Tuesday, September 30, 2014
MARCAt some point in '83 or '84 Pat Wilson came home with a copy of The Slider. It pretty much changed everything. Within a short amount of time I owned the trilogy that marked the zenith of T. Rex/Marc Bolan: Electric Warrior, The Slider, Tanx.
Electric Warrior is probably the more well known, containing the hits 'Get It On (Bang A Gong)', and 'Jeepster', and it is well worth owning. As with most great records, the hits drag you in, but it is other songs that keep you coming back, and Electric Warrior is no exception containing such timeless tracks as 'Girl', 'Cosmic Dancer', 'Mambo Sun', 'Planet Queen', and 'Life's A Gas'.
My favorite will always be The Slider. The title track, 'Ballrooms of Mars', 'Spaceball Ricochet', 'Rabbit Fighter', and the oft covered 'Telegram Sam' combine to make this record a must have, and a constant companion.
Tanx comes off as a sign of the decline that followed, but don't be discouraged, it pleases well enough with a killer pace starting with the lead-off track 'Tenemant Lady', straight through to the closer 'Left Hand Luke'. 'Life Is Strange', 'Rapids', 'Electric Slim and the Factory Hen' fill out an enormously pleasing record.
Today would have been Marc's 67th birthday, so bang a gong and get your T. Rex on.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
HOW YA BEEN
Okay, to catch up, I found work at Burger World, the Legal Diva is now a Pickle Person, much has changed, but so little has changed. American politics is still fucked despite the tide of positivity that Obama surfed into the White House. Rock and Roll from the 70's is still far superior to it's current facsimile, and the Jets can still be counted upon for a let-down. Granted the recent let-downs have been much more satisfying - thanks Rex.
Rex and Obama. Tragic greatness. They both have achieved so much, certainly much more than their predecessors, but have fallen just short of the mark. So close they could taste it. Of course they're both still in the game, but it's sort of 'back to the drawing board' for both of them. The upside is that they both are currently enjoying favorable approval ratings, and some real momentum. Obama's recent recovery of his popularity as opposed to Rex's steady stream of 'atta boy's is the only basic difference between their positions. They both have to go back and convince their teams that the dream can be reality, that if everyone stays committed, continues to believe, then this time they can really do it........again. One more time into the breach.
I gotta say, of the two, I have more faith in Rex's ability to pull it off. Mr. Obama and Mr. Ryan both face old and devious rivals. They both fight evil. The Devil is in their respective divisions, and as of late he's been a consistently favored winner. To the Coach and the President's considerable credit, they both have had decisive victories against their intimidating enemies, but in the end, I think Rex has a better team than Obama does.
But I digress.......
So, yeah, I basically quit the Internet a while back. About a year and a half. I oversocialnetworked. Many people have obsessive responses to this new social phenomenon. My own began to have a negative effect on my psyche. It got to where I was more concerned about Papa Robbie's response to a fleeting inconsequential remark about Joe Walsh than I was about enjoying the ability to write about Joe Walsh and have people I've never met read what I wrote, and even, sometimes, respond positively, and engage in discourse about Joe Walsh and Joe Walsh related topics.
Of course I have only myself to blame. Early on in my BlogLife I took to comment baiting. I posted outlandish and idiotically provocative sentiments for the expressed purpose of causing a ruckus. I got what I paid for.
I've learned something, I hope, about myself, and I think the process has improved me. Humility is not sincere when it is slathered in sarcasm, and a rampant unchecked ego is a friend to no one.
Having said that, I still think that I'm right, and 'Funk 49' - despite being a reference to a supposed fragrance, is a bit funky, certainly for a white dude from Ohio.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
YAY JETS!
3-0! Hurray for Rex Ryan.
Beware all opposing teams, we kill.......
3-0! Hurray for Rex Ryan.
Beware all opposing teams, we kill.......
HEY CONGRESS, FUCK YOU
I hope they all die horrible painful and expensive deaths.
I hope they all die horrible painful and expensive deaths.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
105 Concerts
01: Atlanta Rhythm Section (Steppenwolf was on the bill, but they bailed and we got The Mushroom Band as the opening act. Early 79? Ike Hall, West Point, NY. First exposure to the smell of weed.
02: Nazareth/Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, summer 79, Capitol Center, Md.
03: Kiss, summer 79? Dynasty Tour, MSG, NYC.
04: Kansas, 79? Ike Hall, West Point, NY.
05: Boston, fall 79, Schwetzingen Sports Arena, West Germany.
06: Rainbow, fall 79, Schwetzingen Sports Arena, West Germany. Gram Bonnet line-up.
07: Van Halen, summer 80, Boston Gardens, Boston, Mass. Dave had multiple injuries, arm in a cast, great stories.
08: Alice Cooper, 1981, Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY.
09: The Pretenders, 1981, Ike Hall, WP, NY. Original pre-death line-up.
10: Joan Jett/David Johanssen, 1981, Ike Hall, WP, NY. One of the best ever.
11: Rainbow/Scorpions, 1982, MSG, NYC. Scorps blew away pathetic headlining Rainbow.
