Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Crabb Bits: Casadice, Heather Mills, Diplomats Of Solid Sound
http://www.casadice.com/
If the food is as good as the weekly comments, it might just worth the trip up there. ;-) If you're into RW bullshit check out the signs. He hasn't posted any new signs since last year. (the last one was 1/13).
Update: seems that the link contains malware or that's what keeps popping on these links which are over five years old. Don't know if they have a limit or what have you but I come to find it hard to believe that every fucking link has malware issues. Perhaps the Google Gods don't want you to see this is somebody probably disagrees with some of the signs that the dude posted up. But the guess is that Casa D Ice might be out of business.
Is Heather Mills a golddigger or what? You know I really have no use for this leech who still got 48 million dollars for a divorce settlement. But she is such a greedy bitch that perhaps Paul Mc should have just said no to this peg leg trollop. That’s the problem with these so call important people who sit there and beg and cry about donating money to third world contries while having such outragous demands of half a million a month for their own security and sucking all the gas out with their private airplanes and stuff. You gotta feel sorry for Beatrice for having to deal with a selfish mom. A female Bono if there’s ever was one. You both donate enough of your security funds and you jet fuel and Africa can live in luxury as well. Hypocrites.
We now live in a world with oil prices jumping up every damn year and the average amercian cannot afford driving all the time. I know that I have combined all my trips into shopping so that I don’t do a wasted trip to anywhere. I get tired of hearing Boner (of U2) and Heather Mills saying the US should give them another 3 million so they can be fruitful and multiply ten times over. If I’m going to folk over money, they damn well better learn to practice safe sex or get a vasetomy or get their tubes tied. The problem is that too many children over there (and over here) are born into poverty and born into a life of hell and that their parents after a long day working for two cents in the fields go home and have three minites of sex and then another nine months later add more misery untill somebody dies of AIDS. And we get to see Bono and his tinted glasses playing the role of Almighty. STFU Bono, we can’t afford our own problems. And our return for the Iraqi war sucks bigtime. But dipshit and dumbass think otherwise. So do what you do best Boner, make your overwrought albums, your "GRAND STATEMENT" of being the MOST IMPORTANT BAND IN ROCK N ROLL and leave me the fuck alone. I think the Joshua Tree remains the most overrated album anyway. And for you Heather Mills, donate part of 43 million dollar to charity but I doubt you will. Double standard pegleg black widow that your are.
Now Iraq, five years later, the bungle job that Bush and the Neo Nazi has forever tarish the US reputation. I think Dubya is a duh pickle but I think Cheney is the second coming of Hitler. This retard should have NEVER been VP of anything and if he likes Iraq so much perhaps he should move there and hang with the Iraqis. Cheney has no regard with what the American folk like, he certainly don’t care what y’all think much less what I think. And this is the problem of Bush/Cheney, too arrogant for the world and way too arrogant for America. Cheney is so damn evil that even I would consider put on a bomb belt and wrap it around his neck and pull the button. And if this fat fuck ever should die, I’ll be the first to be dancing on his grave. Mission accomplished fatass.
Review
The Diplomats Of Solid Sound Featuring The Diplomettes (record kicks)
These guys love their soul based Booker T with the JB’s funk and roll so much that they put their new effort on vinyl (!) On their new effort, they add three ladies to do the vocal and led by Sarah Cram, does a fine job. They also have come a long way from the straight instrumental runs of their first album although Plenty Nasty is the only true instrumental song on this album. Highlights include the early 70s Pointer Sister sound of Smokey Places, a faithful run through of B A B Y (the Carla Thomas classic) and a soul based take on Come In My Kitchen, Jim Viner does Clyde Stubblefield proud on Lights Out and even the remix of Hurt Me So does go places (although it could have been a bit more longer to the keep the funky sound goin). The Diplomats have a great love for this kind of music and remains one of the best things to come out of Iowa City (Hard to figure these folks were once in the long gone Dangtrippers and Head Candy). Adding female vocals also had added a new dimension as well. And they sound like they’re having a good time. Groove on.
Grade A minus
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Top Ten:Gurl Power
Not much to report for new tunes, I’ve been sick all week so i
haven’t been playing anything on the player this week. But I’m taking
care of some requests and give some acknowledgements to those who been
following the top ten of the week.
1. Girls Talk-Dave Edmunds 1979 For just about thirty years, I’ve played the tried and true. If I did classic rock radio, the format would be a lot different than it is now. There’ll be a lot more Rockpile on the playlist. This was a minor hit for DE around August of 1979. I remember Sam Goody had something like 20 copies of this 45. Should have picked one up for reference’s sake but I did have the album. Linda Ronstadt even had her own version of this song.
2. Too Late-Little Walter 1953 One of the rock and roll inductees, Little Walter pioneered the ampified harmonica. Forty years after his death, Little Walter gets his due.
3. Ram-Bunk-Shush-The Ventures 1960 Another new inductee, The Ventures were simply one of the best instrumental bands around and had this top fifty number before striking number one with Walk Don’t Run. In terms of bargain hunting, this makes great background music while yours truly goes into Goodwill in search of the hard to find bargain. With gas prices so damn out of reach, looks like the only bargain trips will be in town. Or Iowa City.
4. God’s Got It-The Black Crowes 2008 My favorite track off Warpaint. By golly Mark Prindle had it right, this album does suck! He gave it a four to my rating of five. Translates to a B minus/C plus. The band still sounds good, but Rich Robinson didn’t come up with anything memorable for riffs. But they did find this obscure gospel number to cover.
