Posts tagged 90′s
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 – Madonna
Aug 16th
OK, today is August 16th. In 1958 Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan. I wouldn’t exactly call Madonna a “Rock Star,” but nobody can deny that she is a Superstar. I have to tell you, in 1984 I hated Madonna. I thought she stood for disposable Pop Music and that she’d be gone inside of five years. Boy was I wrong. The biggest stars in the music world at that time were Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Prince & U2. Then there was Madonna with her singles “Like a Virgin, Material Girl, Holiday, Borderline, Lucky Star, Into The Groove and Dress You Up.” I worked at a now defunct nightclub in Boston called The Commons around this time. It’s now a Bennigan’s or some such thing, but it was the biggest draw in the then new Copley Plaza Mall. I was working as a bar back in the club and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night this place drew four wide one hundred person long lines. Every so often a local band like Fat City might play there, but the majority of the time it was a DJ playing Madonna, Chic, Grandmaster Flash or whatever quasi danceable fare they were serving up back in the day. We’d get celebrities and scores of wannabes just pouring in to dance and score. You might hear “White Lines” by Grandmaster Flash or “White Horse” by Laidback for all too obvious reasons. Throw in a Robert Parish sighting and I don’t have to draw you a map. The Go-Go 80′s indeed. There were absolutely no consequences…at least that is what we thought at the time.
I could handle all of that for eleven hours four days a week, but I couldn’t take the mind numbing constant steam of “No Parking On The Dance Floor” or “Le Freak” twice a night four days a week. “Like a Virgin” might have been the biggest offender. Look, I had no standing, I could have quit and worked somewhere else, but the scenery and the money were worth the aggravation. I eventually was terminated for an alleged attitude problem, but one of the underlying reasons was that the GM and I had designs on the same girl. Problem solved. I remember not even really wanting the job in the first place. I interviewed after leaving another quality job (kidding), working at T.G.I. Fridays. When they didn’t hire me right away I went back in to find out why. I learned a good lesson about not complaining about your previous employer in any interview, but the fools took me on anyway. I lasted maybe eight months. Enough to get used to Madonna I guess. The Commons eventually folded up its tent maybe a year later. I think the owner ended up going to jail in a situation not unlike Bernie Madoff, at least in terms of ethical behaviour. I do recall he brought both of his restaurant staffs to his home and had us all play a real life game of Let’s Make a Deal with his ill gotten cash. I remember thinking how ironic when he got caught.
Where were we? Oh yeah…Madge. Madonna moved to New York City in 1977 to find her way in the world of Modern Dance. Within six years she had a record deal (Sire Records, owned by Warner Brothers) and released her debut album Madonna in 1983. She initially played in a band called Breakfast Club before leaving to form a band called Emmy in 1980. A New York City club DJ named Mark Kamins is generally credited with putting Madonna in touch with Sire Records founder Seymour Stein. The rest is history. Madonna’s sound bordered on Disco, which is why I didn’t take much of a shine to it initially, and danceable R&B. You may recall a one time music television station called MTV was now making and breaking bands around that time. Madonna, who could dance anyway, began marketing an entire image complete with fishnet stockings, jewelry, bleached hair and all kinds of things with the help of her videos. To say it took off totally doesn’t even do what happened justice. Women began dressing like Madonna and her music was everywhere. “Like a Virgin” spent six weeks at #1 on The Billboard Charts and she parlayed her near instant worldwide fame into a bit of an acting career. Madonna appeared in Desperately Seeking Susan, a 1985 movie starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Laurie Metcalf, making her even more of a household name, and introduced the world to her new hit single “Into The Groove” at the time. She never looked back.
As far as I was concerned I was still no Madonna convert. I fought her music, even as a Guilty Pleasure, until the late 90′s. Finally, an old friend whom I’ve known since high school, says he bought a copy of Madonna’s 1998 record Ray of Light and loved it. Blasphemy I said! Not me…no way. The thing is, I trusted him. I knew we had similar tastes in music so I secretly ordered a copy from the now defunct Columbia House Music Club. No one will know right? I could just listen in private and be done with it right? I could subsequently tell my buddy he was way off base and sell my non existent copy to Nuggets in Kenmore Square and never speak of it again. Well, it didn’t exactly turn out like that. I remember not too long after that I was over another friend of mine’s place and his girlfriend put on a copy of Madonna’s 2000 CD Music. I found myself enjoying the hell out of it. I told no one of course and went out the next day and got a used copy. “Music” is one of my favorite Madonna tracks today.