12: B52's, 1983, Ike Hall, WP, NY.
13: J. Geils Band, 1983, Ike Hall, WP, NY
14: Ozzy, 1983, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
15: Krokus/Blackfoot, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
16: Kiss/Accept, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
17: Motley Crue/Ratt, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
18: Aerosmith, 1984, Orange County Fair, NY
19: Wesley Willis & The Fiasco
20: The Ramones,1984, Univ. of MD
21: The Ramones, 1984, The Bayou, Washington DC. Got Tossed out by a jar-head for doing the pogo about half-way through.
22: U2, 1985, Capitol Center, MD The best ever? Maybe.
23: Yes, 1984, Hartford CT
24: Rush, 1986, Baltimore Md
25: Peter Gabriel, 1986, Capitol Center
26: Al DiMeola, 1985, U of M
27: Patrick Moraz & Bill Bruford, 1985, U of M
29: Iron Maiden/Coney Hatch, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
30: REO Speedwagon, 1982, Nassau Colliseum, NY
31: Judas Priest, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
32: Marillion, 1986, The Roxy, NYC
33: Hot Tuna/Foghat, 1987?, The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY. Bloody awful. The drummer was the only original Foghat member, and Hot Tuna was a poor substitution for the initial headliner, Nazareth, who cancelled.
34: Georgia Satellites, 1987?, The Chance, Poghkeepsie, NY. One of the best ever.
35: Dylan/the Grateful Dead/ Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. RFK, DC. Great fun.
36: Grateful Dead, 1988, MSG, NYC. Great show, heavy trip, we got Terrapin.
37: Grateful Dead, 1988, Brendan Byrne Arena, Medowlands, East Rutherford NJ. Watched first set without acid. Big Mistake, found some during drums, just in time.
38: REM/10,000 Maniacs, 1987, Radio City, NYC. Great Show.
39: Stevie Ray Vaughn, 1988, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY. Months before he died. Absolutely amazed.
40: John Lee Hooker, 1987?, Philadelphia, PA. Life Changing Event.
41: Rolling Stones/Living Colour, 1989, Shea Stadium, Queens, NY. Clapton showed up.
42: Rolling Stones/Living Colour, 1989, JFK Stadium?, Philadelphia. Drove down and back same night. It rained. Totally worth it.
43: REM, 1989, Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ
45: Keith Richards/Replacements, 1989, Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutheford, NJ. Keith's birthday. Great show. Replacements were awful (expected); instead of finishing 'Can't Hardly Wait', which they started and aborted multiple times, they moved on to a rousing 'Happy Birthday' to Keith. If i could have hung out backstage at any concert I've ever seen, this was the one.
46: Kix, 1984, The Bayou, Washington DC. One of the best ever.
47: Kix, 1986?, Hammerjacks, Baltimore, MD.
48: Robin Trower, 1986?, Hammerjacks, Baltimore, MD
49: Frehley's Comet, 1986?, Hammerjack's, Baltimore, MD
50: The Ramones, 1988, Bedford, NY. A very short show, slightly over an hor, during which they went through 35 songs.
51: Metallica, 1990?, The Continental Airlines Arena (formerly the Brendan Byrne Arena), Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. Great show, though I didn't know any of the songs, excepting their cover of Queen's 'Stone Cold Crazy'.
52: The Cramps, 1990, the Academy, NYC. My first crowd surfing.
53: Red Hot Chili Peppers/Dead Milkmen, The New Roxy (Studio 54), NYC. Killer show.
54: Fishbone, 1995, The Wetlands, NYC. Amazed.
55: Lollapalooza, 1990? (the first one), Waterloo Village, NJ. Missed The Boredoms. Caught Henry Rollins, The Butthole Surfers, Nine Inch Nails, Ice T & Body Count, Souxie and the Banshees, and Jane's Addiction. I took a nap during Living Colour, having seen them twice w/ the Stones earlier that year.
56: The Buzzcocks, 1991?, New Rochelle, NY
57: Red Kross, 19??, Joey Ramone's Rock and Roll Summer Nights,someplace on St. Mark's, NYC. I remeber the show, and hanging out with the Two Pats, but not much else. That may have been the night I helped a legless Joey Ramone to his feet at the bar.
58: Gene Loves Jezebel, 1992, The Limelight, NYC
59: Lenny Kravitz, 199?, Roseland, NYC
60: Aerosmith/Guns & Roses, 1988, Orange County Fair, NY. Axl claimed to be ill, only putting in half of a set, forcing the band to fill in with a rather pleasant blues jam and some punk cover with Duff singing. Aerosmith was great, as usual.
61: Aerosmith, 1993, Albany, NY. Still astounding the third time in ten years.
62: AC/DC, 1993?, Albany, NY.
63: The Reverand Horton Heat, 1994?, the Limelight, NYC. Got religion.
64: Smashing Pumpkins, 1994, Albany, NY. The most negative show ever.
65: Pink Floyd, 1994, Yankee Stadium, NYC. The first, and best, of the 'All Drug Olympics'. Weed, beer, mushrooms, acid, cocaine, and hydrocodone. In that order I think, the mushrooms got eaten about an hour out of the city, the acid was dropped as we parked the car, the hydrocodone was saved for the long drive back to Albany to sooth the effects of being stuck in an enclosed space for three hours on a brain full of hallucinogens. The show was good too.
