Bears Rants from Clevelandrockandroll.com

Review: Evils Ways - House Of Blues - February 19th

2011-02-21T18:21:00.017-05:00

Review
Evil Ways
February 19, 2011
House Of Blues

By now if you have been reading my stories and reviews for the past two years on clevelandrockandroll.com, you know how I feel about going out and hearing live music. There is nothing better, I mean nothing…….but on the flipside there is nothing worse than going out and hearing music played badly.

That’s why on Saturday I was a little apprehensive about making the trip to the House Of Blues to hear Evil Ways, a Cleveland based Santana tribute band headlining there. Look I didn’t know anything about the band before going to hear them on Saturday. During the day I tried to remember if I ever heard a Santana tribute band live before but couldn’t come up with one. I’ve heard plenty of bands over the years in bars and festivals play some Santana and for the most part, they shouldn’t have. There are just some bands that trying to replicate the sound, especially a sound as classic and iconic as Santana’s, you just shouldn’t unless you have some serious talent.

That’s why I said I was a little apprehensive about going. I even told Mrs. Bear before arriving “let me know if you want to leave” especially with her not being a big Santana fan in the first place.

Guess what…We didn’t leave.

After catching the last few songs of the opening act which being polite didn’t blow me away, I was starting to wonder if I made the right decision to come when Evil Ways took the stage. The eight piece band filled the stage and started out with an intro piece before launching into “Everybody’s Everything” which brought a smile to my face. I’ve loved that song since it came out, especially the horns which originally were played by the Tower Of Power (one of my favorite bands of all time) horn section on the album and on Saturday night Evil Ways horn section did it justice.

It was at that point I sent a text to my sister who just saw Carlos last month in concert and told her “these guys are good, you should be here”

They said they were going to be playing the full spectrum of the Santana catalog “from Woodstock till now” and they did. From Jingo off of the first album “Santana” to Game Of Love off “Shaman” they hit it all. For me the highlights were the fore mentioned “Everybody’s Everything”, “No One To Depend On”, “Samba Pa Ti”, and “Evil Ways” all some of my favorite Santana tunes.

The thing that could have killed it for me was if the lead guitarist struggled, I mean c’mon, could you pick someone harder than Carlos Santana to play? Mike Goldberg really impressed me, the guy has got chops. It’s nice to see a guitarist feel relaxed with the instrument and let the music flow from it instead of wrestling with it to produce the notes. The guy has talent. The band itself was tight all night. I mentioned the horn section earlier, Eric Dregne (Trombone) and Lizz Wilson (Trumpet), who to me really emphasized the importance of the horn section in Santana’s music and they did a great job. Kenny Baehr on vocals and percussion was great plus his energy was infectious to the audience. Michael Carabello himself would have been proud to hear Marko DiMicheli on congas and percussion. It would have been cool to see on old Hammond B3 organ like Gregg Rolle played on stage but keyboardist Dennis Augusta did a really nice job handling it and not to be forgotten Gregg Garlock (Drums) and Jim Curtis (Bass) provided the backbone of the music perfectly all night. Like I said a tight band.

You could tell they were really into the songs they were playing. The energy was high, they looked like they were having fun and they got the audience into it. I mean even Mrs. Bear was moving to the music.

If you like good music then this is a band to go hear, if you love Santana, then this is really a band you must hear! Either way you won’t be disappointed, I wasn’t.

For more information on Evil Ways shows, videos, and song clips visit their website at www.evilwaysband.com

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace
Bear
www.clevelandrockandroll.com

Wow, What A Strange Class Trip

2010-12-14T12:38:00.006-05:00

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2011 Inductees has been leaked across the internet before the scheduled announcement on Wednesday December 15th and I have to say this...it"s not a bad class. It"s a strange class...but not a bad one.

Welcome to the Hall Of Fame.....Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Tom Waits and Darlene Love.

Hard to believe isn"t it. Bear saying the inductees are not that bad. Don"t rush to judgment here, it could have been better, much much better but the voters could only vote for who the nominating committee sent over.

Did they miss the boat on not putting J. Geils in...Absolutely

Did they get it right by not voting in L.L. Cool J, Chic and Donna Summer...Hell yea

Look I actually like the five inductees. Alice Cooper was a no brainer, he should have been in when he was first eligible in 1995. I'm not so sure if Darlene Love is Hall worthy but I have always liked her and she is more worthy than Donna Summer. People will whine about Neil Diamond but before he went cheesy with Barbara Streisand he was considered rock in the 60’s and you would be hard pressed to find a more prolific songwriter of the past 50 years. Dr. John and Tom Waits I can put together as two artists I thought I would never see inducted, love them both but they are both so different from the mainstream I never thought they would see the inside of the hall except with a ticket. A happy surprise for sure.

Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Tom Waits and Darlene Love. Wow what a strange class...Can't wait to hear the jam at the end of the night. Wonder what Tom Waits song will they do?

Hopefully this version of rock's wikileaks is true.

Nuff said, least till next time
Happy holidays to everyone
Peace Out
Bear

Talent, We Don't Need No Stinkin Talent!

2010-11-23T09:44:00.012-05:00

One of the best lines I ever heard in a movie was in one of my favorites. “A Bronx Tale” when Robert DeNiro’s character tells his son “There is nothing worse than wasted talent”.

It rings so true. Wasted talent, you can never go back in time and use that talent once it’s time has gone.

The more I look around the music landscape today it’s more like the famous line from The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (changed slightly for this story) “Talent, We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Talent”.

The sad thing is that in todays music world, most don’t have talent to waste.

Really you want to argue this point?

Okay, lets look at a couple of the “hottest” (and please read the sarcasim in this next word) “artists”.
Right now one of the biggest acts out there is Dustin Lieber. (What, hold on a minute someone is yelling at me. That’s not his name? It’s what? Justin Bieber, really? Does it really matter, in a couple of years won’t we be calling him “what’s his name” anyway?) Okay back to my story, JUSTIN BIEBER (is that better?) is right now the hottest thing out there and the only thing he is missing on his resume is talent.

This is a kid that was found on YouTube singing a song and someone who obiviosly did not have the sound up on his computer thought “Wow, great hair. We can make this kid a star!” and guess what they were right.
In this day and age, talent can only get in the way of screaming pre-teens that seem to drive the music world these days.

Look who was the big music tickets this past year, Dustin (I couldn’t resist), Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, The Jonas Brothers (can you hear the tick, tick , tick of their 15 minutes of fame running out), Taylor Swift to name a few and guess what. Talent is very sparce in that group.

Oh don’t give me that crap of, “Taylor Swift doesn’t belong in that group, she is a superstar, she writes her songs, she’s great” No she is not. She is a very cute girl with a guitar with a very limited voice range and once celebrities learn to stop dating her she will have very little to write about. Period, argument over.

I did with these so-called artists, what I do with all the new music I listen too. I sat back, closed my eyes, opened my mind and just listened to the music and guess what….at the end. Nothing, Nada, Ziltch.

I’m sorry. these kids don’t have talent, they don’t have voices, you know what they have….looks and in some cases the Disney machine behind them. Either one is the same to the pre-teen girls that are programming our airwaves.

One notable exception to the group above that was a dominate force in 2010 was Lady Gaga. Why did I leave her off the list? Because she is probably the smartest person in the music industry right now. She does have talent but she also knows that talent doesn’t mean anything in todays music. Image does. Why do you think she walks around in a meat dress or in outfits while going thru airports that TSA would be afraid of patting down. Simply image. She keeps her name out there and acts as outrageous as possible. She is 80’s era Madonna in 2010. Why else would she come to Cleveland twice in 2010 for sold out concerts when most big acts simply skip over us (big shout out to Sir Paul for skipping Cleveland to play in Pittsburgh instead this year, thanks). She knows fame is fleeting (remember the Jonas Brothers comment earlier) and get the money now. She knows that the teens and pre-teens that are buying her music now have the attention span of a nat. For her it’s a simple fomula, Get the money now and later work on being a real artist.

Sometimes when I see the Biebers of the music industry out there performing I wonder could a band like the Eagles have made it today if they broke in 2010? I mean I remember the first time I saw them in 1974 when four guys came onstage in jeans and t-shirts and just said “Were the Eagles from California” and launched into four part harmony that just absolutly blew me away. You know what they had?

Talent…..
Would that work today?

The only way to end this story is this. There will be over a thousand musicians playing all over Cleveland this weekend in bars and clubs that have 100 times more talent than Justin Beiber will ever have but does it matter?

Sadly no………

Nuff said, least till next time
Have a great thanksgiving
Peace
Bear

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s 15th Annual American Music Masters Series

2010-10-29T21:05:00.005-04:00

Hey Cleveland, one of the biggest events in Rock and Roll is coming back to Cleveland for the 15th year in a row, The American Music Masters Series

If you missed last years great event honoring Janis Joplin don't miss out this year when the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame honors the music of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. This great event will not only feature the music of Fats and Dave but also the great music of New Orleans.

I mean come on Cleveland the house band is none other but Dr John and the Lower 9-11 what could be better.

This isn't just a one night concert, no......this is a week long celebration starting on Nov 8 with Rock And Roll Night School: A Spotlight On Fats Domino And Dave Bartholomeaw with something new every night leading up to the main event on Nov 13th.

Last year a lot of people I told about the Janis Joplin event all said "Bear I wish I would have known, I would have loved to gone" Well now you know so go to http://www.rockhall.com/ to get tickets and for a complete list of events. It'll be the best $30 you spent lately for a night of great music.

For more information on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and all of the upcoming events at the hall go to http://www.rockhall.com/

American Music Masters®

2010: Fats Domino & Dave Bartholomew
2009: Janis Joplin
2008: Les Paul
2007: Jerry Lee Lewis
2006: Roy Orbison
2005: Sam Cooke
2004: Lead Belly
2003: Buddy Holly
2002: Hank Williams
2001: Bessie Smith
2000: Muddy Waters
1999: Louis Jordan
1998: Robert Johnson
1997: Jimmie Rodgers
1996: Woody Guthrie

The Wizard Of Oz And The Rock Hall Nominees

2010-10-03T14:19:00.008-04:00

I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain.
And my head I'd be scratchin' while
my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain.

I can’t get this tune out of my head this week. It started when I first saw the list of nominees for the 2011 Rock Hall Inductions.

Seriously, doesn’t it seem we go thru this every year now?

Who on this distinguished board of music experts nominates Chic....LL Cool J….Donna Summer?

Who stands up in that room and advocates for them?

Bigger question, who voted for them to get them to the final ballot?

I listened all week to spokespeople from the Rock Hall try to justify the selections, telling us that the nominees are based not on sales, popularity, etc but on their influence on music and other artists, their body of work, the length and depth of their career and my favorite “unquestionable musical excellence.”

Really…..

Can the person that nominated Chic tell me who they influenced, how their long and storied body of work demands them being in the Rock Hall? Please tell me about the depth of their career and the innovations to music they exhibited or better yet who on the nominating committee can tell me why they voted them onto the final ballot! Again! I know if I was on the committee and in that room and when Chic was brought up my first response would have been “Are you f___ing kidding me! That’s the best you could come up with!”

Really……

Look there are people on the nomination committee I really respect, some I know personally. People like Jim Henke, David Fricke, Lauren Onkey, Steve Van Zandt and Dave Marsh, I really respect their musical opinions. I don’t know who they nominated or voted for but I would find it hard to believe one of them stood up and said “This year I think Donna Summer should be inducted.”

But others on the committee, ah no……

Look, LL Cool J is the new Abba for the Rock Hall. Abba was eligible for 11 years before all of a sudden a hit movie comes out and magically they are Rock Hall worthy. LL has a hit television show and you know what…. Bam, this year’s Abba.

LL Cool J has been eligible for two years and has made the final ballot both times. Do you really think he was a bigger influence and has a better body of work than say Stevie Ray Vaughan who has never even sniffed the final ballot or Leon Russell or Peter Gabriel or …….. I could go on and on but it falls on deaf ears, which is really a strange concept since we are talking about music.

Based on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation’s own criteria for nomination, I said it last year (click here) and I’ll say it again, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson and Barbara Streisand all should be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. (I can’t believe I am advocating Babs to be in the Rock Hall, look what they have done to me) Tell me where I am wrong.

Let’s look at these three artists:

They have said in the past that it isn’t restricted to just “Rock” acts….okay check.

Their body of work…. check.

Influence on music and other artists…. check.

Depth of their career and unquestionable musical excellence….duh check.

Under the criteria we are told over and over when they try to justify their nominees to us, Are they qualified to be in the Hall Of Fame….Absolutely

Should they be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame…..? No

You know what the smart move would have been for the committee this year. Give the public a final ballot of just rock acts. If they would have given us a ballot of let’s say, Alice Cooper, J. Geils Band, Rush, Steve Ray Vaughan, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Electric Light Orchestra, Jethro Tull, Lou Reed, Steve Winwood, Todd Rundgren, Yes, Moody Blues and to stop the emails to me, Kiss they would have shut up the very vocal public and then next year they could have gone back to their convoluted, mysterious ways.

That’s all they had to do…..

Do you really think someone would have thought that out after the past years of controversy? Hmmm……Let me reference my opening lines of this story, you can sing along if you want.

Look folks, LL Cool J is going to be shoved down our throats each and every year until he is inducted. Period. That’s just the way it is. That is the thinking of this committee.

Our only hope is the voters. The supposedly largest block of voters is the past inductees of the hall. Hopefully the Ozzy’s of the Rock Hall have more votes than the Madonna’s of the Hall.

Do we really need the proclaimed “Queen Of Disco” in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

As Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee David Gilmour once said “If you liked Disco, then you really didn’t like Rock And Roll.”

That says it all……

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

An Old Pair Of Levi's And Jackson Browne

2010-09-20T14:32:00.011-04:00

Do you remember coming home from the record store and putting Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty” on the turntable and listening to it for the first time. I mean for me, the needle would hit the end of side 2 and I would flip it over and had to play it again. It was that good. Hell I’m listening to it now as I write this review.

Last night Jackson came to town and just like the first time I listened to “Running On Empty”, he didn’t disappoint.

To me Jackson Browne is like an old pair of worn Levi’s. He’s comfortable. He’s comfortable to listen too, always has been for me. His voice takes you back to a time and decades later, the man has changed but the voice and style of song writing really hasn’t.

Jackson started the show with opening act David Lindley and started out with an acoustic set which included the great Warren Zevon’s “Seminole Bingo” and Springsteen’s “Brothers Under The Bridge” before leaving for a short time as Lindley did a couple of songs solo.

When Jackson came back it was with his full band and they were perfect for this show. They never overwhelmed the songs, they were the perfect accompaniment for a Jackson Browne show. He started the show with selections off his 2008 album “Time The Conqueror” and even though I didn’t really know the songs more than a once over, I found myself right into a groove, head bobbing and enjoying the moment. It’s like I said earlier, Jackson is like that old pair of Levi’s, just comfortable.

He soon broke into the older tunes hitting back into the early seventies with “Your Bright Baby Blue Eyes”, “Fountain Of Sorrow”, “For A Dancer”, “The Pretender” and before starting up “Rock Me On The Water” he did a little speech about the concerns of using plastic and the effect on the oceans and he was going okay until he talked about seeing the sign behind the stage warning against littering in the river for the sake of the fish and he said “Is there fish in there? You do know it does have the distinction that it once burned” which brought a spatter of boo’s and comments. He quickly ended the speech and got back to giving us a beautiful rendition of “Rock Me On The Water”. Right after someone yelled “Rosie” and he started to laugh saying “sometimes you don’t know when to do Rosie” (who would have thought a song about masturbation would bring the biggest hand! Okay that was a bad pun) and asked the crowd “Do you want to hear Rosie?” which brought a huge roar. Maybe to make up for the Cuyahoga River reference or just that it hit him at the right time because he had not been playing it at other concerts, sitting at the piano by himself broke into the crowd favorite and members of the band had to rush back out to do the call and answer part of the chorus. Without a doubt, the highlight of the night.

One of the nice things about a Jackson Browne concert is the interaction with the audience between songs, giving us a little insight into the song and what inspired him to write it. One great one was the story of his girlfriend wanting a “love song” about her that inspired him to write “My Problem Is You”. He rounded out the night with his great hits “Doctor My Eyes” and of course “Running On Empty” before doing the encores “Mercury Blues” and Little Steven’s “I Am A Patriot”.

Last night proved again, comfortable is good, if not great. If you don’t believe me go throw on that old pair of Levi’s and put “Running On Empty” back on the turntable and sit back and relax. It’s what I’m doing.

Woodstock Comes To Cleveland

2010-09-16T10:35:00.004-04:00

Tuesday night the Woodstock nation came to Cleveland. Okay it has been over 40 years since the Woodstock nation was at it’s zenith but looking at the crowd at the Time Warner Amphitheatre you might have stepped back in time as a huge crowd welcomed Crosby, Stills And Nash back to Cleveland.

It’s been awhile since I last saw them perform and I have to admit I was little worried about going to the show, that afternoon I almost talked myself out of it. C’mon a good scotch gets better with age, fine wines and chesses also but almost 70 year old voices….. especially voices that are as well known for it harmonies….. well that doesn't usually end well.

The verdict, I am glad I didn’t talk myself out of going and missing a great night of music.

It’s nice to go to a show and when the house lights go down the headliner knocks it out of the park with the very first song and that’s exactly what CSN did as they launched into “Woodstock”. For the next two plus hours the audience were treated to one of the iconic musical histories entrenched with idealism that stretched from Laurel Canyon to Woodstock.

“Long Time Gone”. “Southern Cross”, “Just A Song Before I Go”, “Déjà Vu”, “Wooden Ships” and that was just a part of the first set. How about throw in the beautiful Buffalo Springfield song “Bluebird” and you knew you were in for a great night of memories.

The voices, they still have it. The harmonies as always were beautiful but the strength they showed when they took the lead, was at times surprising. David Crosby showed that strength when he belted, and I mean belted out “I Almost Cut My Hair” you would have thought he was twenty years old again and rallying against the establishment! Don’t get me wrong there was a couple of rough spots especially when a moth flew into Stephen Stills mouth when he was singing Neil Young’s classic “Long May You Run” and he must have swallowed it as his voice broke a little through the song. The one thing that really stuck with me throughout the night was how good a guitarist Stills really is. He might be one of the most overlooked lead guitarist of rock and roll.

One of the only complaints, if you can call it a complaint is instead of the covers of other bands great songs they included in the second set is they left out some of their best songs. Granted hearing them do the Beatles “Norwegian Wood” and the Rolling Stones “Ruby Tuesday” (maybe better than the original?) was nice but I would have rather had them do their own great songs. Something like Stephen Stills great “Change Partners” and “Treetop Flyer” or throw in something from the The Byrds or how about just “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”, “Marrakesh Express”, “Guinnevere” or “Wasted On The Way”. With so much in their repertoire I didn’t need them to play The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” but that again is a small complaint.

In all, It was a night of great music from three guys that at one time helped define a generation and still all these years later can still inspire me.

Add Some (New) Music To Your Day

2010-08-22T11:56:00.004-04:00

I was having one of those weeks where you're just about to jump out of your skin due to the events being served up by life and as it often happens, I found myself being rescued by music. The venue was Half Price Books in Rocky River, a familiar favorite must-stop location any time that I am in the area (perhaps it could also be described as a financially draining rest stop on my personal path of life. Healthy? Hmmmm). The artist in question was Mr. Brian Wilson.

Like many of the past few generations, I was raised as a fan of both The Beatles and The Beach Boys, growing up listening to my dad's vinyl copies of various albums from the two groups. As I grew older, I began to buy copies of selected albums in the Beach Boys discography. Vocally, I was a Carl Wilson and Brian Wilson kind of guy and while I didn't hate the Mike Love vocal contributions (certainly, there are some classics there), there is no question that his material lacked the soul and feeling that you would get listening to Carl and Brian sing anything.

Of course I had read every Beach Boys and Brian Wilson related book that I could get my hands on and I had seen quite a few documentaries (including The Beach Boys: An American Band). So when The Beach Boys made their return to recording in 1985 (with their self-titled The Beach Boys release, which incidentally would be the band's final album of all-new material) after the very public tragedy of drummer/brother/cousin Dennis Wilson's drowning from a couple years prior, it was a really big deal. Listening to The Beach Boys and the subsequent odds and ends Still Cruisin' release that followed a few years later, I could tell that things had changed with Brian.

Without going through Wilson's output as a solo artist in the late '80s-'00s piece by piece, I'll summarize by saying that although Wilson now is a different person artistically than the Brian we knew during the golden age of The Beach Boys, the genius of Brian Wilson still burns within, although you sometimes have to search a little bit harder to find it. And as a music fan, I decided that I no longer wanted to spend that time searching. The following entry on the Burning Wood music blog really says it best, saying that Wilson has nothing left to prove to us as music fans. He writes that "if he [Brian] left us nothing but "The Warmth Of The Sun," that would have been more than enough for a lifetime."

Thankfully, Wilson has given us so much more beyond that and although I'm happy that he still wants to make new music, I've been happy to enjoy the albums and singles that came long before that. That's how I'd rather remember Brian as an artist instead of listening to his newer material and (often) hearing the glaring reminders of where Brian is now that I'd rather forget.

But then it happened (ooh, a plot twist - you knew this was coming, right?) as I stood there in Half Price Books and saw a promo copy of Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin out on the shelves a few days prior to street date - a definite diamond among the other more common CDs in the racks. I picked it up for a friend of mine that's a dedicated Brian Wilson devotee, and I knew that he'd appreciate the purchase (for a mere $5.99) greatly. But of course, I had to give it a brief spin to find out where Brian is at in 2010. Hey, but I thought you said that you weren't... I know, I know, but being a music fan is all about taking the chances, and this Brian Wilson album might be good. On paper, it's not exactly your typical boring covers album release, is it?

Wow, is this thing good! Listening to Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, I was immediately taken back to being a kid, hearing The Beach Boys for the first time. A good album does that, it stirs those thoughts, feelings and emotions, and that's part of what made me so happy is that I had written off the chances of ever hearing an album again from Brian Wilson or The Beach Boys that would make me feel this way. As rock journalist David Wild notes in the liner notes, there's stuff on this album that sounds like it could have come off of a Beach Boys album from back in the day (he's specifically referencing the very Pet Sounds-like instrumental "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin').

It's fantastic, and more than that, Wilson himself sounds better vocally than I ever could have imagined possible. Produced by Wilson himself, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin is proof that Wilson's amazing talents as a producer and arranger remain fully intact. I'm not sure how much work in the studio (and subsequent mixing magic by Al Schmitt) was required to serve up this final product, but the result is a beautiful work of art from an American treasure that will be an important addition to his catalog that people will remember over time.

14 songs, 39 minutes. And there's not a second of that time that feels wasted. If you're a Beach Boys fan, you're really going to love this.

As for me, I'm going to take a closer look at some of the Wilson material that I've missed in recent years (don't worry, I've already heard SMiLE) - first stop: That Lucky Old Sun.

- written by Matt Wardlaw

Getting Connected: A Chat with Gary Wright

2010-08-08T15:32:00.000-04:00

As a younger guy in my mid-30s (unlike my Jurassic ol' pal Bear), it's always a bit of a rock and roll history lesson any time that I get the opportunity to talk to a classic artist like Gary Wright. The rock and roll resume of Wright is mind numbing to read and even more awe-inspiring to hear about in person from Wright himself. I spoke with Gary on the night before Ringo Starr's annual All-Starr Band tour played in Cleveland at Nautica Stage. The artists on the Ringo tour enjoy quite a posh experience, touring with a former Beatle, flying from gig to gig on his private plane.

The idea of the Ringo tour itself is quite genius – Ringo gets a band of seasoned professionals, each with their own successful singles, and the mix of Beatles, Ringo and classic rock material congeals into an evening of music that is good clean fun (along with plenty of peace and love, of course).

Wright recently released Connected, his first pop music album in 20 years, just in time for the Ringo tour. Now that the tour has come to a close, Wright will be in Chicago this weekend for the 34th annual BeatleFest, and he'll use the occasion to perform “To Discover Yourself” (a digital bonus track on Connected co-written with longtime friend George Harrison) for the first time. I spent a good amount of time talking with Wright about that Harrison connection, the new album and his impressive career.

What did you end up doing with your day off?

I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

What did you think?

It was good. It seemed like when they edited everything together, it was done so fast that it was almost distracting. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the meat of some of the great artists, you know, Sly and the Family Stone and all that. They just had such tiny little tidbits in the films that they showed. It was well done, but I would have liked to see a little bit more of the performances of those people.

As an artist, how long has it been since you've been in Cleveland?

You know, I'm not sure. I know I played here a lot in the '70s with Spooky Tooth and my Dream Weaver album and touring with Yes, Frampton and Fleetwood Mac. As of late, I'm not sure – maybe around 2005?

I know you did a solo show back in April in NYC – Have you been doing a lot of shows in the past few years, playing your own material?