Since the turn of the century I’ve become quite the fan of her enduring ability. I thought 2005′s Confessions On a Dance Floor and 2008′s Hard Candy were very good. I remember buying a copy of The Immaculate Collection and telling myself it was for the ladies…you know, back to the Peter Cetera commercial I wrote about a couple of weeks back. The ladies love Madonna…and I love the ladies…therefore I love Madonna…it’s the only way I could “Justify (My Love)” loving songs like “Vogue, Papa Don’t Preach, Lucky Star” and all the rest. By comparison, Madonna practically rocks these days. I love “Hung Up” from Confessions. Look, I’m never gonna sit around with my buddies listening to Madonna, but I’m officially out of the closet. I don’t care about the cone bras and the Erotica. I never even found her particularly attractive, but I will say her talent is undeniable. Even hard bitten rockers like me can relate from time to time. I might even go see her some day. Wouldn’t that be a 180 after all the things I have said about her over the years? If you are out there Madonna you actually made a convert out of an AC/DC fan. Sure I loved it when you kissed Britney Spears, but that’s not it. You have real talent. It just took me a couple of decades to admit it. Take that one to the grave as a badge of honor if you so desire. Happy 52nd to you and keep up the good work.
Madonna – Beautiful Stranger.mp3
Buy or Download Madonna’s Greatest Hits (Celebration) from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Adam Yauch
Aug 5th
Where The Bea-Stie-Boys (as in aww mom you’re just jealous) rank in the history of Hip Hop is another man’s quest, but I loved them in about two notes flat. I was never much of a Hip Hop aficionado in the 80′s and while I own some music today by relatively well known Rap artists like Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Snoop Doggy Dogg (yeah I’ll be calling him that until the day I die), Dr Dre, Ice Cube, NWA, Run DMC, Eminem and LL Cool J, nobody (definitely not The Hip Hop lovin’ Giant Panther) would confuse me with being a hardcore Rap fan. I like my lyrics discernible and I like some melody. I’m not from the school of I hate all (C)Rap though…not even close. Some could argue that The Beastie Boys weren’t exactly Rap either with all the sampling they did. It was definitely different. Their sound was nearly Rap Rock and their first big single, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” was a scintillating career starter. Two notes in and “KIck It!” and I was sold. That song still gets me going to this day. I know it’s completely juvenile and no “true” Beastie Boy fan even likes that song, but I could care less.
I remember being a bar in Central Square, a once grungy section of Cambridge, MA between haughty Back Bay in Boston and crunchy Harvard Square, called Man Ray sometime around 1987. Man Ray was a Goth Bar that catered to all kinds of folks who liked to Walk On The Wild Side. The More anti-mainstream you were the more you fit in. I stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn’t really my scene, but chicks liked the place because they could dance so every once in a blue moon I’d get dragged into the place. It was just down the street from a rock club called T.T. The Bears. T.T. The Bear was and is an old school rock club. I don’t get to the place near as much as I’d like, but I remember seeing a band called Bettie Seveert there many years back and having a blast. You really got to be on top of the National and Local scenes to score there though. It’s a small venue that holds (and I’m totally guessing) maybe 200 people as the Fire Marshall flies. You could find National acts on the way up, bands that are just hanging on for a gig, local bands fighting on the way up and reunion gigs there. It’s a venue that gets overlooked as far as Boston’s Rock scene goes. Between T.T.s, the now defunct Man Ray Club and the timeless Cantab Lounge you pretty much had Central Square covered in the 80′s & 90′s.