66: Lollapalooza III?, 1994, Saratoga Springs, NY. It was the one Nirvana was supposed to headline before Kurt bailed, leaving the uber popular but oh so depressing Smashing Pumpkins to fill the slot. Nick Cave was good, and so was George Clinton's P-Funk All Stars. The Breeders were apauling, triggering pre-recorded loops to make-up for that fact that only Kim Deal and the drummer had any actual musical ability. A joke.
67: Ramones, 1995, May Day, Albany, NY. My first Ramones show w/ out Dee Dee. Not Bad, not great.
68: UFO, 1995, the Limelight, NYC. God smiled on me, gave Schenker the desire to get back with UFO and tour the 'Strangers In the Night' set. This show meant more to me than any other show, except maybe the first Kiss concert in 79. A dream come true, fifteen years in the making.
69: Bowie, 1995, Roseland, NYC. Best sounding show ever.
70: U2, 2001, MSG, NYC. The first show @ MSG after 9/11. Very emotional, but the band was a bit off. I think they came straight from the plane or something. They certainly tried. The most expensive show ever @ $145.00
71: Alice Cooper, Halloween 2001, Roseland, NYC. Great.
72: Alice Cooper, Halloween 2002, The Beacon, NYC. Better.
73: Alice Cooper, Halloween, 2003, The Beacon, NYC. The best?
74: Alice Cooper, Halloween 2004, The Beacon, NYC. The best?
75: Alice Coope/Cheap Trick, October 2005, PNC Center, NJ. Cheap Trick suffered from poor sound.
76: Tool, 2001, MSG, NYC. Decent. Great sound. Boring band.
77: Patti Smith, 199?, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC.
78: Devo, 2004, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC. Mind blowing.
79: Lucinda Williams, 2004, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC. I got shussed.
80: Beastie Boys, 2008, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC
81: Music Midtown Day 1, 2006?, ATL, GA. Lou Reed, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Keith Urban
82: Music Midtown Day 2, 2006?, ATL, GA. John Fogarty, some random country, a bit fuzzy on that day
83: Music Midtown Day 3 2006?, ATL, GA. Joan Jett, Def Leppard (horrid), Devo
84: Amsterjam, 2007?, Randall's Island, NYC. Worked for Figo who played one of the alternate stages, saw L.L. Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Foo Fighters, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt (all puns intended) that they are the greatest working Americain Rock band, and just might be the greatest Americain Rock band ever, and a contender for the world title.
85: Disco Biscuits, 2008, some hippy fest upstate. Whatever. Snoop Dogg played the first night. He's the man. His band was great.
86: Luna, 2007?, Bowery Ballroom, NYC. Last Luna show(s).
87: Bad Brains, 2000, ????, NYC. Amazing.
88: Wilco, 2007?, Radio City. Fred took me. I got it. American music.
89: Wilco, 2008, McCarren Pool, Williamsburg, NYC. Not the best sound, too much cement. Beer lines out of control. No weed.
90: Kings of Leon/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 2007?, Radio City. I dug BRMC, they have a cool dark vibe. KOL are lost on me.
91: Some Hippy Fest, 2007?, Randall's Island, NYC. Dave Mathews, Bare Naked Ladies, Mike Doughty. A hot dusty day.
92: Lollapalooza 5?, 1995?, Randall's Island, NYC. It was the Soundgarden/Metallica bill, the last of the original Paloozas. Soundgarden was good.
93: Kiss, 1996?, Continental Airlines Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. The first leg of the big reunion tour, a New Years show. Magical, though I detected some supporting tracks beefing up the sound, but hell, Ace was back, the make-up was back, and I was happy to be fifteen again.
94: David Bowie, 2005?, Jone's Beach, NY. Fun show. He had that huge choir/cult act open, what were they called?
95: The Johnson Family, 1996?, Knitting Factory, NYC. Interesting semi-religious family act, great players, great singers, and great songs.
96: All Tomorrow's Parties Day 1, 2008, Monticello, NY. Meat Puppets, Built to Spill, Thurston Moore, Bardo Pond.
97: All Tomorrow's Parties Day 2, 2008, Monticello, NY. Shellac, Polvo, Om, Fuck Buttons, The Drones, Les Savy Fav. Les Savy Fav was the best act of the whole festival.
98: All Tomorrow's Parties Day 3, 2008, Monticello, NY. Dinosaur Jr, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Mercury Rev, Bob Mould, Spectrum. I loved Bob Mould, as his set contained the most familiar material of the whole weekend, and well, I just love Bob, but I got real drunk, and by the time I settled into check out Dinosaur Jr I was having trouble maintaining. J. Mascis had a wall of Marshalls surrounding a giant Marshall stack at least nine feet tall. It was sooooooooo loud. Louder than anything I had ever witnessed. Abusively loud. So much so that I went to find a place to get some horizontal time. When I woke, My Bloody Valentine was wrapping up their set. I went in and was immediately struck by three things: My Bloody Valentine were even louder than Dinosaur Jr, the sound coming from the stage was a wall of noise, a feedback binge that went on for at least twenty minutes, and I had managed to grow old enough to question the necessity of such ridiculous and obviously damaging.
