Otherwise, the music scene is starting to open up. Cedar Rapids had the Bar B Q Roundup to which Pure Prairie League and Orleans entertained the folks on Friday Night but the 80s night, a Flock Of Seagulls and Men Without Hats were no shows, leaving the Surf Zombies and Naked Eyes to carry on. The Surf Zombies stole the show from what I heard. Coming to the Jones Country Fair, local country acts and even our band Blues Rox will be playing as well. No, we will not be doing the safety dance any time soon.
With baseball, The Chicago Cubs continue to amaze and frustrate the hell out of me. The highlight of the Dodgers series this week was Zac Davies along with Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chapin and Craig Kimbrel no hitting the Dodgers for a 4-0 win on Thursday. The Tepera/Chapin/Kimbrel has been just about unstoppable, but Friday Tepera gave up a 2 run home run which the Dodgers won 6-2, thus ruining a rare quality start from the fading Jake Arreita, who six years ago went to Dodgers stadium and threw a no hitter. Times have changed six years later, though the Cubs, despite having any quality starters (only Kyle Hendricks has been the most consistent and Zac Davies has looked better of late) and a lineup that either hits solo shot home runs, or strike out, to which Friday, they struck out 14 times, Saturday 16 times and sunday another 15 times. 45 strike outs in the three games after the Davies/Tepera/Chapin/Kimbrel no hitter. (they only K 8 times). 52 strikeouts in a four game series shows the lack of discipline that the Cubs hitters have. HRs are nice but solo shots don't do much to dent the lead when The Dodgers run to a 6-0 lead thanks to Azolay's erratic pitching (hit batsman, two bases on balls) and a grand slam and two run blast and the Cubs are already in a hole, which seems to be the norm of a year of the highest highs and lowest of lows and the Cubs came crashing down after Thursday. As a plus, the Cubs do win the series 4-3, but losing three in a row before going into Milwaukee for the fifth time this season is not the way to start things. If the Brewers sweep, (and they probably will), this might be the end of a 2021 season, which, actually has been of a surprise, thanks to a bullpen of a revolving door players that managed to keep things together. But Tommy Nance, K. Thompson and now Tepera are struggling and the starters have to pitch a damn near perfect game due to Cubs hitters swinging at anything but a strike. They're not dead yet but the regression was very obvious. It could be worse, just ask Arizona, or the Orioles, who are making 100 game loss season more of a reality. Till the Spanos Family sells off the club, nothing will changed. In the meantime, Kyle Schwarber, enjoying the new scenery in Washington has hit his 16th Home run in 18 games in June. El K Baez has struck out twice or more in that time as well. Milwaukee is leaving the Cubs in a dust. Been a great half season Cubbies but when you don't hit, you don't win. And striking out 12 times 6 straight games in a row don't help either. .
ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ: photo credit via Phil. Inquirer
With spring processing finally over and done, I can finally have time to play more and go more bargain hunting. Ragged Records/Trash Can Annie's will finally have a grand opening on July 17th at 311 East 2nd Street in Davenport. A long awaited return since the March 2019 flood that shut down their old place.
There hasn't been much out there for bargains, tho I have found some decent stuff and 45's in so so shape. I really have no major cities to go to this summer, Phoenix is out, St Louis, ditto and perhaps Madison but I would love to check out Val Shively's record store, but the problem is, you cannot browse unless you have a list of what you're looking for. In my case, I go to the record stores with a open mind and ten thousand things distracting me, thus bringing back memories of Trax In Wax, the Las Vegas store that I went to about 12 years ago. Shively is now 77 years old and I do have a few of his 45's that were found at various Goodwill stores years ago. If I would have started collecting records (and kept collecting them between 1990 and 2002, which I went with CDs) I'm guessing the house would look like his record shop. If he has a decent copy of Amanda Humphrey's Call On Me (on USA if you're reading this Val) or Ray Charles The Train, I'll be happy to pay a few dollars or even I Don't Know What You Got from Little Richard. Taking out a second mortgage only applies if he had a picture sleeve of Jimi Hendrix Hey Joe. But I am not the only one that enjoys a good record collection. There are many many others. Some lucky one will get my collection after I have become dust.
As time goes by, I haven't posted much Cheese Cake photos. London Andrews is still probably around, Jane Dillon is a pinup fave, but Ivy Doomkitty still remains a local fave, despite us being strangers. She decided to do a straight shot in lingerie and beauty is still beauty no matter what shape and size is.
