The Who - What's Next

Last night’s Who concert might be the last Who concert. Ever.

The Who performed Quadrophenia on the final night of this years’ Teenage Cancer Trust series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Guests included well-known Who fanatic Eddie Vedder and Kasabian’s Tom Meighan; both joined the band at various times separately, and together on “I’ve Had Enough.”

It’s a little shaky, but here’s some fan shot footage of “I’ve Had Enough.”

The Who - Quadrophenia - I've Had Enough

The Who – I’ve Had Enough
With Eddie Vedder and Tom Meighan
Royal Albert Hall – March 30, 2010

Set List

“I Am the Sea”
“The Real Me”
“Quadrophenia”
“Cut My Hair”
“The Punk and the Godfather” (with Eddie Vedder)
“I’m One”
“The Dirty Jobs”
“Helpless Dancer”
“Is It in My Head?”
“I’ve Had Enough” (with Eddie Vedder and Tom Meighan)
“5:15″
“Sea and Sand” (with Eddie Vedder and Tom Meighan)
“Drowned” (Townshend solo)
“Bell Boy” (with Tom Meighan)
“Doctor Jimmy”
“The Rock”
“Love, Reign O’er Me”

Following the band’s appearance at this year’s Super Bowl in Miami, Pete Townshend talked about the March 30 show as being the only gig on the group’s schedule because of his hearing issues. At the time, Townshend said he’d been testing a new in-ear monitoring system that doctors hoped would allow him to hear the band over the ringing in his ears and that, if it failed to be of significant help, he would shut The Who down before risking any further hearing damage. Apparently, it was Neil Young who hooked Pete up with an audiologist that recommended the new system as a potentially viable way to address the issue; beyond the monitors, Pete has revealed that he wears a hearing aid.

Townshend’s hearing has been affected by playing music so loud for so long that he developed tinnitus years ago.

In simple terms, tinnitus is basically an ongoing high-pitched ringing or buzzing in the ears, even when no external sound is happening – ie. you’re sitting alone in a quiet room and all you can hear is ringing in your ears. Tinnitus is not to be confused with Temporary Hearing Loss (THL), which is caused by many things – including exposure to loud sounds. If you’re like me, you’ve come home to quiet surroundings after a concert and occasionally noticed either a high-pitch ringing sound or muffled hearing due to exposure to high volume and/or being too close to the sound system; you may have some lingering effects the day after the show, but it does disappear, usually within 24 hours or so, depending on the severity.

In terms of the decibel scale, normal conversation levels between people are in the 60-70 dB range; sustained exposure to volumes in the 90-95 dB range can cause hearing loss; sandblasting is measured around 115dB and pain from volume happens at the 125dB level. Jet engines and gun blasts are in the 140 dB range, which is extreme by any measure. If I understand it correctly, an increase of 10 dB level is considered about twice as loud, while a 20 dB increase is four times as loud.

For years, as sound systems developed in the music industry, bands prided themselves on volume and even promoted it, sometimes with claims that they were the loudest band in the world. It’s hard to say who the loudest band actually is/was, because you’d need to establish a standard measurement distance from the sound system to have everyone measured on the same playing field, so to speak.

In the 60s, Blue Cheer heavily promoted themselves as the loudest: the band claimed to be so loud that they had to record their albums outside. BC’s second album, “Outsideinside,” was recorded at Pier 57 in San Francisco, and legend has it that people on boats up to 9 miles (14 km) away complained of hearing the sound. In 69, Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” was measured at 130 dB. In 1976, The Who were considered the loudest band by the Guinness Book Of World Records, when the group’s volume at a UK show was measured at 126 decibels. The folks at the Guinness Book reportedly shut down their “loudest band” category at some point in the late 70s/early 80s for fear of encouraging hearing damage as bands kept pushing the limits.

In addition to the prolonged exposure to playing at huge volume levels, Pete has stated that the start of his tinnitus can be traced back to a Who performance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967. Near the end of playing “My Generation,” The Who had smoke bombs and blasts going off at the rear of the stage behind the amplifiers, but drummer Keith Moon had techies load up far too much explosives in his bass drums, and the resulting blast damaged Townshend’s ears – apparently for life.

While watching the Smothers Brothers performance, keep an eye out for where Pete is standing when the explosion goes off: it looks like Townshend is less than 10 feet directly in front of Moon’s kit when the force of the blast heads directly at him, compounding things as his head is at bass drum level because he’s leaning over while smashing his guitar.

The explosion happens at 4:36 in the following clip:

The Who - The Who Sings My Generation - My Generation

The Who – My Generation
The Smother Brothers Comedy Hour – September 15, 1967



2010 isn’t the first time Townshend’s hearing has been an issue for the band, by any means. I can remember seeing The Who on their 25th Anniversary Tour in 1989 and Pete was playing acoustic guitar for most of the show. I have to say it was strange to watch The Who with Pete on acoustic while someone else played his solos on electric; I mean, here was one of the biggest legends in rock unable to execute his material in the usual way because of his hearing issues. Depending on its severity, tinnitus can come and go, like a lot of health challenges, and it seems that Pete’s may have been in some sort of remission for years before returning recently while he worked on his musical, Floss.

Performers have used stage/floor monitors for years to process the ‘mix’ and volume of audio that suits their needs as a player. Monitor mixes can be tweaked to each player’s needs; for example, the guitarist wants more drums and less bass in his monitors because he/she follows the drums more closely for song cues, etc. Eventually, in-ear monitors were developed to perform the same function as stage/floor monitors, which could then be removed from the staging, giving artists more room to roam freely while providing fans down front with a less obstructed view.

We’ll await further news from Townshend on last night’s RAH gig to see if the new in-ear system worked for him, as well as news on the status of The Who.

