Apology

The author of this blog has been slow with posting because of a family emergency. This has keep her from posting for sometime. We apologize and will be posting soon.

Rock 'n' Roll Alert: Tom Pettys Live Anthology Box Set

Tom Petty one of Americas favorite southern boys has done it again. He has answered the question, How do you come out with a new box set of old stuff? He has done this by making a four disc box set of live music. Its is set up with the early years 76' -81', on disc one including everything from "American Girl," to "Refugee." Then the second disc is 82' to 87' with hits like "Don't Come Around Here No More," and "You Got Lucky." Disc three has the video songs "Free Fallin," and "Learning to Fly." Plus much more of Pettys work like "I Won't Back Down" and "Into the Great Wide Open." With so many great songs its hard to believe Tom can add more but he has. The forth disc is all B-sides that where only released in Europe, so there are "new" to the US. Within these tracks are some interesting covers, one is Van Morrison's tune "I'm Tired Joey Boy," another is Charlie Rich's hit "Lonely Weekend." This set was going to be just two discs but then it exploded into four and we can be thankful for that.

Mayor of the Sunset Strip Ost Shout Factory

1. Let's Find Out About Rodney - Film Dialogue
2. Rodney On The ROQ- Brian Wilson
3. Los Angeles - X
4. My Back Pages - The Byrds
5. It Was A Real Eye Opener - Pamela Des Barres
6. Welcome To Hollywood - Leon Russell
7. All The Madmen (Live In Hollywood/Studio) - David Bowie
8. Get It On (Band A Gong) - T. Rex
9. School's Out - Alice Cooper
10. What Kind Of Music Is This?" - Rodney Bingenheimer
11. I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones
12. London - The Smiths
13. He Picked This Song- Chris Carter
14. Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) - Dramarama
15. Jennifer Love Hewitt - Ronald Vaughan
16. Parklife - Blur
17. I Stalked Him- Courtney Love
18. Malibu - Hole
19. Good Souls - Starsailor
20. Yellow (Live In-Studio Performance) - Chris Martin (of Coldplay)
21. Who Is Rodney Bingenheimer - Anthony Marinelli (and Clint Bennett)
22. Mayor Of The Sunset Strip - Marizane
23. I Hate the '90s (Bonus Track) - Rodney & The Tube Tops

L.A. has always been the place to be for the film industry, but music has also been a big part of the city's history. When your talking about the L.A.'s music scene then you talking about Rodney Bingenheimer. Who has been the most "hooked up" guy in Hollywood for over forty years. In Hollywood you did not know anybody if you did not know Rodney. He introduced the nobodies to the somebodies, and as a radio DJ he gave the USA some Rock 'n' Roll that might have never been played otherwise. Before putting the Los Angeles rock station KROQ on the map Rodney worked with stars like The Byrds, Sonny & Cher, Brian Wilson, Phil Spector and Linda Rondstadt. This is when he started being referred to as "The Mayor of the Sunset Strip." During a brief move to London Rodney meet British glam rock stars David Bowie and Rod Stewart. It was Bowie who suggested that Bingenheimer return to Los Angeles and open a music club, Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco. Here bands like The New York Dolls and The Stooges got to shock and amaze the city of angles in the early 70's, but the club closed in 1975. Not one to just sit around Rodney started his Radio Rodney on the ROQ show in 76'. He was not only the ambassador of LA punk in the late 70's and New Wave in the 80's, but he continued to bring in the UK sound helping the Brit Pop wave in the 90's. Having total control over his show meant he could play demos and was first to play many up-and-coming bands. (Blondie, The Ramones, The Germs, X, The B-52s, Dramarama, Social Distortion, Van Halen, Duran Duran, Coldplay, Doves, Muse, Pulp, Oasis) Now after that history lesson lets get to one of the best Soundtracks ever put together. This collection is seamless, running smoothly from one track to another with some short interruptions to set the mood. Starting with an introduction to Rodney and then his them song written by Brian Wilson. Then Rodney introduces X as "the band that made you" and their song "Los Angeles" puts us in our place. Jumping backwards in time to "My Back Pages" by The Byrds and non other then the lovely Pamela Des Barres's take on the Streets of LA. As if we did not get the hint, it's driven home with Leon Russell's "Welcome To Hollywood." Only after putting LA on the map do we get to the English artiest with David Bowie and T. Rex. Bowie's "All The Madmen," makes one feel that they are to straight, know matter who they are. Alice Cooper's "School's Out" is now a summer time anthem with its hanging guitar notes and rolling bass. After Rodney explains punk we get "Sedated" with the Ramones. Then the Smiths "London" is just thrown in but it fits. If Rodney liked a track he played it and that's what happened with "Anything, Anything" (I'll Give You) by Dramarama. This is such a stand out track you can see why he fell for it. After a ode to Jennifer Love Hewitt its back across the pond with Blur's upbeat "Parklife." You have to give it to Courtney Love know else is quite like her. Whatever she is doing now forget it and remember the music she made with Hole. The song "Malibu" makes California seem a little like Seattle. Then a perfect transition into "Good Souls" by Starsailor. A live In-Studio performance of Coldplays "Yellow" slows down the compilation toward the end. The end of the CD and movie come with reflection. Its good to know that even a man with a life as great as his would change things in the end. Yes he was the Mayor, given the title for life and even had some songs written about him. "Mayor Of The Sunset Strip" by Marizane would be the last song on the Soundtrack except the bonus track by the man himself - "I Hate the '90s"

