Another Album Cover Recreated by LEGO

For Mothers Everywhere

thanks kk

Thirty Years Under Headphones

I have made friends with the cicadas blaring in my ears.

I hear them everywhere, and apparently so do a lot of other people.....

CHICAGO (Reuters) - One of three U.S. adults already suffers from some degree of hearing loss and the use of personal stereos and an aging population may create a hearing impairment epidemic, researchers said on Monday.
A team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore estimated that 55 million Americans have hearing loss in one or both ears, with men, whites and the least-educated most affected.
One out of six, or 29 million adults, have some trouble discerning speech, more than previous estimates, they reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"The prevalence of hearing loss in the United States is predicted to rise significantly because of an aging population and the growing use of personal listening devices. Indeed, there is concern that we may be facing an epidemic of hearing impairment," Dr. Yuri Agrawal of the Baltimore hospital wrote.
It is common for people to ignore or disavow hearing loss, the researchers said, leading to difficulty communicating that can result in productivity problems at work, depression, and less access to health care that ultimately raises the risk of sickness and death.
Hearing loss is common among people 70 and older, according to the report. But hearing loss also affected 8.5 percent of those in their 20s and 17 percent of people in their 30s. Exposure to workplace noise, firearms, and loud music were all risk factors.
Assessing health information collected from 5,700 Americans aged 20 to 69 years between 1999 and 2004 in the federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Agrawal and colleagues found men were twice as likely as women (21 percent versus 11 percent) to have speech-frequency hearing loss in one or both ears.
Whites were more than twice as prone to hearing loss than blacks, and those with less education were more at risk than those who completed high school or beyond.
Also dramatically increasing the chances of hearing loss were smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Screening for hearing loss should begin in young adulthood, particularly for vulnerable groups, Agrawal concluded.

Album Covers Recreated In LEGOs

Sucker; As In Hook Line And...

Yesterday, I stopped into my friend Tom's record store ("Now Hear This" and the last of a dying breed I must say) and found this:

Now, I have owned this on LP, cassette, CD, Remastered CD and:

So, as an early addition to the Monday Night Music Club, this is our weekly selection. One filler, the rest higher than most could ever get. Billy sounded like he wasn't even trying. Piano Man was three years before and Mr. Joel was rumoured to have been under a bit of pressure to write a hit album. I'll put the first eight songs on this album with anyone's work. So now I am the proud owner of.....
1. A remastered (again) CD of the original album


2. Live at Carnegie Hall June 3, 1977


3. DVD of promotional videos, a concert at The Old Grey Whistle Test from 3/78 and a 30 minute documentary on the making of "The Stranger" featuring new interviews with Billy and Phil Ramone

That's along with various librettos and a notebook that Billy was writing in while putting the album together. It's got hand written lyrics, doodles and other interesting stuff. "Anthony's Song" was written about a neighborhood in New York. "The Stranger" is a masterpiece. "Just The Way You Are" reminds me of the overnight show on WQUA Moline and KSTT Davenport, RIGHT Before I got to KC. "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" is his "Stairway to Heaven", "Vienna" is damn close to my favorite on the record. "Only The Good Die Young" nuff said. "She's Always A Woman" was one of the underlooked classics in his career. "Get It Right The First Time" is a sweet funky number that Liberty DeVito shows his chops. "Everybody Has A Dream" is there. Meh.





One side note, while attending Farm Aid in 1986, John Mellencamp's drummer Kenny Aranoff was backstage cussing the hell out of Liberty DeVito because Billy Joel went on before Mellencamp and DeVito had busted every one Aranoff's drum heads while using his kit. Now that's playing them hard!!!

July 1981

I was on my friend Ken's blog earlier today and he had a post about the Hyatt Regency Collapse in July of 1981. I remember July 1981 very well, for purely narcissistic reasons. At the time of the Hyatt Collapse, Harry Chapin had died the day before, and the love of my life was just about to end the wonderful thing we had.