99: Neil Young, 2008, Radio City, NYC. An immensely satisfying show, long, long overdue.
100: Fleetwood Mac, 2009, MSG, NYC. A great show, super high energy. Totally stunned.
101: Deep Purple/Thin Lizzy, 2007?, The Beacon, NYC. Deep Purple was great, Roger Glover, Ian Gillan, and Ian Pace rounded out by Don Airey in place of John Lord, and the excellent and much more melodic Steve Morse in Blackmore’s spot. Thin Lizzy was a bit disappointing, how could it not be without Phil or Brain Downey. Shred King John Sykes, who only played on one Lizzy record (the last one) handled the vocals, and Mark ‘The Animal’ Mendoza, of Twisted Sister, ably handled the bass, but it was simply lacking magic, and Sykes was way louder than longtime Lizzy guitar whiz Scott Gorham.
102: Little Feat, 1988?, somewhere in Connecticut. The late eighties Lowell George-less line-up.
103: Robert Cray/Treat Her Right, 1988?, Lake Componce, CT. Cray was/is great, and so was Treat Her Right, a three-piece of guitar, tenor guitar, and cocktail drum that would later morph into Morphine (I told you, all puns intended).
104: Scorpions, 2008, The Beacon, NYC. Man those sextagenerian Krauts can Rock the shit out of theater.
105: Iron Maiden, 2008, MSG, NYC. Maiden has not lost a step in 25 years.
01: Atlanta Rhythm Section (Steppenwolf was on the bill, but they bailed and we got The Mushroom Band as the opening act. Early 79? Ike Hall, West Point, NY. First exposure to the smell of weed.
02: Nazareth/Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, summer 79, Capitol Center, Md.
03: Kiss, summer 79? Dynasty Tour, MSG, NYC.
04: Kansas, 79? Ike Hall, West Point, NY.
05: Boston, fall 79, Schwetzingen Sports Arena, West Germany.
06: Rainbow, fall 79, Schwetzingen Sports Arena, West Germany. Gram Bonnet line-up.
07: Van Halen, summer 80, Boston Gardens, Boston, Mass. Dave had multiple injuries, arm in a cast, great stories.
08: Alice Cooper, 1981, Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY.
09: The Pretenders, 1981, Ike Hall, WP, NY. Original pre-death line-up.
10: Joan Jett/David Johanssen, 1981, Ike Hall, WP, NY. One of the best ever.
11: Rainbow/Scorpions, 1982, MSG, NYC. Scorps blew away pathetic headlining Rainbow.
12: B52's, 1983, Ike Hall, WP, NY.
13: J. Geils Band, 1983, Ike Hall, WP, NY
14: Ozzy, 1983, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
15: Krokus/Blackfoot, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
16: Kiss/Accept, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
17: Motley Crue/Ratt, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
18: Aerosmith, 1984, Orange County Fair, NY
19: Wesley Willis & The Fiasco
20: The Ramones,1984, Univ. of MD
21: The Ramones, 1984, The Bayou, Washington DC. Got Tossed out by a jar-head for doing the pogo about half-way through.
22: U2, 1985, Capitol Center, MD The best ever? Maybe.
23: Yes, 1984, Hartford CT
24: Rush, 1986, Baltimore Md
25: Peter Gabriel, 1986, Capitol Center
26: Al DiMeola, 1985, U of M
27: Patrick Moraz & Bill Bruford, 1985, U of M
29: Iron Maiden/Coney Hatch, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
30: REO Speedwagon, 1982, Nassau Colliseum, NY
31: Judas Priest, 1984, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
32: Marillion, 1986, The Roxy, NYC
33: Hot Tuna/Foghat, 1987?, The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY. Bloody awful. The drummer was the only original Foghat member, and Hot Tuna was a poor substitution for the initial headliner, Nazareth, who cancelled.
34: Georgia Satellites, 1987?, The Chance, Poghkeepsie, NY. One of the best ever.
35: Dylan/the Grateful Dead/ Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. RFK, DC. Great fun.
36: Grateful Dead, 1988, MSG, NYC. Great show, heavy trip, we got Terrapin.
37: Grateful Dead, 1988, Brendan Byrne Arena, Medowlands, East Rutherford NJ. Watched first set without acid. Big Mistake, found some during drums, just in time.
38: REM/10,000 Maniacs, 1987, Radio City, NYC. Great Show.
39: Stevie Ray Vaughn, 1988, Mid Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY. Months before he died. Absolutely amazed.
40: John Lee Hooker, 1987?, Philadelphia, PA. Life Changing Event.
41: Rolling Stones/Living Colour, 1989, Shea Stadium, Queens, NY. Clapton showed up.
42: Rolling Stones/Living Colour, 1989, JFK Stadium?, Philadelphia. Drove down and back same night. It rained. Totally worth it.
