For The Sake Of The Song: Jeanie Should Definitely Wear “Slit Skirts”, Right Mr. Pete Townshend?

Sorry… one more I HAVE TO DO!

Somewhere along the line I lost my copy of Pete Townshend’s All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes.  That was not a good thing, especially given that the CD was out of print for a long while…

Although, I just checked Amazon and the 2000 remaster is up there, but I could have sworn it was only available as an expensive Import… Hmmm… That one has three extra bonus tracks and the songs in a completely different order… I AM SO CONFUSED!

It is DEFINITELY NOT available on iTunes… Odd.

Anyway, I was at Amoeba on Monday and lo and behold, there it was in the used bin… and available for a song!  This one also has the gorgeous “The Sea Refuses No River”… another one of my absolute Pete faves!  Mmmm… and of course “Face Dances Part Two”.

Pete Townshend – “Slit Skirts”

This song is nothing short of magnificent… A truly remarkable piece of poetry set to music… It is pure fire and water and alternates between a fantastic rocker with music that literally sets my soul on fire and then, at the very same time, fills it with a salty ocean of tears.

So many thoughts and ideas here… love and life and politics… Getting old and seeing so many things pass you by… Looking at the world and seeing so much love lost… and how things that are lost are so desperately longed for… No wonder it kills me.  How fricking ironic.

The one that always grabs me by the heart the most is…

“And I know that when she thinks of me, she thinks of me as him…”

Kill me now!  That is what this line does.  Let me just pull this dagger from my heart…

The rest of the song is so equally powerful!

Check out a great old video here… or you can just hear the album version…

Listen while you read the lyrics… or just close your eyes and go on a fucking amazing journey… or both.  I’ll be here…

“I was just thirty-four years old and I was still wandering in a haze
I was wondering why everyone I met seemed like they were lost in a maze

I don’t know why I thought I should have some kind of
Divine right to the blues
It’s sympathy not tears people need when they’re the
Front page sad news.

The incense burned away and the stench began to rise
And lovers now estranged avoided catching each others’ eyes

And girls who lost their children cursed the men who fit the coil
And men not fit for marriage took their refuge in the oil
No one respects the flame quite like the fool who’s badly burned
From all this you’d imagine that there must be something learned

Slit skirts, Jeanie never wears those slit skirts
I don’t ever wear no ripped shirts
Can’t pretend that growing older never hurts.

Knee pants, Jeanie never wears no knee pants
Have to be so drunk to try a new dance
So afraid of every new romance

Slit skirts, slit skirt
Jeanie isn’t wearing those slit skirts, slit skirt
She wouldn’t dare in those slit skirts, slit skirt
Wouldn’t be seen dead in no slit skirt

Slit skirts, slit skirt
Jeanie isn’t wearing those slit skirts, slit skirt
She wouldn’t dare in those slit skirts, slit skirt
Wouldn’t be seen dead in no slit skirt

Romance, romance, why aren’t we thinking up romance?
Why can’t we drink it up true heart romance
Just need a brief new romance

Let me tell you some more about myself, you know I’m sitting at home just now.
The big events of the day are passed and the late TV shows have come around.
I’m number one in the home team, but I still feel unfulfilled.
A silent voice in her broken heart complaining that I’m unskilled.

And I know that when she thinks of me, she thinks of me as him,
But, unlike me, she don’t work off her frustration in the gym.

Recriminations fester and the past can never change
A woman’s expectations run from both ends of the range

Once she walked with untamed lovers’ face between her legs
Now he’s cooled and stifled and it’s she who has to beg

Slit skirts, Jeanie never wears those slit skirts
And I don’t ever wear no ripped shirts
Can’t pretend that growing older never hurts

Knee pants, Jeanie never wears no knee pants
We have to be so drunk to try a new dance
So afraid of every new romance

Slit skirts, slit skirt
Jeanie isn’t wearing those slit skirts, slit skirt
She wouldn’t dare in those slit skirts, slit skirt
Wouldn’t be seen dead in no slit skirt

Slit skirts, slit skirt
Jeanie isn’t wearing those slit skirts, slit skirt
She wouldn’t dare in those slit skirts, slit skirt
Wouldn’t be seen dead in no slit skirt

Romance, romance, why aren’t we thinking up romance?
Why can’t we drink it up true heart romance
Just need a brief new romance.”

