..er...uh..wha?

How priceless...





Ozzy Osbourne is struggling to write his autobiography, because he can't remember anything that's happened to him. (you could stop here and finish the whole joke but alas the story continues)



The former Black Sabbath frontman - who successfully fought his addiction to drink and drugs - signed a reported $2 million book deal with publishers Little Brown almost two years ago.Since then Ozzy's wife, Sharon, has completed two memoirs of her own but the rocker's release date keeps getting pushed back, and the tome is now set to hit the shops next May. A source said: "I cannot imagine the book being ready in five months, because so far Ozzy hasn't written anything - he hasn't even got a ghostwriter yet." So it is going to be some time before the book actually appears, if it ever does." Ozzy - who once bit a bat's head off during a live show - recently confessed his memory had suffered because of his drink and drug abuse. He revealed: "My memory isn't what it used to because of the drugs and alcohol I've been living on for the best part of my adult life."I often get asked, 'Is it true you snorted a line of ants?' Knowing me, there's a very good possibility. But do I remember it? No way."

Come And Get Me Copper!!!

From The Washington Post:

Despite more than 20,000 lawsuits filed against music fans in the years since they started finding free tunes online rather than buying CDs from record companies, the recording industry has utterly failed to halt the decline of the record album or the rise of digital music sharing.
Still, hardly a month goes by without a news release from the industry's lobby, the Recording Industry Association of America, touting a new wave of letters to college students and others demanding a settlement payment and threatening a legal battle.
Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.
The industry's lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" of copyrighted recordings.
"I couldn't believe it when I read that," says Ray Beckerman, a New York lawyer who represents six clients who have been sued by the RIAA. "The basic principle in the law is that you have to distribute actual physical copies to be guilty of violating copyright. But recently, the industry has been going around saying that even a personal copy on your computer is a violation."
RIAA's hard-line position seems clear. Its Web site says: "If you make unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings, you're stealing. You're breaking the law and you could be held legally liable for thousands of dollars in damages."
They're not kidding. In October, after a trial in Minnesota -- the first time the industry has made its case before a federal jury -- Jammie Thomas was ordered to pay $220,000 to the big record companies. That's $9,250 for each of 24 songs she was accused of sharing online.
Whether customers may copy their CDs onto their computers -- an act at the very heart of the digital revolution -- has a murky legal foundation, the RIAA argues. The industry's own Web site says that making a personal copy of a CD that you bought legitimately may not be a legal right, but it "won't usually raise concerns," as long as you don't give away the music or lend it to anyone.
Of course, that's exactly what millions of people do every day. In a Los Angeles Times poll, 69 percent of teenagers surveyed said they thought it was legal to copy a CD they own and give it to a friend. The RIAA cites a study that found that more than half of current college students download music and movies illegally.
The Howell case was not the first time the industry has argued that making a personal copy from a legally purchased CD is illegal. At the Thomas trial in Minnesota, Sony BMG's chief of litigation, Jennifer Pariser, testified that "when an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Copying a song you bought is "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy,' " she said.
But lawyers for consumers point to a series of court rulings over the last few decades that found no violation of copyright law in the use of VCRs and other devices to time-shift TV programs; that is, to make personal copies for the purpose of making portable a legally obtained recording.
As technologies evolve, old media companies tend not to be the source of the innovation that allows them to survive. Even so, new technologies don't usually kill off old media: That's the good news for the recording industry, as for the TV, movie, newspaper and magazine businesses. But for those old media to survive, they must adapt, finding new business models and new, compelling content to offer.
The RIAA's legal crusade against its customers is a classic example of an old media company clinging to a business model that has collapsed. Four years of a failed strategy has only "created a whole market of people who specifically look to buy independent goods so as not to deal with the big record companies," Beckerman says. "Every problem they're trying to solve is worse now than when they started."
The industry "will continue to bring lawsuits" against those who "ignore years of warnings," RIAA spokesman Jonathan Lamy said in a statement. "It's not our first choice, but it's a necessary part of the equation. There are consequences for breaking the law." And, perhaps, for firing up your computer.

So, the deal is: if I a song that I bought on my iTunes and not share it with anyone, that's a violation of the law? So, if I go buy the new "Eagles" CD, take it home (having paid for it), download it to my Itunes, don't share it with anyone, download it to my Ipod to go walking, running, sauna, etc, I am in violation of the law? Are you kidding me? Then, if that is the case, come and get me coppers!

A Route 66 New Years Eve

Tonight following the Blues game (about 9pm CST or so), I will ring in the new year like Dick Clark. We will be counting down the top 30 songs as picked by the loyal listeners of KMOX. The countdown starts at nine and should end up right around midnight (if I don't blow it). So, if you listening from far away, it's KMOX.com and click on "listen live".

For those of you in town, it's 1120 AM on your radio dial. And if the weather stays like this, you might even be able to listen as far away as Texas. Humbled and proud to be your dutiful radio servant (savant?), I am...

Survey Sez...