The reason I mention Man Ray is because it was one of those clubs in the 80′s that played videos along with it’s music. They had these huge screens and basically played videos in between whatever other entertainment they might have going on. This is the place where I first heard “Fight For Your Right” at the proverbial “11″ on the volume scale. I had never scene the video and I was loving a relatively rocking tune in between all the Cabaret Voltaire and Cure tracks. No offense to either of those acts intended because I love both of them. The Beastie video hit me at just right time during my evening of cocktails and consequently hooked me in as a Beastie Boy legionnaire forevermore. I promptly went out and bought myself a copy of 1986′s License To Ill.
I’ve already stated that I love Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and sick humor in my Rock. If I can laugh while I’m rocking I’m all over it. Where The Beastie Boys are concerned either you get the joke or you don’t. I got it right away. I just recently watched their DVD “Awesome, I F*#kin’ Shot That!” and had a ball watching it. I have never made time to see The Beastie Boys live, but hopefully I’ll get another crack at them. The last time they came through Boston I was worried they weren’t going to play their normal set and the timing wasn’t quite right in my world so I passed. Bad Move I heard. Oh well. I’ve been on quite a roll lately so I’ve got to chill out on the concert going. I saw The Black Keys last Saturday, which was a blast and I’ve got Interpol and Gov’t Mule lined up for this week. Yeah, I’m cuttin’ back (not)…
Today is MCA’s birthday. Beastie Boy Adam Yauch will be 45 years of age as of August 5, 2010. Young Adam has been dealing with a cancerous parotid gland, which I gather is member of the salivary gland family, this past year. So far as we can tell the prognosis is good and his voice will not be affected. The Beastie Boys plan to drop another CD tentatively called “Hot Sauce Committee Part I” this September. We, at The Giant Panther, wish Adam and The Beastie Boys well. To celebrate Adam’s 45th I’m going to post a couple of my favorite Beastie Boys tracks. I only get three choices so bear with me…
The Beastie Boys – She’s Crafty.mp3
The Beastie Boys – High Plains Drifter.mp3
The Beastie Boys – The Negotiation Limerick File.mp3
Buy or Download The Sounds of Science from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Kate Bush
Jul 30th
Kate Bush has always been a very interesting artist. The Giant Panther and I don’t always agree on every band, but we are both big Kate Bush fans. It makes perfect sense for Ryan to be a Kate Bush fan. He likes most of the esoteric, atmospheric, electronic Indie sound. It’s not that I don’t, but I just don’t find it nearly as compelling as Ryan does. I used to do a lot more digesting of new and different sounds, but the last couple of years I have spent trying to get my catalogue digitized. If Ryan turns me onto something new, such as LCD Soundsystem or The Twilight Sad, I might listen to it a couple of times in a row, file it and move onto the next band I want to get into my database. It’s not really a good feeling for someone like me who likes to take his time with each new release and pass the word to my fellow music lovers. I’m not doing very much to promote new music these days and that kind of disappoints me. However, while I’m working through that issue I have a ton of experience with a wide range of bands that I can remind folks of in the meantime. I think Kate Bush, who turns 52 today (born July 30, 1958), is one of them.
I first started hearing about Kate Bush in the mid 80′s when I was managing a Compact Disc store. I was getting a lot of requests for her records The Kick Inside, Lionheart and Never For Ever, but I didn’t know a thing about her. We’d play her in the store from time to time, but I was a rocker. I wanted to listen to more energetic stuff. Then one day I stumbled on her 1985 CD Hounds of Love. Whoa. “Running Up That Hill” was getting a lot of airplay on WFNX, our local Alternative Rock station. I liked it. It was different. Then I started playing the CD because, well, I sort of “owned” it when working in a CD store. One day it turned up in our used CD bin and I pounced on it. I fell in love with the song “The Big Sky” and became a life long Kate Bush fan. I also grabbed a copy of The Whole Story, her greatest hits CD, and found her song “Wuthering Heights” from 1978′s The Kick Inside. I never knew anything could sound so beautiful. It’s the type of song that has you breaking into tears for no real reason. I’ve got a handful of those in my own personal repertoire. You can’t really put your finger on why either. Lulu’s “To Sir With Love” is one of those for me. I just start balling like a baby sometimes. In private of course…
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter with a faint resemblance to American Actress Mary Steenburgen. She was allegedly discovered by Pink Floyd honcho David Gilmour and signed to EMI Records as a teenager somewhere around 1975. She released her debut LP, the previously mentioned The Kick Inside, at 19. An eclectic artist with a dance background, Bush only toured once in her career in 1979. The tour lasted six weeks. It is alleged that Bush has a crippling fear of flying so if that is true I’m sure that factored into her lack of enthusiasm for touring. It has been said that her second record, 1978′s Lionheart, was a rush job which still bothers Bush to this day. Ever since that time she has lived an almost reclusive life style, comparatively speaking for a Rock star, and has maniacally maintained artistic control of her records to the point of building her own recording studio. She has been known to disappear for years at a clip before resurfacing with another release. Her latest CD, Aerial, was released in 2005 after a twelve year break. I remember being impressed at the time, but I haven’t listened to it in quite awhile.
