The Beatles - Till There Was You
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Rock & Roll Tidbits
"I'm A Believer,” the Monkees’ follow-up to their number one hit, "Last Train To Clarksville" was a million seller before it was even released, due to over 1 million advance orders.
Although many fans thought that the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was about LSD, John Lennon would later say that he got the inspiration for the song from a picture that his son Julian had painted at school.
John Lennon deliberately wrote nonsense words to "I Am The Walrus" to throw off listeners who tried to find hidden meanings in his lyrics.
It’s said that Beatle George Harrison really appreciated the true talent of the Spice Girls. “The good thing about them,” the quiet Beatle mused, “Is that you can look at them with the sound turned down.”
In 1956, Micky and Sylvia recorded the million selling "Love Is Strange.” After the duo split in 1961, Micky Baker would write several guitar instruction books, including the best seller "Jazz Guitar.” Sylvia Vanderpool co-founded All Platinum Records and co-wrote The Moments 1970 gold record "Love On A Two Way Street.”
To say Kurt Cobain was a bit sloppy is an understatement. Routinely, his house was littered with garbage and rotting food. When the Cobain’s tried to hire a maid, she ran out of their house screaming that “Satan lives here!”
When Alice Cooper and his band mates auditioned for musician Frank Zappa, he put his hands over his ears and screamed: “Alright, alright I’ll sign you! I’ll sign you! Just stop playing!” He wanted the band to become a comedy act called Alice’s Cookies.
Alice Cooper’s band invited a prospective manager to attend on of their gigs and soon after the group started playing, the crowd of more than 3,000 people got up and left. This actually impressed the manager, he stated, “Do you know how hard it is to get three thousand people to do anything all at once!”
David Bowie proposed to his first wife Angie with the words: “Can you handle the fact that I don’t love you?”
Rocker John Mellencamp was born with spina bifida, a potentially crippling neural tube defect that required surgery and a lengthy hospitalization.
Despite having a long list of hit records to her credit, there were two more that Cher could have had. In 1973 she was offered "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” but turned it down. Vicki Lawrence took it to number one. She also had first crack at "Angie Baby" in 1974, but again felt it wasn't her kind of song. Helen Reddy's version would top the US chart.
The Strawberry Alarm Clock had a 1967, number one hit with "Incense and Peppermints.” As a part of their live act, drummer Randy Seol played the bongos with his hands on fire.
Apparently playing guitar for Fleetwood Mac drove musicians crazy. Guitarist Peter Green would cry while watching the TV news, wore white robes onstage and fought very hard to give all the band’s money away to charity. In fact, when the band’s manager tried to present Green with a royalty check, Green attached him with an air rifle and was sent away to a mental hospital.
Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer was a bit eccentric. He traveled with a tiny bible sewn into the lining of his coat and he filled condoms with milk and would hang them from the pegs of his guitar. In Hawaii, he left the hotel where they were staying, stating: “I’ll be right back.” However, he changed his name to Jonathan and joined a religious cult known as the “Children of God.”
In 1972, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan got so stressed out that five minutes before a gig, he vanished into a bathroom, bashed his head against the all, smashed his guitar, and stated: “I’m not going on.” He wound up watching the gig from the soundboard and was later admitted to a mental institution.
Before Neil Young joined Crosby, Stills and Nash, the original trio had already asked George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood to become the fourth member of their group.
Paul Simon took the title of his song "Mother and Child Reunion" from the name of a chicken-and-egg dish he saw on a Chinese restaurant's menu.
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch nails really disliked Axl Rose. According to Reznor, the Guns N’ Roses front man was surrounded by people who said things like: “Yes, Mr. Rose, that does smell good, can I flush it for you?”
If you listen carefully to Marvin Gaye's 1971 smash "What's Going On,” you can hear former Detroit Lions Mel Farr and Lem Barney talking and singing in the background.
During the recording of Ted Nugent's 1976 album "Free For All,” singer / guitarist Derek St. Holmes left the band for personal reasons. A singer named Marvin Aday, who would one day be known as Meat Loaf, replaced him on five songs.
Although many fans thought that the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was about LSD, John Lennon would later say that he got the inspiration for the song from a picture that his son Julian had painted at school.
John Lennon deliberately wrote nonsense words to "I Am The Walrus" to throw off listeners who tried to find hidden meanings in his lyrics.
It’s said that Beatle George Harrison really appreciated the true talent of the Spice Girls. “The good thing about them,” the quiet Beatle mused, “Is that you can look at them with the sound turned down.”
In 1956, Micky and Sylvia recorded the million selling "Love Is Strange.” After the duo split in 1961, Micky Baker would write several guitar instruction books, including the best seller "Jazz Guitar.” Sylvia Vanderpool co-founded All Platinum Records and co-wrote The Moments 1970 gold record "Love On A Two Way Street.”
To say Kurt Cobain was a bit sloppy is an understatement. Routinely, his house was littered with garbage and rotting food. When the Cobain’s tried to hire a maid, she ran out of their house screaming that “Satan lives here!”
When Alice Cooper and his band mates auditioned for musician Frank Zappa, he put his hands over his ears and screamed: “Alright, alright I’ll sign you! I’ll sign you! Just stop playing!” He wanted the band to become a comedy act called Alice’s Cookies.
Alice Cooper’s band invited a prospective manager to attend on of their gigs and soon after the group started playing, the crowd of more than 3,000 people got up and left. This actually impressed the manager, he stated, “Do you know how hard it is to get three thousand people to do anything all at once!”
David Bowie proposed to his first wife Angie with the words: “Can you handle the fact that I don’t love you?”
Rocker John Mellencamp was born with spina bifida, a potentially crippling neural tube defect that required surgery and a lengthy hospitalization.
Despite having a long list of hit records to her credit, there were two more that Cher could have had. In 1973 she was offered "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia,” but turned it down. Vicki Lawrence took it to number one. She also had first crack at "Angie Baby" in 1974, but again felt it wasn't her kind of song. Helen Reddy's version would top the US chart.
The Strawberry Alarm Clock had a 1967, number one hit with "Incense and Peppermints.” As a part of their live act, drummer Randy Seol played the bongos with his hands on fire.
Apparently playing guitar for Fleetwood Mac drove musicians crazy. Guitarist Peter Green would cry while watching the TV news, wore white robes onstage and fought very hard to give all the band’s money away to charity. In fact, when the band’s manager tried to present Green with a royalty check, Green attached him with an air rifle and was sent away to a mental hospital.
Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer was a bit eccentric. He traveled with a tiny bible sewn into the lining of his coat and he filled condoms with milk and would hang them from the pegs of his guitar. In Hawaii, he left the hotel where they were staying, stating: “I’ll be right back.” However, he changed his name to Jonathan and joined a religious cult known as the “Children of God.”
