For The Fans of Bob (myself very much included)

This is a link to the ten most incomprehensible Bob Dylan interviews ever. With video evidence, even. How funny.

Booing Kurt Warner

I was reading the paper this morning when it was noted that certain fans of the Rams booed Kurt Warner when he entered the game yesterday taking over for Matt Leinart and leading the Cardinals to a win over the Rams. Why on God's green Earth would anyone ever boo Kurt Warner? The guy gave his heart and soul to this city year after year only to be shown the door. He still has a residence here and still spends a lot of $$ and time for charity causes in the St. Louis area. With thugs in the NFL like Travis Henry, Pacman Jones, etc etc, the league would do well to start putting guys like Kurt Warner in their marketing campaigns. But, taht's not the image they are looking for. Shame on everyone who booed Kurt Warner, you were all drunk.

More top 100

This was junior year in high school encapsulated. I don't think I listened to much else. I was turned on to Wishbone by my cousin Bob, who had eclectic tastes in music to be sure. The first thing I heard by them was the debut "Wishbone Ash" with "Blind Eye" and such. When I first purchased this, I was always looking for the hidden meaning in songs. It was a very confusing time for me, Jesus was calling and I wanted to party. So, the song "The King Will Come" probably meant a lot more to me than it should've. While this relaese holds the classic "Blowin Free" it's "Leaf and Stream" and it's beauty that became my favorite from the album. Wishbone Ash is still going strong and coming to St. Louis. This is a top 25 album of all time for me.

Performance A- Twin guitars and an incredible drummer nails this
Songs and Songwriting B+ "Sometime World" "The Warrior" and the ones already mentioned
Sound B- One guitar in each headphone was very cool. Stereo done well.
Production B- A bit muddy but got cleaned up later
Staying Power C Not many of these songs stand the test of time but for 1972, they were beautiful
Continuity B One filler song. Not bad.

A comeback album that really wasn't. The band had broken up after "drama" and just pieces of the band (with Trevor Rabin leading) were around to form "Cinema". Jon Anderson heard what they were doing, wanted to be a part of it and "Cinema" became Yes (mach 8). the first song released was "Owner of A Lonely Heart" which gave Yes it's only number one song and made their way from progressive rock gods into pop music icons. The video for OALH blended in well with the others on MTV and Yes was back. While, I liked "Owner" what got me in this release was it's crisp production and great songwriting. "It Can Happen" "Leave It","Changes" "Hold On" are all great songs. This was one of the eighties' best releases.
Performance A The addition of Trevor Rabin was a great one for Yes
Songs and Songwriting B+ Great stuff here, a capsule of the eighties
Sound A Nice and crisp, very well done. Just sounded good
Production A One of the best sounding records ever
Staying Power B you don't hear anything other than Owner anymore
Continuity B A couple of fillers but overall a great effort

What a delight "Roundabout" was on the radio. All 3 minutes of it. The first time I heard Yes was on our old AM station in Davenport when they played "Your Move". I thought that was a great song, then "Roundabout" came on and dazzled me. This was one of my major influences and made me a real fan of the band. The album cover was trippy and the music inside was delicious. I loved "South Side of The Sky' because it was frightening . "Heart of The Sunrise" was what I visioned an acid trip to be (even though I had never had one). "Roundabout" sounds just as fresh now as it did then.
Performance A Never had I heard drumming or a performance like that
Songs and Songwriting A- "Roundabout" Long Distance Runaround" and others were just powerful for a sixteen year old under the headphones.
Production A These songs jumped off the vinyl.
Staying Power A Two of the songs are still played on album radio, there others are too long
Continuity A Each song was done well.

Honorable mention
Jesse Colin Young-Song for Juli
Yes-The Yes Album
Gary wright-The Dream Wever

Sunday Afternoon

There were a number of things I had planned to do today. I didn't do any of them, it's just friggin hot. I have never been as run down as I have been lately. I think it's due to the oppressive heat that has hit the region. I swear the AC hasn't cycled off in about three weeks. The only turning of the leaves here in St. Louis has been from green to brown. Everything is burnt, my rose bush, peonies, azailias and other plants have just parched. Hard to believe that it is almost mid October and the temperatures are still in the 90s. Not good.

There's something about a reunion of Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers that audiences didn't want to see. Stiller and the Farrellys' "The Heartbreak Kid" pulled in a modest $14 million during opening weekend, coming in at No. 2 behind "The Game Plan," which remained the top flick for the second-straight weekend with $16.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Paramount and DreamWorks had expected more from "The Heartbreak Kid," which reteamed Stiller with Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The trio collaborated on 1998's smash "There's Something About Mary." The studios had gotten positive reaction from audiences at advance screenings, but reviews for "The Heartbreak Kid" came in much harsher than expected, said DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan. "We were surprised," Sullivan said. "The reviews hurt us. We love the movie. We've seen it play great. But I think reviews do matter on an R-rated movie."
An update of the 1972 comedy written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May, "The Heartbreak Kid" stars Stiller as a man who marries an incompatible bride, then meets the perfect woman on his honeymoon.