Uh, a fair amount, yeah. I've been doing some things with other artists. I went out with Christopher Cross, Al Stewart, Ambrosia and Edgar Winter. I've done several package shows like that. Last April, I did about 9 shows on the east coast and I'll do more of those in October and November.

The new album is being billed as your first pop album in 20 years. What brought you back to the idea of doing another album in that genre?

Just my desire to make a pop album and do it in the spirit of simplicity with simple production and not having too many things play on it. That's my roots – my roots are R&B and I've always felt that that's the way my music should be. It's a combination of R&B and ethereal space music.

It's timeless – it sounds like a Gary Wright album.

Oh, thank you!

You produced this album – did you record it at home?

Yes, I did.

This is your second go-around with Ringo's band, and as I understand it, this album started coming together before the last tour in 2008.

That's right. I started writing it before the tour.

Listening to "No One Does It Better" – that's a track that has quite a bit going on. How long does it take you to put together a track like that.

I wrote that in the studio, all of the music anyway. I finished the lyrics up when I went on a holiday to Colorado. All in all, maybe three weeks to a month. If you add up all of the time that I spent writing the lyrics, the production and the vocals.

You've got some cool special guests on this new album – you've got Ringo and Joe Walsh on the first single “Satisfied.” You've got some history with Ringo.

Yeah – I had worked with Ringo before on George Harrison's earlier albums and I also played keyboards on [Ringo's] “Back Off Boogaloo” and “It Don't Come Easy.” I had written a song with him on his new album Y Not called “Peace Train.” During the session I said “I've got a song that I want to play for you, Ringo.” I played him “Satisfied” and he liked it and I said “do you want to play drums on it,” and he said “sure.” I did the session at his studio and he put electronic drums on it that he played. Then, I asked Joe if he would want to play a solo and he agreed and I went up to his studio and he he laid his solo down. And then Skunk Baxter also came over to my place and put a rhythm guitar part down.

Where do you start with the writing process these days – do you start on guitar, or where does it start for you.

A lot of times I'll just write a song on an acoustic guitar and then I'll take it into the studio and I'll put it together in the context of all of my keyboards and the rhythms that I come up with. Other times I'll get a drum groove going and get a thing happening and that will inspire me to write a song. It's different every time. It's never the same.

I was surprised to hear that you wrote "Dream Weaver" on an acoustic guitar. Back then, how did it get to the point where the guitars exited the mix? It was unique for the time period to have an album that was all keyboards without a guitar prominently in the mix.

That's true, and I hadn't planned it that way but actually when I started writing the songs, I started to fill in the spaces with a Clavinet or a Rhodes and the other keyboards that I have. And then I thought “this sounds really cool just as it is, I'm not going to add any guitars to it.” So I did it, and it worked to my advantage because radio jumped all over it saying “this has no guitars on it,” so it was kind of cool.

Back when you were touring heavily in the '70s and '80s, what was your keyboard rig like?

Well, I had four Mini-Moogs, a Poly-Moog and an Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer. The other two keyboard players – there was a keyboard bass player, Steve Porcaro, he played keyboard bass on a Moog. I had another keyboard player who had a Hammond organ, a Fender Rhodes and another Oberheim. And then drums and two background vocalists.

I think that Ringo's concept for the All-Starr tour is brilliant, taking out people that are great musicians, but they also come armed with hit records. And I think that this year's lineup is particularly great.

Yeah, it is and it really works well – they're a great band. It's actually a very entertaining show, it's really well done, I think.

Watching some of the Youtube stuff from this tour, it seems like you all really spent a lot of time making sure that you have the proper sounds and samples to make each song sound faithful to the original. How long did you have to spend rounding stuff up on your end?

It took a while. I definitely wanted to zero in on getting the stuff to sound exactly like it did on the record.

If you buy the digital edition of this new album, there are a couple of George Harrison-related bonus tracks. George obviously was a longtime friend of yours. What's the history on these two tracks?

“To Discover Yourself” was written by George and I back in 1971. “Never Give Up,” he came over to my house and played a solo around '88 or '89 in that time period. They are available on the website on the digital edition. I'm coming out with another thing that's really cool – it's the new album on a USB drive which is encased in a little pendant with the Ohm symbol written on it. It's an Ohm necklace and you pull it apart and it's a little flash drive that comes out. It's got the entire album including all of the bonus material. It has video interviews of me talking about George Harrison, the All-Starr band, the making of Dream Weaver and Connected. It has extra photos, a video of George and I together – he sang on one of the songs that I did, “Don't Try To Own Me.” And it has the original "Dream Weaver" demo on acoustic guitar plus five other tracks. The URL of the website is www.thedreamweaver.com.

Your archives must be pretty well organized to be able to dig out a song that was written in 1971.

Well, I had all of the lyrics and I remembered the song quite well. I never forget songs that I write. I actually recorded that on the day that George passed away.

How did you come to know George originally?

I was invited to play on his first session for All Things Must Pass, which was “Isn't It A Pity.” Klaus Voorman called me up – Klaus was a friend of George's and played bass on most of the album. He asked me if I wanted to come and play keyboards, [because] George needed another keyboard player. I went to the sessions and I met George and we immediately hit it off. I wound up playing on the rest of the album and I played on his subsequent albums and we wrote songs together. We became really good friends.

The first time that I ever heard “Love Is Alive” came via Joe Cocker's version on his Night Calls album.

[laughs] Here's something funny – as we arrived today at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that's what was playing. I don't think they planned it, and in fact, I asked the guy when we walked in if they had done that on purpose. [laughs]

This far into your career, what keeps you engaged in making new material. What's your goal?

Well, my goal is to get it out to as many people all over the world as I can, to promote it by doing tours and interviews like I'm doing now, and get more fans. I think it's important.

When you're not recording and touring, what are you up to generally? Do you still do any session work?

Not really. Occasionally, I'll do some stuff like that if it's for Ringo or other friends of mine. Sometimes I will write with other people on certain projects. I actually was supposed to get together and write with someone from the Black Eyed Peas, but then the Ringo tour came up and I ran out of time. So I will do those kind of projects from time to time. I'm going to write a book next year, so I think that's going to take a bunch of my time.

That's one reason that I was interested to talk to you, because of all of the really cool things you've done over the years. I'm sure you have no shortage of stories for that book.

[laughs] No, I don't!

I look at "Dream Weaver" as the gift that keeps on giving. Obviously it was in Wayne's World, and now this year, it's in Toy Story 3.

That's right, and it was in The People vs. Larry Flynt. It just keeps reinventing itself.

Were you familiar with Wayne's World at the time Warner Brothers approached you?

I had seen it a couple of times on TV, the version that they did when Madonna was there. I thought they were funny, and then when I saw the film, I thought it was hilarious. I like those guys.

SNL Short Wayne's World & Madonna - Justify My Love from His Dudeness on Vimeo.

I can imagine that certain artists that were not familiar with the film might not have been so keen on having their music included in the movie, because they wouldn't want to risk being a punchline. For those that bought in, it was obviously a great move.

Yeah, I think so too.

Prior to your musical career, you studied psychology – was that plan B in case the music thing didn't work out?

No, no. I actually hadn't even considered doing music. At that time, I wanted to go be a doctor. I studied a year of medicine and then I did some post-graduate work in psychology in Germany. And then I decided I really didn't want to be an academic or a doctor. That's when I really got back into music. I'd always played music when I was in college and in high school on the weekends with various bands, because I loved music so much that I enjoyed playing it.

What instrument did you start out with?

Keyboards, piano and then organ.

Was Spooky Tooth your first involvement with a band?

Yes, it was.

It's really amazing the number of projects that spawned from that group.

That's right – Foreigner, Humble Pie, Mott The Hoople, my own career...

What's next for you after the Ringo tour wraps up?

I'll probably start another album in the next year or so, and I'll be touring a lot, so I have plenty on my plate.

- interview by Matt Wardlaw

Visit Gary Wright's official website for more information about Connected and his upcoming activities

I'm Jaded, I'll Admit It

2010-06-04T21:51:00.005-04:00

I’m jaded, I’ll admit it. In an era of music where singers like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus are celebrated, I’m jaded.

That’s why on Saturday when I got to sit thru one of the best nights of music I can remember, I feel a little less jaded.

Saturday at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus I had the pleasure of listening to Carole King and James Taylor play hit after hit after hit for nearly 3 hours and I wished it could have gone on longer.

Forty years ago King and Taylor played at the now defunct Troubadour club in Los Angeles as they helped usher in the singer-songwriter era of the early 70’s and now in 2010 they shared the stage in the “Troubadour Reunion Tour” and if you closed your eyes, you would swear you were back in 1970. Yea, his hair has receded, they both have more lines on their faces but their voices….their voices are like a fine wine. It just seems to get better with age.

Performing in the round they were accompanied by members of the original band from the 1970 shows, guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russell Kunkel and one of my favorites bassist Leland Sklar who were essentially the band on the King’s “Tapestry” album and Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James”.

The concert had many great moments as they passed the spotlight back and forth singing some of the most memorable songs of our generation. Songs like “So Far Away”, “Country Road”, “Jazzman”, “Sweet Baby James”, “ I Feel The Earth Move”, “How Sweet It Is”, “Natural Woman”, “Carolina On My Mind”, “Sweetwater Jack”, “”Shower The People”, “It’s Too Late”, and “Fire And Rain” were just a sampling of the 28 songs they played as you sat there after each song and thought “how can they top this?” and they would come up with another amazing song from their vast repertoire.

The musical highlights were many but some of the most memorable moments were non-musical. Taylor’s back stories about his songs, King’s energy and huge smile as she danced around the stage and especially the finale when the two sat down on two stools, she interlocked her arm thru his and they gave a stirring rendition of “You Can Close Your Eyes” and at the end she laid her head on his shoulder and he gave her a kiss on the forehead showing us what the two of them mean to each other.

You know I just don’t see a reunion tour of Justin and Miley in 40 years and I’m happier for it.

Today I feel a little less jaded.

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace
Bear

Random Thoughts On A Sunny Day!

2010-04-14T13:05:00.010-04:00

What a beautiful day outside. Sun shining, the winter blues peeling away, a young man’s fancy turns too……. Aw what am I talking about, I’m not a young man and my thoughts turn to what else….music.

This summer music scene looks promising with some big acts returning to the North Coast. A large variety of festivals, art shows and events are going to make this a fun summer.

The summer really kicks off on May 22-23rd with the 41st Anniversary of the Hessler Street Fair. Local artists and craftsmen will be displaying their works as some of the best local bands in the area keep the party going all day long. The fair starts at 11am each day and goes till dusk in this historic area of Cleveland. Last year over 14,000 people came to the party. I’ll be there at the Cleveland Rock and Roll booth so plan on coming out and say hi. For more info goto

http://www.hessler.org

I’ll also be at OddMall out in Hudson May 8th. Come out to one of the largest indoor craft and art shows in the area. Make a day out of it and come support the local artists and pick up some really cool stuff. For more info goto http://www.oddmall.info

One of the best local musicians around David Budin will be playing with Long Road at Nightown on May 6th. As David describes this show “We have, probably, our most varied set of songs ever -- with everything from the '60s singer-songwriter stuff that we specialize in, to a 2010 song that's actually being played on radio stations now, to folky versions of early-rock songs, a Beatles song, a rousing traditional old-English tune, a couple of '70s Baxter Shadowfield originals, an acoustic version of a '60s psychedelic blues number, that song about the forest fire, a '50s TV theme song, and more -- including two songs I guarantee you've never heard before. And we have many new songs (that is, songs we haven't done before).” For only $10 that’s a lot music. Call Nightown for reservations at 216-795-0550.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is holding it's 9th annual Spring Benefit – It’s Only Rock and Roll at Public Hall. It's an eclectic lineup this year, amd it’s going to be a great show complete with 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Sylvester and Tommy James of the Shondells. Tickets are $15 for balcony seating. All proceeds go to support the Rock Hall’s education programs.

The Rock Hall It’s Only Rock and Roll Benefit proceeds will support the Museum's award-winning educational programming, which explores the impact that modern music has had on our culture, politics and society and reaches more than 50,000 students and educators on site and at great distances each year.

For more information on the Museum's FREE educational programming and to get tickets to this event, please visit www.rockhall.com.

Like I said earlier the summer concert season is coming with some big names. Some can’t miss shows (in my opinion) Ringo Starr and His All Star Band will be playing at Nautica on July 20th. Nautica is probably the best place to see a show these days (again in my humble opinion) and I can’t wait to see Ringo along with band members Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer play. Some other shows I am looking forward to is the Troubadour Tour of Carol King and James Taylor July 7th at Quicken Loans Arena, Jackson Browne September 19th at Tower City and the one show I wouldn’t miss, Roger Waters comes back to Cleveland performing “The Wall” September 28th at Quicken Loans. The only thing better would be for LiveNation to announce shows by Paul McCartney and David Gilmour! What do you think Barry? For info on all shows goto www.livenation.com

National Record Store Day is April 17th and I’ll be making the trip out to my favorite vinyl store, Blue Arrow Records at 16001 Waterloo Road. Blue Arrow Records is working closely with their neighbors at MUSIC SAVES (they will have the bulk of special releases. To see a list, check out their website: www.musicsaves.com and This Way Out. Blue Arrow Records and This Way Out will also open at noon on Record Store Day! Blue Arrow will have a handful of special releases, as well as goodies and prizes for customers. This Way Out is offering 10% off on records all day! So come on out, buy some vinyl while supporting local record shops and hear some live music. What is a better way of spending a Saturday!

The lineup of bands that will be playing at Blue Arrow and Music Saves:
4-5:30pm White Hinterland DJs at MUSIC SAVES (they play the Beachland later that night)
5pm Will Rigby DJs (of the dB’s, drummer for Steve Earle) at Blue Arrow Records5:30pm The Lighthouse and the Whaler at MUSIC SAVES6pm Prisoners at Blue Arrow Records6:30pm The Muttering Retreats at MUSIC SAVES
7pm Tasty Cakes at Blue Arrow Records
7:30pm Cloud Nothings at MUSIC SAVES

So that should get you started to thinking ahead to the dog days of summer. Speaking of dog, I gotta go try to catch my Great Dane puppy chasing some geese off my property!
Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Thank Goodness For American Idol!

2010-03-26T09:30:00.006-04:00

Thank goodness for American Idol!

I know, I know. Your probably saying “Are you kidding me?” or “Have you lost your mind?” or “Bear are you hitting the stash again?”

Ahh ……not yet it’s still early

What I mean is, whenever I am having a hard time coming up with a new story all I have to say is “Thank goodness for American Idol!”

This week it couldn’t get better for me. You all know how I love to hate this show. I’ve done stories on the failure rate of these “idols” it produces, stories on the rigging of the results, stories in general about just what a crock of s___ this show is but this week might be the best of all. Of all of the so-called musical geniuses they could have brought in to give “guidance” to these future superstars of music, they brought in the best yet…..

Miley Cyrus!

Yes I said it right or as Joe Biden would say, Miley F______ Cyrus.

First thing I thought of when I heard this was, as bad as this show is they have officially “Jumped The Shark”.

Miley Cyrus mentoring singers. Isn’t that like Stevie Wonder mentoring the drivers of NASCAR?

Seriously what musical guidance could Miley Cyrus bring to these kids? Could she bring her vast catalog of music to the show…….ahh no. Could she bring her decades of experience in the music world to them…….ahh no. Before any of you get in an uproar about bashing Miley did you listen to her sing on the show? That's all I got to say. Love it when my point is proved!

Look American Idol (and all of the American Idol apologists that will be sending me their emails) if you call it like it is “a staged reality show” then I don’t have a problem with it but to sit there and tell me these are the best new singers in the country week after week is a crock. Look bringing in the Miley Cyrus’s of the world onto this show isn’t going help to produce the next Dylan, McCartney, Lennon, Bono, or even the next Colbie Calliat, Adele, or Jason Mraz. It’s just going to get more pre-teens watching the show, going to the Top 10 tour and then forgetting about all of these singers within a year. (Can I say Adam Lambert who?) Producing the next inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.....ahh no.

I’m going to miss you Simon when you leave. After this show fades away what is going to give me that last minute inspiration for a story. Oh wait! Simon’s next show….

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Tonight's The Night or Welcome To My Nightmare

2010-03-14T20:22:00.006-04:00

Tonight’s the big night!

Tonight the wait is finally over!

Tonight is what music lover’s the world over have been waiting for!

Tonight ABBA, Sweden’s biggest import since meatballs and Ikea, is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!

Okay I’ll wait for the applause to subside……………………………………….

Wow that wasn’t very long.

Tonight the iconic rock staple ABBA is being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and guess what? Half of them aren’t even coming.

What!

You heard me right, two of the four members of ABBA are not even showing up to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. One has “a family event” and the other one’s excuse is “I don’t like to fly.” Ahhhh didn’t you used to tour? Didn’t you fly then or did you take Greyhound from gig to gig?

Personally I don’t think any of them should be there simply based on their music, but that’s me. No one gave me a vote but come on, you get inducted over much more deserving bands and individuals and then you stiff the ceremonies. Wow that takes a huge pair.

Do you think the members of Deep Purple would have attended? How about Rush or Heart or Alice Cooper or The Moody Blues or The Doobie Brothers or The J. Geils Band or Chicago or Jethro Tull or Steve Miller or…………… oh hell, you get the point.

So many deserving rock artists are skipped over each and every year for inclusion into the Rock Hall and it is only going to get worse. The Rock Hall Foundation that oversees the induction selections wants to drop the 25 year rule (when an artist’s first album is released) to 20 years. Why? Because then “newer” acts would move up the ballot. Acts that are “fresher” and “have name value”.

Are you kidding me. “NAME VALUE” Really!

Hey Rock Hall Foundation do you ever take a look at the great artists that are not in and can you tell me with a straight face they do not have “name value”. If you can do that all I can say is, Wow another huge pair.

But under this cloud of delusion by the foundation members, the inclusion of ABBA makes perfect sense. They have been eligible for 10 years and in those 10 years only once before have they EVER even been nominated for induction. Once, that’s all.

Did their music somehow get better over the past 10 years to finally make them worthy?

No, it’s simple, ABBA got in to the prestigious Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because of one thing. The movie Mamma Mia.

The movie Mamma Mia gave them as the Rock Hall Foundation states it “name value”.

Even ABBA member Benny Anderson isn’t as delusional as some members of the selection committee when they voted for him when he told Rolling Stone Magazine that he was shocked Abba received a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nod. “I didn’t think this would happen, because we were a pop band, not a rock band,” All I can say about that is neither did I Benny, neither did I.

Tonight all I want is one thing from Benny and Frida when they accept their awards. I don’t want them to thank God, their manager, their band mate who doesn’t like to fly, the fans, or even their cat’s chiropractor.

I would like to hear their acceptance speech go like this.

“We would like to thank the one person that made this happen for us, Meryl Streep. Without Meryl we would never have been recognized like this. We would have stayed in the obscurity we have been in for decades. Here’s to you Meryl”

If I was Alice Cooper I would be on the phone tomorrow saying “Meryl I got this idea for a movie called Welcome To My Nightmare, you would be the lead. A lot of music, snakes, and guillotines. It could be huge!”

ABBA in the Rock Hall, welcome to MY nightmare folks.

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Random Thoughts On A Snowy Day!

2010-02-28T13:37:00.003-05:00

Random Thoughts….

It’s been awhile since I wrote my Random Thoughts…I guess my thoughts haven’t been so random with digging out from the snow and wishing for spring…

Can’t wait for today’s hockey game but a little observation from the world of sports and especially the Olympics. The next time I hear an announcer make a comment about the USA-Canada game being dubbed the “Miracle On Ice II” I’ll throw my remote thru the TV. Folks this is nothing like the 1980 game. That game was a bunch of unknown college hockey players upsetting a team of professional players from the USSR. Today’s game is a team of NHL professional hockey players playing against more NHL professional hockey players. I hope it will be a great game and it has all of the makings of a hell of a game, but a “Miracle”. Ahhh no…

Okay back to music….

Looking for a great night out on the town and want to help support a great organization? Then plan on coming out to “Get Back” on March 25th and join Roots Of American Music (ROAM) for it’s 2010 spring fundraiser. The benefit will be held at the historic Rockefeller Building in Cleveland Hts and will feature Northeast Ohio’s own Abbey Road Band playing the music of the Beatles. There will also be a silent auction featuring some one of a kind items including unique Beatles items, a behind the scenes tour of the Rock Hall, Live Nation concert tickets, and tickets to see Ringo Starr at Nautica this summer!. Come on out and enjoy a great night. Contact ROAM for tickets at 216-321-9353.

Did you know that Cleveland has a new rock station, or let me refrain that, more like a “new station” that seems like an “old station”. V107.3 is a throwback to the glory days of radio in Cleveland when it was locally owned and programmed for our listening. Wow how unique! It’s nice to tune in and hear a local station play a variety of music where a playlist can go from Lyle Lovett to Marley to Wild Horses to Derek Trucks to Bowie to King Of Leon to Van Morrison to Dropkick Murphy’s. The ecletic mix is definitely a memory of another great radio station in our past. Keep up the good work John, Ric and Lonnie. You got a listener here.

Speaking of radio. I was sent this video of my favorite DJ, Dusty Street back in her days at KTIM in the San Francisco area in the 70’s. Gotta love Dusty! Check out the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ZUOc-bqiI

Have you been checking out Alex Bevan’s live streaming concerts he’s been doing on the internet lately? Alex is doing them usually on Fridays at noon and it’s like going to the old Coffee Break Concerts without leaving your couch! Alex sounds great and it’s fun to listen to an artist just playing music and enjoying the moment. Check out Alex at his website http://www.ncweb.com/ent/alex/ to find his next concert.

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out

Bear

Say It Aint So Joe!

2010-01-30T12:17:00.009-05:00

Remember that line from the movie Eight Men Out? The young kid looks up at “Shoeless” Joe Jackson with tears in his eyes as word of him being involved in the fixing of the World Series. Fade to the present and the part of the tearful young kid will now be played by yours truly.

Say It Aint So Joe!

Mine doesn’t have anything to do with baseball, or the World Series, or gamblers fixing games (no that was last week in Vegas when I swore the dice were fixed against me playing craps!). No mine has to do with the band Aerosmith and the rumor being floated out there that Billy Idol is going to replace Stephen Tyler.

Say It Aint So Joe!

Billy Idol in Aerosmith?

Say It Aint’ So Joe!

Look I like Billy Idol or at least I liked Billy Idol in the 80’s and especially when he parodies himself in bad Adam Sandler movies now but as the vocals of Aerosmith.

Sorry No Joe!

Why do bands feel it necessary to continue on wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy past their expiration date. I mean do you drink milk wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy past the expiration date?

What do I mean?

Look I don’t have a problem if a band continues with their core playing their music for what seems like forever (IE: The Rolling Stones) or if a band reinvents themselves with a new singer or a new sound. Take for example (for us older folks) Fleetwood Mac. In the late 60’s and early 70’s Fleetwood Mac was a ballsy blues rock band with Peter Green leading the way but members left over time and Mick Fleetwood and John McVie took another direction with the band and added Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham creating a totally different band with a totally different sound and created a more successful band. A newer example is Van Halen when they replaced David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar. A new band with a new sound and they produced successful albums. Other bands have done it also. Genesis, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple are other examples of bands that changed singers and recreated the band and it worked for the most part.

Why were these examples okay but I hate the idea of Billy Idol leading Aerosmith? I’ll tell you why, its not like they are going to reinvent Aerosmith at this late stage of the game and create a dynamic catalog of “New Aerosmith” albums. No they are going the way of Queen when they rehashed some of the greatest music created in the seventies with Paul Rogers pretending to be Freddie Mercury.

Simply it didn’t work. When I see Paul Rogers on stage I don’t want to hear him do a poor imitation of Freddie. I want to him hear belt out the songs of Free and Bad Company. See I like Paul Rogers and I like his voice but not this way. Now don’t get me started on the rumors of Adam Lambert might be taking up the Freddie torch with Queen, that will be a story here all its own!

Back in 2005 I got to go to see both David Gilmour and Roger Waters on their tours. Both did Pink Floyd songs as well as their solo works. You know what even though I thought Roger was a better concert and he definitely seemed to be having more fun playing the tunes, David is the voice of Pink Floyd and the songs when played by him resonated more to me.

You can’t replace a voice like that, period. The more iconic the band, the worse it is.

Look this isn't just a rant against Aerosmith doing this. Seriously do the other members of Aerosmith, Queen, Journey, ELO, etc need the money? Do they need the women? Do they need their ego’s stroked that bad? Okay maybe all three but do we want to hear it, not me.

These bands go from being Rock Hall legends to bad “tribute” bands. Now don’t get me wrong, I like good tribute bands at times (Fab Faux, Wish You Were Here for example) but I don’t want to see Joe Perry leading one.

The only thing I can say is….Say It Aint So Joe!