The Who - Who's Next - Behind Blue Eyes

The Who - Tommy - Pinball Wizard

The Who – acoustic performance
Super Bowl press conference - February 5, 2010

Rock N Roll Birthday: Eric Clapton

Happy birthday to Eric Clapton, who turns 65 today.

Well, where do you start to talk about the career of one of music’s most iconic figures…

The Yardbirds
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Cream
Blind Faith
The Plastic Ono Band
Delaney And Bonnie And Friends
Derek & The Dominos

Currently on the road with openers like Jeff Beck, Roger Daltrey and Steve Winwood, I thought a few interesting facts about Eric would help to mark the occasion.

How did Eric get the nickname “Slowhand”?

During his time with The Yardbirds, when Clapton would break a guitar string during a show, he’d simply stay on stage and replace it. (Can you imagine??) Audiences would wait through the unscheduled break by doing a ‘slow handclap’, which band manager Giorgio Gomelsky shortened to ‘slowhand’…and it stuck.

Why did Clapton leave The Yardbirds in 1965?

Eric left on the verge of the group’s first hit single, “For Your Love,” because, as a blues purist, he didn’t like the “pop” direction the band was taking at the time.

Eric played on which Beatles song?

Clapton was brought in by pal George Harrison to play on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

Who is Layla?

"Lalya" was written by Clapton for Patti Boyd, the wife of his good friend, and ex-Beatle, George Harrison. Eric eventually married her.

Eric’s Canadian roots

Eric’s mom was only 16 when he was born; not something that was generally talked about in the mid-40s. As a result, Clapton’s mother left him to be raised by his grandparents, but he was told they were his parents. At the age of 53, Eric discovered that his father was a Canadian pilot named Edward Fryer, who, at the age of 24, was overseas when he hooked up with his mother before being shipped off to war prior to Eric’s birth.

Conquering his alcoholism in 1982, Eric opened what facility to help others?

In 1997, Eric opened the Crossroads Center in Antigua, as a treatment center for addictive disorders due to drugs and alcohol. Over the years, Clapton has sold many guitars from his collection to help raise funds for the project.

Long Live Slowhand!

The Dirty Mac - The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus - Yer Blues

The Dirty Mac - Yer Blues (1968)
John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards (bass), Mitch Mitchell
From The Rolling Stones Rock N Roll Circus



Cream - The Very Best of Cream - Sunshine of Your Love

Cream – Sunshine Of Your Love (1967)



The Yardbirds - The Yardbirds - the Eric Clapton Years - Louise

The Yardbirds – Louise (1963)

The Cover Of The Rolling Stone

Sometimes rock n roll dreams do come true.

Just ask Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show: after scoring a hit with “Cover Of The Rolling Stone,” the band got its wish and made the cover of RS issue #132 on March 29, 1973.

Trivia: the group’s image on the RS cover was a caricature and not an actual photogragh, and the accompanying headline read: “What’s-Their-Names Make The Cover.”


“Rolling Stone” was from the Union City, New Jersey band’s 1972 sophomore release, “Sloppy Seconds.” The song speaks to the life of rock stars and the influence Rolling Stone magazine had in the early 70s; it was considered a huge honour to be on the cover and one that said “we made it” in the music business.

Interestingly, and perhaps not unique, the group performed songs written by an outside partner: poet, cartoonist and children’s book author Shel Silverstein. Shel had previously written hits for other artists, including The Irish Rovers “Unicorn Song” and Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue.” After providing songs for Dr. Hook’s 1971 self-titled debut, Silverstein teamed up with Dr. Hook et al for his own ‘72 release, “Freakin’ At The Freakers Ball.”

Funny how things work at the stuffy old BBC: in the U.K., the ‘Beeb’ refused to play “Rolling Stone” because they considered it as advertising a trademarked name, which went against their own policies. The song was actually re-released with a bunch of BBC DJs shouting ‘on the cover of the Radio Times’ over the chorus of the original Dr. Hook version. Talk about a conflict of interest and the ultimate in hypocrisy: the BBC was ok with promoting the Radio Times weekly TV/radio guide because they published it themselves - it’s hard to fathom just how absurd this is today and how the BBC was even legally permitted to re-record the song in the way that they did. Huh.

Stateside, “Rolling Stone” hit #6 on the Billboard top 100 (reached #2 in Canada) and came in at #51 on the year-end Billboard chart, just behind Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” and ahead of Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors.”

Country legend Buck Owens did a parody of the song: “On The Cover Of The Music City News” appeared on his 1974 album, “It’s A Monster’s Holiday.”

Dr. Hook - Sloppy Seconds - Cover of the Rolling Stone

Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show – Cover Of The Rolling Stone (1972)



Dr. Hook featuring (singer) Ray Sawyer (the guy with the eye-patch), still tours today.

Catching up with David Letterman

Light-hearted weekend continues – let’s roll some cool, recent performances from the Letterman show….

The Heavy - The House That Dirt Built - How You Like Me Now

The Heavy – How You Like Me Now
Late Show with David Letterman – January 19, 2010



Hiatt - The Open Road - The Open Road

John Hiatt – The Open Road
Late Show with David Letterman – March 23, 2010




Broken Bells - Broken Bells - The High Road

Broken Bells – The High Road
Late Show with David Letterman – March 9, 2010

Rock N Roll Birthday: Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Happy Birthday to Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, who turns 62 today.

Born Stephen Tallarico in Yonkers, New York and the youngest of two kids (older sister is Lynda), Tyler went to Roosevelt High School, where trouble started early: he was expelled for drug use and completed his education elsewhere.

Music is in the blood: Steven's father was a classical musician who led the Vic Tallarico Orchestra and taught music at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx for many years.