5. Good-Better Than Ezra 1995 Critics hated these guys although I always enjoyed their first album Deluxe enough to still have it in my collection 13 years later?!?! But it seems like BTE, like Collective Soul are butt to bad jokes done by the corporate controlled real rock stations of today. Bands like the Gin Blossoms who get slammed by live at home thirty somethings who think jamming out to Black Eyed Peas is real rock and roll. Wrong wrong and wrong again. I still think that I’ll be listening to the Gin Bunnies 10, 15, even 20 years from now. Perhaps somebody will play Mrs Rita at my funeral when the time comes. Anyhow, BTE then crapped out with the awful Fiction Baby and the even worse How Does Your Garden Grow to which the big commandant was Thou shalt not buy anything produced by Malcolm Burn. Dan Rothchild got more out of BTE than Burn, or Don Gehman.
6. Under The Boardwalk-John Mellencamp 1985 Does Mellencamp belong in the HOF? Like Billy Joel that’s up to the opinion of some but he spinned his tires in the mud till around 1983 and found himself with good old Heartland Rock and he did start up Farm Aid with Willie and Neil and he did have a streak from Uh Huh to Whatever We Wanted of making quality albums till he lost most of his great band and never recovered. But he did do a fine remake of this song which was the B side to ROCK in the USA and it showed up on the 1997 patchjob Rough Harvest.
7. No Way Out-Lizzy Williams 2005 Hi Lizzy, how it’s going? ;-) Thought I give ya a shout out. Send some of that nice California sunshine this way so we melt all this snow away before May 1st ;-)
8. Sweet Neo-con-The Rolling Stones 2005 Dedicated to Karl Rove who payed everybody a visit in Iowa City over the weekend. Pretty sums up for seven years of Bush-shite politics. Four dollar a gallon gas, 110 dollar barrel of oil this week. Mission accomplished dillhole.
9. Self Made Man-UFO 1995 It’s been noted that Pete Way won’t be allowed to tour the US with UFO due to his work visa being rejected, more corporate shenningans from our wonderful government so UFO has brought in a replacement. The more I think about this, the more that I believe that this has been the worst decade that I have ever lived in and that includes the 80s. Fact of the matter is that the 90s were the best of times for me. And for most folk too.
10. White Lies-Jason And The Scorchers 1985 And finally Caroline/EMI has reissued Lost And Found/Fervor EP from the original Nashville Punk band but I betcha Best Buy won’t have it so you better go to Amazon and score your very own copy before EMI takes it out of print again. And you know they will.
1. Girls Talk-Dave Edmunds 1979 For just about thirty years, I’ve played the tried and true. If I did classic rock radio, the format would be a lot different than it is now. There’ll be a lot more Rockpile on the playlist. This was a minor hit for DE around August of 1979. I remember Sam Goody had something like 20 copies of this 45. Should have picked one up for reference’s sake but I did have the album. Linda Ronstadt even had her own version of this song.
2. Too Late-Little Walter 1953 One of the rock and roll inductees, Little Walter pioneered the ampified harmonica. Forty years after his death, Little Walter gets his due.
3. Ram-Bunk-Shush-The Ventures 1960 Another new inductee, The Ventures were simply one of the best instrumental bands around and had this top fifty number before striking number one with Walk Don’t Run. In terms of bargain hunting, this makes great background music while yours truly goes into Goodwill in search of the hard to find bargain. With gas prices so damn out of reach, looks like the only bargain trips will be in town. Or Iowa City.
4. God’s Got It-The Black Crowes 2008 My favorite track off Warpaint. By golly Mark Prindle had it right, this album does suck! He gave it a four to my rating of five. Translates to a B minus/C plus. The band still sounds good, but Rich Robinson didn’t come up with anything memorable for riffs. But they did find this obscure gospel number to cover.
5. Good-Better Than Ezra 1995 Critics hated these guys although I always enjoyed their first album Deluxe enough to still have it in my collection 13 years later?!?! But it seems like BTE, like Collective Soul are butt to bad jokes done by the corporate controlled real rock stations of today. Bands like the Gin Blossoms who get slammed by live at home thirty somethings who think jamming out to Black Eyed Peas is real rock and roll. Wrong wrong and wrong again. I still think that I’ll be listening to the Gin Bunnies 10, 15, even 20 years from now. Perhaps somebody will play Mrs Rita at my funeral when the time comes. Anyhow, BTE then crapped out with the awful Fiction Baby and the even worse How Does Your Garden Grow to which the big commandant was Thou shalt not buy anything produced by Malcolm Burn. Dan Rothchild got more out of BTE than Burn, or Don Gehman.
6. Under The Boardwalk-John Mellencamp 1985 Does Mellencamp belong in the HOF? Like Billy Joel that’s up to the opinion of some but he spinned his tires in the mud till around 1983 and found himself with good old Heartland Rock and he did start up Farm Aid with Willie and Neil and he did have a streak from Uh Huh to Whatever We Wanted of making quality albums till he lost most of his great band and never recovered. But he did do a fine remake of this song which was the B side to ROCK in the USA and it showed up on the 1997 patchjob Rough Harvest.
7. No Way Out-Lizzy Williams 2005 Hi Lizzy, how it’s going? ;-) Thought I give ya a shout out. Send some of that nice California sunshine this way so we melt all this snow away before May 1st ;-)
8. Sweet Neo-con-The Rolling Stones 2005 Dedicated to Karl Rove who payed everybody a visit in Iowa City over the weekend. Pretty sums up for seven years of Bush-shite politics. Four dollar a gallon gas, 110 dollar barrel of oil this week. Mission accomplished dillhole.