Here's an idea, quit making the same Ben Stiller movie over and over again. He plays the same character. Item number 2, anything that has Carlos Mencia is it, I will never see and how about...yes, STOP THE FUCKING REMAKES!!!

Adventurer ends 13-year human-powered world trip

Adventurer Jason Lewis on Saturday arrived in Greenwich, ending a 13-year round-the-world trip using only the power of the human body.
The 40-year-old completed the final leg of his 46,000-mile odyssey by pedalling his 7.9-metre boat Moksha up the River Thames.
Ending a journey that included capsizing in the Atlantic, breaking both legs, being chased by a crocodile and being arrested on suspicion of spying, Lewis then disembarked and carried Moksha across the Greenwich Meridian line at the Royal Observatory with the help of supporters.
Lewis set off from the same spot -- zero degrees longitude -- bound for Portugal in July 1994. The 16-leg journey included hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking.
"I'm overwhelmed. It's pretty amazing," an emotional Lewis told reporters as he crossed the meridian. "Thirteen years coming to an end. It's been a big, long journey. It's good to be back."
Lewis has twice crossed the English Channel in Moksha as well as the north Atlantic, the Pacific and parts of the Indian Ocean. The boat capsized in the Atlantic.
In the United States, he suffered two broken legs when he was run over by a car while crossing the country on rollerblades. He was chased by a crocodile in Australia and was arrested in Egypt on suspicion of being a spy after illegally crossing the border from Sudan.

Now there is a great news story.

Love These Artworks

*IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A PARTY on the tenth floor....**YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING....* (not that you would....)*AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE BATHROOM....**You open the door....* *NOW, REMEMBER, THE FLOOR IS JUST A PAINTED FLOOR!

New Mellencamp Stirs It Up

JENA, La. - A video in which rapper-actor Mos Def asked students around the country to walk out Oct. 1 to support the "Jena Six" escaped comment by this town's mayor. But when John Mellencamp sang, "Jena, take your nooses down," he took issue.

"The town of Jena has for months been mischaracterized in the media and portrayed as the epicenter of hatred, racism and a place where justice is denied," Jena Mayor Murphy R. McMillin wrote in a statement on town letterhead faxed on Friday to The Associated Press.
He said he had previously stayed quiet, hoping that the town's courtesy to people who have visited over the past year would speak for itself. "However, the Mellencamp video is so inflammatory, so defamatory, that a line has been crossed and enough is enough."
Mellencamp could not comment immediately because he was on a plane from California to Indiana and had not heard about McMillin's comments, publicist Bob Merlis said late Friday.
A brief note from Mellencamp posted Thursday on his Web site says he is telling a story, not reporting. "The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism," it says.
Nooses hung briefly from a big oak tree outside Jena High School a year ago, after a black freshman asked whether black students could sit under it. A white student was beaten unconscious three months later, in December.
Six black students, four of them 17 years old and legally adults, were arrested. Five were initially charged with attempted murder, although that charge has been reduced to aggravated second-degree battery as four of the older youths have been arraigned. The only youth tried so far was convicted, but that conviction was overturned on appeal and the case was sent to juvenile court.
Mellencamp's song opens, "An all-white jury hides the executioner's face; See how we are, me and you?" As he sings, images of Jena, the high school and the tree are followed by video from the 1960s, including civil rights marchers, police beatings, and President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King speaking. Still images include one of a protest sign reading, "God demands segregation," a stylized drawing of people in Ku Klux Klan robes and an older image of a black man in shackles, begging.
"I do not want to diminish the impression that the hanging of the nooses has had on good people," McMillin wrote. "I do recognized that what happened is insulting and hurtful."
But, he said, "To put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory."
At McMillin's request, the Jena Town Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to create an interracial committee to study racial relations and suggest solutions to any problems.JENA, La. - A video in which rapper-actor Mos Def asked students around the country to walk out Oct. 1 to support the "Jena Six" escaped comment by this town's mayor. But when John Mellencamp sang, "Jena, take your nooses down," he took issue.

