And the minor league A ball Midwest Champion is Quad Cities as the River Bandits swept Fort Wayne 12-2 to win the third and final game of the Championship Series played at Davenport. It has been a remarkable season for the Bandits who had the best record in the second half, took out Peoria in the semis, Cedar Rapids in the divisional finals as well. But the team that won it all this season only had one player that was on the roster on opening day, Chuckie Robinson, who was the MVP of the Championships. The Bandits had a slight spin at the end with a six game losing streak before the playoffs but managed to correct that and with were helped by the arrival of Colin Moran, Mike Feliz and Evan Gattis but perhaps the unsung hero was Josh Rojas who was the main player that got QC into the championship. Future looks bright for Rojas who along with Abe Toro Henandez and a few others including manager Russ Steinhorn who go on to the Houston Instructional League. Colin Moran rejoins the Houston Astros as they clinched a playoff spot. The Bandits finished with a 87-61 overall record, they did struggle in the first half but in the second half found ways to win ball games and I recall seeing them win a game when they down four runs in July only to win in extra innings. This is their third Midwest League Championship of this decade, they won it in 2011 and 2013, the latter which was the first time I ever went to Woodman's Park to watch them play and it has become my favorite place to watch a game. In the college football side of things, Iowa had no problem with the North Texas Mean Green 31-14, despite being shaky once again in the first half and losing Akim Wadley and James Butler. Nate Stanley threw for 2 touchdowns. Next up, Penn State.
Oh and Arizona State lost to Texas Tech. No defense whatsoever.
And The Chicago Cubs swept St. Louis over the weekend, with a 4-3 victory on Sunday. That puts them 6 games ahead of the Cardinals. Tampa Bay plays two and then a a big four game series at both Milwaukee and St Louis and those 8 away games will dictate if the Cubs will finally win the division or if the Brew Crew make a serious challenge to them. St Louis is not out by any means but the Cubs sweep make have render their chances to wild card. Two weeks left in the season and anything is possible.
Music News: It wasn't a very good week for Tom Capone, Quicksand guitar player. On Tuesday Night, Capone got arrested for shoplifting at a Phoenix CVS store prior to the concert. The band played on without him. http://www.theprp.com/2017/09/15/news/quicksand-guitarist-tom-capone-attempted-steal-43-items-cvs-exits-bands-current-tour/
(Photo: Julie Gordon)
Saturday Night marked the debut of the new group called The Egads!, featuring yours truly on guitar playing a actual gig (and not a jam) for the first time in 25 years and first time ever playing guitar and singing, with help from our female singer Belinda James and guitarist Mark Randolph. Missing a couple of musicians (Tim Nemec fell ill and Larry Axelman had to baby sit), they were replaced by a trio of bass players, namely Barth Walter from the Saloonatics/Robin Banks and Jeff Langenberg, plus Mike Clair and since I had to help out on guitar and vocals, Rich Toomsen and Kim Bean provided the beat. For 45 minutes we did 12 songs before the mosquitoes overtook the park. This gig was for a benefit that was put together by Mike Clair and everybody had a good time. The auction took about 2 hours to complete to which I spent time making three trips around downtown Vinton just to keep steps ahead of the mosquitoes invasion. It wasn't easy. http://townedgers.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-egads-show-vinton-91617.html
Passings: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, famed WWE manager, and announcer passed away on Sunday. He was 73. In the 1990s, he managed the best ones (Andre The Giant, Ric Flair, Paul Orondoff and the immoral Handsome Harley Race. http://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/20740049/bobby-brain-heenan-wwe-hall-fame-manager-commentator-dies-73
Laudir De Olveria, percussionist for Chicago in the mid to late 70s passed away from a short illness. He was 77.
Jake LaMotta, famed boxer that Robert DeNiro played his role in the movie Raging Bull. La Motta was 96.
