Punk Rock An Oral History - John Robb

 

I really need to keep track of where I first hear about a book or record, cuz I can't remember at all where I first heard of this 2006 tome, but I just discovered it very recently and was able to find it at a reasonable price, so grabbed it. It seems like it should actually be called British Punk Rock, as it is completely Brit-centric, but since that's where Robb is from, that makes sense, I suppose. He has quite a history in music, apparently, although I have never heard or even heard of him or his band, the Membranes - guess I should see what they're about while I'm at it...

In any case, this is another book in the Please Kill Me mode (which pre-dates this one by 10 years or so, and had an almost identical subtitle) with snippets of interviews with early participants compiled together in a chronological order to make a coherent story. Of course, most of the early punks grew up in the late 50's and 60's, making them exposed to the wildness that was early rock'n'roll and most everyone has pretty stellar taste in music (although I never got the reggae/punk connection, which seems to be a British thing, overall), which is why they created such cool sounds themselves!

Funnily - to me, anyway - Robb puts footnotes on glaringly obvious things but not on some very British things and people that Americans like me have no idea about. But, I guess if I really cared, I could look them up, couldn't I? (I just did and discovered that someone was talking about a soccer player - I never would have guessed, even in context there was no clue.) Also, early on I noticed a blatant error in the footnotes, so take it all with a barrel of salt...

Most of the people interviewed actually come off very well, somewhat modest in their accomplishments and acknowledging their influences - except for Lydon, of course, who, as always, comes off pretty insufferable. As we all know, the New York scene is where everything started and those bands - especially the Ramones - were the blueprint for the London scene, although Robb's narrative makes it sound like punk existed only in England, even while he talks about the importance of bands like the Ramones (and others), as when he calls Damned, Damned, Damned the first punk album! Clearly, he means the first British punk album, as the New York scene had already released a number of LPs.  Laughable since he already talked about how much the Ramones first several albums (among others) influenced everyone in Britain.

Sniffin’ Glue was the beginning of the British punk fanzines - influenced by the Ramones and NY’s Punk magazine, of course. I loved it when I could find it back in the day but had no idea that by the end they were going 20,000 issues! Wonder if that’s a piss take cuz that’s amazing!

As an aside - Robb mentions Eddie Cochran a few times but spells it “Cochrane” - no idea why but kind of annoying! Things like this and other bits I've already mentioned makes Robb a bit unreliable, but, as I said, the main characters interviewed - with a few exceptions - do their best to set the record straight and not over-sensationalize their (legit) accomplishments. Hilariously, Robb also mentions that  what he calls "punk's second wave" (although probably at least 3rd by then, in reality) were the "true punk bands fulfilling punk's original prophecy". Certainly up for interpretation, although he seems to be equating hard core (I suppose I should say "Oi bands", since it's Britain) with punk rock, which is not the same in my mind, so there ya go...

So, as time goes on Robb gets into bands that I have never heard and have not been interested in (although maybe I should check some out and see what I've been missing) so the book starts to flag for me and is nowhere near as exciting as the early days. But, I'm sure that others will find this period more interesting than the original days, if that's where their interest lies. Having said that, there are some interesting groups in the post-punk/goth/mod/whatever scenes, so there's always something to bring back interest. He ends things in 1984 - a decent place considering he's not trying to create a history of punk rock!

Naturally, this was a big endeavor and Robb should be heralded for that, despite some minor quibbles. Certainly a good read for fans of real punk rock!

RIP Rick Buckler

Rick Buckler, The Jam drummer, dead at 69 

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I loved the first two Jam albums - a great mix of punk rock and the mod-era Who that was definitely driven by Buckler.

Got to see them once about the time of the 2nd album and they were ferocious! 

Sad to hear of Rick's passing.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Live at Fillmore East 1969

 

Stills and Young have discovered the master tapes for this show, recorded a month after their smash set at Woodstock, and compiled and mixed the original 8 track tapes, keeping it all analog. A similar set to the famous Four Way Street double live album, this nonetheless has some variety and a few surprises.

This opens will a full performance of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", as opposed to the few seconds of the finale that appears on Four Way Street. This ode to Judy Collins - Stills' lover - has a bit of melody variations from the recorded version and shows the four seeming to enjoy themselves and the sound that they are creating. As they would always do, they start off with the four of them acoustically, then move onto a few solo slots (although they seem to support each other more here than on Four Way Street and mix things up a bit more) before bringing on Greg Reeves and Dallas Taylor (bass and drums) for an electric set.

So, they collaborate on their harmony-drenched cover of "Blackbird", "Helplessly Hoping", "Guinnevere" (with some striking acoustic guitar interplay), Nash's "Lady of the Island", Stephen gets bluesy on "Go Back Home" (as he did on "Black Queen" on 4 Way), Young gives us his terrific "On the Way Home", back to Stills and his fine finger-pickin' on "4 + 20", Nash accompanies himself just on organ for an unusual "My House", there's a nice Young number that I'm unfamiliar with, "I've Loved Her So Long" (with neat harmonies) before Steve finishes the acoustic portion with his great "You Don't Have to Cry".

Crosby's "Long Time Gone" has always been one of their best electric tunes, with terrific guitar interplay, subtle organ touches and, of course, their harmonies and vocal interplay between Crosby and Stills. Another highlight is the famous "Wooden Ships" (cowritten between Crosby, Stills and Jefferson Airplane's Paul Kantner, who also covered it), with the same instrumentation and interplay, followed by Stills' "Bluebird Revisited" given a powerful, organ-fueled performance here - sounds like Steve on the keys, as he was a terrific player. Young's "Sea of Madness" is one that I always loved from Woodstock and this performance is at least as strong and he continues to shine in his "Down By the River", which would become a two guitar workout between Stills and Young and damn if this isn't one of the better recorded versions of this classic as the two of them play harmony lines as well as play against each other (even if one of them is slightly out of tune!). For the finale, they go back to "wooden music" (as they called it) for the amazing, harmony-drenched classic "Find the Cost of Freedom".

Yes, I've been a fan since this combo first appeared and this is truly a solid performance from start to finish. I know that many critics maligned 4 Way for various reasons, but damn if this isn't the better record, IMHO. Fans will definitely want it!

On the Road with the Ramones - Monte Melnick and Frank Meyer

 I should have gotten'n'read this 2019 book ages ago, but for whatever reason it eluded my grasp. I just happened to check our library for it and lo'n'behold, they had it! 

Melnick is, of course, the Ramones tour manager from the start to the finish and Frank Meyer is our old friend from the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs and innumerable other groups - far too many to name - who has managed to be involved in videos, movies and books as well as a star-studded musical career (he is on tour with Handsome Dick Manitoba, as of this writing!).

The Ramones changed the course of musical history with their first album and their incredible live shows and there is basically no one making music today that does not owe them a debt of gratitude! Obviously, I have read other books telling their story before, but here is a new persepctive.