An NYC resident, Tyler’s family spent summers at New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee, where Tyler formed his first ‘serious’ band, The Strangeurs, in 1964 (they were originally The Strangers, but another band was using that name, so they changed the spelling slightly). With Tyler on drums and shared vocals, the band eventually became Chain Reaction and, by the time Steven was 18, they went into the studio in 1966 and recorded four songs – the equivalent of 2 singles and 2 b-sides. Here’s one of them…

Chain Reaction – When I Needed You (1966)



In March of ’68, Chain Reaction opened four shows for The Yardbirds, and later opened for The Beach Boys and others.

Tyler crossed paths with future Aerosmith bandmates Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton at a gig in Sunapee in 1969, when their group, “The Jam Band,” played at the same club. Tyler was immediately impressed with Perry and the band, and made a move to hook up with them.

Aerosmith began as a power trio with Perry, Hamilton, and Tyler on drums; they added Ray Tabano on guitar (eventually replaced by Brad Whitford) and Joey Kramer on drums…the rest is some pretty wild rock ‘n roll history...

Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic
You Gotta Move (2004)

Bits & Bytes: Slash, Beck, Chickenfoot

New Slash - FREE download

Slash’s self-titled solo album is due April 6.

In the meantime, Slash is offering up a FREE download (below) of an instrumental track called “Watch This” – the song features his old pal Duff McKagan on bass and Dave Grohl on drums.

Beck covers INXS’ "Kick"

The latest installment in Beck’s “Record Club” series is INXS’ “Kick.”

Beck describes the series as “an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day.” Previous releases have covered albums by the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen and Skip Spence.

The Record Club recorded the INXS disc on March 3; among the musicians are members of Liars, St. Vincent and the Brazilian band Os Mutantes.

Beck plans to post songs in the album’s original sequence – starting with “Guns In The Sky.”

Record Club – Guns In The Sky (2010)
INXS - "Kick" - recorded March 3, 2010

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Chickenfoot get animated this weekend

As mentioned in a recent post, Chickenfoot get animated as guests on the Cartoon Network’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force this weekend.



In the episode “I Am A Pod,” the Shake orders what he thinks is an iPod, but turns out to be seeds to grow a Pod (think Invasion Of The Body Snatchers). The Pod is a big Chickenfoot fan, meets the band at one of their shows and turns them into aliens so that they can take over the world while on tour.

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot (Bonus Track Version) - Sexy Little Thing

Chickenfoot – Sexy Little Thing (2009)

Jimmy Fallon's Battle Of The Instant Bands

Caught some fun on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon the other day, and thought I’d share.

Jimmy’s team has created a pretty cool concept: Battle Of The Instant Bands.

Here’s how it works: before the show, the producers found members of the studio audience who were musicians, had them form two bands, and they had about 20 minutes to write and rehearse an original song before playing it right away on the show.

Have a look…

Battle Of The Instant Bands – part 1
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – Fri March 19, 2010



Battle Of The Instant Bands – part 2
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – Fri March 19, 2010



Between the two, I’d say that 30 Rockin’s “Amnesia” was the runaway winner; I’ve actually had the song kinda stuck in my head (an “earworm”) for the past few days, which is a sign that the song has a good ‘hook’ that stays with you – especially vital after only one listen.

What a cool concept for the show….hope they do more!

Oasis - Toronto attacker court update 3

As a follow-up to my earlier posts here and here, Pickering contractor Daniel Sullivan was in a Toronto court today as part of the ongoing legal process in his attack on Oasis leader Noel Gallagher at the Virgin Music Festival in September 2008.

Gallagher had hoped to be at the hearing today in order to deliver his victim impact statement in person, but was unable to attend due to business commitments. Crown attorney Ruth Kleinhenz-Neilson was expected to read Noel’s statement.

The Canadian Press is reporting that Gallagher’s statement says he felt like he was “hit by a bus” when Sullivan pushed him onstage from behind, causing him to crash hard into his monitors. Gallagher suffered three broken ribs and the band was forced to cancel five shows as a result of the injuries.

The National Post has published Gallagher’s full victim impact statement here, as follows:

“I am a singer and lead guitarist of the band Oasis. On 7 July 2008 Oasis were headlining at the V Festival in Toronto Canada when I was assaulted on stage by a stage invader. I was in the middle of one of the songs. I would describe the sudden impact and shock as feeling as if I had been hit by a bus. I ended up in a heap on the floor and the band stopped playing. I fell on to the monitors which are wedge shaped speakers. I had no idea what had happened. I was picked up by a member of the road crew and taken to the side of the stage. During this time I experienced a pain to my left side. Initially paramedics treated me on stage. There was 40 minutes left of the set. I was in shock but I decided to go back on stage. At that point, perhaps because of the adrenalin, I did not fully appreciate the severity of the injury I had sustained. After a few more songs I experienced difficulty breathing and felt further acute pain. I left the stage and was taken to hospital. At hospital I was x-rayed and the diagnosis, which turned out to be incomplete, was internal bruising of the ribs. It was thought that I would be better in a couple of days.

The next performance in London, Ontario on the 9th September was cancelled and I spent a day in bed taking pain killers. We drove to New York for the band's next performance on the 12th September. In New York, on 9 September 2008 I found it difficult to move and I was in acute pain in spite of the painkillers. We decided to cancel the New York show which was scheduled to take place at the Terminal 5 club. This was also scheduled to be filmed for television broadcast which had to be cancelled along with important promotion work for our new album.

I flew back to London and went to see a chiropractor who sent me for a further x-ray at the London Clinic. I was told that I had 3 broken ribs on the left side of my back. I was informed by the doctor that the ribs had broken as a result of the push in my back and not the fall. The initial pain I had experienced was as a result of bruising to the front ribs when I fell on to the monitors. I was prescribed further pain killers but effectively told to grin and bear it for a minimum of 8 weeks. In spite of the pain killers I continued to be in serious pain for about 3 months during which time I saw a physiotherapist 3 times a week. I remained in some degree of pain for a total period of 8 months.