The first professional interview I ever did was with Harry Chapin. He was playing at the Palmer Auditorium in Davenport in 1978 and the ticket sales were a bit slow, so I'm sure he was forced to do the dog and pony radio show. I was given a phone number to call and a time but when I called the number, no one answered. I went about my business and left the building for a bit. when I got back, there was a hand written message from the secretary that said "Harry Chapin called, please call him at the number you have". I kept that piece of paper for decades until the flood of 1992 in my basement destroyed it. I kept calling him Mr. Chapin during the interview and he kept correcting me. "My name is Harry, my dad was Mr. Chapin" He personally invited me to the show, I went and it was quite incredible, telling those stories. He died in a traffic accident on July 16, 1981. I was furious at the news and cried. It rained that day.


This video of the Hyatt Regency Collapse on Nightline features a couple of old friends Harold Knabe of the Fire Department and Scott Feldman, one of the best reporters ever to come through KC. I was at a local bar that Friday night (surprise) when it came on TV. It was July 17, 1981. I immediately rushed to the radio station to find Charles Gray and the staff of 61 Country knee deep in the story. "Blood's the word, we need people to give blood", then 30 minutes later being told by the Red Cross, "send them away, there are too many people wanting to give blood". It was one of the most chaotic nights I have ever spent in radio. I was there until two a.m. It rained all day the next day.



One of the heroes of the Hyatt Disaster was a doctor named Joe Wacherle. Doctor Joe was rich, handsome and single. Little did I know that he caught the eye of the woman I was dating at the time. Bree was one of the most scrumptious creatures ever. Intoxicatingly beautiful, she was the object of many looks and come ons. Funny, intelligent, tempestuous, unpredictable and she always went home with me. Until she met Doctor Joe. I couldn't blame her really, he pretty much had the whole package. Good looking guy, famous medical hero, a real man's man. This was the only woman who had ever hit me, popped me in the ear one time in a jealous rage. I certainly didn't deserve it but that was the nature of the relationship. It was one of the best years of my life. This was the woman I was with when we found out John Lennon was asassinated. I even took her to the Quad Cities to meet my family. They fell in love with her, too. She left on July 24th 1981 approximately a year after we experienced "love at first sight". I was emotionally devastated beyond recognition and it took me a while to get over it. It didn't work out with them and they were toast soon. Her and I had one more two day work out in October where we really couldn't get enough of each other (I remember the World Series was the Dodgers and Yankees for some reason) and then..she was gone and again I was never the same completely. I never saw her again. She moved back to San Francisco, married her high school sweetheart and had two beautiful children. By all accounts, she was living the life she had wanted until she was killed in an auto accident in 1995. I never loved anyone harder than her, but it was never easier to love someone so completely. She lived her life fully. She filled many chapters in this book and I think of her often. White Shoulders perfume never smelled so sweetly as it did on you. The picture on the left was December 1980 when I delivered a eulogy for John Lennon at the All Souls Unitarian Church and the picture on the right is Padre Island April, 1981

This was the song on the radio during all of this...the one I remember most anyway...



So, July 1981 was one of the worst times of my life for more than one reason. But unlike, Harry (dead at 38), all of those people on the skywalk or one of the loves of my life, I am here on this Earth to ramble on. Miss you, B.

A Great Menu from the Past

What no burgers?

Thanks Beth

The Pew News IQ Test

I found this on smays.com and it really struck me how dumb we are as a country. These are pretty easy questions about the news and current events. I got 12 out of 12. Think I'm lying?

Here's my score. That puts me in the 97th percentile and places me WAY ahead of others.

If half of the country can't answer the questions we should know by heart, then we WILL fall for anything wrapped in a 30 second ad or a soundbite on TV.

Shh, hey did you hear Obama is a muslim and his wife is a terrorist? And that fist bump thing they did? It's a gang sign, right?

Here's the test, try it yourself.

More Great Signs

I think I've been there..only once, though.

Walk the dog, but don't kill it

An oldie but goodie

er, uh..I don't think I want to go much further...

Good Things Come In Small Packages

My shipment from MoFi (The Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs) arrived today.
There were two discs in the package.

