this really seems like watching the Spinal Tap scene where they read the album reviews…..

candybowl

Lost one of the great ones over the weekend. So sad. Sleep well, Major Tom.

great Sean Nelson article in The Stranger:

In Death as in Life, David Bowie Remains the Master of Self-Invention

candybowl

I’ve now lived in Seattle over 20 years (doh! twenty!) and have seen many bands (kind of a ‘Seattle requirement’, similar to having work to do with technology or building airplanes, and drinking a LOT of coffee) – but aside from visiting bands from other places, there have been a few local bands that rose way above the pack. Manooghi hi was definitely one of them, but only 1.5 albums came out and they seem to have disappeared….I think the drummer lives in SF, I have seen one of the singers around locally but not sure about the rest….sad…. 🙁

here’s one from their prime…besides the links above from when we saw them live – got to see them at least 3-4 times, so that was at least something……

candybowl

is apparently about to leave again soon on runway 911. New plane, too? Maniacs. Go big or go home, indeed…..!

IRON MAIDEN AND THE BOOK OF SOULS GO JUMBO ON MASSIVE 2016 WORLD TOUR

candybowl

for some reason their songs have been going through my head lately – interesting article. I was really into this band back in the day….this concert clip is kinda weird – they rarely played much live and despite their sound being heavy on keys, there aren’t any on stage? Must be playing to recordings – certainly have enough percussion guys though!

The Power Of Propaganda: A Secret Wish 25 Years On…

candybowl

Never knew about this – I can see the similarity although the Zeppelin tune is arguably much more complex…songs can be played at the link…

Led Zeppelin Loses First Round in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Lawsuit

candybowl

and sadly, still far, far too true…! Mose Allison said it first, The Who said it best.

candybowl

I honestly don’t remember the original of this song, but heard the cover on KEXP this am while driving to work – very cool! The band is Tame Impala, but this cover isn’t on any of their current records, apparently, it’s more recent.

here’s the original (from 1996, which is probably why I never heard it the first time, wasn’t paying any attention) – actually pretty good…even if he’s doing his best Diana Ross look in this video:

candybowl

Saw the ‘rockumentary’ Beware of Mr. Baker last night. It tracks the story of Ginger Baker (most famous for being in Cream) from early music days through Cream, Blind Faith and beyond until the present day. Some reactions:

1) I had only really heard his playing in the context of Cream, which ultimately limited my impressions. While I don’t completely agree with either his (stated at least a couple times rather egotistically by him in the movie) or his bands perspective that they were the ‘cream’ of the rock talent at the time (So the Beatles and others like Jimmy Page and John Entwistle weren’t? There were others too) Cream were obviously in the top tier to be sure.

But the thing I liked about the movie was that you see a LOT more of his playing in far, far different contexts, and I definitely have a new view of his abilities as a result. I had not realized he was really a jazz drummer, he considered himself a jazz drummer, and ultimately at one or two points in the movie, he attains that lofty status amongst other top-tier jazz drummers – very impressive and he definitely more than holds his own – I have a much stronger respect for him now just seeing this footage alone. While I have to say that I’ve always preferred Keith Moon‘s drumming, and will still maintain that KM may be my preferred choice for a *rock* drummer – I now think GB is definitely a far more versatile and skilled drummer who obviously crosses many more types of music having seen this film.

2) Like other famous people (and arguably worse in many ways) – he was a disaster as a father, fairly loathsome as a family man and at many times, as even a human being. It’s one thing to be devoted to drums and music above all else – fine. But why have a family and treat them so horribly? Why not just stick with groupies and be done with it? Use a condom? The mind boggles – there’s simply no excuse. We’re all human, yes – but acting this way is simply beyond the pale.

3) He reminds me in many ways of Keith Richards from the ‘too onery to die’ standpoint – but I find it hard to believe that Keith Richards was near as irascible as GB was (and still is). The movie begins with GB literally wacking the poor filmmaker hard in the face with his cane because he was mad about the film having anyone else from his life in it! While to a certain degree (they include outtakes also as the credits roll at the end) this is funny and serves to make him even more of a curmudgeon – the word ‘beware’ is certainly applicable time and again as his story unfolds.

This is definitely a movie worth watching – may be a bit too ‘music nerd’ if you aren’t into drummers, rock stars acting like the immature freaks they often are, or musicians from the 60s – but definitely worth seeing all the same.

candybowl

A very interesting look at the music industry and artist success/failure in decades past vs. now. Here’s the article that spawned this graphic, and the article on BoingBoing where I saw this debate in the first place….

candybowl