Monte became friends with Tommy early on and formed a band together called Triad after the Tangerine Puppets (Tommy's band with Johnny) broke up. They were fast friends who saw lots of amazing acts and decided to try a power trio themselves. That split up and Tommy started working at the Record Plant and was involved with Hendrix's Band of Gypsies album, among others! That story always amazes me!

The Ramones tale is also always fascinating, even though I naturally know the gist of it all, so the story flows quickly and it is an easy read. Again, this is a book where the story is told from interviews with the folks who were there - from the band members to friends to family - even the parents! 

This tale also includes the behind-the-scenes folks - the road crew that normally does not get much mention but they keep the band going on tours and without them, there wouldn't be a show. The crew is usually crazier than the bands themselves and it seems that this bunch is no exception!

They get into a bit of the band's personalities - Johnny's racism, Joey's OCD, Dee Dee drug abuse and crazy girlfriends, Marky's alcoholism and bug eating, etc. Tommy seems like he was always pretty steady and CJ just liked to party and pick up chicks! Of course, Johnny ending up marrying Joey's girlfriend caused a lot of friction and more than one person says that "KKK Took My Baby Away" was about that since Johnny was racist - kinda wow!

Of course, we go through the entire career, right through the end and beyond, with post-career accolades and more, right up through their deaths. 

Really well done - kudos to Melnick and Meyer for a great job of telling the tale that everyone who loves rock'n'roll needs to know. Sorry it took me so long to pick this up!

The Hellacopters - Overdriver

 

Anyone who knows me or has read this blog knows that I have been a fanatical follower of the Hellacopters since first discovering them in the 90's - I think Payin' The Dues might already have been out. I was floored by their Detroit-styled, noise-ridden punk'n'roll, with great songs, crazed guitars and lots of attitude. They cleaned up their act some as they evolved, but always had solid songs and terrific guitar playing throughout. They split up in 2008 for a number of years before reforming and releasing Eyes of Oblivion in '22 and now this is their latest follow up.

I must admit that although I have dug pretty much everything that the band has done, these "reunion" records are not quite as great as their previous work. On "Eyes..." they had Dregen back on second guitar but due to some medical issues (as I understand it), he does not appear on this record and Nicke handles all of the lead guitar work himself - some extra rhythm guitar work is provided by the keyboardist (long time member Boba) and new bassist Rudolf de Borst (they still have original drummer Robert Eriksson, as well).

The songs are also just not as dynamic as the earlier work. Not to say that this is a bad record - it definitely still rocks powerfully - but is just not as memorable as pretty much everything that Nicke and company did previous to their split. Fans will need to pick it up, of course, but if you're just starting out discovering the Hell's, grab their earlier stuff first, for sure - Super Shitty to the Max (Swedish Grammy winning!) and Payin' the Dues are monsters!

recommended gigs

               

Friday 2-14-25 - the Minges, Crimson Riot, VaVoom at the Double Down

Saturday 2-15-25 - TV Party Tonight 10th Anniversary at the Double Down with live music by Stagnetti's Cock

Saturday 2-15-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-17-125 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden TIki

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-22-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-23-25 - Thee Swank Bastards with special guys the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-24-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-11-25 - Victims Family, Nasalrod, Fat Dukes of Fuck, the Bitters at the Dive Bar

Tuesday 3-11-25 - the Double Whammys at Composers Room

Friday 4-11-25 - Go Betty Go, Lords of Altamont, the Shakewells at the Usual Place

Saturday 4-26-25 - The Ghastly Ones, the Shakewells, Gamblers Mark, Toe Tags at Swan Dive

Sunday 5-25-25 - New Bomb Turks, The Baboon Show, Civic, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place

Dr. Feelgood - Richard A Lertzman and William J Birnes

 

Of course, I have known about such doctors - maybe not this one specifically, although it's possible - but I did not know of the extent of celebrities who availed themselves to such medical specialists. I certainly had no idea - which was the point - of John F. Kennedy's numerous illnesses and weaknesses and injuries. The way he is described here, he sounds like a near-cripple that Max Jacobson brought to life and gave him his presidential career!

The doctor’s personal story is fascinating, as he began his career in Germany, but had to escape to Praque when the Nazis came to power (he was warned of his upcoming arrest by a grateful Nazi patient), then to Paris and eventually to New York. The tales of this progression are fascinating, but it is when he starts his practice in America that he begins to treat major celebrities - Cecil B DeMille, among them.

(As an aside, I think it is fairly hilarious that his second wife was named Nina Hagen!)

His fame and practice continued to grow in New York and his list of clients - if this book is to be believed - is almost beyond belief! I won't list them all here (there is an appendix at the end of the book), but there are harrowing tales of addiction caused by Jacobson's "magic elixir", and careers rising to great heights and terrible depths.

There is certainly speculation and sensationalism in this book and I believe that the narrative needs to be taken with a grain of salt. When the authors get into the Marilyn Monroe affairs with JFK and Bobby Kennedy and intervention by the CIA, there is no way that they could know for a fact the things that they intimate. But, it all makes for a good story! Same with the conspiracy theory of JFK's murder, in which they conflate basic knowledge of the event and basically say that it is a fact that the CIA was behind it. I'm not saying that this isn't plausible, but it seems that the authors purposely confuse basic facts just so that no one takes them too seriously.

After a few patients had severe side effects and some even died, there was finally a investigation into the doctor's methods and eventually he lost his license and, even though some patients stuck with him til the end, he was disgraced and died in infamy.

This is a wild story, if even a fraction of it can be believed! Fascinating and enthralling and at just a few hundred pages, it is a quick'n'easy read. Check it out for some crazy tales of 60's celebrities and presidential misbehavior! (The story of JFK running through a hotel naked is a new one for me!)

recommended gigs

              

Friday 2-7-25 - the Implosions, Tippy Elvis, Triple Splits at Red Dwarf

Friday 2-7-25 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-8-25 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Saturday 2-8-25 - Cheap Trick at the Westgate

Saturday 2-8-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-9-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-10-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-14-25 - the Minges, Crimson Riot, VaVoom at the Double Down

Saturday 2-15-25 - TV Party Tonight 10th Anniversary at the Double Down with live music by Stagnetti's Cock

Saturday 2-15-25 - Surfer Joe at Fat Cat

Saturday 2-15-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-16-25 - Surfer Joe at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-17-125 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden TIki

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-22-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-24-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-11-25 - Victims Family, Nasalrod, Fat Dukes of Fuck, the Bitters at the Dive Bar

Friday 4-11-25 - Go Betty Go, Lords of Altamont, the Shakewells at the Usual Place

Saturday 4-26-25 - The Ghastly Ones, the Shakewells, Gamblers Mark, Toe Tags at Swan Dive

Sunday 5-25-25 - New Bomb Turks, The Baboon Show, Civic, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place

Why Don't You Smile Now - Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-1965

 

Everyone knows that Lou was a staff songwriter for Pickwick before forming the Velvet Underground from the ashes of the Primitives, which was a band created to capitalize on Lou's song, "The Ostrich", that the label was - hilariously - thinking would become a new dance craze! A few of Lou's tunes have appeared previously - I have a comp album with "Cycle Annie", for instance - but this is the first time (that I know of, anyway) where a good number of songs written by (not necessarily performed by, although some are) Lou at this time have been compiled in one place.