AllMusic says:  ”Like most of the material from 1982′s All the Best Cowboys, “Slit Skirts” is a contemplative piece, this time draped with the personal, self-analysis of an aging man, and an aging rock star. The album may have been Townshend’s least successful, but “Slit Skirts” stands out somewhat as a song wallowing in the realization of middle age while acknowledging the fact that youth will always be a thing of the past (giving the Who’s plea of hoping to die before they get old some added conviction).”

“Townshend has always been a master songwriter, and while “Slit Skirts” isn’t a masterpiece by any means, it’s a fine example of how he can articulate the hardships of age and the pain of looking back.”

Ummm, hey AllMusic… you are so wrong here.  This a fricking masterpiece like you would not believe.  Everything about this song is astounding… and the fact that I have just listened to it five times in a row and am moved to tears almost every time… Yeah… It’s a masterpiece.  My three cents!

Plant A Garden And Get Ready For Stephen Duffy And Lilac Time To Really Grow On You

I love riding on a train of thought.  It can be so pure sometimes, and lead you in wonderful directions.

In fact, when I was a kid I was obsessed with trains.  I loved every thing about them, especially the old classics.  That was a time, huh?  I still dream of having a huge basement and a model train set up… That’s a long way off… Maybe too long.  But a kid can dream.  So can an adult.  Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

So Duran Duran leads us directly into this band… Maybe I knew that Stephen Duffy was in Duran Duran, but for some really odd reason, I think it was a revelation to me yesterday.  Then again, my memory is so bad lately.  Seriously… like so bad that I want to get a brain scan… and I do not say that lightly.  People will say things to me and I have no recollection of what they are talking about.

Now I am sure the amount of stress I carry around does not help, so I think I will try fish oil and meditation for a while… and I do have Dr. Amen’s book…

AllMusic says this… “Stephen Duffy could have been the Pete Best of the ’80s. Just as  Best was no longer a member of the Beatles when the Fab Four became household names, Duffy departed from Duran Duran before that group exploded on MTV.”

The Lilac Time – Compendium (The Fontana Trinity)

The band formed in 1988 and did not last long, breaking up in 1991, but they made some stellar pop… and a reformation and comeback album in 1999 called Looking For A Day In The Night is considered a pop masterpiece.  While I decided to put on this two-disc, monster collection with 45 tracks (I figured folks could listen on Spotify), here is what AllMusic says about their debut and career…

“The Lilac Time’s self-titled debut is the start of a perfect career. Right off the bat, Stephen Duffy and company mix poetry, pop melodies, and folk instrumentation to create songs of endless charm, mesmerizing passion, and tantalizing atmosphere. Accordions, acoustic guitars, woodwinds, exotic percussion, and Duffy’s pensive voice all work toward an uplifting sadness rarely heard this side of Nick Drake.”

“Drawing favorable and justified comparisons to both the Smiths and Drake is quite an achievement in itself. That The Lilac Time would continue to reach such lofty heights is a testament to the songwriting prowess and subtle musical mastery of Duffy and his band of folk popsters. This fascinating debut is certainly a mini-masterpiece, and it’s the first step in a remarkable career that would bear additional masterpieces over multiple decades to follow.”

This band came to me from my buddy Rob and is in that vein of British Power Pop, which is never a bad thing… at least to me.  It also means, quite simply, that you will hear influences from The Beatles and later bands like The Smiths.  Songs like “Fields” and “The Lost Girl In The Midnight Sun” will have you hearing George Harrison in particular.

“Love Becomes A Savage” brings in a taste of Nick Drake… and “Black Velvet” and “Return To Yesterday” have classic, troubadour elements… lush and lovely.

This is a lot of music to go through, but I really think you will enjoy it immensely… and maybe even remember a few tunes from your college radio days.

Old Music Monday, New Discovery – I Am Not Crazy, Just Lost In Total Madness

Yes, usually Mondays are for new music… And this is not… but it stems from a song I had never heard and sparked a debate between me and my pal, Rob.

First off, thanks again to Robert (different one) and his friend Matt for the amazing, kind and so utterly generous Bruce hook up.  You both helped create a musical memory.  The concert was amazing, the night was a joy and my brother and I will be talking about this one for a long time to come.  I got to say hello to Max Weinberg again… said hello and snapped photos with Jake Clemons… and got to have a really lovely conversation with Steve Forbert!

