Oct 202011
 

Please explain how in the world the cast of the original Bob Newhart is beating Welcome Back Kotter in the “Who Would Have Made the Best Band” poll?

First let me acknowledge that the original Bob Newhart show is a stone cold classic and the second one had its moments as well, while Welcome Back Kotter wasn’t even funny in a turd-in-the-urinal kind of way.

But what kind of band is going to come out of either Newhart show? All I can envision for the first one might is a Steely Dan meets Kraftwerk scenario with Mr Carlin and Bob on the synths and Jerry and the receptionist on drums and bass. As for the second, maybe some condescending, too-smart-for-its-own-good, purposefully trashy send up of hillbilly music, like a third-rate Southern Culture on the Skids. And those are the best case scenarios as I see it.

On the other hand, it doesn’t require much imagination to see Vinnie Barbarino as Joey, Arnold Horshack as Dee Dee, Juan Epstein as Johnny, and Freddy “Boom Boom” Washington as that other guy.

Seriously, I love Bob Newhart. I have two of his albums. I’m a big fan of the Grace L Ferguson Airline and Storm Door Company. But for a band? Explain yourselves, Newhart supporters, or stop voting with your hearts and use you heads.

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Oct 202011
 

I was listening earlier to some early Springsteen and thought, not for the first time, that I wish Bruce had never gotten involved with Jon Landau.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/07-Thundercrack.mp3|titles=Bruce Springsteen, “Thundercrack” @ The Main Point, April 24, 1973]

I have been a fan of Bruce since the first album and loved the second album and have always thought that it was all downhill (as far as recordings go) from there. The next few albums were still great but nothing matches the looseness and the freewheeling musical aspects of The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle. After that it became increasingly codified & repetitive.

And that started when Landau got his clutches into Bruce. Coincidence? I think not.

Not that I think Landau was Col. Parker to a compliant Elvis. Bruce certainly was complicit in it. But it’s hard for me not to think that Bruce would have been a lot better if Landau didn’t sand off the edges, give Bruce a mentor for that politicization he underwent (and I’m not one of those who thinks artists shouldn’t be political—it’s fine with me and I agree by & large with Bruce’s politics—I just don’t like what it did to his music), & prime him for mega-stardom.

Agree? Disagree?

And what other pivotal events in rock & roll history do you wish never occurred?

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Oct 202011
 

Lock up your hatas, your skeptics, your cynics, Mr. Moderator is leaving on a jet plane! Stay tuned for some of the most aggressively loving vibes on the Web, including a special “LIVE from the Coast of Loving” edition of Saturday Night Shut-In.

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Oct 182011
 

I finally got a chance to watch Nowhere Boy, the early John Lennon biopic starring Aaron Johnson, the titular star of Kick-Ass, and Kristin Scott-Thomas (as Aunt Mimi) tonight. It was solid. I usually dislike biopics, especially artist biopics, but once this film got past an eddy of Oedipal issues between young John and Julia (Get a room, already!, I was feeling at one point) it stuck to a pretty down-to-earth imagining of Lennon’s late-teenage life and his formation of the eventual Beatles. It certainly helped that the actors portraying the musicians actually knew how to play guitar. As far as Beatles biopics go, I wouldn’t rank it near the best, The Rutles’ All You Need Is Cash, or the most interesting portrayal of early Beatles speculation, 1991’s The Hours and Times, but it did its part to recount some key articles of faith.

I DVR’d this Lennon flick from Showtime. Following the credits there was the above trailer for a new U2 documentary, From the Sky Down, on the making of my favorite album by them, Achtung Baby. This trailer has Recounting of Articles of Faith written all over it! It debuts Saturday, October 29.

What’s the most recent rock flick you’ve seen? What’s the next rock flick you plan to see?

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Oct 182011
 

How does this performance by Fleet Foxes make you feel? What most stands out for you in the performance and the editing? What do you think my 3 favorite cuts are? What article of clothing is missing from this performance above all else? What do you like about this performance? I think even members of the Bad Attitude Club would acknowledge some good in this.

I look forward to your thoughts.

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Oct 172011
 

My brother and I are playing an acoustic ALL-KINKS show this weekend to test the waters on an all-Kinks band. (No joke, it’s at LOLA Art Gallery!) Acoustik Kinks will just be acoustic guitar and vocals with a focus on the Face To Face through Lola era.

I plan to record the show and post on YouTube if it goes well. We already have a few drummers interested. Now will there be an audience for this (see my very short-lived Hendrix/SRV cover group)…who knows???

You are the crew that came up with (and most likley put the nail in the coffin of) Electric Stevieland, my Hendrix/SRV Tribute band in 2008 that played one great show and then forgot to book a second one…ever.

I had forgotten that there was a website for this band until I just “Bing-ed” myself (I need to reset my work computer back to Google):  http://stevierayhendrix.wordpress.com/music/

My favorite Kinks name so far is Art Lovers, but nobody will every know that we are a Kinks group with that name (and if they know the song they may keep their kids away).

I’d also like to find a name that is not being used already. Dave Davies‘ band is Kink’s Kronicles, there is a Kinda Kinks (and a Kinda Kinda Kinks) and a Kinky 2, etc.

There was a band called The Dedicated Followers, but they have been gone for a while, so that may be an option.

Our set list follows…after the jump!

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Oct 172011
 

The family and I were driving home from a dinner out the other night when Steve Miller Band‘s “Rock ‘n Me” (I had no idea that was the song’s actual title until just now, always figuring it was “Keep on Rocking Me, Baby”) came on the radio. I reached for the dial, mumbling “There’s no need to ever hear that song again.”

My wife loves Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits. She will forever give Miller’s catchy, airheaded hits a free pass. “Why’d you change that?” she asked, when I went back to the Classic Rock station, after realizing the radio had nothing better to offer. “You know I like that song.”

“That song’s taking business away from BTO‘s ‘Takin’ Care of Business’,” I replied, “there not room enough for two songs so stupid. One of them has got to go!”

So which dumb-ass 3-chord song gets chopped, “Rock ‘n Me” or “Takin’ Care of Business”?

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