Seeing as these tunes are approximately 60 years old and certainly haven't been stored in pristine conditions, the sound quality varies - "The Ostrich" is particularly poor, unfortunately - but overall, it's pretty good.

As Lou would always say, the types of songs also vary pretty wildly, from primitive garage to girl groups to doo wop, crooners, Beach Boys/Jan and Dean influenced vocal-surf tunes and other pop of the times. Lots of Phil Spector rip-offs, some pretty cool soul-ish tunes, and, of course, Lou's own guitar weirdness is occasionally evident, even in these early days.

The Crawdaddies did a terrific, Velvet-styled version of the title song early on - still don't know where they first heard the tune, especially as their version sounded very different to the one included here by the All Night Workers. Ah, the detailed liner notes tell me that the Downliner Sect did a version (that I don't own), which explains that "mystery".

Overall, the songwriting is surprisingly strong, overall, considering that cuts by the Primitives and the Beachnuts were pretty trashy, and probably could have been hits if they had been in the hands of known artists and a more established record label. 

This is a pretty fun comp, especially if you're a fan of early 60's sounds that these tunes emulate and were part of. The CD comes with a huge, 40 page booklet with tons of info from Lenny Kaye and especially Ritchie Unterberger, who interviewed others who were involved, on the sounds herein. Not cheap, but worth it for fans of Lou and the early 60's!

Carole King - Tapestry

 

As one of the biggest selling records of all time, this album needs no introduction to anyone who cares about such sounds, but I bought the CD for the first time recently, after reading about various singer/ songwriters and wanting to revisit it. While I always dug wild, electric guitar rock'n'roll more than anything, I certainly had a soft spot for the singer/songwriters back in the day and King was better than most, as she had been writing hits for others for years as a contract writer before making her own records. 

Every song here was written or co-written by King and her syncopated piano starts off the up-tempo "I Feel the Earth Move", the oft-covered tune (even the Golden Gods did this one!) that was (rightfully) a big hit for her, which is followed by the melancholy ballad "So Far Away". "It's Too Late" is a Grammy-winning mid-tempo tale of love that's run its course with some fine playing all around - people like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell appear on the album to help out, along with some highly talented session musicians. "Home Again" is a lesser known tune but still fine, highlighting Carole's soaring voice, the life-affirming "Beautiful" follows, with the melancholy ballad "Way Over Yonder" closing side one of the vinyl album with some lovely gospel-tinged backing vocals added. (The amazing Merry Clayton is credited as a backing vocalist - sounds like her work here.)

Side two opened with the song that gave James Taylor a big hit, the sweet "You've Got a Friend" (hers naturally dominated by piano, as opposed to Taylor's more acoustic guitar-oriented take), "Where You Lead" is another mid-tempo with neat, girl-group-styled backing vocals and a nice arrangement with some organ giving a little variation to the acoustic piano dominance, and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" is, of course, the song that she wrote that became a big hit for the Shirelles in 1960 - slowed down for a powerful performance with Joni Mitchell assisting on the vocals. The surprisingly sassy "Smackwater Jack" is a bouncy number of murder'n'mayhem, the title ballad is, ironically, my least favorite, as it is a bit saccharine, even considering the surroundings, but they come back for a strong performance on the 1967 Aretha Franklin hit that Carole penned, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman".

The CD includes a couple of bonus tracks, one that I never heard before, "Out In the Cold", which could have easily fit in with the rest of the tunes here - possible even stronger than a couple of them, and a live, solo version of "Smackwater Jack". 

I know a lot of my friends will not be interested in this album, but for those who appreciate the singer/songwriter scene of the 70's, this is one of the best ones.

recommended gigs

             

Saturday 2-1-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-3-25 - The Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-7-25 - the Implosions, Tippy Elvis, Triple Splits at Red Dwarf

Friday 2-7-25 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-8-25 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Saturday 2-8-25 - Cheap Trick at the Westgate

Saturday 2-8-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-9-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-10-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-14-25 - the Minges, Crimson Riot, VaVoom at the Double Down

Saturday 2-15-25 - TV Party Tonight 10th Anniversary

Saturday 2-15-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-17-125 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden TIki

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-22-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-24-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-11-25 - Victims Family, Nasalrod, Fat Dukes of Fuck, the Bitters at the Dive Bar

Friday 4-11-25 - Go Betty Go, Lords of Altamont, the Shakewells at the Usual Place

Sunday 5-25-25 - New Bomb Turks, The Baboon Show, Civic, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place

Now You're One of Us - The Incredible Story of Redd Kross - Jeff and Steve McDonald with Dan Epstein

 

I've known and played with Redd Kross for, shit, almost a half century or so now (although haven't played together in decades and my bands were nowhere near cool enough to be mentioned in this book) and have always been a fan of their totally un-serious version of punk rock mixed with power pop, pop culture, bubblegum, glam, metal and whatever else crossed their demented little minds. We've been pals with Dan Epstein for quite a number of years (decades) as well, so the combination meant that we had to pick up this book as soon as we could!

Although they are both a couple of completely lovable goofs, the McDonald brothers are actually quite intelligent and well spoken and they have terrific taste in music. Considering that they are up to ten years younger than me, they were discovering the same hip music that I was at the same time that I was, despite being little kids. Although they grew up in Southern California, they were in a suburban town and far enough away from the happenings (since they were too young to drive) that they learned about bands from the same Circus/Creem/Rock Scene magazines that I did and only occasionally were able to convince their parents to drive them to a rock show - and eventually to punk rock gigs.

Being music fanatics, it was only a matter of time before they wanted to start their own band and even though Steve was only 11, he was incredibly talented and kinda pushed Jeff to learn guitar. When they met Greg Hetson, another guitarist, and found a fellow school-band member drummer, their dream became reality and they started playing shows as the Tourists.

There are lots of tales to be told and people come'n'go from the band at an alarming rate, but they become Redd Kross, manage to record Born Innocent and, after a few years and some various comp cuts, Teen Babes From Monsanto along with cuts for the Teenage Lovedolls movies, which they also appeared in. I saw a number of the various lineups, including the one with Tracy'n'Janet (first time I saw them, I believe), with Dez Cadena (covering Blue Cheer) and, among others, even at least one with a hair metal drummer that they had for a short time (I had forgotten about this drummer until the book reminded me)! Oh yeah, and the time they played the Country Club (a pretty big place) with Roy McDonald (no relation) on drums and surprised him by saying "drum solo!" and walking off stage!