And Bruce was loose and fun and seemingly happy as all can be… and I got to hear my beloved “Rosalita”!!!

Okay, so Rob and I were watching the Kings game last week when a Volkswagen commercial came on.  We loved the song but did not know what it was, so like the good musical boys we are, we took to the internet.  I thought it was the empty garage spot with the gnome and thus confidently stated it was Little Joy and “The Next Time Around”.

I sent him the link… even made him a copy of the great Little Joy album… but then he said it wasn’t it… What???

He just texted me today and said it was Madness’ “It Must Be Love”.  Here is the video for this song…

I cannot find the VW commercial on-line at all with this song… The other one popped right up… Hmmm…

I happen to love this song… and I don’t think I ever heard it,  so it got me thinking about Madness and here we are…

Madness – Total Madness:  The Very Best Of Madness

Rob, Robert and Matt… this one is for you!!!

Everyone knows “Our House”… a perfect ska pop gem and such a great song… This is, of course, how I discovered this band.  What a total part of my youth… and I so vividly remember the video on MTV!

Now to be honest, I knew last night I was going to do this album… but as if that was not enough… This morning I was at a store called AC Moore in Nanuet, NY returning a frame, and as I’m standing on-line “Our House” starts to play over their PA… stereo… whatever…

I have truly not heard that song in such a long time, so it was definitely fate… and definitely a sign!

From Wikipedia:  ”Madness are a British pop/ska band from Camden Town, London, that formed in 1976… They were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival.”

For me, they are a vital part of my youth… a vital part of my ’80s… and a great band to listen to again!

So I know it is not on this album… Odd… but I highly recommend taking this band “One Step Beyond” and delving into your Monday Madness!!!

Friday Is For Friends And Van Halen Is Going All Diver Down… ’80s Rock Rocks!!!

Forgot to mention that we were standing next to Chef Tom Colicchio at Bruce… I kept telling my brother to tell him he was hungry!  I will always remember the meal my brother and I had at Gramercy Tavern… this was a long time ago, when Tom was still there and LONG before he was famous… Everything was perfect!!!  It was one of those meals that will just stay with me!

So I am still in New Jersey… and off to NYC later and then Citi Field for the first time tonight… Yes, the Mets stink and my brother says that the stadium is cluttered with more advertising than a minor league park, but we are both excited to go.

Will also be seeing my buddy Jason… yes, Jason with the boombox from my teen tour… Haven’t seen each other in 25 years!!!  And my frat brother, old roommate and great pal Barry… aka Myron!

So… what would be a good Friday listen?  Has to be some classic rock… has to be something we all like…

This is a band who Jason really introduced me to… and who Barry and I went to see in Chicago… Perfect!

Van Halen – Diver Down

I have already done Van Halen… and while Van Halen II is probably my favorite and yet to be done, I was angling for something from the ’80s… that left me with 1984 and Diver Down to really dig into…

So why this one???  Simple… the first song that popped into my head and probably my favorite VH tune is “Little Guitars”.

After that about ten Van Halen songs popped into my head… like a jukebox gone wild… but this was my first instinct.

I love Fair Warning, but agree with AllMusic that it is dark…

“Fair Warning was such a dark, intense record that Van Halen almost had no choice but to lighten up on their next album, and 1982′s Diver Down is indeed much lighter than its predecessor. In many ways, it’s a return to the early albums, heavy on covers and party anthems, but where those records were rough and exuberant — they felt like the work of the world’s best bar band just made good, which is, of course, kind of what they were — this is undoubtedly the work of a finely honed band who has only grown tighter and heavier since their debut.”

I wanted something light and fun today.  It’s a bit gloomy here and while the sun supposedly will be breaking through, I figured why not break it through myself by cranking up some tunes…

So Jason and Barry and my brother Dan who is schlepping me into the city in his day off… this one is for you!!!

I also send this out to Mark L… who loves Van Halen as much as I love Bruce!

And finally, I would like to dedicate this to Junior Seau… may you find the peace you could not find here… and Mariano Rivera, for a quick healing and perhaps a retirement on your own terms… If any of you Yankees haters… and you know who you are… say anything negative or rude about this, I will disown and un-friend you.  The man is a total class act, a future Hall of Famer… and an athlete of extraordinary ability!!!