Nuff Said, least till next time

Peace Out

Bear

Help For Haiti

2010-01-18T19:18:00.007-05:00

This weeks story isn't going to be funny, in fact it is going to be short, serious and to the point.

If you have seen any of the nightly news programs this past week you know why.

An entire country has been devastated by a natural disaster.

I'm not worried about the leadership of the country or the politics of the nation but the images of children, homeless, parentless, injured beyond belief, well that makes me take notice and want to do something. Anything.....

These people of Haiti, need our help.

If you can please give.

Don't know how? Click on one of the links below to find out more.

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

American Red Cross

or text text "Haiti" to 90999. Doing so will automatically donate $10 for Haitian rescue and recover efforts and will be billed on your bill.

It's a little help but doing so will make a big difference.

Nuff said, till next time

Peace Out

Bear

Happy Anniversary To Me!

2010-01-06T11:27:00.007-05:00

Wow, I did it! They said it couldn’t be done and wouldn’t last….Okay it was me that was saying that but….I did it!

I just hit my one year anniversary of http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/!

Yea!!! Open that champagne up…(I keep hearing that song in my head from The Flintstones – “Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happpppppppppy Anniversary”)

What started as just a list of the concerts I attended over the decades has turned into really a phenomenon.

Seriously, I never would have thought it.

I can’t count the number of people I have ran into this past year that has told me “I love reading your stuff” or “whenever I get nostalgic for home I check out your site” or “do you think your f______ funny?” Okay that last one comes from some of the people I have criticized over the year and yea I do think I am funny at times…so there!

Like I said, this started as a lark. I was bored over the holidays and started writing down the bands and shows I had seen when my wife (or as she is known here in many stories, Mrs Bear) told me I should put it on the web. After I got done looking at her like she had an elbow growing out of her forehead, she told me “I think people would get a kick out of reading about the old shows.” Little did I know, she was right (as she will often say , she usually is!).

This little website started like a snowball rolling down a hill. Before I knew it, I’m getting emails from people telling me about the shows they saw. People started sending me lists of shows, ticket stubs, concert programs, photos they took and the best ones were the little stories they wrote about the shows. I didn’t even know how they found me, but they did.

Then I started just writing down my thoughts on music and putting them on the site and man….as the great American writer, philosopher and man about town Michael Heaton (you like that build up don't you Michael!) told me, “you want to get people in an uproar, write about music” and wow was he right. I can write a story in the morning and by noon, have a hundred emails either slamming me or saying “you’re a genius!” (okay maybe no one ever called me a genius but when they do agree with me my mind sort of glazes over and morphs it into that). It is very cool to hear from people that use the site for reference for projects or books or to see a story of mine referenced on a blog or a bands site somewhere around the world (that internet is an amazing thing, thank you Al Gore).

Who would have thought….not me that’s for sure!

It is amazing how strong people feel about music. Know that old saying “never talk politics or religion at a party”, go ahead and add music to that list. You know what, that’s what makes this fun. I love sitting around with a beer and just talking music with people and the site allows me to sit around and talk music with thousands and thousands of people at one time that I never would have the chance to do so. I love it when people email me and tell me their stories, they tell me why a certain band should be in the Rock Hall, they tell me how they are turning their children onto certain music or how they picked up the old guitar in the corner and are now playing it, they tell me how bad radio is, they tell me how good radio is (okay they may be nuts), they tell me what great cd (or album) they just got and I need to listen to it, they tell me their complaints about concerts, they tell me I have to see this local band at this bar and hundreds of other things they want to talk about.

I have become the Dr. Phil of music, only with hair!

There are a lot of people I have to thank for getting me here and I know I’m going to forget a ton of them but here goes nothing. I want to thank John Gorman who was pumping my site on his before I even knew John had one (check out the great WMMS “Buzzard” blog of John’s), Matt from addictedtovinyl.com (another great site) who answered all of my endless questions about blogs, websites, etc and shared a few beers doing what else “talking music”. Brian (brokenheadphones.com) for keeping me up on indie and metal, Jim Clevo for supplying me with endless issues of Scene’s from the 70’s and catching my mistakes on the site, Dusty (the best DJ on the air, hands down) for her encouraging emails on my stories, thank you for reading my stuff!, Bob The Cop (a familiar character in my stories and the biggest ABBA fan I know…just kidding Bob) for being like the little devil on my shoulder calling me out, Alex Bevan for being a friend and keeping the music going, Reena and Margaret from the Rock Hall for including me in the party, Rick and Kathy for so many beers around the fire doing what else “talking music” (do you see a trend here beer + music), Barry Gabel (the hardest working man in show business!), Elise from the House Of Blues, Eroc for a couple of the best shows I saw this year,, the always cool Jonah Koslan, Scott from the Artful Dodger fansite who was one of the first to help out and turned me onto Roger Cline And Peacemakers!, Roger Cline for throwing me props, Ann Thompson from afterthegig.com, Kevin and Sheela from ROAM (a great organization to get involved with), Dave W. and Dave H. for all the Michael Stanley info, Dom for ….the trend again…all the great beer and music talk, Janet Macoska for allowing me to use some of her amazing photos, Oprah for being my role model (okay just kidding..seeing if your paying attention), Jimmy from The Winchester Tavern for the great shows and putting me on the air, Greg Rollie, Michael Carabello, Susan Tedeschi, Carolyn Wonderland, Ray Benson and the others for great quotes from the interviews this year, to Shannon, Joanna, Brooke, Janiece, Matt and the rest of the great folks I met at the Art and Craft Shows where I showed my rock poster designs this year (thanks for the warm welcome), my boy Rick from Sony for being a great friend, and all of the friends on Facebook that keep me going with their support and comments and are quick to post them (I love that from you guys!). Some of the more active were Angelle, Leslie, Michelle, Perry, Rhonda, Elaine, Denise, Donna, Danny, Rick, Linda, Pat, Deb, Chuck, Dawn, Ro, Joe, Lisa, Rik, Ted, Billy, Rick, Laura, Chuck, Jim, Roger, and Melissa (okay I know I missed a few…hundred) I could always count on you guys and gals. Alan and Sarah for putting up with me and of course the biggest thank you has to go to Mrs Bear for putting up with my sitting at a computer typing all night, using her in stories, making fun of her for liking American Idol, and for giving me the idea and inspiration to do this and for being my best friend for 30+ years. Love ya..

This year has been a blast and here is too many more good times shared with you my friends.

Nuff said, least till next time.
Peace Out
Bear

Bear's Holiday Gift Ideas...or Everything Oprah Missed!

2009-12-14T08:48:00.017-05:00

It’s that time of the year. People have thoughts of sugar plum fairies (ahhhhh what…..) as they try to figure out what is the cool gift to give this year.

I know you probably listened to Oprah or Ellen or some other TV talking head telling you their favorite holiday gift to give this year. The only problem is I can’t afford the gifts they suggest plus I would rather support the Cleveland artists, writers, craftsmen and venues they seem to overlook. (Take that Oprah!)

Well I’m here to give you the ultimate gift ideas (or at least in my eggnog soaked mind) for the rocker in your life.

There’s a lot of books out there about rock but what you need is a book about rock and Cleveland. The best one I’ve come across is John Gorman’s “The Buzzard – Inside The Glory Days Of WMMS And Cleveland Rock Radio”. Simply I love this book. Growing up in Cleveland with WMMS playing in the background of my life, I can relate to and remember many of the stories John tells about the formation of probably the greatest rock station ever created. It was a phenomenon we were a part of as listeners and it is great to get the behind the scenes look at our version or “WKRP”. Click here to buy

Need something to play in the background while reading “The Buzzard”? How about re-living Fridays at 6pm with Murray Sauls “The Get Downs Vol 1”. I mean the original wild man of Cleveland in the 70’s gave us his on the fly rants about politics, music, drugs, karma, work, life, liberty, sex, slavedriver bosses, and every other thing that crossed his fertile mind. Everyone tuned in at 6pm to get the proper start to the weekend. Always remember "We gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta.....get down, damnit!" Click here to buy

I’ve said it over and over. The only reason to buy the Plain Dealer is Michael Heaton. Plain and simple. Michael has a way of writing that you, me and everyone else can relate to and his book “Truth And Justice For Fun And Profit” is just fun reading. It’s a collection of his best works and as you finish one, you can’t wait to read the next. It’s a book you can’t put down. His view of Cleveland is to say “unique”. Also if you can get your hands on his “The Best Of The Minister Of Culture” it is worth the price of the book for just the story “Black Leather & Love: A Rock Fantasy” about his fantasy of being Mr. Joan Jett. Click here to buy

Looking for something unique or handmade? How about coming out and supporting Cleveland’s local artists at The Last Minute Market on Saturday December 19th from 10am-6pm at the Lake Erie Building at Templar Industrial Park 13000 Athens Ave. Lakewood. Local artists and craftsmen will be showing and selling jewelry, clothing, artwork and some really, really great rock concert posters (okay that’s my booth!). So why bother going to a crowded mall buying the same old run of the mill stuff when you can come by and get something unique and that one of a kind gift. Hey at worst case, you’ll finally get to see what I look like!

Ever walk down the street and see someone wearing a cool t-shirt and wonder where they got it? They probably got it from Psycho Reindeer! They have the wildest and coolest designs you can imagine and they are only $14 with free shipping. C’mon free shipping! Try to get that somewhere else. Click here to visit their website.

Looking to put the ultimate home theater in your house or looking for that audio system that goes “up to 11” or simply need that flat screen installed on the wall so it doesn’t fall off. Then you got to check out the guys at Crave Audio and Video. These guys know their stuff and I’m telling you this as a paying customer! Look it is easy to go to some of these overpriced audio/video specialist stores that are going to push you into something they want to sell you (trust me on this!) or that Best Buy where you got your tv and now what are you going to do as it sits in a box in the middle of your living room. These are good guys where the customer is first. Give Kyle a call at 440-623-5698 for a consultation and tell him Bear sent you. (Ask him about my A7’s!)

Look it is no secret here that my favorite Cleveland musician is Alex Bevan. I’ve been listening to Alex for over 35 years and his music just hits a cord with me and his latest CD “Falls And Angels” continues the tradition. It’s a beautiful CD that finishes off with the haunting “Gunfighter Smile”. Go over to Alex’s website and pick it up and while your there pick up some of his other great CD’s. Click Here to visit the website

Got a real rock and roll fan in your family? I got the perfect gift then. How about a membership to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Never thought of it before, don’t feel bad, it’s just one of those perfect gifts you just never think about. Wow, I got an idea!!!! Instead of going out and buying “Guitar Hero” or “Rock Band” so your child can sit in front of the TV pretending to be a rock legend, why not get them a membership to the Rock Hall in their name. Not only do they get a very cool members only rock and roll t-shirt, a collectable Rock Hall pin but a membership card with their name on it. Think how cool it would be when you take your family to the Rock Hall and your kid pulls out his/her membership card and tells them at the entrance “I’m a member”. Let’s start making a new generation of musicians and teaching them the history of rock and this is a great way to get started. Click Here to go the Rock Hall website

Okay one last gift idea. Just click over to the main website, www.clevelandrockandroll.com and click on the store button and check out the selections of the Cleveland rock concert posters I have available. Janis, Floyd, Stones, Zeppelin, there all there. Go on take a look! Click Here

Wow, okay now the eggnog (spiked of course!) is settling in and I think I might have given you some very cool gift ideas (hey, I have no problem if any of you would like to give me any of them. Just a thought) and you don’t even have to go to the mall and park a mile away and fight the crowds and blah, blah, blah. Okay you get the idea.

This holiday, give a little piece of Cleveland to your rock fan.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Woe Is Me The Native Clevelander

2009-12-01T10:04:00.008-05:00

You know being a Clevelander is hard.

We tune in and watch week after week as the Browns go thru the motions while the owner laughs at us being the suckers we are year after year.

We watch our former Indians pick up their World Series rings with their new teams as we go into another year of rebuilding.

The Cavs, well we’ll see. We’ll see LeBron dishing the pass off to Kobe or Dwayne Wade or Dwight Howard next year and we’ll just sit here and say what if?

You know it seems we like to be the underdog, the downtrodden, the “crapped upon”. It seems we relish it at times, wear it as a badge of honor because we keep taken it, year after year from our sports teams.

But you know what we have that every other city in the United States if not the World would love to rip away from us but we Clevelanders seem to take for granted?

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame…..

Other cities have football teams, baseball teams, basketball teams but none have the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. We do, but do you care?

I don’t know……

All you readers out there hold your hand up if you have been to the Rock Hall..…Okay keep them up if you have been there more than once….Okay now who has been there recently…..Okay that’s what I thought, you couple of people, lower your hands.

We love to bash the Rock Hall Foundation for not having the Induction Ceremonies here each year and complain that New York is stealing our glory, but if they were here every year would you go?

I don’t know……

We complained that the 25th Anniversary Concert for the Rock Hall was in New York and not here in Cleveland and we were being shafted again but would you have went if was?

I would hope so…….

While we were complaining about the Induction Ceremonies and the 25th Anniversary Concert not being held here did you know what is held here and NOT in New York for the past 14 years?

The American Music Masters Series Tribute Concert!

Now raise your hands out there if you knew this…..Keep them up while I count. Okay now those with your hands up, keep them up if you went….Yep that’s what I figured.

Okay, okay I’ll admit it, I didn’t know about it also until last year when they honored Les Paul but you know what…I won’t ever miss another one.

Every year for the past 14 years the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame honors one of the important figures in music with the American Music Masters Series Tribute Concert, right here in Cleveland. They have honored in the past Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Muddy Waters, Hank Williams, Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie to name just a few and you know who came to Cleveland to perform at these concerts to honor the greats of the past? Well some of the greats of music now. Artists like Bruce Springsteen, Arlo Guthrie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Levon Helm, Southside Johnny, The Allman Brothers, Bob Weir, Peter Green, BB King, Bo Diddley, Bonnie Raitt, John Mellancamp, Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, Billy Gibbons, George Thorogood and this is a fraction of the artists that come to our town, our Cleveland, to perform for the past 14 years for us, not those New Yorkers we like to complain about, but us. Take that New York!

Did you go?

This year I did and man, I am glad I did. This year’s honoree was Janis Joplin and it was a great night of music. It showcased the not only Janis but the periods of music that flowed thru her life. From her early days in Austin Texas with the country roots to her love of the blues to the San Francisco sound to her following her heart and finding her unique style as a solo artist. This was all done with an eclectic mix of musicians, many who were friends of Janis.

The night started out with the big cowboy Ray Benson from Asleep At The Wheel accompanied by Carolyn Wonderland and they started the night out on the right track with “Silver Threads And Golden Needles” and for the next 3 hours it never waned. Highlights for me from the night were Carolyn Wonderland, who is just a powerhouse on stage, doing “Down On Me”, Susan Tedeschi’s great versions of “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder” and “Kosmic Blues”, Nona Hendrix doing “Move Over”, Gregg Rolie and Michael Carabello of Santana doing “No One to Depend On” and “Evil Ways” and truly confirming to me that the best music Santana ever created was when Rolie was the voice of the band, and Nick Gravanites “Buried Alive in the Blues” which he wrote for Janis for the Pearl album but she never got to record before she died. A beautiful blues ballad that Janis would have made her own. I especially loved the video of Kris Kristofferson who couldn’t be there talking about him and Janis during the recording of “Me And Bobby McGee” and the very funny stories he told of the two of them. The Rock Hall also did a great job of weaving video of Janis throughout the concert highlighting different parts of her life and seeing the transformation of this woman who finally became Pearl.

I had the honor of being with the press interviewing these artists before the show and got to see for myself how they really felt about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Cleveland. For Rock Hall Inductees like Gregg Rolie and Michael Carabello, they said it was cool for them to see their old outfits and items on display from their early days of Santana and for every other artist I talked to, they were like kids in a candy store as their eyes lit up while they talked about going thru the Rock Hall and seeing the guitars, lyrics and personal items of the artists they idolize.

I’m going to be publishing the interviews throughout the next few weeks here and they should be entertaining reading (at least I hope!). They were very open and gave great insights into their careers and music in general from Rolie and Carabello taking about the creation of Santana to Ray Benson telling me about seeing a 17 year old Stevie Ray Vaughan for the first time to Susan Tedeschi talking about the new project with her husband Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers Band) to Nona Hendrix of LaBelle fame talking about working with Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix but her revelation about her time hanging out with rock’s ultimate bad boy Keith Moon of The Who was definitely an eye opener.

On a personal note, I want to thank Reena Samaan and Margaret Thresher for their invitation and for their great hospitality.

We need to remember as our sports teams disappoint us again, we still think we are a great sports town but before that we were known as THE great music town and that’s why the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is here and not New York or San Francisco or Philadelphia or London. It’s here for a reason. Cleveland was the epicenter of Rock, period. Rock was formed here, given its name here, careers launched here and no one ever skipped playing here. That’s why the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is here so let’s make sure it stays here. Go out and support the Rock Hall. Go visit the hall, go to one of the talks with the guest speakers they bring in, go see one of the shows like U2 3D in their theatre. Just Go and show them why Cleveland is still the Rock And Roll Capital Of The World!

Take that New York!

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Is There Gas In The Car? Yes, There’s Gas In The Car…. Or Is There?

2009-11-19T10:37:00.004-05:00

It has been 35 years since I last saw Steely Dan perform.

35 years!

That’s like 245 dog years or the average number of combined years for the careers of any 12 artists of this decade.

That 1974 tour was the last tour they did before breaking up in 1981 and it was also the last time Steely Dan was really a band, and not just Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Steely Dan back then was Becker, Fagen, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Denny Dias and Victor Feldman. That was a line-up of some serious musicians, but the road took its toll that year and Becker and Fagen decided they wanted to just work in the studio and produce albums – thus it was the last tour for 19 years.

I mean this was pre-Aja and pre-Royal Scam, the two albums they featured this week at E.J. Thomas Hall. Back then, they were a great live band but how would they be 35 years later?

The first thing I noticed Monday night was the difference in Donald Fagen. Back in 1974 he didn’t seem to want to be there much, but in 2009 it looked like he was actually having fun performing his songs live. The second thing I noticed – they put together a hell of a band to re-produce that studio sound. I don’t know if you really can understand how hard it has to be to produce that Steely Dan sound live. Fagen and Becker were famous during the recording process for bringing in three, four or five different sets of musicians to play each song they were recording and picking the best parts of each group for the final product. For example on the Aja album – 37 musicians are credited for playing on it, and 27 musicians are credited on Royal Scam. To Becker and Fagen they always set out to produce the perfect studio albums but how would that come through now live?

The night I went was the night they featured the album Aja. This was a monster album in 1977 and has held up through the years. Frankly, it’s a classic and I looked forward to seeing it performed live in its entirety. I mean these are songs I have listened to for 30+ years on albums, cassettes, CDs and on the radio but never live. So there was a definite high expectation for me.

So how did it come out?

Amazing…just amazing. I sat there and just drank in some of the best music ever produced being played live and being done well. The songs just kept rolling through the night: “Black Cow,” “Aja,” “Deacon Blues,” “Peg,” “Home At Last,” “I Got The News” and “Josie” and that was just the Aja part of the show! The rest of the night was like a Steely Dan jukebox filled with hits: ”Black Friday,” “Time Out Of Mind,” “Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More,” “Bodhisattva,” “Babylon Sisters,” “Show Biz Kids,” “Hey Nineteen,” “Dirty Work,” “Do It Again,” “Don’t Take Me Alive,” “My Old School,” “Kid Charlemagne” and for the encore, “Reeling In The Years”. I mean come on, how could you not like that set list?

The band they put together was up to the task - especially guitarist Jon Herrington, who had many shoes to fill in for the many great guitarists that originally played on those songs. He did a great job and the band as a whole was fantastic. Walter Becker got to show his chops taking over some of the guitar solos, but the highlight for me was the unique and stylish vocals of Donald Fagen, who still can produce those notes. As my wife said to me during the show “he sounds better now than he did on the album.”

Not everything was perfect mind you but it was pretty close. I didn’t think Becker doing the vocals on “Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More” really carried well. I was disappointed that they let the three female backup singers do the vocals on “Dirty Work.” I know, I know. This is the only song that Fagen did not sing on an album, but if he did not want to do the vocals then they should have let one of the other musicians take a shot at it or not do it at all. It’s probably my favorite Steely Dan song of all time and instead of being a great bluesy rock song the arrangement became a torch song of sorts.

My only other complaint about the night and this is a personal observation. This is to the couple sitting next to me: Why do you go to a concert and feel the need to talk to each other? Was the conversation boring on the ride over and you felt a need to pick it up, or was it so stimulating that you had to continue it? Also, why yell out “Woooooooooo!” at the start of every song? Did you think that Donald was going to say “Thank you everyone and especially to that guy in Row L Seat 49 for that Woooooooo!” I hope you’re reading this and my advice to you – or anyone else that this could fit – Shut the hell up!

Okay enough of my rant.

To answer the famous line from “Kid Charlemagne,” is there gas in the car?

Yes there is, and there is still plenty left in the tank of Steely Dan!

Nuff said, least til next time
Peace Out
Bear

Two Guys, Two Guitars and A Great Night Of Music

2009-10-17T11:29:00.025-04:00

Last Saturday I had the fortune to attend the benefit for Roots Of American Music (ROAM) at the Beachland Ballroom. It was a very cool event to be a part of because A.) It was a great cause for an organization that is doing so much for our schools and doing what it can to help keep the music flowing thru the halls and B.) it brought together two of my favorite musicians on one stage, Michael Stanley and Alex Bevan.

I can’t count the number of times I have seen either of these two artists play thru the years, and when I say thru the years I mean thru the years. I have been listening to them since the early 70’s. I have seen them in every type of venue you can imagine. Bars, arenas, clubs, outdoor venues, headlining shows, opening shows. The list goes on and on but the one thing I can tell you I don’t think I’ve seen the two of them better than Saturday night.

It was as intimate a night of music as I have ever seen and I have to say, it was one of the best nights of music I have heard in my almost 40 years of going to shows and concerts and this includes thousands of shows I’ve seen.

It was two guys, two guitars and their memories of the songs they sang.

I am used to seeing Alex in this type of show. A man with his guitar and his songs alone on a stage and he does it better than almost everyone and has been doing so for years but it was really different to see Michael in this element. I am used to seeing him fronting The Ghost Poets, The Resonators, The Midlife Chryslers and of course MSB but Saturday this striped down, acoustic version of Michael Stanley blew me away.

I think what made the night special was hearing their stories about each song they played. To hear what inspired them to write the song and what the special meaning of the song was for each of them. Michael said during the show “people ask me if I’ll ever write a book and I tell them to just go back and listen to the albums, it’s all there”.

You know what, I think that’s why these two men have had such a loyal following in Cleveland for so long. Over the years they have been writing and singing about things in their lives and in turn us. They are Cleveland thru and thru and in their songs we find bits and pieces of ourselves in them.

As far as the show itself they alternated playing their music and they pulled out all the classics. Midwest Midnight, Carey Come Smiling, Rosewood Bitters, Rodeo Rider, In The Heartland, Skinny Little Boy, Lover, Grand River Lullaby and many more of the songs we’ve come to love over the years. When each stood up and played, Folks this was the way to listen to these songs, stripped down to it’s essence with the voice and a guitar. When one was playing the other would sit on a chair and listen and just like us you could tell they were a fan. When the night first started they would just sit and let the other have the spotlight but as the night wore on you saw things that showed they were having fun and really getting into the music like when Alex was doing “Rodeo Rider” you saw Michael sitting there and singing the lyrics to himself. That was very cool. When Michael was doing “Rosewood Bitters” and playing a rhythm accompaniment you all of a sudden you heard a little bit of a lead guitar being interwoven into the song and you looked over and there was Alex playing along like you would if you were home listening on your stereo with your guitar on your lap. Again a very cool moment. It was these moments and many more that happened that night when you realized these guys really respected each other as musicians and really enjoyed the others songs. Just like us.

You know the night was great when you didn’t want it to end and you wanted more. As we were leaving my wife (Mrs. Bear) just looked at me and said “god they sounded great”. That was it, one comment just summed up the whole night. As I told Alex when I passed him at the intermission, “I hope you have tape running on this”

If you missed this show (and you got to be kicking yourself right now) and still want to do a good thing to help out Roots Of American Music go to www.rootsofamericanmusic.org/ and make a donation. I know in these times it’s hard for most of us but even the littlest donation helps. Their mission is “Preserving the past, enriching the present and inspiring the future” and that is a good thing for kids

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Recommended Alex Bevan albums. available at www.ncweb.com/ent/alex/

"Grand River Lullaby"
The album that made Alex, well "Alex"
Has the beautiful title song "Grand River Lullaby" Simply a classic.

"Springboard"
One of the most beautiful albums I have ever put on a turntable. I've worn out so many copies. "Carey Come Smiling", "Rodeo Rider", "Silver Wings" and so much more. My favorite

"Falls & Angels"
Alex's latest album that has the beautiful "Gunfighters Smile" That song alone is worth the buy.