In order to celebrate a new year and to keep your interest here, I have set up a poll site to your right. I will change the questions from week to week and if you have any questions you would like to share, send em in, I will certainly consider them. the first/last question of 2008/2007 is posted. Tell me what you think.

Gettin A Bit Tired of These...

Uh...I Think It's Called Prep..Ya Might Want to Try That

How not to start an interview. (Swear to God John Cusack looks just like my son)

Photoshop Fun, The Eyes Have It (the mouths that is)

Very cool photoshop project that has the eyes of famous people replaced by their mouth. Interesting, freaky and downright weird.

Past Christmas Magic

I had one of these, I remember it so well, it about broke my mom and dad to get it.



During this holiday season, Telstar Logistics is proud to offer our readers a soothing counterpoint to the relentless commercialism of Christmas present... by taking you on an illustrated tour of the relentless commercialism of Christmas past.

Inspired by the fact that several friends of this Internet weblog recently forwarded us the same excerpts from a 1977 JC Penny catalog, Telstar Logistics reached into our vast corporate archive and emerged clutching a pristine copy of the 1962 Sears Christmas Book.

As you browse the Sears catalog, keep in mind that, according to the Inflation Calculator, $1 in 1962 was equivalent to $6.51 in 2006 dollars. Conversely, $1 in 2006 was equivalent to $0.15 in 1962.


Obviously, this catalog offers a treasure trove of insight into the tastes and domestic habits of a typical American family living 45 years ago, so we've reproduced a broad cross-section of the book which shows everything from childrens' wear and phonograph equipment to power tools and ski gear. Holiday gifts for everyone on your list, from budding young scientists to Bible-thumping fundamentalists! A few of the greatest hits are shown here, but you'll find more than 160 pages of consumerist archaeology at our 1962 Sears Catalog photoset.

Merry shopping!

LINKS:
1962 Sears Christmas Book (Flickr photoset by Telstar Logistics)

Wishbookweb.com (Enthusiast website with complete scans of historic department store catalogs)

The Countdown Continues...

Late summer, 1973, the job is winding down at the drive-in, I am getting ready for my last year of public education and life is pretty mellow. On the radio comes this weird sounding frieght train guitar riff and words that meant absolutely nothing. That freight train riff and the solo in the middle were courtesy of my now friend Bob Heil, inventor of the "talk box". The song was "Rocky Mountain Way". My favorite DJ at the time Rich Ericson had just been fired by the "lite rock" station and he made his triumphant return to the legendary top 40 station (KSTT)by playing "Rocky Mountain Way " and declaring openly that he was happy to be back because that was a song that they never "allowed" him to play at the "lite rock" station! Yeah! Right On! I immediately made a contribution to his defiance by buying the album. I knew Joe from The James Gang and I also bought "Barnstorm" although I was a bit disappointed in it. The rest of the album sounds nothing like "Rocky Mountain Way".
Very laid back and trippy for me. I was experimenting a bit with different things and found the vibe to be very nice. "Book Ends" was a bit of a throwaway and "Wolf" a bit of a downer. Really dug the instrumental "Midnight Moodies" with Joe on keyboards and guitar and a Jethro Tull sounding flute. "Happy Ways" is a Joe Vitale song with a tropical beat and a great middle eight. "Meadows" is typical Joe (in a good sense) and "Dreams" is like floating away. "Days Gone By" is probably my fave over the years and "Daydream Prayer" is the coda where the band steps out on stage taking their bows.

At the time, this was an imporatnat release to me as I drove a long distance to work. I think I went through two eight tracks in all.

Honorable Mention




Loved both of these too...

My Christmas Song Present For You..

It doesn't get much better than this...enjoy!!

For God So Loved The World....

.... that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

Merry Christmas and may the love and the light of the Lord shine on you this holiday season.

Stupid Sports Junk

I have been watching a lot of college basketball. It's a great time of year for that. Over the weekend I saw the Memphis/Georgetown game along with Illinois/Missouri. Here is the one thing that gets me. What in the hell happened to the fine art of shooting free throws? Man, I have never seen so many "athletes" clank free throws. Missouri hit 12-23 and the rest of the teams were as bad or worse. Does no one teach this stuff anymore? Or are players just concerned about ho to make 360 degree super slam dunk shots. If Mizzou would have hit at least 67% of their free throws (barely passing), they would have won the game.
This is how I always learned it...

1. Balance yourself at the free throw line. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to one another.
2. Point both feet and square your upper body toward the basket. Position your feet just behind the line; move one of your feet back an inch or two, if that's comfortable.
3. Hold the ball by using the hand of your nonshooting arm to support and cradle it lightly. Place the middle three fingers of your shooting hand on the seams of the ball, with your thumb and palm acting as supports.
4. Keep your shooting forearm straight, and avoid tilting it to one side. Try to keep the arm that will be releasing the ball oriented toward the basket.
5. Aim for a target just above the rim, and try not to shoot the ball short. A good target is the backboard shooting square drawn above the rim.
6. Bend your knees. An accurate shot doesn't rely on arm strength; it uses leg strength to propel the shooter upward.
7. Shoot in one fluid motion, straightening your knees to strengthen the shot and your arm to provide aim. Release the ball with your fingertips. This allows you more control over your shot and a softer arc because of the backspin you create.
8. Follow through by bending your shooting hand forward, as though you're reaching for the rim.
Tips & Warnings
Practice, practice, practice.
Being comfortable with your shot can make a big difference. If you find a motion that helps, such as adding a little hop while shooting, use it.
Take your time at the line. Most players bounce the ball or spin it in their hands before setting up their free throws.