"The town of Jena has for months been mischaracterized in the media and portrayed as the epicenter of hatred, racism and a place where justice is denied," Jena Mayor Murphy R. McMillin wrote in a statement on town letterhead faxed on Friday to The Associated Press.
He said he had previously stayed quiet, hoping that the town's courtesy to people who have visited over the past year would speak for itself. "However, the Mellencamp video is so inflammatory, so defamatory, that a line has been crossed and enough is enough."
Mellencamp could not comment immediately because he was on a plane from California to Indiana and had not heard about McMillin's comments, publicist Bob Merlis said late Friday.
A brief note from Mellencamp posted Thursday on his Web site says he is telling a story, not reporting. "The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism," it says.
Nooses hung briefly from a big oak tree outside Jena High School a year ago, after a black freshman asked whether black students could sit under it. A white student was beaten unconscious three months later, in December.
Six black students, four of them 17 years old and legally adults, were arrested. Five were initially charged with attempted murder, although that charge has been reduced to aggravated second-degree battery as four of the older youths have been arraigned. The only youth tried so far was convicted, but that conviction was overturned on appeal and the case was sent to juvenile court.
Mellencamp's song opens, "An all-white jury hides the executioner's face; See how we are, me and you?" As he sings, images of Jena, the high school and the tree are followed by video from the 1960s, including civil rights marchers, police beatings, and President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King speaking. Still images include one of a protest sign reading, "God demands segregation," a stylized drawing of people in Ku Klux Klan robes and an older image of a black man in shackles, begging.
"I do not want to diminish the impression that the hanging of the nooses has had on good people," McMillin wrote. "I do recognized that what happened is insulting and hurtful."
But, he said, "To put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory."
At McMillin's request, the Jena Town Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to create an interracial committee to study racial relations and suggest solutions to any problems.



Here is the video. May be one of his best songs ever, but I have long ago lost any connection I have had with John Mellencamp. He is not a pleasant person. When he released "Our Country" as the theme song to Chevy a year ago, a little more of that bond slipped away. Then when he bitched about the song not getting any "airplay", that really set me off. John, the reason you didn't get any airplay was because by that time, it was Chevy commercial for everyone else.

Your thoughts?

Three of Randy's Top 100

What can you say about the depth of this masterpiece from Neil? I did not get familiar with this until about 1972. I heard "Heart of Gold" on the radio and somehow confused it with "Down By The River" (the first version I heard of THAT was done by Buddy Miles on a late night am radio program somewhere). Don't ask how, but I bought this one instead of "Harvest". This reminds me of sixteen, the endless cruising on a Friday night listening to "Cowgirl in the Sand" or "Cinnamon Girl" for God's sake. By purchasing this at just about the same time I got "Harvest", this was always album one in my two album Neil Young package.

Performance A First rate playing and singing

Songs A Masterpieces in "Cinnamon Girl" and "Down By The River"

Sound B+ Play it loud!

Production B Again, this was made to be played loud and it sounded great

Staying Power A- D'uh.

Continuity B No filler here.

"Heart of Gold","Old Man", "The Needle and The Damage Done". There is your triple play, thank you good night. This is the release that really turned me into a fan. Album two of Neil's best, "Out On The Weekend" was my favorite. This is sophomore year in high school nailed.

Performance B+ Neil and the band were a bit sloppy

Songs A Some of his best ever

Sound B- A warmer mix than "everybody Knows" and a bit muddy for me, but it sounds warm

Production B Sounds like it was recorded in a barn (which it was)

Staying Power A I played "Old Man" and "Heart of Gold" in Nashville

Continuity B- A couple of fillers, but I'll take his highs anyday

The first time I heard "LaGrange" I was standing in the road in front of my house talkin to my friend Gary in his souped up Vega and when it came on the eight track, I had never witnessed anything like it. That was the meanest nastiest song I had ever heard and I wanted more right then. It starts with "Jesus Just Left Chicago/Waiting For the Bus" and doesn't stop until "Have You Heard" ten songs later. Hell, "LaGrange" didn't even come on until track eight. "Beer Drinkers, Hell Raisers","Move Me On Down The Line" and the rest makes this one cook. Extra points for the spread of Mexican food on the inside of the album cover

Performance A- These guys played their asses off

Songwriting B When in Texas..

Sound D Muddy muddy the remasters did not help much

Production C This was a very bare bones operation

Staying Power A "LaGrange" has been played non stop for the past thirty five years

Continuity B- A bit of filler "Master of Sparks" but not too bad

Honorable Mention:

Apostrophe-Frank Zappa

Eliminator-ZZTop

The Post Below

Whenever you start talking "best" of anything, it had better really be the best. I know, maybe I'm old school, but I don't consider Madonna, Micheal Jackson or The Beastie Boys to be anywhere close to my definition of the term "rock and roll". However, the inclusion of the "Saturday Night Fever" Soundtrack did not bother me. I was on the radio and in the clubs when it came out, I know the influence on culture it had and even though it violates one of my qualifications for making my list, it should have probably been listed higher.
Well, as a very qualified observer of the rock and roll culture for the last 45 years or so, I thought I would put together MY collection of MY top 100 albums of all time. Using the criteria used in the other test, I will list them a few at a time, in an order that will consist of reverse alphabetical because quite honestly, I couldn't put it together any other way. Remember, this is my list and the numbers were compiled by me in my warped cranium. Enjoy the list.

The Top 100 LPs of All Time?

What a great argument. What is garbage to one is priceless to another. This is a pretty solid list. One glaring discrepancy I would have is the lack of titles from The Moody Blues, the Doobie Brothers and "Security" by Peter Gabriel and "Born To Run" should have switched places.