Recommended Michael Stanley albums. available at http://www.michaelstanley.com/

"Michael Stanley"
Michael's first album it's my favorite. Has my favorite Michael Stanley song "Movin Right Along" as well as the always great "Rosewood Bitters"

"Live At Tangiers"
A thirty song live album done acoustically. Laid back and great with all the hits. Listen to "Lover" and "Let's Get The Show On The Road". Beautiful.

"The Soft Addictions"
One of his newer albums that continues the tradition. Has the amazing "Same Blood (Different Vein)"

Random Thoughts On The Rock Hall, The End Of Summer And A Good Cause

2009-09-30T13:36:00.014-04:00

Random Thoughts On The Rock Hall, The End Of Summer And A Good Cause:

On The Rock Hall debate….
I want to thank everyone (and there were hundreds) who took the time to email me about last week’s story on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees and I have to tell you, people are pissed off.

I was going to do another story this week on the subject as an open letter to the committee but the more I research this, the madder I get so I am going to wait until the finalist are announced and with what I find out, I’ll put it all out there for you.

Just a couple of things I found out and don’t want to wait and have to get off my chest. Some of these members who hold themselves in such high esteem (ie: Robert Hilburn - LA Times music critic) don’t even bother to go to the nomination meeting and I’m sure there are others who didn’t bother to go but Bob made it public last week “tweeting” about it. Hey Bob, don’t complain about who the 12 finalists are if you don’t think it’s important enough to attend the meeting not just this year but the past several years. Here is his comment to futurerocklegends.com (a very cool site that I came across and covers the Rock Hall process) about this “unable to attend ny meetings in recent years; sent my choices to the chairman. so don't know how debate went this time”.

Bob if you can’t be there to advocate for your choices then RESIGN. Let someone that cares enough about their choices and feels strong enough about them come in and take your place. I know you said “Here are Rock candidates I would have preferred: Lou Reed, the Replacements, Gram Parsons, Tom Waits, Kraftwerk, Randy Newman, NY Dolls” but it wasn’t important enough for you to even go and voice your opinion so you know what, you get to vote for ABBA this year as you said you were going to.

If you guys on the committee feel as several have stated “keep seeing tweets about disco, punk, soul etc not being valid for rock hall--not true. the hall should embrace the great acts of rock era” and “The Rock Hall uses the word rock in the broadest possible definition, which makes a lot of sense” then as you embrace disco artists, rap artists, etc which performed during this “rock era” and this is the criteria you are using then where are the country artists such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson (true songwriters) or vocal artists such as Sinatra, Streisand, Dean Martin. Why are they not being considered based on your own criteria? During this time period they were as important to music as any artist out there. Look I love Willie, Frank and Dean but do they belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?.....No! But under your strange rationalization your telling me Donna Summer had a bigger impact on music than Frank Sinatra or LL Cool J was a bigger influence than Willie Nelson let alone artists that actually should be in the Hall Of Fame such as Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Leon Russell, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc. That is actually what you are saying to us with your nominations. You are so arbitrary with what you deem to be “important” in music and how and who you make your choices for, it absolutely makes no sense.

Remember it’s only Rock And Roll.

It’s great to get comments from the readers like “keep up the fight”, “you are right on about this”, “you’re speaking for all of us”, “Thank you” because at times you don’t know if it is just you (or the voices in your head!) or is this how others feel (Except for Bob The Cop who let’s me know very strongly how he feels each week!). I will keep up the fight alongside people like Bob (The Cop not Hilburn) because this process they using and who is on this committee, is just wrong.

______________________________________

On The End Of Summer….
Now that summer is gone, the Browns are officially eliminated from the playoffs (they are aren’t they?), the Indians AAA team is playing out the season at the Jake (I can’t get myself to say The Prog) and I just don’t care about the Cavs (what is everyone in Cleveland going to do next year when he is wearing someone else’s jersey) I have time on my hands so my good friend Matt from addictedtovinyl.com has a great feature on his site called the “Monday Morning Mix Tape” where you can submit your version of the old mix tape everyone used to make. It can have a theme, no theme, random songs or just whatever you like. Just put together your music for everyone to see.

I started mine to submit and it is “The End Of Summer” with songs that just remind me of summer days when I hear them. They don’t have “summer” in the title, they just have something that sparks some hidden memory for me. These are the songs I turn the radio up with the top down on the Jeep on those warm summer nights. So far I got Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Three Little Birds (Bob Marley), Grand River Lullaby (Alex Bevan), I’m Your Captain (Grand Funk), Baby Blue (Badfinger), Two Of Us (Beatles), My Whole World Ended (David Ruffin), Gimme Gimme Good Lovin (Crazy Elephant), Two Lane Highway (Pure Prairie League), Out In The Country (Three Dog Night), Got To Give It Up (Marvin Gaye), Time Won’t Let Me (The Outsiders), 6th Avenue Heartache (The Wallflowers), Ripple (Grateful Dead), Trick Of The Tail (Genesis).

Wow, what an eclectic mix. I swear I picked these “not under the influence”. That’s my Mix Tape so far. Now I just got to figure out which order to put them on the CD. Let me know your mix tape and make sure to send them into Matt.

_____________________________________

On Doing A Good Thing….
On October 10th Michael Stanley and Alex Bevan, two of Cleveland’s beloved musicians are doing a benefit at the Beachland Ballroom for the organization Roots Of American Music (ROAM). ROAM is a non-profit organization that focuses on presenting and preserving roots music (Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Folk) and using the music as a academic vehicle to help kids reach their benchmarks and educational goals.

This show features these two great artists for the first time ever together doing an intimate all-acoustic show of their best loved songs along with the stories and tales of their colorful careers.

So think about it readers, you get a great night of music and you get to do something good for the community and for a great cause.
Call Roots Of American Music at 216-321-9353 or visit http://www.rootsofamericanmusic.com/ for benefit reservations or www.beachlandballroom.com.

Well that’s it for this week. Let me know what you think good or bad of my random thoughts at bear@clevelandrockandroll.com.

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

The Rock Hall Induction Committee Steps Into It Again

2009-09-23T10:22:00.004-04:00

Today the Rock And Hall Induction Committee announced their list of finalists for the 2010 Class for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and as we say year in, year out….What were they thinking?

The finalists are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J, Kiss, Genesis, The Stooges, Donna Summer, ABBA, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, The Chantels, The Hollies, and Jimmy Cliff.

I would like to know. Which member of the Induction Committee stood up and argued as the advocate for ABBA? Seriously!

Can we see some problems here?

By looking at the list, you can almost imagine the conversations in the room when you see a Genesis alongside Donna Summer or Kiss next to Darlene Love or The Hollies beside LL Cool J. Each of these artists have someone nominate them, argue for them and make deals to get them on that final list. “I’ll vote for Kiss if you vote for ABBA.”. Is this the way an artist should be honored?

By looking at the list and seeing Genesis (eligible since 1993 and first time on ballot), Kiss (eligible since 1999 and first time on the ballot), The Hollies (eligible since 1989 and again first time on ballot) it is like they said amongst themselves “We better put some classic rock bands on the list or we’ll get crucified in the press again.” Dave Marsh, a member of the Induction committee, was quoted last year about Kiss “Kiss is not a great band, Kiss was never a great band, Kiss never will be a great band, and I have done my share to keep them off the ballot.” Then when pressed on the Kiss issue by City Scoops Magazine he responded by email “I oppose Kiss because I think it was a shitty rock band, not worthy of induction. What else is there to say?”

Then why are they on the ballot now Dave?

You know what Gene Simmons response was? “There are disco bands, rap bands, Yiddish folk song bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not Kiss. I believe we have more gold records in Americathan any other group, but it’s OK.”

No it’s not Gene. (Bear’s Note: As my readers know, I am not a huge Kiss fan, I like a couple of songs but to not acknowledge their impact on music in general is a travesty)
Little Steve Van Zandt of The E Street Band and a member of the Induction Committee in the new issue of Rolling Stone is quoted as saying “There's dozens and dozens of early rock & roll groups that should be in. I notice a bias toward the post-art-form rock critics' sensibility as opposed to the pre-art-form rock & roll sensibility. That's why I had so much difficulty getting the Rascals and the Dave Clark Five in. We'll probably never get Paul Revere and the Raiders in. Anybody who didn't eventually get into Important Personal Lyrics is not regarded seriously. It's very difficult for me to justify the Talking Heads being in the Hall of Fame before the Hollies, or Michael Jackson being in before Johnny Burnette.

Now there’s some insight into the process folks!

It is like they are trying to placate us by throwing us a bone here folks. Don’t get overexcited by seeing Kiss or Genesis, The Hollies, Jimmy Cliff, or The Stooges being on this list. Remember in the end, they don’t have to vote for them and only 5 of these bands will get in. So throwing us the bone now maybe lessens the blow later when we see Donna Summer get it.

As Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Madonna put it so clearly when she learned she was inducted "I heard about it and I kind of felt ambivalent, like, 'What is that, the place they put musical dinosaurs?' ".

Committee Members and Rock Hall Voters….Nice Job! This is who you honor by putting them into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

Last spring we did a poll on http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ (here is the link for the archived story http://clevelandrockandroll.blogspot.com/2009/03/votes-are-in-readers-vote-on-hall-of.html) and the Top 10 bands the fans wanted to see inducted were Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kiss, Genesis, Doobie Brother, Heart, Jethro Tull, ELO, Cheap Trick. You know what they all have in common, not one disco song among them!

Looking at this list and based on the past voting here’s how I see the Class Of 2010. LL Cool J, Donna Summer, Jimmy Cliff, The Stooges and The Chantels. Next in line would be the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

No Genesis, No Hollies and it seems if Dave Marsh has his way NO KISS!

Sad is all I can say, hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. The real rock fans just don’t seem to matter.

Maybe next year Stevie Ray……..

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Beatles Rock Band or The Decline and Fall Of Civilization

2009-09-14T10:56:00.010-04:00

Okay maybe the title is a little strong, exaggerated, maybe even over the top but………

This past week it seemed every time I turned on the television, two things hit me on the screen. 1. A commercial for Jay Leno’s new show and 2. the commercial for the Beatles Rock Band game.

My opinion, (and you are reading my column, whose opinion would it be?) I have to tell you something. 1. Leno’s show is going to suck no matter how much promotion NBC gives it and 2. Is that Beatles commercial the creepiest thing you have ever seen!

It is well known here that I am a Beatles fan, love the Beatles but come on, the cut ins of John especially in that commercial are really creepy. Do you think with the millions of feet of footage available of the Beatles they could not come up with a better image of John to use? It looks like a commercial that 7 year old doing the Windows commercial would do on her laptop cutting and pasting and telling us “I’m 7 and I’m a PC and I just did a Beatles commercial”

Okay, enough about the commercial. The real problem I have here is with the game itself or the whole genre of Rock Band and Guitar Hero games. When this first came out I originally thought it was pretty cool that the gaming industry was bringing gamers into the music world but what it seems to be doing now is losing a generation of musicians.

What do I mean? I have seen so many kids playing these games that they think playing guitar is simply pressing a series of plastic buttons on the neck, that’s all you have to do. I had a friend that was showing me the game one day and was flying thru “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N Roses, I mean flying thru it! The way he was acting you thought Slash was in the room with me. When he was done, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face, sweat rolling off and said “What do you think, cool huh!” I just looked at him with a blank stare and reached over and handed him one of my guitars lined up against the wall and said “Now play it, that’ll impress me.”

This guy spent weeks, months playing this game. Learning the songs or should I say learning which button to press to be a rock god. You know the worst thing; his kids are the same way with the game.

How about this for a novel idea parents. Buy them a real guitar to play on! Sign them up for lessons! If the kids I know spent the time they did learning how to play this game on a real guitar, we would have a whole new generation of Eddie Van Halens. Maybe I’m becoming an old “fuddy duddy” (wow, I just used the words “fuddy duddy” in a story. Man I am getting old!) but in my day (double wow, I just said “in my day” in a story, I am channeling my father here folks!) a game system didn’t replace the real thing, whether it was playing baseball, football or being a rock musician!

Remember your first guitar? The one where the strings were so high off the frets that your fingers bleed trying to push them down to play a single note but you kept coming back and you built up the calluses and you got better guitars as you got better and the next thing you knew you were playing in your first band. How cool was that!

Now you can have your first band without ever learning to play a note. Play guitar, bass, drums and microphone without a single music lesson. (Can someone explain to me…. How the hell do you play microphone? Do you fake singing? Is it like a Brittney Spears concert?)

What could be better for your kids in this day and age? The new life lessons…No work, no sacrifice, no commitment. Just turn on the game and be a rock star…Does fake tattoos come in the box also?

Nuff said….least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Taking The Speakers For A Test Drive

2009-08-31T13:11:00.009-04:00

A couple of months ago I went to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for a talk on Springsteen with my good buddy Matt from addictedtovinyl.com. Sitting in the hall for the couple of hours I was there, what stuck with me most wasn’t the great history of Springsteen’s career, but “man I need to upgrade my sound system”

Now I’ve been wanting to change up my audio system for awhile but just been putting it off, because simply it is a pain in the ass.

The problem is 1. When you try out speakers in an audio store, nothing ever sounds as good as it does at the store. 2. Most speakers can sound great with certain types of music but get lost with others. 3. The biggest hassle, the salesman who thinks he knows what you like more than you do. So how do you get around these problems?

First I make them move the speakers from their acoustically perfect sound room and move them in the general show room. This way the acoustics are closer to what I would hear when I bring them home. Second I bring my own CD (or vinyl at a really, really good store!) to test drive the speakers. This also eliminates problem #3 as the salesman is virtually eliminated and I can listen to the speakers in peace.

I don’t want to hear just any song or album to test drive the speakers. I want to hear certain parts of songs. The parts that are real genius, the parts that make your hair stand up on your arm. It’s that parts that make you love the music as a whole.

So what are the song parts needed to test drive the speakers.

First I want to try out a couple of my favorite songs just to get a feel of the speakers.
There’s No Way Out Of Here (David Gilmour) – Tough song for a speaker to reproduce without sounding muddled in spots where it should sound rich and full.

Dirty Work (Steely Dan) – Again another song that should be rich and full while the chorus, horns and keyboards should be clean and sharp.

Baby Blue (Badfinger) - The first 1 minute has enough changes to give the speakers a start and just a fun rock song that's one of my favorites.

Now lets test out the vocals.
Fly Me To The Moon (Live) (Frank Sinatra) – Live At The Sands is Sinatra at his best. Clear, crisp. A great sound recording. I’ll listen to the first 25-30 seconds where he transitions from talking to the first couple bars of the song. You’ll know if the speaker can handle it very quickly.

I Can’t Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt) – Bonnie’s voice is like butter on this song and that’s the way it should sound, like it’s being poured out of the speakers.

Into The Mystic (Van Morrison) – The speakers better make it sound like Van’s in the room with me. They’ll be playing a lot of him!

Death On Two Legs (Queen) – skip to about a minute in to hear if Freddy’s vocal range. Should be driven hard.

How about the other parts.
Starman (David Bowie) – First the acoustic guitars, then the great transition from the drum roll to Bowies voice in the first 20 seconds. Three distinct sounds.

Save Room (John Legend) – The bass in the opening of this song is so over produced that most speakers distort. Terrible production on a great song.

Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd) – I want to hear if the speakers can reproduce the mistakes in the beginning. The cough, the sniffling on the song then Gilmour’s acoustic should just punch out of the speaker right after.

We Belong Together (Rickie Lee Jones) – This song has so many delicate hidden sounds in the first 30 seconds of it, it has to be tested out. Then around the 2:30 mark is one of the best drum parts I ever heard in a song that changes the dynamic of the song.

Couldn’t Stand The Weather (Stevie Ray Vaughn) – Close your eyes and listen to the first minute of the song. You should be able to actually visualize his fingers moving so smooth and effortlessly.

The E Street Shuffle (Bruce Springsteen) – right after the carnival horns, the guitar riff here is amazing then right into Bruce’s voice in his gravely best.

Badge (Cream) – Jack Bruce’s bass line in the first 15 seconds is all I need to hear.

Money (Pink Floyd) – Roger’s bass line in the beginning, same as Jack’s above, need to hear it.

Dance On A Volcano (Genesis) – The first 25 seconds of the song is a plethora of different sounds.

So Very Hard To Go (Tower Of Power) – It’s all about the horns!

I’m Your Captain (Grand Funk Railroad) – Love the first minute of the song. Farners guitar, Brewers drums coming in and not to be outdone, Schacher’s great bass riff all classics in the first 30 seconds of the song plus I want to hear all the mistakes including the engineers talking in the background. Listen closely!

Journey Of The Sorcerer (Eagles) – Just need a straight instrumental using a lot of different instruments to see if I can pick each one out.

You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC) – The speakers need to be able to just rock out and LOUD!

Let’s Stay Together (Al Green) – and they need to be soft and soulful at other times.

Okay I test drove um all and finally picked out a pair of vintage Voice Of The Theatres. Got them in the truck, got them home and now the hard part. Sneaking the new speakers past Mrs. Bear! She’ll never notice, they are only the size of a small car……

But hunny I need them for my job….Do you think that will work?

Nuff said…..least till next time.
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints Parts 1 and 2

2009-08-17T10:29:00.002-04:00

Sorry for not getting a new story up on the site this week but I have been recovering from surgery and simply put, it's kicking my butt!
So I decided to re-post two (actually Parts 1 and 2) of my favorite stories from the archives for some of my new readers that may have missed it and for my old readers, maybe you want to read it again.
Nuff said...least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life - Originally Posted March 9, 2009

The other day when it was pouring outside I did as I usually do when bored, I put on a movie that I have watched so many times. I watched the great John Cusack movie "High Fidelity" and it rang true to me how music is a footprint of our lives.

Most of us listen to music daily. We listen to music when we wake up on our alarm clocks, while were getting ready for work, in our cars on the way to work, sometimes while at work, on the way home, when we get home and are cooking dinner, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, on a plane with our ipods, working out, etc, etc, etc.

Music is always around us and for good times and bad we connect songs and bands to moments in our lives.
Musical footprints are everywhere in our lives. We might not even know we have them stored in our minds until a single moment when they are triggered when a song comes out of the blue on the radio, when a good feeling comes over us and we relate it to a song that we heard the last time we felt it or on the opposite when a song is related to a bad time in our lives. This is why music is so important to us and why we surround ourselves with it.

Every time I hear "Born To Run" it throws me back to Friday afternoons with Kid Leo's kicking off the weekends on WMMS as well as "Good Morning" by The Beatles as the wakeup call with Jeff and Flash in the mornings. When I'm out of town and Colbie Calliat comes on the radio I think of my wife because she plays the cd all the time and it makes me happy. "We Belong Together" by Rickie Lee Jones bring back memories of listening to it in the first house we lived in. "I Believe" by Stevie Wonder is pictures of my kids when they were little. "Just One Victory" by Todd Rundgren and "Magicians Birthday" by Uriah Heep take me back to the college dorms. "Captain Fantastic" takes me back to an old girl friend who stole my copy of the album back in 1975 that I would love to forget but can't (hey, can I at least have it back!). Marvin Gayes "Let's Get It On"..... well we'll leave that one alone.

These footprints can also change as new memories happen as a song is playing. "Comfortably Numb" use to have a totally different meaning to me but now when I hear it, it reminds me of seeing David Gilmour on his last tour with my son. We made the trip to Chicago and after the show, the first thing he did was call his college room mate and tell him "I just heard Comfortably Numb live!". This footprint changed because the importance of the footprint changed. I now relate it to the excitement and feeling my son had hearing the song live for the first time.

Our musical footprints can change like we used to do with our old cassette tapes. We record over them and over them, but some are so strong in our psyche that no matter what, for good or bad, they are there in back of our minds waiting to be released. They are our mix tape of life.

Enough writing, I think it's time to go put on "Let's Get It On"

Nuff said, at least till next week

Peace Out

Bear

Musical Footprints Part 2, Your Stories - Originally Posted March 16, 2009

I have to thank the readers here. When I hit on a subject you respond and respond you did. I had over 400 emails this week on this subject alone. The story (Musical Footnotes or The Mix Tape Of Life) was just a little thing about how when I hear a certain song it triggers memories for me and it registered with you also. That is why I am posting Part 2, using your stories.

Just a note here on the stories below. I emailed everyone back and asked their permission first before publishing their stories. Most said "sure go ahead" others were not sure about the statue of limitations!

Most of the ones sent in were funny but some were sad. I did not post the stories where the songs reminded the reader of a loss of a loved one as It seemed personal and I didn't want to bring that back to them in print.

So go ahead and enjoy, maybe some will trigger a new musical footnote of your own. If it does send it to me. There might be a Musical Footprints 3. I definitely have enough material!

"Rockin Down The Highway by The Doobie Brothers" Every time I hear it, it reminds me of going cross country with 2 of my high school buddies and the tape got eaten by the tape deck in Oklahoma. 400 more miles to go and no tunes. (Frank from Bay Village)

"I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Spiral Staircase" My husband played in a band in the early 70s and that is how I met him. He sang it to me then and on our 30th wedding anniversary he surprised me by having the band to play it and he got up and sang it to me there. (Sue from Mayfield Village)

"Reflections Of My Life by Marmalade" My first girlfriend, if you could call it that in the 5th grade broke up with me and I remember playing that 45 over and over until my older brother broke it in half. God I hate that song! (Mark from Columbus)

"Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band" Going out with my girlfriends to the Cosmopolitan and dancing every Saturday night (Nancy from Mentor)

"Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac" It reminds me of a summer vacation boyfriend in Myrtle Beach. It was only 2 weeks, but a great 2 weeks (Gina from Cleveland)

"Dancing In The Moonlight by King Harvest" Bonfires, drinking wine and dancing in the moonlight, It was great being young (Susan from Avon Lake)

"Melissa by The Allman Brothers" It used to be my favorite song by them but now every time I hear it I'm reminded of that stupid phone commercial! I’ll never buy one of their phones after ruining that song. (Chuck from Toledo)

"Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana" Brings back memories of high school and wanting to get out of there. Seeing the video on MTV for the first time, I related to the people in it. Now I see it and think, I really should have washed my hair and showered more (Mike from Canton)

"Give Me Just A Little More Time by Chairman Of The Board" A girl named Theresa who played it on the jukebox all the time. Every time I hear it her face still pops into my head. (Michael from University Hts)

"Rockin Into The Night by 38 Special" Cruising from bar to bar on the weekends with my friends. This song was always on the tape we played. (Alan from Kent)

"Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meatloaf" My ex wife. That song could have been the story of our whole life. (Kurt from Cleveland)

You can tell a lot of my readers are from Cleveland as a lot of Cleveland bands and their songs were mentioned, here is a few:

"Tonight by The Raspberries" Anna Marie P_________., what a girl! (Dom from Little Italy) Note: I took out Anna Maries last name, just in case she's reading this

Waste A Little Time On Me by Michael Stanley Band" Stage Pass. I remember being at the Agora when they recorded it and when the album came out. I love that album. Do you think Jonah still has those suspenders he wore on the album? (Marcy from Westlake)

"Skinny Little Boy by Alex Bevan" Seeing him play at the Agora for the Christmas Coffee Break Concerts. It was such a great time in my life. (Alice from Tremont)

"Grand River Lullaby by Alex Bevan" Having Alex play it twice one night at my old bar Cafe Rock because it is my wife's favorite song (Bear - I had to put my own Alex moment in)

"Go All The Way by The Raspberries" The Friday night dances at Marymount High School. Catholic school girls and the Raspberries were always a hit for a 15yr old guy. (Tom from Garfield Hts)

"Stop Wait And Listen by Circus" This song takes me back to the school dances every time I hear it. (Mary from Bedford)

"Funky Poodle by Wild Horses" I put on the Pride Of Cleveland album a few months ago and when Funky Poodle came on it took me right back seeing Billy and the boys playing around the Cleveland bars (Dennis from Cleveland Hts)

Weddings were a big theme for a lot of readers, some very cool choices also:

"Come And Get Your Love by Redbone" It was our first dance at our wedding. (Brenda from Wooster)

"Into The Mystic by Van Morrison" Our wedding song. A little different but so are we. (Erin from Cleveland)

"Always And Forever by Heatwave" It was our wedding song. (Pam from Painesville)
"Get Ready by Rare Earth" It was our wedding dance song. a very cool wedding! (Angela from Mayfield)

"In A Little While by Uncle Kracker" Our first dance at our wedding. (Mark from Lakewood)
"Sweet Child Of Mine by Guns And Roses" She picked it for our first dance at our wedding. (Bob from Cleveland)

"You're My Best Friend by Queen" Our first song we danced to at our wedding. She was right in picking it, she is still my best friend. (Ryan from Chagrin Falls)

"White Wedding Day by Billy Idol" He picked it for our wedding dance. Might be why it didn't last! (Sally from Twinsburg)

There were some other themes that are not hard to figure out:

"The Wanderer by Donna Summer" The first stripper I ever saw, this was playing at the Crazy Horse. (Don from Cleveland)

"Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard" The Crazy Horse. They played this all the time in the late 80's. (Sam from Parma)

"Cherry Pie by Warrant" Reminds me of Tiffanys downtown whenever I hear it. (Tony from Berea)

"One Toke Over The Line by Brewer And Shipley" What else do you think it reminds me of. (Tommy from South Euclid)

"Up On Cripple Creek by The Band" Me and my buddies used to get together on Saturdays. We used to put the album on, roll a couple and the next thing I remember it would be Monday. (Jim from Cincinnati)

"Brain Damage by Pink Floyd" It reminds me of listening to Dark Side Of The Moon at the Pink Floyd light show they used to have at Geauga Lake and just being toasted and sitting in the stands and staring into space with the lights and music all around us. (Bruce from Hudson)

"Panama Red by New Riders Of The Purple Sage" Being able to actually buy Panama Red. The good old days. (Mort from Cleveland)

"Maggot Brain by Funkadelics" They used to play it every Friday at midnight on WMMS, Driving around with by buddies. It would come on and it was time to roll another one. (Phil from Parma)

"Fins by Jimmy Buffett" Summers at Blossom. (Paula from Bath Twp)

"Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom in the summer. What a party. (Mike from Medina)

"Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett" Blossom every summer. (Mark from Akron)

"Let's Get Drunk And Screw by Jimmy Buffett" The parties at Blossom. (Allison from Cleveland)

And one song that became legendary in Cleveland history:

"Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen"

.....Kid Leo and Fridays (Dave from Long Island, NY, formally Cleveland)

.....Kid Leo and WMMS. You knew the weekend started when you heard it. (Owen from Parma)

.....The weekend started when you heard Murray Saul and The Boss (Billy from Cleveland)

.....WMMS. The buzzard was the place to tune to on Friday afternoons (Ralph from Geneva)

.....Kid Leo and MMS. I still get that great feeling. I miss Cleveland (Susan from Nashville, TN)

.....The Get Downs from Murray. I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say. (Rick from North Royalton)

.....The right way to start the weekend. The Boss. (Frank from Slavic Village)

.....The Kid and The Boss. What else would you think of. (Dave from Strongsville

Nuff said, At least til next week
Peace Out
Bear

An Open Letter To The Rock Hall Induction Committee

2009-08-03T12:16:00.008-04:00

To: Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Committee
Fr: Rock And Roll Fans everywhere

Ladies and Gentlemen,
It’s just a month away before the 30 or so of you get together and throw out your picks on who gets into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010 so I am asking, no begging you, please look to our past and get some of the greats you have overlooked into the hall. I can’t figure out your reasoning on your past nominations but now is the time to right the wrongs and honor the greats that have been passed over year after year. So please, pull your heads out of your …..., no I won’t go that far. How about just think about us when placing your vote, the true rock fans.

