Top Ten Of The Week-End Of Month Thoughts

The last of the original bluesmen has passed away.  David "honeyboy" Edwards passed away at age 96 and was the last living link to Robert Johnson and Howling Wolf. http://www.npr.org/2011/08/30/140056800/bluesman-david-honeyboy-edwards-dead-at-96?sc=tw&cc=twmp

Basically I have no use for Lady Gaga, she's this generation's answer to Madonna and she made the MTV Video Awards what it was this year, the highest ratings ever so they say but of course they had it on VH1 as well and I'm sure MTV2 and VH1 Classic. Nobody watches videos anymore, unless it's the Cool Channel or whatever soft porn videos MTV does show at 2 AM.  Groove Sandwich, the latest and greatest in music news and views site (I think) has a nice little comment on that.  Thank You Jeff Higgins. http://www.groovesandwich.com/2011/08/the-more-you-hate-lady-gaga-the-more-you-support-her-career.html

The newest Mexican eatery is on 6th St SW and called Los Compadres  and has to be my favorite place to get Mexican food.  Turns out Hayley, the waitress has waited on me so many times she knows me by name.  Struck up a nice conversation and she was saying she's ready to graduate from Kirkwood and planning to move out to Lakewood Colorado.  Los Compdres is located in the old Godfather's Pizza place, which moved over to 16th Ave SW.

Pending any monsoons, August will be one of the driest months of the year even despite the three inches of monsoon rains that came here two weeks ago and put water in the usual spots in the basements.  One gets sick and tired of hearing our wonderful news anchors crying about how much we need the rain and bla bla blah.  Personally, I don't request for rain anymore, when I do I get way too much (See 2008, 1993, 2007).  If they want rain may they get a basement full for backup, then they won't bitch about rain ever again.

This month we might clear 1,000 views for the third straight month although it be the least of the views.  Next month brings another Arizona trip to go to.  Which remains me it is a milestone of such.  Twenty Five years ago, I made the first move out there and hung at Chandler for almost five months before Aunt Virginia kicked me out of the house and had to move back home.  I'm sure it will be hanging at my old haunts (FYE near Fiesta Mall, Bookman's Mesa a select few of Zia's, hopefully the ones which the sale associates will leave me to my own findings).  I'm thinking this is more of a sight seeing excursion rather than a straight bargain hunt venture but I'm sure the folks at Hastings also can't wait for me to pop up at a couple of their stores though they're getting few and far between.  Just as long as I get back before the 26th which is my GF's birthday and she made it clear she wouldn't be happy if I was down there on that day.  With that, I'll miss out on Blue Oyster Cult/Foghat at the National Cattle Congress on the 16th but Foghat has been playing in Iowa four times already and I'm sure they'll be back before the year is out.  BTW it was 30 years ago that Foghat and BOC played at the Five Seasons Center here with opening act Whitford/St. Holmes.  And have you seen Derek St. Holmes lately?  He's back and playing with Ted Nugent's band off and on this year.  Ol' Gray Beard indeed.

Miranda Lambert's next album will be on RCA Nashville  rather than Columbia to which Sony Nashville decided to restructure. Her fourth album on three different labels via Sony Nashville.  And they wonder why nobody wants to sign with a major.  The Pistol Annies, Miranda's other group will remain on Columbia I guess. But still can't buy the album in any stores...yet.

The Top Ten Of The Week:

1.  I Need A Love-Whitford/St.Holmes 1981  Derek St Holmes might be the greatest vocalist that never really stood out on his own.  You know the voice behind the classic Ted Nugent recordings (Stranglehold, Hey Baby, Live It Up) and made Ted Nugent sound even better but as a solo artist never could find his voice. St. Paradise his 1978 recording with Rob Grange and Denny Carmissi from Montrose was light rock but perhaps the best moment came from the 1981 hookup with Brad Whitford which was half good half so so.  Got to see them play in the 1981 Foghat/BOC concert 30 years ago but since I already said that in the last paragraph maybe I should move on.

2.  Grind-Stick 1993  Clive Davis' attempt to cash in on the Grunge sound but decided to go with a band from Lawrence Kansas rather than Seattle which isn't as bad as one thinks.  I have the album which I bought at the old Relics Records in CR for about 12 bucks which much to my dismay could be found for a dollar a few months later.  They managed to get a song on The Airheads Soundtrack featuring Brendan Fraser and Adam Sandler and don't know about you but I did enjoyed the movie.

3.  Little Hands-Alexander Spence 1968  Cult albums tend to get overrated than they actually are.  I mean does anybody really have Metal Machine Music listening parties of late?  Didn't think so. Syd Barrett did a amazing album with Pink Floyd and then got thrown out of the band and made two uneven cult albums.  Skip Spence is another example, made some great albums for Moby Grape and then made an album called Oar that is a cult album, meaning that there was enough people out there that liked it enough to do their own version of an Oar tribute album.  Spence may have been the US answer to Syd Barrett and this song is perhaps the most Moby Grape sounding.  The rest I'll leave up to you, provide if you ever find the album.

4.  One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor-Paul Simon 1973  You may not have not noticed but Sony Music has finally gotten back the rights to release Paul Simon's albums (with the usual bonus tracks of work in progress songs which hinder rather than help) and the first two Paul Simon albums may have been his best till Graceland (not his latest album which is a snoozer).  One of the more interesting piano introductions ever.  I remember hearing this song when I worked at the old Applegate's Landing a few times and never placed who did it. Getting away from Art Garfunkel may have been the best idea he had at the time (but don't jump on me just yet, I do like the Simon & Garfunkel stuff too).