43: REM, 1989, Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ
45: Keith Richards/Replacements, 1989, Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutheford, NJ. Keith's birthday. Great show. Replacements were awful (expected); instead of finishing 'Can't Hardly Wait', which they started and aborted multiple times, they moved on to a rousing 'Happy Birthday' to Keith. If i could have hung out backstage at any concert I've ever seen, this was the one.
46: Kix, 1984, The Bayou, Washington DC. One of the best ever.
47: Kix, 1986?, Hammerjacks, Baltimore, MD.
48: Robin Trower, 1986?, Hammerjacks, Baltimore, MD
49: Frehley's Comet, 1986?, Hammerjack's, Baltimore, MD
50: The Ramones, 1988, Bedford, NY. A very short show, slightly over an hor, during which they went through 35 songs.
51: Metallica, 1990?, The Continental Airlines Arena (formerly the Brendan Byrne Arena), Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. Great show, though I didn't know any of the songs, excepting their cover of Queen's 'Stone Cold Crazy'.
52: The Cramps, 1990, the Academy, NYC. My first crowd surfing.
53: Red Hot Chili Peppers/Dead Milkmen, The New Roxy (Studio 54), NYC. Killer show.
54: Fishbone, 1995, The Wetlands, NYC. Amazed.
55: Lollapalooza, 1990? (the first one), Waterloo Village, NJ. Missed The Boredoms. Caught Henry Rollins, The Butthole Surfers, Nine Inch Nails, Ice T & Body Count, Souxie and the Banshees, and Jane's Addiction. I took a nap during Living Colour, having seen them twice w/ the Stones earlier that year.
56: The Buzzcocks, 1991?, New Rochelle, NY
57: Red Kross, 19??, Joey Ramone's Rock and Roll Summer Nights,someplace on St. Mark's, NYC. I remeber the show, and hanging out with the Two Pats, but not much else. That may have been the night I helped a legless Joey Ramone to his feet at the bar.
58: Gene Loves Jezebel, 1992, The Limelight, NYC
59: Lenny Kravitz, 199?, Roseland, NYC
60: Aerosmith/Guns & Roses, 1988, Orange County Fair, NY. Axl claimed to be ill, only putting in half of a set, forcing the band to fill in with a rather pleasant blues jam and some punk cover with Duff singing. Aerosmith was great, as usual.
61: Aerosmith, 1993, Albany, NY. Still astounding the third time in ten years.
62: AC/DC, 1993?, Albany, NY.
63: The Reverand Horton Heat, 1994?, the Limelight, NYC. Got religion.
64: Smashing Pumpkins, 1994, Albany, NY. The most negative show ever.
65: Pink Floyd, 1994, Yankee Stadium, NYC. The first, and best, of the 'All Drug Olympics'. Weed, beer, mushrooms, acid, cocaine, and hydrocodone. In that order I think, the mushrooms got eaten about an hour out of the city, the acid was dropped as we parked the car, the hydrocodone was saved for the long drive back to Albany to sooth the effects of being stuck in an enclosed space for three hours on a brain full of hallucinogens. The show was good too.
66: Lollapalooza III?, 1994, Saratoga Springs, NY. It was the one Nirvana was supposed to headline before Kurt bailed, leaving the uber popular but oh so depressing Smashing Pumpkins to fill the slot. Nick Cave was good, and so was George Clinton's P-Funk All Stars. The Breeders were apauling, triggering pre-recorded loops to make-up for that fact that only Kim Deal and the drummer had any actual musical ability. A joke.
67: Ramones, 1995, May Day, Albany, NY. My first Ramones show w/ out Dee Dee. Not Bad, not great.
68: UFO, 1995, the Limelight, NYC. God smiled on me, gave Schenker the desire to get back with UFO and tour the 'Strangers In the Night' set. This show meant more to me than any other show, except maybe the first Kiss concert in 79. A dream come true, fifteen years in the making.
69: Bowie, 1995, Roseland, NYC. Best sounding show ever.
70: U2, 2001, MSG, NYC. The first show @ MSG after 9/11. Very emotional, but the band was a bit off. I think they came straight from the plane or something. They certainly tried. The most expensive show ever @ $145.00
71: Alice Cooper, Halloween 2001, Roseland, NYC. Great.
72: Alice Cooper, Halloween 2002, The Beacon, NYC. Better.
73: Alice Cooper, Halloween, 2003, The Beacon, NYC. The best?
74: Alice Cooper, Halloween 2004, The Beacon, NYC. The best?
75: Alice Coope/Cheap Trick, October 2005, PNC Center, NJ. Cheap Trick suffered from poor sound.
76: Tool, 2001, MSG, NYC. Decent. Great sound. Boring band.
77: Patti Smith, 199?, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC.
78: Devo, 2004, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC. Mind blowing.
79: Lucinda Williams, 2004, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC. I got shussed.