I've been waiting for Roy Orbison's golden instrument to be available through the folks at the sound lab. Roy may have been the purest singer ever. When Bruce Springsteen puts your name in a song as powerful as "Thunder Road" (..as the radio plays Roy Orbison singing for the lonely, Hey that's me and I want you only) you belong in the category of legendary. Roy is one of the absolute greats. From "For The Lonely" to "Working For The Man" it does not get any better than this.I think this was the release that solidified their place on rock radio. I know I played the shit out of "Spirit of the Radio", "Freewill" and "Entre Nous" at KY 102. The thinking man's nerd rock band. They became stars with this release which only lead to further greatness...(Moving Pictures, Signals, Power Windows...). A very fine effort from a band I've been listening to since 1974.

Here's the website for the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab and what they do.

As far as how my top 100 would rate these...Roy is disqualified because greatest hits packages don't count, but if they did...Rush would rank just out of the top 100, with better releases from them (in my opinion) pushing "Permanent Waves" out.

Award Winning Animation

Our dear friends, The Stolzers have a daughter named Jennifer. Jennifer won the animation division for the St. Louis Fimmakers Showcase Critics' Award!! This means her little cartoon will be entered in the international film festival here in November.
Here is her short that won. It's about a little over three minutes. We are incredibly proud of Jennifer.

...ahem

Yes, I know I've been tardy. It's been hard work firing all the Cub fans. Actually, as a manager in radio, I found it easy to fire every one of my staff. See, here's the deal, if I want it to sound the way I truly want it, I'll damn straight do it myself. So, now I'm doing the live show in the morning on the news station, then doing middays on the classic rock station and then (damn, I'm good), I do afternoon drive on the country station. Staff? Who needs staff? No overhead (I pay myself very well) and I'm so good, I can sound like a woman, so, I'm in. Sales? What? Sorry, no time..I have to fire all of them, too.
It's all good.

I think I may have found the apartment that I was looking for BEFORE I moved here. Cool spot downtown where someone's dad lived while he was working at State Farm in the fifties. It's recently rehabbed above a business and part of a very hip building

Three Quick Obits

Dave Ricketts was a Cardinals bull pen catcher for many years. I knew him from my Cardinal Yearbooks of 1967-68. He was a back up cathcher to those two pennant winning teams and he wore...gasp..glasses, which ultimeatly made him cooler than cool. Over his career he batted .249 with 1 home run and 20 runs batted in in 130 games played. Apparently he was well loved and respected by his peers and that is all a man needs. He died of renal cancer (ouch) at the age of 73. His wikipedia page here

Mel Galley was a member of Trapeze and Whitesnake although is work with Trapeze is some of the finest in the rock genre. Here's the review of "Medusa" from Trapeze from the all music guide...Not only is Medusa the finest offering from '70s outfit Trapeze, it is one of the decade's most underappreciated hard rock recordings. With a lineup that consisted of future Deep Purple, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath members, there seems to be proof that at least a few fellow musicians appreciated this 1971 offering. Fans of his later work might be surprised by Glenn Hughes' soulful vocal delivery, especially on the mid-tempo blues-rockers like "Black Cloud" and "Your Love Is Alright." Guitarist Mel Galley also deserves mention for his sparse approach to classic rock riffing that is catchy and affective. Even the ballads are focused, memorable, and unique. There are some melodic moments on the closing title track that sound almost as if a '90s alt-rock crooner composed them. Considering that Medusa predates many similar, and more successful, classic rock LPs from the likes of Bad Company, Nazareth, Foreigner, and others, it's a wonder that the record isn't mentioned more when influential albums of this era are discussed.
All I know is as a 15 year old kid who was listening to "Medusa", that was one heavy and almost scary recording. "Black Cloud" is still played on KSHE. Here's the all music guide take on Trapeze....Wolverhampton, England hard rock outfit Trapeze formed in 1968, teaming lead vocalist John Jones and guitarist/keyboardist Terry Rowley (both ex-members of the Montanas, famed for the hit "You've Got to Be Loved") with singer/guitarist Mel Galley, bassist Glenn Hughes, and drummer Dave Holland. Signing to the Moody Blues' Threshold Records imprint, Trapeze issued its self-titled debut album in 1970; Jones and Rowley returned to the Montanas soon after, and in 1970 the remaining trio resurfaced with Medusa. The group toured extensively both at home and abroad, and although their fusion of rock and funk was cited as a prime influence on bands like ZZ Top, their commercial success was minimal. In the wake of the third Trapeze album, 1972's You Are the Music...We're Just the Band, Hughes replaced Roger Glover in Deep Purple. Guitarist Rob Kendrick and bassist Pete Wright signed on for Trapeze's 1974 effort Hot Wire, followed a year later by a self-titled LP; in 1976, the core trio of Galley, Hughes, and Holland reunited, although no new recordings were forthcoming. Hughes again exited prior to 1978's Hold On, which featured Wright in addition to new guitarist Pete Goalby; Trapeze then disbanded, with Galley joining Whitesnake (and, later, Black Sabbath), while Holland tenured with Judas Priest. Galley, Hughes, and Holland reformed once more in 1991, with a May 1992 London gig yielding the Welcome to the Real World live album. On February 7, 2008 Galley revealed that he was suffering from esophagus cancer, and had only a short time to live. "I have been very lucky. I have seen some great bands, and played with many great musicians. And I have enjoyed some tremendous experiences. I am thankful that I can say a proper goodbye to all the friends I have made, who are now rallying round me".