In 1972, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Danny Kirwan got so stressed out that five minutes before a gig, he vanished into a bathroom, bashed his head against the all, smashed his guitar, and stated: “I’m not going on.” He wound up watching the gig from the soundboard and was later admitted to a mental institution.
Before Neil Young joined Crosby, Stills and Nash, the original trio had already asked George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood to become the fourth member of their group.
Paul Simon took the title of his song "Mother and Child Reunion" from the name of a chicken-and-egg dish he saw on a Chinese restaurant's menu.
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch nails really disliked Axl Rose. According to Reznor, the Guns N’ Roses front man was surrounded by people who said things like: “Yes, Mr. Rose, that does smell good, can I flush it for you?”
If you listen carefully to Marvin Gaye's 1971 smash "What's Going On,” you can hear former Detroit Lions Mel Farr and Lem Barney talking and singing in the background.
During the recording of Ted Nugent's 1976 album "Free For All,” singer / guitarist Derek St. Holmes left the band for personal reasons. A singer named Marvin Aday, who would one day be known as Meat Loaf, replaced him on five songs.
Album Cover Art
Continuing the series about album cover art, let's look at a 1972 LP from Dianne Davidson. When I first saw it, I was impressed with the amount of color, check it out
Music News & Notes
Nash & CSN News
On his way to Rolling Stone headquarters in New York to talk about his new three-CD career spanning box set, Graham Nash was thinking about a song he wrote more than 40 years ago. “I was seduced by a beautiful woman down in Long Island,” Nash says. “She was married. The song is a confession to a friend.”
The song is one of 64 tracks on "Reflections," which will trace Nash's career from the Hollies, through the many incarnations of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, to his recent solo work.
“I went through 44 versions of the set before I settled on this one,” he stated. “It was painful for me because I’m not for introspection or resting on my laurels. A lot of the musical soundtrack to my life is on this box set.”
Nash also plans on hitting the road this summer for Crosby, Stills and Nash’s 40th anniversary tour. The iconic trio are also in the early stages of recording a new covers album under the guidance of legendary producerRick Rubin.
=====================================
White Stripes Auction
White Stripes drummer Meg White is donating a drum kit to auction off as part of a fundraiser for Detroit music scene legend Jim Shaw. Shaw was recently diagnosed with cancer.
The drum kit, which is from the Stripes' 2003 video "The Hardest Button To Button," will be auctioned off online. Besides the drum kit, the auction includes photographs and other pieces of art.
For more details about the benefit, visit the Jim Shaw Fundraiser MySpace page.
Jim Shaw MySpace
=====================================
Country Star Rich Pens Song For Autoworkers
Country super star John Rich — of the duo Big & Rich — has written a song/anthem called "Shuttin' Detroit Down" to help the embattled auto workers in their time of need. Rich premiered it this week on Detroit's WYCD-FM and has been performing it during a radio station tour.
The Detroit Free Press reported on Friday that the host of the "AfterMidNite" country program that is heard on more than 250 outlets says the initial reaction to the song have been strong. A Warner Bros. spokeswoman says it rushed a copy of the song to radio stations and had no idea it would explode.
The chorus begins, "In the real world, they're shuttin' Detroit down, while the boss-man takes his bonus and jets on out of town."
Now, if he would donoate the proceeds to help laid off auto workers......
=====================================
Springsteen calls Wal-Mart deal a mistake
The Boss is owning up to a mistake.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bruce Springsteen says he shouldn't have inked an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart. Starting this month, the giant retailer started selling a Springsteen greatest-hits CD.
Some lontime fans were critical because Springsteen has been a longtime supporter of worker's rights and Wal-Mart has faced criticism for its labor practices. Springsteen's marketing team didn't explore the issue as closely as it should have and that he "dropped the ball on it," he told the New York Times for a story that will be published in the Sunday editions.
According to the boss: "It was a mistake. Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be."
"Millions of Springsteen fans have counted on Wal-Mart over the years to deliver his music into their lives, and we it will continue to offer those fans this 'Greatest Hits' exclusive and his other popular albums at unbeatable prices," Wal-Mart said in a statement, adding: "We are proud of the good jobs, benefits and career opportunities we provide to more than 1.4 million U.S. associates who choose to work at Wal-Mart and serve our customers every day."
Springsteen released his new CD "Working on a Dream" this week and will be performing the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
=====================================
Germany's RITUAL To Release New Album In March - Jan. 30, 2009
German hardcore band RITUAL will release its new album, "Beneath Aging Flesh And Bone", on March 17 via Reflections Records. According to a press release, RITUAL has "created a record that combines melody, heaviness, anger and angst to an absolute hardcore masterpiece." "Beneath Aging Flesh And Bone" is "the best, the smartest, the most reflected and above all, the darkest material that RITUAL has written so far."
The CD comes in a deluxe digipack and LP in gatefold sleeve and in the following colors:
* 250 x transparent blue vinyl
* 250 x transparent blue/black splatter vinyl
* 500 x solid white vinyl
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/ritualeurope.
=====================================
Grammy Awards
Kid Rock, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Rihanna, and U2 are the latest performers announced for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
They join previously announced performers Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Paul McCartney (with special guest drummer Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters), Katy Perry, Radiohead, T.I. and Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, and Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West in a special performance of their hit single "Swagga Like Us."
=====================================
Punk Singer Dies
John McCarthy, the singer for '80s Boston punk metal pioneers Post Mortem, has died at age 40. The group's guitarist John Alexander wrote on Myspace, " He was/is one of my oldest friends. An interesting character with many great stories to tell, he will be missed..... We had just finished recording the music for a new Post Mortem record (John wrote most of the words for it.) The vocals were not done and John was planning on doing his vocals in February. His goal of making another Post Mortem record has ended. This band was everything to him. I think we'll finish it up somehow and dedicate it to him....."
=====================================
Super Furry Animals LP
Super Furry Animals are putting the finishing touches to their ninth studio album and it will be released this Spring. The album will first be released digitally on March 16 through the band's official website, with a physical format following on April 13 for the UK and April 21 for the US.
=====================================
Metallica Working Hard
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo recently spoke with LiveDaily. During the interview the topic of the band's future was brought up and Robert let drop that they are already working on new musical ideas. Here is that part of the exchange:
LiveDaily: What do you see for the future of Metallica? You have one more album left on your deal with Warner Bros., correct?
Trujillo: Basically, I don't know the technical details. I can only tell you this: outside of the business side of things — which is probably what you're asking me — on a creative level, the sky's the limit. To me, "Death Magnetic" is only a launch pad. We're already jamming on new ideas and new riffs. There's a rhythm-section thing that I'm feeling with Lars that I'd like to dive into even more so with the future. It's great to be playing thrashy, heavy riffs again, too. That's one of the things with this band — there's no shortage of musical ideas. When you check out some of the other bands that have been around for so many years, sometimes the hardest thing is to stay motivated. Sometimes bands will end up playing almost like — how do you say it? — a tribute scenario where they're playing all the hits all the time. That's cool. But the future of [that type of] band doesn't seem as interesting. I think we still got it in us to create interesting music and to get even better with it. That's kind of fun.