Sincerely
Rock Fans Across The World

Next month the secretive society (well not really anymore. Click Here to see the list of voters courtesy of futurerocklegends.com) we call the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominating Committee will meet and argue, wheel and deal, and whatever else they do to get who they put up for nomination into the hallowed halls of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

How all this all goes about, we don’t know.

Who nominates Chic every year, we don’t know.

Who the hell votes for Chic every year to get them to the final list the past couple of years, we sure as hell don’t know.

This I do know, the fact that they continue to overlook bands such as Genesis, Rush, Yes, Deep Purple, Electric Light Orchestra, Alice Cooper, Kiss, The Doobie Brothers, Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller Band, Emerson Lake And Palmer, Faces, Gram Parsons, The Hollies, J. Geils Band, Lou Reed, The Moody Blues, Peter Gabriel (with or without Genesis), Heart, Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat And Tears, Steve Winwood, Tom Waits, etc, etc, etc…. makes you wonder, what the hell do they talk about in their secret meetings. It can’t be rock and roll.

Before the Induction Ceremony this year I put a poll on the website and the music fans that visit http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ responded in surprisingly huge numbers. They voted and they want to see inducted into the Hall Of Fame in order:

1. Rush
2. Stevie Ray Vaughan
3. Kiss
4. Genesis
5. Alice Cooper
6. Doobie Brothers
7. Heart
8. Electric Light Orchestra
9. Jethro Tull
10. Cheap Trick
Now, personally I am not a big fan of some on the list but I can’t argue with anyone of the Top Ten getting the nod but will they?

I don’t know, probably not!

Artists such as Chic, Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Earth Wind And Fire, Madonna and others keep getting nominated and even inducted over those older “classic rock” artists. It seems a trend with this committee is emerging. They are going away from rock, punk, and metal of the past and toward “popular music” artists representing disco, dance, and rap. There also seems to be a trend of “newer is better”. How does John Mellencamp get in before Steve Winwood, Leon Russell or Todd Rundgren or how does Metallica get in before Deep Purple? Now don’t get me wrong, I think Metallica should be in the Hall, but come on, before Deep Purple? Even James Hetfield in his induction speech went on a rant about the innovators of the past that should have been in the Hall already like Deep Purple, Rush, Judas Priest, Kiss, Motorhead, and Thin Lizzy.

You know who is up for nomination this year? Whitney Houston….

Do I think she will get nominated? Yes.

Do I think she will get inducted? Absolutely

Do I think she belongs in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? Hell no but she seems to be exactly the type of artist the committee loves and wants in the hall. She was a money making machine for the record industry right along the lines of Madonna, how could they not vote her in with the logic they have used in the past.

I am starting to think Madison Avenue should be represented on the committee. Why? Have you listened to commercials lately on television? They are like listening to a classic rock station at times. ELO, ELP, Moody Blues, George Thorogood, Grand Funk Railroad, The Cars, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Canned Heat, Donovan, Edgar Winter, Faces, Jethro Tull, Rare Earth, and Styx to name just a few are the soundtracks for the commercials Madison Avenue throws at us daily. Why do they do this? Because even they know these are classic songs from classic bands that we love and guess what, none of these bands are in the Hall Of Fame. Is Madison Avenue smarter than the so called music experts on the committee? I am starting to think so.

Scott Rowley, the editor of the U.K.-based magazine Classic Rock suggests the Hall is creating its own misconceptions about what rock evolved into. Rowley said in a recent interview “Rush and Yes and ELO are as good and as loved and as worthy as most of the acts in the Hall,” noted Rowley “I think it’s very damaging to the Hall of Fame’s credibility to continually ignore bands that they perceive to be on ‘the fringes,’ whether they’re prog, punk or metal acts. It makes you wonder if the selection committee is actually run by music fans.”

Well maybe this year (and in future years) the committee, will open their ears and eyes and put some deserving bands into the hall and maybe I won’t have to write this column in the future.

PS: Remember committee, if you put Whitney in this year, next year Bobby Brown is eligible! Oh boy…I would put in a whole new wing just to run episodes of their reality show!

Nuff said, least till next time
Peace Out
Bear

The Underappreciated And Overlooked Of Rock

2009-07-20T21:25:00.016-04:00

A little while ago WNCX had a poll of the Greatest Voices of Rock. Their list included in order rock legends Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Paul Rogers, Roger Daltry, Ann Wilson, Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks, Jim Morrison, Steve Perry and Steven Tyler. I love all of them (well not really Morrison but that will be another story in another time) and but are they really the Greatest Voices Of Rock ever?

This past weekend working around the house and listening to a lot of music (and drinking a lot of beer) and as songs kept coming on and different bands played, I got to thinking, if the above singers are the Greatest Voices Of Rock, which singers are really overlooked and underappreciated in the world of rock?

I don’t mean those artists who were left off the list by WNCX. You know the ones you can roll off your tongue, artists like Phil Collins, David Gilmour, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, Elton John, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney (really WNCX listeners, Paul McCartney didn’t get your votes!!! What were you too busy watching Biggest Loser or the Bachelorette to vote for Sir Paul, c’mon Cleveland)

I mean artists that if you were sitting around a fire, drinking beers with 9 of your buddy’s and each guy or girl picked 5 of the best voices in rock, none of the one’s below would have would have even crossed your mind and afterwards if someone mentioned one of them you would have said “how did I forget him (or her) I love him! The sad thing is over time you forget about them and the work they did and they are as good or in some cases better than the so-called Greatest Voices Of Rock on the list.

So in no particular order, here is my list of the Greatest Underappreciated Voices Of Rock.

Steven Georgiou (Cat Stevens) – Cat Stevens was one of the biggest stars of the late 60’s thru the 70’s but is basically a forgotten footnote in rock history since giving up music in 1979 for his religious views. His voice was so unique and for a lack a better word “pure”. I don’t know of anyone in the 70’s that didn’t have a copy of either Tea For The Tillerman, Catch Bull At Four, or Teaser And The Firecat and when you went to their house for a party, it seemed Cat was always on the speakers. I recently saw him perform on Jay Leno and I have to tell you, he still sounds amazing. I hope he tours again so I can hear him live one more time.

Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) – She is in my opinion one of the best female voices of rock ever. How the listeners of WNCX voted Stevie Nicks onto their list and overlooked Christine is sad. Even on Stevie’s best work, it was Christine’s fullness in the background that enriched the song for me. Most of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs were not sung by Stevie but by Christine. Sit back and listen to Songbird or Over My Head and listen to richness of her voice. When Mick Fleetwood and John McVie say every time they would hear her sing Songbird live, they would cry, that’s good enough for me.

Pete Ham (Badfinger) – First off most people would never even know who Pete Ham is let alone call out his name as one of the best vocalist of rock but every time I hear Baby Blue or Day After Day on the radio, it hits me in the gut, how good he really was. How this band did not become bigger than they did is one of the mysteries of rock.

Leon Russell (solo) – Okay time to get up on my soapbox. Listen up Rock Hall committee. Put Leon Russell into the Hall Of Fame already!!! He was instrumental in the careers of many inducted into the Rock Hall and one of our greatest American songwriters ever! Okay time to step off the soapbox. Obviously I love Leon Russell as an artist but I can put on his debut album Leon Russell and just be swept away by his vocals. He created the Tulsa Sound and it amazes me how overlooked he is as a singer. His vocals on “This Songs For You” is unique and one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. He put everything he had inside him into that song. Just powerful.

Toy Caldwell (Marshall Tucker Band) – This is the man that got me into Country Rock plain and simple. He blended the country rock sound with a blues twang that just grabbed me and didn’t let go and I have been a fan ever since. His voice was powerful and again one of those unique voices that can’t be replaced. The right voice for the right band for the right type of music, that’s how simple it was. Listening to “This Ol’ Cowboy” and how Toy sings “this ain’t gonna be the first time this ol cowboy spent the night alone” reinforced me thru many nights in bars during my college days!

John Lyon (Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes) – I know this is going to hurt most of you Bruce fans(especially my good buddy Matt from addictedtovinyl.com) but when I want to hear someone from Jersey, I turn on Southside Johnny. I’ve seen and worked security for most of Bruce’s shows in the early days here in Cleveland and love Bruce but from the first time I heard Johnny I was blown away and still am. The bluesy, bourbon soaked voice makes him one of my favorites singers. He does an acoustic version of “Walk Away Renee” with Little Steven that can bring tears to ya.

Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra) – You know you can listen to a band for years or even decades and it doesn’t hit you how much a voice really identifies the band but this one really came to light for me as I went to see ELO in Detroit last Friday and seriously seeing them live without him reinforced to me what a great singer he is and how important he was to ELO.

Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, Cory Wells (Three Dog Night) – I know, I know this is three singers not one but all three were fantastic singers in their own right and together, made a powerful lineup. Three Dog Night was a hit making machine because of the talent of their 3 lead singers and we never seem to remember how good they were individually. To remember, put on their greatest hits album and you can hear all three of them take the lead.

Greg Lake (King Crimson and Emerson Lake And Palmer) – This is one that usually after the discussion about singers someone says those famous words “How could I forget him?” How could you forget him especially with the vocals he produced on Lucky Man and From The Beginning. An amazing voice that somehow we seem to forget about.

James Hetfield (Metallica) – Okay, I know your now looking at your computer screen with your eyes crossed saying “James Hetfield?” Yea, James Hetfield! Rock music to me encompasses everyone from Cat Stevens and his laid back storytelling to Metallica and beyond. Look Metallica didn’t become the goliath of heavy metal just by pounding out ear shattering riffs. There had to be a voice that could match the dynamic of the band and James does just that plus he can tone it down when needed and render as great a vocal as anyone. Listen to him on Hero Of The Day and tell me I’m wrong. Definitely overlooked.

Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) – I was never a fan of the so-called hair bands of the 80’s but with Def Leppard something about them was different and it was the voice. Joe Elliott brought something to the table the other bands of the era couldn’t plus they have produced some of the best music ever heard in a strip club. Seriously what would strippers dance to without “Pour Some Sugar On Me” or “Bringing On The Heartache” or “Armageddon It” or "Rocket" or ohhhh I could go on and on but seriously Joe Elliott has a great rock voice that doesn’t usually jump to the front of your mind when thinking about great rock voices.

There are others I didn’t mention. Here’s a few more you can think about. Artists like Ian Gillian (Deep Purple), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Tim Buckley (solo), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Joe Jackson (solo), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) and Graham Parsons (The Byrds).

Well go ahead and discuss among yourselves. Agree with me or not, at least you don’t have to be corralled into such a narrow funnel of musical taste that we call radio.

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Tripping Thru The Memories!

2009-07-07T11:53:00.017-04:00

I was going thru a stack of old Scene Magazines from the early seventies yesterday that I picked up for reference material for clevelandrockandroll.com and man that started my trip down memory lane.

It got harder and harder to do the job I had in front of me as I kept reminiscing with each page I turned. The concerts, the stories, the old photos, the old bars, basically the old times and they were all sitting in front of me in the withered, yellowed pages.

Thinking about it, Scene Magazine has really been a part of my life for most of it. Weekly for the past 40 years the paper has been around, I have picked it up in bars, record stores, clothing stores, head shops (okay that was in the 70’s, not now……….well……..) to see what was happening around town and looking back, it really has been a great snapshot of the times.

Looking back, do you remember trying to figure out where to go out too? Let’s take a Thursday night when at the Harbor Inn down in the Flats (before it really was the Flats), Eli Radish (with David Allen Coe and Danny Sheridan) ruled the stage or Fully Assembled did the same at the Longhorn in Maple Hts or Sweetleaf was playing at The Utopia, Circus at The Agora or you asked your buddy, where was Tiny Alice playing tonight, how about Glass Harp? Grab a Scene and find out.

Remember buying albums? Do you remember buying them at Clarkens? Or Woolworths? Or Disc Records? Or Recordland? Or Music Grotto? Do you remember paying $2.49 for the new releases?

Going thru the ads themselves. Do you need a waterbed, then go to The Water Works on Noble Rd and get one for only $24.50. There’s a bikini contest at the Eastown Motor Hotel on Euclid Ave Saturday night. (Eastown Motor Hotel! Where in the hell was the Eastown?) How about the sale at Fox’s Audio Center in Kamms Corner, 8-tracks are on sale for only $2.95 including The Carpenters and Led Zeppelin III. It’s like a matched set! Want to go to a movie? “Dagmar’s Hot Pants Inc.” is playing at The LaSalle, Mapletown, Canal Road Drive-In and at the Mentor Drive-In. Ohhh, Budweiser just came out with a Malt Liquor as they say in the ad “finally a Malt Liquor good enough to be called Budweiser”. (boy that lasted a long time) The TV cops of Adam 12 will be at the Auto-Rama along with James Brolin. Don’t want to miss that! Over at Audio Hall you can get a complete Pioneer AM/FM receiver with turntable and speakers for $399 and you get a free Blood Sweat and Tears poster. Go to Bob’s Sohio on Detroit Rd and get your gas pumped by Bob’s Girls in hot pants! This one I really don’t get but love. At Air Con in Willowick buy a tape get a free turtle! Don’t buy a tape get 2 free turtles!!!! and of course the full page ad’s that ran each week for Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill wine. Wow now that brings back memories, no what that probably did for me was kill more brain cells than anything I could have drank at the time but at least we were all a little preserved with the formaldehyde in each bottle. Ahhhh the good times…….

Then there are the concerts. The Scene was the best source of information on who was coming to the Cleveland area and everyone came to Cleveland. Until going thru these old papers, I didn’t really know there were other promoters in the area other than Belkin Productions at the time. A Friend Productions, American Concerts and Stone Head Productions were all here in the early 70’s and the music fans of Cleveland were the benefactors. Can you imagine now in 2009 seeing bands such as Pink Floyd at Case Western Reserve University, Jethro Tull at Admiral King High School, or Edgar Winter at Normandy High School? How about all of the concerts at the gymnasiums of Kent State, the College of Wooster, John Carroll University? I’m not talking about teen dances at these gyms but bands such as Emerson, Lake And Palmer, Frank Zappa, Uriah Heep, Yes, The James Gang, The Beach Boys, Deep Purple, The Eagles, The Kinks to name just a few. Pick up The Scene back then to figure out where you were going to spend your hard earned $5.00. Do I go see Dave Mason and Jo Jo Gunne at the Allen Theatre on Sunday or wait until Tuesday to see Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac at the Akron Civic Theatre. Hold on, Humble Pie and J. Geils Band are at Public Hall on Friday and on Saturday Deep Purple and Buddy Miles are playing in Akron and Pink Floyd is there next Wednesday. What do I do? I only have $5.00…..

It is a been a real trip to go thru these old Scenes. I have sent Danny some of the old Eli Radish photos I found and my good friend Alex Bevan write-ups I found of him, they are great to read and reminisce. Seeing Peanuts in the old issues and still seeing him around town now when I go to shows, some things haven’t changed. (Okay Peanuts maybe we are both a little older!). Reading about Jim Bonfanti and David Smalley leaving the Raspberries back in 1973 and here in 2009 they are re-united and performing again. It’s like we have come full circle.

Well it’s time to get back to work and stop looking thru the time machine. Wait what’s in that box in the corner? 1974-1976 Scene’s! Oh boy, another day lost to the seventies and my memories………..

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Michael Jackson, My Thoughts...

2009-06-29T10:43:00.015-04:00

Unless you have been hiding in a cave in Afghanistan with Bin Laden this past weekend (and I’m sure he’s even heard by now), you heard the shocking news that Michael Jackson died on Thursday. Seriously this was shocking for me because he was only 50 years old, young at least in my mind.

I was shocked like most people of his death but I did not run out and place teddy bears and flowers in a make shift shrine at the Rock Hall like so many did (I still don’t understand this phenomenon) or get on a plane and fly to stand outside Neverland Ranch (again people actually did this?). I simply turned on the TV and for the next 96+ hours have been deluged with every angle of this story by NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, CNN and of course the grim reaper of all “News Shows” Entertainment Tonight who actually paid for a photo of Michael in the ambulance receiving CPR with a breathing tube down his throat. I always feel like I am losing brain cells whenever “ET” is on but after they pimped out this photo, I feel sad. You can’t even die in peace when “Entertainment Tonight” is close by, but what do you expect, this is the same show that every night for a year after her death had a story on Anna Nicole Smith. That’s rating folks! No that’s pimpin folks!

Enough about the vultures of television. The reason for this story is I also read a lot about Michael from people I respect and like and how he really was a sound track to their lives. (even Heavy Metal reviewer and good friend Brian from www.brokenheadphones.com I thought his comments were poignant) but the person that got me really thinking about MJ and his music was Mrs. Bear who was really sadden by the news. She unlike me is really a fan of his music and was waiting for his tour to come to the US and planned on seeing it. She was sad because she always felt he had his childhood taken away by his parents and his “strangeness” as I call it was caused by this.

Mrs. Bear really brought home a point as when you think about it, who was or is really in the same league as a musical performer as Michael was worldwide for so long? The Beatles? Sinatra? Elvis? Yes, yes, and yes. These three along with Michael were really the big four when you think about it. Even though Michael really has not had a major hit in what 10-15years it seems, wherever he went, crowds followed and I mean large crowds. He was a cultural icon.

For me with Michael’s music there are two periods. I grew up with the Jackson 5 playing on every record player in the neighborhood by every teenage girl that lived there. The Jackson 5 was Motown and Motown seemed to rule our neighborhood back then. “ABC”, “I Want You Back”, “I’ll Be There”, “Never Can Say Goodbye” always seemed in the air as you rode your bike around the block. After all these years, I still like the Jackson 5 and their music and have them in my music library.

The second period for me was the “Off The Wall/Thriller” era. These were two good albums and I listened to them a lot at the old Audio Warehouse and you always heard the tracks played at Dixie Electric Company or the Cosmopolitan or wherever there were ladies and dancing. I liked these albums then but unlike the Jackson 5 music, these have been pushed back into my music archives and have not been brought out in 20+ years for me.

Why, because I had a hard time separating Michael Jackson the artist from Michael Jackson the man. The stranger he became in his personal life, the more I pushed the music away from me. Every interview he gave as an adult, every plastic surgery, every accusation damaged his talent and in turn his music for me. It’s weird because I never felt that way about the Jackson 5 tracks thru all that. They always represented the amazing 10 year old with the dynamic pipes, the big felt hat, the fringed vest spinning around on stage and belting out the songs.

When it is all said and done, and it will not be for years because of legal battles that are brewing over his estate and kids and we will get to hear each and every one courtesy of Entertainment Tonight. I will remember Michael Jackson as that little kid who seemed happy at the time, smiling, spinning around and singing “Never Can Say Goodbye”.

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?

2009-06-22T11:02:00.010-04:00

Last Monday I went to see the Eric Clapton-Steve Winwood show in Columbus and on the way down threw in the live CD from their Madison Square Garden reunion to pump me up for the concert. John Gorman had sent me a message that he thought this was one of the best Live CD’s he has ever heard and coming from a guy like John (or Dusty Street or Bill Lewis. When these people talk about music I listen to what they say), I went out and got it immediately. On the drive there and again on the way home I listened and especially after just hearing them live in concert, I had to agree with John, it is a great live album.

Then yesterday I was driving in the Jeep with the top down on one of our rare sunny Cleveland days when Peter Frampton’s “Show Me The Way” came on the radio and unlike the 1000 times since 1976 when it was released, I actually turned up the radio, instead of turning the station and listened closely to the song which came off what became a monster live album in 1976. I got to thinking what are the best live albums I have ever heard?

Now I think I need to clarify something for my readers. If I have a choice of a song in either the studio version or the live version, 99 out of 100 times I take the studio version. I love the feel and vibe of being at a live concert but the energy of the show and band rarely ever comes across for me on a CD or an album. I don’t usually sit there, close my eyes and imagine being at the concert but these albums for me do the best job of it.

Feel free to disagree but here is my list of the best Live Albums Of All Time and because I am the Bear my opinion counts (okay we really know it doesn't but I can dream!)

#10 Cheap Trick – At Budokan (1979) When this album came out I was like most people saying “who are these guys?” (c’mon admit it) I didn’t pay attention too much to Cheap Tricks first three album but when I heard “At Budokan” a switch went on. A very rare occurrence for me that a live album opened my eyes to a band I didn’t care about at all. “Hello There” kicks off the album and it rocks but “Ain’t That A Shame” and “Surrender” are a knockout one, two punch on the album.

#9 Stevie Ray Vaughan – Live At Carnegie Hall (1997) Recorded in 1984 and not released until after his death Live At Carnegie Hall shows Stevie at the top of his game. His guitar work especially on the opening song Scuttle Buttin’ grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let up. Add Jimmie Vaughan and Dr John to the mix for this concert and you have a special treat. This album really captures the talent and feel of Stevie.

#8 Van Morrison – It’s To Late To Stop Now (1973) Van is the original Blue Eyed Soul man and this album shows him at the peak of his career and he sounds great on it. “Into The Mystic”, “Caravan”, “These Dreams Of You”, “Domino”, I could go on and on of the songs that just jump off the album. Listen to “I Believe To My Soul” and tell me this is not as soulful as anything coming out of Staxx or Motown at the time.

#7 Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band – Live Bullet (1976) If you ever saw Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band in concert at their peak, you know this album caught it live. This is one that you not only hear the music come thru your speakers, you feel the energy especially on “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” and “Get Out Of Denver” but the show stoppers for me are the beautiful “Travelin’ Man” and “Turn The Page”. This album was Bob and the boys at their best.

#6 Led Zeppelin – How The West Was Won (2003) One thing I can say about most of the early Led Zeppelin albums, thank god for re-masters but the one thing there was missing and that was a great live album that captured them best, on stage live and raw. How The West Was Won does just that. Originally recorded in 1972, this album showcases how strong Plant’s voice really was (listen to “Over The Hills And Far Away”) and Page guitar blasts (“Heartbreaker”) and as I’ve said before no one plays a heavier drum than Bonham (“Whole Lotta Love” all 23 minutes of it!). A great ballsy, bluesy, rock album and as close as you can get to hearing them live.

