable for many conservative stuffed shirts back in the day. They had this wholesome quality combined with a tremendous sense of humor. Richard Starkey seemed to be the most comical of all The Beatles in my mind. I mean, with all that attention and girls spontaneously coming out of their clothing, being a Beatle had to be a gas, gas, gas as someone else once said, but Ringo Starr was having fun out there and it was contagious. As far as I can tell, he still is. Good for him.
Today is Ringo Starr’s 70th birthday. Let that sink in you youngsters. 70 years of age. That is unthinkable to those of us who grew up playing their 45 RPM records. Ringo always got a bad rap as a member of the world’s greatest rock group. Who played drums in The Monkees? Mickey Dolenz? I swear Ringo’s critics think of him as sort of the Mickey Dolenz (no offense Mickey! I love The Monkees…seriously) of The Beatles. Not that any of the other Monkees were considered highly skilled musicians (again no offense intended); it’s just that Ringo never seemed to get his just due. For those of you who need a refresher course on The Monkees, they were essentially a made for TV band created in 1966 and promoted by the legendary Don Kirshner. Their songs were largely written by then famous Brill Building (think Carole King and Neil Sedaka) professional songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. While it initially had fabrication written all over it, The Monkees went on to be wildly successful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. That doesn’t put them in league with The Beatles of course, but Ringo never seemed to get any respect for my money. If you get a chance to read up on what present day drummers think of Ringo Starr’s drumming ability I think you’d be pleasantly surprised at the reverence.
I’m sure every single one of you knows that Ringo Starr only became a Beatle in 1962 after their first drummer, Pete Best, was replaced in August of that year. His Beatle days lasted two years and four days according to our friends at Wikipedia. Since I was two years old when all this went down, I really didn’t have any reason to follow the controversial sacking of Pete Best. Apparently The Beatles had Brian Epstein deliver the news. It seems as though Best had been quasi managing the group before Epstein was hired. I had no idea of how popular a member of the group he was for his two years either. It is said that Ringo took a lot of guff from their fans about the switch including a head butt resulting in a black eye at one point. I don’t know if Best would have been able to carry the mop top look and the co-ordinated dress package The Beatles were selling, but I would bet Ringo was the more amiable and social man based on what I have read. Still, getting any song writing credit when partners with John Lennon and Paul McCartney was never going to be a cakewalk. George Harrison had the same problems Ringo did there.
Outside of Hamburg, Germany and Liverpool, England The Beatles were really only around for seven or eight years commercially speaking. George Harrison and Ringo Starr had to take back seats to John Lennon and Paul McCartney the entire time. Harrison eventually went on to have a tremendous solo career, but Ringo sort of lagged behind in the public consciousness. I’ll bet you had no idea Ringo Starr has released 15 solo studio albums. 15! I really wasn’t aware of that until mere minutes ago myself. It’s amazing to me. Who is buying these records? I think I have copies of Ringo’s first four records ending with 1974′s Goodnight Vienna. I bought Blast From Your Past (Greatest Hits) in 1975 and called it a day with Ringo. He had a little bit of schmaltz in some of his music and I felt like I only needed so much of it. Plus I had moved on to other sounds and genres. Unlike most listeners though, I never forget where I came from. Yeah I wince at some of the singles I bought way back when (Hello “I Think I love You” by The Partridge Family), but by and large I stand by my musical development. It’s been a helluva ride so far.