On his way to Rolling Stone headquarters in New York to talk about his new three-CD career spanning box set, Graham Nash was thinking about a song he wrote more than 40 years ago. “I was seduced by a beautiful woman down in Long Island,” Nash says. “She was married. The song is a confession to a friend.”
The song is one of 64 tracks on "Reflections," which will trace Nash's career from the Hollies, through the many incarnations of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, to his recent solo work.
“I went through 44 versions of the set before I settled on this one,” he stated. “It was painful for me because I’m not for introspection or resting on my laurels. A lot of the musical soundtrack to my life is on this box set.”
Nash also plans on hitting the road this summer for Crosby, Stills and Nash’s 40th anniversary tour. The iconic trio are also in the early stages of recording a new covers album under the guidance of legendary producerRick Rubin.
=====================================
White Stripes Auction
White Stripes drummer Meg White is donating a drum kit to auction off as part of a fundraiser for Detroit music scene legend Jim Shaw. Shaw was recently diagnosed with cancer.
The drum kit, which is from the Stripes' 2003 video "The Hardest Button To Button," will be auctioned off online. Besides the drum kit, the auction includes photographs and other pieces of art.
For more details about the benefit, visit the Jim Shaw Fundraiser MySpace page.
Jim Shaw MySpace
=====================================
Country Star Rich Pens Song For Autoworkers
Country super star John Rich — of the duo Big & Rich — has written a song/anthem called "Shuttin' Detroit Down" to help the embattled auto workers in their time of need. Rich premiered it this week on Detroit's WYCD-FM and has been performing it during a radio station tour.
The Detroit Free Press reported on Friday that the host of the "AfterMidNite" country program that is heard on more than 250 outlets says the initial reaction to the song have been strong. A Warner Bros. spokeswoman says it rushed a copy of the song to radio stations and had no idea it would explode.
The chorus begins, "In the real world, they're shuttin' Detroit down, while the boss-man takes his bonus and jets on out of town."
Now, if he would donoate the proceeds to help laid off auto workers......
=====================================
Springsteen calls Wal-Mart deal a mistake
The Boss is owning up to a mistake.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bruce Springsteen says he shouldn't have inked an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart. Starting this month, the giant retailer started selling a Springsteen greatest-hits CD.
Some lontime fans were critical because Springsteen has been a longtime supporter of worker's rights and Wal-Mart has faced criticism for its labor practices. Springsteen's marketing team didn't explore the issue as closely as it should have and that he "dropped the ball on it," he told the New York Times for a story that will be published in the Sunday editions.
According to the boss: "It was a mistake. Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be."
"Millions of Springsteen fans have counted on Wal-Mart over the years to deliver his music into their lives, and we it will continue to offer those fans this 'Greatest Hits' exclusive and his other popular albums at unbeatable prices," Wal-Mart said in a statement, adding: "We are proud of the good jobs, benefits and career opportunities we provide to more than 1.4 million U.S. associates who choose to work at Wal-Mart and serve our customers every day."
Springsteen released his new CD "Working on a Dream" this week and will be performing the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
=====================================
Germany's RITUAL To Release New Album In March - Jan. 30, 2009
German hardcore band RITUAL will release its new album, "Beneath Aging Flesh And Bone", on March 17 via Reflections Records. According to a press release, RITUAL has "created a record that combines melody, heaviness, anger and angst to an absolute hardcore masterpiece." "Beneath Aging Flesh And Bone" is "the best, the smartest, the most reflected and above all, the darkest material that RITUAL has written so far."
The CD comes in a deluxe digipack and LP in gatefold sleeve and in the following colors:
* 250 x transparent blue vinyl
* 250 x transparent blue/black splatter vinyl
* 500 x solid white vinyl
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/ritualeurope.
=====================================
Grammy Awards
Kid Rock, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Rihanna, and U2 are the latest performers announced for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
They join previously announced performers Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Paul McCartney (with special guest drummer Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters), Katy Perry, Radiohead, T.I. and Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, and Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West in a special performance of their hit single "Swagga Like Us."
=====================================
Punk Singer Dies
John McCarthy, the singer for '80s Boston punk metal pioneers Post Mortem, has died at age 40. The group's guitarist John Alexander wrote on Myspace, " He was/is one of my oldest friends. An interesting character with many great stories to tell, he will be missed..... We had just finished recording the music for a new Post Mortem record (John wrote most of the words for it.) The vocals were not done and John was planning on doing his vocals in February. His goal of making another Post Mortem record has ended. This band was everything to him. I think we'll finish it up somehow and dedicate it to him....."
=====================================
Super Furry Animals LP
Super Furry Animals are putting the finishing touches to their ninth studio album and it will be released this Spring. The album will first be released digitally on March 16 through the band's official website, with a physical format following on April 13 for the UK and April 21 for the US.
=====================================
Metallica Working Hard
Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo recently spoke with LiveDaily. During the interview the topic of the band's future was brought up and Robert let drop that they are already working on new musical ideas. Here is that part of the exchange:
LiveDaily: What do you see for the future of Metallica? You have one more album left on your deal with Warner Bros., correct?
Trujillo: Basically, I don't know the technical details. I can only tell you this: outside of the business side of things — which is probably what you're asking me — on a creative level, the sky's the limit. To me, "Death Magnetic" is only a launch pad. We're already jamming on new ideas and new riffs. There's a rhythm-section thing that I'm feeling with Lars that I'd like to dive into even more so with the future. It's great to be playing thrashy, heavy riffs again, too. That's one of the things with this band — there's no shortage of musical ideas. When you check out some of the other bands that have been around for so many years, sometimes the hardest thing is to stay motivated. Sometimes bands will end up playing almost like — how do you say it? — a tribute scenario where they're playing all the hits all the time. That's cool. But the future of [that type of] band doesn't seem as interesting. I think we still got it in us to create interesting music and to get even better with it. That's kind of fun.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Rock & Roll Tidbits
Rocky Burnette's "Tired Of Toein' The Line" was written in half an hour and was originally released as the "B" side of a single called "Clowns From Outerspace.” After EMI Records re-released it as an "A" side, the song became a #8 hit in the US.
The inspiration for Tommy Tutone's 1982 hit "867-5309 / Jenny" actually came from a girl named Jenny whose parent's phone number really was 867-5309.
In the late 60’s, Maurice Gibb (of the Bee Gees) loved to drive his cars, especially his Rolls-Royce. However, he had a problem; he was so short that he had to sit on a phone book to see over the hood.