On my return to England from New York we were scheduled to start the British part of the band's tour. However, I was unable to perform without pain killers to adapt my performance to accommodate the pain.

As a result of the injury the band had to cancel a show in London Ontario on 9 September, the Terminal 5 performance in New York on 12 September, (a filmed show for television and a large promotional event). In the UK following the full and correct diagnosis three media concerts had to be cancelled, one on 27 September (a live performance at the Eden Project in Cornwall which was to be transmitted worldwide by MTV), one on 29 September, (a live show in Cologne, Germany, to be transmitted on radio throughout Europe), and on 30 September a live TV show in Paris for Canal Plus. The band also had to cancel a 2 October appearance on the Jonathan Ross TV show, an important promotional appearance, as well as a performance on the television show "Later with Jools Holland". The promotional work in connection with the launch of the new album was very important to its success and early sales momentum. This opportunity was lost.

I have been told that I will never really recover from the damage to my ribs and from time to time I still feel painful twinges. The emotional impact it had on me was essentially coping with the pressure to perform so as not to let the band down. This has never happened to me before. For a considerable period of time I was only operating at 50% of my capabilities and this naturally spoilt the enjoyment of the tour.”

Sullivan has previously admitted that he was drunk at the time and has no memory of how he eluded festival security, climbed onstage and pushed Noel, before lunging at brother Liam, while security tackled him to the ground.

Daniel has already pled guilty to assault causing bodily harm in the case; Gallagher is reportedly suing him for $2 million dollars.

Sullivan is expected to be sentenced on April 21.

Oasis – Toronto attack by Daniel Sullivan
Virgin Music Festival, September 2009

Checking in on Stanley Jordan

I’m not sure why, but Stanley Jordan popped into my head the other day, so I thought I’d snoop around and see what he’s doing these days.

A jazz/fusion guitarist, Jordan turned a lot of heads in the mid-80s, when he burst on the scene using the same two-handed tapping technique that Eddie Van Halen made famous - sure, others had done it before Ed, but it was being used occasionally for emphasis, whereas it was a part of Ed’s musical vocabulary….as it is with Jordan, who actually takes things to a whole other level.

It’s quite something to watch an artist when they are ‘one’ with their instrument: it’s less a guitar than it is an extension of their physical being – watch footage of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Van Halen in full flight and you’ll see what I mean. Stanley Jordan’s fascinating to watch, for all the same reasons.

For a time, Jordan was visible beyond the jazz community: first, because of his playing style, and second, because he often featured mainstream pop songs as part of the package.

Stanley Jordan - Magic Touch - Eleanor Rigby

Stanley Jordan – Eleanor Rigby (1985)



Stanley Jordan - The Best of Stanley Jordan - Stairway to Heaven

Stanley Jordan – Stairway To Heaven



I first crossed paths with Jordan and his 1985 release, “Magic Touch”; I saw him on a few different tv shows and then played him regularly on college radio. “Touch” was a mix of originals and covers, as Stanley performed tunes by The Beatles, Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk; the record topped the Billboard jazz charts for 49 weeks – he was just 27.

Jordan’s discography shows a steady list of releases through the 80s and 90s, up until 1994; then a live album in 98, something in 2003 and his latest record, “State Of Nature,” in 2008. Apparently, the gap in his library was as a result of a self-imposed exile Jordan claims he initiated after becoming frustrated with the ‘demands of the commercial music industry.’ Reports suggest the exile included a retreat to the mountains of the Southwestern US, as well as owning and running a book/music store in Arizona.

Jordan emerged from his hiatus with a renewed sense of purpose and vision, and applied himself to studying the field of music therapy: the science of music and its effects on healing the human condition (it’s a very complex subject and I’m oversimplifying here). Stanley has posted details on his thoughts about music therapy and his experiences – read about them here. In 1997, Jordan became a spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association and, at last report, is attending Arizona State University working towards a master’s degree in music therapy.

Stanley Jordan continues to tour in 2010, in both solo and trio configurations.

Jordan - State of Nature - All Blues

Stanley Jordan – All Blues (2008)

Ozzy and the aliens

Who would you want to represent all of mankind as the official greeter to visitors from another planet?

According to the results of a Yahoo! News poll released this day in 2004, if you lived in Britian, you would have chosen Ozzy Osbourne for the job.

Following NASA’s discovery of signs of water on Mars, Yahoo! News surveyed 1,000 Brits online to get their feedback on a representative for Earth.

Ozzy came in first with 26% of the vote.

Here’s the top 10:

Yahoo UK poll - 2004

1 Ozzy Osbourne 26%
2 Ant and Dec 15%
3 Tony Blair 12%
4 Jordan 9%
4 George Bush 9%
6 Prince Philip 8%
7 David and Victoria Beckham 6%
8 Johnny Vegas 6%
8 The Darkness 6%
10 Simon Cowell 3%

Ozzy meeting the aliens – there’s a conversation for the ages…

(note: language in the following video may be offensive to some)



Black Sabbath - Reunion (Live) - War Pigs

Black Sabbath – War Pigs
Olympia Theatre - Paris December 20, 1970

Fun with TV Themes

Found a fun video this week with a guy doing a medley of TV themes.

Sometimes created as jingles, and sometimes parts of full songs, it’s not surprising how these 30-second or less moments of music, melody and (occasionally) lyrics, manage to stick in your head. A solid theme sets a mood for what’s to follow, while trying to be instantly recognizable and memorable.