I bought 1988′s Sensual World and 1993′s The Red Shoes sight unseen because of having fallen in love with Bush. Each has a killer single; “Love and Anger” from Sensual World and “Rubberband Girl” from The Red Shoes, but Bush’s records are not going to break any sales records outside the UK. She is a Goddess there. She’s just sexy and talented to the rest of the world. Part of her mystique I think is her reluctance to promote her music with the press. When you don’t see people for years at a clip sometimes you are even more interested in them for some reason. Kate always had a performance art type of vibe behind her music and I’ve often wondered what type of music she might have made if she went for a harder edge. She’s tremendous just as she is, but can you imagine if she vented like, oh I don’t know, Alanis Morissette once in a while? Maybe then she just wouldn’t be Kate huh? Regardless, we, at The Giant Panther, want to wish a very Happy Birthday to Kate and we look forward to her next release, whenever that might be.
Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights.mp3
Kate Bush – Love and Anger.mp3
Buy or Download The Whole Story from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Geddy Lee
Jul 29th
Rush are a very polarizing band for some reason. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m guessing it has something to do with the sound of Geddy Lee’s voice. It can get shrill at times I suppose, but for some reason it has never bothered me. The good news is Rush doesn’t need everyone to love them. They long ago rose above the discussion as to whether or not they had talent or had anything worth listening to. Not only are they unreal musicians, but they have been making great records for approaching 40 years now. There aren’t many bands over the long haul that cannot be stopped no matter how hard you try to contain them. The Grateful Dead could be considered one. Santana might be another. Yes is in that discussion as well. I’m talking about bands that, for the most part, have been around for 25 years or more and have maybe a handful of hits that anyone on the street can actually recite. Then there are the other 25-30 albums in their respective catalogues that their diehard fans keep buying even though their last hit on the radio was in 1987. That’s when you know a band has a serious following.
I know I’ve mentioned this in previous posts, but my very first Rock concert took place in 1977 at The Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. I just found the ticket stub taped to my copy of 2112! March 11, 1977. I love ticket stubs. How the hell am I supposed to remember what happened on what date decades ago? Now I don’t have to. March 15th is my birthday so I was four days shy of my 17th birthday when my four buddies and I crawled into the back of a baby blue VW Beetle owned by an older brother of a friend of ours for the hour drive to Philadelphia from North Jersey. I don’t recall if my mother actually gave me permission to go, but I do remember pulling it off without incident. I remember falling asleep at the concert during the warm up act as a result of too many party favors, but I’m sure Max Webster and Cheap Trick were fantastic.
I had owned Rush’s 1976 LP 2112 for several months by then and they were still touring behind it. I think their next brilliant LP, A Farewell To Kings, was not due until September of 1977 so I don’t recall if I heard “Closer To The Heart” or what, but it didn’t matter at the time. I wanted to see drummer Neil Peart fire those drums sticks twenty feet into the air during “Temples of Syrinx.” That is what I came for. Naturally he didn’t disappoint. I had no idea the guy would go onto creep into the discussion of who the greatest drummers in the history of Rock. I just knew 2112 was a great record and I wanted to see them perform it live. Even at 16 I was a Rush fan.