See? Pretty damn easy. That's why they call it a "free throw". From a guy who used to shoot 87% at the line, I am appalled at the lack of fundamentals that permeate this sport.

Excellent Marketing Campaigns

I'm in the radio business which derives a great percentage of it's revenue from advertising. I know what bad ads can do but I also know what creative, thoughtful marketing campaigns can pull off (Real Men of Genius) Here are some of the better ideas from the past year...

Mac vs PC


JC Penney "The Aviator"


Dell "Yours Is Here" with Devo


IPhone "Will It Blend?"


Honda "The Cog" (my favorite)


HP Michael Gondry "Eternal Dreamer"


Coca Cola "Grand Theft Auto"

Merry Christmas

Is This A Carlin Bit?

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy . Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (again)

How disheartening and typical:

Here are your entries into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the class of 2008.

John Mellencamp-Leonard Cohen-The Dave Clark Five-Madonna-The Ventures

1. John Mellencamp-I have no problem with this, although I believe there are better choices

2. Leonard Cohen-really, what east coast effite snob picked this guy? He is nothing outside of New York

3. The Dave Clark five-they had five songs that made the top ten in the charts. five.

4. Madonna-then it's no longer the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then is it?

5. The Ventures-two songs that made the top ten. two.

Meanwhile, on the outside looking in are The Moody Blues, The Doobie Brothers, Three Dog Night, Roxy Music and Chicago who wait for their chance. Meh.

R I P Dan Fogelberg

My heart sank when I read the news. I knew he was sick, but I heard he was getting better. There were very few singers that were played any more in the Raley household than Dan. When I first heard "Part Of The Plan" in 1973, I thought this guy was pretty special. He was a particular favorite of the audience of KFMH, my first full time rock radio job. His "Captured Angel" CD made me a true fan and "NetherLands" is probably on my top ten list. He will constantly be linked with "Longer", a song that not only brought him to a worldwide stage but also type cast his career. To me, "Same Old Lang Syne" is his quintessential masteriece. The song came out when I was madly in love with who, I thought, was going to be the next Mrs. Raley in the winter of 1980. Unfortunately, that didn't happen but, to this day, I can't hear that song without thinking of her, some 27 years later. He can bring me to tears "Leader of The Band", make me think "Face the Fire" and just cool me down after a long, stressful week. He was one of those guys who knew my life better than I did. Although his revelance with me faded as the 80's became the 90's, I keep all of those old albums near and dear. As a side bar, when I took the job in Nashville, the melody from the song "False Faces" haunted me daily. From his first album "Homefree" to "The Innocent Age" in 1981, I relished his music and followed his career. I never got to see him live for some reason, but in the age of "youTube", you can enjoy him. Thank you so much, Dan, for all you gave, thanks for pouring out your heart. Thanks for knowing my life better than me. You will be missed. Godspeed.
My favorite Dan Fogelberg songs.

1. "Same Old Lang Syne"-for reasons described in this post.

2. "Tell Me To My Face"-A Hollies song from many years ago released in 1977 at a time when this song stuck in my heart.

3. "Part of The Plan"-first impressions are always the best

4. "Old Tennessee"-a great word song.

5. "Leader of The Band"-a song about MY father,too.

6. "Netherlands"-the sweeping orchestration summed up what I felt when I visited the studio in Nederland Colorado, miles above sea level.

7. "There's A Place In The World For A Gambler"- let it shine, oh let it shine

8. "Illinois"- a song meant for a guy born in Illinois trying to find his way

9. "To The Morning"-never has there been a better song to listen to at 4am on a crisp winter morning

10. "Give Me Some Time"-perfect.