Slobo...if you were in either St. Louis or Kansas City in early to mid 80's, there was only one name you need to know if you follwed indoor soccer...Slobo. Slobo was the outstanding and entertaining goal keeper for the St. Louis Steamers who would consistantly fill Kemper Arena playing the hometown Comets. Slobo was much more than a goalkeeper, he was somebody all the fans could rally around. Slobodan "Slobo" Ilijevski, 58, a fan favorite on the St. Louis Steamers, died Monday (July 14, 2008) night at St. Joseph Hospital Bellingham, Wash. after suffering from a pre-existing, non-diagnosed aortic dissection. He was participating Saturday in a national soccer tournament in Seattle for the Kutis Over 55 men's team representing St. Louis.During his last game, a semifinal match Saturday, he suffered pain after a high ball save and complained of stomach pain and dizziness. After a CT scan, doctors discovered that blood was leaking from a rupture in the wall of his aorta.Ilijevski went through 13 hours of surgery and died while still on life support Monday evening. In the Major Indoor Soccer League's heyday, crowds of 18,000-plus would pack the former Arena and chant "Slobo, Slobo, Slobo!" The Macedonian goalie for the Steamers, the Storm and the Ambush, helped the teams reinvent themselves repeatedly to keep pro soccer in St. Louis. Mr. Ilijevski was notable in the young sport of indoor soccer for his bold, wandering style. He racked up record saves and wins. In 1980, prospects of a better life in the United States looked bleak for the goalkeeper from Yugoslavia; his visa was about to expire and he had two failed tryout attempts with MISL teams in Philadelphia and Chicago. A friend from Detroit had arranged for Mr. Ilijevski to meet Steamers coach Pat McBride. With six goalies already at camp, he knew the odds of getting on the team were slim, but he had only $20, so he took a chance.His visa expiration date was Oct. 30. He signed with the Steamers on Oct. 28. From then on, he quickly became an indoor soccer favorite, first with the Steamers and later with the Ambush."He was the best during the MISL era," said Terry Nicholl, a former opponent who played with the Wichita Wings. "He set the standard for keepers to follow. He was consistent, rarely made errors. He was solid and his feet and reflexes were outstanding. We would try to put him on, but he was so solid mentally. Some keepers you could distract easily in indoor soccer, but not him."Mr. Ilijevski carried his work ethic with him off the field as well."Slobo and I came up at the same time. He was very fit for his age, his work ethic was second to none," said Tony Glavin, former teammate and later coach with the Steamers. "Even though he was 10 years my senior, he certainly didn't use it in a negative way when I became coach. He was nothing but great to work with. When the team was having financial difficulties, Slobo stayed and accepted less money; he was just that kind of person. The man played through his 40s in professional soccer, which is phenomenal."Glavin and other former teammates kept in touch after he retired in 1993. "Slobo was a family guy. His wife Linda and two sons Lucas and Andrew were his life," said Steve Pecher, a former teammate. "On the field, he was the best indoor keeper. He redefined the role of goalkeepers for indoor soccer. He was a true professional on and off the turf."After retiring from professional soccer, Mr. Ilijevski went into real estate. His business ventures included apartment buildings in Clayton and University City. He still kept busy with soccer, running summerlong soccer camps for kids throughout the area and organizing an old-timers' game to benefit local charities. He spent his last three years living in San Diego.Tim Walters, a former Steamer player, now a middle school teacher in the Rockwood School District, was competing at the same tournament in Seattle."It was a great chance for all of us guys to get together for a little competition and to have some fun," Walters said. "The next thing you know, it's serious. A couple of games before that game, I saw him make one of the best saves I have ever seen him make on a penalty kick — it was prime-time Slobo."