Danny and The Juniors got their big break when they were called to fill in for a group that failed to show up for Dick Clark’s American Bandstand show in Philadelphia. They lip-synced "At The Hop,” which then took off like a rocket to #1 in the US. A few years later, Chubby Checker was invited to make his first TV appearance on Bandstand when Danny and The Juniors didn't show.
When Bob Dylan became a born-again Christian in 1978, he tried to convince his record producer Jerry Wexler to join the flock. No matter how hard he tried, Dylan’s efforts were futile as Wexler explained: “Bob, you’re dealing with a sixty-two year old confirmed Jewish atheist. I’m hopeless. Let’s just make an album.”
Elvis Presley was always known as a spiritual person. In fact, he always wore a Christian cross, a Star of David and the Hebrew letter Chi. As Presley stated: “I don’t want to miss out on Heaven due to a technicality.”
For a religious man, Elvis had some odd quirks, including shooting at television sets whenever annoying performers were on. One of his favorite ‘shoot the TV’ episodes was whenever singer Robert Goulet was on a show.
In the spring of 1966, jam rockers the Grateful Dead moved to Rancho Olompali off of California Highway 101. They posted a sign out front stating: “No Trespassing- Violators will Be Experimented Upon.”
Vocalist David Dee of the British rock group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, was a former policeman who was at the scene of the automobile accident that took the life of American rocker Eddie Cochran and injured Gene Vincent in April 1960. Dee rescued Cochran's guitar from the wreck and held it until it could be returned, undamaged, to Cochran's family.
It’s reported that while Fleetwood Mac was recording their legendary album “Rumors” in 1977, the group snorted so much cocaine that they insisted that their dealer be credited on the LP. The dilemma was solved when the dealer was killed before the album was released.
During this same recording session, Fleetwood Mac spent four days trying to tune a piano; then wound up bringing in nine different pianos- only to decide to not even use a piano after all.
While he was living with his fiancée Linda Ann Woodrow and his song writing partner Bernie Taupin, Elton John became depressed. But Taupin and Woodrow found him before he could harm himself. However, it was only a half-hearted attempt as Taupin explains: “He had his head in the gas range oven, but he only turned the gas on to low and left the kitchen window open. He even thought to take a cushion to rest his head on.”
After recording the iconic album “Pet Sounds,” Brian Wilson decided he needed to do some redecorating. So he turned his den (where his piano was located) into a giant sandbox so he could “feel the sand under his feet” as he wrote music.
Early manufacturers of Jukeboxes never referred to them as "jukeboxes,” they called them Automatic Coin-Operated Phonographs. The term "juke" is Southern US slang for dancing.
Keith Moon of the Who was one strange fellow. After his wife Kim left the rocking drummer in 1973 she sighed, “He’ll wake up in the morning and decide to be Adolph Hitler for the day. And he is Adolph Hitler.”
The late Freddie Mercury of Queen and his friends often enjoyed feasting on marijuana-filled brownies. On one particular rowdy night, the police arrived and asked the stoned rockers to quiet down. Mercury offered the officers some brownies, which they happily ate. Recalled Mercury, “I would love to have been a fly on the windscreen of their police car after about half an hour.”
In December, 1962, The Four Season's version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" reached number 23 on the Billboard singles chart. The song was originally a hit for George Hall in 1934.
The inspiration for Tommy Tutone's 1982 hit "867-5309 / Jenny" actually came from a girl named Jenny whose parent's phone number really was 867-5309.
In the late 60’s, Maurice Gibb (of the Bee Gees) loved to drive his cars, especially his Rolls-Royce. However, he had a problem; he was so short that he had to sit on a phone book to see over the hood.
Danny and The Juniors got their big break when they were called to fill in for a group that failed to show up for Dick Clark’s American Bandstand show in Philadelphia. They lip-synced "At The Hop,” which then took off like a rocket to #1 in the US. A few years later, Chubby Checker was invited to make his first TV appearance on Bandstand when Danny and The Juniors didn't show.
When Bob Dylan became a born-again Christian in 1978, he tried to convince his record producer Jerry Wexler to join the flock. No matter how hard he tried, Dylan’s efforts were futile as Wexler explained: “Bob, you’re dealing with a sixty-two year old confirmed Jewish atheist. I’m hopeless. Let’s just make an album.”
Elvis Presley was always known as a spiritual person. In fact, he always wore a Christian cross, a Star of David and the Hebrew letter Chi. As Presley stated: “I don’t want to miss out on Heaven due to a technicality.”
For a religious man, Elvis had some odd quirks, including shooting at television sets whenever annoying performers were on. One of his favorite ‘shoot the TV’ episodes was whenever singer Robert Goulet was on a show.
In the spring of 1966, jam rockers the Grateful Dead moved to Rancho Olompali off of California Highway 101. They posted a sign out front stating: “No Trespassing- Violators will Be Experimented Upon.”
Vocalist David Dee of the British rock group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, was a former policeman who was at the scene of the automobile accident that took the life of American rocker Eddie Cochran and injured Gene Vincent in April 1960. Dee rescued Cochran's guitar from the wreck and held it until it could be returned, undamaged, to Cochran's family.
It’s reported that while Fleetwood Mac was recording their legendary album “Rumors” in 1977, the group snorted so much cocaine that they insisted that their dealer be credited on the LP. The dilemma was solved when the dealer was killed before the album was released.
During this same recording session, Fleetwood Mac spent four days trying to tune a piano; then wound up bringing in nine different pianos- only to decide to not even use a piano after all.
While he was living with his fiancée Linda Ann Woodrow and his song writing partner Bernie Taupin, Elton John became depressed. But Taupin and Woodrow found him before he could harm himself. However, it was only a half-hearted attempt as Taupin explains: “He had his head in the gas range oven, but he only turned the gas on to low and left the kitchen window open. He even thought to take a cushion to rest his head on.”
After recording the iconic album “Pet Sounds,” Brian Wilson decided he needed to do some redecorating. So he turned his den (where his piano was located) into a giant sandbox so he could “feel the sand under his feet” as he wrote music.
Early manufacturers of Jukeboxes never referred to them as "jukeboxes,” they called them Automatic Coin-Operated Phonographs. The term "juke" is Southern US slang for dancing.
Keith Moon of the Who was one strange fellow. After his wife Kim left the rocking drummer in 1973 she sighed, “He’ll wake up in the morning and decide to be Adolph Hitler for the day. And he is Adolph Hitler.”
The late Freddie Mercury of Queen and his friends often enjoyed feasting on marijuana-filled brownies. On one particular rowdy night, the police arrived and asked the stoned rockers to quiet down. Mercury offered the officers some brownies, which they happily ate. Recalled Mercury, “I would love to have been a fly on the windscreen of their police car after about half an hour.”