Ringo Starr had some great moments amongst all those Lennon-McCartney gems. Actually, singing lead might be a more accurate description of what definitively took place, but nevertheless Ringo sang some very successful Beatles’ numbers. You may recall a little number called “With a Little Help From My Friends” for instance, but don’t forget “Yellow Submarine, Act Naturally, Octopus’s Garden and Don’t Pass Me By.” His solo career featured tracks like “It Don’t Come Easy, You’re Sixteen, Photograph, I’m The Greatest, Back Off Boogaloo, Only You (and You Alone), Oh My My, The No No Song and Goodnight Vienna.” As far as straight song writing credit he got by “With a Little Help From His Friends” no doubt, but I enjoyed his fun loving easy delivery. It was always tongue in cheek. Look, Ringo was a drummer first and foremost (and husband to the beautiful Barbara Bach seen directly above…drumming in the world’s greatest band does have its perks), so no one was expecting a killer solo career, but he’s got to be fairly pleased about how it turned out. Everybody likes to compare The Beatles solo careers, but that is counterproductive as far I can tell. I loved them all. Not many bands could put another 80 or so records into the marketplace after breaking up the world’s greatest band.
I know I missed Paul McCartney’s recent birthday, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to them all. Next year Paul. Happy Birthday Ringo. I’ll bet July 7, 1940 seems like just the other day to you. May you live longer than John Wooden my friend.
Ringo Starr – It Don’t Come Easy.mp3
Ringo Starr – Goodnight Vienna.mp3
Buy or download Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Ray Davies
Jun 21st
The first Kinks record I ever owned that was not a greatest hits package was called Lola vs Powerman and The Money-Go-Round, Part One. It came out in 1970 and featured the now infamous song “Lola” and a second track I liked at the time called “Apeman.” I bought it second hand at a flea market in Chester, NJ back in 1976 or so. I literally stole this record for the princely sum of $1. I’m looking at the handwritten price on the corner of the LP at this very moment. I guess the volume of The Kinks catalogue wore the seller down huh? It has a tiny piece of one corner cut out and thus it’s place in what became known as “cut out” bins. CDs usually have a hole punched in the jewel box. I’ve made quite a collection fishing through alleged cut out bins. Sometimes the seller has too many, but many times they are clueless about what is actually on the record and how hard it is to find. That’s where my expertise really pays off. Well, it doesn’t exactly pay, but all these years later I have a ton of CDs that are out of print. Pretty cool I say.
Getting back to Lola vs Powerman, I really don’t like records that come out as Part One. I don’t even like song titles with Part One in them. It’s confusing for the consumer. Was there ever a Part Two (in this case not officially)? Do we need three parts of “Another Brick in the Wall?” It’s just annoying, no matter how good the music is. Which one tells us to leave those kids alone again? This record was, ironically enough, released on Reprise Records here in the states. Reprises I understand…as in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise). Part’s I, II, III and beyond bug me. Pet peeve number gazillion. Just ignore me. I think they call it anal and I’m guilty as charged.
The Kinks early catalogue is full of story telling and scene setting. I don’t really have a problem with that so much, but I dropped the “Part One” along time ago when labeling the corresponding digital files. I hate those records with Blah, Blah, Blah featuring So and So too. I chop those featured artists right out so I can get everything to line up clean with the rest of the main artist’s catalogue. Digital files don’t like to make room for guest vocalists and neither do I. Anyway, If you don’t have a copy of Lola vs Powerman I’m not sure if I’m going to communicate just how great this and other Kinks records were. There is no denying the jaw dropping greatness of songs like “All of The Day and All of The Night, Waterloo Sunset, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Sunny Afternoon, Till The End of The Day, Tired of Waiting For You, You Really Got Me, Well Respected Man, Victoria” and on and on. I absolutely love The Kinks. They existed in a vacuum created by The Beatles and The Stones, but they took a back seat to no one. If they had packed it in by 1969 they’d have still made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame without question.
When you are barely a teenager there is not much chance of you being able to afford the back catalogue of a performer you just “discovered.” Records were about $3.50 in those days and that was about one third of what you earned for cutting the neighbor’s grass back then. When you bought a record you listened to it. Over and over. I must have listened to Lola vs Powerman 1000 times without skipping a single track…ever. It was then I knew that I’d be buying a lot more Kinks records in the coming years. Lola had a song called “Top of The Pops” which I was all over the second I heard it. You all know “”Lola” was a monster smash and went on to become one of their signature tunes, but this record was full of great “B” cuts. And it taught me how truly great The Kinks were. There isn’t a bad track on it. Their next studio album was called Muswell Hillbillies (1971). I played the bejesus out of that one too although I didn’t buy it until many years later. Those of you who know the individual non hit tracks on these records know exactly where my reverence comes from. It’s rock music, but it’s definitely folky with a heavy British accent. Worth every one of the 100 cents I invested.