Here is the competition and how it's judged.
In a world where record companies seem happy to sell consumers songs by the single via a low-resolution, non-surround sound download - AVRev.com wanted to point out the importance of the album concept. Inspired by the Sabermetric system used by Bill James in his baseball abstracts that attempt to make seemingly subjective elements more scientific in comparison - the AVRev.com staff compiled a set of categories to rate the Top 100 Rock Albums of all time.

We offer a link below for readers to download the same sheet to see how your favorites do. You can even post them on our forum and discuss them with other music and audio fans.The JudgesThe team of judges include: AVRev.com publisher Jerry Del Colliano Jr., AVRev.com Music Editor Charles Andrews, 5.1 music executive David Delgrosso, Xhifi's President Howard Schilling, Definitive Audio's Eric Ward, Bel Canto's President John Stronczer and record industry veteran and high-resolution enthusiast, Ted Cohen.
The Categories
Performance: (100 Points) Simply put, how well did the band or artist play on the record? Technical ability, soul and beyond.
Songs and Songwriting: (100 Points) How good are the songs on the record? Were they great originals, killer covers, reinterpretations that were better than the original? All would spike the score in this category.
Sound: (50 Points) - How good does the record sound? Did it ever get released in a high-resolution or surround sound format? If so, that would get a few extra points. Was the record a breakthrough record for recording techniques or does it just plain sound good on a CD? These are all factors in a high score for sound.
Production: (50 Points) - Great sound doesn’t always match with great production (think Wall of Sound from Phil Spector). Slick production, unique instrumentation, development of important "sounds" all factor into a high score in this category.
Staying Power: (50 Points) - To be a truly great album, the record needs to be as relevant today as it when it came out.

Concept/Continuity: (50 Points) - This is the X Factor category where albums that are great from the first note to the last get the highest grades. Think of The Police's Synchronicity and the stiff song "Mother" as an example of a great record with one bad track. Records that are great from top to bottom receive the best grades here.

Here is the link.

A Very Sweet Treat

I had an appointment in downtown Kirkwood and wrapping that up early, I went to see Tom at my favorite place to buy music, Now Hear This in downtown Kirkwood. Tom and I have been doing business for about 21 years and he has proven reliable and getting me just about anything. The new Bruce Springsteen "Magic" was on my mind and I was excited when he had a copy. He also pointed me to another new release from John Fogerty. So, (doing something I have been doing since the dawn of time) , I spent money I didn't have for music. And I bought the John Fogerty.

I tasted the new Springsteen on the way to see the "Rat Pack" in concert at the Fox (the stage show of one night in Vegas circa 1961) I played the first four songs, nothing quite hit me. That's okay, most of the time that's a good sign. Except when it comes to the new Who record.

I put the John Fogerty in on my way to work yesterday and wham, bam, thank you so much for playing our game, song one, side one knocked me out. Here's the video to his first single (which will never get played on the radio). John has found Jesus and he's pissed about the war. At least he's consistant with his thoughts and with his music. His band has Kenny Aronoff on drums and Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers killing me with his stuff. So far, I like about 90% of it, but I will check in with another report later. First impressions...a masterpiece. One of the biggest thrills in my life was meeting John Fogerty after his show at the Fox in 1997. My brother was a huge fan of CCR. He served two tours in Viet Nam and I rememeber one thing he told me when I first got into radio. He said..."if you ever get to meet John Fogerty, just tell him how much his music meant to us punk kids ever there." Of course, there would never be a chance to meet John Fogerty, he was retired to a farm in Oregon or something. In 1997, I told John Fogerty what my brother (who had since passed) said and I swear his eyes welled up. He said it always meant a lot coming from a vet. We had our picture taken, (but it qualifies as absolutely the worst piece of shit picture I have ever taken and even though it's with him, no thanks, no one will ever see it)
and he signed my album. You'll have to look closely, but there it is. Joyous experience and so is this release. This guy makes it sound effortless.

Clint Hurdle

This is how I remember Clint Hurdle. Clint came to the Royals in 1978 allegedly having more tools than George Brett. He was quicker, faster, etc. For reasons that I don't want to get into, I know that life was pretty tough for Clint. There are certain things a man should never have to defend. Clint and I had a few in our days in KC. He worked nights and so did I. He was gone from the Royals very quickly and faded away until this year. Clint is the manager of the Colorado Rockies, who now hold a 2-0 lead over the Phillies after taking two of two in Philadelphia. Nice work. I always liked Clint and I am rooting for him. His bench coach, Jamie Quirk is another great guy back from the early eighties version of the Royals. Those teams were in the playoffs year after year. There is hope for us all. Even though Ryan Howard of the Phils is from St. Louis, I am pleased that Clint is enjoying life.

Great new website

Hey radio guys, found this one today when looking through the referrals to this blog here.

Dan Kelly is a good radio guy and I have added his blog link to your right, he now has a permanent link here. I can only imagine the profound greatness he must feel. He likes to spotlight those classic rock stations who do it right, knowing that it is about the local content and local connection to the audience. That formula has worked well for the past 35 years. So take a visit to a site that really looks good.