While it was with Sammy Hagar, Barry and I saw VH at the Rosemont Horizons with BTO as the opener… Bachman Turner Overdrive… although at that point, we were calling them Bachman Turner Overweight… Ah, kids…

Sammy was fine and fun, and they put out some great music with him, too… but there is nothing like Diamond Dave, the nice Jewish boy, running around with leather chaps and holes for his butt cheeks to hang out from!!!

AllMusic continues… “As a band, they might be tight, but Diver Down is anything but tight. It’s a downright mess, barely clocking in at 31 minutes, cobbled together out of five covers, two minute-long instrumentals, and five new songs. By most measures, this should be the kind of slop that’s difficult to muddle through, but it’s not: it’s one of Van Halen’s best records, one that’s just pure joy to hear.”

And it is… one of my favorite party platters!  And for the record… after the album played I went back and listened to “Little Guitars”, intro and all, four times in a row!!!

From Jersey to California and back… Rock you boys from Pasadena, rock!!!

New Music Monday – It’s Bliss And Gliss To Love the Virgins

Ooh!  Provocative… We’re gonna pick up some stray readers for sure…

They’ll get here and be like, WTF???!!!  This is a MUSIC blog???!!!

Good morning, Monday!  Welcome readers, old and new… I guess I should say long-time readers, as none of us are old… and new listeners, first-time callers!

I feel like every once in a while I should clarify what “New Music” means, as it is a bit different for this blog… Sometimes it will mean brand new music from a band I know well.  Since Tuesday is almost always the official release day of new music, I love to give you a head start.

Sometimes it will mean music from a brand new band… someone I have just happened upon!  That is always exciting!  You know one of my great pleasures is introducing you to your new favorite artist or helping you find something that you will love.  Yes, I am generous in that way.  My goal is always your happiness first… Consider me your MUSICAL MATCH MAKER!!!

(Sorry, the double entendres may be flying today… it is just that kind of Monday!)

It might also mean a band that I have recently discovered, but who has been around for a while.  Yes, even I can be slow on the uptake… or intake, sometimes!  Today fits into this latter notion…

Gliss – Love The Virgins

I have a playlist on Spotify called “New Listens” and I realized there is a ton of music I need to go through… I am slacking, I know, I know.

This album came out in 2006.  AllMusic raves:

“Once upon a time, Gliss were a four-piece band, plying atmospheric indie rock to an LA environs swamped with such things. They could’ve disappeared into the ether, barely leaving a trace, but instead the lineup splintered, and a far more magnificent Gliss emerged from the ashes. The new look trio, comprising original members Marti Klingman and David Reiss, and Danish expatriate newcomer Victoria Cecilia, kicked Gliss out of the doldrums and onto the world stage with two successful tours of Europe, where most of this album was written and in some cases recorded.”

They go on to compare certain tracks to The Seeds, Velvet Underground, Stooges, U2 and The Cure.  This makes for one hell of a cocktail… Chill a high ball, add ingredients, go into a garage, shake and serve.

“All told, Love the Virgins is a phenomenal journey that explores myriad moods and nuances, some delicately shadowed, others drenched in thunderous rock roars. No wonder Gliss are already darlings of the Euro-scene; now it’s about time they received some hometown recognition as well.”

The bands they are influenced by include Smashing Pumpkins, The Stone Roses (the blog on 4/14/12) and Spacemen 3 (who I now need to explore and from whose ashes rose Spiritualized… the blog the next day on 4/15/12).  Funny how so much of the music I listen to is subconsciously connected.  I’d like to say I plan these things… and to be honest, sometimes I do… That was actually the case going from Spiritualized into Girls on 4/16/12…

I love riding the train of thought and seeing how music and bands evolve… how they are influenced and how they influence others…

AllMusic says Gliss is in the same vein as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (a fairly new pleasure and discovery), Sonic Youth (an old love) and The Brian Jonestown Massacre (a discovery from about a year and half ago… and the blog post way back on 3/10/11).

So go out and have a glissful day!!!  This album will kick your Monday in the ass for sure!