And there’s a real art to jingles: Barry Manilow used to write them and talked about it recently on one of Conan O’Brien’s final episodes of The Tonight Show. Barry wrote jingles for State Farm Insurance ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there..."), Band-Aids ("I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!") and McDonald’s (“You deserve a break today, so get up and get away…to McDonalds”); he co-wrote the Dr. Pepper theme, and performed many others.

If you're of a certain age, I bet you were singing those jingles as you read them in the last paragraph...c'mon, admit it, you were.

Fredde Gredde plays both parts in the video, which features 22 tv themes in a 7:00 span, all neatly arranged.

Fredde Gredde as the Two Fredricks – The TV Theme Medley (2010)



Looking up Fredde online, I see that he’s done a series of videos like this in the past; seems like an accomplished player. Based in Sweden, Fredde’s youtube channel is here.

Here’s more fun:

Fredde Gredde – 32 songs in 8 minutes (2009)

1982: Randy Rhoads R.I.P.

On this day in 1982, the world lost Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne’s wunderkind guitarist, at the age of 25.

Riding high on the success of his first two solo albums, “Blizzard Of Ozz” and “Diary Of A Madman,” Ozzy’s tour stopped in Knoxville, TN for a show at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum on March 18, 1982. It was to be Randy Rhoads’ final performance.


Heading to Orlando for a festival performance opening for Foreigner at “Rock Super Bowl XIV” on the 20th, the band drove through the night, reportedly stopping for a break and to repair some parts on the tour bus. The entourage pulled into Leesburg, Florida, on property owned by Jerry Calhoun, owner of Florida Coach. There were two houses on site: one belonged to Calhoun; the other, to Ozzy tour bus driver Andrew Aycock.

To say that Aycock was a bit on edge would be an understatement: his ex-wife appeared at one of the band’s shows and insisted on accompanying the band to Florida. Reports suggest the two argued at the front of the bus through the night and, with cocaine in his system, the driver was likely already frazzled enough – none of which impressed Ozzy or then-girlfriend (and manager) Sharon Arden.

The Leesburg property was large enough to also hold a small airstrip, which was lined with small helicopters and planes. In the early morning of the 19th, Aycock, a pilot himself, played the role of host by taking keyboardist Don Airey and tour manager Jake Duncan up for a test ride in a ’55 Beechcraft Bonanza F-35. Aycock then took a second flight up with Rhoads and hairdresser/seamstress Rachel Youngblood, which returned safely.

Fate then stepped in: Aycock talked Rhoads into going up for another flight. Despite his fear of flying, Randy agreed, for two reasons: Youngblood had a heart condition, so the pilot said he wouldn’t do anything risky with her along for the trip, and, because Rhoads wanted to take some aerial shots from the plane.

While most of the band and crew were asleep in the tour buses, the Bonanza flew overhead a few times at treetop level, 'buzzing' the buses below. One theory, about what happened next, suggests that the 'buzzing' was a move on the cocaine-fueled Aycock’s part to hit his ex-wife, who was standing a few yards from one of the buses. On the fourth fly-by – at approximately 140-180 mph and only about 10 feet above the ground - the left wing clipped the back end of the bus and the plane went through a pine tree before crashing into a nearby house, erupting in flames.

Rhoads, Youngblood (58) and Aycock (36) died instantly.

Ozzy, Sharon and others had been sleeping in their buses and awoke to the sound of the crash. It was approximately 10:00 a.m. Running to the burning house, Ozzy learned that a deaf man was living there; Ozzy heroically raced in and pulled him to safety.

An autopsy later revealed traces of cocaine in Aycocks’ system; Rhoads only had nicotine in his. The NTSB also found Aycock’s medical certificate had expired and that his biennial flight review (required for all pilots) was overdue.

In former Ozzy bassist Rudy Sarzo’s autobiography, “Off The Rails,” he states that Airey and drummer Tommy Aldridge witnessed the crash firsthand; they even suggested seeing a struggle in the cockpit between Aycock and Rhoads right before the incident. Was Randy trying to stop the madness? In his wired state, was Aycock intentionally trying to scare his ex-wife (or worse)? We’ll never know.

An avid student of the guitar, Rhoads continued to take lessons while on the road with Ozzy, and was reportedly considering leaving the band to earn a degree in classical guitar at UCLA.

pre-ZZ Top

I’ve been checking out some vintage ZZ Top lately; I mean, the real early stuff – "ZZ Top’s First Album" (’70), "Rio Grande Mud" (’72) and "Tejas" ('76). This is some of the tastiest blues-rock you’ll probably come across; don’t confuse it with the 80’s sound the band perfected with 1983’s “Eliminator.”

As the band celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, listening to this early material has made me curious about the era, including pre-ZZ stuff.

ZZ formed in late ’69 around guitarist Billy Gibbons, who had regional success in Texas with the Moving Sidewalks, whose final lineup was the original ZZ – with Lanier Greig on bass and Dan Mitchell on drums. ZZ’s first single, “Salt Lick” b/w “Miller’s Farm” was released on manager Bill Ham’s own label, before Greig was fired and replaced by Bill Ethridge. Gibbons then invited drummer Frank Beard of the Texas band American Blues to join him, and Beard brought bandmate Dusty Hill into the ZZ fold.

Trivia: “Salt Lick” and “Miller’s Farm” appeared on 2003’s “Chrome, Smoke & BBQ: The ZZ Top Box”

ZZ Top - Chrome, Smoke & BBQ: The ZZ Top Box (Box Set) [Remastered] - Salt Lick

ZZ Top - Chrome, Smoke & BBQ: The ZZ Top Box (Box Set) [Remastered] - Miller's Farm

Gibbons history is tres cool: the Moving Sidewalks released a series of singles and one album (“Flash,”in 1968), while opening Texas dates for both The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. Jimi was so taken with Gibbons’ talent, that he not only taught him a bunch of things, he even gave Billy a pink Strat as a momento. Gibbons’ profile was given a boost when Jimi named him as “America’s best young guitar player” during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.