Obviously, there's a lot I never knew about the guys, their career and their opinions of their records (apparently they don't care for the sound of Neurotica and Third Eye but dig Phaseshifter and I don't see a big difference and naively just assumed that the records sounded how they wanted them to sound). As with many of us, they were disappointed that they didn't get the chances that others did, but RK got a lot of chances that I wish that I had gotten, so there you go! 

Eventually, they get tired of the grind and take a multi-year break in which Jeff basically becomes a stay-at-home dad and Steve works on all kinds of projects, from producing various artists to playing with Sparks for five years! Again, I had absolutely no idea! He also ends up playing with Off! and the Melvins but the itch returns and they come back with Redd Kross for multiple new albums, tours (we saw them with the Melvins in 2019), reissued records and renewed respect.

After reading so many books on 70's rock stars who ruined their lives and became miserable as they got older, it's nice to see that the brothers are healthy, have strong romantic and familiar relationships and can still rock together! There's a new double album out and it doesn't look like these youngsters have any plans to stop any time soon. Long live Redd Kross!

I also gotta say that I can't imagine a better fit than Dan Epstein for this book - a talented writer and a fine musician who has had some terrific power-pop-influenced bands himself and who can appreciate the wacky pop culture references, as well.

Great job all around! Get it!

RIP Marianne Faithfull

Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78

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Truly sad. A true talent - I especially love her Broken English record.

Drums and Demons - The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon - Joel Selvin

 

I believe that I first heard of this one through yet another review in Ugly Things and after reading about Gordon in books that's I've perused recently like the Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge tomes (among others), I wanted to learn more about his story.

Gordon was, of course, a session musician who played on an incredible amount of huge hits - too many for even this book to list (although what is listed alone is truly mind-boggling) - as well as a member of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen touring group, Dereck and the Dominos and innumerable others. Unfortunately, he was also a severe schizophrenic who did not take her prescribed medications regularly, heard voices in his head, preferred to self-medicate (with predictable results) and had random violent episodes, as exhibited by his then-girlfriend Rita Collidge's prominent black eye in the Mad Dogs documentary movie.  He ended up alienating his friends and peers to the point where he no longer had a serious career and eventually sat in with a bar band in Santa Monica until a switch flipped in his brain and he tragically murdered his own mother and spent the rest of his life in jail.

A short introduction about percussion in general and a tale of how Gene Krupa is basically responsible for the modern drum kit (I had no idea!) and we move into Jim's family life in Southern California. His dad was a character in his own right - two previous marriages, a child, embezzlement charges, a stint in the army and alcoholism - and Jim's childhood was uneventful but not particularly pleasant until he discovered the drums and quickly became a proficient player. As a teenager he moves quickly from playing in a local band (with the help of a fake ID) to touring the world with the Everly Brothers to session work. He plays on some of the biggest hits of the day, then moves on to Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen and Derek and the Dominos.

As is usual for me, the early days are the most exciting of the story and Selvin tells the tale in a truly engaging way. Unfortunately, once the drugs'n'alcohol become addictions, everything gets depressing instead of fun, especially combined with Gordon's mental illness. Gordon's first show of real violence appears on the Mad Dogs tour - the famous story of sucker punching Rota Coolidge - and then continues with his next girlfriend while with the Dominos as he becomes more unstable.

But while he becomes more and more unstable, he still maintains his musicianship and after the Dominos runs its course, he moves back to LA, back to session work and hit singles and a stint with Frank Zappa. More and more hit sessions come his way even as he becomes more unpredictable and volatile, more erratic, more argumentative and more violent. Eventually his illness cannot be conquered by playing drums (his previous salvation) and he loses work, either due to the voices telling him not to go or producers getting tired of his unpredictability. 

Selvin seems to have intimate knowledge of Gordon's illness and detailed descriptions of the voices in his head - either there were diaries depicting what Jim was going through or Selvin is simply using a writer's prerogative to tell the story. Either way, it is pretty harrowing, with the voices telling Jim to do things that he never wanted to do and if he didn't, he would be inflicted with pain so severe that he couldn't function. In the end he succumbed and murdered his mother in the hopes that it would rid him of her voice, and with her, the others that were crowding his mind.

Of course, this didn't really work, and, while clearly insane, he spends the rest of his life in jail, which he seems to adapt to better than life on the outside, although this portion of his life is just touched upon.

The title is truthful - this story is tragic, as well as horrifying and depressing. But Selvin is a fine writer and it is a compelling read. Recommended to anyone with an interest in this time period and this amazing music.

recommended gigs

            

Saturday 1-25-25 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-25-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-26-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 1-27-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-1-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-3-25 - The Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-7-25 - the Implosions, Tippy Elvis, Triple Splits at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-8-25 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Saturday 2-8-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-10-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-14-25 - the Minges, Crimson Riot, VaVoom at the Double Down

Saturday 2-15-25 - TV Party Tonight 10th Anniversary

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Sunday 5-25-25 - New Bomb Turks, The Baboon Show, Civic, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place

Taj Mahal - Original Album Classics

 

After reading the book on Jesse Ed Davis, I wanted to discover more of Mahal's music so I grabbed this 3 CD set for a reasonable price. Of course, I have heard some of his music, but this seemed like a good overview. Oddly, this set collects the first two studio albums then jumps 6 years to a 1974 release - no idea why, but it's a shame as he made several records in between (he has an impressive discography) and there was much better music to include.

I first became aware of Taj due to the Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus and so I expected his music to all be in a similar R'n'B/Blues-y vein. But his records are a much more mixed bag, so much so that I wasn't sure how to react to it all at first. Certainly some R'n'B influences - though not much as dominant as "Ain't That a Lot of Love" - but mixed with pop and the blues wasn't necessary the electric blues of the later British bands, but early country blues combined with folk and whatever else popped into Taj's mind. Certainly not a purist in any contemporary sense!

Disc 1 is the self-titled debut album and is fairly blues oriented, but with Taj's (and the band's, of course) own twists to it. They are not trying to slavishly recreate older music but are content with branding it with their our style. Opening with "Leaving Trunk", a funky, blues with excellent playing all around and with the band giving a great groove. They follow that with their take on "Statesboro Blues", which highlights Jesse Ed Davis' slide work and which caused the Allman Brothers and Duane to cover it and influenced Duane to pick up his Coricidin bottle, which in turn influenced countless guitarists to pick up some kind of slide. "Checking Up On My Baby" is a rockin' blues that shows off Jesse's piano playing as well as his lead guitar, and side one of the album closed with another in the same upbeat vein, "Everybody's Got To Change Sometime" - again with great playing all around, fine vocalizing from Taj and nice slide work.

Side two of the vinyl kicks off with "EZ Rider", with an arrangement by Taj, who blows some mean harp here, and he and Jesse trade off riffs for Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom", "Diving Duck Blues" is a hip mid-tempo blues arrangement of various tunes, it seems, with more fine slide work, and the album finished off with a slow, drivin' blues with Ry Cooder on mandolin and Taj on acoustic slide, showing that he was a terrific player himself (I have another album that has a number of songs with just Taj and his guitar and it's all pretty amazing). All in all, a pretty fab debut record!