9. Self Made Man-UFO 1995 It’s been noted that Pete Way won’t be allowed to tour the US with UFO due to his work visa being rejected, more corporate shenningans from our wonderful government so UFO has brought in a replacement. The more I think about this, the more that I believe that this has been the worst decade that I have ever lived in and that includes the 80s. Fact of the matter is that the 90s were the best of times for me. And for most folk too.
10. White Lies-Jason And The Scorchers 1985 And finally Caroline/EMI has reissued Lost And Found/Fervor EP from the original Nashville Punk band but I betcha Best Buy won’t have it so you better go to Amazon and score your very own copy before EMI takes it out of print again. And you know they will.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Crabb Bits: 2 Minute Man, George Carlin, Circult City RIP
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postrock/2008/04/the_twominute_man_episode_20_f.html
The Two Minute Man is a top ten of sorts to which they lists the best songs of the week to the worst one through ten. It’s a much better read than my bashings of Steve King of the fifth Reich of the State of Iowa. (this is his final blog, revised due to attack messages)
If you can, read the comment releted to the Jangle guitar pop of the Gin Blossoms of the comments made by Mitch Easler and Don Dixon. I tend to think it’s a fake profile. But contrary to rumour, REM hasn’t made a jangly pop number since.............................................................Pop Song 89?!?
And now I leave you with this quote of the day from ex third Reich Karl Rove, king bullshitter who wasn’t BSing with this snappy comeback to some protester at the U of I last night.
"You got a chance to ask your questions later and make your stupid statements, let me make mine,"
And believe me folks, Rove has no shortage of stupid statements.
Now I turn your attention to this tidbit.
http://archive.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0110biz-circuitcity10-ON.html
I think Circuit City will go by the way of the REX store and Ultimate Electronics in the stores that we used to know and used to dream of going to. I have never been much of a fan of CC, in fact since there are none in this area the closest one was next door to the MicroTel at Madison and it’s a strange feeling going in there. Something like a twilight zone episode to which you can get in but you can never find the exit.
Circuit city pussed out when they had plans of building a store where the old Standard used to be...across from the evil empire BB till some smart advisors told them that it would not be a good fit for them or Cedar Rapids. Used to be CC was a good place to find stuff before two years ago when some smartassed bean counter told them to fire all the know it alls and replaced them with 6 dollar a hour "duhs". Once you mess up a good business venture, you can never get it back and basically CC, you blew it.
It’s going to be a pleasure to watch you fall. And they did fall. in 2010.
Finally got to see George Carlin’s HBO observation and it was a lot better than last years Life Is Worth Nothing. Applily named It’s all bullshit and it’s bad for you definly sums up seven years of this bullshit we call Bush. But then again, our fucked up cable company once again screws up part of the show by doing that fucking station test that they are so damn famous for and missing the punch line. Which is why Springville Cable is actually worse than Mediacunts. So I left them a nasty message. Told them there’s are some people that try to watch tv around midnight to 2 but always it seems we get that fucking screech screech test and blue screen. So I missed a punch line from Carlin and from now on, if I get interrupted by that, Springville Cable will hear about it, twice more than the next time. Do the fucking goddamn test between three to five AM? Geez how come nobody thinks of these things?!? Every year, we get the yearly price raise and yet the "programming" we get is worth the shit you wipe on toilet paper. And the damn cable company can’t fucking program their damn EBS on those infocommercials but they can on HBO. Get your fucking head out of your ass Springville Two Cans and A String Cable. Every day another aggrevation. As George Carlin said it best...Blow Me.
Steve Rassmussen writes and calls the new Carlene Carter album, ho hum. He didn’t say it sucked but he did mention that the most of the songs were not too memorable but it has a yucky 80s production that didn’t work. But he did also give five stars to the Waylon Nashville Rebel four CD anthology that Brooksie was sweet enough to give me as a christmas present last year.
And congrats to the latest rock and roll hall of fame inductees.
Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff, The Ventures and Little Walter. Also John Mellencamp and Leonard Cohen whose not exactly rock and roll but can write them. Did I left anybody out? ;-)
oh yea...the Dave Clark Five.
The Two Minute Man is a top ten of sorts to which they lists the best songs of the week to the worst one through ten. It’s a much better read than my bashings of Steve King of the fifth Reich of the State of Iowa. (this is his final blog, revised due to attack messages)
If you can, read the comment releted to the Jangle guitar pop of the Gin Blossoms of the comments made by Mitch Easler and Don Dixon. I tend to think it’s a fake profile. But contrary to rumour, REM hasn’t made a jangly pop number since.............................................................Pop Song 89?!?
And now I leave you with this quote of the day from ex third Reich Karl Rove, king bullshitter who wasn’t BSing with this snappy comeback to some protester at the U of I last night.
"You got a chance to ask your questions later and make your stupid statements, let me make mine,"
And believe me folks, Rove has no shortage of stupid statements.
Now I turn your attention to this tidbit.
http://archive.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0110biz-circuitcity10-ON.html
I think Circuit City will go by the way of the REX store and Ultimate Electronics in the stores that we used to know and used to dream of going to. I have never been much of a fan of CC, in fact since there are none in this area the closest one was next door to the MicroTel at Madison and it’s a strange feeling going in there. Something like a twilight zone episode to which you can get in but you can never find the exit.
Circuit city pussed out when they had plans of building a store where the old Standard used to be...across from the evil empire BB till some smart advisors told them that it would not be a good fit for them or Cedar Rapids. Used to be CC was a good place to find stuff before two years ago when some smartassed bean counter told them to fire all the know it alls and replaced them with 6 dollar a hour "duhs". Once you mess up a good business venture, you can never get it back and basically CC, you blew it.
