The College Crowd Digs Me

" 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...

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...

"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 '80s.  Time has only made him better.   After working the stage for two hours, Bob graciously joined me for a bit of coffee and convo.  Bob Walkenhorst  Interview - August 3, 2013 Cas...

"Stay gold  p ony-boy... stay gold." William Devane loves gold.  It's no secret.  The man reminds us every day and night with his commercials. But did you know the man also loves listening to songs about the glittery stuff? The other day while Willie D was busy counting his coinage...I had the opportunity to sneak a peak at his gold-plated iPod.  These were the songs that came up first. "The Power of Gold " -  Dan Fogelberg / Tim Weisberg Up in the morning and off to...wherever...but not before mega-blasting this motivating day-starter! "Jingle Jangle" - The Archies ..if there's one thing William Devane really likes...it's the sound of coins, preferably gold coins, bouncing around in his pockets. "Your Gold Teeth" - Steely Dan This is William Devane's "go to" conversation starter with the ladies. "Shakin" - Eddie Money ...Anything by Eddie Money , really.  Sadly, no...

The  Horse  Head Presents... 6 Degrees of ~ CASEY CHAMBERS ~  1.   Everett CHAMBERS  -  TV producer ...spent decades in television and is best known as the executive producer for the classic detective series... COLUMBO .  One of my favorite eps... "A Deadly State of Mind" (Season 4 - 1975) is streaming now on Netflix .  2.   Marilyn CHAMBERS -   Actress ...was a savvy and talented business gal who became a mega-star in the adult entertainment industry.  Her break-out performance in "Behind the Green Door" (1972) is NOT on Netflix ...but will have you streaming just the same. 3.   Paul CHAMBERS -  Jazz bassist  ...was one of the top bass guitarists of his era with his debut... " Whims of Chambers " (1956)  considered an excellent sample of hard bop. However, it is his outstanding string-spankage with the Miles Davis Quintet (1955-1963) that sparkles...

GEMS IN MY  MAILBOX Sometimes ...one must revisit the past before pushing things forward.   And... Fatal Jamz... appear to be pushing things forward quite nicely.  With plenty of  glitter-glam panache and tasty rock-meat on the bone .   Fatal Jamz     make one point after another with  delicious   sparkling guitar shimmer ...never allowing the listener a moment of doubt that they know what they're doing...whether it's melting the paint or catching a butterfly.   And the mix is excellent. Marion Belle F alsetto love-flame singer Marion Belle  absolutely shines...delivering the news like a  Dickens town-crier.  With a powerful and gentle  urgency, Belle has learned  from the best...sounding both uniquely  fresh and oddly familiar.   "Scorpion Chain"  -  Fatal Jamz Fatal Jamz  "Vol 1" is filled with eleven songs that  rewa...

"Some girl that  knows the meaning of... hey hit the highway." John Mellencamp The acknowledged  "Little Bastard"... John Mellencamp ...had already recorded five albums prior to his 1982 money shot ... "American Fool" . Most critics, uptil then, had taken a collective turd on ' Camp's earlier output, but the two albums leading up to his Billboard Breakout were not all too shab . (I'm not dipping my toes in water earlier than that!) His self-titled... "John Cougar"   (1979)   and "Nothin' Matters and What If It Did" (1980) ...are not necessarily must-own albums, (although both are in my keeper-collection)...but they're not Mellencrap either. So here are 7 underrated songs well-worth another viz for your cherry-picking pleasure. John Cougar (1979) "Sodom and Gomorah  they run the roadhouse." (" A Little Night Dancin' ") "All those old fools you used to ru...