Disc two is dedicated to the album, The Natch'l Blues, opening with "Good Morning Miss Brown", a bit of a poppier blues with Al Kooper on piano, followed by "Corinna", the trad song given a cool arrangement by Taj & Jesse, "I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll" is an upbeat boogie blues, the funnily titled "Going Up the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue" is a mid-tempo groover and side one's closer, "Done Changed My Way of Living", is a 7+ minute long, Howlin' Wolf-styled blues with some stylin' playing - think this is Taj here, rather than Jesse, although I'm sure he gets his licks in there somewhere!

Flip over the vinyl and there's another interesting title, "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule To Ride", which, funnily, sounds to me like a blues filtered through the likes of Leon Russell via Bob Dylan - or something like that! "The Cuckoo", as with a number of Taj's tunes, seems to incorporate a number of older blues, and has another hip groove to it, then the band gets truly soulful in "You Don't Miss Your Water" and this album closed with the R'n'B stomper, "Ain't That a Lot of Love" and while I'm so used to the incredible R'n'R Circus version that this horn-drenched take is a bit of a surprise, but it's also great in its own way.

Surprisingly, as most of the CDs in these packaged sets are only the original vinyl albums, this CD includes bonus tracks, with another take on "The Cuckoo" (pretty great, actually), as well as "New Stranger Blues", a slow, moody number with soulful playing by all, especially Jesse on guitar, and finally, "Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine", which doesn't appear to be any of the similarly titles tunes I know of, but a rollickin' instrumental, which gives everyone a chance to show off - a nice ending!

Disc 3 Mo’ Roots, though, is essentially unlistenable as it is simply AOR-oriented terrible reggae - really nothing redeeming about the whole album. I feel bad being this harsh but especially after the quality of the first two albums, this is exceedingly bad.

Considering that this is a discounted set, it is worth it for the first two CD's but you can slip the last one and search for some of Taj's other work like Giant Step, which I wish had been included here instead.

Mott the Hoople - Two Miles From Live Heaven (updated)

I'm trying something new here - revisiting an old review - this one from 16 years ago! - since I just listened to this set again and I wondered what I had to say about it.

At the time, I think I was so happy to see any new MTH releases that I would have recommended almost anything and while I still think that this is worthwhile, I'm not sure that I would say it was "highly" recommended.

Again, I'm much more of a Mick Ralphs fan than an Ariel Bender/Luther Grosvenor fan, but each have their moments here. 

CD 1 is a bit of a mish-mash with tracks 1-5 being the original band running through "No Wheels to Ride", "Whiskey Women", "Walkin' With a Mountain", "It'll Be Me" (the 50's tune, learned from Jerry Lee Lewis) and "Angel of Fifth Avenue". Pretty great sound and playing throughout these numbers, although Ian berates the audience for not getting "heavy" enough, although he eventually relents. Then the Ariel/ Morgan Fisher lineup does a pretty great job of "Drivin' Sister", "All the Young Dudes", "All the Way From Memphis" and Sweet Angeline". I was truly impressed by these renditions, as I hadn't cared for Ariel's tone of his playing on some other recordings, but these are top-notch! The CD closes wih a few demos from the original band - not outstanding, but fun for fans to hear.

CD 2 though is a bit of a mess, unfortunately. The mix is pretty atrocious, Ariel is far too loud and his tone is fairly awful and Ian's voice is completely shot, to the point of breaking pretty regularly throughout the entire set. While most of the song selection is pretty stellar, there are a few clunkers - mostly Ian's ballads like "Rest in Peace" and "Hymn For the Dudes" - and the performances just don't flow. I think by this time they were realizing that Luther didn't really fit in the band and that combined with Ian's voice and the mix, means this is not a CD that you will listen to repeatedly.

In any case, it's still great that there has been so many MTH CD releases and I'll take - and buy! - whatever comes out. This is one strictly for fans, though!

Here's my original review from 2998: 

I’ve been a huge Mott fan since they first hit with “All the Young Dudes” and the fantastic album of that same title. When I discovered their earlier works, while Hunter led them through some Dylan-esque folky territory, I found out that they were also one of the heaviest and noisiest bands around! Brain Capers and Mad Shadows in particular have some incredible moments.

So, I have been grateful for the previously unreleased material that has been uncovered in the CD generation. There have been a number of eye-opening live recordings of very good quality popping up lately and this is another great one! I never got the chance to see them – which I will eternally regret – but by all accounts they were a boggling live act.

This release covers a number of years and tours and is accompanied by a terrific booklet with plenty of info and some fantastic photos that I had never seen before. These cats had a wild r’n’r image and some phenomenal clothes!

This 2 CD set concentrates on live shows with Ariel Bender/Luther Grosvenor, Mick Ralphs replacement, but while I far prefer the studio albums with Ralphs, these live cuts are all quite strong.

There are songs covering their entire career here, and some previously unreleased tunes, all of which are terrific! Not the place to start for novices to the band, but for fans, this is highly recommended!

RIP David Lynch

David Lynch, director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Mulholland Drive’, dead at 78 

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recommended gigs

           

Friday 1-17-25 - the Crotches at the Dive Bar

Friday 1-17-25 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-18-25 - the Implosions, the Luxuries, the Hideaway at Red Dwarf

Saturday 1-18-25 - Thee Swank Bastards and Stagnetti's Cock at the Double Down

Saturday 1-18-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-19-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Sunday 1-19-25 - Save Kitty Chow's Home Fundraising Variety Show at Cornish Pasty

Monday 1-20-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-25-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-26-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 1-27-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-1-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-3-25 - The Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-7-25 - the Implosions, Tippy Elvis, Triple Splits at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-8-25 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Saturday 2-8-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-10-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-14-25 - the Minges, Crimson Riot, VaVoom at the Double Down

Saturday 2-15-25 - TV Party Tonight 10th Anniversary

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Man Enough to be a Woman - Jayne County

 

Of course, I've been familiar with Wayne/Jayne since the 70's due to their inclusion in any rock zine that covered the NY scene. County's outrageousness far outstripped any'n'everyone else, including gender-benders like Bowie, Jobriath, Reed and anyone else that you can think of. Being on the outskirts of "normal" society their entire life, including growing up in a small, southern town, means that County has wild tales to tale and is, frankly, lucky to still be alive!

Considering the hell that I received as an outcast in a northern Indiana town in the 60's and 70's just by having slightly long hair and being a pacifist, it is fairly incredible that Wayne (at the time) was able to dress up like a female and was fairly openly gay and only received mild harassment. Apparently, it helped that there were a couple gays that were even more flamboyant as well as the fact that some of the jocks came on to Wayne.