Seven Bridges Road

From the dr. sardonicus website: (shit, the dude knows as much about this music as i do)

He has a great blog and you can go there by going here: dr. sardonicus. His handle is also one of my favorite albums of all time

The oft-covered "Seven Bridges Road" was written and originally recorded in 1969 by Steve Young, not to be confused with the former NFL quarterbacking great. This Steve Young was a well-traveled young man. His family moved around throughout the South as he grew up. He moved away to New York City where for awhile he was part of the Greenwich Village scene that included Bob Dylan, and in the mid-60's moved to Los Angeles where he was in a band with Stephen Stills.In between those coastal jaunts, Young lived for a time in Montgomery, Alabama, where he received the inspiration for "Seven Bridges Road". From Young's recollections, the "Seven Bridges Road" was a popular Montgomery hangout, although he couldn't remember the road's actual name:I lived in Montgomery , Alabama in the early 60's and had a group of friends there that showed me the road. It led out of town and after you had crossed 7 Bridges you found yourself out in the country on a dirt road. Spanish Moss hung in the trees and there were old farms with old fences and graveyards and churches and streams. A high bank dirt road with trees. It seemed like a Disney Fantasy at times. People went there to park or get stoned or just to get away from it all. I thought my friends had made up the name "7 Bridges Road" . I found out later that it had been called by that name for over a 100 years. That people had been struck by the beauty of the road for a long time, however , this is not the official name of the road. It is a "folk name".Hank Williams Jr. has said that the "Seven Bridges Road" is the road that leads to Oakwood Annex Cemetery, where his father is buried. This doesn't seem likely, though, as Oakwood Annex is located in a residential neighborhood in north Montgomery. Another suggestion is that the reference is to Woodley Road, a road leading from Montgomery's southern outskirts into the countryside. Upon this road are seven bridges.Steve Young recorded "Seven Bridges Road" for his debut LP, Rock, Salt, and Nails, which today is considered to be a classic of the "outlaw country" genre. The song was almost instantly recognized as a classic, and it soon was covered by Joan Baez, Rita Coolidge, and Tracy Nelson. Here is a recent interview with Steve Young. Here is the song via Youtube, no video but great audio. The best of the early versions, though, was the one Fairport Convention alum Ian Matthews recorded in 1973 on his Valley Hi album, produced by ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith. Matthews and Nesmith came up with an arrangement that featured an a capella introduction, as well as a gorgeous steel guitar solo.In 1980, the Eagles sped up Matthews' version and in so doing came up with a major hit single; this is the "Seven Bridges Road" everybody knows today. The covers slowed as the Eagles' version came to be acknowledged as definitive, though artists as diverse as Firehouse, Ricochet and Dolly Parton have all released versions of "Seven Bridges Road" in recent years. To my ears, though, Ian Matthews still takes first prize. Valley Hi is a disc well worth seeking out for fans of country-rock and folk-rock.Steve Young is still writing and recording today. As is often the case, Young never became a star. He spent much of the 70's battling drug and alcohol problems, yet he overcame those difficulties and remains a vital artist. Young recorded this live version of "Seven Bridges Road" in 1991. In Young's hands, the song is a wistful, melancholy remembrance of times past, and a haunting counterpoint to the version that album rock radio has burnt into our heads over the years.

Thanks, doc. I, too think the Ian Matthews version is excellent. There is something about those five part harmonies that the Eagles pull off so well, though.
Great post.


Here's a news story about Ian Matthews and Southern Comfort done many years ago.

Brush With Greatness Number 15

One of my favorites, here. How cool was it to interview Joe Walsh? He looks like my high school science teacher rather than the second best American guitar player ever (with apologies to Stevie Ray).
He was very interesting, funny and incredibly smart.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (again)

A couple of weeks ago, our midday guy Charlie Brennan was interviewing Peter Tork of The Monkees and Charlie made a stink about The Monkees not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I like Charlie and sometimes I think he does stuff like this just to get a rise out of people. If The Monkees go in before Three Dog Night, The Doobie Brothers, The Moody Blues, Chicago Neil Diamond, The Band or even Paul Revere and The Raiders, I will officially give away my albums. That would be a travesty.

What A Week...

This week was one for the record books. It started with the announcement of the Route 66 program. The show was announced at KMOX while I was out sick. Nice. I have received emails from across the country about the program. A guy in Tulsa has posted the story to his "egroup" and I have also recieved an email from a guy at another station in town that wants to share the stuff he has. I think this show is going to be huge. A part time job that will certainly take up a great deal of preparation and time. I couldn't ask for a better venue or have more exceptional backing from the management at KMOX. After all, Dave Ervin approached me to do it. How fortunate for me. Like I said before, I thought the headphones were hung up for good, but...KMOX is another plateau altogether

Broadway night at the Fox last night. For shits and grins, we decided to head down to the Fabulous Fox Theatre and witness a night of great singers. No matter what kind of music you are into, you have to appreciate the artform of singing. I am into a lot of different things lately and as I get older, I appreciate singers not necessarily from the rock genre. I have been in love with Linda Eder for a while. While working at WSSM (Smoooooth Jazz), I got her Christmas CD and it has become a staple for the holidays. Very easy on the eyes, to me she emulates Barbra Striesand a bit too much. All of her songs sounded the same last night.