On July 1st, MTV will celebrate 40 years on the air, about 15 percent of that time went for music, the rest with Moron TV. Oh, they have tried to return back to the videos but most new videos and music suck anyway and You Tube and the internet has rendered MTV as not needed. The world could have done without Road Rules or Real World or Teen Mom.
P.S. A Flock Of Seagulls didn't bailed out at the last minute but rather got delayed by the airlines en route to C.R. to play so they couldn't make it. Perhaps Men Without Hats had that flight as well.
Update: Milwaukee swept the Cubs in grand fashion, spotting a 7-0 lead and scoring 15 to blow the hapless Cubs and Jake Arrieta 15-7. Somehow while following that game, I knew that Jake would falter and he did, tho he didn't figure in the loss, Rex Brothers got the L, tho Arrieta or sore armed Tommy Nance got whiplash from seeing Brewers getting hits and home runs. By far, Arrieta's four walks and big error which saw him get a early exit is his worst start of the year, but since The Cubs have many players on the DL and the shuttle to Des Moines is a everyday affair, Arrieta can count another start so he can fuck up once again. Make no mistake, Jake is a big part of the Cubs history with his 2015 and 2016 seasons ranked as high as Fergie Jenkins, Rick Sutcliff and Kerry Wood and he'll be remembered for that. For 2021, the homecoming has been a wreck and Wednesday's meltdown didn't help things. On a positive, the Cubs only struck out 9 times (3 by new Cub Taylor Gushue, none by Javy Baez believe it or not) and the offense did score 7 in the 1st inning. Alas, Cubs pitchers were too generous to give it right back. David Ross should consider using Eric Sogard as a relief pitcher. Cubs move on to Cincinnati to meet the Reds and King Kong Garrett, another pitcher that can't find the strike zone except playing the Cubs and going jive when he strikes out Phil Rizzo.
Five Star Mud Game Los Angeles 42 Cleveland 7 12/7/65
The Rams were not a good team of the 1965 season, tho 4 of the 9 losses they lost by 3 points or less. Cleveland was on their way to another championship game when they got bogged down in a steady LA rain turning the field into a muddy playground. One of the worst games for the great Jim Brown, who had 13 rushes for 20 yards and there's a highlight of poor Jim getting nailed for a 3 yard loss and he slid face first in the mud for about five feet. The mighty Browns offense only had 119 total yards. Meanwhile Roman Gabriel threw for 5 TDs (Three of them to the great Tommy McDonald who gave Bernie Parrish fits all day) and rushed for one. This ended a Cleveland 5 game winning streak, (the Rams won their third straight) and by far this was the best game the Rams played. Meanwhile, Cleveland would beat St. Louis at old Sportsman Park before falling at Green Bay 23-12 in the ultimate mud bowl of all time for the championship. Jim Brown would call it a career soon afterwards.
Record Reviews:
Bob Corritore And Friends-Spider In My Stew (SWMAF 2021)
I do admit that my favorite type of blues come from Chicago. I grew up listening to the Stones and Zeppelin and such and their influences were Chicago blues based; without Willie Dixon there might not have been a Zeppelin or Yardbirds. An ambitious project by Bob, who played and befriended the likes of Muddy Waters, Albert King and so on gather up some of today's blues artists and turns Spider In My Stew into a celebration of the Chicago blues, but to these ears more into the Cobra side of blues. Cobra was a short lived label ran by Eli Toserco who would meet a strange and untimely death himself. These 9 sessions from 2018 to 2020 with many of today's blues artist of renown (Kid Ramos, John Primer, John Rawls, Bob Margolin) helping out, bringing out some of Willie Dixon's lesser but still best songs. Shy Perry adds Koko Taylor to Wang Dang Doodle (which made me bring out Koko's S/T Chess album for reference) Dioanna Greenleaf ripping through Don't Mess With The Messer and John Primer's Mama Talk To Your Daughter brings memories of J B Lenoir back to life. For 55 minutes you get a history lesson of Chicago brought up to date. If anything else Bob Corritore is the Marty Stuart of the blues. He gets you interested enough to seek out the originals.