The British Invasion gave a soundtrack to Wayne's life - a fanaticism that never faded (they have pretty great taste) - and that alone was enough to be an outcast in the 60's in the South, but combined with their outrageousness, again, I am amazed. After getting a job in nearby Atlanta, County discovers drag queens and life is once again changed.

There are innumerable stories as she becomes part of the gay scene in town, but things change, as they do, and she decided she wanted to go to San Francisco and decided the easiest and cheapest way was to go to NYC and look for a ride, but once she got to town, she realized that she liked it and fairly quickly became part of the underground there. Of course, it helped that she met Leee Black Childers early on and he introduced her to everyone and soon she and Leee were sharing a room with Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis, among others!

The Theater of the Ridiculous was certainly influential - David Bowie especially took plenty of ideas from this - but I've got to say that it all sounds a bit too ridiculous for me, personally. But, that is what got Wayne their initial recognition in town, which, of course, morphed into their musical career. Wayne even became part of the Main Man stable for a while, but while MM coughed up money, apartments and shows, no recording was ever done. Not sure why, as the material was so overly extreme that it never could have crossed over to any kind of mainstream, even to the level that Bowie's glam stuff did. County was sure that Bowie was jealous but I don't think that there was any kind of competition there.

Eventually, County got a band in England, started recording and touring and making more "serious" music. Oddly, they mention songs about religion and how they still respected their extremely conservative church they grew up in and basically says they do not believe in evolution! Wild! Lots of stories of playing, touring, recording, traveling, picking up boys and more (even working into a transsexual whorehouse!), as well as talking frankly about the fact that they never did the full operation, even though that was definitely reported in some papers. Plenty of psychotic relationships and jealousies and breakdowns - possible at least partially due to hormones.

County eventually settles down to an extent - at least offstage - and seems to have come to peace with themselves, even if they didn't achieve everything they had hoped to (again, very relatable!). 

A rollickin' read and a first hand account of the gay/transsexual scenes in the 60's and 70's from around the world! 

The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane - Robert E Howard

 

As I've said, I was a fan of REH's Conan since Marvel set him in their comics, and with the success of that run, Marvel extended their REH works to include this Puritan hero, Solomon Kane. Despite his lack of joie de vivre and lusty exuberance that Conan exhibited, Kane's somber outlook, all black attire and somewhat unstable fixation with righting wrongs (to the point of obsession and, while he denied it, a thrill of fighting'n'killing), all registered as a bit more human than the more famous barbarian.

This compilation of various tales and a few fragments of stories, varies in quality. I do not know the chronology of Howard's writings, but some of these are not nearly as fleshed out as some of his other work. There are also unfortunate bigotries of the time which must be overlooked if one is to enjoy the tales, even if some are a bit cringe-worthy. 

Despite these issues, this book is still quite enjoyable, as Kane literally travels the world on the trail of evil-doers, often encountering "savages" in the jungles of Africa along with many other exotic locales. He overcomes outlandish odds, but in a fairly (comparatively) realistic way and while he may be caught up in blood lust himself, he does always try to avenge those who are wronged by evil.

I quite enjoy these tales as ways of escaping the insane "real" world for a while, but, again, the prejudices of the time may turn off some folks.

RIP Peter Yarrow

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary dies at age 86 

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Can't deny that I was a folkie in the 60's and I learned how to play guitar to songs from the likes of PP&M. 

Sorry to hear of his passing.

recommended gigs

              

Friday 1-10-25 - Femaliens, Wheelchair Mosh Pit, Atrocity Girl at Red Dwarf

Sat - 1-11-25 - Deadbolt, Mondo Vermin and the New Waves at the Dive Bar

Saturday 1-11-25 - the Souvenairs at the Underground

Saturday 1-11-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday - 1-12-25 - Thee Swak Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 1-13-25 -Thee Swank Bastards  at the Golden Tiki

Friday 1-17-25 - the Crotches at the Dive Bar

Friday 1-17-25 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-18-25 - Thee Swank Bastards and Stagnetti's Cock at the Double Down

Saturday 1-18-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 1-19-25 - Save Kitty Chow's Home Fundraising Variety Show at Cornish Pasty

Monday 1-20-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 1-25-25 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 1-27-25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-7-25 - the Implosions, Tippy Elvis, Triple Splits at Red Dwarf

Saturday 2-8-25 - Bear Supply at the Double Down

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Ugly Things #67

 

I always recommend the Stax's Ugly Things zine, and this is a particularly good ish. A great, extensive article on the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band from Mike, David Laing gives us a huge (part one!) interview with Ed from the Saints, who comes off as a very hip guy with great taste (with an announcement of a Saints tour, with Marc Arm, of all people, singing since Chris has passed), there are oddball 60's combos like the Weird Herald and the Fringe, more 70's punk rockers with part 3 from Rob, the guitarist of the Subway Sect (who comes off as a super pretentious snob - which I have probably been guilty of before - but with some great tales), 80's psyche combo Plasticland and the usual innumerable reviews of books, CD's and whatever else comes along!

Something for just about everyone here and the amount of info on each group boggles the mind. The zine has evolved into practically a musical novel of classic combos. Always gonna say - get it!

recommended gigs

             

Friday 12-27-24 - the Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 12-29-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Friday 1-10-24 - Femaliens, Wheelchair Mosh Pit, Atrocity Girl at Red Dwarf

Sat - 1-11-25 - Deadbolt, Mondo Vermin and the New Waves at the Dive Bar

Friday 1-17-24 - the Crotches at the Dive Bar

Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf

Jesse Ed Davis Washita Love Child - Douglas K Miller

 

I have been (knowingly) a fan of Jesse Ed Davis’ since seeing him play with Taj Mahal on The Rolling Stones Rock’n’Roll Circus. His original-sounding, cutting, Telecaster leads on Taj’s number are not overly flashy, but strike home perfectly - a sign of a true talent.

Apparently, this book has been a while in the making, but was just released at the beginning of 2024, so I must have heard about it not long after its release. Miller had previously written more generally about Native Americans but, as a musician himself, wanted to hone in on Davis’ contributions to modern music. I can’t find Miller’s age anywhere, but apparently, he wasn’t even born during Davis’ musical hey-day, which should make for an interesting perspective.

Funnily, given the more obscure nature of Davis' music in general, I thought that this would be a quick read, but it is also over a thousand pages! But, as I get started on the meat of the book I discover why - Miller gives a history or Native Americans (including Davis' ancestors) going back centuries. Interesting in a general sense, but not necessarily the reason why I picked up this book.

Eventually we get to Jesse and his upper-middle-class upbringing in a musical household that encouraged his endeavors. Unlike some musicians, Jesse was also a jock at school and did well scholastically, at least until music overtook his desire to do much of anything else. He played in local combos, as one does, although in Oklahoma (which I was totally unaware of) many of the players went on to become huge stars in their own right. Jesse's first big break was playing guitar with Conway Twitty, of all people, although Jesse was already a fan and studied the playing of his predecessor in the band.