Jimi Hendrix with The Moving Sidewalks, Houston, 1967
(Gibbons is 2nd from right in white shirt)

Trivia: legend has it that Gibbons met future ZZ Top manager Bill Ham backstage while partying as a fan at a Doors show in Houston in 1967.

Written by Gibbons, the Sidewalks had a local hit in Houston with “99th Floor,” which was #1 for six weeks.

The Moving Sidewalks - Platoon - 99th Floor

The Moving Sidewalks – 99th Floor (1967)



"Pluto-Sept 31st" has a Hendrix vibe to it and is very representative of the era.

The Moving Sidewalks – Pluto–Sept 31st (1968)



I’ve been searching for audio or video clips on Dusty’s and Frank’s American Blues band; despite the fact they released two albums, I haven’t located anything...just yet.

Speaking of which...I have noticed that it’s pretty hard to find any video (or pictures, for that matter) of ZZ Top before the beards arrived in the late 70s; as it turned out, my hunch was correct: legend has it that the band refused to do any tv appearances through the 70s – ironic, given the band’s success with videos in the 80s.

Here’s a rare clip of the band live on their famous ‘76-‘77 Worldwide Texas Tour; with a stage in the shape of Texas, the show included cactus, live cattle, buffalo and snakes, among other things.

ZZ Top - Rio Grande Mud - Chevrolet

ZZ Top – Chevrolet
Largo, Maryland - Nov 11, 1976

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Raise your green glass today and celebrate the feast of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland.

Some fun facts:

• St. Patrick was born in Britian, not Ireland.

• St. Patrick used the three-leaf clover – or “Shamrock” – to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people.

• One estimate suggests that there are about 10, 000 regular three-leaf clovers for every lucky four-leaf clover.

• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest number of leaves on a clover is 18!

• In 2008, the same man who discovered an 18-leaf clover found a 21-leaf clover!

• Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

• The city of Chicago puts dye in the Chicago River to turn it green for a few hours today.

• Translated from Gaelic, "pogue mahone" means "kiss my arse". So, music from The Pogues and The Mahones, it is!

The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & The Lash - Dirty Old Town

The Pogues – Dirty Old Town (1985)



The Mahones - Draggin' the Days - Across the U.S.A.

The Mahones – Across The U.S.A. (1994)



Thin Lizzy - Vagabonds of the Western World - Whisky in the Jar (Full Length Version)

A couple of classics from some killer Irish bands:

Thin Lizzy – Whiskey in The Jar (1973)



The Boomtown Rats - Best of the Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap

The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap (1978)

Rock N Roll Birthday: Wolfgang Van Halen

Inspired by your existence, your dad names a song after your birth date once you hit the atmosphere; at the age of 5, your dad names a guitar after you; at 13, you play on stage with your dad during his famous solo spot; and by 15, you’re re-teaching your dad some of his most popular songs so that you can go on tour with him when you’re 16 – the year before a second guitar is named after you.

Your dad is Eddie Van Halen.

Happy Birthday to Wolfgang Van Halen, who turns 19 today.

Wolf has grown up in the most unusual of circumstances: the child of two celebrity parents (ahem, Valerie Bertinelli), VH fans were aware of him before he was born in 1991. Legend has it that Eddie would play a quiet instrumental piece while placing his guitar on Valerie’s stomach, and that the music soothed the child within; it was titled “316” and first appeared on VH’s “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” (’91).

Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge - 316

Wolfgang grew up during the Sammy Hagar years, and it was all he knew: once Hagar joined, VH essentially stopped playing Roth-ear material, with the exception of “Jump,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” and “Panama.” It was during the "Balance" tour (’95), that Wolf stumbled upon classic VH on the car radio, hearing “Hot For Teacher” for the first time but, while recognizing his dad’s guitar sound and style, had no idea who was singing.

Van Halen - 1984 - Hot for Teacher

Van Halen - Hot For Teacher (1984)



The Peavey EVH Wolfgang was introduced when Eddie launched his own guitar line in ‘96; with a reputation in the Canadian music industry as a VH authority, Warner Music Canada approached me to help introduce the instrument by designing and running a national radio/online contest across Canada, which I did for the Rock Radio Network (RRN). Three years later, I finally snagged my own Peavey Wolfgang, and it plays ridiculously well to this day.

Taking to music at an early age, Wolf picked up drums and piano, and then the most daunting instrument of all: for Christmas ’03, Eddie gave him one of his three original guitars, which hadn’t seen the light of day since the "1984" album and tour. Few people have changed the nature of an instrument the way that Ed changed guitar; now his son was picking it up – much pressure, there?

The public got their first look at Wolf when he briefly joined Ed on stage during the 2004 “reunion” tour with Hagar: in the middle of Ed’s solo, Wolf walked out playing “316,” sat down next to his dad at the edge of the stage, and the two grinned from ear-to-ear.

On the home front, Ed played with his son at Wolf’s junior high school grad in 2005: Wolf’s band was called “Die Sheise” – German for “The S**t.”

Picking up bass at 14, Wolf has largely been credited for VH reconnecting with David Lee Roth and its roots: jamming in their home studio with dad and ‘Uncle” Alex, legend has it that Wolf not only picked the set list, but helped Eddie relearn parts of his early VH songs – material that formed the foundation of the band’s career (aka ‘the Roth years’). In the fall of 2006, Eddie announced that Wolf was joining VH as bassist, leaving Michael Anthony to his own devices.

There was six months of jamming before Roth walked in to Eddie’s “5150” studio on August 15, 2007, for the first Roth-VH rehearsal in years; everyone was impressed with the fit. Wolf was taken out of grade 11 for the 2007 tour, but still had work to do: 3-4 hrs a day of tutoring while on the road, which kept him on track to graduate in spring 2009. With graduation behind him, reports are that Wolf has been working on VH material for a new disc, possibly due later this spring, with rumours that a summer tour may be on the horizon.

