In one of the better Roger Daltrey interviews published in anticipation of his solo tour he he was motivated to get his voice in shape for several upcoming Who projects. Said he “we have some big events lined up.” This … Continue reading
It’s been an exciting six weeks, with shows by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Bob Dylan, Roger Daltrey and Roger McGuinn. This added up to a master class in what I now call “classical music,” although only McGuinn acted like a … Continue reading
Roger Daltrey Showbox SODO, Seattle October 12, 2009 We need to immediately dispatch this old man crap; Roger Daltrey’s age, how good he looks in its spite, and of course that whole “hope I die before I get old” nonsense. … Continue reading
I am midway into the equivalent of a boomer music master class, seeing Crosby Stills and Nash, then Bob Dylan, in three weeks time. Next up, Roger Daltrey and Roger McGuinn. This is all coincidence, but has become a crash … Continue reading
SEATTLE, October 4, 2009. The retooled band backing the great man was propulsive and precise. The power quartet of two guitars, bass and drums was complemented by steel guitar and the bandleader on organ. Tremendous sound, although the vocals were … Continue reading
You may not know to look at him but Roger McGuinn was famous long ago, with the same aura as those named Dylan, Jagger, Lennon, Wilson and Phillips. In America he was bigger than Ray Davies and Pete Townsend. As … Continue reading
Photo: Charlie Bermant. 9/14/09. Puyallup. WA I’ve seen Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young five times between 1969 and 2006, with the interplay between Stephen Stills and Neil Young always leaving behind a sense of breathless wonder. I finally got off … Continue reading
A bonus CD containing five songs recorded by the Beatles in 1979 in John Lennon’s apartment will be part of the new remastered box set to be released today, ending a 30-year artistic and legal battle that kept the recording … Continue reading
Journalists are faced with conflict of interest opportunities every day. It’s obvious that you should never deliberately lie or plagiarize, but the harder decisions come around issues that are not so easily defined. Like when reporters acquire information that can, … Continue reading
The policewoman who dragged Bob Dylan into the a New Jersey stationhouse will never live it down, and it could even end up on her tombstone. She will face a lifetime of ridicule because she failed to recognize one of … Continue reading
I had forgotten this still existed, which is probably why it still exists. It was buried in a box in my Mother’s house, which I extracted when she finally left home in July. I joined this fan club in 1968, … Continue reading
Some time ago I bought a carousel that held 400 of my favorite CDs and changed how I listed to music. The best part was the ability to set the controls on “shuffle” and play random selections from my entire … Continue reading
As part of the toxically shocking celebration of Woodstock’s 40th, the New York Times called to their readers and asking them to film short Woodstock related oral histories. The people who responded had enough spare time After seeing the first … Continue reading
Forgive me, readers, for it has been a long time since my last post, several weeks since my series of observations about the entity into which Woodstock has evolved. I will now bring this nonsense to a close. The Woodstock … Continue reading
In the rock and roll universe, band reunions are thwarted by two separate but equally important circumstances: The musician’s inability to remember the songs well enough to play them and the audience’s realization that where and who they were at … Continue reading
John Mellencamp’s new live EP, which reworks eight songs from last year’s Life, Death, Love and Freedom, kicks ass. I liked the album, even if some of it sounded like stuff he’s done before (and done better). There were a … Continue reading
A search for “Woodstock Set List” online results in several choices. They differ greatly, and have the nerve to contradict my actual memories. Take the official version, from the Woodstock website. This is incorrect at least twice, since Mountain appeared … Continue reading
Up until now and presumably into the future, Woodstock content has populated every digital platform. Read this aloud. Don’t those words just roll off your tongue? Back then, when you attendance at concerts was actually required, you needed to plan … Continue reading
The Woodstock Festival is renowned for its free environment and magical character, but there were some rules. As proof, the ticket facsimiles distributed as part of the new Woodstock box set provide a fascinating little detail when turned over. It … Continue reading
Stay with me here, because it takes a minute to get to the point. I lived in the town of Woodstock as a child, which is not where the festival was held. Still, the little burgh has benefited from the … Continue reading
Eight months after the festival there was a movie, and a soundtrack. Soon enough there was a second soundtrack. Home video evolved, and there was a cassette version and a videodisc. A video of “lost performances” followed, along with an … Continue reading
Toward the end of the Woodstock Festival I was forcing myself to stay awake for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young when a stranger approached and asked me to open my mouth. I complied and he threw something inside. “What’s that?” … Continue reading