In December, 1962, The Four Season's version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" reached number 23 on the Billboard singles chart. The song was originally a hit for George Hall in 1934.
Album Cover Art
Continuing our new feature, let's explore some great album cover art:
CANNIBAL CORPSE: "Evisceration Plague"
Want to see some awesome album cover art? Check out "Evisceration Plague," the new album from death metal veterans CANNIBAL CORPSE. "Evisceration Plague" is scheduled for release on February 3, 2009 via Metal Blade Records.
Commented bassist Alex Webster: "In CANNIBAL CORPSE, our goal has always been to try and make each new album we record our heaviest. That goal was a bit more challenging this time since we were extremely satisfied with our last album 'Kill', but we knew that by working with producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios again, we would be able to start at that same level of heaviness and take it even further. Now that we can hear the finished product, I would say we've been able to achieve this goal, and I think our fans will agree. 'Evisceration Plague' has the best guitar sound we've ever recorded, and the entire band has never played with more precision and power. We can't wait until you all get a chance to hear the album in early 2009, because we think you'll be as happy with it as we are."
"Evisceration Plague" will be available as a limited-edition digipack including a bonus track and bonus DVD, jewelcase CD and on limited splatter vinyl.
CANNIBAL CORPSE: "Evisceration Plague"
Want to see some awesome album cover art? Check out "Evisceration Plague," the new album from death metal veterans CANNIBAL CORPSE. "Evisceration Plague" is scheduled for release on February 3, 2009 via Metal Blade Records.
Commented bassist Alex Webster: "In CANNIBAL CORPSE, our goal has always been to try and make each new album we record our heaviest. That goal was a bit more challenging this time since we were extremely satisfied with our last album 'Kill', but we knew that by working with producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios again, we would be able to start at that same level of heaviness and take it even further. Now that we can hear the finished product, I would say we've been able to achieve this goal, and I think our fans will agree. 'Evisceration Plague' has the best guitar sound we've ever recorded, and the entire band has never played with more precision and power. We can't wait until you all get a chance to hear the album in early 2009, because we think you'll be as happy with it as we are."
"Evisceration Plague" will be available as a limited-edition digipack including a bonus track and bonus DVD, jewelcase CD and on limited splatter vinyl.
Music News & Notes
McCartney's Amoeba's Secret Released
(PR) On June 27, 2007, Paul McCartney and his great band shocked the music world by performing a surprise, first ever in-store concert at famed Los Angeles record shop, Amoeba Records. Four songs from this now legendary show were recorded and made available on limited edition vinyl entitled Amoeba's Secret. On January 27, 2009 this historic performance will be available exclusively in the U.S., for the first time ever on CD and digitally.
The CD is packaged in a unique edition mini-LP jacket and features four songs: "Only Mama Knows" and "That Was Me" from McCartney's Hear Music release Memory Almost Full, the obscure Wings gem "C Moon" and the Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There."
In December, McCartney received two 2009 Grammy Award nominations from Amoeba's Secret including Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "That Was Me" and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "I Saw Her Standing There."
The lucky people who camped out for two days to attend this rare performance know how special that night was. Now the rest of us have a chance to experience one of popular music's true icons in such an unusual and intimate setting.
============================
Diamond To Give
Neil Diamond has turned over the profits from his latest tour's t-shirt and souvenir sales to the victims of last summer's hurricane Ike.
He told CNN, "Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so fiercely and has been forgotten about by the rest of the country - but these people are still in desperate straits, and are in dire need of our help. I saw what was going on. The mayor of Houston took me around, and he told me about it and introduced me to some people.
"The next day, I drove down to some of the hardest-hit areas, and I just felt that I had to do something, and I felt that maybe my audience would help me out with it."
============================
Whiskey-A-Go-Go Ave
Mickey Dolenz (Monkees), John Densmore (Doors), Lou Adler, Jack Nicholson and Michelle Phillips (Mamas & the Papas) were among the people attending the unveiling of a street sign renaming the street outside of Whiskey-A-Go-Go after its late owner, Elmer Valentine. John Mayall and Johnny Rivers were among those who played a tribute show at the club.
(PR) On June 27, 2007, Paul McCartney and his great band shocked the music world by performing a surprise, first ever in-store concert at famed Los Angeles record shop, Amoeba Records. Four songs from this now legendary show were recorded and made available on limited edition vinyl entitled Amoeba's Secret. On January 27, 2009 this historic performance will be available exclusively in the U.S., for the first time ever on CD and digitally.
The CD is packaged in a unique edition mini-LP jacket and features four songs: "Only Mama Knows" and "That Was Me" from McCartney's Hear Music release Memory Almost Full, the obscure Wings gem "C Moon" and the Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There."
In December, McCartney received two 2009 Grammy Award nominations from Amoeba's Secret including Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "That Was Me" and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "I Saw Her Standing There."
The lucky people who camped out for two days to attend this rare performance know how special that night was. Now the rest of us have a chance to experience one of popular music's true icons in such an unusual and intimate setting.
============================
Diamond To Give
Neil Diamond has turned over the profits from his latest tour's t-shirt and souvenir sales to the victims of last summer's hurricane Ike.
He told CNN, "Hurricane Ike hit southern Texas so fiercely and has been forgotten about by the rest of the country - but these people are still in desperate straits, and are in dire need of our help. I saw what was going on. The mayor of Houston took me around, and he told me about it and introduced me to some people.
"The next day, I drove down to some of the hardest-hit areas, and I just felt that I had to do something, and I felt that maybe my audience would help me out with it."
============================
Whiskey-A-Go-Go Ave
Mickey Dolenz (Monkees), John Densmore (Doors), Lou Adler, Jack Nicholson and Michelle Phillips (Mamas & the Papas) were among the people attending the unveiling of a street sign renaming the street outside of Whiskey-A-Go-Go after its late owner, Elmer Valentine. John Mayall and Johnny Rivers were among those who played a tribute show at the club.
[Vinyl fights on in a digital world]
Despite ease, popularity of music downloads vintage LPs maintain niche fan base
By: Elizabeth Ghiorso
A death match between vinyl and MP3 is like a standoff between Mr. Miyagi and Katy Perry. In other words, it's a fight between something awesome and something popular.
MP3s, like Katy Perry, are trendy, easy and cheap. However, for those who call themselves authentic audiophiles, nothing beats vinyl for depth and richness of sound.
The LP offers a complete experience and a culture all its own - a culture that has transcended all other music mediums and carried vinyl into the digital age.
Why are vinyl records still thriving after all this time? The answer is simple; vinyl records, like Mr. Miyagi, kick ass.
While iTunes may be shiny and hip, digital downloads don't come close to the record store experience. No degree of convenience beats the atmosphere, the crowd or the prices at the local vinyl shop. Even big record stores like Amoeba and huge, corporate mega-stores like Virgin bring music-lovers together and provide a common ground for punkers and pianists alike.
