The Underappreciated And Overlooked Of Rock

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

The Agora Is Closing It's Doors

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