As I have gotten older I have come to recognize the bands that critics love to bash, that became associated with Beavis & Butthead, that people look at you 30 years later and say “you still listening to those guys?” and that would seem, on paper, to have a dwindling audience as their core fan base ages. The funniest thing about doubting what you like is that these very same bands; Kiss, AC/DC, Rush, etc are all the ones that are able to withstand awful touring seasons and no record sales. They just keep on doing their thing, their fans still love ‘em and sell their shows out and the world keeps turning. Love ‘em or hate ‘em they aren’t going anywhere. I love that about Rock & Roll. The fad band of the day is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but three to five years on, with no real body of work to point to, they fade from the scene. Were they great? Probably, but real staying power in this business takes more than two or three decent CDs. Touring is very hard work, but you have to be good too. And not just in your own mind or amongst your fan base. It’s so easy to fold your tent these days without record sales to validate what you are doing. I get that completely, but there is a reason why bands like Rush and AC/DC have endured. You may not like their genre or sound, but you have to tip your cap to them. They carved out their respective markets and locked them down. They deliver the goods. Rush is definitely one of those bands. There is nobody that even remotely sounds like them.
Gary Lee Weinrib, better known as Geddy Lee, was born on July 29, 1953. He is the lead vocalist and bass player in the three man powerhouse band Rush. He has been in the band since 1968. Alex Lifeson, the lead guitarist in Rush, had asked him to join after original bassist Jeff Jones left the band. I didn’t know Jeff Jones was in the gospel band Ocean, famous for the 1971 song “Put Your Hand in The Hand.” I’m sure I had a copy of that 45 rpm at one point or another. He also went on the play in Red Rider with Tom Cochrane. You may remember Red Rider for the killer 1981 single “Lunatic Fringe.” Interesting no? See what you learn researching for these posts? Drumming God & lyricist Neil Peart didn’t join Rush until 1974, but the trio has been in place ever since. 20 albums later they are Rock & Roll Hall of Fame candidates. It would a complete shock if they didn’t eventually kick that door down. They are, of course, in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. They are, by any standard of measure, superior musicians.
Their litany of fantastic singles is a long one; “Working Man, Fly By Night, Closer To The Heart, Circumstances, The Spirit of Radio, 2112/The Temples of Syrinx, Freewill, Limelight, Tom Sawyer, Distant Early Warning, Subdivisions, Time Stand Still, New World Man, Vital Signs, Bastille Day, Lakeside Park, In The Mood, You Bet Your Life, Nobody’s Hero, Cinderella Man, Anthem and I Think I’m Going Bald” just to name a few off the top of my head. People love ‘em or they want no part of them. That’s too bad because they are fantastic in concert. I’m going to see them perform Moving Pictures live this fall and I’m really looking forward to it. They are a synthesizer based Progressive Rock band, but they have always been musician’s musicians. Rush rocks, period. End of story. I just felt like it was important to wish Geddy Lee a Happy and Healthy 57th birthday today. I hope their forthcoming record, tentatively called Clockwork Angels and scheduled to be released in 2011, will on a par with some of their very best.
Rush – Distant Early Warning.mp3
Buy or download Rush’s Greatest Hits 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 – Chris Cornell
Jul 20th
OK, so July 20th is the legendary Carlos Santana’s birthday too. I’ve written about both of these artists in different capacities in the past so I chose Christopher John Boyle, better known as Chris Cornell, for today’s post. I’ll get back to Carlos a year from now. 1964 was the year. “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was the number one song that year, but for perspective sake, here’s a couple of other chart toppers to jog your memory; “Baby Love” by Diana Ross & The Supremes, “Leader of The Pack” by The Shangri-Las, “House of The Rising Sun” by The Animals, “Oh! Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison, “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” by Manfred Mann, “Rag Doll” by The Four Seasons, “Chapel of Love” by The Dixie Cups, “My Guy” by Mary Wells, “Everybody Loves Somebody” by Dean Martin, “A World Without Love” by Peter & Gordon, “I Get Around” by The Beach Boys, “Hello, Dolly!” by Louis Armstrong, and half a dozen other tracks by both The Beatles and The Supremes. I love that kind of stuff. Oh, and Chris Cornell was born in Seattle, Washington.
