Unfairly labeled second rate Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young imitators by many music critics, America was able to crack the music charts in the early to mid 1970’s with a string of pop rock hits. Their influences ran from The Beatles to The Beach Boys to Jackson Browne.
Guitarists, singers and songwriters all, the trio of Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek crafted songs that have stood the test of time. Originally staples of AM radio and now relegated to light FM and background supermarket music play-lists, the band deserves a better fate. Their tight harmonies and musical abilities are quite honestly underrated. Especially live. Continue reading →
Concert At Nottingham Theatre Royal Is Well Worth Viewing
For those of you who are fans of Motörhead this is definitely worth watching. If you are not a fan, then this video should help make you one. This show captures the band in full control playing a scorching set with good audio and video. The classic line-up of Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor perform the following set:
Overkill
Too Late Too Late
Shoot You In The Back
Step Down
Jailbait
Leavin’ Here
Metropolis
Train Kept a Rollin’
Bomber
Motörhead
May 4th Marks the Anniversary of Four Kent State University Students Murdered For Protesting The U.S. Invasion of Cambodia and the Vietnam War
Do today’s songs have meaning?
One of the things I am confronted with in the 21st century is the degraded state of music today, especially lyrically. Do people really listen to the lyrics of songs and give them any serious thought? Or are the majority of songs being written not worthy of deep examination?
In the 1960’s and 70’s music listeners certainly did pay attention to the words being sung. They pored over lyric sheets which were inserted into LP albums with artwork that was meant to be contemplated, pondered, discussed, interpreted and argued over. Beginning with the shift to CD’s in the late eighties with their micro-printing of lyrics Continue reading →
Ernie Kovacs Is Killed In A Car Accident January 13, 1962
Ernie Kovacs would have turned 93 on January 23 and today I’ll be remembering him.
Kovacs was a brilliant comedian who was killed in a car crash 50 years ago today on January 13, 1962 at the age of 42.
Kovacs was an author, radio, television and movie star. Most of all he was a true genius in an industry that bandies about that word rather loosely. Had Kovacs lived he would have surely gone on to greater heights.
Because he died at a relatively young age and most of his TV work is gone forever, many people unfortunately have never heard of, or seen Ernie Kovacs. Continue reading →
Vermin Supreme – Would Make A Better President Than Obama, Romney, Paul, Huntsman, Gingrich, Perry and Santorum
If you have never heard of Vermin Supreme or that he is running for President you are not alone. He has not taken out any advertising and the mainstream media ignores him. But through youtube and other web sites, Vermin Supreme is making his candidacy known.
The only Presidential candidate who wears a boot on his head, Vermin Supreme has a simple platform:
Dental Hygiene Law
Flying Monkey Public Safety Assurance Program
Time Travel Research Funding
An Energy Program Which Harnesses the Awesome Power of The Zombies
Free Pony’s For All Americans
Vermin Supreme really is running for President. The satirist was invited to share the dais with the other Lesser-Known Democratic Candidates Presidential Forum which was held December 19, 2011 and hosted by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. The forum shows Mr Supreme at his best.
Randall Terry, the notorious anti-abortion activist, is the candidate who gets Mr. Supreme’s attention at the end of the video.
In a previous interview with the Washington Times, Mr. Supreme was asked whether he plans to send troops back into Iraq, Mr. Supreme said he wants to send troops “everywhere.”
“I propose we will invade and we will make that country a state,” he said. “So Iraq would be our 51st state, Afghanistan would be 52nd state. and on and on. Once we change these foreigners to Americans, they will certainly love America and we’ll will be able to tax them and it will be a wonderful unified United States of the Earth. Thank you.”
The United States needs Mr. Supreme if only for relief from all the empty words emanating from our politicians mouths.
This video first appeared four years ago, but I just discovered it. If you have ever watched a silent film you will appreciate this. Continue reading →
The Cagney’s Arrive At The Academy Awards Ceremony March 12, 1938
From left to right are: William Cagney, producer and manager, Boots Mallory (William’s wife), Frances (“Bill”) Cagney (James’ wife) and James Cagney, actor extraodinaire.
In 1938 the Cagney family had no nominations for any awards, and that is an unlikely reason for the dour looks on everyone’s faces. Maybe they had a fight on the way over to the ceremony. We’ll never know, but they certainly don’t look happy.
The following year James Cagney would be nominated for a best actor award for Angels With Dirty Faces. He lost to Spencer Tracy in Boys Town.
James Cagney would win a best actor Oscar in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Below, a great speech by James Cagney accepting the lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute in 1974.
In this fascinating interview with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, he briefly explains and demonstrates how he came up with the riffs to some of Deep Purple’s greatest songs, including Mandrake Root, Black Night, Speed King, Smoke On The Water, Lazy and Highway Star.
Musicians and public alike look at Blackmore and see a complicated and private man who has an immense talent for songwriting.
What Blackmore acknowledges in this interview (which I wish was complete) is that previous works by others can play a big part in your own creativity.
Inspiration can come from anywhere. From Mozart to Jimi Hendrix.
UPDATE 2025
Unfortunately the original video was taken down> Here is a truncated version where Blackmore discussion of Mandrake Root and Lazy have been edited out.
But below that we have added Blackmore discussing Child In Time. A song that was clearly “borrowed” from the band, It’s A Beautiful Day.