#5 The Allman Brothers – Live At The Filmore East (1971) This album is a Tom Dowd masterpiece. This seven song double album is a lesson in interplay between musicians on stage and how to do it right. Duane Allman (who I believe is the greatest guitarist ever, sorry folks) and Gregg Allman shine in the live setting especially Duane’s amazing work on “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed” and “Stormy Monday”. This album shows if southern rock and blues had a baby, they would have named it The Allman Brothers.

#4 J. Geils Band – Live: Blow Your Face Out (1976) The quintessential live band is truly captured here. This album shows the energy of their live shows and again captures them at the peak of the career. The ultimate bar band of the 70’s put out a powerful album that you can actually feel the energy coming out of your speakers. Peter Wolf’s riffing on “Must Have Got Lost” brings the fun of their live show to you and just blows away the studio version. One of the most overlooked bands of the seventies shows why they were one of the best live bands of the time.

#3 Cream - Royal Albert Hall: London May 2-3-5-6 2005 (2005) To me, this is the Clapton live album everyone should own. After not playing together for forty years it is amazing how tight sounding the three of them were for these shows especially considering how reckless they were when they played originally. It’s also hard to believe but to me they sound better in their sixties than they did in their twenties. I think the reason I like this album so much is it forced Eric to step back into the spotlight and have to play more than he had in years and he is great on it. The power of this trio is still there and it comes thru on this album.

#2 Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (1968) This album seemed to really galvanize the image of Johnny Cash in the sixties. There is rawness in this album that you can’t fake. Johnny playing to the prisoners of Folsom Prison (talk about a hard ticket to get!) and it seems the energy of Johnny and the band grew the longer they played and they fed off the audience and you can feel it in the recording. This album is rough, raw and fun just like you would imagine a Johnny Cash concert to be in the old days (especially if you were locked up!)

#1 Pink Floyd – Delicate Sound Of Thunder (1988) This album is overlooked by everyone it seems and was definitely bashed by the critics (especially those who sided with Roger when he left) and when you talk about a live Pink Floyd album the first one on everyone’s mind is Pulse but DSOT is a much better album in my opinion. The sound is richer and fuller, the band just seems tighter than they did on Pulse and the song selection is fantastic, it was like a greatest hits live album. This is not just one of my favorite live albums but one of my favorite albums period. “Learning To Fly” on this album played live is actually better than the studio version and I don’t say that often. The three remaining members of Pink Floyd were on a mission then to prove things and lucky for us they recorded it live.

Some honorable mentions:
Metallica – Live Shit: Binge & Purge (1993) A lot of people don’t but I like this album but the problem is no one is going to be able to capture the power of them live on a recording.

David Gilmour – Live in Gdansk (2008) I love this album. It shows David on what I believe to be his last tour ever and believe me, he was great on this tour (I saw him in Chicago) and this album shows why he’s one of the best.

Bob Marley And The Wailers – Live (1975) You feel the passion of Marley and really start to realize what musicians The Wailers were starting to become. This album’s version of No Woman, No Cry is reason enough to go out and get it. Listen to the audience sing along with Bob and try not to feel a part of it.

The Band – The Last Waltz (1978) This album would have made my Top Ten except I really live the video better but you can’t knock the album. It really shows how good they were.

Okay folks, that’s my list. Now let the calls, emails, and arguments start!

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Don’t forget to come out to the Beachland Ballroom Saturday June 27th for the Rock And Roll Flea Market. I’ll be there so stop by the booth and say hi.

The Agora Is Closing It's Doors

2009-06-14T13:35:00.007-04:00

The Agora is closing its doors. I don’t know sadder words in the vein of Cleveland music history.

Hank LoConti Sr said the Agora is closing for the summer with plans on re-opening in the fall but we have heard that from many businesses in the past especially in these hard economic times.

The Agora was/is our Fillmore West, our Whiskey, our CBGB, and our Stone Pony. The Agora was our identity when Cleveland was the place for music in the country, when we really were the Rock And Roll Capital Of The World.

The Agora was originally started in 1966 by LoConti near Case Western Reserve University campus. Hank really was a pioneer of promoting live music in the Cleveland area and quickly outgrew the original building and the next year moved to the famous 1730 E24th St location next to Cleveland State University where music history was made not only for Cleveland but on the national and international level also. After a fire destroyed the E24th location in 1984, LoConti moved The Agora to the present location on Euclid Ave. (photo below courtesy of Janet Macoska)

You know who played the Agora over the years? How about David Bowie, Bob Marley, AC/DC, The Clash, The Ramones, The Grateful Dead, Rush, Fleetwood Mac, Southside Johnny, Muddy Waters, Lou Reed, Tom Petty, Meatloaf, The Police, Allman Brothers, Journey, ZZ Top, Tom Waits, Kiss, Paul Simon, Judas Priest, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, Peter Frampton, The Pretenders, Metallica, Neil Young, T-Rex, Steppenwolf, Iggy Pop, The Outlaws, James Gang, The Raspberries, Bo Diddley, Todd Rundgren, U2 and probably the most famous concert held there August 9, 1978, Bruce Springsteen on the WMMS 10th Anniversary show that was broadcast live across the country. These are just a few of the thousands of bands that have passed thru this famous landmark and its doors are closing.

Hank was also innovative when in 1968 he opened Agency Recording above the club to record live shows and produce albums. You know, most of the shows from the bands above still exist especially on the internet or how about this rare video from August 31, 1978 when Southside Johnny was playing at The Agora for a “WMMS Night Out” and the audience got a surprise appearance by Springsteen, Little Steven and Clarence Clemmons who came down to The Agora after playing their show at the Richfield Coliseum earlier that night. Remember those days folks! (Thanks to John Gorman for letting me know about the video existing and click here to check out more of that night on John’s The Buzzard Blog)

You know what a typical concert lineup at the Agora was in the 70’s? How about during the week you could go see Gentle Giant, The Turtles and Mahogany Rush or the next week Iron Butterfly, Eric Burden and Pure Prairie League or how about seeing Montrose, The Outlaws, Bob Seger and Bob Marley And The Wailers in a row for only $3.00 each! Local acts like Believe, Sweetleaf, Reign, Magic, Circus, Rapscallion, Fully Assembled, Easy Street, Fayrewether, Wild Horses and others filled in the other nights of the week. I remember in 1976 seeing The James Gang on a Monday night and the next night going back to see Patti Smith. The shows they put on in a month we are lucky to have come thru here in a year now. Live music ruled the Cleveland nights.

Don’t blame Hank. It’s not his fault the doors are closing, this is the last thing he wants. The Agora has been run the past year by another group using The Agora as a flagship who wanted to try and capture the live club music market in Cleveland and in their wake also caused the closing of other venues. Hank only got back control recently but with it comes I’m sure the financial woes left upon The Agora. To read more about this, DX Ferris of Scene Magazine wrote a great article which should be read. (click here)

I hope the doors are closed only temporarily as he is saying, too many good memories, too many good parties, and some great music has come from The Agora.

It is fitting to end this story with another video from that night in 1978. Southside, Bruce and the boys “Were Havin A Party”. We always had a party at The Agora.

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Clapton The Chameleon

2009-06-08T12:05:00.011-04:00

Right now, I’m sitting here listening to Derek And The Dominos for probably the 10000th time still just amazed at the music that is coming out of my speakers. Today before Layla, I listened to Journeyman and then Disraeli Gears. Why the Clapton kick?

Next week Eric Clapton is coming to Columbus to play a special show with Stevie Winwood but that isn’t it. I just finished Eric’s autobiography which was an interesting book for me, not a great book to read per se, but interesting. Reading the book, It was obvious the book was therapy for Eric. To put out there for everyone to read the ghosts of his past. The good, the bad and at times the very ugly. It was sad for me at times to read it as such a huge fan of Clapton and his music, Reading it, I realized that there were so many wasted years right at the peak of his career from his demons. Wasted years that who knows what music could have been created.

So why the sadness for me? Because I feel Eric Clapton is one of a dying breed, the great guitarist that actually creates. To me there are good, some even great guitarist still out there, Van Halen, Gilmour, Santana, Satriani, Hammett and others but unlike Clapton theirs is a singular style. Clapton it seems, at least to me transcends one style, when he creates a style depending on his mood at the time and this style is usually copied immediately by others guitarists trying to find “their style”.

Why did I call this story “Clapton The Chameleon”? Have you ever listened to Clapton? If you have you wouldn’t have to ask that question. Eric Clapton has changed his music stylings so many times over his career that it can make your head spin. He has tried so many incarnations of bands over his career, many just on a whim to try something new either out of boredom or out of ego. Now when I use the word “ego” I am not using this in a derogatory meaning. When you are an artist of Clapton’s stature you have to have some ego just to push yourself beyond your own limitations. To see what is beyond the wall.

Eric has been in some of the greatest bands we have ever heard, most of them created and flourishing for far too short a time. He has been inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame three times, the only artist to do so. First with the Yardbirds, then Cream and then his solo works but what might have happened if he stuck with Derek And The Dominos for a few more years or Blind Faith or The Bluesbreakers or even Delany And Bonnie (with Eric, Stephen Stills and Leon Russell in the background of this band, c’mon!). What could have been?

He went from band to band to band to band to band in a need to fulfill, to create something new or at times especially in the 60’s and early 70’s to seemingly evade the stardom that came with creating this music. I remember reading and seeing the pictures in magazines “Clapton Is God” scrawled on walls in London in the 60’s. I have read several times and I love the story of how when Eric first heard The Band’s “Music From Big Pink” album he just had to leave Cream and actually went to Woodstock where they were living to see about playing in the group, not as a lead but as a backing musician just because they were creating the music that he wanted to create. He wanted to just be a part of it. Now whether this story is 100% accurate is debatable but there are elements of the truth in his autobiography about it and it shows how his direction would change on a moment’s notice. Too try and go from the hard, loud, balls out rock of Cream to the Americanized country rock, story telling of The Bands sound shows the restlessness of the artist. I have always been amazed at how easy it seemed for him to go from one style to another. From the Yardbirds to The Bluesbreakers to Cream to Blind Faith to Delany And Bonnie to Derek And The Dominos to even the Plastic Ono Band. All different styles, all great music.

Eric as an artist for me has always been at or near the top of the list. I still marvel at how effortlessly he is able to take a guitar and make the notes so fluid, like water slowly being poured from a pitcher. For me, he is one of the last truly great guitarists of that time. There is nothing that sounds so sweet as notes that just seem to float and flow one to another and that’s not easy to do. If you don’t believe me I beseech you to put on your favorite bands album or CD, close your eyes and concentrate and just listen to the guitar being played then go put on a Clapton album, any of them, and make the comparison. There are very few that can really do this, Stevie Ray definitely could, Gilmour can if ever plays again, but Clapton has done this since the very beginning. It’s like God reached down and touched this man on the shoulder and said “be special”.

I went to see Clapton at Blossom last year and (immediately remembered why I hated going to Blossom) Clapton was at the top of his game at 63 years old, again let me repeat that again. He was on top of his game at 63 years old! Anyone who thinks they can play guitar (like I do) should have been at that show. One of highlights for me was that the cameramen focused on the hands of Eric most of the time on the big screens in the pavilion while he was playing. Playing that night with Eric was Doyle Bramhall II who Eric has kind of tapped to be “the next one” but for me it was a lesson in contrasts watching the two of them play. Doyle was producing all the right notes but it seemed that it was painful as he tried to keep up with Eric. Eric on the other hand stood there calmly and again at 63 years old, his hands moved fluidly up and down the frets and as I said earlier the notes “flowed like water”.

When I saw the set list for the 2008 tour I was surprised and thrilled. Eric was going back to his roots and playing what he has always loved, the blues. The set list included Key To The Highway, Outside Woman Blues, Motherless Children, Little Queen Of Spades and I guess to try and appease some of his fans songs like Wonderful Tonight and Cocaine were also included but kind of felt out of place with the rest of the list. To me I would rather of had him play “Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad” or “Riding With The King” but who am I to tell him what to play, unlike the drunk who was sitting a couple of rows in front of me and kept yelling out Cocaine after each song. When an artist gets to a point in his career when he is finally comfortable in his or her skin, shouldn’t they play what they like or want to hear? I don’t think Eric or any real artist sits down, writes the song, goes into the studio and records it with the idea, “What will Bear in Cleveland think”. They write, they record and they perform songs that mean something to them at that time and because it did mean something so strong to them that is why we connect without even knowing it.

I regret that I am not going to see Clapton and Winwood next week in Columbus, just waited too long to get tickets. These opportunities won’t keep coming along. It’s going to be a special time to hear a man embracing finally another part of his career and finding the happiness in his music we always have. Maybe the restlessness of his youth has finally passed and he can enjoy the music like we do.

Congratulations Eric, stay clean, stay sober, stay happy

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Turn It Up To 11. Great Music Movies

2009-06-01T15:34:00.008-04:00

Today is one of those typical spring days in Cleveland. Dreary, cloudy grey overcast skies with rain predicted for the next couple of day. Woo hoo… Don’t have to work outside in the yard!!!

But what am I to do to pass the time. I guess now that I actually have to work on the website and do some writing? You know what I’ll put on a movie to play in the background while I’m writing but not just any movie, since I am writing about music why not put on one of the great movies about music.

Which one you say? I don’t know yet, there are some great ones that I have watched over and over and over where I can almost quote the lines. The problem with putting these movies on in the background. I end up stopping my writing and end up 2 hrs later still on my first line…

So here are some of my favorites that I’ll watch again over the next few days.

Almost Famous (2000 Cameron Crowe)This movie could have been my life story except I didn’t write for Rolling Stone magazine at 15 years old or get to meet the great Lester Bangs or travel across the country with rock band in my teens but I did read Cream and Rolling Stone magazine all the time in study halls and study music lyrics and in general was a music geek at a young age. I can relate a lot to William Miller in the movie and how he grows as the music in his world evolves around him. Cameron Crowe (who did write for Rolling Stone magazine at 15 years old and got to meet the great Lester Bangs and traveled across the country with rock band in his teens) took us back to a time when the innocence of music seemed it would never fade away. Some great lines about music came out of this movie.

Lester “What are you like the star of your school?
William “They hate me.”
Lester “You’ll meet them all again on the long journey to the middle”

“Bowie’s doing Lou and Lou doing Bowie, Lou is still doing Lou”

“Of course I'm home. I'm always home. I'm uncool.”

“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool.”

“Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better when it really happened to you?”

“If you think that Mick Jagger will still be doing the whole rock star thing at age fifty, well, then, you are sorely, sorely mistaken.”

“You're not there to party. We've already got *one* Hunter S. Thompson.”

And probably the most poignant exchange of the movie for me and one that I actually was talking to Matt from addictedtovinyl about the other day was when the Russell Hammond character tells William about what makes a song memorable “It’s not what you put into it, it’s what you leave out” “That’s what you remember the little things, the silly things, the mistakes. There’s only one of them and it makes the song. It’s what you leave out, that’s rock and roll” That line alone really hits home when I seriously think about music I’m listening too.

High Fidelity (2000 – Stephen Frears) I read the book High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby and in one of those rare cases, the movie far exceeds the book. I love this movie. This is every music geeks dream. Own a record store, produce an album, sleep with an exotic musician (of course she will have to look like Lisa Bonet), just hang out all day listening and talking about music. (Wait, I do listen and talk about music all day. Now I just need to open a record store and hire Jack Black and I am living the movie, except for the Lisa Bonet part)
How can this movie not be great, John Cusack and Jack Black together! How many of us have not categorized our live with our Top 5 lists like John does throughout the movie. Plus it gave us some more great lines to quote to our friends and it has a cameo by Bruce Springsteen giving advice to John’s character. Com’n the Boss!

“Liking both Marvin Gaye and Art Garfunkel is like supporting both the Israelis and the Palestinians”

“I can't fire them. I hired these guys for three days a week and they just started showing up every day. That was four years ago.”

Barry “OK, buddy, uh, I was just tryin' to cheer us up so go ahead. Put on some old sad bastard music, see if I care.” “Here's the thing. I made that tape special for today. My special Monday morning for *you*... special.”
Rob “Well, it's fuckin' Monday afternoon! You should get out of bed earlier!”

Customer “I’m looking for a record for my daughter, for her birthday "I Just Called To Say I Love You?" Do you have it?”
Barry “Yea we have it.”
Customer “Great, Great, can I have it then?”
Barry “No, no, you can't.”
Customer “Why not?”
Barry “Well, it's sentimental tacky crap that’s why not. Do we look like the kind of store that sells “I Just Called to Say I Love You”? Go to the mall.”

Bruce Springsteen "Give that big final good luck and goodbye to your all time top-five and just move on down the road."
Rob "Good luck, Goodbye. Thanks, Boss."

This Is Spinal Tap (1984 – Rob Reiner) This mock “rockumentary” follows the fictional rock group Spinal Tap as they tour America. I think it is a take off a little bit of “The Last Waltz” with interviews interspersed in the film but the behind the scenes action is what makes the movie for me. The funny thing is that even though this is a comedy per say, they remind me of so many bands I worked for in the late 70’s and early 80’s and its how they acted at times. I love the part where they are lost backstage trying to find their way to the stage in Cleveland. On note that probably makes the film ring true feeling is that except for the songs and an occasional line or two the entire movie is ad-libed. So turn your amps up to 11 and watch it again. Want some great lines…

“Certainly, in the topsy-turvy world of heavy rock, having a good solid piece of wood in your hand is often useful”

“You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of...” “What do you call this?”“Well, this piece is called "Lick My Love Pump".”

“May I start by saying how thrilled we are to have you here. We are such fans of your music and all of your records. I'm not speaking of yours personally, but the whole genre of the rock and roll.”

"This pretentious ponderous collection of religious rock psalms is enough to prompt the question, 'What day did the Lord create Spinal Tap, and couldn't he have rested on that day too?'"

The Last Waltz (1978 - Martin Scorsese) Speaking of The Last Waltz. This documentary of the last concert played by The Band at the Winterland Ballroom is an amazing piece of music history. Not only does it show one of originals of American music, The Band, at its peak but the guest artists that came out to play that night are the who’s who of music during that time. Dylan, Clapton, Ringo, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Dr John and one of the best performances on the film, Van Morrison. The performances are fantastic to watch and listen to but Scorsese’s behind the scenes interviews with The Band are classic. The guys were relaxed (helped by substances I am sure, just look at them) and gave great stories of being on the road in the early years of the group and how they came to make some great music. If you haven’t seen it, go rent it and as the opening image of the film says “THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD”

The Commitments (1991 – Alan Parker) I love this movie about a bunch of out of work Irish musicians that try to form a soul band. They have the talent and the dream to be big but that’s not enough to overcome the obstacles of each other to get there. What got me about the film outside of the acting is the great soundtrack. Mustang Sally, Take Me To The River, Chain Of Fools, Try A Little Tenderness, to name a few. The actors in the movie were actually musicians hired based on their musical skills over their acting skills and both shine thru. Just a good movie to throw on when you need a little injection of soul.

Detroit Rock City (1999 – Adam Rifkin) This movie was a flop at the box office but one of those classic DVD releases that you stumble across every so often. I am not a big fan of Kiss but this movie is really good. Four guys from Cleveland in a Kiss cover band try to scam and do whatever they can to get to see their idols live. It’s a pretty good representation of growing up in the 70’s except it’s a lot funnier than my teenage years. What people forget is that this movie was produced by Gene Simmons, it sure surprised me plus a killer soundtrack featuring Van Halen, Black Sabbath, James Gang, Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, Bowie, The Donnas, and of course Kiss.

Well that’s just a couple of movies. I know, I know I didn’t put in Hard Days Night, Purple Rain (actually a good movie folks), The Doors, Last Days, School Of Rock, La Bamba, The Wall but the sun is peeking out and I see some yard work to get done before the next rain shower hits us, so maybe next time I’ll get to those.

If I missed your favorite let me know. I’m always up to watch a good movie about music “LOUD”

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

The 1st Annual Bear's Book Club or Oprah Who?

2009-05-24T13:19:00.010-04:00

I was sitting around the house one day as I often do, flipping thru the television channels trying to find something that would not rot my brain and I came across Oprah hawking some guys book on her Oprah’s Book Club. They say that if you are one of the lucky ones that Oprah reaches down from Mount Olympus and blesses with an appearance in her book club, you have an instant best seller.
I said to myself as I often do, “Bear you could do that. Start your own Bear’s Book Club. You’re as big as Oprah!” Well when I say I am as big as Oprah I don’t really mean as popular or powerful, more on the lines that I think we are within a few lbs. I mean depending on what day of the week it is we are within a Twinkie of each other I believe. That doesn’t say much about either of us!

I decided to start the Annual Bear’s Book Club this Memorial Day weekend to tell all my readers what the great summer reading is around the North Coast. Unlike Oprah, I am going to give shout outs to the local writers. People that live, work and breathe Cleveland. These are some of my favorite writers.

So sit back in your favorite lawn chair, open up a Great Lakes beer, and crack open one of these great books.

First up is John Gorman’s fantastic book on WMMS and Cleveland radio in its heyday, “The Buzzard – Inside The Glory Days Of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio”. I received a copy of the book for Christmas a couple of years back from my kids and I have to tell you, I tore thru it. Every page jumped off the book with memories of growing up in Cleveland in the 70’s and 80’s when it seemed we ruled the music world and WMMS was the sound track of our lives. John does a great job of recapping the historical aspects of Cleveland radio but his insights into the background stories of the bands and how they came thru here and the on air personalities make this book a great read. If you grew up in Cleveland from the late 60’s to the 90’s you know how important WMMS was on the psyche of Clevelanders and this is a definite book for you.

A great companion book to John’s is Carlo Wolff’s “Cleveland Rock And Roll Memories – True Tales Of The Glory Days”. Carlo does a great job going thru each decade from the 50’s until today letting the musicians, DJ’s, promoters and the fans tell the stories of the music scene in Cleveland. Carlo chronicles the radio scene, the concerts, the clubs, and even the record stores from the past. He starts the book in the Alan Freed days of radio and doesn’t miss much on the road thru Cleveland rock history. I especially love the chapter on local Cleveland bands that played the endless circuit of bars in Cleveland. Bands like Pere Ubu, The Numbers Band, Cyrus Erie, Beau Coup from the perspective of the bands themselves and the fans that went to see them.

One of my favorite Cleveland writers is Michael Heaton of the Plain Dealer and really the only reason I still subscribe to the PD. I read Michael’s “The Minister Of Culture” column in the Friday PD religiously as he is able to bring the real Cleveland out each and every week in his own way and he has written a great book “Truth And Justice For Fun And Profit” that has the same wit, style and humor we expect from Michael and it should be as this is a collection of around 40 of Michael’s best published stories. Michael has a way for us to look into all sides of our world whether we like it or not with a truth some of us refuse to see at times but what makes his writing unique is that he is not here to preach to us, instead he writes about “us in a sense” with humor and a cutting wit that makes you laugh and actually take a moment and think about what you just read.

I have been a fan of Derek Hess’s art for a long time especially his concert poster work (anyone out there I am still trying to find a print of his Pink Floyd work, hint, hint) and now Derek has teamed up with Kent Smith to produce a fantastic book “Please God Save Us”. The book is a collection of stories that address a wide variety of topics from The Christian Right, Global Warming, Fake News, SpongeBob and Santa (I loved it), and of course Rock And Roll to name a few. This isn’t exactly “light reading” but it is important reading whether you agree with them or not. With Kent’s words and Derek’s illustrations they have created a book that whether you agree with them or not it will open your mind to new ideas and maybe even inspire a few.

My final author is James Henke and he has written “Marley Legend – An Illustrated Life Of Bob Marley” which is a beautiful book about one of my favorite artists. James is the chief curator of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and a former writer for Rolling Stone both which I am sure helped in putting together this insightful book that chronicles the all too short life of this amazing artist thru words and photos, many I have never seen before. This is an authorized biography and it fully expresses the thoughts of Marley’s Peace and Love message thru the words and photographs from childhood to his death at age 36. Like I said earlier, a beautiful book to read whether you’re a fan of Marley or just a fan of music.

Well that’s it for my 1st Annual Bear’s Book Club selections. I am going to wait on pins and needles to see which book I helped shoot up the New York Time Bestseller List next week. Oh hell, if I get one of you to turn off the TV, to go out and buy one of these great books and support our local writers, then I think I did a pretty good job.
You won’t regret it.

Have a great Memorial Day folks.