According to our friends at Wikipedia, Cornell was a Sous Chef and a seafood wholesaler prior to hitting the big time. They say he was a loner. A loner is a tough tag to shake. I would venture to guess that most people become “loners” in their teens. I don’t think of myself as a loner per se, but I sure don’t mind my own company when things break down. We all have these friends that can’t seem to function if they are not in a relationship right? I’m not one of those people for better or for worse. I just need my Rock music and my baseball team. It’s not very complicated actually, but it does get you into some bad habits. For instance, the economy is terrible, but I’m out there seeing more concerts than ever. I took in Crowded House last weekend, but I would probably much rather take in a reincarnated Soundgarden. Why did they break up again anyway? Weren’t they on top of the world? I hate when that happens.
Let’s be honest, Chris Cornell’s solo career hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. That doesn’t make it bad, it just is what it is. The guy has one of the best voices in Rock and he’s been in at least two wildly successful Rock bands. I don’t think he’s hurting for coin. Soundgarden, the band which catapulted him to fame (or vice versa depending on your point of view I guess), came together around 1984 initially. They were working with Sub Pop, the cool underground label that came to be in 1986 and became famous for housing Nirvana for a time, but didn’t have a major label release until 1990. Apparently Cornell was the band’s original drummer. Things I didn’t know until today for $500 Jack. The Seattle Grunge sound was just about to take off with Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden spearheading the charge. In 1991, just after the release of Bad Motorfinger, I can remember sitting in a great bar called Hunter’s 885 on Boylston Street in Boston (today it’s an awful place called Whiskey’s) around then and having this Soundgarden fan tell me if I didn’t go see them at Avalon (or Citi Club, whatever the space that houses The House of Blues was called back then) now (they were coming in about a month as I recall) I’d never be able to see them in such an intimate space again. He was right.
Bad Motorfinger featured three stellar tracks called “Outshined, Holy Water and Rusty Cage.” After that it was all over. Even MTV was taking Metal seriously by then. Their next album, 1994′s Superunknown, is a Grunge masterpiece. Look, I’m a big Nirvana fan, but I think this record is right there with Nevemind. Pearl Jam, who have legions of folks who consider them the best of the genre, is a helluva band too. Personally, I like Vs. better than Ten, but we are talking about probably the best three Grunge records ever released in my humble opinion. Alice in Chains, another spectacular band, was on fire until Layne Staley decided heroin was the only way to deal with grief. AIC were something else. They were as hot as anyone between 1990 and 1996. If you liked your Rock and your Alternative music mixing, this was a glorious time.
In 1996 Soundgarden made an attempt to follow up Superunknown and did a very credible job with the release of Down On The Upside. It featured the singles “Pretty Noose, Blow Up The Outside World and Burden in My Hand.” I just loved that stuff. Unfortunately, that was all she wrote for Soundgarden. Fast forward to 2010, it looks like we may yet see Soundgarden release new material. I’ll believe it when I hear it, but I’m psyched about the possibility.
I don’t have time to discuss the merits of Audioslave today, but they rocked my world as well. I’m a big fan and own all of their CDs. I also bought 1991′s Temple of The Dog, which was also the name of the band too. It was a tribute to Mother Love Bone’s lead singer Andrew Wood, who was a friend to all of the musicians on the Seattle circuit. Its seems Wood unfortunately tangled with heroin and lost as well the prior year so members of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mother Love Bone put together a one off record which sold more than a million copies. It featured the singles “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and “Hunger Strike.” I’m posting one song from each band for fun and games today. Happy birthday Chris Cornell and get cracking on that new Soundgarden record. I’ve got $20 just burning a hole in my pocket for it as we speak.
Soundgarden – Blow up The Outside World.mp3
Audioslave – Show Me How To Live.mp3
Temple of The Dog – Hunger Strike.mp3
Buy or download Superunkown from Amazon here.