The record store is a social mecca - a place for exchange and free-expression. It's the only place where people can run their fingers along the tops of hundreds of record jackets until they find one that speaks to their situation, one that they just can't live without. iTunes is just a place to buy some music.
"When you listen to a record, you are listening to the music the way it was meant to be heard," said Johnny, the lead singer and guitarist of Chico's rockabilly/punk band The Shankers.
Johnny, who goes by the one-name moniker ala Prince, works at Melody Records, and when I walked in, he was about to sell a few LPs to Neem-I, a local DJ on KZFR who hosts the show Roots & Culture.
Neem-I was buying records for the first time because he had recently received some equipment that allowed him to spin vinyl, he said. He had been thinking about checking out some records for a long time and now he was "feelin' it."
Johnny related the difference between records and MP3s to that of driving an automatic or a stick shift.
"If you really want the experience of driving a car, you drive a stick," he said. "But if you want to pick your nose and just cruise, you drive an automatic.
Johnny also shed some light on the contrast from a musician's perspective.
"For a band, vinyl is a huge deal," he said. "Any Joe Blow can put something on CD, but it's a commitment to put something on vinyl."
The further into the vinyl community one gets, the more one realizes that vinyl records are personal to people. Each record is an individual entity and most have stories to go along with them.
"The first record I ever got - I blackmailed my sister to take me to a record store," said Brad Finney, the singer and guitarist behind Chico's acoustic punk-rock band, Nothing Left.
Vinyl ownership carries a sense of nostalgia for Finney.
"I have been collecting records since I was 14 years old," he said. "They all have stories."
Vinyl records are important to Finney because they represent his history, he said.
"I grew up in Southern California," Finney said. "I would mow lawns and make some cash and then blow it all on a bunch of 7-inches or a few LPs."
Vinyl aficionados crave not only the killer sound of the record but the full-bodied experience that comes with it. Vinyl isn't just the best way to listen to music; it's a lifestyle. Each record in a collection represents both the true intentions of the artist and the circumstances of the collector.
Searching for scratches, scouring the planet for original presses and hearing that little pop as the turntable switches sides adds to the romance of the vinyl experience.
As for the MP3 experience - there isn't one. Buying and listening to music online is commercial and soulless. Online music sources have no stoned record-store clerks, no stale incense smell, no faded album art, and no cliche political bumper stickers. MP3s are songs stripped of artistic identity and individuality; they are lost in ambiguity.
If all you want is the latest Taylor Swift single, then you may be better off with iTunes. But if you want to really hear some music, feel the depth of sound, experience the true intentions of the artist and kick ass like Mr. Miyagi, then vinyl is the way to go.
SOURCE: http://www.theorion.com
Reprinted By Permission
By: Elizabeth Ghiorso
A death match between vinyl and MP3 is like a standoff between Mr. Miyagi and Katy Perry. In other words, it's a fight between something awesome and something popular.
MP3s, like Katy Perry, are trendy, easy and cheap. However, for those who call themselves authentic audiophiles, nothing beats vinyl for depth and richness of sound.
The LP offers a complete experience and a culture all its own - a culture that has transcended all other music mediums and carried vinyl into the digital age.
Why are vinyl records still thriving after all this time? The answer is simple; vinyl records, like Mr. Miyagi, kick ass.
While iTunes may be shiny and hip, digital downloads don't come close to the record store experience. No degree of convenience beats the atmosphere, the crowd or the prices at the local vinyl shop. Even big record stores like Amoeba and huge, corporate mega-stores like Virgin bring music-lovers together and provide a common ground for punkers and pianists alike.
The record store is a social mecca - a place for exchange and free-expression. It's the only place where people can run their fingers along the tops of hundreds of record jackets until they find one that speaks to their situation, one that they just can't live without. iTunes is just a place to buy some music.
"When you listen to a record, you are listening to the music the way it was meant to be heard," said Johnny, the lead singer and guitarist of Chico's rockabilly/punk band The Shankers.
Johnny, who goes by the one-name moniker ala Prince, works at Melody Records, and when I walked in, he was about to sell a few LPs to Neem-I, a local DJ on KZFR who hosts the show Roots & Culture.
Neem-I was buying records for the first time because he had recently received some equipment that allowed him to spin vinyl, he said. He had been thinking about checking out some records for a long time and now he was "feelin' it."
Johnny related the difference between records and MP3s to that of driving an automatic or a stick shift.
"If you really want the experience of driving a car, you drive a stick," he said. "But if you want to pick your nose and just cruise, you drive an automatic.
Johnny also shed some light on the contrast from a musician's perspective.
"For a band, vinyl is a huge deal," he said. "Any Joe Blow can put something on CD, but it's a commitment to put something on vinyl."
The further into the vinyl community one gets, the more one realizes that vinyl records are personal to people. Each record is an individual entity and most have stories to go along with them.
"The first record I ever got - I blackmailed my sister to take me to a record store," said Brad Finney, the singer and guitarist behind Chico's acoustic punk-rock band, Nothing Left.
Vinyl ownership carries a sense of nostalgia for Finney.
"I have been collecting records since I was 14 years old," he said. "They all have stories."
Vinyl records are important to Finney because they represent his history, he said.
"I grew up in Southern California," Finney said. "I would mow lawns and make some cash and then blow it all on a bunch of 7-inches or a few LPs."
Vinyl aficionados crave not only the killer sound of the record but the full-bodied experience that comes with it. Vinyl isn't just the best way to listen to music; it's a lifestyle. Each record in a collection represents both the true intentions of the artist and the circumstances of the collector.
Searching for scratches, scouring the planet for original presses and hearing that little pop as the turntable switches sides adds to the romance of the vinyl experience.
As for the MP3 experience - there isn't one. Buying and listening to music online is commercial and soulless. Online music sources have no stoned record-store clerks, no stale incense smell, no faded album art, and no cliche political bumper stickers. MP3s are songs stripped of artistic identity and individuality; they are lost in ambiguity.
If all you want is the latest Taylor Swift single, then you may be better off with iTunes. But if you want to really hear some music, feel the depth of sound, experience the true intentions of the artist and kick ass like Mr. Miyagi, then vinyl is the way to go.
SOURCE: http://www.theorion.com
Reprinted By Permission
John Martyn (1948-2009)
U.K. singer/songwriter John Martyn passed away Thursday at the age of 60. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
The announcement came with a posting on his website:
With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning.
Martyn began his career at the age of 17, playing a mix of American blues, traditional British music and the folk music of Davey Graham. Once established, he moved to London where he became a regular at the club Cousins.