Once he moved to LA, he hooked up with the Tulsa, OK crew at Leon Russell’s pad and eventually caught the eyes and ears of Taj Mahal and spent several years with him. This book quotes Duane Allman as saying that Jesse’s slide playing with Taj is what influenced him to pick up his Coricidin bottle. He worked with innumerable stars, put out some solo records and played an impressive amount of quality sessions, from jazz to “Doctor My Eyes” to “High Time We Went” and more than can be listed.

After several solo albums that went nowhere and lots more session work (including a couple tunes with Leon and Bob Dylan), Jesse spent some time with John Lennon and became part of his band that recorded Rock’n’Roll and Walls and Bridges. Unfortunately for Jesse, that didn’t last and he floundered, looking for direction.

I absolutely do NOT remember Jesse joining the Faces, even for a short while, but apparently he did. After that fell apart, Jesse kind of fell apart, as well, and the following decades are depressing due to infinite lost chances due to drug and alcohol dependency. So many stars from the 60’s and 70’s suffered from the same fate after their hey-day - bad decisions, bad choices, bad health, bad (or no) management, and drugs and/or alcohol running and ruining their lives. I always think that I wouldn’t have made those terrible decisions, but I was also never in that kind of limelight, so who knows… And, as with so many others, Jesse succumbed to his addiction and died by an overdose in a laundry room of a friend's apartment, while waiting for the person to come home. A truly ignoble death...

I certainly learned a lot about Jesse here and he has some fascinating escapades, and worked with some of the biggest names in the business, but the decades of sadness and depression overtake any joy in the story. But, glad that someone has told the tale of this talented Indigenous artist.

RIP Sugar Pie DeSanto

Sugar Pie DeSanto, Larger-Than-Life R&B Performer, Dies at 89 

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Sugar Pie wsa a tiny, sexy, R'n'B spitfire. Check her out if you don't know her.

I honestly didn't know that he was still around, but sad to hear of her passing.

Under a Rock - Chris Stein

Of course, I've been a Blondie fan since I first picked up their debut album and dug their mixture of 60's girl groups and new wave/punk rock/what-have you. Well written tunes, 60's keys'n'guitars, and terrific vocals by the stunningly beautiful Debbie Harry. Amazingly, the ultra-geeky guitarist, Chris Stein, was Debbie's main squeeze at the time, and he was a big part of their sound so, of course, I was interested to hear his story when I found out that he had written an autobiography.

Chris grew up in the city of New York, so a very different environment that my suburban childhood a few years later. But, other than the landscape - which is interesting to read about - his younger years were not all that dissimilar than my semi-middle-class upbringing in Indiana.

Like most young kids, he had multiple distractions and interests and music was one of many and not necessarily the strongest one. That eventually changed and, as one of the biggest differences in our upbringings is the fact that he had places to go for teenagers to hang out and for teenage bands to play. He even claims (no reason to doubt him) to have played with at least one of the guys who later formed the Left Banke! 

He naturally fell into the big city's music scene, from the folkies to the rock'n'rollers, and managed to see incredible shows, sights and people. As so many did, he traveled to SF for the "Summer of Love" and spent several weeks simply bumming around (he must have had some money at this time although he does not mention how he really survived), before returning to the East Coast to pick up his habits of getting high and jamming.

There are lots of wild tales of the underground scene at the time and since it was still a fairly small gathering, it was inevitable that he would eventually meet Debbie, who was singing with the Stilettoes and, as it was a fairly loose group at the time, he was able to join in, as he was naturally attracted to her. They became an item and, of course, the band morphed slowly into Blondie.

Naturally, he mentions all of the other great, fun bands that were happening at the time and, again, since it was a small scene, most were friends and very supportive of each other. As the band coalesced and gained popularity, they recorded their single and first album and from there, things took off. Tours with Iggy Pop (joined by David Bowie) and shows with the likes of Tom Petty opening gave them experience along with the foundation of their fanbase. 

As they do, things move fast from then on and after "Heart of Glass" surprisingly breaks (it was, funnily enough, the third single chosen from the album), they are suddenly stars - with all of the baggage, expectations, workload and everything else that goes with it. Of course, Chris has plentyof tales to tell, from the insane to the mundane as they try to navigate their new-found fame.

Their rise’n’fall is fairly quick, really - a handful of years - but there are always various projects that keep them afloat along with countless reunions of various forms. Drugs were always prevalent and seemed to at least be partially to blame for Chris’n’Debbie’s split, although they stayed friends and work partners. But the fact that Chris seemed to be under the influence for most of his life makes some of the tales a little suspect, even while many are (mostly) believable considering the place’n’time. Horrifically, in the epilogue he mentions that his first born daughter died of an accidental overdose at the age of 19. Unfortunately, she did not learn from his mistakes.

Chris meanders a lot and, as I mentioned, kind of doesn’t distinguish between utterly mundane stories and truly fascinating ones. So, while the tale is interesting, Chris’ telling, while unique, of course, is not necessarily as compelling as the material. Fans should certainly check it out but look elsewhere for a more coherent band bio.

Rita Coolidge - Delta Lady

 

After finally finishing the fine Leon Russell tome I got curious about Rita, who, of course, was part of the Leon and Joe Cocker entourage - and the inspiration for “Delta Lady” (hence this book's title, natch) - and found this book. I never knew that much about her, other than that she was another stunningly pretty hippie chick with a fine voice. 

She opens with her recovering from a broken romance with Kris Kristopherson before reminiscing about her life. Growing up in the South with a loving, supportive family, she always sang but after a head-on car accident as a young teen, she temporarily lost some of her momentum. Of course, she healed up and moved on, becoming part of the early NYC folk scene for a short while (a mugging scared her into leaving town) and moved to Memphis, where her parents were then living.

She managed to become a singer with a jingle factory that started her musical career. She also started dating Al Green’s guitarist and so became deeply involved in the Stax scene and her sister even married Booker T! She met Delaney and Bonnie with Leon Russell while they were recording in town and moved with them to LA on a comparative whim. So, obviously, there are a lot of stories in common with the Leon Russell book, to the point where entire paragraphs are literal word-for-word quotes in both books, particularly the tales with Leon, Delaney and Bonnie and Joe Cocker and Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

But, of course, there are many revelations, as well, especially since I don’t know all that much about her career. I didn’t know that she had a serious relationship with Graham Nash between Leon and Kris (among others) and certainly didn’t know that she co-wrote the hit “Superstar” and part of the piano coda that ends “Layla”! (Which she is still waiting for Clapton to acknowledge.)

Although she describes Kristopherson as the love of her life, she makes it sound like it was a pretty unhealthy relationship, which is a sad juxtaposition. I know that it happens all the time, but what a shame that this strong woman spent years wallowing in abuse. It’s actually a relief when she finally leaves, with the help of a mega-hit album, something that most people don’t have to fall back on, to say the least!