80: Beastie Boys, 2008, Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC
81: Music Midtown Day 1, 2006?, ATL, GA. Lou Reed, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Keith Urban
82: Music Midtown Day 2, 2006?, ATL, GA. John Fogarty, some random country, a bit fuzzy on that day
83: Music Midtown Day 3 2006?, ATL, GA. Joan Jett, Def Leppard (horrid), Devo
84: Amsterjam, 2007?, Randall's Island, NYC. Worked for Figo who played one of the alternate stages, saw L.L. Cool J, Busta Rhymes, Foo Fighters, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt (all puns intended) that they are the greatest working Americain Rock band, and just might be the greatest Americain Rock band ever, and a contender for the world title.
85: Disco Biscuits, 2008, some hippy fest upstate. Whatever. Snoop Dogg played the first night. He's the man. His band was great.
86: Luna, 2007?, Bowery Ballroom, NYC. Last Luna show(s).
87: Bad Brains, 2000, ????, NYC. Amazing.
88: Wilco, 2007?, Radio City. Fred took me. I got it. American music.
89: Wilco, 2008, McCarren Pool, Williamsburg, NYC. Not the best sound, too much cement. Beer lines out of control. No weed.
90: Kings of Leon/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 2007?, Radio City. I dug BRMC, they have a cool dark vibe. KOL are lost on me.
91: Some Hippy Fest, 2007?, Randall's Island, NYC. Dave Mathews, Bare Naked Ladies, Mike Doughty. A hot dusty day.
92: Lollapalooza 5?, 1995?, Randall's Island, NYC. It was the Soundgarden/Metallica bill, the last of the original Paloozas. Soundgarden was good.
93: Kiss, 1996?, Continental Airlines Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. The first leg of the big reunion tour, a New Years show. Magical, though I detected some supporting tracks beefing up the sound, but hell, Ace was back, the make-up was back, and I was happy to be fifteen again.
94: David Bowie, 2005?, Jone's Beach, NY. Fun show. He had that huge choir/cult act open, what were they called?
95: The Johnson Family, 1996?, Knitting Factory, NYC. Interesting semi-religious family act, great players, great singers, and great songs.
96: All Tomorrow's Parties Day 1, 2008, Monticello, NY. Meat Puppets, Built to Spill, Thurston Moore, Bardo Pond.
97: All Tomorrow's Parties Day 2, 2008, Monticello, NY. Shellac, Polvo, Om, Fuck Buttons, The Drones, Les Savy Fav. Les Savy Fav was the best act of the whole festival.
98: All Tomorrow's Parties Day 3, 2008, Monticello, NY. Dinosaur Jr, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Mercury Rev, Bob Mould, Spectrum. I loved Bob Mould, as his set contained the most familiar material of the whole weekend, and well, I just love Bob, but I got real drunk, and by the time I settled into check out Dinosaur Jr I was having trouble maintaining. J. Mascis had a wall of Marshalls surrounding a giant Marshall stack at least nine feet tall. It was sooooooooo loud. Louder than anything I had ever witnessed. Abusively loud. So much so that I went to find a place to get some horizontal time. When I woke, My Bloody Valentine was wrapping up their set. I went in and was immediately struck by three things: My Bloody Valentine were even louder than Dinosaur Jr, the sound coming from the stage was a wall of noise, a feedback binge that went on for at least twenty minutes, and I had managed to grow old enough to question the necessity of such ridiculous and obviously damaging.
99: Neil Young, 2008, Radio City, NYC. An immensely satisfying show, long, long overdue.
100: Fleetwood Mac, 2009, MSG, NYC. A great show, super high energy. Totally stunned.
101: Deep Purple/Thin Lizzy, 2007?, The Beacon, NYC. Deep Purple was great, Roger Glover, Ian Gillan, and Ian Pace rounded out by Don Airey in place of John Lord, and the excellent and much more melodic Steve Morse in Blackmore’s spot. Thin Lizzy was a bit disappointing, how could it not be without Phil or Brain Downey. Shred King John Sykes, who only played on one Lizzy record (the last one) handled the vocals, and Mark ‘The Animal’ Mendoza, of Twisted Sister, ably handled the bass, but it was simply lacking magic, and Sykes was way louder than longtime Lizzy guitar whiz Scott Gorham.
102: Little Feat, 1988?, somewhere in Connecticut. The late eighties Lowell George-less line-up.
103: Robert Cray/Treat Her Right, 1988?, Lake Componce, CT. Cray was/is great, and so was Treat Her Right, a three-piece of guitar, tenor guitar, and cocktail drum that would later morph into Morphine (I told you, all puns intended).
104: Scorpions, 2008, The Beacon, NYC. Man those sextagenerian Krauts can Rock the shit out of theater.
105: Iron Maiden, 2008, MSG, NYC. Maiden has not lost a step in 25 years.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
1317!
A while back, when Charlton was in town, we went by Generation Records, ostensibly to find the new Mawell release - they didn't have it. You can't just go buy a new record in NYC anymore. At any rate, we picked up a record while we were there, of course.
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues. (1983)
A must have that I shamefully had never owned. Packed full of classics, I'm glad to remedy the offense.
Then, a couple of weeks later when Tony Alva hit town, we went back to Generation Records.
Triumph - Just a Game (1979)
The Canadian power Trio's third record, featuring 'Lay It On The Line'.