5.  Cabinessence-The Beach Boys 1968  Looks like Capitol/EMI will finally release that long long awaited box set of songs that would have been Smile, that rumored album that Brian Wilson worked on and then aborted but over the next few Beach Boys albums would release some songs from the Smile era and this one was tacked on at the end of Side 2 of 20/20 an album that works good on its own.  Brian Wilson would revisit and release Smile with The Wondermints which remains a classic album from the last decade, even with Wilson's disjointed vocals. Actually I think I like this song better than Good Vibrations, which means radio doesn't play Cabinessence at all.  Unless it's public radio.

6.  Super Charged Heaven-White Zombie 1995  Even if Beavis & Butthead thought they rocked, I didn't and basically not paid much attention to Rob Zombie although his industrial metal rock was just like Ministry to which I was listening to or the straight rock and roll of Monster Magnet. Perhaps I never gave him a fair shake till I picked up the 20th Century Masters that included four of White Zombie's best known songs.  Perhaps at a later time I'll keep my eyes open and check out the Geffen albums of White Zombie.  One of the lesser known rockers from the dude that enjoys B Movies, Alice Cooper theatrics and the gross.  Not bad for somebody that was once was production assistant on Pee Wee's Playhouse eh?

7.  Step Outside-Foghat 1974  This was a single, that didn't do much but it was one of many endless boogie songs that Dave and the boys were known to do.  Poorly produced by Tom Dawes.  Foghat has been in the area three times this summer, last weekend at Tama/Toledo during the Saliva/Bret Micheals/Slaughter concert.  Foghat actually stood out like a sore thumb on that showcase but heard they put on a great show anyway.  They'll be back here in September.

8.  Kentucky Woman-Deep Purple 1969  Sometimes I think Rod Evans and Nick Simpler got a raw deal since Blackmore wanted them out of the band.  But had they stayed in the band I figured Deep Purple would be a lot more prog rock than getting Ian Gillan and Roger Glover from Episode Six, which was a pop folk band in themselves and then turning DP into pioneers of heavy metal with In Rock. But the Mach One lineup did have their share of decent music, most notably this cover of Neil Diamond.  Evans would go on to Captain Beyond for two albums and then returned to a bogus lineup of Deep Purple which forever tarnish his reputation.  Such a shame really, I think Rod Evans had a distinct vocal of his own.  And despite what Martin Popoff tells you, the three albums that Evans sang on still sound good to me.

9. Idiot Summer-Gin Blossoms 1991  Before the Gin Bunnies struck it rich, they made a speed pop album for Rich Hopkins' San Jacinto  Records (Hopkins being the lead guitarist of The Sidewinders/Sand Rubies) which boasted the talents of the late Doug Hopkins (no relation to Rich) on guitar.  The album Dusted, sounded like the GB's were dusted or drunk out of their minds and some songs made it to the expanded edition of New Miserable Experience (now deleted) but Dusted did get reissued via the Gin Blossoms' own label and still remains a fun listen although their power punk and ragged playing wouldn't get much airplay.  The GBs became a Crabb favorite after seeing them live at Chuy's in 92, when they replaced The Sidewinders at the last minute.

10. South Side Of The Sky-Yes 1972  Sure Roundabout is classic but move the needle down further to We Have Heaven to which the door slams shut, feet shuffle on into a windy beginning and another 8 minute epic prog rock classic song as well.  Fragile was one of the earliest albums that I ever got, I think I saved up to pay the 4.27 to get the LP.  I think Atlantic is on it's fourth attempt to reissue the cd (oddly, Rhino/Elektra put out the third installment) and my copy was the second attempt which was better than the original 1st CD version.  Oddly, my LP copy got traded in, but when I was living in Arizona 25 years ago, Tower had the album on sale.  Coming in September I return to the desert one more time, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of moving (and eventually returning home) down to Arizona.  One thing I do know, that they had better record stores and better radio stations back then than they do now.

Next month, I plan to take it easy, and plan to spend the weekend, going through my collection to see what I can donate and don't need anymore.  I'm working on a couple things as well as the top ten but still will be around.  Thanks for everybody's support and 1,000 views for a third straight month.

Late notes.
Rush has moved over to Roadrunner Records for their next new release thus ending a 22 year association with Atlantic Records, which used to be one of the best labels but now has become the worst label.  In Canada their music still is released on Anthem/Universal.

Mark Stegall helped me remember the name of the radio station in Peoria that I used to listen to when I was over at my Grandma's place.  It was WIRL.  Which was where I heard Crow's Something In Your Blood, Maggie by Redbone and a few others but couldn't remember the name of the station but now do.  Thanks Mark.  WIRL is now classic country  http://www.1290wirl.com/

Finally.  my good friend and former Paraphernalia/Tyrus/Open Highway guitarist/harmonica player Dennis Lancaster had to go get heart surgery Tuesday to bypass a blockage.  Dennis writes that he's still in ICU... but he left a message on his facebook page.  He should make a full recovery.  The last paragraph comes from Dennis.  Get well soon, we're getting the band back together again.

Rough day yesterday doing better today hoping to leave icu soon. I had a a scheduled valve replacement the aorta replaced, And to my great surprise a 95% blockage bypassed. Thanks to all for coming through for me