In early-1968, Martyn was the first solo white artist to be signed to the reggae-based Island Records with his first album, London Conversation, being released in February of that year. While his initial effort was very much folk, each subsequent release found him experimenting with new sounds from jazz, blues and rock.
Along with being a singer and songwriter, Martyn also was an innovator, adding new effects to his sound. His most famous, the Echoplex, allowed him to loop layers of his own guitar on top of itself, using it in both live gigs and studio settings.
In the mid-70's, Martyn would battle alcoholism and a crumbling marriage to his occasional singing partner, Beverley Kutner. The problems would take their toll as his recording career began to go downhill and his live performances were marred by inappropriate song choices for the types of crowds.
During the 80's, friend Phil Collins tried to help the singer revive his career with the critically acclaimed albums Glorious Fool and Well Kept Secret, but the public did not take much notices. By 1988, Island had dropped Martyn from their roster.
Since 1990, Martyn had continued to record, mixing in even more eclectic styles such as trip-hop and funk. While he never rebuilt his original sales success, he remained an influential artist to many British musicians.
He was also confined to a wheelchair during his final years after having a leg amputated in 2003 when a cyst burst.
Phil Collins made a statement about Martyn's passing. "John's passing is terribly, terribly sad. I had worked with and known him since the late 1970s and he was a great friend. He was uncompromising, which made him infuriating to some people, but he was unique and we'll never see the likes of him again.
"I loved him dearly and will miss him very much."
Martyn received an Order of the British Empire at this month's New Year's Honors by Queen Elizabeth and had received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC2 Radio's Folk Awards last February. Island Records celebrated his 60th birthday last September with the release of the box set, Ain't No Saint.
SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com
Belle and Sebastian Pick Cover-Art Contest Winner
Belle and Sebastian have picked their favorite stand-in cover for their latest album.
The act picked French artist Colocho's alternate cover for its limited-edition Record Store Day reissue of its The BBC Sessions.
In addition to getting a reworked cover out of Colocho without having to invest a cent, the Scottish indie band will also be able to save all kinds of mad cash printing the cover in black and white instead of having to spring for a four-color separation! That's great news in these tough economic times.
The act picked French artist Colocho's alternate cover for its limited-edition Record Store Day reissue of its The BBC Sessions. In addition to getting a reworked cover out of Colocho without having to invest a cent, the Scottish indie band will also be able to save all kinds of mad cash printing the cover in black and white instead of having to spring for a four-color separation! That's great news in these tough economic times.
This Date In Music History-January 30
Birthdays:
Jody Watley (1961)
Phil Collins (1951)
Martyn Balin- Jefferson Airplane (1942)
Joe Terranova- Danny and the Juniors (1941)
Chicago soul singer Jackie Ross was born in 1946.
They Are Missed:
Steve Marriott, guitarist and singer/songwriter was born in 1947. Marriott was a member of Small Faces. He died in a house fire on April 20th 1991.
Blues guitarist, singer Sam Lightnin Hopkins died in 1982 (age 70)
Producer Bob Thiele (produced Teresa Brewer-- who he also married; Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters, Jackie Wilson, Quincy Jones and many more) died in 1996 (age 73).
The great New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair died of a heart attack in 1980 (age 61).
History:
Although more than half a million jukeboxes were scattered around North America in 1955, US manufacturer AMI finally introduces the pay-for-play devices in the UK. Company president John Haddock says he intends to target the ever growing coffee house market first.
KISS played their first show at the Coventry Club in Queens, NY in 1973.
Elvis Presley recorded his version of "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1956.
After spending 11 weeks on the chart Britney Spears started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1999 with “...Baby One More Time.” Britney's debut album also went to #1 on the US chart on the same day.
INXS had their first US #1 hit single in 1988 with “Need You Tonight.”
In 1969, the Beatles performed their final concert on the roof of the Apple offices in London's Saville Road. During the gig the band performed "Get Back." The set was halted after 42 minutes because an accountant at the nearby Royal Bank of Scotland complained about the noise. It had been 2½ years since the Beatles had played Candlestick Park, San Francisco, on August 29th, 1966.
In 1991, 22 years to the day that The Beatles played live on the roof of their London offices, Manchester band James played a live set on the roof of Manchester's Piccadilly radio station attracting several thousand on-lookers.
The Shirelles started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1961 with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow;” it reached #4 in the UK.
The Bee Gees began recording "Jive Talkin" in 1975, which will become their second US chart topper and their fourteenth Billboard Top 20 hit. Barry Gibb's inspiration for the song came when his wife commented on the sound their car made while crossing a bridge over Biscayne Bay into Miami. She noted, "It's our drive talkin'."
In 1982, Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go for That" hit #1 on the Billboard Pop chart and the R&B chart simultaneously, one week after hitting #1 on the Disco chart. It becomes only the fourth single by a white act to reach the top of the R&B chart since 1965. The record was also a #8 hit in the UK.
“The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis, reached #3 in the US in 1965.
Bobby Goldsboro recorded "Honey" in 1968.
Jody Watley (1961)
Phil Collins (1951)
Martyn Balin- Jefferson Airplane (1942)
Joe Terranova- Danny and the Juniors (1941)
Chicago soul singer Jackie Ross was born in 1946.
They Are Missed:
Steve Marriott, guitarist and singer/songwriter was born in 1947. Marriott was a member of Small Faces. He died in a house fire on April 20th 1991.
Blues guitarist, singer Sam Lightnin Hopkins died in 1982 (age 70)
Producer Bob Thiele (produced Teresa Brewer-- who he also married; Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters, Jackie Wilson, Quincy Jones and many more) died in 1996 (age 73).
The great New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair died of a heart attack in 1980 (age 61).
History:
Although more than half a million jukeboxes were scattered around North America in 1955, US manufacturer AMI finally introduces the pay-for-play devices in the UK. Company president John Haddock says he intends to target the ever growing coffee house market first.
KISS played their first show at the Coventry Club in Queens, NY in 1973.
Elvis Presley recorded his version of "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1956.
After spending 11 weeks on the chart Britney Spears started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1999 with “...Baby One More Time.” Britney's debut album also went to #1 on the US chart on the same day.
INXS had their first US #1 hit single in 1988 with “Need You Tonight.”
In 1969, the Beatles performed their final concert on the roof of the Apple offices in London's Saville Road. During the gig the band performed "Get Back." The set was halted after 42 minutes because an accountant at the nearby Royal Bank of Scotland complained about the noise. It had been 2½ years since the Beatles had played Candlestick Park, San Francisco, on August 29th, 1966.
In 1991, 22 years to the day that The Beatles played live on the roof of their London offices, Manchester band James played a live set on the roof of Manchester's Piccadilly radio station attracting several thousand on-lookers.
The Shirelles started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1961 with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow;” it reached #4 in the UK.