The Kinks went on to have a ridiculously successful career after 1971. It’s like having two careers. Unstoppable tracks from their catalogue are numerous, but you could always find one great track on each album. You may recall “Celluloid Heroes” from Everybody’s in Show Biz (1972), ”One of The Survivors” from Preservation Act I (1973), “I’m in Disgrace” from Schoolboys in Disgrace (1975), “Jukebox Music, Life Goes On & Sleepwalker” from Sleepwalker (1977), “Live Life, Permanent Waves & A Rock & Roll Fantasy” from Misfits (1978), “Catch Me Now I’m Falling, (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman & Low Budget from Low Budget (1979), “Around The Dial, Better Things & Destroyer” from Give The People What They Want (1981), “State of Confusion & Come Dancing” from State of Confusion (1982), “Do It Again & Living On a Thin Line” from Word of Mouth (1983) and “Rock & Roll Cities” from Think Visual (1986). The brothers Davies (brother Dave was the lead guitarist) just could not get along and The Kinks finally came to rest around 1996. 32 years. What a bunch of slackers!
Today is Head Kink (no offense intended big Dave!) Ray Davies’ 66th birthday. Born in the Muswell Hill section of North London on June 21, 1944. Ray still releases solo CDs, several of which I own, but I haven’t been able to give them the time they deserve unfortunately. I’m sure they are quite good as I rarely get tired of listening to Ray when he’s at least trying to rock. OK, I’m out for the day. Here are three of my all time favorite Kinks songs, but check with me tomorrow and I’d have three others. Happy Birthday Ray Davies. We hope for many more.
The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon.mp3
Buy or download Come Dancing: Best of The Kinks 1977-1986 from Amazon here.
Your Tour Guide – Jethro Tull & Procol Harum
Jun 16th
I know a concert review about two bands from the 60′s isn’t going to score big with today’s Indie crowd, but not many of posts do so why stop now? Jethro Tull is a very polarizing band kind of like Rush or even The Grateful Dead; you either love them or you hate them. Well, I’m fans of all three bands and I make no apologies. I’ve been listening to Jethro Tull since I was about 13 years old. I own everything in their catalogue. I don’t know too many Jethro Tull fans to be honest, but I met about twenty last night between dinner and drinks prior to the show. They’re like Republicans or Yankee fans in Massachusetts; they’re everywhere in plain view, but nobody can see them. It’s a curious thing actually. Jethro Tull played The Bank of America Pavilion last night on Boston’s waterfront. It’s my favorite venue in a town full of them. It’s a big top tent that only thrives for about three months each year, but it’s easy to get to, close to home and brings all kinds of like minded music fans together each year. I just love the place. Real food, real beer and a very peaceful vibe. All kinds of acts play this venue. I’ve seen everything from My Morning Jacket to Robert Plant to Iggy Pop to Beck there. Capacity is only around five thousand I’m told. It feels like more, but I guess not.
The Bank of America Pavilion does their revival acts like Chicago, The Doobie Brothers and a whole host of bands that sporadically re-unite from year to year. Each year you can pick out five must see shows, particularly if the warm up act is credible, and you make sure you are there. People who know me could point those five out from an ad in the paper each year. The venue is a big draw for me. I skip over the Pop and R&B and head right for the rock bands I haven’t seen in a while. You may recall I caught The Moody Blues there last summer and posted about it here. I’m going to see some fun double bills over the next month or so. Cheap Trick with Squeeze. Heart with Peter Frampton. I’ve seen all these bands before, but they’re so close! This could be the last time (yeah, right). Bad Company has reformed for a show there this summer. Count me in for July 27th, but I’m dying to see Widespread Panic on July 24th. Can this old man stack up this many concerts in such a short amount of time? Gov’t Mule is a staple in my world. See you August 6th. But the show I’m really looking forward to is The Black Keys on July 31st. I could get by with a handful of shows each summer at The BOA Pavilion, but it seems like this year I’ve got twelve or so. So much for the budget. I’ve gotta locate funds to see Rush perform Moving Pictures in its entirety in September at Boston Garden (sorry, TD Bank…North). Ditto for Roger Waters performing The Wall in early October. Can you feel my pain? No? Why not? It’s only money.