The wikipedia entry for those who knew little about him...
Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music.
Early life and family
Dan Fogelberg, the youngest of Lawrence and Margaret (Young) Fogelberg's three sons, was born in Peoria, Illinois. His father was a high school band director who spent most of his career at Peoria Woodruff High School and Pekin High School, and his mother was a pianist. His father would later be the inspiration for the song "Leader of the Band". Using a Mel Bay course book, Dan taught himself to play a Hawaiian slide guitar his grandfather gave to him; he also learned to play the piano. He started his music career at age 14 when he joined his first band, The Clan, which paid homage to The Beatles. His second band was another cover combo, The Coachmen, which, in 1967, released two singles on Ledger Records: "Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget" and "Don't Want To Lose Her."
Early musical career
After graduating from Woodruff High School in 1969, he studied theater arts and painting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and began performing as a solo acoustic player in area coffeehouses. There, he was discovered in 1971 by Irving Azoff. Fogelberg and Azoff, who started his music-management career promoting another Illinois act, REO Speedwagon, moved to California to seek their fortunes. Fogelberg became a session musician who played with pop-folk artists like Van Morrison. In 1972, he released his debut album Home Free to lukewarm response. His second effort was much more successful: the 1974 Joe Walsh-produced album Souvenirs and its hit song "Part of the Plan" made him a major star.
Musical career
Following Souvenirs, Fogelberg released a string of gold and platinum albums Captured Angel in 1975; his masterpiece Nether Lands in 1977 and found commercial success with songs like "The Power of Gold," "The Language of Love," and "Lonely in Love". His 1978 Twin Sons of Different Mothers was the first of two collaborations with jazz flutist Tim Weisberg. 1979's Phoenix was his most successful with "Longer" which became a wedding standard. The Innocent Age, released in October 1981, reached the peak of critical and popular acclaim. The double album "song cycle" included three of his biggest hits: "Leader of the Band," "Hard To Say," and "Same Old Lang Syne," based on a real-life accidental meeting with a former girlfriend. In 1984 he rocked again with Windows And Walls.
In 1985, Fogelberg released High Country Snows. Recorded in Nashville, it showcased his (and some of the industry's best) talent in the bluegrass genre. Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen were among those who contributed to the record. in 1987, a return to rock with Exiles then a tribute to Earth preservation with 1990's Wild Places and 1991's live Greetings From The West
River of Souls, released in 1993, was Fogelberg's last studio album for Sony Records. In 1997, Portrait encompassed his career with four discs, each highlighting a different facet of his music: "Ballads," "Rock and Roll," "Tales and Travels" (which displayed his talents as a narrative songwriter) and "Hits." In 1999, he fulfilled a career-long dream of creating a Christmas album called "First Christmas Morning" and, in 2003, Full Circle showcased a return to the folk-influenced, 1970s soft rock-style of music for which he and other singer-songwriters from his era had gained popular recognition.
A very personal songwriter, Fogelberg also used his music to address social issues, among them peace and Native American concerns. He was particularly outspoken about his commitment to the environment and to finding alternatives to nuclear power. To that end, Fogelberg performed at a number of the Musicians United for Safe Energy "No Nukes" concerts in 1979 and 1980.
His live concerts won acclaim across the nation over the years. Fogelberg said that one of his proudest moments came in 1979 when he played at New York's Carnegie Hall for an audience that included his mother and father. Most summers, Fogelberg would perform with a full band or in a solo acoustic setting; the differing formats allowed the artist to show the breadth and depth of his talent as a singer, guitarist, pianist and bandleader. In 2002, fans showed their appreciation by choosing Fogelberg to be one of the first 10 inductees into the Performers Hall of Fame at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.
Final years
In May 2004, Fogelberg was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He underwent hormonal therapy and achieved a partial remission, which did not eliminate his cancer, but reduced it and stopped its spread. On August 13, 2005, his 54th birthday, Fogelberg announced the success of his cancer treatments and he thanked fans for their support. He said that he had no immediate plans to return to making music, but was keeping his options open and enjoying spending time with his wife, musician Jean Fogelberg.
Fogelberg, who since 1982 lived on Mountain Bird Ranch, 610 acres near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, put the lavishly appointed property up for sale at an asking price of US$15 million in 2005.
Fogelberg died of cancer on December 16, 2007 at his home in Maine with his wife, Jean, by his side.

The Top 100 Continues

We're counting them down, heading to the top of the alphabet. In reverse alphetbetical oreder, I am counting down my top 100 albums of all time....At this point in the alphabet, we stop at

WAR-"The World Is A Ghetto"

Where I went to high school in East Moline, it was very diverse. I learned at an early age that if you didn't get along, you wouldn't get far. One of the cool things bout that school was the multi-cultural musical influences. This release was on my turnatble for just about the entire time I was in high school. In 1972 "The Cisco Kid" was played on the radio a lot. I knew that this was the band that did "Spill The Wine" a few years back, but little did I know how much about them. I read in a magazine that this band had some Latino influences so my friend Jose Alejo and I went and bought the album. We found "Four Cornered Room" which sounded more like Hendrix than Jimi did. The majestic ten minute version of the title cut was just the thing to pass the day. I have recently purschased this on an original master 20 bit gold CD. Man, how tasty.

Zep....POW!