Rock Star Birthday Blurbs – Beck
Jul 8th
Today is Beck Hansen’s 40th birthday. Born Bek David Campbell on July 8, 1970, Beck has turned into one of Rock’s most uncategorizable musicians. He’s technically a dance artist of sorts, but most call his music Alternative Rock. In truth he defies all labels, but I still think he’s massively talented anyway. Most folks only know Beck because of his 1994 hit “Loser” and really have no clue about how talented this guy is. i was lucky enough to see him May 24, 2003 at the then FleetBoston Pavilion. I had an eighth row seat in the center. It was the worst weather I think I have encountered at a concert since I was at Red Rocks in Colorado when U2 was trying to film for MTV and Under a Blood Red Sky. Whipping wind, nasty cold and sideways rain. Still, I look at this concert as one of my favorites of the past decade. Beck is highly entertaining, he of the two turntables and a microphone. If you ever get a chance to check out his show I’d take it in. It’s a lot of moving and grooving…and I don’t dance…much…
I was surprised to find out 1994′s Mellow Gold was Beck’s third studio album. I had never heard of him until then. I guess he had two prior CDs and an EP before he had his big breakthrough with the single ”Loser.” I can tell you that from then on I bought every one of Beck’s records. His catalogue is an eclectic mix of Hip Hop, Sampling, Country, Dance, House and Postmodern Irony. Beck’s popularity exploded in 1996 with the release of Odelay and it’s hits “Where It’s At, Devil’s Haircut, The New Pollution, Hot Wax and Jack-Ass.” I couldn’t get enough of this record back in ’96. I thought Beck was going to be the next big thing. It’s not like he isn’t, but his career didn’t take off the way I thought it had the potential to. He just refused to conform I guess.
Still, 1998′s Mutations had “Cold Brains and Bottle of Blues,” 1999′s Midnite Vultures had “Sexx Laws and Nocotine & Gravy,” 2002′s Sea Change got the vaunted Five Star rating in Rolling Stone (although I didn’t buy it for a couple of years there my myself), 2005′s Guero had “E-Pro and Girl,” 2006′s The Information had “I Think I’m in Love and Nausea,” and 2008′s Modern Guilt had “Gamma Ray and Chemtrails.” There was a hit or two on every CD and tons in between. Sea Change lacked the sampling and dance beats his fans had come to enjoy, but it had so much critical acclaim I had to go back and check it out. Beck is not an easy take. He makes you work, but once you get it you are usually coming at his new stuff with open ears. Between The Dust Brothers and Danger Mouse and all of the other producers, engineers, musicians and samples he worked with over the years it was never boring. I’m still a big fan.
Happy Birthday Mr Hansen. Don’t forget to come back and see us again in Boston soon.
Buy or Download Odelay from Amazon here.
One Track Mind – The Sheila Devine
Jul 2nd
I noticed I’ve been neglecting my One Track Mind feature for a while now. It’s probably because I’m a little gun shy about calling any band a one hit wonder. I couldn’t believe it when a guy from US3 wrote me to tell me how insulted he was. US3! One hit is better than no hits of course, but it’s all relative. I have the same reaction when you see those Time-Life alleged One Hit Wonder compilations and the songs are rolling down the down the screen. All of the sudden…there it is! Steppenwolf? The Young Rascals? The Grass Roots? Doesn’t anybody do any real research anymore? When you think of The Zombies you think of “Time of The Season, Tell Her No” and “She’s Not There” right? I’ve seen The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle included on a lot of critics lists, but in all fairness, I’m just as impressed with Rod Argent’s next band, Argent, and it’s three big hits “Hold Your Head Up, God Gave Rock & Roll To You” and “Liar.” I guess the point is, nobody likes to be labeled a One Hit Wonder and I dislike being the one to bring the news, even if it’s technically true. In The Sheila Devine’s case I really don’t think it was, but two is their max if all we have to go on is songs played on the local Alternative Rock station.
One of the very best things about music is it can pick you out and shake you up (to quote Human League of all people) and turn you into someone new. The first time I heard The Sheila Devine I wanted to know more about them. I can’t recall if that song was “Hum” or “Opportune Moment,” but I remember seeing them warm up for Morrissey (who likewise put his mighty seal of approval on this band once upon a time) and thinking they were going places. They had a great urgency, it seemed to me at the time, and they fit right in with the Alternative Rock crowd. They had a really cool sound and reminded me of my old friends Cliffs of Doneen in a lot of ways. I hope they aren’t insulted by that; I still consider COD’s “Through An Open Window” a killer track even if they never really made it out of Boston either. The Sheila Devine had a lot of momentum and I thought they had a great future. They just couldn’t get over the hump for reasons unknown to this author. I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with the name they chose for their band. I guess a “Sheila” in Australia roughly translates into “wimp.” Devine Wimp doesn’t do much for the rough and tumble Australian crowd. According to Wikipedia, there was an actual woman named Sheila Devine at Oneonta College that three of the band members apparently had occasion to meet while attending school there. She must have been one hot number if they named their fledgling band after her. I always liked the name regardless of where it came from.