It’s going to be a pleasure to watch you fall. And they did fall. in 2010.
Finally got to see George Carlin’s HBO observation and it was a lot better than last years Life Is Worth Nothing. Applily named It’s all bullshit and it’s bad for you definly sums up seven years of this bullshit we call Bush. But then again, our fucked up cable company once again screws up part of the show by doing that fucking station test that they are so damn famous for and missing the punch line. Which is why Springville Cable is actually worse than Mediacunts. So I left them a nasty message. Told them there’s are some people that try to watch tv around midnight to 2 but always it seems we get that fucking screech screech test and blue screen. So I missed a punch line from Carlin and from now on, if I get interrupted by that, Springville Cable will hear about it, twice more than the next time. Do the fucking goddamn test between three to five AM? Geez how come nobody thinks of these things?!? Every year, we get the yearly price raise and yet the "programming" we get is worth the shit you wipe on toilet paper. And the damn cable company can’t fucking program their damn EBS on those infocommercials but they can on HBO. Get your fucking head out of your ass Springville Two Cans and A String Cable. Every day another aggrevation. As George Carlin said it best...Blow Me.
Steve Rassmussen writes and calls the new Carlene Carter album, ho hum. He didn’t say it sucked but he did mention that the most of the songs were not too memorable but it has a yucky 80s production that didn’t work. But he did also give five stars to the Waylon Nashville Rebel four CD anthology that Brooksie was sweet enough to give me as a christmas present last year.
And congrats to the latest rock and roll hall of fame inductees.
Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff, The Ventures and Little Walter. Also John Mellencamp and Leonard Cohen whose not exactly rock and roll but can write them. Did I left anybody out? ;-)
oh yea...the Dave Clark Five.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Top Ten: The Fourth Month Of The Ice Age
1. Wishing Well-Free 1972 I like All Right Now but classic rock radio has killed it to the point that I don't need to hear it anymore unless I want to hear the drunken live version so I go with my favorite Free album called Heartbreaker. Covered later by Blackfoot and Gary Moore. Should have been a hit for all.
2. First Cut Is The Deepest-Keith Hampshire 1973 Canadian singer songwriters hardly get much notice down here, unless it's Rush or Gordon Lightfoot. A and M Records would release a single here and there from this guy but I can't recall any albums that Keith did that were in the US. This song is a bit of bombastic Phil Spector type of production with lots of strings and horns and a choir to help out but I always like this song alot. Never did find the single although Universal Canada put it on 20th Century Masters Comp...available in Canada only. Later butchered by Sheryl Crow which is just about as puke inducing as Kenny G or Celine's Titantic song.
3. Girls Like Me-Bonnie Hayes 1982 The toughest Gurl song that came out of the new wave 80s, this chick knew a good hook and had a great band backing her. This song was featured in Valley Girl. Wounded Bird reissued this album last year. Have you got a copy yet? Why not?
4. Conversations-The Posies 2005 Due to high gas prices and cold weather, bargain hunting to Davenport and points north and east have been non existent this winter so I've been looking into my archives to see what I have missed or forgotten. And I forgotten how good this album was from a band that was lumped in the grunge movement of the early 90s. I do have a few more surprises in store for the next five albums. I just hope I can fit them all although I'm sure I'll forget one or two songs for inclusion. Short term memory, just not as good as it was say five years ago or five minutes
.
5. I Like Them Big And Stupid-Julie Brown 1987 I have to tell you. Back when MTV showed videos and had VJs and guest stars you'd like to do, I always had a secret crush on this Julie Brown and not the Downtown Julie Brown of the MTV Party scene. Again Julie is more famous for the Homecoming Queen Has Got A Gun and Because I'm A Blond, which sadly isn't on her album Trapped In The Body Of A White Girl. Last time I've seen Julie Brown when she played a role of a tortured teacher on the TV show Clueless, a show that I watched for a week before channel 20 replaced it with those damn infocommercials of Girls Gone Wild.
6. Oh Josephine-The Black Crowes 2008 Just so that you know, I did review the CD and listened to it before writing my review unlike Maxim Magazine did.
7. I Ain't Got Nuthin-New York Dolls 2006 Good thing that David Johansen decided to start rocking and quit being that annoying Buster Poindexter. Which was as funny as Frank Constanto guy and his annoying John Madden impersonations. But then again I don't think Will Ferrell as funny as he thinks he is either. And the more I think about it the more I think that this decade has sucked big time. But on the plus side I just sold The Ravonettes Lust Lust Lust to another person so at least I'll get some money back, instead of having nuthin. Digipaks don't stay long here in Crabbland.
8. Rock With You-Tommy Conwell 1990 Remember this guy? You don't?!? He had that big 1988 hit I'm Not Your Man but the sad part was that was the only song on that album was good, you had 11 other songs that sounded the same with same beat, chords and words. Guitar Trouble was number two and Pete Anderson got him to play more blues and rock and varied the beat. Had a minor hit with I'm Seventeen which would have been a perfect cover for Green Day around the time Dookie came out. I was going to use that song but instead decided to use this track since it was pretty hard rocking. Nevertheless, Tommy Conwell disappeared soon afterward and there have been rumours that he gained about 100 pounds and playing the blues from time to time. Anyhoo, American Beat Records has issued Ramble/Guitar Trouble as a 2 on 1 CD. That is IF you find it.