Maybe My First Musical Influence

Jo Stafford died yesterday and it kind of shook me up a bit. First off, I had no idea Miss Stafford was alive and two, I got sent back into time when my parents and older brother had 78rpm records and we played them constantly. There were a ton of Jo Stafford records in our collection. I think I probably heard Ms. Stafford in utero. My mother always said that I was born to a diet of Hank and Jo.

Here's the one that was the most popular and a song my mother used to sing me to sleep by.
Timeless music, timeless qulaity. This is what music sounded like in 1950:




Here's her wikipedia page. Dead at the age of 90. We should all live so long.

Heavy Metal Monk

A Capuchin monk, Brother Cesare Bonizzi, is the lead singer in a heavy metal band which has just released its second album.
The 62-year-old monk's love affair with heavy metal began when he attended a Metallica concert some 15 years ago.

Another Old Gas Station

...what a weirdo

Monday Night Music Club Week 3

As far as I'm concerned, this is the best recording they ever did. Their fourth release in 1976, more polished, more ballsy and more chops than ever before. As much as these cats were f'ed up, they really have some tight, hook filled kick ass music on here. "Back In The Saddle" starts it and just blows the riff sky high. They were just coming off of "Toys In The Attic", and the confidence they have here is very apparent. "Last Child" is a slow, Aerosmith boogie and one of my most misunderstood lyrics of all time. I kept thinking that Steven Tyler was singing about "a bucket of sleet", he's singing about "a punk in the street". Er, uh... "Rats In The Cellar" probably describes the song, a fine workout. "Combination" is probably my favorite Aerosmith song. I know we tried like hell in the band I was in to play this, but with three people, well, it just didn't fly. Great arrangement. "Sick As A Dog" is a song loaded with the famous Aerosmith double entendre. "Nobody's Fault" is a great heavy tune, more like Zep than Aerosmith. "Get The Lead Out" and "Lick and A Promise" both would qualify as top shelf Aerosmith songs and a nice way to close out the record. Oh wait, there's one more song called "Home Tonight", a lame and utterly useless piece of crap (see "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing") that was foisted upon the Aerosmith nation by the record company in a hopeless attempt to cash in on "Dream On", which had just become a hit, three years after it was originally released. We (the Aerosmith nation) were not amused. This one gets an A- (the minus is for Home Again Tonight or whatever it's called) in my book, the best Aerosmith record ever.

New Radio Format

I'll call it, "Obscure Mellow Hits", that's what seemed to be on the Ipod as I did yardwork today...the playlist went like this...

"Dirty Work"-Steely Dan
"Cloud Nine"-Temptations
"Night"-Bruce Springsteen
"Just Like A Woman"-Bob Dylan
"You Are A Song"-Batdorf and Rodney
"Baby Love"-The Supremes
"All My Life"-John Mayall
"Meeting Across The River"-Bruce Springsteen
"Here, There and Everywhere"-Beatles
"Rainy Days and Mondays"-Carpenters
"Sweet Seasons"-Carole King
"Mr. Big"-Free
"Play Me"-Neil Diamond
"Sweet Cherry Wine"-Tommy James
"King Harvest"-The Band
"Crystal"-Fleetwood Mac
"Get Out of Denver'-Bob Seger
"Stop and Start All Over Again"-Jonathan Edwards
"Morning Dew"-Grateful Dead
"End of the Line"-Allman Bros.
"Got No Shadow"-Little Feat
"Silence is Golden"-Four Seasons
"Cash on the Barrelhead/Hickory Wind"-Gram Parsons
"Stoop Down #39"-J. Geils Band

Steve Mingori/Bobby Mercer

Two of my favorite baseball players died over this weekend.