Montrose - Warner Bros. Presents (1975)
Ronnie's self monikered band's third release, their first post Sammy Hagar record.
Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
Yet another classic that I should have already had in the collection.
Billie Holiday - Embraceable You (1957-59)
We needed some Billie. We got a double LP's worth.
Gyspy Kings - Gypsy Kings (1988)
Gotta love this one, total chops all around.
Falco - 3
The LP featuring 'Rock Me Amadeus'. Those following along may remember that our 12" of 'Rock Me Amadeus' is warped.
Electric Light Orchestra - II
My ELO collection is now 'complete' - in the sense that I have all I'm interested in. I don't have or want the first or last record, or the 'Xanadu' soundtrack.
All in all, a great haul.
A while back, when Charlton was in town, we went by Generation Records, ostensibly to find the new Mawell release - they didn't have it. You can't just go buy a new record in NYC anymore. At any rate, we picked up a record while we were there, of course.
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues. (1983)
A must have that I shamefully had never owned. Packed full of classics, I'm glad to remedy the offense.
Then, a couple of weeks later when Tony Alva hit town, we went back to Generation Records.
Triumph - Just a Game (1979)
The Canadian power Trio's third record, featuring 'Lay It On The Line'.
Montrose - Warner Bros. Presents (1975)
Ronnie's self monikered band's third release, their first post Sammy Hagar record.
Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
Yet another classic that I should have already had in the collection.
Billie Holiday - Embraceable You (1957-59)
We needed some Billie. We got a double LP's worth.
Gyspy Kings - Gypsy Kings (1988)
Gotta love this one, total chops all around.
Falco - 3
The LP featuring 'Rock Me Amadeus'. Those following along may remember that our 12" of 'Rock Me Amadeus' is warped.
Electric Light Orchestra - II
My ELO collection is now 'complete' - in the sense that I have all I'm interested in. I don't have or want the first or last record, or the 'Xanadu' soundtrack.
All in all, a great haul.
Monday, July 06, 2009
1309!
I am pleased to announce that The Legal Diva broke 1300 on the last vinyl haul she pulled down in Chuck-Town last week. This load features more brand new 180 gram reissues*. Papa Robbie was on hand for the event, his guiding hand is evident and appreciated. There are, of course, selections that are purely Legal Diva. She has expanded my horizons as well as my collection. It's a great time to be in love, and in love with vinyl.
*The Chronic
The Lady Sings the Blues
*2Pac - GH
*Raising Hell
*Motor Booty Affair
Welcome to the Real World
*Booty's Rubber Band - Ahh....The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!
Kenny - What About Me
Luther - Power of Love
I am pleased to announce that The Legal Diva broke 1300 on the last vinyl haul she pulled down in Chuck-Town last week. This load features more brand new 180 gram reissues*. Papa Robbie was on hand for the event, his guiding hand is evident and appreciated. There are, of course, selections that are purely Legal Diva. She has expanded my horizons as well as my collection. It's a great time to be in love, and in love with vinyl.
*The Chronic
The Lady Sings the Blues
*2Pac - GH
*Raising Hell
*Motor Booty Affair
Welcome to the Real World
*Booty's Rubber Band - Ahh....The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!
Kenny - What About Me
Luther - Power of Love
Saturday, June 27, 2009
THAT REPRESENT MAN
Near as I can tell it comes from Muddy. The boastful first person narrative set to song. Muddy told you he was a Man, then he told you how to spell it.
"Now when I was a young boy, at the age of five
My mother said I was gonna be the greatest man alive"
"I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man"
He also told you he was a Hoochie Coochie Man, then he defined it for you.
"The gypsy woman told my mother
Before I was born
You got a boy child's comin'
He's gonna be a son of a gun
He gonna make pretty women's
Jump and shout
Then the world wanna know
What this all about
But you know I'm him
Everybody knows I'm him
Well you know I'm the hoochie coochie man
Everybody knows I'm him"
After the Beatles, John Lennon was lauded for the brave artistry of his naked first person approach to the song.
"I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in Tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in Kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me...
Yoko and me
And that reality"
Today, we hear the first person proclamation of superiority in Hip Hop fairly pervasively. Every MC has to mack in a compelling manner. If not, the artist will get eaten alive by the fierce competitive nature of the game. De La Soul's positive vibrations may have been honorable, but in the end it didn't serve them very well. P.M. Dawn anyone? Graciousness and intelligence just can't stand up the the muscle of a Microphone Fiend with Lyrics of Fury.
"I was a fiend before I became a teen
I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream
Music orientated so when hip-hop was originated
Fitted like pieces of puzzles, complicated
'Cause I grabbed the mic and try to say 'yes yall'!
They tried to take it, and say that I'm too small
Cool, cause I don't get upset
I kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug, then I jet"
For the generation between Lennon and Run DMC, however, it was Bon Scott who felt compelled to list his many vice related virtues. Scott's braggadocio of badness, perfectly supported by the super tight and sleazy boogie woogie of the band (AC/DC) was the jagged edge that poked a hole in the bag of 70's rock bands stuck in a self-conscious trend of journalistic commentary and observation. Rock was pretentious. Even the Punks, who's self proclaimed raison d'etre was to be the thorn in the side of the pretentious self-indulgent Rock establishment, were pretentious in so doing.