MOST modern number one hits could fit into one of their guitar solos.
LED ZEPPELIN returned to the stage last night with their first full set in 19 years — and younger members of the crowd had heard nothing like it.
Manufactured pop is ruling the charts and young music fans are an impatient sort.
Maybe that’s why the bars at the O2 Arena in Greenwich filled during some of the band’s winding rock epics. But their classics proved music doesn’t rock like it used to.
Tracks like Whole Lotta Love and Stairway to Heaven had every one of the fans — who included LIAM GALLAGHER and SIR PAUL McCARTNEY — on their feet and shaking their fists.
Original members JIMMY PAGE, ROBERT PLANT and JOHN PAUL JONES were joined by dead drummer JOHN BONHAM’s son, JASON, 41.
The trio — with a combined age of 183 — burst on stage and opened with Good Times Bad Times, the first track of their debut album. Robert Plant — wearing jeans not quite as tight as they were in his heyday — still had the energy to strut his 59-year-old body across the stage. Page, 63, and Jones, 61, kept less energetic pace with him. As the band settled into a series of songs old and new, grown men in the mostly middle-aged and male audience began playing air guitar. Some of the old Zeppelin remained — during a monumentally long instrumental, Plant had time to go off stage as Page continued to play. One thing not so new was when in the middle of Dazed And Confused, Page got out his violin bow and started to play his guitar with it, in his trademark style. After more than an hour the bulk of the fans got what they seemed to want most — a rendition of Stairway To Heaven. When the lights went out a massive demand for an encore brought them back to play Whole Lotta Love. The adulation of 20,000 almost-equally tired fans ringing in their ears, they trooped away into the darkness. Fans of all ages had travelled from around the world to see the group and they weren’t disappointed – giving huge ovations and raving after the show. American Lisa Anderson, 57, said: “Everyone around me agreed it was an absolute triumph. “I saw them a few times when I was younger, but for me this was the best show they’ve ever done. "It was worth every penny." Support act PAOLO NUTINI, 20, told The Sun: “I wasn’t alive the first time around but I’ve seen the footage on DVD. “Now watching them live, I’ve been taught a true musical lesson. “They were just so intense and so tight, even after all these years.
“I was just blown away.”

I think I have stated before that this is one of the great studio bands ever. I have seen them twice and each time, they have not been good. Is it me, or have the things I have seen and heard from this show not been real great? There is nothing like Zep. I am without a doubt one of their biggest fans, but I have long thought the stage was not where they excelled. In the studio, yes. Live? No.

Stairway To Liverpool

I stole this from my friend Paul Harris and his website harrisonline.com.

I wonder where Zeppelin got the idea for "Stairway to Heaven? Hmmm....

Best High School Prank Ever

Spiked Balls

Ya Gotta Love It!

December 08 2007

In Praise of...The Bee Gees

Now, before you call me a sentimental sap, I will say you are right. Music moves me in so many different ways. I can honestly say that I grew up with these guys. From the very first time I saw them on Shindig! or Hullaballoo or Ed Sullivan or wherever it was sing their wistful, haunting Massachusetts, I was hooked. My infatuation continued through "How Do You Mend A Broken Heart" (which is just pure magic).I lost track of them in the mid 70s and then bam! there they were again, riding the coattails of the disco revolution. Being the hard nosed stubborn guy that had a "Disco Sucks" Tshirt, they tore me up again with "How Deep Is Your Love", a song I dare not admit to my friends that I liked, but I liked, a lot. I could have lived without the rest of the Saturday Night fever crowd but when you sell over forty million copies of a record, THAT carries some weight. During an eight-month period beginning in the Christmas season of 1977, the brothers wrote six songs that held the #1 position on the U.S. charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks-- three under their own name, two for brother Andy Gibb, and the Yvonne Elliman single. Fueled by the movie's success, the album broke multiple records, becoming the highest-selling album in recording history to that point. Saturday Night Fever has since sold circa 40 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time. The multiple Grammy Award-winning group was successful for all of its forty years of recording music, but it had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the foremost stars of the disco music era in the late 1970s. They were best rated band in the world in 1978. No matter the style, the Bee Gees sang tight three-part harmonies that were instantly recognizable; as brothers, their voices blended perfectly, in the same way that The Beach Boys' did. Barry sang lead on many songs, and an R&B falsetto introduced in the disco years; Robin provided the clear vibrato lead that was a hallmark of their pre-disco music; Maurice sang high and low harmonies throughout their career. The three brothers co-wrote most of their hits, and they said that they felt like they became 'one person' when they were writing. The group's name was retired after Maurice died in January 2003.
It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' record sales total more than 220 million, easily making them part of the list of best-selling music artists. Their 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees. With that in mind here are my top five Bee Gee favorites....

1. "How Deep Is Your Love" -this is in my top 15 favorite songs of all time. It was a perfect song for what I felt about a particular woman (and really, isn't that all that counts) perfect harmonies.


2. "To Love Somebody" -thought they were The Beatles the first time I heard this and that ain't a bad thing


3. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" - I had just moved from the farm to the Quad Cities and this song got me through it. It seemed that this song was on the radio all summer in 1971. Everytime it came on, I sang along..."I can think of younger days...how can a loser ever win?"


4. "I Started A Joke" for all the losers in the world. I wonder how many lives were saved because of this song.


5. "Lonely Days".. alone in my room on the farm, listening to late night radio out of Chicago, praying to God that he would get me out of that God forsaken place, as the AM signal would fade in and out...