Steve Mingori

The first one toiled in obscurity for many years playing for his hometown Kansas City Royals. Steve Mingori was one of the first people I met when I moved to KC. I interviewed him on the air and he told me he had always wanted to be a "DJ" and work at KY 102. I told him I always wanted to be a pitcher. He was one nice guy who was really jazzed about being in the playoffs and representing his team. Unfortunately, the playoffs were less kind to him.

1976 ALCS 1977 ALCS 1978 ALCS

Here's Steve's story:
Steven Bernard Mingori (February 29, 1944 – July 10, 2008[1]) was an American left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians (1970-1973) and Kansas City Royals (1973-1979). He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and went to Rockhurst High School; he is in the school's Hall of Fame.
His best season was 1976 when he won five games and saved ten.





Bobby Murcer


Bobby Murcer was the man in the summer of 1971. He beat out Willie Mays in 1971 to lead the majors in on-base percentage. The next year, 1972, Murcer set career highs with 33 homers and 96 RBIs, and led the AL in total bases and runs. He first caught my eye when they said he would be "Mickey Mantle's replacement". Sorry, you can't replace Mantle and it was unfair for him to be shackled with that name. He DID however, pretty much span the gap from Mantle to Mattingly. When I was learning how to hit, one of my coaches told me to watch Bobby Murcer whenever he came on TV, and copy his style. "He was a great Yankee, but probably more importantly he was a great friend. He always put others first. He played the game the right way. He got what life was about, and that was making life better for the people around you." I hope that someone says that about me when I go. It would be enough.

Here's Murcer's story:

Signs, Signs, Everywhere A Sign

Sounds like some of the roads I used to drive on the farm


I'm not sure what about to happen, but it's gonna be great!




I know some people in my family need a little quiet sickness.

Things To Do When You're High

How fun.

Hot, Muggy Saturday Morning Stuff

The last live (for me) Route 66 is on tonight. No big deals, no goodbyes and hopefully a well executed show. I will miss doing it live but I will be happy to retain my Saturday nights to pillage and plunder the St. Louis bar scene (?) I have offered to do it in Bloomington on my time and ship it to the station each week. I know a couple of qualified cats are lobbying for the gig. I really couldn't argue with either one.

Well, St. Louis is in a quick race to become Wichita. I have nothing against Wichita, but it ain't St. Louis. In the past ten years, we have lost McDonnell Douglas, Purina, May Company, TWA, A.G. Edwards and now Anhueser Busch. We are selling the nation piece by piece, company by company to foreign investors. I will hate to see what our country will be like in 20 years. As a friend of mine said last week.."in 15 years, you'll either shop at WalMart or Home Depot, so how is beer any different?" Good point. And the Walmarts and Home Depots will be owned by the Chinese.

I read in the newspaper the other day that we should feel sorry for Mark Mulder. Mark is a high quality pitcher that just about the time he got to St. Louis...he blew out his arm. He tried to pitch the other night, felt something pop and that was it. He has had a number of shoulder surgeries and is probably done. Mark comes from a very wealthy family is the east and is making about 9 million dollars for basically, doing nothing. Hard to feel sorry for that. Yeah, he probably isn't going to pitch again, but if he gives back the 15 or so million dollars that the Cardinals have paid him since he got hurt, then yeah, I'll feel sorry for him. But, the chance of that happening is about the same as me being pope. I feel bad for the guy, not sorry for him.

The last week at KMOX is next week. I still have lots of work to do. I think I am leaving on good terms, all seem to be genuinely happy for me. I hope so, it is NEVER a good thing to burn bridges in this business.

The Soundtrack

There are points in your life where you know that a certain piece of music will define in your mind the whole time period. When I moved to KC, it was the song "Hot Summer Nights" by Walter Egan. When I moved to St. Louis, it was "No Surrender" by Bruce Springsteen. This move, the piece is "Viva LaVida" by Coldplay. It is etched even now, when it plays in my head twelve years from now, this is what I will remember.
It's all good.

Going To Cheecago, Baby..Sorry I Can't Take You...

... In my best Robert Plant (from "When The Levee Breaks")

Out the hotel door

From the Navy Pier




After walking all over the city, the Ferris Wheel on the Pier was treat



From the Ferris Wheel

The incredible Merchandise Mart next door to the Holiday Inn. The studios for Q101.1 and The Loop (Emmis Chicago) are in this building. Very classy.