9. Take Me Out-Franz Ferdinand 2004 These guys fell off the map didn't they? Got a big hit out of this and then nobody brought the followup. The followup was better, I prefer them over The Strokes and The Libertines myself. (pete who?)
10. Gotta Keep Running-The Godz 1978 The conclusion of this list comes from my favorite album of 1978, this band from Columbus Ohio signed on to Casablanca and got Don Brewer to produce this album. Yeah, it's junk rock, my best friend thought it sucked but I absolutely love this album, dumb words and all. THE GODZ ARE ROCK AND ROLL MACHINES. Oh yeah. Somebody over Germany thought a lot of this album enough to issue it buy using a scratchy album to mastered it. May as well have it on some form, fucking Universal ain't going to issue it anytime soon. Sure, The Godz haven't aged well for the picky American Idol audience but I preferred them over KISS anyday (although I did have all the KISS albums as well-ah youth).
Monday, March 3, 2008
RIP Jeff Healey
Guitar wizard Norman Jeff Healey of Toronto died Sunday of cancer. He was 41.
Healey was considered a prodigy and earned numerous Juno and Grammy nominations in the course of his career.
He lost both his eyes to retinoblastoma before he was eight-months-old, but never let that slow him down.
Musician and broadcaster Jeff Healey talking about his life with retinoblastoma at his Toronto home December 20 2005. The cancer caused his blindness from infancy.
Peter Redman for National Post
What we've lost is a virtuoso musician," said Richard Flohil, Healey's publicist. "He followed his own passion, which oddly enough was not playing blues rock music, but playing classic rock jazz.
"He just cancelled a concert a few days ago in Nepean (Ont.) and we made this very kind of bland, not-to-worry statement," said Flohil. "At that point, we didn't want to say that Jeff was basically dying, although we all knew he was."
The Canadian blues and jazz great died in a Toronto hospital Sunday evening after a lifelong battle with cancer.
Flohil, who had been friends with Healey for about 20 years, said the news of his death will be very hard on his family, friends and fans. "He was lovely," said Flohil. "He was very generous, very warm-hearted, with a great sense of humour."
"He was just an awesome guitar player," said Danny Sivyer, owner of Ottawa blues bar The Rainbow Bistro. Sivyer said he brought Healey to The Rainbow Bistro for his first Ottawa gig when he was just 19-years-old. "He blew us away the first time we heard him." said Sivyer. "We were setting up, it was a busy night, and we looked over and there was this three-piece band with a blind 19-year-old musician."
"Then we sat down and listened and the whole room was stunned," said Sivyer. "Everybody loved him right away."
Healey was only three when he started to play guitar.
By the time he was a teenager, Healey had formed a four-piece band called the Blue Direction and was playing in clubs throughout the Toronto area. His best known work came when he formed the Jeff Healey Band several years later with bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen. His career took off when he appeared in the movie Road House, which starred Patrick Swayze.
In 1988, his Grammy-nominated album See the Light included the major hit single, Angel Eyes. In 1990, he earned the Juno for entertainer of the year.
Healey became an internationally-known star who played with musical greats that included B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The Jeff Healey Band was a sellout act across Canada and sold over a million albums in the U.S. market.
But Healey's passion was not always in rock music and later in his career branched into jazz, especially from the golden years of the genre in the 1920s and '30s. He released several jazz CDs and had a collection of some 25,000 78 rpm jazz records.
Until recently, he had a show on a Toronto jazz station CJRT-FM.
Early last year, Healey underwent surgery to remove cancerous tissue from his legs, and later from both lungs; aggressive radiation treatments and chemotherapy failed to halt the spread of the disease.
Healey - who was adopted as an infant and didn't have any information about his birth parents - said in an interview with the Citizen in July 2005 that he didn't know if he inherited the illness or developed it due to external factors.
"I do not regret the situation I am in at all," he said.
While his daughter, Rachel, didn't inherit the form of retinoblastoma Healey had, his son wasn't so lucky. Amniotic fluid showed that the now three-year-old Derek carried the mutation.
It also wasn't until 2005 that Healey learned that he and his son were at risk for secondary cancers.
"I used to believe that once they had removed my eyes, that was the end of the story," Healey said. "I understand now that having this (mutation) in my blood, this won't be my last encounter with cancer."
In 2005, Healey told the Citizen that while he loved to play regular gigs, he hated spending time in airports.
"A tour is a nasty four-letter word in my vocabulary," he said. "It's something that I did for many, many years and I hate travelling. I love to play and I love to entertain, so to sort of balance things, get the best of both worlds, I'll travel away for two or three days or something like that."
Mess of Blues, Healey's first rock/blues album in eight years, is being released in Europe on March 20, and in Canada and the U.S. on April 22.
Healey is survived by his children, Rachel and Derek, as well as his wife, Cristie, father and stepmother, Bud and Rose Healey, and sisters Laura and Linda. Funeral arrangements are still being made.
His website said Sunday that he died with his wife, Cristie, at his bedside in Toronto's St. Joseph's Hospital.
Healey was considered a prodigy and earned numerous Juno and Grammy nominations in the course of his career.
He lost both his eyes to retinoblastoma before he was eight-months-old, but never let that slow him down.
Musician and broadcaster Jeff Healey talking about his life with retinoblastoma at his Toronto home December 20 2005. The cancer caused his blindness from infancy.
Peter Redman for National Post
What we've lost is a virtuoso musician," said Richard Flohil, Healey's publicist. "He followed his own passion, which oddly enough was not playing blues rock music, but playing classic rock jazz.
"He just cancelled a concert a few days ago in Nepean (Ont.) and we made this very kind of bland, not-to-worry statement," said Flohil. "At that point, we didn't want to say that Jeff was basically dying, although we all knew he was."