Trivia: Wolf joined Ed in April 2008 for the first father-son cover in Guitar World magazine history.

After Ed road-tested prototypes on the '07-'08 tour, the EVH Wolfgang was introduced in 2009. Wolf has also impacted the VH franchise in other ways: when Guitar Hero: Van Halen was put together for release in ‘09, it was Wolf who selected the non-VH tracks for the game, based on his gaming expertise and personal tastes.

On the 2007 tour, there was certainly a lot of talk about Wolf’s role and whether or not he could actually play. Here’s a couple of videos from the Oakwood School Arts Fair in 2009 that should put any further speculation to rest….

Jimmy Eat World - Jimmy Eat World - The Middle

Wolfgang Van Halen – The Middle (Jimmy Eat World cover)
The Oakwood School Arts Fair 2009
(Wolf on lead vocals & guitar)



Papa Roach - Infest - Last Resort

Wolfgang Van Halen – Last Resort (Papa Roach cover)
The Oakwood School Arts Fair 2009
(Wolf on guitar)

RRHOF Inductions tonight

Tonight marks the 25th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, as well as the opening of a new exhibit honoring the 2010 inductees at the RRHOF & Museum in Cleveland.

The inductions take place each year at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. While most of these events are closed-door affairs - although filmed for potential use at some point - tonight’s a bit different: viewers in the USA can watch the event live on MSG’s national TV network, Fuse.

Here are the 2010 artist inductees:

ABBA
(inducted by Barry & Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees)
No reunion for the Swedish pop icons, and while two members will be there to give it a shot, the rumours are that only one will play.

GENESIS
(inducted by Trey Anastasio of Phish)
No reunion with Peter Gabriel, who’s in rehearsals for an upcoming tour; Phil Collins is still doing rehab for some spinal surgery, so he won’t be playing…who knows, maybe Trey steps in and something comes together?

THE HOLLIES
(inducted by “Little” Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band)
Original guitarist Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott won’t make it due to UK tour commitments, so former members Graham Nash and Allan Clarke will sit in.

JIMMY CLIFF
(inducted by Wyclef Jean)
Reggae superstar who brought his music to the masses.

THE STOOGES
(inducted by Billy Joe from Green Day)
Punk pioneers from Michigan who were passed over 7 times before being voted in this year. Expect fireworks from leader Iggy Pop, and don't be surprised if Billy Joe joins 'em for a raucous live set.

Live performers include Faith Hill, Chris Isaak, Eric Burdon, Adam Levine & Jesse Carmichael of Maroon 5, Ronnie Spector and J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf; several unannounced special guests are expected to be added to the list.

new Jimi Hendrix releases in stores

40 years after his passing, Jimi Hendrix's music is alive and well, not to mention very busy these days.

The new album, “Valleys Of Neptune,” hit stores this past week; it features the last recording sessions of the original Jimi Hendrix Experience lineup along with Jimi’s first studio stuff with bassist Billy Cox.

The material was mostly recorded during a four-month period in 1969, between the release of “Electric Ladyland” and the 1970 opening of Jimi’s own Electric Lady Studios in New York’s Greenwich Village. Featuring more than an hour of music, “Valleys” was originally produced by longtime associate, Eddie Kramer, who was brought in to do the remix for this set.

Recorded in May of ’70, the title track was released last month and made its arrival known immediately by entering the Billboard singles chart at #1, ahead of artists like Sade and Lady GaGa.

Beyond the new disc, there’s the 2010 Jimi Hendrix Catalog Project, which sees the release of new deluxe cd/dvd and vinyl editions of all of Jimi’s studio albums; the dvd’s feature full-length documentaries complete with interviews with Experience bandmates Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, original producer Chas Chandler, and engineer Kramer. In case you needed more, the compilation “Smash Hits” is also out again, and the “Live At Woodstock” DVD is being issued in both standard and Blu-ray versions.

The month-long 2010 Experience Hendrix Tour of the U.S. kicked off this past week with shows in California. This fourth edition of the tour features Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Double Trouble's Chris Layton, along with bassist Billy Cox. Special guests are expected to sit in at various stops on the tour.

While all of these players were clearly affected and influenced by Hendrix, Satriani’s life, in particular, changed forever the day Jimi died: on September 18, 1970, upon hearing the news, Joe walked off the high school football field and told the coach he was quitting the team to become a guitar player. Joe explained to his family over dinner that night “'Jimi Hendrix died today and I'm going to devote my life to playing the electric guitar.” Joe had never played guitar before; he’d only tinkered with drums and piano and those weren’t clicking for him; he calls Jimi’s passing a “defining moment” in his life. Last year, Joe wrote a great piece about this for musicradar.com entitled “How Jimi Hendrix Changed My Life” - it’s worth a read here.

Bits & Bytes: Pearl Jam, Green Day, Chickenfoot

PEARL JAM ON SNL TONIGHT

Pearl Jam hit Saturday Night Live tonight as Jude Law hosts.



This week, PJ announced a series of dates across the U.S. Northeast through the month of May, starting off with a headlining gig at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation Festival on May 1.

PJ spends the summer on tour across Europe.

Pearl Jam - Yield - Do the Evolution

Pearl Jam – Do The Evolution
Austin City Limits – 2009
Watch the full program here




GREEN DAY: ROCK BAND DUE JUNE 8

Following in the footsteps of The Beatles, Green Day become just the second artist to get their own version of Rock Band, due out June 8.

The game will feature 47 tracks, including all the hits you’d expect. And, just like The Beatles version, users will be able to play through the band’s history in ‘career’ mode.