Chicago 6:45 pm July 8th 2008

My obligatory "French Connection" shot

Chicago keeps adding to the skyline, while St. Louis hasn't

The band shell at "Millenium Park"

Saw these guys rehearse at noon on Wednesday

I love Chicago, everything about it. I just looked up the whole time I was there. I can't help it, the architecture is just incredible. Had a great meal at 35 place on Wacker and a so-so one at Mango, but the 4 mile walk through the city on Wednesday was incredible especially after a true Chicago hot dog at this place on Grand that was out of a Chicago movie. What a great three days. Sweet Home Chcago.

Weird Cover Version That Works

Neil Young does "A Day In The Life" and yet somehow, it works.

Backstage Pass Number 17

If you'll notice in the middle of the pass it says "Tonight I'm Yours, Rod Stewart." Never saw him, had any contact with him, but hey, I was there, 1981.

Another Old Gas Station

It's like Lay's chips...I just can't stop..

A "Two Hit" Wonder

Ya know, I just did one of my top 100 LPs with the Doobs, but this song has literally saved my life. Another one from 1973, it really doesn't get any better than this. One of my top ten songs of all time, without a doubt. Damn, I sound like John Cusack in 'High Fidelity", huh? The "In Crowd" be damned, this was Dobie's finest moment. It was a joy to meet him in Nashville, I didn't know what to do...I just looked at him weird. I stared at the top of my shoes and drank ice water. I didn't know what to say and he didn't either. This song fills me with awe, still. It has a very soothing quality to it.

Top 100

This resides somewhere close to the top 10. Junior year in high school and this release was the soundtrack, without question. To me, this is the high point of their career. Starting with "Natural Thing" and heading into "Long Train Runnin" and "China Grove", it doesn't get much better than that. "China Grove" was the first single from the album and it only got to number 15. "Long Train Runnin'" hit number 8. I think the songs are more popular now than ever. Those two songs were on the radio, but they weren't the hits that we think after all these years. "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" reminds me of winter for some reason, great textured workout with some fine guitar playing and great dynamics. "Clear as the Driven Snow" is maybe the weakest track on the record, but a nice jam nonetheless. The first song on side two was "Without You", a great hard, up tempo number that was usually in the encore when done live. Song number two on side number two will forever and ever be one of my favorite songs. Without a question "South City Midnight Lady" is my all time favorite Doobie Brothers song and a song that resides in MY all time top twenty. "Evil Woman" is a bit of a throwaway, but still quite listenable. There's the obligatory instrumental break and then the album finishes with "Ukiah/The Captain and Me", a fine way to wrap the whole thing up. For a 17 year old kid, growing up in a rough river town, without much support, I took refuge in the music. It all meant so much, but this one along with "Toulouse Street" and especially "What Were Once Vices.." were the soundtrack to my adolescence. One of the very few bands that used two drummers and employed "Skunk" Baxter, one of the best technical guitar players.

This one's an A in my book

My Junk

This is not the map of the Seoul subway system. It is a view of what's right under my back yard. Created by the moles, voles, and whatever else is there, they have even set up their own hot dog stand and movie theatre. I hate killing anything really, but my back yard looks bad enough from all the rain, NOW I have to worry about falling in the cracks. Pest control to the rescue and I really hate to say that. But, it's them or me.

Hey, A-Rod, are you nuts? Do you realize what an idiot you look like? Are you and Elliot Spitzer hangin together? You bust up two marriages to have your go around with someone who stopped being relevant in 1990? Your wife's a beauty and you just had a kid? Wha? So, your wife goes and does Lenny Kravitz. According to the papers, your wife can take half of what you made while married to her. Wow, you're an idiot.

Getting pumped about the big move. Have lots of ideas, as Jerry Reed once said ..."we got a long way to go and a short time to get there..". Heading to Chicago for two nights with Gladys. Ought to be fun, back to St. Louis on Friday, then one last week at the mighty MOX. It'll happen fast.

What a great baseball game today. On the Saturday of the July 4th weekend, the Cardinals score three in the bottom of the ninth and beat the Cubs. Poetic. The best two teams in the National League play for the rubber game today. How cool