Sunday Morning Music,The Late Edition – Toad The Wet Sprocket… Sometimes Fear Is Good

Last night’s concert was glorious.  Then again, it always is when the boys from Venice play… especially with high school kids.

They show the world how utterly important and powerful music is, and how much of a place it actually DOES deserve in our schools.

Music is part of civilization.  So are the arts… a vital part… and the sooner the good people with the power over the budgets realize that, the better off our educational system and society will be!

Jackson Browne sounded great… and had Taylor Goldsmith (I still think we are related… at least I hope so… ) from the remarkable band Dawes join him on stage for a few songs… Glen Philips from Toad the Wet Sprocket, who still looks like he is 16, was also great.  His song “Rise Up” from the album and band he put together called WPA (Works Progress Administration) was a show stopper… The audience sat mesmerized and hushed.  Stunning.

They all were on stage for the Levon Helm tribute and did a fun version of “The Weight”.  Jackson talked about the Midnight Ramble, which made me a bit sad… knowing I will now never be able to attend one… Sigh…

Lesson five hundred and thirty-six… do what you say you are going to do as soon as you can, for life is short and dreams, like people, can pass away.

We saw the amazing character actor David Paymer after the show and it was a pleasure to talk with him… So nice and kind and genuinely happy we approached him… City Slickers and Quiz Show will always be two of my favorite movies!

The show was a lot of fun and seeing musicians play for the love of a song is so damn powerful and uplifting… Speaking of which, I CANNOT WAIT to see the Marley Doc… Hear it is amazing and must be seen in a theatre with great sound!!!

Sadly though, I will obviously need to publish my long gestating book on concert and live music etiquette.  Even at a benefit concert, people do not know how to behave themselves as mad obvious by the strange collection of folks sitting in front of us… They were in the first row on f the balcony, had no one sitting in front of us, yet feel the need to lean forward and block our entire view of the concert.

To her credit, the woman in front of me did sit back when I asked, but the woman in front of my friend Alan said, and I quote, “I’m gonna do what I want to do.”

Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fear

For some odd reason I did not remember the band was named after a Monty Python sketch until Cynthia Fox from KLOS told a great story about Eric Idle.  Apparently hearing the band on the radio and the DJ announcing the name had him almost drive off the road in laughter and surprise…

“Toad the Wet Sprocket took its name from a Monty Python comedy sketch called “Rock Notes” (performed by Eric Idle on Monty Python’s Contractual Obligation Album), in which a journalist delivers a nonsensical music news report:

Rex Stardust, lead electric triangle with Toad the Wet Sprocket, has had to have an elbow removed following their recent successful worldwide tour of Finland. Flamboyant ambidextrous Rex apparently fell off the back of a motorcycle.”

The band was formed in 1986 and consists of four guys from just outside of Santa Barbara, CA.  They are “vocalist and guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss.”

This is their third album and the one that brought them fame and massive radio play thanks to the hits “Walk On The Ocean” and “All I Want”.  It came out in 1991 and cemented their place as one of alt. rock’s super bands of the ’90s.  Both of these albums are worth having, as I just love that folksy, alternative rock that has The Byrds and R.E.M. all over it.

The band broke up in 1998, but apparently have a new album and tour coming up in 2012.  Based on seeing him last night, Glen seems like such a humble, genuine and classy guy and I would gladly see him and the band again!

Rock n’ Roll, baby!!!  It makes the world go ’round.

Bring Me The Head of Diego Garcia… Or At Least His Gorgeous Album Laura

The actual title of the Sam Peckinpah film is Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia, but I was attempting to be clever.  I can be clever!!!

Diego Garcia – Laura

Okay, this goes out to a friend of a friend, in thanks for her being such a good friend and taking such wonderful care of her!  Makes sense?  Okay, I’ll make it easy… Laura is for Laura.

I cannot tell you how much I love this album.

“You Were Never There” could totally be a George Harrison song.  This is my absolute favorite track off the record.

“Roses And Wine” (How did I miss this live show???) is a sultry, sexy little number filled with romance and confusion.  It could get a guy in trouble… the right kind of trouble, for sure!

You will hear a little Liam Finn (son of Neil Finn), a little Ray LaMontagne (without that huskiness) and a whole lot of Diego.

Diego was the frontman for Elefant, a band who fits nicely into that post-punk music I dig.  The band lasted from about 2003-2010 and put out some great music.  This album is drastically different!