Bon Scott was not pretentious. On occasion he would write subjectively, or, even actually in the third person, but mostly it was Bon on Bon, like Muddy, like Jay-Z, Bon was a boaster, and he made you love him for his arrogance.
"I'm dirty, mean and mighty unclean
I'm a wanted man
Public enemy number one
Understand?
So lock up your daughter
Lock up your wife
Lock up your back door
And run for your life
The man is back in town
So don't you mess me 'round
I'm T.N.T.
I'm Dynamite"
Ain't that a man?
Surely there have been other noteworthy practitioners of the Boast, Ted Nugent and Kiss come to mind, but not nearly on the scale of Muddy, Bon, and two decades of MCs.
Near as I can tell it comes from Muddy. The boastful first person narrative set to song. Muddy told you he was a Man, then he told you how to spell it.
"Now when I was a young boy, at the age of five
My mother said I was gonna be the greatest man alive"
"I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man"
He also told you he was a Hoochie Coochie Man, then he defined it for you.
"The gypsy woman told my mother
Before I was born
You got a boy child's comin'
He's gonna be a son of a gun
He gonna make pretty women's
Jump and shout
Then the world wanna know
What this all about
But you know I'm him
Everybody knows I'm him
Well you know I'm the hoochie coochie man
Everybody knows I'm him"
After the Beatles, John Lennon was lauded for the brave artistry of his naked first person approach to the song.
"I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in Tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in Kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me...
Yoko and me
And that reality"
Today, we hear the first person proclamation of superiority in Hip Hop fairly pervasively. Every MC has to mack in a compelling manner. If not, the artist will get eaten alive by the fierce competitive nature of the game. De La Soul's positive vibrations may have been honorable, but in the end it didn't serve them very well. P.M. Dawn anyone? Graciousness and intelligence just can't stand up the the muscle of a Microphone Fiend with Lyrics of Fury.
"I was a fiend before I became a teen
I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream
Music orientated so when hip-hop was originated
Fitted like pieces of puzzles, complicated
'Cause I grabbed the mic and try to say 'yes yall'!
They tried to take it, and say that I'm too small
Cool, cause I don't get upset
I kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug, then I jet"
For the generation between Lennon and Run DMC, however, it was Bon Scott who felt compelled to list his many vice related virtues. Scott's braggadocio of badness, perfectly supported by the super tight and sleazy boogie woogie of the band (AC/DC) was the jagged edge that poked a hole in the bag of 70's rock bands stuck in a self-conscious trend of journalistic commentary and observation. Rock was pretentious. Even the Punks, who's self proclaimed raison d'etre was to be the thorn in the side of the pretentious self-indulgent Rock establishment, were pretentious in so doing.
Bon Scott was not pretentious. On occasion he would write subjectively, or, even actually in the third person, but mostly it was Bon on Bon, like Muddy, like Jay-Z, Bon was a boaster, and he made you love him for his arrogance.
"I'm dirty, mean and mighty unclean
I'm a wanted man
Public enemy number one
Understand?
So lock up your daughter
Lock up your wife
Lock up your back door
And run for your life
The man is back in town
So don't you mess me 'round
I'm T.N.T.
I'm Dynamite"
Ain't that a man?
Surely there have been other noteworthy practitioners of the Boast, Ted Nugent and Kiss come to mind, but not nearly on the scale of Muddy, Bon, and two decades of MCs.
JACKSON'S REACTION TO THE DEATH OF JACKSON
Michael died on Thursday. It's now Saturday, and my two most frequented television channels - MSNBC and VH1 Classic - are both still in round the clock MJ programming mode. I can only watch the Thriller video so many times. My interest in this event waned about mid-day on Friday. So what's my recourse?
My extensive Rock DVD collection has been my refuge. Last night I watched my 'Old Grey Whistle Test' DVD, and this morning I slapped in AC/DC's 'Family Jewels', a collection of their videos from 1976 through 19991.
Later I'll probably watch 'Kissology Volume 1', and maybe 'The History of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Years', and there's always 'Running Down a Dream', the four hour Tom Petty movie.
I accept the fact that Michael Jackson was an entertainer of unparalleled talent and acclaim, but c'mon people, can we move on now?
Michael died on Thursday. It's now Saturday, and my two most frequented television channels - MSNBC and VH1 Classic - are both still in round the clock MJ programming mode. I can only watch the Thriller video so many times. My interest in this event waned about mid-day on Friday. So what's my recourse?
My extensive Rock DVD collection has been my refuge. Last night I watched my 'Old Grey Whistle Test' DVD, and this morning I slapped in AC/DC's 'Family Jewels', a collection of their videos from 1976 through 19991.
Later I'll probably watch 'Kissology Volume 1', and maybe 'The History of Iron Maiden Part 1: The Early Years', and there's always 'Running Down a Dream', the four hour Tom Petty movie.
I accept the fact that Michael Jackson was an entertainer of unparalleled talent and acclaim, but c'mon people, can we move on now?