On the other hand Brian Mitchell Stokes kicked my ass. He actually did a song unplugged at the Fox. I have never witnessed an audience so silent in my life. Not a peep. He sounded great. I don't remember him from the show, but he was on Trapper John MD and Frazier too. What a powerful God given talent he has. I came for Linda but was left really impressed with Brian. Nice evening.

One thing really did bother me last night. While at the Fox, a VERY obese woman was causing all sorts of headaches for her surrounding seat mates. She looked just like the picture above. She had to walk with a walker and literally could not fit in the aisle or in her seat. It took her about ten minutes to navigate sitting down. Of course she came in late, had to get up twice and basically was a major disruption. She was snarling at people who were genuinely put out by waiting for her to figure out how to put all of that into her seat. I try to be as empathetic as the next guy (even more so) but geez. How did you let yourself get that way? If it's some kind of genetic disorder, I understand, but please, push yourself away from the table.

On the way to the Fox, while attired in my crisply ironed shirt, khakis and a blazer, I stopped at a red light while getting off the interstate at Grand. I saw a woman sitting on the side of the road with her head buried in her hands. A gentleman, who was obviously down on his luck was trying to bum money to get to the bus station so he and his girlfriend could go home to Memphis (or so he said). I was in a bad place, he made sure he had my attention. What to do? I reached into my wallet to give him a couple of bucks and instead of grabbing two ones, I grabbed a one and a five. I gave it to him. Yeah, I know. But Jesus once said "what you do to the least of me, you do to me." I believe in karma, I believe that the meek shall inherit the Earth. I hope he got back to Memphis.

The two latest songs to be ripped off and used for commercials: "Come And Get It" by Badfinger for General Motors and "Karn Evil #9" (welcome back my friends to the show that never ends) by Emerson Lake and Palmer for Dr. Pepper. I can actually understand the first one but what the fuck does the lyrics to Karn Evil #9 have to do with soda? I am boycotting Dr. Pepper until that campaign goes off the air.

Two words for Ken Burns' "The War". Absolutely brilliant!

It's the second annual KMOX Jazz and Wine Festival today. Last year we had about 200 advance tickets sold with an attendance of about 2,200. This year 900 presold, so it oughtta be big. I will be there all day today. This is one part of the job I really like. Shaking hands and kissing babes..er uh, I mean babies. It's good to make a connection with the people that listen.

Two weeks until my daughter comes home for a few days. Can't wait. I sure miss her.

That Didn't Last Long...

The press release went out on Tuesday. Yep, I am back in the game, contrary to what you may have heard. Someone asked my yesterday about my statement that "I would never put the headphones on again". Well, when KMOX calls, you certainly listen.
This is going to be an absolute blast. The first night will be October 14th. It will be streamed, too. These classic songs, mixed for AM radio, back on AM radio. I hope I can pull this off.

The Traffic Jam "the Debut"

This was our first performance ever. Sure looks like it, huh?

Enjoy the video (drop outs and all) from the year 1987.

New Who

Never-before-seen concert and archival footage is at the center of"Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who" and its companion film "Six Quick Ones," due Nov. 6 on DVD via Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The movies were made with the cooperation of surviving members PeteTownshend and Roger Daltrey, who also contributed material from their personal archives."We decided the film was really about the journey to the top," executive producer Nigel Sinclair tells Billboard.com. "You really see these four young people putting it together. Then, the band becomes successful and many things happen: some good and some bad. We discerned from it that the most interesting thing was the evolution of Pete and Roger's relationship. The fact that these two are able to continue as the Who, it is almost like it was meant to be that way. Discovering, as we did from interviewing them, what the magic or their working partnership was, that was very exciting."When the project first got off the ground, original director Murray Lerner put out a request online for fan-shoot footage or rare clips. This yielded "quite a considerable amount of stuff that nobody had ever seen before," Sinclair says. "I'd say almost half of the [clips] have never been seen before in any context."Sinclair is particularly excited about film shot by managers Chris Stampand Kit Lambert in 1964, when the Who were still known as the High Numbers. "They shot a number of songs of the band playing in a hotel in London," he says. "The film was lost for the ages, but three years ago, an old gentleman in Amsterdam was cleaning out his loft. His grandson knew this was what the Who used to call themselves, and they put it onand realized what it was."But taking possession of such disparate footage proved a bit of a logistical nightmare for the production team. "We had 834 separate items we had to clear in the past few months," Sinclair says. "Ourpost-production specialist is now writing a PhD paper for NYU based onthis project. It was unprecedented. It is really difficult to take thesedifferent formats and make them work."The film culminates with a clip of the Who performing "Tea & Theatre"earlier this year in California, a moment Sinclair says was "key to the story telling. You take for granted how many partnerships have really survived in the art business. Simon ain't with Garfunkel anymore. We find ourselves in the film reflecting on that and that song becomes very poetic and powerful."Elsewhere, the narrative is helped along by interviews with fans such as Sting, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, U2's the Edge and Oasis' Noel Gallagher. "For me, Edge's comments about Pete's guitar playing really revealed what is his sound and why does he sound so different," Sinclair says.Look for "Amazing Journey" to have a limited theatrical run in theUnited Kingdom later this year, as well as a handful of screenings inmajor U.S. markets.