Pearl Harbor Day

"It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced."- Tom Brokaw

The Two Least Effective Ads Using Classic Rock Songs

I will restate something I posted in another post. I absolutely, positively and without question despise the new Dr. Pepper ad campaign with the guy that scores a touchdown and then does the dance with "Karn Evil Number 9" in the background. Number one, I hate touchdown dances and number two, what the hell does the song have to do with Dr. Pepper? I turn the channel every time it comes on. Now, on the other hand, I like the Diet Dr. Pepper spot with Tom Jones. It is very creative and fun, comparing Diet Dr. Pepper with donuts and pie and such. Very nice.
Dr. Pepper should have MORE ads like the one above, that will make me buy their stuff. She's very nice, too. Hubba!

Pizza Hut has ruined one of my all time favorite songs. Let me just say that I have always liked the Bee Gees. Other than "Staying Alive", I have always enjoyed their very tight harmonies. "How Deep Is Your Love" is my favorite Bee Gees song. Has been since the first time I heard it. It is now a pizza commercial. I can't stand it. Now, when kids think of what was a great song, they will think of pizza...or Dr. Pepper. It is truly a shame that the people I admired and looked up to have sold out to the highest bidder. Greg Lake, Barry Gibb, Pete Townshend, shame on you. I guess you really need the money, huh? Advice...hire a good accountant.

AK 47

The picture to your left is an AK-47 assault rifle. Its purpose is to kill people. Now, before you think I am going to get on some "left wing" harping about taking all the guns away, I'm not. I grew up on a farm and was quite the marksman. I could nail a quail from a fine distance and rarely missed. The guns I used, however, were of the 30.06 and .22 caliber. There were times that if I didn't kill it, we wouldn't have any meat. My mother made a great rabbit stew. Here is my point. How in the world did the kid from Omaha get access to a gun like this? He stole it from his step father. Why in the world would someone have this just lying around in their house? I keep hearing that "guns don't kill people, people do". But if guns are in the range of people who are out to do mass carnage, then we have a whole different subject. I understand if you want to have a gun around for protection, or for hunting, but for the life of me, I can't understand why this gun(or any assault rifle) is legal. Would you take this gun hunting? Only if you are hunting terrorists. I do not advocate the confiscating of anyone's right to protect themselves with a gun but the quicker we get this junk off the streets, the safer we'll be.

This IS Very Funny

What a great, creative bunch at Busch creative. Their spots are done well and retain the message. I don't care who ya are, this is funny...

Post 1,000

How unreal. 1000 posts and it's hard to believe how many people read this collection of crap and junk every day. My thanks to Steve Mays at Learfield (which seems so long ago) for setting this thing up and then having it sit for three months before I decided to start blogging. In many ways, this is a book of my life and the crap that I think about and have over the last 2 years and five months. 1,000 posts. Over two hundred people a day come on here. What the hell is wrong with you people? If you get any enjoyment, great. If I have maybe made you think, great. It's just junk. But it's my junk and apparently, it's your junk, too. Thank you. And here's to 1,000 more with great health and by the way, what's so funny about peace love and understanding?

You are all a bunch of knuckleheads and I love ya.

Another One Hit Wonder Band

Damn, I have had this song in my head since someone mentioned it in a previous post. this song was played on KSHE in about 1986 or so. A Canadian band called "Frozen Ghost". They had a couple of hits in Canada, but this was their only big one here.

Bad Finale to A Great Year

Mizzou got slapped, manhandled, hammered and mistreated. They were not a match for mighty Oklahoma as the Big 12 season ends with a clank. The Mizzou gameplan was almost as unwatchable as the dumb, stupid Dr. Pepper ad with the clown doing the touchdown dance to Karn Evil Number 9 by Emerson Lake and Palmer. I really, really hate that spot. But, Mizzou fans, let us look at it like this. At the beginning of the season,
if I told you that Mizzou would end up 10-2, ranked in the top ten of all national polls and would beat Illinois and Kansas in the same season, what would your response have been? I thought so. According the polls I have seen, MU will end up 6th or 7th in the polls and ahead of KU. Going to the Cotton Bowl is not the same as the BCS party, but, the future is now at Mizzou and finally the 35 year stink that has been on this football team has faded. Recruiting looks great. Daniel is a junior and Maclin a freshman with a whole lot of help coming in next year. It has been an exciting season and an overall great one for the black and orange. Now, if we can get the basketball team heading in the right direction, it could be an even better year.
M-I-Z Z-O-U

The Top Ten Markets For Radio

This is from Dan Kelly's excellent classic rock blog you can find here or permanently on your right.

The Countdown is over - and the best market for radio is: Chicago!
"A huge, eclectic variety and still the best morning-show slate anywhere."That according to Sean Ross and the staff at Edison Media Research - who have been counting down their list of the ten best markets for radio over the past several weeks in their excellent "Infinite Dial" blog.