The Bee Gees began recording "Jive Talkin" in 1975, which will become their second US chart topper and their fourteenth Billboard Top 20 hit. Barry Gibb's inspiration for the song came when his wife commented on the sound their car made while crossing a bridge over Biscayne Bay into Miami. She noted, "It's our drive talkin'."
In 1982, Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go for That" hit #1 on the Billboard Pop chart and the R&B chart simultaneously, one week after hitting #1 on the Disco chart. It becomes only the fourth single by a white act to reach the top of the R&B chart since 1965. The record was also a #8 hit in the UK.
“The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis, reached #3 in the US in 1965.
Bobby Goldsboro recorded "Honey" in 1968.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Bruce Springsteen: Working on a Dream/Review
Bruce Springsteen: Working on a Dream 180 gram vinyl (w/ download code)
The Boss is back with a new two-record set of all-new material just in time for his halftime appearance this coming Superbowl Sunday. On the heels of his last record, the acclaimed Magic, Springsteen is back again with the E Street Band with Working on a Dream, this time with mixed results.
My Lucky Day is the kind of upbeat anthem in the tradition of Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out that could have easily been on Magic and makes you smile every time you hear it. Other highlights of the record are the epic, Outlaw Pete and the somber ballad, The Wrestler. While the rest of the material on the record is fine enough and I suspect that most fans of The Boss will enjoy it, many of the songs either aren't particularly memorable or suffer from mediocre lyrics. This is far from a bad record, it just isn't up to the higher standard realized by Magic--and is a far cry from anything from the classic period of 1975-1985.
Two 180 gram platters are packaged in a single jacket with inner sleeves containing the complete song lyrics. While sound quality varies from track to track, it is a significant step up from the uniformly compressed sound that was heard on Magic. Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering did the vinyl mastering and although some of the faster numbers do have that squashed sound, it does not predominate the way it did on Magic. Bruce seems to be going for a Spectorian Wall-of-Sound on those tunes and more than likely, there is little a mastering engineer could do without completely changing the character of the songs.
Included with the vinyl package is a code for a 320 kbps download. Although sufficient for listening on an Ipod or in the car, the sonics are somewhat thin and pinched and don't compare favorably to the vinyl. Where the vinyl shines is on the acoustic ballads where it really captures the layers of Bruce's voice and conveys a realism missing from the digital download. While never an overwhelming audiophile experience, it appears that the vinyl will be the best way to hear this record.
SOURCE: http://myvinylreview.blogspot.com
The Boss is back with a new two-record set of all-new material just in time for his halftime appearance this coming Superbowl Sunday. On the heels of his last record, the acclaimed Magic, Springsteen is back again with the E Street Band with Working on a Dream, this time with mixed results.
My Lucky Day is the kind of upbeat anthem in the tradition of Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out that could have easily been on Magic and makes you smile every time you hear it. Other highlights of the record are the epic, Outlaw Pete and the somber ballad, The Wrestler. While the rest of the material on the record is fine enough and I suspect that most fans of The Boss will enjoy it, many of the songs either aren't particularly memorable or suffer from mediocre lyrics. This is far from a bad record, it just isn't up to the higher standard realized by Magic--and is a far cry from anything from the classic period of 1975-1985.
Two 180 gram platters are packaged in a single jacket with inner sleeves containing the complete song lyrics. While sound quality varies from track to track, it is a significant step up from the uniformly compressed sound that was heard on Magic. Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering did the vinyl mastering and although some of the faster numbers do have that squashed sound, it does not predominate the way it did on Magic. Bruce seems to be going for a Spectorian Wall-of-Sound on those tunes and more than likely, there is little a mastering engineer could do without completely changing the character of the songs.
Included with the vinyl package is a code for a 320 kbps download. Although sufficient for listening on an Ipod or in the car, the sonics are somewhat thin and pinched and don't compare favorably to the vinyl. Where the vinyl shines is on the acoustic ballads where it really captures the layers of Bruce's voice and conveys a realism missing from the digital download. While never an overwhelming audiophile experience, it appears that the vinyl will be the best way to hear this record.
SOURCE: http://myvinylreview.blogspot.com
Skynyrd Keyboardist Dies
Rock & Roll lost another valued member when Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell passed away on January 28. He was 56 years old.
Powell called 911 around 12:55 Wednesday morning saying that he was experiencing breathing difficulties. Rescue crews were quickly dispatched to his Orange Park, Florida residence, but Powell was pronounced dead just before 2 am.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is primarily recognized as a guitar-driven rock band, but Powell’s distinctive piano work helped to define the group's sound and Southern rock in general.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Powell was attending college in Florida and became a roadie for the band and performed in a group called Alice Marr.
Lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant invited Powell to join the legendary Southern rockers after hearing him play piano during a rehearsal of “Free Bird,” the rock anthem played by the band.
But, tragedy struck in 1977 in the form of a fiery plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and back up vocalist Cassie Gaines. Powell and founding guitarist Gary Rossington were the only two band members to survive the crash.
After the crash, Powell played with other bands and formed his own group, Alias, in 1979. He also teamed up with Rossington and Allen Collins and played with the Rossington-Collins Band. By the mid 80’s, Powell was playing with a contemporary Christian music group called Vision.
In the late 80’s, the surviving members reconvened and began playing a series of reunion concerts with Johnny Van Zant stepping in on lead vocals for his brother.
In recent years, Powell has continued to record and tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd and in 2008 the group performed with Kid Rock and Hank Williams, Jr.
As a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Powell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Rock and roll will truly miss his inventive and fluid piano work.
Powell called 911 around 12:55 Wednesday morning saying that he was experiencing breathing difficulties. Rescue crews were quickly dispatched to his Orange Park, Florida residence, but Powell was pronounced dead just before 2 am.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is primarily recognized as a guitar-driven rock band, but Powell’s distinctive piano work helped to define the group's sound and Southern rock in general.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Powell was attending college in Florida and became a roadie for the band and performed in a group called Alice Marr.
Lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant invited Powell to join the legendary Southern rockers after hearing him play piano during a rehearsal of “Free Bird,” the rock anthem played by the band.
But, tragedy struck in 1977 in the form of a fiery plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and back up vocalist Cassie Gaines. Powell and founding guitarist Gary Rossington were the only two band members to survive the crash.
After the crash, Powell played with other bands and formed his own group, Alias, in 1979. He also teamed up with Rossington and Allen Collins and played with the Rossington-Collins Band. By the mid 80’s, Powell was playing with a contemporary Christian music group called Vision.
In the late 80’s, the surviving members reconvened and began playing a series of reunion concerts with Johnny Van Zant stepping in on lead vocals for his brother.
In recent years, Powell has continued to record and tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd and in 2008 the group performed with Kid Rock and Hank Williams, Jr.
As a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Powell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Rock and roll will truly miss his inventive and fluid piano work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