A-
Marty Stuart-The Marty Stuart Hit Pack (MCA 1995)
Speaking of Marty. He's done a lot for country music and trying to keep the spirit of Johnny, and George going, but his making years for MCA were spotty albums and didn't catch fire till he did The Pilgrim a few years later and made poor selling but better albums for Columbia and Universal. Stuart was more rockabilly than country, and the boot scoot boogie craze of 1992 even had Marty trying a couple of those songs, which are the weakest on this comp. He did get great songs from Paul Kennerly and Tempted is a great enough song for me to consider seeking that one in the thrift stores. In fact, Marty sez it's one of his faves too. Second best him bringing the Staples Singers on board for The Weight, to which would point the direction Marty would take for later albums. The songs here are hodge podge, he could have carved out a nice Rockpile like career had he wasn't chasing the boot scoot craze
B
JJ and Guitar Dave: Live At The Artisan Sanctuary (Self Released 2021)
To be an objective reviewer, you have to look beyond the personal relationship and listen to the album without prejudice. Even if we were not going together, I still say Julie Gordon is one of the best vocalists in town and this collection of 70s covers she does them right. Dave Bonham, a QC Blues hall of famer is the right choice of guitar player that adds a few licks to the songs like Come Into My Window or Something. Mike McMeins does a fine job recording this session and most, if not all songs were done in one take. The beauty of Gordon's vocals lies in the sweetness of Walkin In Memphis and the including the falsetto part of Taxi, a Harry Chapin staple that Bonham does bring out on his solo sets. Course in this day and age, this CD is nothing more than a demo for auditioning at the local winery for light rock, and there are millions of other duos that suffer the same fate. Don't expect The Acousta Crabbies to pull this off, the chemistry is not right but with Dave in tow, it reveals Gordon as the torch singer that is not made for these times. A Billie Holiday of folk rock so to speak
A-
The Pentangle-So Early In The Spring (Green Linnet 1990)
Blame Gerry Conway for being the bull in the china shop on this. Conway has drummed better (Richard Thompson, The Bunch) but John Bonham is more subtle if he was alive, or Terry Cox for that matter. The Pentangle is better for the more subtle folk music that they were famous for take for example The Baron Of Buckley which calls for a more easier type of percussion, Conway bashes away at his drum (Look Ma, new cymbals!) needlessly, given everybody a massive headache. Beginning with Eminstra and throughout the album, the drummer at hand proceeds to overplay, basically ruining what could have been a latter day decent album. Rumor has it, Conway finally controlled himself to make the next effort better but I doubt if I ever get around finding it, much less listening to it.
C
Derek And The Dominoes In Concert (Polydor 1972)
Basically it's an Eric Clapton live album but he did have most of the Dominoes at hand (Except for a certain slide lead specialist) for a couple of 1970 dates in New York. Like Cream, the songs go on to 10 to 12 minutes, but unlike Cream's long winded jams, there's a sense of boogie and extending the music, I can listen to the whole 14 minutes of Got To Get Better In A Little While, the 11 minutes of Tell The Truth and most of Let It Rain (till the drum solo kicks in, Jim Gordon is better at keeping time). While folks will lay their claim for the revision of Derek And The Dominoes Live, I still like this one better. As for the crusty old Robert Christgau who I disagree with on occasion, Blues Power and Bottle Of Red Wine make better sense when played live. And to be honest, the tandem of Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Mr. Gordon fits perfectly when Clapton plays guitar.
A-
Terry Fell-Truck Driving Man (Bear Family 1993)
Fell's claim to fame was Truck Driving Man which Charlie Walker, George Hamilton IV and Buck Owens took to the charts, but overall he really didn't have a distinctive vocal to make the rest of his songs stand out. This comp takes a look at Terry's mid 50's recordings for RCA and outside of the studio trickery of Caveman and overdubbed vocals on Fa So La, there's nothing I can recall. A tip of the cap to Hank Sr or Lefty Frizzel or Roger Miller but all three were better.
C+
Jim Ford-The Lost Capitol Album (Bear Family 2009)
Nick Lowe digs him, he covered 36 Inches High and probably was the inspiration for the albums Lowe did after 1990. Cult artists can be either too eccentric or too erratic or eclectic for the buying public to care about. Upon hearing this, Ford is too eccentric, eclectic or erratic for me to care about. Kinda like Jamie Brockett's Remember the Wind And Rain missing the Titanic song. And trying to get through the extended 6 minute You Just-A and last song is a chore upon itself.
C