The Sheila Devine bounced aroud for about six years and yielded two CDs and two EPs. They had a staunch, but small following and they never did get that major label record deal. Their 1999 CD Parade was probably their best and to celebrate that I’m posting their two radio friendly singles from that CD. I’m not doing anything earth shattering this weekend so you may hear from me again, but if I don’t…Happy Fireworks Day…
The Sheila Divine – Opportune Moment.mp3
Buy or download The Sheila Devie’s Parade from Amazon here.
My Insipid Record Collection – Garbage
Jun 25th
I was driving around yesterday for about 40 minutes running errands and sometimes, like the fool that I am, I blindly reach into my collection and pull something out to play in the car. Yesterday I grabbed Garbage’s 1995 debut record. Most of you would recognize the two hits off this record in “I’m Only Happy When it Rains” and “Stupid Girl,” but this was one of those records where you were instantly smitten the second it began to play in your CD player. Unfortunately, as radio is wont to do, they beat on the two songs I mentioned, but left the rest of the disc for relative dead. Those of you who own this CD know that it is not a two hit wonder.
I saw Garbage play live at Axis in Boston on Tuesday November 14, 1995. The record had been out maybe four months at the time. WFNX here in Boston was playing it like crazy and I was all pumped up to see them in a small club like Axis. I enjoyed the heck out of that show. I remember seeing Scotland’s Shirley Manson and being mesmerized; speaking of women who rock yet again. She is an exotic looking women with big eyes that look right through you. I don’t imagine many of you watched the shaky Fox TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but I was DVRing it for a while there, mostly because I thought Summer Glau was smoking hot. I was surprised to find Shirley Manson playing the part of Catherine Weaver. As with everything she does, its was intense and fun to watch. The show, however, has been put out to pasture mercifully.
The first Garbage record came with a considerable amount of hype as I recall. I know Butch Vig, who produced 90′s legends Nirvana and their smash CD Nevermind, was playing drums, but it was more than that. Vig had produced some of my favorite early 90′s records such as Smashing Pumpkins’ 1991 CD Gish and their 1993 uber smash record Siamese Dream as well as Sonic Youth’s great 1992 CD Dirty. Those were some solid credentials. Still, there was something about this record that we all figured was going to be very good. Fortunately we were right. Nobody can deny what a great song “Only Happy When It Rains” is, no matter how many times you may have heard it, but “Stupid Girl” was kind of mediocre for my money. The rest of the record, however, was very good. I’m posting some of the forgotten tracks below.
Garbage technically hailed from Madison, Wisconsin and stuck around for four studio albums through 2005, but they were never quite as good as they were on their debut CD. It ended up selling 4 Million copies according to Wikipedia. They may have sold as many or more records on subsequent CDs, but the initial new band love affair was over. Having seen them live, I was telling all my friends about this record. I really loved it. I loved the cover too. It was colorful and off the beaten path. It also felt a little like the Grunge era had been extended. To those of us who enjoyed the Grunge era, buying this record was a no brainer.
Garbage went on to sell a ton of records and have what most would consider a wildly successful career, but my interest in the band kind of tailed off around 2000 or so. I bought all their records hoping to find another gem, but I don’t know…I just lost my mojo for them. They were never bad, but Alternative Rock stations beat on five singles until I could care less if I ever heard their music again. Songs like “#1 Crush, I’m Think I’m Paranoid, Androgyny, Breaking Up The Girl and Bleed Like Me” all had their moments, but end to end I still like the first record the best. Here are three of my favorites. I understand there may be another CD in the coming year so look for that.
Buy or download Garbage from Amazon here.