The Canadian blues and jazz great died in a Toronto hospital Sunday evening after a lifelong battle with cancer.
Flohil, who had been friends with Healey for about 20 years, said the news of his death will be very hard on his family, friends and fans. "He was lovely," said Flohil. "He was very generous, very warm-hearted, with a great sense of humour."
"He was just an awesome guitar player," said Danny Sivyer, owner of Ottawa blues bar The Rainbow Bistro. Sivyer said he brought Healey to The Rainbow Bistro for his first Ottawa gig when he was just 19-years-old. "He blew us away the first time we heard him." said Sivyer. "We were setting up, it was a busy night, and we looked over and there was this three-piece band with a blind 19-year-old musician."
"Then we sat down and listened and the whole room was stunned," said Sivyer. "Everybody loved him right away."
Healey was only three when he started to play guitar.
By the time he was a teenager, Healey had formed a four-piece band called the Blue Direction and was playing in clubs throughout the Toronto area. His best known work came when he formed the Jeff Healey Band several years later with bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen. His career took off when he appeared in the movie Road House, which starred Patrick Swayze.
In 1988, his Grammy-nominated album See the Light included the major hit single, Angel Eyes. In 1990, he earned the Juno for entertainer of the year.
Healey became an internationally-known star who played with musical greats that included B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The Jeff Healey Band was a sellout act across Canada and sold over a million albums in the U.S. market.
But Healey's passion was not always in rock music and later in his career branched into jazz, especially from the golden years of the genre in the 1920s and '30s. He released several jazz CDs and had a collection of some 25,000 78 rpm jazz records.
Until recently, he had a show on a Toronto jazz station CJRT-FM.
Early last year, Healey underwent surgery to remove cancerous tissue from his legs, and later from both lungs; aggressive radiation treatments and chemotherapy failed to halt the spread of the disease.
Healey - who was adopted as an infant and didn't have any information about his birth parents - said in an interview with the Citizen in July 2005 that he didn't know if he inherited the illness or developed it due to external factors.
"I do not regret the situation I am in at all," he said.
While his daughter, Rachel, didn't inherit the form of retinoblastoma Healey had, his son wasn't so lucky. Amniotic fluid showed that the now three-year-old Derek carried the mutation.
It also wasn't until 2005 that Healey learned that he and his son were at risk for secondary cancers.
"I used to believe that once they had removed my eyes, that was the end of the story," Healey said. "I understand now that having this (mutation) in my blood, this won't be my last encounter with cancer."
In 2005, Healey told the Citizen that while he loved to play regular gigs, he hated spending time in airports.
"A tour is a nasty four-letter word in my vocabulary," he said. "It's something that I did for many, many years and I hate travelling. I love to play and I love to entertain, so to sort of balance things, get the best of both worlds, I'll travel away for two or three days or something like that."
Mess of Blues, Healey's first rock/blues album in eight years, is being released in Europe on March 20, and in Canada and the U.S. on April 22.
Healey is survived by his children, Rachel and Derek, as well as his wife, Cristie, father and stepmother, Bud and Rose Healey, and sisters Laura and Linda. Funeral arrangements are still being made.
His website said Sunday that he died with his wife, Cristie, at his bedside in Toronto's St. Joseph's Hospital.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Crabb Bits: Springville Wins 1A Title, Hawkeye Failure, Other BS
With March comes the promise of warmer weather and the forthcoming signs of spring, which means we go from living in the ice age, to mowing the grass, and earwigs and other assorted bugs. Always gotta be a price for everything don't it? Plus I'm sure we will get to deal with our new neighbors and their kids and their barking dog. Always seems that once the old neighbors move out, you get ones that are a little less considerate. And they always seem to get a annoying dog that barks all the time. Plus I'm seeing a bit more plastic water bottles and such in our ditch, will somebody learn how to use a damn waste can?!?
You probably know by now that our small town team Springville beat Newell/Fonda for the 1A Girls Title. I was reserving this spot for the girl Marion team but they fell short so on Friday night I was watching the hometown Orioles win although they had like 25 turnovers. Although NF had more speedier girls and a more pesky press, turns out that Springville had taller girls. In other words, size matters and the girls did win. I like the announcer calling Springville a two gas station town and nothing more. They do have a bank, a meat market, a restaurant, two bars, a VFW, and a post office whose continues to give us the wrong damn mail every month. For the fifth straight month, I had to return the damn Magazine up there and try to explain to somebody with ears and a brain that whoever sorts out the mail should get their eyeballs checked out. The address is 224 and it's Smith, not 220 and Dan Weber DOES NOT LIVE THERE. You think somebody would get it straight but I'm sure around this time I'll bet you odds that we get the damn magazine again.
You can tell it's getting to be spring that the basketball season is just about over. The Iowa Hawkeyes sure have stunk up the tube most of February and yes we knew that they would be overmatched since we have something like 9 players on scholarship and Tyler Smith left for Tennessee and helping them into the top five. Outside of Tony Freeman and somedays Cyrus Tate, the Hawks played great defense but had no bit of offense whatsoever. In fact I don't think The Hawks ever scored more than 50 points a game. But then again, Todd Lickliter didn't have squat to work with after the departure of Steve (flop) Alford whose managed to do wonders with New Mexico this year and probably thinks he should be coach of the year. The Hawks were awful this week, blowing yet another lead to a depleted Penn State squad and didn't bother to show up against Illinois this week. Nothing worse than going from 20 wins to 20 losses in two years but then again Alford didn't recruit very well and most dropped out. I know Carlton Reed is now playing for Northern Iowa. Oh well, I'm ready for baseball, the Cubs seem for greatness this year, we'll see how that goes.
