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Showing posts from 2013

Lost Stream Gem: "Valley Of The Dolls" (1967)

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"Breakdown nearly every day. Shoulda known ya couldn't get away." --> Cheap Trick <-- "Valley Of The Dolls" is a guilty pleasure. A favorite mistake that rewards in spite of itself. It's a groan-fest frothing with over-the-top acting and show-biz cliches. But I absolutely dug it! Partly because of the look and vibe...but mostly because the actors are so freaking sincere. Without spoilers, 3 young girls (one very sweet...one very ambitious...one not so talented) get schooled in the shag-nasty ways of show-business circa late 60's New York City. Barbara Parkins, Sharon Tate, Patty Duke Barbara Parkins , I suppose, is the Dorothy on this yellow-brick road. Patty... "a hotdog makes her lose control" ...Duke is still a cutie. And Sharon Tate (who we all know from...well, you know) was considered a star on the rise. I've never been a huge fan of singer, Dionne Warwick , but she was the perfect choice singing the the

Lost Book Gem: "Twenty Years After" - Alexandre Dumas (1845)

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" Brothers fight or fall It's man for man and one for all." ~ Thin Lizzy ~ In the earlier classic, "The Three Musketeers" ...the swashbuckling Fab Four (D'Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, & Aramis) were reveling in the thralls of Musketeer-mania. But now,  "Twenty Years After" finds our beloved swordsmen thrusting their poniards in conflicting directions.  They're still like brothers, sure...but they're also different men with different interests, personal and political.    It's a confusing time in France.  Tense civil unrest has the country divided and the guys are smack dab in the middle.   Someone from their past is bent on inflicting some vicious sword-spanking revenge.  And a slimy adviser to the throne is  manipulating their Queen like a pawn on a Parcheesi board.    All of which finds the Musketeers with their  butts against the bowl. At nearly 800 pages, Alexandre Dumas weaves a suspenseful tale of  adventure   w

Lost Gem: "Hot Summer Day" - It's A Beautiful Day (1969)

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"And they told me that I looked a fool  And I said I'd let that go." ~ It's A Beautiful Day ~ A band often forgotten when discussing the  San Francisco hippie headspin... It's A Beautiful Day made some wonderful moments of  f rock trippage. However, IABD had a slightly more  prog vibe going on.  David Laflamme's unique  electric violin and harmonica play and s inging partner, Patti Santos'   vocal harmonies  created a haunting experience that blended smoothly like a Jefferson Airplane/Moody Blues milkshake. Life-partner Linda Laflamme's lava lamp organ riffs are magical and mysterious giving arrangements a smart,  edgier ride.   Listening to classic rock radio, one would think "White Bird" was all It's A Beautiful Day  ever did.    It wasn't.   Explore, my babies, explore. Lost Gem:-->   "Hot Summer Day" ... A dreamy coffee shop mind-hang.  Gorgeous harmonica and violin nicely weave around sm

Horse Head -- Beatle Covers You Can Count Me Out...(IN!)

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I'm going to skip the obvious,  over-played,  Beatle cover choices and include 9 other favorite covers.  "She's A Woman" Jeff Beck Blow By Blow (1975) ...One of my fav Beck instrumentals...has a kinda kraut-funk vibe-atude with outstanding phrasing utilizing the talk-box to amazing effect. "I Am The Walrus" Oingo Boingo Farewell (1996) Crazy energy with the band completely onboard. Here's another clue for your fanny. The walrus is Danny.   "Tell Me Why" April Wine Power Play  (1982) Gentle mellowed-down stamp that was risky and shouldn't have worked so well...and I enjoy it as much as the original.   "What Goes On" Sufjan Stevens This Bird Has Flown  (2005) Took my least favorite Beatle song...and turned it into something beautiful and quite inspired.   "Within You Without You" Sonic Youth Daydream Nation  (deluxe 2007)

Pandora The Explora - VOL. 2

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Doing the Pandora shuffle. Check 5...and see what the fates allow. "Breaking All The House Rules" Budgie Bandolier (1975) A shame Budgie never broke.   This has good green riffage with heavy foot on the accelerator.  Starts the night with a shot. " Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall" Paul Simon The Paul Simon Songbook (1965) This was recorded in England apart from Garfunkel.  Maybe he was considering not to return. Nice gentle song that I've already forgotten.  Still, Paul was always a solo act...even as a duo.  Press play for affirmation. " Bouncing Around The Room" Phish Lawn Boy  (1990) Phish serves up worm jam for the mind that allows you to float downstream. This one's a signature.  The studio version is great.  But LIVE is the way to go. " Stone Free" Captain Beyond Live in Texas October 6, 1973 A really good Hendrix cover...but the sound is a little muddled.  Still it shou

Lost Gem: "Funky Pretty" - Beach Boys (1973)

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" if you're cosmic'ly conscious... you'll see." ~ Beach Boys ~ The Beach Boys were kinda funny, weren't they?  Not funny ha-ha...but "shake-your-head" funny. They created some of the most exhilarating music of the '60s...and then "Sgt. Pepper" comes along and before you could say "Mr. Kite" ...the Beach Boys were an oldies act. I exaggerate, but not much.  My point is they were still making really good music ...just nobody was hearing it.   Go back and listen.  They never were the Beach Boys ...really.  They were simply boys the world wouldn't let grow up. Lost Gem:-->   "Funky Pretty" ...the final track on "Holland" (1973) ...is filled with unusual lead vocal changes all over the place and has a groove that is simultaneously infectious and gritty . It takes a hard-left from their familiar sound but with a road-map arrangement that is still trademark Brian . Brian would sadly le

Pandora The Explora

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Doing the Pandora shuffle. Check 5...and see what the fates allow. "Nelly the Elephant" - Nektar Down To Earth (1974) Entertaining instrumental with a krautrock circus ringmaster pronouncement is far more interesting than one might expect.   Tasty brass leaps in and out with ear candy. "Hands of Doom" Black Sabbath Past Lives (2002) Not one of my favorites...but it's early Sabbath.  Rarely heard and live at that!  It's wonderfully somber with trademark tempo changes. "We're Turning Again" Frank Zappa You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 6 (1992)  Kind of a funky thing. Great line:  "...they were mellow; they were yellow. They were wearing smelly blankets. They were Donovan fans."  Good stuff...so wtf? "Sailing" Sutherland Brothers & Quiver Lifeboat (1972) Pleasant enough, but quickly brings to mind Rod the Mod's version.  Sutherland's version wins by a n

Interview:--> Bob Walkenhorst (The Rainmakers)

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"Older than I used to be, Younger than I'm gonna be. " ~ The Rainmakers ~ It was nearly 30 years ago when The Rainmakers (led by Bob Walkenhorst ) first rocked-up the infamous Coyote Club.  And Kansans are still talking about those shows. The Rainmakers bring it hard.  They deliver the sweat like the FedEx man on Christmas Eve.  And Bob Walkenhorst is the kool-kat who rings the bell and takes off before you can answer the door. Just back from a successful tour in Norway, Bob  was applying a second coat of  acoustic   kickass  rock-paint on the ears of some appreciative fans at the iconic Donut Whole in Wichita, KS. Even at 60, he looks and sounds every bit the raucous rocker from the 80's.  Time has only made him better. After working the stage for two hours, Bob graciously joined me for a little coffee and convo.   Interview - August 3, 2013 Casey Chambers :  I'm a big fan of Stephen King and I was knocked-out when I saw your song "Do