Her career as a solo artist and a session singer took off pretty much as soon as she hit LA, and so she always had her own life while dating some huge stars. As I said, her solo album took off with huge hits just as she decided to leave Kris and although she never managed to reach this heights again, that was enough to sustain her throughout the rest of her life.

Apart from an epilogue, she essentially ends the story as she’s riding high, although even the epilogue has some tragedies. In any case, while she’s not an artist that I would listen to regularly, she has quite a tale to tell and tells it well. Worth checking out for anyone who digs the crazy r’n’r/folk/singer-songwriter scenes for the 60’s/70’s.

PS - I do have to say that it is kind of depressing to read about how fucked up (mentally, emotionally, physically - not necessarily drug-induced) so many musicians that we all looked up to really were. Of course, they’re people too, but it turns out that they were profoundly screwed up people - even more so that we thought we were as screwed up teenagers. Sad to learn about your heroes…

Leon Russell - The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock'n'Roll History - Bill Janovitz

 

Of course, I've ranted'n'raved about Leon numerous times here, as he was by far my fave keyboardist of the 70's (some stiff competition, to be sure, but he had some charisma that others didn't), and I've always dug his style'n'his sound. With a healthy dose of R'n'B, more than a bit of gospel and plenty of old fashioned rock'n'roll, Leon started as a session player, moved on to backing stars like Joe Cocker and George Harrison (among others too numerous to list) before becoming a star in his own right. His version of "Youngblood" in the Concert For Bangledesh movie blew me away, as did his own incredible songwriting.

I've read bits on Leon already, but always looking to see what people have to say about him. I must have known, but had forgotten, that he had cerebral palsy as a child, which explains his later difficulty in walking, as when we saw him 20 or so years ago. But, even though his right side had issues, he was practically a child prodigy on piano and managed to create his own style to make up for his physical handicaps. While his family life was rocky (his parents split up when he was young, his abusive older brother moved out at a fairly early age), he delved into music and, growing up in Tulsa, he was exposed to everything from country to the early greats of R'n'B to the burgeoning R'n'R scene, and more! He played in bands as a teenager and would often stay out all night watching'n'learning from the other musicians.

He moved to LA while he was still underage but with the help of a fake ID he was able to do some club work but his bread'n'butter was studio session work. Starting on demos, he moved onto actual recording sessions pretty quickly, playing alongside some of the biggest names in the business (as far as session players go, that is), many of whom went on to stardom themselves, just like Leon.

He moves relatively quickly from working with Gary Lewis and the Playboys to Joe Cocker to his own solo career, which takes off amazingly fast. His tour with Cocker and Mad Dogs and Englishmen and his stellar performance in Concert For Bangladesh only accelerates his rise and soon he, himself, is a “Superstar”. The stories accompanying this are all fascinating, of course, although some of the business bogs the story down a bit. But, I have to admit, the nostalgia of reading all of the incredible music that came out at the same time as Leon’s first couple of records makes me miss my youth more than I can explain.

His frantic pace of work, almost continuous touring and recording, spending copious amounts of money on any and everything that caught his eye, from houses to equipment or all kinds to studios to cars to backing musicians, his partying and the craziness around him as he let almost anyone stay in his houses with (or without) him, and his womanizing lends for incredible tales but, naturally, eventually wore him out.

Janovitz gives a detailed chronology of Leon's history and he also gives a pretty detailed critique of practically each song on each album - with special reverence for the early work. Innumerable stars enter Leon's orbit, including various Beatles and Stones, Clapton and innumerable others. Oddly, actor Gary Busey becomes involved with Leon - he’s also from Tulsa and was a local celeb before becoming a star - and plays drums with him for a bit and even brings Barbara Streisand over when they worked together on A Star is Born. Ton Petty and Dwight Twilley make surprising appearances as well, among others too numerous to name.

Leon had lots of interracial lovers (including his first wife) and band members which caused plenty of racism in the 70’s, even from his fans, who, one would think, would be above that due to the fact that he almost always had mixed bands. But, these things were still pretty new in the 70's for popular culture and many could not accept them.

Naturally, Leon's career doesn't stay on top forever and, combined with his insane spending habits, this causes some financial insecurities, although he continues to do alright for himself even while no longer being top of the heap. A move to Nashville, a new wife and new band and paring down his shows to more appropriate, smaller venues all combined to help his health, well being and career (on a much smaller scale than before).

Ironically, the man who had pioneered video for years could not adjust or adapt to MTV, unlike some of his peers, and he was stubborn enough in his ways that, while he could always earn a living, his success pales compared to others from his time. 

As always, the post-superstardom times in the rock star's stories are not as exciting, but it is interesting to hear what Leon did throughout this time, how he managed - and mismanaged - his life, his career, his health and threw away many of the lifelines he was given. 

Janovitz keeps it interesting, with lots of info on the recordings, Leon's family and love lives, touring, famous friends (Elton John, of course, gives him a big boost) and lots more. This is long - maybe a bit longer than it needs to be - but still a great read.

The Water Knife - Paolo Bacigalupi

 

I assume that someone online recommended this 2015 dystopia novel. Set in the not-too-distant future, the southwest of the USA is in a drought - but now “drought” no longer means temporary, it is simply the state that exists. Dust storms are continuous, many cities have collapsed from the lack of water and the Southern Nevada Water Authority is now a militarized organization that controls water lines and bombs or murders any one - or any city - that gets in their way.

Phoenix is a dying city where the inhabitants are barely scraping by, except for the "Fivers", those who have the money to live in one of the all-inclusive apartment complexes that actually has water to spare (although they won't spare it to anyone outside its walls) and all of the luxuries that we take for granted. The state borders are all patrolled and no one can come or go without special authorization, so those in the city are trapped unless they can come up with enough money to escape.

Here, three disparate characters collide - a (male) Vegas "water knife" (basically an enforcer for the Water Authority, a (female) journalist who is getting heat for writing about the travesties that are occurring, and a young (woman) local who is just trying to survive, and while she is brighter and gutsier than most, it takes more than that to escape. These three merge via a couple of Fivers who were planning a secretive big score - one being a colleague of the knife, one a friend of the journalist and one who simply picked up the local for a night of sex - but they end up dead and these three are involved and trying to discover what the score was that was worth torturing and killing for.

Overall, it's a good, gripping tale, but there are some issues for me - some of the made-up terms take a little too long to decipher, some of the tangents are drawn out a bit, some bits are not adequately explained and things like the journalist shrugging off being tortured for hours seem somewhat unrealistic. Some of the plot is painfully obvious, as well - so much so that I guessed it immediately, even though it dragged on for hundreds of pages after. And, I know this book is ten years old, but the fact that there are newsprint publications everywhere seems kinda old fashioned considering the other technology available, but maybe that is also supposed to show the difference between the haves and the have-nots.

A good, though flawed, story that did have a surprise twist ending, and a sobering look at the reality that is certain to come, particularly with the administration that we are getting next year. This won't be fiction for long, unfortunately!