This month, once the snow goes away there may be the spring annual Mad City run for the bargains and since we haven't been there in a half a year I'm sure we can find a few things. In a era to which cd music stores are disappearing, Madison still remains one of the best places to find things. But also in a era of even higher gas prices, it's for certain we won't be doing this three times like we did the past couple years. Though Bush can't be fault for all of this, I think that the traders and investors and speculators and good old Big Oil trying to get everybody into the poor house. I still hope to go to Seattle again this year, or even the desert but with four dollar a gallon out there in Blythe CA this summer, it's not going to be a priority. The desert is a beautiful place to go see, but how anybody can live there and afford is beyond me. So it's wait and see and decide if I really want to risk another cavaity search at the airport just to fly anywhere.
And finally before I go take my shirt off and go outside to enjoy the 45 degree weather today, I want to send birthday wishes to my Aunt Cindy who turns fifty tomorrow. Yep, I'm surprised you made it this far too, maybe in three years I'll join you in that wonderful age bracket. I'm sure by then this body would have officially fallen apart by that time with all the sneezing and constant nose problems and bodily functions that seem to have a mind of their own and further pissing me off. Can't tell you how many times I sneezed in a five minute period yesterday before taking three Benedryl and half a bottle of Lutetium for the other problems. Yop, getting old sure rocks.
For you, not me.
Seems to me that Robert Christgau is getting old and too gritty to enjoy rock music as if he seems to be reviewing more rap and hip hop that is out there. We all seem to disagree on his choice of A albums but we do have a big disagreement on Porter Wagoner's swansong album. While I called it a final stand from a country icon, RC's Poo Poos it and calls it a dud. What the fuck does he know anyway? I can see where Mark Prindle hates him though I still hold out hope that I might be able to agree on Christgau's recommendations but I'm not about to start up a rap collection just to see if he's right anyway.
Well the government can now throwaway that bunch of shite they called the inflation rate for oil, it went over 103 dollars to do that this afternoon. Don't know what damn drugs Dubya's taking but I believe we are in a big recession and going down further. Mission accomplished asshole. Four dollar gas this summer, Check. Another bummer in the summer.
And finally, got to see Elizabeth Cook on GAC's Opry Sat. nite and she was a hoot. And she did a sweet version of Sunday Morning done by Lou Reed and the Velvets although being a traditionist myself, could have done without the fiddle but that's just me. Nancy Griffith calls her this generation's Loretta Lynn. And is funny as heck too. Rest assured that GAC will bring back country's answer to American Idol Carrie Underwood in a couple weeks so she can oversing some more. I donno, something about CU, that doesn't add up, there's seems to be a teeny bit of fakery on her part when I see her videos or hear her songs. When she sings Stand By Your Man, all I hear is Whitney Houston.
:-P
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Top Ten: End Of Feburary
But first, a moment of silence for Buddy Miles who passed away
yesterday at the age of 60. He played with The Electric Flag, jammed
with Hendrix and had a fairly successful solo career with his biggest
hit Them Changes in 1971.
1. Beneath The Damage And The Dust-Peter Himmelman 1992. The jewish Elvis Costello, Peter has never been more of a cult artist at best but he has managed to record some decent albums for Epic and Island around the late 80s and early 90s. He still remains a hoot to be seen live. Once you seen him live you'll be converted too.
2. Fire-The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown 1968 I'M THE GOD OF HELL FIRE AND I BRING YOU...Fire. Do you think radio would play this type of music in this day and age? No.
3. Addicted To Love-Robert Palmer 1985 Yeah, it held the number one chart on MTV for weeks upon end but granted this song did rocked without the female band ghost playing behind the late RP. Yeah, the whammy bar of Andy Taylor is dated, but Tony Thompson bashing the drums remains one of the best part of the song. Sadly, Tony like Robert is no longer around but this song remains a staple on 80s radio. And yeah, I listened to Riptide, the album this song is on, love the six minite version of this song but the rest of the album is a snoozer except for I didn't mean to turn you on.
4. Aly, Walk With Me-The Ravonettes 2008 The first new album that was brought this year and I still think though this album improves over the lackluster Pretty In Black, Lust Lust Lust still sounds like a disappointment. Some good songs here and there but others (Expelled From Love) sucks. But this song remains me of Psychocandy from the Jesus And Mary Chain. Noisy as hell.
5. The Envoy-Warren Zevon 1982 Really there's no rhyme or reason what I look for when i go bargain hunting, I keep a open mind and check to see what Record Collector has for used stuff when I go to Iowa City. Though I disagree on buying a used cd for 10 bucks, I did find this reissue for six bucks. I never say no to any Warren Zevon CDs that I don't have.
6. I Live In A Split Level Head-Jerry Samuels aka Napoleon XLV 1967 Weird tune from the dude who gave us They're Coming To Take Me Away Ah Hahh. Typical story of a one hit wonder, makes a great forty five and has about ten other songs that are mare variations of the hit, or just plain wacky stuff. Doesn't mean that the wacky stuff holds up very well. From the folks at Rhino.
7. We Can Work It Out-The Beatles 1966 No I don't play The Beatles too often, everybody else does but heard this at McDonalds while having supper and thought I'd include it to the top ten. I do love the Beatles just like you.