Nuff said, till next week
Peace Out
Bear

American Idol And What Is Truly Irrelevant To Music

2009-05-17T18:22:00.011-04:00

Well folks you got the matchup you have been dreaming of. What am I talking of? Kobe vs LeBron? Crosby vs Ovechkin? Limbaugh vs Olbermann? No, none of these minor ones, I am talking about titanic matchup of the century. Adam vs Kris in the final of American Idol this week!
Isn’t that what you, America wanted. Ryan Seacrest makes it seem that all of humanity has been sitting on the edge of their couches waiting for these two titans of music to make it to the finals. I mean could 86 million voters be wrong? You heard me right, 86 million votes were supposedly cast to put these titans of the music world into the finals, at least that’s Ryan told us at the start of the show last week and you know what I say to that, Bullshit. Look they need to pump up the image of American Idol as the all encompassing-end all of the music industry to keep this cash cow going for Fox and 19 Entertainment but 86 million voters, again Bullshit. Look according to Neilson ratings last week an estimated 23 million people watched American Idol (based on about 5000 people who were asked what they watched last week) and if these estimated 23 million people that watched it actually picked up the phone and dialed the number to vote (for me that’s too exhausting) each person would have had to vote around 3.6 times. I personally don’t care if 86 million people voted once or 86 people voted 1,000,000 times it doesn’t matter. This show is a reality show, nothing more. The winner of this show will have as much to do with the future innovation of the musical landscape as the winner of the Bachelor or The Biggest Loser.

They make the American Idol season to be the event of the year. To me, it is a waste of two hours of my life each week. Your saying to yourself, “but Bear if you don’t like it, why are you watching it?” Simple because I am married. Mrs. Bear likes to watch it and as every married guy who is reading this understands the word “compromise”. She watches American Idol and I get to control the other 19 hours of primetime TV in our house, though sometimes I wish it was the other way around when I have to listen to some of these so called singers. When I sit there and watch it, I feel like I am in one of those Hulu commercials where Dennis Leary or Alec Baldwin are waiting for my brain to turn into soup. I figure I lose as many brain cells watching an hour of American Idol as I do a heavy night of drinking.

Why is this show such a sham to me you ask. Look how it starts each and every season. If this was just a singing contest as they keep telling us, we would not be deluged with the William Hungs of the world and the other train wrecks they put on and on and on during the so called auditions. Why do we see these sad people week after week? Ratings of course. We like to see people make complete fools out of themselves and you know what the sad part of it all is? If these people don’t really know how bad they are, it makes for better TV and the American public eats it up. Nothing is better for ratings than human suffering. If this was truly a singing contest don’t you think out of the thousands that tryout we would see more talent coming on that stage than we do. Look if my theory about watching these train wrecks doesn’t compute into ratings then how is Paula able to keep her job? Remember when she critiqued one of the singers a couple of seasons back on their two songs when they hadn’t even done their 2nd song yet. Priceless television! You can almost see week to week the adjustments of the meds.
Oh I know I am going to be overwhelmed with emails from some of my readers but come on folks, wake up! What has this show given us after 8 seasons? What is the total now, 4 of the past winners still have their recording contracts. Four. That’s it. Four total winners have not been dropped by their labels. I thought Ryan told us each and every season that these “artists” were the best in the country if not the world. Each and every week Randy or Paula tell us one these people are going to be huge stars and since this seems to be said at least once to each and every contestant during the season, where are the 80 superstars this show promised us over the past 8 seasons? (Okay lets make it 79, I can’t seriously put Sanjaya in there)

Eighty people have made the Top 10 over the past eight seasons. How many have made a real contribution to music as a whole. Two, three, four, maybe five. I am talking about having the career that Ryan and the judges keep telling us they are going to have after they leave the show. Off the top of my head, Kelly Clarkson has had a good pop career. Carrie Underwood certainly is having a great career in country music even though if you didn’t forget the whole time she was on the show Simon couldn’t stand it when she sang anything even close to country. The book is still out on Jennifer Hudson since her first album just came out even with an Academy Award to her credit. Chris Daughtry left the show in third place and started his band and has carved out a pretty good career in a short time. But who else has left an imprint of any kind in music? Clay Aiken had a short run but nothing your gonna remember in 10 years. Anyone else? Fantasia? Ruben? Taylor Hicks?....No, no and really no.

Each and every year we hear how these unknowns like Bo Bice, Blake Lewis, Tamara Grey, Melinda Doolittle, Justin Guarini, Carly Smithson and so many others are the next big thing. Bought any of their albums lately? People were outraged when these singers were eliminated. I guess your outrage only carries you so far. Can you fans of this show even name all of the winners let alone the runner-ups?

If we are going to use the criteria of American Idol to produce our next music icons, how do you think our past icons would have done on the show?

Imagine an unknown Robert Plant doing Immigrant Song.

Randy: I don’t know dog. When I was producing Marah I told her not to be so pitchy on the high notes and I think you were pitchy in spots but overall it was just ahright.

Paula: First let me tell you your hair is beautiful and I love your outfit.

Simon: I didn’t get it, it seemed like bad karaoke. What was the whole “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhha” Maybe if your got rid of the band it might work and please button up your shirt, Ryan is getting excited.

How about an unknown Neil Young doing Cinnamon Girl.

Randy: Dog you know you’re my dog don’t cha but I don’t know. I didn’t really like the arrangement, it’s like you didn’t make it your own. When I was working with Whitney….

Paula: I really love your outfit. You make flannel shirts work for you.

Simon: It was gastly. It was like you sang it thru your nose. Maybe you should team up with three other guys and try to harmonize.

And of course the unknown Bob Dylan doing Like A Rolling Stone.

Randy: Listen up dog. I liked the whole guitar, harmonica folky groove that you had going but you were all over the place with your vocals. It just didn’t do it for me. You should have done it like I did when I was in Chic.

Paula: First let me tell you, you look lovely tonight. I love the basic black look on you and I think the sunglasses pull the whole outfit together.

Simon: I didn’t understand a word you said. I don’t think you will be back next week. Your never going to have a career singing like that.

Okay I know there is a fourth judge this year but she was just brought in to phase out Paula but they quickly realized what a gem they really have in Paula. To me they could get rid of Randy and just let Paula ramble for twice as long.

You know what I have a problem with and what prompted this story. Being told countless times these past few weeks on every talk show, television news show, and it seems every magazine at the store on how Adam Lambert and Kris Allen (well really Adam, Kris is usually thrown in as an afterthought) are going to take over the music scene. How Adam is the greatest singer since well…….thinking about it I don’t think they feel there has ever been a greater singer than Adam. They compare him to Elvis Presley, Robert Plant, Stephen Tyler, Freddie Mercury and almost any other rock icon they can dredge up in their ravings but com’n folks It’s like this each and every season. The public every season is convinced that the new messiah of music is born on American Idol. (how can we forget that be-bopping Blake Lewis in Season 6 that was going to turn the music world on its ear) Remember what we were taught on Sundays about worshipping false idols.

People as I said earlier, wake up. The winner of this “reality show” is not going to fix our economy, cure the common cold, end global warming or even be someone we are talking about in a year let alone inducting in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 25 years. The only time they will enter the Rock Hall is when they buy a ticket. They did their jobs already. They gave you something to watch on television over the past 12 weeks so your mind didn’t have to actually think for those 2-3 hours it was on. That’s all it was meant to do, if not why did we have to sit thru those groups songs each week.

So if your favorite doesn’t win this week, don’t fret you can always see him in Idols On Tour this summer at the large arenas and next year you can catch him on the county fair circuit before seeing him in the drive through asking if you would like to supersize your order.

Nuff said, least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Those Two Dirty Words "Tribute Band"

2009-05-11T13:55:00.015-04:00

I was talking with a friend of mine one day about going to see some bands this summer I really love going to see in concert, the Fab Faux and Wish You Were Here, and he looked at me like I had grown a second head and said, “I don’t go see tribute bands.”

I then looked at him with a “are you kidding me expression on my face” and said “Why, are you waiting to buy tickets for the Beatles or the Floyd reunion tours, because let me tell ya just in case you didn’t know, neither is going to happen.”

We went back and forth arguing our points, drinking beer, arguing, drinking more beer, and of course I won the argument with the simple logical reasoning, what are you going to do if you want to hear the music of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, etc live. He retorted “I can put on their live album” and I told him “shut up and have another beer.”

My friend is not the only one I’ve had this conversation with, but I don’t understand why the words “tribute band” or “cover band” are such dirty words to some people and I mean some of these people are music fanatics just like me but they don’t want anything to do with those…..ohhh “tribute bands”.

As my readers know by now, I am not your typical music fan. I love music. I listen to music most of my waking day. I love to go out and hear music. My only requirement, it has to be good music.

There is nothing worse than plunking down your hard earned cash to see a band and after a couple of songs saying to yourself, “why am I here?” I’m not just talking going to someplace like your neighborhood bar and watching some local band butcher your favorite song. I’ve walked out of shows from some major national acts playing their music that I loved that were rough to listen too, I mean they were terrible. When I owned the bar, the Café Rock we had bands 4 or 5 nights a week. Artists like Alex Bevan and Charlie Weiner played there monthly and were great but I would also book bands like Shout doing Motown covers and an unknown band called Comma like the symbol “,”. These 5 guys from Bedford would come in every other week and pack the place, I mean out the door pack the place. You know what they played? They played covers. They played what was hot on the radio, they made it fun and they sounded fantastic. I loved it when they played at the bar. I knew I was going to hear good music all night and also sell a lot of beer!

I want to hear good music period!

Look I would love to see and hear Pink Floyd together live but you’re not going to see David Gilmour and Roger Waters on a stage again. The five song reunion they did for Live 8 in 2005 was the last time anyone is going to see them together. (A little side note: If you have not seen this show, go out, buy it, rent it, see if it’s on youtube, but don’t miss it. It was amazing. Not only for us Pink Floyd fans, but every band that played that day stuck around all day just to watch perform again live. That tells you what a special event it really was. Also watch Disk 4 with the behind the scenes rehearsal, amazing stuff)

So what do I do if I want to hear the music live again? I find a, ohhhh I’m going to use that dirty word again, a “tribute band” to go see.

As I said earlier I want to hear good music. There are bands doing this great music and doing it well.

Talent can play talent.

Who do I like and who do I think is worth you spending your hard earned dollars on seeing

The three bands below are examples of bands that do it right!

For listening to The Beatles, there is no better band than the Fab Faux. This band is comprised of Will Lee, Rich Pagano, Jimmy Vivino, Frank Agnello and Jack Petruzzelli. You might recognize Will Lee from David Letterman’s band and Jimmy Vivino from Conan’s but these are some of the top session musicians in NY and all are touring musicians playing with artists like Ian Hunter, Levon Helm, Robbie Robinson, Ray Charles, Joan Osborne, Rufus Wainwright, Donovan, Marshall Crenshaw, Al Kooper, Bette Midler, Steely Dan, BB King, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, and Ronnie Spector to just name a few. If that is not enough talent on stage, the backing horns section includes Tom “Bones” Malone who played with Woody Herman, Frank Zappa and the greatest “cover” band ever, The Blues Brothers as well as Tom Timko from Blood Sweat and Tears and Toto. There is so much talent on one stage. In a Rolling Stones article that first brought the Fab Faux to my attention, Jimmy Vivino tells of a conversation with Will Lee about joining the Beatles band that Lee and Pagano were putting together. Lee explained to Vivino “I'm talking about the way classical musicians start a chamber orchestra to play Mozart. I'm talking about playing the Beatles' songs and records live, as perfectly as we can.” and they do. They reproduce the Beatles in a way the Beatles themselves knew they could not back when they were together. From the same Rolling Stones article Rich Pagano says “"When we play the early stuff, it's fun," but when we play the later stuff, it becomes an enigma, this dream state -- how it would have been." I can attest to this. I have seen them twice in the past year and was blown away. I knew because of the talent of the musicians that the music would be great but what really blew me away is how the five of them can reproduce the vocals to a point that is right on but not fake. They are not trying to be John or Paul but their natural voices just make the music jump at you. It is very cool when they do their special shows also where they’ll play the White Album in its entirety or the Solo Works shows. This is a not miss band! Look how many “tribute bands” can sell out Radio City Music Hall? www.thefabfaux.com/

We are blessed in the Cleveland area to have one of the best Pink Floyd tribute bands in the country right here so when I need my Floyd fix, I find where Wish You Were Here is playing. Wish You Were Here has been a local staple of the Cleveland music scene since 1987 when Eric "Eroc" Sosinski and Jim Tigue formed the band Harvest and during their shows played sets in tribute to Pink Floyd. In 1995 the band changed to exclusively play Pink Floyd and Wish You Were Here was born. The nine piece band reproduces the sound and music of Pink Floyd but their shows offer a visual experience you are not soon to forget. As Eroc told me “some musicians think all they have to do is basically learn a band's songs and dress up like them or have a light show like them, and that makes them great. But it takes much more than that to really get to the "essence" of a particular band you are tributing.” I agree 100% with Eroc. I have seen many, many bands think they jump on a stage, put some makeup on or flash a couple of lasers across the audience and they are doing the music justice and most just don’t cut it. Look I know when I go to see Wish You Were Here I am not going to hear David Gilmour’s voice or guitar work but I want to hear quality music and that is what I get when I go to a WYWH show. I am not the only one thinking this. They sell out the House of Blues and Tower City Amphitheatre whenever they play there. Listen to them play Run Like Hell, Brain Damage, Sheep or Dogs (I think two of WYWH best songs they do, it actually brought me back to listening to Animals after seeing them do it live) or Comfortably Numb and tell me you didn’t have a great time at the show. Isn’t that what a concert is supposed to be, fun! www.floydtribute.com/index2.htm

This last band is kind of an enigma to me of how it came to be a so called “cover band”, but seriously this is not your average cover band. Before I tell you who it is I have to tell you about seeing them last year in concert. I first heard them on Howard Stern playing in studio and I sat in my car would not go in the house as I had to hear the whole part of the show they were on. I had not heard songs being sung like they were doing on the show. I immediately went into the house and googled them to see if they were coming to Cleveland anytime soon and they were coming the next month to Tangiers. I called Tangiers and got tickets and couldn’t wait for the show. When they came, I have to honestly say it was one of the best shows I have EVER heard and I have been to over 1000 shows in my lifetime. After two hours of fantastic music I actually wanted more, I didn’t want the show to end. Who am I talking about? The band is called Shaw-Blades. You are probably saying who? Shaw-Blades is Tommy Shaw from Styx and Jack Blades from Night Ranger and of course when they teamed up in the 90’s with Ted Nugent they formed Damn Yankees. Now you get the name Shaw-Blades don’t you. They got together and made a very good album together of originals called Hallucination but the next album they recorded they wanted to do the songs that influenced them and so the album “Influence” was recorded and a phenomenon was born. In their concert it is just them along with LA guitarist Will Evankovich playing acoustic guitars and harmonizing on classics like Summer Wind (I hate the original, love their version), Your Move by Yes, Simon and Garfunkel’s I Am A Rock and Sounds Of Silence, The Hollies On A Carousel (you read in one of my earlier stories that I think this version blows the Hollies version away) and one of my all time favorite songs Dirty Work by Steely Dan. It has to figure when you put together two of the best rock vocalists on a stage, the end product has to be great, and it is. Look I liked Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees in their own right but to sit back and hear Tommy and Jack do some of my favorite songs from other artists in such an intimate setting with their harmonies can’t be described by words. It is just music at its best. You know the best part? They are in the studio recording Influence II. Can’t wait for the tour! www.myspace.com/shawbladesinfluence

So next time someone says “hey looks go see that tribute band” don’t look down your nose at them, you might just miss some great musicians making some great music!

Nuff said, at least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Shaw Blades - High Enough

Springtime In Cleveland

2009-05-04T15:18:00.009-04:00

This is the story I was writing when I came down with pneumonia last week but it still resonates with our weather around here.

Ahhh, springtime in Cleveland. Where else can it be 85 and sunny on Friday when you’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt for the first time in almost a year and 42 and possible snow on Sunday. That’s why we go crazy when the first great spring day hits us and that’s what happened to me on last Friday.

It was beautiful that Friday, sunny and warm, almost tropical breezes coming across the yard. I went out and finally pulled the Adirondack chairs out of the barn and set up for a night to just sit out relax and enjoy the evening, just me and Mrs. Bear.

After mixing a HUGE pitcher of margaritas, cutting the limes, getting the bucket of ice ready, the important thing still had to be done.

I had to come up with the music. The music on a night like this is one of the most important elements of a great night; it can make or break it. This play list has to be songs that not only do you sit back and enjoy with a HUGE, margarita but pop the disk out and put it in the Jeep with the top down for a drive. Unlike other “summer mix tapes” I have read, I don’t feel you have to have every song that has “Summer” in its title. My CD has to have the songs that make me feel good, that I want to listen over and over

So with that in mind here is the play list I put together and basically how the night went. Hunny can you pass the limes!

1. “Domino – Van Morrison” – This song just plain reminds me of summer. The beat and Van’s voice says “shake off the winter blues and get on with it”. Great tune for driving with the top down, let’s go for a ride.

2. “Two Lane Highway – Pure Prairie League” – If I’m already driving with the top down, I should definitely do it on a two lane highway. Okay I know the wind is blowing your hair. We’ll go home and sit in our chairs.

3. “Happy – Rolling Stones” – As my readers know I’m not a big Stones fan but I love this song. Keith’s vocals just make this song and I think he might have had a tequila or two in his prime, or even today.

Ahh, time for a refill. Hunny can you pass me the ice

4. “I Think We’re Alone Now – Tommy James & The Shondells” – This is just one of those songs that over time I’ve got buried in my psyche. Great beat and you got to love those lyrics. Tell me it doesn’t take you back. Heh, hunny you want to go and check out the inside of the barn, No, oh okay.........you sure?.

5. “Interstate Love Song – Stone Temple Pilots” – Does this song not have one of the best openings ever!

6. “Keep On Running – Spencer Davis Group” – Can you believe Steve Winwood was only 17! Com’n no one should be that talented that young. Who does he think he is, an American Idol finalist!

7. “Houses Of The Holy – Led Zeppelin” – My favorite Zeppelin song. Got to have Zeppelin…

I once heard a story they never played “Houses Of The Holy” live, strange since the song is about playing in stadiums. Hmmmm, thinking too much. Hunny pass me the pitcher. Thanks hun

8. “Little Wing – Stevie Ray Vaughan” – In my opinion the best version of the greatest guitar song ever written. Just lay back and close your eyes and enjoy. What a loss

9. “Dirty Work – Steely Dan” – Man I love this song. The only Steely Dan song not sung by Donald Fagen. I wish there was more

10. “Starman – David Bowie” – Didn’t know what time it was the lights were low ow ow, I leanned back on my radio o o. Man, I love this song. What was that hun. I said that about the last one. Ohh, but man I love this song.

Hun, can you pass the pitcher, what do mean it’s empty? How many did you have? One! How can that be. Hold on I’ll go mix another one

11. “Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Ian Hunter” – Every time I hear this, it reminds me of getting in so much trouble in the 70’s. It seemed this 8-track was always on in our cars. Is that smile on my face from remembering those times or the tequila today?

12. “Could You Be Loved – Bob Marley” – Marley, even his name sounds like a party. What’s better with Marley than margaritas, ahhhhh….I’ll be back in a minute.

13. “Hey Tonight – Creedence Clearwater Revival” – The party always picks up with this song. John’s raspy voice usually is drowned out by the partiers. Wait that’s me.

What’s that, can I stop singing? Oh okay, is there anymore ice in the bucket? Heyyyyyy, tonightttttttt. Okay I’ll stop now

14. “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) – Kenny Rogers” – Were on the Big Lebowski trip now. First Hey Tonight, now Just Dropped In. The Dude would be proud except I don’t have any White Russians, think he’ll drink a margarita?

15. “Pour Some Sugar On Me – Def Leppard” – The ultimate stripper song. What’s that hunny, what do I know about strippers? Ahhhh, nothing. I just heard that from someone, no firsthand knowledge here….Let me refresh your drink for you….

16. “Got To Give It Up (Part 1) – Marvin Gaye” – Now I want to get up and dance. Ohh not a good idea. Maybe another sip will help me get my balance. I think the best scene from a movie was when this played in Barbershop and everyone in the city was dancing to it. Okay maybe I’ll just move my head back and forth.

17. “Rosalia (Come Out Tonight) – Bruce Springsteen” – The Boss! Just what we needed. Com’n hun help me out of the chair. Let’s dance.

You don’t want to dance, okay pass me the pitcher please

18. “On A Carousel – Shaw Blades” – I know, I know. The Hollies did this song, but I like this version so much better.

19. “And Your Bird Can Sing – The Beatles” – Ohhh man, another great song. I once heard Jimmie Vinino say this is one of the hardest Beatles songs to play. Where’s my guitar hunny

20. “Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison” – We started with Van The Man and ended the night with probably the ultimate summer song.

Well, the songs are over, the margaritas are gone, the stars are shinning. Time to call it a night.

Hunny, will you help me out of the chair…

Hunny, where you going?

Hunny….

Hun…

Help,

anyone there……………….

Nuh said, at least till next week

Peace Out

Bear

Jonah Koslen's Stage Pass Now

2009-04-20T12:22:00.015-04:00

Stage Pass Now…Jonah Koslen, one of Cleveland’s native sons and an original member of MSB has started a new tour playing Stage Pass live in concert. When I first heard about it, the first question I asked was why now. Why after 33 years do you re-visit at least in Cleveland lore, such an iconic album especially without the namesake of the band? Would the fans respond?

As my wife (Mrs. Bear) and I were driving to the show, I was thinking out loud “I wonder if anyone is going to show up”. My fears were that there are none more loyal (rabid!) fans than Michael Stanley fans. After almost 40 years of playing around the Cleveland area, Michael still sells out shows everywhere he plays. With this type of fan, would they accept this album being played without him, even by the much loved Jonah Koslen? I went to the House Of Blues show 2 years ago when Michael and the Resonators were playing and the nights biggest ovation came when Jonah came out and played “Waste A Little Time On Me” and “Nothings Gonna Change My Mind” because that’s how we remember MSB, Michael and Jonah playing together.

All my questions were answered when I walked into the Winchester Tavern and Music Hall on Saturday night. The place was packed! Many in the crowd I have seen at various Michael Stanley shows. Peanuts was there. Matt from Addicted to Vinyl was there, and many, many Jonah Koslen fans were there. According to the management of The Winchester it was a sold out show.

This was my first time at The Winchester, but not my last. Jonah picked a great place to launch his new tour. The acoustics are great, the staff is outstanding and it is one of the premier places in Cleveland to see a concert. Looking at the pictures of who was played there on the walls, Leon Russell, Sophie B. Hawkins, Nils Lofgren, Wishbone Ash, Savoy Brown, Jessie Collin Young, Al Stewart, the list goes on and on. Being there brings back a lot of memories of the old Agora for me.

For this tour Jonah pulled together veterans of the Cleveland music scene. Donny Thompson (guitar and vocals) from Easy Street and Goodfoot, Bill March (bass and vocals) from Beau Coup, Rik Williger (keyboards) from Jonah Koslen and The Gentlemen Rockers, and Van Eidom (drums) from Taxi and Easy Street.

At 9:00pm the lights dimmed and the band walked out to the stage and then a roar went up as Jonah came out and strapped on his guitar. I’ve listened to the album so many times in the 33 years since it came out I was waiting for the announcer to say “A warm welcome please for Epic Recording artists….” as the band launched into those familiar opening licks of “Midwest Midnight”. As soon as those opening notes were played I knew all those fears I had were for naught. I looked around the hall and it seemed everyone in the place were moving to the music and singing lyric for lyric with Jonah. After the song Jonah said “welcome to 1976, I feel 25 again” and the crowd did too.

As Jonah and the band went track for track thru Stage Pass you could tell by the reaction of the audience, they were getting more and more into it as well as Jonah. In the beginning he looked a little tight but as the night rolled on Jonah seemed to relax and feel the reaction of the audience. Jonah’s interaction with the audience became infectious. He would ask “do you know the next song?” and the crowd always did. One of the aspects I especially enjoyed was Jonah telling stories about each song. I like to hear the background of how music is made and his telling of the stories opened up the album to me in a different way that just playing it at home you’ll never get.

As they approached, I’ll call it “track 4 on the album” Jonah made the statement “this should be the last song of the night but I have to play them in order. We knew we had it right when we recorded this” and with the opening notes of "Nothings Gonna Change My Mind" the crowd came to its feet. There were times that Jonah even was drowned out by the audience singing what had to be their favorite song of the night.

As they went thru the album, some of the songs could have been landmines for the band especially on “Pierette” as trying to come close to Danny Pecchio’s voice on the song could have been a disaster but Donny Thompson pulled it off beautifully. A friend of mine, Joe Martin turned after the song and said “that took guts” and he was right. Also on what is my favorite “Michael song” “Movin Right Along” on the original "MS" album is a beautiful song in its own right and on the Stage Pass album the song became really a jam at the end which I never really cared for but tonight I was impressed as they reproduced the jam note for note.

They also interlaced some songs into the middle of the show like “Blue Jean Boy”, “Gypsy Eyes” and as Jonah said “an obvious omission off Stage Pass”, “Ladies Choice”. It left me wondering if these were songs originally left off the album and also what others were left off.