Let's face it, this stuff is very subjective (any top ten list is) but I, like Dan, thought Denver would do better. Denver is (and has always been) one of the bright spots when it comes to radio

FYI, St. Louis is NOT represented anywhere.

The top ten radio markets: Here

Jack Poessiger

If you are not from Kansas City, this post won't mean much to you, but to those of us who know Jack, he is as about as quirky as an icon can get for a major metropolitan area. Jack has pretty much made his fame a lot of his fortune by reviewing movies for Kansas City media outlets. I met Jack in about 1978 when I first arrived in KC from a much smaller market (Quad Cities). At the time he was filming a semi-pornographic movie that featured a giant penis running down the streets of Kansas City. Nice. First impressions as they say.. At that time on KY 102 every night at 5:50, we ran a feature called "Nighttime Magazine" which basically brought you up to date with everything going on in the city. For the next ten minutes or so, someone; whether it be Ted Nugent, Alan Carr, Pee Wee Herman, etc or the local bar owner or client that had something going on in the city was on that night. It was our chance to stop the station for about ten minutes and have some fun with whoever it was. "Nighttime Magazine" was one of the most popular features ever and it was just the station being local, topical, entertaining and fun without playing music. What a concept! Anyway, Friday night was "Jack Goes To The Movies Night" when that ten minutes would stretch to twenty because Jack brought real good shit to the party. Like the time he brought producer Alan Carr on the show becasue Alan was in town for the (shitty) remake of "Where The Boys Are". Alan takes a seat, the interview begins and Alan decides to drop his hand right on my leg. The audio is brilliant and Jack has it somewhere. The concept was brilliant, sure...let's get a guy with a German accent and have him come in every week and review movies...sure. Max Floyd was a friggin genius with that move. Jack has been just about the face of KY over those years. Jack and I have known good times and bad and ups and downs, he remains a guy of great class and dignity. I have never seen him drive anything but a Mercedes. His weird fetish for "Mama Mia" aside, Jack is a guy you can really have a good time with just sitting and drinking. I know because I have. Many times. As his show gets ready to celebrate it's 30th anniversary (on one station, pretty much uninterrupted), I am proud to consider him as a good friend. Here's the link to his website.

This was in Cincinnati during the lost weekend 1984, I believe. We ate at a German restaurant and dined with Randy Micheals. Got really really really trashed. Left to right: Jack, Paul Fredrocks, Skid Roadie, me.

Jack at his other job with Sheldon Travel. He is a great travel guy, also.

Ludo

We know the kids in this video. This band is very good and is doing very well. The edit job is by someone who was taught to do this by the wife. I think he learned very well.
I think you'll enjoy this tune.

R I P Evel Knievel

I must say, I grew up in a great time in the USA. In the early 70's, Saturday afternoons were full of cool stuff to do. If I wasn't working, riding my bike, going to the head shops or bowling I was watching "ABC's Wide World of Sports." Every six months or so would come on this flamboyant man dressed in a cape and he would jump over cars with his motorcycle. Sometimes he'd crash! Cool. If you were in your teens at that time, Evel was about as cool as it got. He had a beautiful wife and jumped junk for large sums of money, how great it would be to earn a living doing that, huh? Evel passed yesterday at the age on 69. My first response was how lucky he was to make it that far. My friends we are at a time in our lives when all of the people we followed in our youth (whether they are our "heroes" or just people we had a passing interest in) are leaving for the next life. My mother said that was her first inclination she was getting old.
Evel represented to me all the stuff I could never do (a future post will detail the time I tried to jump a motorcycle at Arrowhead Stadium) Thanks Evel for one of my most forgettable interviews, too. He came through KC in about 1984 and while he was at the studio, he hit on my girlfriend so mercilessly that she finally had to leave the room. He was a bit hammered, too. I am sure he had his share of painkillers (legal or not) in his life. For doing all the things I could never do, here's to you, Evel.

And now, a fine way to close this post....

Another Great Old Gas Station

Just in time for winter. (I used to work at a station just like that).

Bravo Billy Joel

BILLY JOEL has passed along his latest composition, "CHRISTMAS In FALLUJAH," to emerging artist CASS DILLON. DILLON's rendition of the song -- produced by TOMMY BYRNES and JAY BAUMGARDNER and recorded with members of JOEL's ensemble -- will be available for purchase exclusively on the ITUNES STORE beginning TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4th. Net proceeds from "CHRISTMAS in FALLUJAH" will be donated to "Homes For Our Troops," a nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted homes for service members returning from IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN with severe disabilities. BILLY JOEL is an avid supporter of the organization. JOEL wrote "Christmas In Fallujah" earlier this year as a response to letters he's received from soldiers in Iraq, men and women who've found solace, inspiration and comfort in his songs. "I didn't feel I was the person to sing this song," said JOEL of the decision to work with DILLON, 21. "I thought it should be somebody young, about a soldier's age. I wanted to help somebody else's career. I've had plenty of hits. I've had plenty of airplay. I've had my time in the sun. I think it's time for somebody else, maybe, to benefit from my own experience."For more information, please go to www.homesforourtroops.org .