8. Did You No Wrong-The Sex Pistols 1977 From the Flogging A Dead Horse compliation that Virgin threw out in a attempt to cash in on this band, I think this is better than the Warner's Great Rock n Roll Swindle compliation that added bizarre strings and other assorted BS. I think Flogging is a better sounding (?) album than Bollocks but all it does is tack on the rest of the songs that Johnny Lydon and company did in their short career. It may have been punk rock back then, but I think it sounds more hard rock than punk. Actually the live version from the 1996 reunion cash in Filthy Lucure Live sounds better.
9. You're Asking Me-Ray Davies 2008 The second new album I bought this year from the head Kink. Pretty damn good album and get this, it's not in a digipak. Actually there is a expanded edition that includes a DVD and the album and IS in a digipak but thank God I have a choice here. Otherwise I'd pass on it, or wait till it came out used.
10. Dealer-Sweet Thursday 1969 Admit it folks, none of you ever heard this band, neither did I till I saw this in the five dollar bin at FYE and thought I take a chance on it. They were a super group that recorded for Bill Cosby's Tetragammon Label which went belly up a few weeks after this album got released and CBS issued it a couple years later. Some independent label managed to get it issued and all I can tell you is that Nicky Hopkins played keyboards and Jon Mark (of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Mark/Almond band) sang most of the songs. Sounds like a more lighter Blonde On Blonde era band although Mott The Hoople did the same thing and did it better. But I think that is why I go to FYE on a bi monthly basis. Sometimes they do get worthwhile cutouts. Or just something that might make driving home a little less stressful.
Also, going over the horizon...Mike Smith, lead singer of the Dave Clark Five who passed away due to phenomia at age 64. One of the most grittiest vocalists of the British Invasion. He also produced Georgie Fame's The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde.
1. Beneath The Damage And The Dust-Peter Himmelman 1992. The jewish Elvis Costello, Peter has never been more of a cult artist at best but he has managed to record some decent albums for Epic and Island around the late 80s and early 90s. He still remains a hoot to be seen live. Once you seen him live you'll be converted too.
2. Fire-The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown 1968 I'M THE GOD OF HELL FIRE AND I BRING YOU...Fire. Do you think radio would play this type of music in this day and age? No.
3. Addicted To Love-Robert Palmer 1985 Yeah, it held the number one chart on MTV for weeks upon end but granted this song did rocked without the female band ghost playing behind the late RP. Yeah, the whammy bar of Andy Taylor is dated, but Tony Thompson bashing the drums remains one of the best part of the song. Sadly, Tony like Robert is no longer around but this song remains a staple on 80s radio. And yeah, I listened to Riptide, the album this song is on, love the six minite version of this song but the rest of the album is a snoozer except for I didn't mean to turn you on.
4. Aly, Walk With Me-The Ravonettes 2008 The first new album that was brought this year and I still think though this album improves over the lackluster Pretty In Black, Lust Lust Lust still sounds like a disappointment. Some good songs here and there but others (Expelled From Love) sucks. But this song remains me of Psychocandy from the Jesus And Mary Chain. Noisy as hell.
5. The Envoy-Warren Zevon 1982 Really there's no rhyme or reason what I look for when i go bargain hunting, I keep a open mind and check to see what Record Collector has for used stuff when I go to Iowa City. Though I disagree on buying a used cd for 10 bucks, I did find this reissue for six bucks. I never say no to any Warren Zevon CDs that I don't have.
6. I Live In A Split Level Head-Jerry Samuels aka Napoleon XLV 1967 Weird tune from the dude who gave us They're Coming To Take Me Away Ah Hahh. Typical story of a one hit wonder, makes a great forty five and has about ten other songs that are mare variations of the hit, or just plain wacky stuff. Doesn't mean that the wacky stuff holds up very well. From the folks at Rhino.
7. We Can Work It Out-The Beatles 1966 No I don't play The Beatles too often, everybody else does but heard this at McDonalds while having supper and thought I'd include it to the top ten. I do love the Beatles just like you.
8. Did You No Wrong-The Sex Pistols 1977 From the Flogging A Dead Horse compliation that Virgin threw out in a attempt to cash in on this band, I think this is better than the Warner's Great Rock n Roll Swindle compliation that added bizarre strings and other assorted BS. I think Flogging is a better sounding (?) album than Bollocks but all it does is tack on the rest of the songs that Johnny Lydon and company did in their short career. It may have been punk rock back then, but I think it sounds more hard rock than punk. Actually the live version from the 1996 reunion cash in Filthy Lucure Live sounds better.
9. You're Asking Me-Ray Davies 2008 The second new album I bought this year from the head Kink. Pretty damn good album and get this, it's not in a digipak. Actually there is a expanded edition that includes a DVD and the album and IS in a digipak but thank God I have a choice here. Otherwise I'd pass on it, or wait till it came out used.
10. Dealer-Sweet Thursday 1969 Admit it folks, none of you ever heard this band, neither did I till I saw this in the five dollar bin at FYE and thought I take a chance on it. They were a super group that recorded for Bill Cosby's Tetragammon Label which went belly up a few weeks after this album got released and CBS issued it a couple years later. Some independent label managed to get it issued and all I can tell you is that Nicky Hopkins played keyboards and Jon Mark (of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Mark/Almond band) sang most of the songs. Sounds like a more lighter Blonde On Blonde era band although Mott The Hoople did the same thing and did it better. But I think that is why I go to FYE on a bi monthly basis. Sometimes they do get worthwhile cutouts. Or just something that might make driving home a little less stressful.
Also, going over the horizon...Mike Smith, lead singer of the Dave Clark Five who passed away due to phenomia at age 64. One of the most grittiest vocalists of the British Invasion. He also produced Georgie Fame's The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde.
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