Best Song: Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) - Dramarama
Worst Song: Jennifer Love Hewitt - Ronald Vaughan
Weired Stand Out: Good Souls - Starsailor
P.S. This discs is flawless.. one of the only Soundtracks that is a non-skip album.

Rock and Roll Alert: AC/DC Backtracks Box Set

"For those about to rock" here is a set for you. This box set is chucked full music including "studio rarities," and has two discs of “live rarities.” This is a huge deal for all of us live music fans. You get two DVDs, three CD's, a hardcover book and “memorabilia from the band’s earliest days of touring.” What kind of Memorabilia? Well a little of everything, lithographs, a poster, and a replica of one of the fake $100 bills used to shower audiences during the ‘91 Moneytalks tour. This and much more crap that should send you speeding down memory lane. That's not all they take care of the Vinyl lovers with a LP featuring 12 studio rarities. All this and more stuffed inside a functional 1-watt guitar amplifier. Yes, you can play riffs through you box set like Angus Young does on the Backtracks website. A New box set means new shit from our favorite Aussie band, only $200 BUCKS.

http://www.acdcbacktracks.com

Art of the Motorcycle - Songs of the Open Road Inside Sounds/Wonders 2005

1. Call Me the Breeze / Joe Boogie 4:42
2. Born to Be Wild / Jim Dandy 3:56
3. A Harley Someday / Wally Ford 3:11
4. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning / Eddie Dattel 4:57
5. Down the Line / Beat Generation 2:08
6. King of the Road / Billy Gibson 3:36
7. Little Honda / Jack Oblivian 2:18
8. Midnight Rider / Phillip Durham 4:19
9. On the Road Again / Dr. David Evans 3:16
10. I Want to Hop on Your Harley / Ann Rabson 2:17
11. Highway 61 Revisited / Beat Generation 2:47
12. Riders on the Storm / Hal Butler 5:02
13. Jitterboppin' / Richard Ray Farrell 2:42
14. Travelin' Band / Charles Ponder 2:32

This compilation proves that even a great set of songs can make a bad CD. At first glance this looks like a good album for a road trip, but you would soon toss it out the window. J.J. Cale is a fun song to start with. Joe Boogie does "Call Me the Breeze" some justice. Its nice to relive the times when you were "rolling down the road." Then you sit through the worst vocal ever on "Born to be Wild." Hard to know what Inside Sounds was thinkin' on this one. Everyone that has grown up on the road in the last half century claims their going to get "A Harley Someday," but does Wally Ford make us believe it? Bikes and the songs sung about them are part of a outsider culture. Eddie Dattel feels like an outsider on this compilation because he has one of the only sincere performances with a Richard Thompson Cover. The Beat Generation have a playful guitar and nice harmonies on "Down the Line." Then the transition into "King of the Road" sounds smooth. To bad that momentum is lost with more bad vocals in "Little Honda," the harmonies sound forced. Its a fun song taken to seriously by Jack O. If there is no fun in the studio then that comes out on the mix. One would think that the Memphis International Cultural Series could have done a better job of covering these old songs with some class, or at least with some of the spirit of the originals. Even the "Midnight Rider" sounds flat. "On the Road Again" is a little livelier but not much. A nice Jazzy addition to this CD is Ann Rabson's smooth vocal with a piano and horn backing her on "Hop on Your Harley." The Beat Generation Comes back with the Dylan cover, put forth with good timing and an upbeat an playful sound. We can see why they picked the song "Riders on the Storm" but how it comes out over the speakers is not to impressive. Then out of nowhere is a short instrumental that rocks and bops, (Jitterboppin') too bad this CD does not end on this high note. No they bring you back down with half-assed "Travelin Band." If this compilation had been thought threw a little more, or given more time and consideration to the songs they did pick, it could be great. These are wonderful little rock songs that just don't sound right on this CD.

