I saw a recent cover of Rolling Stone magazine featuring an interview with Elton John. “Elton Remembers,” reads the cover copy, as the formerly flamboyant Glam star soberly stares out at me with his million dollar weave and horn-rimmed glasses as humble as those he wore during his 1970 tour introductory tour of America. I have not yet read this article, but I’m pretty sure I know what it’s going to focus on: the continuing process of John putting his rock ‘n roll house in order.
Buck Munger is one cool dude! Nearly 12 minutes of extensive research tells me that he worked for guitar and amplifier manufacturing companies. Check out his memories of working with Sunn amps and hanging with the likes of The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and The Buckinghams. Our friend Townsman Hrrundivbakshi, who will be hosting tonight’s special Thrifty Music edition of Saturday Night Shut-In, will be happy to read that Billy Gibbons was yet another intimate. I need to see if we can reach Mr. Munger. He seems like the type who would play well in the Hall.
I’ll tell you what: a 13th minute of research led me to this next video gem. Check it out…after the jump! Continue reading »
Why don’t we get stuff like this on Good Morning America?
“Do I care about my image?”
Stay tuned for Lou’s answer, coming at 7:50 am!
Lacking Depth
What’s the LeBron-led Cavaliers of great rock ‘n roll albums?
This Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers will meet in the Super Bowl despite suffering key losses through the grind that is the NFL season. Above all their meeting is a testament to each team’s depth. The Steelers withstood the suspension of their star quarterback for the first quarter of the season, and the Packers have been starting third stringers owing to a run of season-ending injuries to starters and their backups. That’s depth!
Sports teams depend on depth. There are instances, however, where one player, such as LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first half dozen years of his career, can elevate a team’s overall level of play and make it a contender. Look where the Cavs are this year, their first year without LeBron: last place and in the midst of one of the longest losing streaks in NBA history. That’s lack of depth, but no one can deny the strong team the Cavaliers were with James leading roughly the same cast of characters.
I’ve got this theory about the perfect television show being “5 deep,” that is, having 5 strong characters to carry plot developments, make the transitions between scenes, etc. Most of the greatest shows in television history are 5 deep. A show that’s 5 deep can usually withstand the loss of a key character. Think of Cheers and M.A.S.H. Charlie’s Angels, which was at best 4 deep, if you combine a half contribution each from Bosley and the disembodied voice of Charlie, struggled to maintain its quality as blond cast members came and went. Take a solid drama like 21 Jump Street, which was carried solely by hotshot newcomer Johnny Depp. Depp leaves the show, is replaced by Richard Greico, and the show’s quickly in the tank, like this year’s Cavs.
As with sports teams and television shows, record albums benefit by depth… Continue reading »
Larry Coryell, looking EXACTLY how an Ovation Roundback player was meant to look.
Mad props! to Townsman misterioso for sharing a link to the obituary for Charles H. Kaman, a pioneer in helicopter design and an all-around interesting man who also happened to invent one of the most dreaded pieces of musical gear, the Ovation Roundback acoustic guitar. Just thinking of that guitar makes me cringe.
My old guitar partner, Mike, used to have one of those things. Back in those days none of us had even a half-decent acoustic guitar, so when we needed an acoustic overdub on a 4-track demo, one of us would suck it up and play the Roundback. I hated the feel of that rounded, synthetic back against my inevitably sweaty belly. I hated the way the bottom of that guitar slid out, as if I was trying to play slide guitar or serve appetizers off the top of it. Seriously, if you click on no other link in this piece, check out this one! If that’s not going to alert the Rock Crimes Commission to the depth of this guitar’s societal ills I don’t know what will. Continue reading »
For those of you who may have lost track of the rock calendar today is The Day the Music Died, a rock-oliday in which we commemorate and celebrate the legacies of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and especially the Big Bopper.
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