It was fun as Jonah talked and even used some of the same lines off the album especially as he introduced “Rosewood Bitters” as “first song on the first side of the first Michael Stanley album” and the crowd also relayed it word for word.

The show ended with the crowd pleasing “Strike Up The Band” and as every time I have ever heard it played live it turned into a audience participation song as “strike it up, strike it up” became the anthem of the night.

After the song Jonah told the audience “You Kicked Ass” and the band left the stage, but you knew it wasn’t over. Another highlight of the night was when they came out and cranked it up with Jonah’s hits from his days in Breathless with “Take It Back” and Walk Right In”. As he said earlier, “this should be the last song of the night”, he made it true as he played “Nothings Gonna Change My Mind” again and the crowd acted like it was the only time played that night. They loved it.

With a heartfelt “I love you guys” Jonah and the band left the stage with a smile on his face and he also left a smile on our faces too.

Alex Bevan - Cleveland's Real Poet Laureate

2009-04-13T12:32:00.014-04:00

On Thursday my wife (Mrs. Bear) and I went to the re-opening of the Clearview Tavern in Richfield which is owned by Freddie Salem. (Yes folks, that Freddie Salem. the famed guitarist for The Outlaws has reopened his great restaurant and it’s always a kick to go in, shake hands, talk to Freddie and eat some great food) to hear one of our favorites Alex Bevan who was playing the opening night.

I was sitting there listening to Alex play when it hit me how much Alex really is Cleveland. Alex is a songwriter that really feels the songs. He writes about life, his life, our life. You can believe the characters are alive and living all the parts, the sadness, the happiness, and the dreams in the songs. Isn’t this how a song, a poem or a great book should make you feel? He calls himself “the Low Tech Troubadour” usually just him and his guitar. He has played with Bo Diddley, The Clash, Michael Stanley, Pure Prairie League and many other national acts but around here in true road warrior fashion he has probably played in more bars than anyone ever has.

Like I said he is a true road warrior. Playing in loud bars with sometimes obnoxious drunks around is not exactly what an artist strives for but that hasn’t changed him over the years. He is one of those artists that enjoys playing his music and the distractions don’t take away from that enjoyment. It’s funny, I was sitting in my booth really enjoying the show with everyone at the tables around me talking, eating, making noise when Alex said into the microphone to me “Bear those guys at the bar will never hear this one” as he launched into his new song “Love Lifts” and he was right, it seemed they never heard this beautiful song being played 5 feet from them. It didn’t bother Alex, he sang the song as he did all night, with a smile on his face and from the heart. That’s what Alex has always been about. I love to tell the story of back around 1986, Alex was playing in a bar I use to own, the Café Rock, when one of the worst snowstorms of the season hit right after he arrived to set up. We had maybe 8 people braved the snow and show up, but what a concert those 8 people got. He played to those 8 people like he was playing to a sold out concert hall. It was one of the best shows I ever saw.

The first time I saw Alex was right before Springboard was released in 1976 at a WMMS Coffee Break concert at the old Agora. It was a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon back then. I had heard Alex on WMMS as it was one of the only stations that showcased local talent then and I liked the music. I don’t know what initially attracted me to Alex Bevan’s music and created a lifelong fan. At the time I was listening to Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, etc. Not exactly what you put into the “Low Tech Troubadour “ stylings but then as now when I listen to Alex’s lyrics, I relate. I can’t write like him, but I can relate!

He lives our area thru his lyrics and even when he is riffing on our town, he is giving voice to what concerns us. Back in 1979 he recorded “Have Another Laugh On Cleveland Blues” where he brought up the issues of our time that concerned Clevelanders and in his “I’m really laughing at myself” style he was able to make us laugh at the problems of our time. He could take that song now with a little tweaking and make it relevant to 2009 and Cleveland. When I listening to “Rodeo Rider” I can feel someone chasing the dream, “Grand River Lullaby” you feel the heartache of a coming breakup, “Carey Come Smiling” is a song I’d kill to be able to write about someone I loved. Seriously if I had written that for Mrs. Bear, I could do no wrong forever and trust me I sometimes need that IOU.

When he plays live, it’s a fun time and you get the feeling even in the dreaded Cleveland winters like you’re sitting on a deck of a bar at Put-N-Bay relaxing with a good friends. Before you know it, he is taking one of his songs like “Pass It On” and singing about everything that is going on in front of him in the bar, if you’re a drunk at the bar, you might become a lyric in his song that night. Songs like “Jazzbo” and “Brand New Arkansas Traveler” play and before you know it your heads bobbing and your hands tapping the table and then of course there is Cleveland’s anthem “Skinny”. How many of you, I’m talking to the guys now, remember the song when it came out and thought man that’s me. Every time you walked into those old bars back then like the Longhorn, Déjà vu, Mothers, Pirates Cove, etc you thought he was talking about you! That’s why even now, 30 years later when he plays it live, everyone in the bar stops what they are doing, sings the lyrics, raises their beers and salutes Cleveland’s poet laureate. You know why, because he’s one of us, the hard working, road warriors that call Cleveland home.

Recommended listening: “Springboard”, “Grand River Lullaby”, “Fall And Angels”, and “Dancing With The Muse Live At The Kent Stage” and of course go see him live!

The 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductions Thru My Eyes

2009-04-06T14:46:00.006-04:00

(All Photos below courtesy of Sandy Durbin)

The 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductions came back to Cleveland for the first time in 12 years and the Rock Hall and the City Of Cleveland need to give themselves a pat on the back for not only a great event on Saturday, but a fantastic week of music and events to celebrate music, the Rock Hall and our city.

I know, some of my readers are going to say “Bear you sold out”, but no. I have been a critic in the past of the Rock Hall VOTERS, not the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I am a proud member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and think they do a fantastic job. Anyone that has come to Cleveland and walked thru it especially this week cannot say differently. The new Springsteen exhibit, the Motown exhibit, the special events for teachers and students, the Free Day at the hall on Saturday featuring live music all day, and of course the Induction Ceremony itself showed they know what they are doing, and they do it well.

My night started early as my son and I made plans to meet up with some friends. Matt from Addicted To Vinyl and Brian from broken headphones at Great Lakes Brewery for some dinner and what else, a few beers. (little side note: if you are into music folks and you must be if you keep coming to my site, these are two of the best music blogs around, make sure to check them out) The dinner was good but the conversation was great. We swapped stories about concerts we’ve been too, talked about the inductions and argued over Run DMC being inducted (it was 3 to 1 and I lost), and Matt told us about his dinner the night before with Paul Shaffer and them going to a private party at the House Of Blues. (I would tell you more but go to Addicted To Vinyl to read about Matt’s great night out partying with the stars, lucky bastard!).

After dinner we made the trip to Public Hall and it brought back memories. It’s been over 30 years since I was there but walking up to Public Hall outside with the red carpet, the searchlights and the press everywhere, it seemed as I stepped into another world.

We went to our seats and I was surprised at how the old hall looked. The City Of Cleveland put over $500,000 into renovations and clean up of the 87 year old hall and the only thing I could think of was this must have been the way it looked when it first opened. In all of my times there in the 70’s, it was old looking, smelly, dirty and those were some of the good virtues. Our seats were in the 2nd row only around 30 feet from the stage in the lower balcony and we were able to watch the stars, politicians, power brokers finish their meals and hob knob with each other. The funny thing is, except for the, I’m sure fine meal, my tickets were better than most of the ones at the $50,000 tables below.

Before the show started I noticed the great rock photographer, Janet Macoska, taking a picture of the stage at the end of my row and sitting two rows behind me. It was important to me to go and say hi as I have admired her work for a long time. Her photos of rock legends can almost make you hear the music thru her lens. Take some time one day and take a look at her work. You won’t regret it.

The show started with a film montage of past inductees pictures with parts of their speeches playing and I have to admit it got me pumped for the evening especially how it ended with the iconic photo of John Lennon and his voice saying “John Lennon you made it, tonight you’re in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame”. I was ready for the night to rock.

Little Anthony and the Imperials started the show musically with a melody of their hits “Tears On My Pillow”, “Hurts So Bad”, and “I’m All Right” before the Smokey Robinson walked out to officially induct them into the Hall Of Fame. During one of the Imperials speeches he made a plea “the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is fantastic, keep it here, Please”. (Side Note #2: Why is this being even discussed Rock Hall Foundation? I know that NY feels it should be there because they just opened an annex there and they have hosted the induction ceremonies every year but why would you move to a city that doesn’t even care enough to have a simulcast of this year’s ceremony at their annex because they seem to be pouting, if it’s not in NY they do not want any part of it. The Hall Of Fame is where is should be, Foundation members, we care. Okay enough of my rant back to the story)

Wanda Jackson was the next inductee and was presented by Roseanne Cash. During the video into of Wanda her advocates Elvis Costello and Bruce and Patty Springsteen talked about her influence and seeing here perform on the video from the 50’s showed she really did know how to rock and she proved it at age 71 as she strapped on her guitar and rocked out with “Mean, Mean Man” and “Let’s Have A Party”

Paul Shaffer was next to present Spooner Oldham and I have to tell you it was one of the best parts of the show for me. Paul gave a passionate speech interlaced with Spooner’s licks as they went thru some of the great songs he played on. Songs like “Mustang Sally”, “When A Man Loves A Woman”, “I’m Your Puppet”, “Natural Woman”, and “Cry Like A Baby”. This speech alone showed why the Sideman category is so important to the Hall Of Fame. These unspoken masters made the music we love, even if they never sang a note. I would have loved to hear Spooner play his masterpieces but as a Sideman Inductee they don’t get to play.

The screen lowered and the video montage of Bobby Womack was great with the old Soul Train clips and interviews and then out came Ronnie Wood who in his speech you can tell really cares about Bobby Womack and is his friend. The fact that he did it without notes and it came from his heart tells you how he feels. There is a bond between these two men. Having Womack inducted in his hometown made it even more special. When Bobby opened his speech with “It’s great to back home in Cleveland” and his voice started to break, you know how he felt about the honor. Bobby took the stage for his performance and with an acoustic guitar played the great “Across 110th Street” and then Ronnie came out and backed him on the Stones hit written by Bobby “It’s All Over Now”.

Next up was Run DMC who were inducted by Eminem. Now I am not a fan of Eminem like my son is but his speech was one of the best of the night. It was heartfelt about how he felt about Run DMC and how they influenced him. I have let it be known, I don’t feel Run DMC should be in the Rock Hall even though friends and family have told me differently. Even though they used rock/metal records to scratch on, it still doesn’t fall into the rock category but as a musical artist, they are at the top of their genre, you can’t say differently. They led a lot of firsts in the Rap world and were pioneers. One thing I did not understand was they did not perform. I know they said they wouldn’t perform without Jam Master Jay ever again but last year Rev Run was out doing Run DMC songs with Kid Rock and “DMC” McDaniel said at the end of his speech he’ll be back here in 25 years as a solo artist. I think it would have been a way to salute their friend with a performance together at their induction.

Max Weinberg and Danny Tallent of the E Street Band presented the next two inductees from Elvis’s old backing band, bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana. Bill Black’s son and daughter gave a heart tugging speech about their father and DJ Fontana almost stole the night with his laid back speech. The one thing about the “Sideman” inducted Saturday was how laid back they were. You could tell in both DJ’s and Spooners speeches, that these were guys that didn’t need the limelight. They were happy to just play the music.

Jeff Beck was next and the place erupted when Jimmy Page came out to present Jeff with his 2nd induction into the Hall Of Fame, the 1st with The Yardbirds and now as a solo artist. Jimmy said that he thought that Jeff was the best solo artist he ever heard. To listen to someone like Jimmy talk about how amazing guitar player Jeff is with his unorthodox style and how he feels about him as an artist is what I knew would get me, the music/guitarist geek in the end. Jeff speech was great and his thanking the people that keep him going and the finger he gave those that didn’t was funny. It was also very cool of Jeff to acknowledge the great Scotty Moore who was in the audience as someone he admired. After his speech Jeff came out on stage with his backing band and launched into “Beck’s Bolero” and give props to the camera people for focusing on his hands during it on the big screens. It was a pleasure to watch this artist play like this, again being the music/guitarist geek. When Jimmy came out the two launched into “Immigrant Song” chills went up my spine. Jimmy Page backing rhythm guitar to Becks leads was a highlight for me. Jeff finished with a rocking “Peter Gunn Theme”. How he plays lead solos like he does with his thumb is mind blowing.

The night ended with the last inductee and the one the fans in the balcony (as well as my son and myself) seemed to be waiting for, Metallica. The video montage went thru the history of Metallica and what I thought was fitting for them also interlaced footage from the documentary “Some Kind Of Monster” showing the highs and lows of this powerful band. Flea presented them and another great speech from an artist that seemed to really care about the band. When Metallica came up to give their speeches I was on the edge of my seat to see how they would all interact with Jason Newsted but it looked like nothing in the past ever happened and it was one big happy reunion. I was also interested in how they would acknowledge Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney but no mention of either even though McGovney was in the audience and at the private Metallica party the night before. We all know the tension and feelings in the band throughout the years and it was nice to see they were all shelved in their speeches and they realized that it was a whole group effort to get them to the Hall Of Fame. It was also great that each one shared their thoughts on the late Cliff Burton with Cliff’s father accepting his award. After the speeches the only break into the show came as Metallica got ready to perform. After about a 5 minute wait they came out and blew the roof off with “Master Of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” with both Newsted and Trujillo playing bass! It was very cool to see them playing the same notes in two totally different styles. (just a thought, maybe on the new tour!, how cool would that be to see the 5 of them together) The music was loud, driving and great.

The finale was something I was waiting for all night, especially with the diverse styles of the inductees but what disappointed me was they did it in two parts. The first finale was Wanda Jackson, Roseanne Cash, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Ronnie Wood and Jeff Beck along with Paul Schaffer and the band doing a rockin version of “Jailhouse Rock” The sad part was this was not even included on the television broadcast by Fuse.

The second finale had Metallica, Jeff Beck, Ronnie Wood, Jimmy Page, Flea and Joe Perry playing the classic “Train Kept A Rollin” which was covered by almost everyone on the stage. James Hetfield said it best before they started “I don’t have to do a lot of playing with what’s behind me” and it was a guitar fans feast on stage. They rocked it and at the end of the song we wanted more.

What happened to the seemingly endless jams at the other inductions? Why have two different finales? It would have been cool to see Hetfield and Wanda trading lines on “Jailhouse Rock”. How about Lars and DJ pounding out the licks on “Train” side by side. Think outside of the box guys. If they all go into the same Hall Of Fame, have them all play together. It really would have been golden and it would have worked. This is my only real problem with the whole night.

Kudos to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on a great night. To Mayor Frank Jackson and the City Of Cleveland you did a great job of making the city look like a Hall Of Fame city.

Last but not least, congratulations to all of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees of 2009.

A huge Thank You to Sandy Durbin who was sitting next to us and was kind enough to send me the pictures she took at the inductions. I used just a small sample of her photos here and the rest can be seen at the main website http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/

Keep rockin Cleveland
Nuff said, at least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

The Votes Are In. The Readers Vote On The Hall Of Fame

2009-03-30T10:34:00.000-04:00

The results are in, and you spoke loud and clear.

I can say one thing. The readers of clevelandrockandroll.com are passionate for their favorites and especially who they don't like.

The race for "Who Should Be In The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame But Isn't" was close to the end, but a last minute surge this past week gave us our winner.

RUSH.....with 22% of the vote. The readers have voted Rush into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!!! Okay we know the Rock Hall is not going to put them in based on your votes but maybe some of the real voters will listen to you, the music fans, next year.
Now for the results and some of your comments.

1st Place.....Rush (346 votes)
.....Until reading this, I thought they were already in the Hall Of Fame. How can they not be - (Russ from Canton)
.....Best band to ever come out of Canada! Really how many great bands come out of Canada! - (Bob from Toronto)
.....Geddy Lee's voice alone should have this great band in the hall. - (Sue from Buffalo)

2nd Place.....Stevie Ray Vaughn (321 votes)
.....Stevie Ray is considered one of the greatest guitar players ever. Wake up voters - (Tom from Cleveland)
.....Top 3 if not the #1 guitarist ever. This is a no brainer. - (Steve from Atlanta)
.....Better than Hendrix, better than Clapton, better than everyone. Why is he overlooked? - (Tim from Akron)

3rd Place.....Kiss (234 votes)
.....Kiss not in? I didn't even know that. The biggest band in the 70's and they are not in? - (Tom from Euclid)
.....Gene Simmons is hated by the music world for how he marketed Kiss. That can be the only reason they are not in. - (Marcy from Columbus)
.....The biggest, baddest, rocking band of my generation! KISS. (Mark from Parma)

4th Place.....Genesis (176 votes)
.....Come on, they could be put in twice for the Peter Gabriel era and then the Phil Collins era. Two totally different bands but both great. - (Ron from Cleveland)
.....I can see why they don't put them in for the music they made with "Invisible Touch" and "We Can't Dance" but the work they did when Peter was in the band was magic.- (Ray from Hinckley)
.....In their early years they were one of the top prog groups on the scene. They have to be in. - (Thomas from New York)

5th Place.....Alice Cooper (149 votes)
.....Alice was theatric rock at it's best. - (Bill from Las Vegas)
.....Are you sure Alice Cooper is not in? - (Kathy from Solon)
.....Schools Out, an anthem for a generation. That alone should be enough. - (Sam from Cleveland)

6th Place.....Doobie Brothers (92 votes)
.....One of the biggest bands of the 70's. Come on voters! - (Bill from Lakewood)
.....Great vocals, great musicians, what more do these voters need? - (Tom from Toledo)

7th Place.....Heart (87 votes)
.....Ann and Nancy taught everyone what a hard rockin female band should sound like. - (Bridgett from Cleveland)
.....They changed my idea what a rock band should look and sound like. - (Bob from Eastlake)

8th Place.....Electric Light Orchestra (85 votes)
.....They made a whole new sound in rock.- (Nancy from Avon Lake)
.....The ultimate rock orchestra. (Jeff from Marrietta)

9th Place.....Jethro Tull (81 votes)
.....Who would have thought a band with a frontman with a flute would be rock legends. I do. (Dave from Houston)
.....I was shocked to look it up and see they were not in. How is this possible. - (Carol from Willoughby)

10th Place.....Cheap Trick (76 votes)
....."At Budokan" defined what a live band should sound like. - (Marcus from Cleveland)
.....Unique, no one was like them. - (Jim from Cleveland)

On the flip side "Who Should Be Thrown Out Of The Hall Of Fame" had a runaway winner!

MADONNA with 72% of the vote (692 votes)
.....The hall lost all credibility with putting her in. - (Karen from Parma)
.....It made me sick. - (Alan from Cleveland)
.....What's next Brittany Spears? - (Tim from Lorain)
.....A JOKE!!!! - (Randy from Chicago)
.....They took a great thing like the ROCK HALL and made it a joke. - (Brett from Cleveland)

2nd Place.....Michael Jackson (183 votes)
.....The self proclaimed King Of Pop has become a world wide joke. - (Sarah from Cleveland)
.....When he was voted in, I stopped caring. - (Ryan from Canton)

3rd Place.....Earth Wind And Fire (73 votes)
.....No rock at all here. - (Mike from Medina)
.....Disco? Disco? Did the voters in 2000 think they were running out of great rock bands to vote for? - (Brian from Boston)

4th Place.....Run DMC (61 votes)
.....I didn't even know who they were except for one song. Should that put you in the Hall Of Fame. That's like putting a baseball player in the Hall of Fame for hitting one home run in his career. - (Jim from Akron)
.....One song with Aerosmith does not make a career. - (Mike from Tremont)

5th Place.....Grandmaster Flash (38 votes)
.....Why voters, why. No good rock bands left? - (Bob from Hudson)
.....Another example of record company hacks voting for what they think is cool instead of what's good. - (Mike from Independence)

You spoke readers, maybe they will listen to you next year.

Nuff said, At least until next week
Peace Out
Bear

The Top 10 Game Or Other Reasons To Self Medicate

2009-03-26T10:54:00.000-04:00

The Top 10 Game Or Other Reasons To Self Medicate

We love lists. We love to put things in order. We love playing games. What's better than to combine them!

Ever play the game "Top 10"? Come on everyone has, whether it's "Top 10 Albums Of All Time", "Top 10 Greatest Guitarists". "Top 10 Bands Of All Time", "Top 10 Concerts You Saw", "Top 10 Desert Island Albums", etc, etc and I am no exception. Heck, your probably doing it right now in your head while your reading this.

I particularly love the last one "Top 10 Desert Island Albums". Who is one the island with me, the Professor on Gilligans Island? Who is going to build my turntable from palm tree bark and supply the electricity for it? I know I can't. I know after a week on this desert island I'll be like Tom Hanks in that movie Castaway. I'll be drawing faces on rocks and talking to them let alone building a home theater. (there I go again rambling on another road not taken, okay on to the real subject)

On Facebook there is several of these list games going around including new one "The 5 Albums That Shaped Me". Five Albums!. That's it... What happened to Top 10? I need at least 5 albums for each year of my life let alone 5 total.

Okay I get it. I'l figure this out. I got to make 5 work for me.

How do I fit in the Monkees when I was a kid. Do I put them next to Paranoid by Black Sabbath in my pre-teens. How does that fit into Dark Side Of The Moon in my teens or Carolina Dreams by Marshall Tucker in college? Oh my god....If I pick them I only have one spot left!!!! How do I leave out Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye (that helped make the man I am today, yeaaa) or Stage Pass by MSB one of my all time favorites that I have bought at least 6 copies of over the years or Sgt Peppers that even though I really discovered it a few years later than it came out really expanded my mind. Speaking of expanding my mind, how about any of the Grateful Dead albums, they certainly expanded my mind or at least messed with it thru the 70's.

I'm in a quandary here people!!!!!

Do I leave out Born to Run that brought out the rebel in me during those formative years. How about Texas Flood that brought me to the texas style of blues I was missing or Layla that threw me headfirst into the love affair of rock and blues together. How about Hotel California, Highway 61 Revisted, Disraeli Gears, Music From Big Pink, Ziggy Stardust, Trick Of The Tail ? How do I leave them out...

Deep breath Bear, relax you can get thru this....

Where do I fit in the music I listen to now like Once Again by John Legend, Corrine Bailey Rae, Colbie Caillat, as well as Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Les Claypool. These are all still shaping me even at my advanced age.

Where do I fit in country music. I really got into it heavily like almost everyone else in the 90's. Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith to name a few have a least one album that helped make me into what I am. I've been listening to Willie Nelson for over 40 years, I think he has at least one, maybe Red Headed Stranger?

But do I give it one of those precious five spots......

How about Dean and Frank and Miles?

What about my love of Motown? Oh my........ The Four Tops, Temptations, Smokey, The Supremes. I've been listening to them since the 60's they had to help make me....but what do I do!

Bob Marley "Legend" okay it definitely has to be there but what do I give up on my list?

My head is spinning, I don't know if I can take this test!!! Will they still love me on Facebook....

I know, I'm going to do something easier. I'm going to try day trading in the stock market. It can't be this complicated.

I got to get some asprin.

Nuff said, at least till next week
Peace Out
Bear

Musical Footprints Part 2 - Your Stories

2009-03-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

Musical Footprints Part 2, Your Stories - Originally Posted March 16, 2009

I have to thank the readers here. When I hit on a subject you respond and respond you did. I had over 400 emails this week on this subject alone. The story (Musical Footnotes or The Mix Tape Of Life) was just a little thing about how when I hear a certain song it triggers memories for me and it registered with you also. That is why I am posting Part 2, using your stories.

Just a note here on the stories below. I emailed everyone back and asked their permission first before publishing their stories. Most said "sure go ahead" others were not sure about the statue of limitations!

Weddings were a big theme for a lot of readers, some very cool choices also:

There were some other themes that are not hard to figure out:

And one song that became legendary in Cleveland history:

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life

2009-03-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

Musical Footprints or The Mix Tape Of Life - Originally Posted March 9, 2009

The other day when it was pouring outside I did as I usually do when bored, I put on a movie that I have watched so many times. I watched the great John Cusack movie "High Fidelity" and it rang true to me how music is a footprint of our lives.

Most of us listen to music daily. We listen to music when we wake up on our alarm clocks, while were getting ready for work, in our cars on the way to work, sometimes while at work, on the way home, when we get home and are cooking dinner, sitting in front of a roaring fireplace, on a plane with our ipods, working out, etc, etc, etc.

Music is always around us and for good times and bad we connect songs and bands to moments in our lives.

Musical footprints are everywhere in our lives. We might not even know we have them stored in our minds until a single moment when they are triggered when a song comes out of the blue on the radio, when a good feeling comes over us and we relate it to a song that we heard the last time we felt it or on the opposite when a song is related to a bad time in our lives. This is why music is so important to us and why we surround ourselves with it.

Enough writing, I think it's time to go put on "Let's Get It On"

Nuff said, at least till next week

Peace Out

Bear