Bernie Casey, former NFL running back great and movie actor died Tuesday He was 78. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bernie-casey-dead-actor-nfl-910749
On Wednesday, Johnny Sandlin, former Hour Glass drummer and later producer for most of the Capricorn Records roster (Wet Willie, Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, Marshall Tucker Band, Col Bruce Hampton) passed away from cancer. He was 72 http://www.decaturdaily.com/life/entertainment/sandlin-was-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time/article_77bfc18a-1d22-5414-be95-d7cfbd00baad.html
Record Reviews
Edgar Winter-The Edgar Winter Collection (Rhino 1990)
Earlier in the year I bought the Real Gone Definitive Collection of Edgar Winter and thought that was a waste of dollars. Bill Kopp's liner notes were fun to read but the folks at Real Gone went with album versions let's face it, Tobacco Road will drive you nuts if you have endure 17 minutes of this song, the last ten minutes excessive bombast including the longest scream ever committed to record. The original intent was to find the collection that had the single version of Free Ride, to which the Real Gone CD did not. Frustrated, I traded it at Half Priced Books and sought after the Rhino version which did. It also has Hanging Around, to which the Real Gone album did not. I always believed that had Dazed And Confused put the 45 version of Free Ride on that album it would be a classic album to get, even if it was on Volume 2 of D and C. Collection remains the better buy. I never cared much of the White Trash lineup or for that matter Tobacco Road which is the last track on this collection which works best if you have to hear it. Most of the their more accessible songs are here, including the highlights from They Only Come Out At Night (Hanging Around which is not on the Real Gone album) but surprisingly they went with the album version of Round And Round, which hardly anybody would know about the 3 minute edit of that song. If nothing else, this collection showcases the importance of the late Dan Hartman's songs namely Free Ride and River's Rising, a catchy little number that I remember hearing back in the 70s but nobody ever mentioned the group that did this. The Rhino remains the best overview, even more than the crappy cheapies that Sony Music put out as Greatest Hits or Playlist. Edgar was the little brother, Johnny's albums were better but if nothing else, Edgar (with a little help from Hartman) had Free Ride. That's all you need to know.
Grade B+
Margaret Whiting-The Wheel Of Hurt (London 1966)
Another Real Gone reissue was restoring Maggie's London albums back in order. She was very prominent in the 40s and 50s with hits on Capitol but by the 60's they sent her packing away and she did put out a few country sounding singles and albums on Dot. Buoyed by a surprise hit The Wheel Of Hurt, London Records and for that matter Arnold Goland believed in her. The album The Wheel Of Hurt is surprisingly good although Winchester Cathedral is cringe worthy. She really does shine on the darker songs (You Don't Have To Say You Love Me) but she has so much fun at the end of Show Me A Man that Goland yells out sing it one more time Maggie. Had London worked it right, they could have gotten a nice sized hit out of Nothing Lasts Forever but they ended up putting as a B side to Wheel Of Hurt. The pop arrangements by Jack Gold has dated the majority of the songs but I tend to agree with Debbi Whiting that her mom's vocals were the best that she sounded. The Real Gone reissue collects 13 bonus tracks from various London single, but missing is her number 98 followup to Wheel Of Hurt, Only Love Can Break A Heart. But you do get German versions of Wheel Of Hurt and Nothing Lasts Forever.
Grade B
Ray Griff-The Entertainer (Real Gone Music 2014)
He had some chart action here in the states, but had more in his native Canada but this is the first actual release of Ray's best known stuff. From what I hear Conway Twitty is the major influence especially on the ballads (If I Let Her In), but if he went uptempo more of a novelty, best known for You Ring My Bell, a 1976 hit for Capitol. I like the early honky tonk of his two MGM examples including lead off Your Lily White Hands and The Sugar From My Candy, and he does get a kick out of being called Raymond (as mentioned on three songs here, guess which ones) but he remained a journeyman country star at best. If you're into journeymen country stars, you could do worse.
Grade B
Music of my youth: Iggy Pop-New Values (Arista 1979)
The first Iggy Pop album I ever bought due to the early videos of I'm Bored and Five Foot One but this record was special since it hooked Iggy back up with James Williamson who was on the Raw Power album, an album to got boosted to classic status when Iggy remixed the whole thing in the red and it became the first of the LOUDNESS Cds, the rough edges returned over the smooth mix that David Bowie did on the 1973 album. Fast forward six years later and Williamson reunited with Iggy for the last time till the 2010's. Iggy had a pretty band at this time, Scott Thurston (later with Tom Petty) helped along with the drummer from Tangerine Dream of all bands but side 1 does have some accessible power pop type of songs like Tell Me A Story and Girls, but also hints at new wave with the title track, with Williamson adding some nice guitar licks. Things get a bit bumpy on the overlong The Endless Sea that ends side 1 and side 2 Iggy gets a bit more weirder on Five Foot One, Billy Is A Runaway and especially the un PC African Man, which is silly fun if you're not close minded or easily offended. One of the highlights was playing this album for David Spich and seeing his reaction to Monkey Man. Some people insist The Idiot or Lust For Life is the best Iggy. New Values is the go to album if need be.
Grade B+
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