I can't wait for this. For most of my formative years, The Who were Top 5 on my list. I'll take anything from "Tommy", "Who's Next" or "Quadrophenia" any time. Unfortunately, they haven't really knocked me out with anything since "Eminence Front" in 1982. But, the three afore mentioned albums are all in the Raley Album Hall of Fame as Charter Members. I hope it comes to St. Louis.

stuff from saturday

having breakfast on my back porch, looking over the neighborhood on this beautiful saturday has inspired me to write stuff...oh, how lucky you are.....

this guy is john anderson, he ran for president in 1980. i think he was one of the smartest guys to ever run, which, of course, precluded him from winning the nomination. his idea at the time was to raise the gasoline tax by fifty cents a gallon and all of that money would have been set aside to reasearch alternative fuels. he decared we would be energy independent by 1990. that was 17 years ago. i wonder how that would have turned out. he would have never been elected because the companies that depend on us sucking oil out of the ground in the middle east would never have allowed it. i just wonder....

'goin downtown, gonna see my girl, gonna sing her a song, gonna show her my'....' taste of st. louis' is this weekend, and i am heading down town, hey i even have free parking. definately going to catch the radiators at 7 pm and then try to stick around to catch big head todd and the monsters at ten. i love the radiators and think big head todd were very much overlooked in the nineties. yeah, i may actually eat and drink something.

this weekend is the weekend i attempt to transfer a number of theold vhs tapes i have to dvd. tapes of my band, emily at one day old, paul playing in the snow with our new puppy who died a couple of years ago at the great old age of 14. very important stuff that i am afraid will start to disappear soon. wish me luck

we close with another great old gas station.....

this reminds me of what might have appeared on the old route 66. speaking of which, there is news coming concerning that. oh wait, what the heck, while i am feeling nostalgic, let's visit an ad from yesteryear

Links (and lots of 'em)

10 Things You Might’ve Been Better Off Not Knowing About Your Body

The eight manliest musicals ever made

The best cleavage in music...sorry but hey, I'm just a guy

The 50 Hottest Women in Music

The Top 25 Bands That Should Re-unite

The Top 40 Nerdiest Real Names of Famous Musicians

Brush With Greatness 14

Tony Jordan (ass't promotions guy at KSHE), Richie (I nailed Heather Locklear AND Denise Richards in one year)Sambora and me. KSHE lobby circa 1997.

This weekend

Every September in my little town of Kirkwood, the Greentree Festival is king. Here is a link the festival's website. It starts with a Friday night opening of all the booths that cram Kirkwood Park. The parade is on Saturday morning and it IS the place for all Kirkwooders to see and be seen. Yesterday, I manned the Kirkwood YMCA's booth as we were the only booth selling grilled corn. Believe me, with one of my very first jobs detassling corn (ugh, hot, nasty, dirty, work) I know how to get those tassles and husks pulled down in record time. I did 11-2pm and will go back today from 12-5:30. Being on the Board of Directors at the Y, I feel it's my job to pitch in.
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Got great news from the doctor this weekend. Love that!
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What the hell is up with the weather, anyway? 105 two weeks ago. 48 last night. This week 90.
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My second favorite teacher in the world has infected another high school with her enthusiasm and love for the kids. When I went to make my every semester trip to Washington High School, Michelle Hoch gave me a copy of a DVD that chronicles what her kids are doing when it comes to reporting for their local "TV station". These kids are very very good. They also have that passion required to be successful. And 80% stems from the motivation provided by the teacher. Well, the idea has now been adapted by St. Louis Priory and the debut of "Rebel TV". The idea is in place, the logistics need to be worked out. Congrats, Michelle, you are the teacher I have always wanted to be. You rock! You continue to have an influence on all you touch in some way. See ya next semester.

Now, That's One Hell of A Fish

Reminds me of an old girlfriend. Sorry.

It's an African Tiger fish. Here is the link with more information

Cheater!

NEW YORK - New England coach Bill Belichick was fined the NFL maximum of $500,000 Thursday and the Patriots were ordered to pay $250,000 for videotaping an opponent’s offensive and defensive signals.
Commissioner Roger Goodell also ordered the team to give up next year’s first-round draft choice if it reaches the playoffs and second- and third-round picks if it doesn’t.