Best Song:1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Eddie Dattel
Worst Song:Born to be wild - Jim Dandy
Weired Stand out:I Want to Hop on Your Harley - Ann Rabson and or Jitterboppin' - Richard Ray Farrell
P.S. The Beat Generation had some good tracks on this album. They sounded like they where having fun and play this kind of stuff all the time.

Listen To Bob Dylan a Tribute Drive-Thru Records 2005

Disc one
1."Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)" performed by Steel Train
2."Like a Rolling Stone" performed by Anberlin
3."Mr. Tambourine Man" performed by Roark
4."Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You" performed by Socratic
5."Blowin' in the Wind" performed by House of Fools
6."Girl of the North Country" performed by As Tall as Lions
7."The Man in Me" performed by Jenoah
8."I Believe in You" performed by Cerys Matthews
9."Simple Twist of Fate" performed by The Format
10."A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" performed by Jason Mraz

Disc two
1. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" performed by Rock n Roll Soldiers
2. "It Ain't Me Babe" performed by David Melillo
3. "Positively 4th Street" performed by I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business
4. "Just like a Woman" performed by Something Corporate
5. "She Belongs to Me" performed by Kisschasy
6. "To Ramona" performed by Days Away
7."Boots of Spanish Leather" performed by Julia Haltigan
8."I Want You" performed by James Blunt
9."I Shall Be Released" performed by Steel Train
10."The Times They Are A-Changin'" performed by The Stay at Home Joneses
11."The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" performed by Rx Bandits

This is not you average tribute album. This is a clean cut case of how music can be interpreted differently and still take your breath away, remember we are talking about Bob Dylan. On this album, mostly young upstarts give us Bob's music in a new way. Stefanie Reines of Drive-Thur Records put this Tribute together with the intention of showing how Dylan still opens people's eyes even today. She puts a Quote in the liner notes, " It's not that Bob Dylan's music changed my life, it's that his music changed how I look at my life." Some of these songs have a Pop like glossy finish, or Indie like style. This is not wrong in any way. It's what makes this tribute sound more like a real tribute then just people trying to be Bob Dylan.
Highlights on the first disc of this double album are laid back and pleasing to the ears. Steel Train "Don't think twice (it's all right)," starts us off and running. Anberlin with "Like a Rolling Stone," makes one want to look into this bands catalog to see if they are always this good. Next is a uplifting "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Roark. Socratic can stay here any time with there playful harmonies. Might have picked a different song for House of Fools, "Blowin in the Wind" needed something more. Coming in on number six is As Tall As Lions, they make the north country very inviting. Then Jenoah does "Man in Me" bringing out something in anyone listening. Cerys Matthews in the first girl on this collection and belts out the lyrics to "I Believe in You." Then a soft and stunning "Simple Twist of Fate" by The Format. And coming in at the rear Jason Mraz with "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." Marz really channels Dylan on this track.
Then when you thought it was all over, there is a second disk. Great to see that lots of the younger singer songwriters are up to playing Dylan. Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers have a lot of fun hooting' and hollering on "Rainy Day women #12 & 35." Then on "It Ain't Me Babe," Dave Melillo puts out a nice effort. If there is a bad cover of "Positively 4Th Street" I have not heard it. It's such a great song done justice again by I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business. (winner of longest band name) The piano on this "Just Like a Woman" is a nice touch, most songs on this tribute are guitar songs. Something Corporate also seems to find the inner Dylan. Kisschasy has a slight ascent that makes "She Belongs to Me" different but most enjoyable. Days Away seem like they are in a far off place with "To Ramona." Then a song that does go somewhere, "Boot of Spanish Leather." This is the second girl in this group, and be glad Julia Haltigan was included because her voice is so sweet. To bad it is followed by a lack luster "I Want You," by James Blunt. Steel Train chimes in again with "I Shall Be Released," they have to be good live. The Stay at Home Joneses sings a "Times Are A-Changin'" that seems like a bar sing along. At last we come to the end with "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll." The Rx Bandits putter and roll on to a jazzy end to this tribute of the great Bob Dylan.

Best Song: Boots of Spanish Leather - Julia Haltigan
Worst Song: I Want You - James Blunt
Weired Stand Out: The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll - Rx Bandits

P.S. The layout of these two discs is almost flawless, almost a non skip album. One of the rare tributes that you can share with others.

Rock and Roll Alert- Les Paul Jazz-Guitar Virtuoso and Inventor, Dies at 94

Thursday, August 13, 2009; 12:45 PM
Les Paul, 94, a Grammy Award-winning guitar virtuoso and inventor who helped bring his instrument, typically assigned to chug along rhythmically and compliantly, to the forefront of jazz performance, died today at a hospital in White Plains, N.Y. He had pneumonia.
Thank you Les for everything....