Green Day - American Idiot - American Idiot

Green Day: Rock Band – trailer (2010)



The band’s summer tour features a series of festival dates throughout Europe.


CHICKENFOOT LIVE DVD DUE 4/20

Last weekend, I posted an item on Michael Anthony that mentioned a new Chickenfoot live DVD was in the works; the details have now been confirmed.

In stores April 20, “Chickenfoot: Get Your Buzz On Live” is a full-length concert DVD shot at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona on September 23rd, 2009, plus live segments from shows at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia and The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

There’s also bonus stuff like backstage footage, rare interviews, photo gallery and segments featuring special guests, including Adam Corolla, Bob Weir and Christopher Guest aka "Nigel Tufnel" from Spinal Tap.

The band’s debut album went gold in both Canada and the U.S.

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot (Bonus Track Version) - Soap On a Rope

Chickenfoot – Soap On A Rope (2009)

new Hoodoo Gurus released

The new Hoodoo Gurus disc, “Purity Of Essence,” hits stores today in Australia, as well as online. With a North American release date set for later this spring (April/May), I have at least three options, including: (a) order a download version right away; (b) order the cd online and wait for it to arrive; (c) wait a few months and buy it in person.

I actually used a fourth option that presented itself, recently: thanks to a heads-up tip from a friend/fellow music fan, I ordered the new Gurus disc in advance from an online Australian music store a couple of weeks ago. The exclusive online limited edition CD/DVD package is autographed by the Gurus and features a bonus DVD of four classic live tracks from a show a few years ago.

Now…the waiting begins…

In truth, the waiting for this album started, back in December, with the release of the first single, “Crackin’ Up,” which I wrote about recently.

In the past few months, the Gurus have revamped their online home and profile, which is great to see: their website has become an active and vibrant place, and the facebook home is well-maintained with features, news, exclusives, contests and regular updates from the band. In fact, advance audio of the new album is available to fans who sign up to the band’s facebook page; five tracks are available to check out.

The Gurus have created a series of webisodes documenting the making of the album; at least, that’s how it appears on the surface – the whole thing is actually a mockumentary in the same vein as “This is Spinal Tap” and Metallica’s “Some Kind Of Monster.”

Hoodoo Gurus - The Making Of 'Purity Of Essence' - Trailer (2010)



There are 6 episodes in the series, “Must Travel On Wheels”; a new feature is available each week during the six-week run, and each contains a live performance of one of the new tracks. Watch them exclusively here.

Trivia: the series is directed by Kimble Rendall, who was a founding member of the Gurus’ precursor, Le Hoodoo Gurus. Rendall went on to direct music videos and has worked on some major films, including "The Matrix" series and 2007’s “Ghost Rider.”

So, while I have enjoyed the videos, the webisodes, and an advance listen to a few new songs, there’s nothing like having the cd in my hands, so the waiting continues.

In the meantime, check out a recent performance of a Gurus classic:

Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars! - Bittersweet

Hoodoo Gurus – Bittersweet
Triple M Radio Melbourne - February 5, 2010

Happy 311 Day

I’ve noticed the underlying theme to my posts this week concerns the dynamics of the fan-artist relationship: Lloyd Cole superserving his audience with his actions and products; Camper Van Beethoven finding a creative way to solve a budget issue so that they could play SXSW; Stone Temple Pilots’ “Set Builder,” etc.

Many artists have further developed the interaction by creating special events, some annually and, others, more frequently. In addition to holding their own multi-day festivals, Phish used to play special Halloween shows where they would cover an album by another artist in its entirety; The Alarm hold an annual 3-day event called “The Gathering”; Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker hold an annual “Campout” – all of these, and others, are an effort to explore and take the relationship to another level.

In 2000, Omaha, Nebraska’s 311 began celebrating March 11 as “311 Day”, a biennial event at which the band plays extended…and I mean ex-ten-ded…concerts, and hardcore fans travel from all over to be there. The 2000 show featured 47 songs; 59 in ’02 over 4 hours; 68 tracks in ’04 over the course of 5 hours; 65 in ’06 (show ended early due to the arena’s curfew); and 63 songs in ’08. A 2-hr version of the 2006 show appears regularly on HDNet.

While all 311 Days have been held in the party city of New Orleans (with the exception of the ’06 gig in Memphis), the band notified fans six months ago that the show would have a new home this year because a medical convention in N.O. this week had made hotel rooms scarce (and, likely, overpriced). The economic impact of 311 Day on the city was important enough for the band to have discussions with the New Orleans Board Of Tourism to see if their fans could be accommodated, but things just weren’t going to work out this time around.

So…the 2010 edition of 311 Day is taking place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, with the band arranging for special airfare and hotel packages for their fans. Things kicked off last night with the 311 Fan Party, and crank into high gear today when the band hits the stage at 7pm local time for, what should be, a minimum of 5 hours; Friday night wraps things up at the 311 Beach Party with a live performance by The Wailers.

For fans who can’t make it to Vegas, tonight’s concert is available via HD webcast for $12 US as it happens (feed starts at 6:30p local time in Vegas), and then available on-demand afterwards; pre-ordering the show enters fans into prize draws and gets you the live feed plus one on-demand, so it’s $6 per viewing.

Even more deals and prizes are available for fans who buy online today from the 311 Store, where prices have been reduced to mark the big occasion.

Each of the components, listed above, make up part of the 311 fan experience these days, but it's the longevity of the series that speaks to its success. One of my good friends is in Vegas for the event, but I have no idea how he’ll survive the experience: I caught a 311 gig with him here in Toronto a few years back and he was bouncing in the pit for the whole show, coming out soaked, drained and…completely exhilarated. I can’t picture him after a 5+hour concert…

311 - 311 - Down

311 – Down (1995)