Another cheater. It ain't enough that baseball has a closet full, now football does too. Makes you wonder how they won all of those Superbowls huh? He should be fired and the team should be ashamed of itself. But, listening to the Patriots fanatics, it's OK becasue all of the other teams are doing it too. Really?

Newspaper Article circa 1981

That's me lower right. Looks like I lost the "arms" race doesn't it? Who cut your hair? Hey, farmer? That was an awesome studio, my favorite ever.
Phil Witt looks the same.

Another Cover Song That Does NOT Suck

I really thought this was one of the classiest, most talented men on the planet. I have followed his career from Vinegar Joe "Never Met A Dog" through "Sneakin Sally Through The Alley" to this. He performed in a suit every time I saw him. A Suit! I never saw him sweat either. I got to interview him about six weeks before he died. I had the great opportunity to tell him how much "Every Kinda People" meant to me. I think he was touched. He covers two of my favorite Marvin Gaye songs with passion and the way I think Marvin would have liked. Class. Class. Class. RIP Robert, you are truly missed by me and thousands of others.

God The Painter Volume 9

R I P Joe Zawinul

VIENNA, Austria - Joe Zawinul, who soared to fame as one of the creators of jazz fusion and performed and recorded with Miles Davis, died early Tuesday, a hospital official said. He was 75.
Zawinul had been hospitalized since last month. A spokeswoman for Vienna's Wilhelmina Clinic confirmed his death without giving details. His manager, Risa Zincke, said Zawinul suffered from a rare form of skin cancer, according to the Austria Press Agency.
Zawinul won widespread acclaim for his keyboard work on chart-topping Davis albums such as "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew," and was a leading force behind the so-called "Electric Jazz" movement.
In 1970, Zawinul founded the band Weather Report and produced a series of albums including "Heavy Weather," "Black Market" and "I Sing the Body Electric." After that band's breakup, he founded the Zawinul Syndicate in 1987.
Zawinul, who was born in the Austrian capital, Vienna, and emigrated to the United States in 1959, is credited with bringing the electric piano and synthesizer into the jazz mainstream.
This past spring, he toured Europe to mark the 20th anniversary of the Zawinul Syndicate. He sought medical attention when the tour ended, the Viennese Hospital Association said in a statement last month.
Austrian President Heinz Fischer said Zawinul's death meant the loss of a "music ambassador" who was known and cherished around the world. "As a person and through his music, Joe Zawinul will remain unforgettable for us all," Fischer said in a statement.
Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer praised Zawinul's "unpretentious way of dealing with listeners" and said he wasn't "blinded by superficialities."
"Wherever he performed, he impressed with his playing," Gusenbauer said in a statement.
Zawinul's son, Erich, said his father would not be forgotten. "He lives on," Erich Zawinul was quoted as saying by APA.
Zawinul played with Maynard Ferguson and Dinah Washington before joining alto saxophonist great Cannonball Adderley in 1961 for nine years, according to a biography on his Web site. With Adderley, Zawinul wrote several important songs, among them the slow and funky hit "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy."
Zawinul then moved on to a brief collaboration with Miles Davis, at the time Davis was moving into the electric arena. It was Zawinul's tune "In a Silent Way" that served as the title track of Davis' first electric foray.
Funeral plans were not immediately released, but Vienna Mayor Michael Haeupl told reporters he would be given an honorary grave in the capital.

Another record store in play got me hooked on Weather Reaport. "Mysterious Traveller" was the album that was playing on the stereo in the record store and I couldn't believe the nasty funky shit that was being played at ear splitting volume. Who was in Weather Report? Only these guys: Miroslav Vitouš (1970–74)Airto Moreira (1970–71)Alphonse Mouzon (1970–71)75)Leon 'Ndugu' Chancler (1975)Chester Thompson (1976)Jaco Pastorius (1976–82)Michael Walden (1976)Omar Hakim (1983–85)Victor Bailey (1983-86)Jose Rossy (1983–84)Mino Cinelu (1984-86) and more. What a talent, what a musician. Pick up a copy of "Mysterious Traveller" and tell me that ain't great!!!

Beautiful Day Junk

Spending my lunch hour (and in between writing two presentations) taking a break and blogging. I haven't felt very creative lately, so thought I would share my own very pretentious view of the world.

Rams suck, Chiefs suck, Cardinals done, Tony done.

So help me out. I heard that MYV held their annual Video Music Awards the other night. Will someone please tell me the day that MTV started playing music again? I haven't seen a video on there in ages, although I haven't checked lately. VH1 doesn't show music anymore either. So, should MTV take the M out of their name? How about VH1? The "V" needs to go..and the H, too.

My daughter called to inform that she got really bored at school last Saturday night. All of the other kids on her floor went out drinking and she didn't want any part of it. She has seen what drinking does to a person and she doesn't want to do that. God, thank you so much.

The longer he is dead, the more I appreciate the kind gentle soul that was George Harrison.
Of all the musicians that have passed, I truly miss him the most.

Beautiful day here in St. Louis.