Damn, how cool. Way to go Billy, you have just cemented my respect. His time is done and he passes the torch to the next generation. I salute you, Mr. Joel.

Today's Edition of "Real Men of Genius"

Bud Light Presents: Real Men of Genius(real men of genius)

Today we salute you, Mr. Excuse Ridden Over-Confident Kansas Football Fan.
(Mr. Excuse Ridden Over-Confident Kansas Football Fan)
Eleven straight wins, you wore that classy “Muck Fizzou” shirt like you meant it
(Pinch me, I'm dreamin'!)
A season of bloated statistics and over-hyped wins against Junior Varsity competition
(Serve another cupcake!)
Losing to a superior team with better players is no match for your what-if scenarios and could-have-been dreams
(The field goal missed by inches!)
So crack open an ice-cold Bud Light you emphatic engineer of excuses.
After all, you would’ve won the game if it was played somewhere else!
(Mr Excuse Ridden Over-Confident Kansas Football Fan.)

Bud Light Beer, Anhueser Busch, St. Louis Mo.

Another One Hit Wonder

From Wikipedia:
Crabby Appleton was an early 1970s band who scored a Top 40 hit with their first single, "Go Back". Though nearly everybody in the group was from a LA based band called Stonehenge, the group was re-vamped with the introduction of Michael Fennelly to the line-up. Although Fennelly was the final addition to the group, he was the group's leader, writing all of their material and being the sole guitarist and vocalist. Fennelly had previously been one of the principal vocalists and songwriters in The Millennium, whose sole album (Begin, 1968), is considered a classic of sunshine pop. In addition to Fennelly, the group's members included Felix "Falco" Falon (percussion), Casey Foutz (keyboards), Hank Harvey (bass), and Phil Jones (drums).
The group was signed to Elektra Records, probably at the insistence of Jac Holzman, who was a big fan of Begin, and was later responsible for Curt Boettcher being signed to Elektra. The group recorded their first album for the label, and things looked promising when their debut single, "Go Back", climbed to #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, the album, Crabby Appleton, stalled at #175 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, which would mark the extent of the group's chart success. Their second (and final) album, Rotten To The Core, as well as their subsequent singles, all missed the charts, and the group disbanded.
Fennelly went on to attempt a career as a solo artist and studio musician, though none of his later efforts as a solo musician were successful.
Both Crabby Appleton albums have been reissued on CD by Collector's Choice Music, and "Go Back" has been released on many "Hits of the 1970s" compilations.
The group is apparently named after the character of the same name from the Tom Terrific cartoon.


The first time I heard this song was (of course) on late night radio. I was blown away. Just the tome of the song and that monstrous sounding drum kit along with that tasty guitar hooked me big time. I immediately went and ordered the song from my hometown record outlet,(Cummins Electric, whose proprietor and I became great friends) took it home and proceeded to drive my family crazy. I was a master air guitar and air drummer and this song fulfilled my needs. After all these years, whenever I hear the song, I get out the old air guitar and completely embarrass my family. Micheal Fennelly went on to sing with Steely Dan on the song "Boston Rag" and had a solo career featuring two "KSHE Classics" including "Touch My Soul" and "The Day of The Fire".

Quiet Riot/Slade

This post was originally to be about Kevin DuBrow passing, but instead turned into video tribute to Slade, a band I saw in Davenport friggin Iowa in the late 70s. They rocked me out of the house and so now you know how this post became so ADDish.
Here's Quiet Riot's bio. Kevin DuBrow was found dead today at the age of 52. He was the lead singer of Quiet Riot who basically, on the strength of two awesome Slade songs got their fifteen minutes of fame. Every time I met this guy, he was not a pleasant person. I met him three times in five years and each time I wanted to say.."do you really believe that you are that important?" He pretty much pissed off his fans, his band, any connection with radio and ultimately, the band known as giving Randy Rhoads his start slipped underneath the radar for good. It's not good karma to talk about the dead this way, so I will give him credit for exposing a whole new generation to the power that was Slade.

Noddy Holder rocks! How much? check this out: "While Slade's attempts at cracking the United States market were largely unsuccessful, they left their mark on a several US bands who cite Slade as an influence. Kiss bassist Gene Simmons readily admits that his band's early songwriting ethos and stage performance style was influenced by Slade. In his book "Kiss and Make-Up," Simmons writes on page 85, "the one we kept returning to was Slade," and "we liked the way they connected with the crowd, and the way they wrote anthems... we wanted that same energy, that same irresistible simplicity. but we wanted it American-style." Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick has said that his band went to see Slade perform, and that they used "every cheap trick in the book", thus inadvertently coining his group's name. Quiet Riot had a U.S. hit with their cover of Cum on Feel the Noize."

My video tribute to Slade starting with their great reunion drinking song:

"Run Runaway"

"Cum On Feel The Noise"

Goodbye T'Jane


"Mama, Weer All Crazy Now"


Now, that's glam!!!!!