When you are around for forty plus years, you tend to accumulate a lot of material. Picking what to play is a nightmare I suppose, but for the hard core fans leaving the hits out is a pipe dream. I’ve probably seen Jethro Tull a dozen times or so, but I get a charge out of them every time. Only lead guitarist Martin Barre and Ian Anderson are what you’d call original members, but the music remains mostly unchanged give or take a few new arrangements from time to time. I’d drop “Aqualung” in a heartbeat, but then what would the first timer say and would he ever come back as a result? I remember an old quote by Joe DiMaggio to the effect that he never wanted to come out of the lineup because some little kid might be at his first game looking to see him play. He didn’t want to disappoint. I guess that is the logic behind Jethro Tull playing “Aqualung” every time they take the stage, but it does get old for me. If owned a band, listen up Mick Jagger, and I had over 20 albums of material to choose from I’d figure out a way to make every song interchangeable. I love the way The Grateful Dead controlled their catalogue. You had to go to every show just in case you missed them doing “Tennessee Jed” or whatever your favorite Dead song might be. I’ll bet they never got bored. There is no reason The Rolling Stones have to play “Sympathy For The Devil” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” at every show, but they do. In fairness to Jethro Tull, “Aqualung” is the only song that falls into this category for them. Well, unless you count “Locomotive Breath,” which turned out to be the encore with a touch of “Teacher” mixed into it.
They opened with “Nothing is Easy” from 1969′s Stand Up, which has long been a favorite of mine. Ran right into “Beggar’s Farm” from 1968′s This Was. Can’t beat those two with a stick if you are a Tull fan. They followed that up with the Joe Bonamassa fav “A New Day Yesterday” from Stand Up as well. As my friend Jefferson, who attended the show with me last night, said at the time; “they could pack up right now and I’d feel like I got my money’s worth.” Exactly. For out of the way tracks we were treated to “Jack in The Green” from 1977′s Songs From The Wood and “Budapest” from 1987′s Crest of a Knave. The concert didn’t feel overly short, but we got only one encore and only 14 songs by my count. Look, if they ever do a show that plays the entire Benefit (1970), Living in The Past (1972), War Child (1974) or Minstrel in The Gallery (1975) albums I’d be all over that, but you have to take what you can get these days. Besides, judging from the aggregate age of the crowd, who can handle a two hour rock concert anymore? Oh that’s right, I can. Bottom line? If you are a Tull fan you’ll enjoy the heck out of this show. If not, stay home. You won’t enjoy the show.
Opener Procol Harum ran through an abridged catalogue in 45 minutes or so. Yes we got show closer “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” but we got so much more than that. Lead by singer Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid, Procol Harum still sounds exactly like they did all those years ago. It’s uncanny. Shine On Brightly, Homburg, A Salty Dog, Conquistador, Simple Sister and Whaling Stories all sounded tremendous. Gary Brooker’s pushing 65 for crying out loud! What a great voice. I’m so glad I was able to catch them. I’m almost positive I heard one my personal favorites by them; “The Devil Came From Kansas” during their sound check on the street before the show, but that one apparently didn’t make it. I still get (The Big) Chill’s when I hear “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Four minutes of classical and rock music fusion that made history. What a single. Robin Trower was nowhere in sight, but go see this show anyway if you are fans of Procol Harum.
Jethro Tull – Nothing is Easy.mp3