“As the frontman of Elefant, he played a small role in the indie rock scene that swept through New York City during the new millennium, sharing the spotlight with similar groups like Longwave and Stellastar.”

Do not know either of those bands… so Spotify here I come… and there they both are.  Cool.

Since I am still down and somewhat out… I am relying on the kindness of strangers.  Well… I am relying on the great site AllMusic.  I rely on them and Wikipedia for a lot of information… Both good go-to sources.

“Garcia moved ahead with his solo career, exploring his Latin roots with a new sound modeled after artists like Julio Iglesias and Roberto Carlos. He signed with Nacional Records toward the end of the year and released his solo debut, Laura, in 2011.”

They go on to say that “Laura, is a gorgeously crafted and ceaselessly melodic mix of soft-focus ’60s and ’70s-influenced pop. Where his former band Elefant (who broke up in 2010) favored a kind of ’80s-influenced post-punk revivalism, Garcia is clearly enamored with the symphonic echo-chamber sound of such artists as Harry Nilsson, Donovan, Nick Garrie, and others. These are largely acoustic guitar-driven songs, centered around Garcia’s burnished, yearning baritone vocals and often layered simply with sweet cello lines, liberal vocal harmonies, hand percussion, and other organic instrumentation… Elsewhere, Garcia infuses his songs with a spaghetti Western/Spanish guitar vibe, as on such slow-burn earworms as “Separate Lives” and the yearning ballad “Stay.” Ultimately, Garcia’s Laura, much like the sensual, lightly flamenco-inflected ballad “All Eyes on You” that closes out the album, is a roiling fever-dream caravan that simmers in your head long after it’s passed.”

The title track “Laura” is this lush, seductive, retro-sounding song that I could almost hear David Cassidy sing… almost.  I do not say that as a joke… With a little more poppy brightness to it, he or the late Davy Jones would have knocked it out of the park!

This is a damn good record… suitable for a long car ride, a romantic interlude or a lazy afternoon in a hammock for two.  I hope you enjoy it.

And I love Longwave by the way!!!  Love them.  Will give Stellastar a listen later.

For The No Irish In Me – Van Morrison, His Band And The Street Choir

Anti-biotic number two… Here’s to you, kid.

I was so hoping to be at The Canyon Club tonight watching Hollywood U2, who probably JUST hit the stage.  But nooooo… I am in bed for the seventh straight day.  Whatever this virus or infection is… I release you.

So, as much as I wish I was Irish, especially on St. Patty’s Day… and as much I desire to go to Ireland… I am here with my green codeine and my favorite Van the Man!

Van Morrison – His Band And The Street Choir

I so love this record… Have for a long, long time.

I’ve seen him filed under “M” and “V”… For a while this confused me and my own system… But I have him under “M”.  Wow, that is riveting…

“Domino” is one of, if not my favorite Van song.  That opening riff is just so classic!

“Crazy Face” and that stuttering sax… “Give Me A Kiss”… “Blue Money”… one great song after the other.  The jazzy “Call Me Up In Dreamland”… And how I did not have “I’ll Be Your Lover, Too” on my Music To Make Love To list is an insane and horrible omission… I love this sultry number, same with “I Ever Needed Someone”.

So for any of you folks sitting at home, wishing you were Irish like me… crank up Van The Man.  And let me know when we’re going to Dublin, because I have never been but dream of going!

So l’chaim… and éisteacht agus gr (That’s listen and love in Irish).

Light It Up For The Doobie Brothers And Michael Hossack – And Lay Off The Musicians For A While, Will ‘Ya?

Another band I cannot believe I have not yet done on the Muse… Crazy considering how long I have loooooved The Doobie Brothers.

I first heard The Doobie Brothers by singing “Black Water”.  I remember being on a bus and singing it in rounds…  Then I actually HEARD the song.  Wow.  Who were these guys???

I first SAW The Doobie Brothers on an episode of What’s Happening (You can continue the whole classic episode here… Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5).

The last time I saw them was at the Greek Theatre.  They were doing a benefit for drummer Keith Knudsen.  Sadly he passed away in 2005… and now yesterday, drummer Michael Hossack is gone.  This is another band that just goes on and on.  I guess that is just what you do when so many people want to Listen To The Music!

Players would come and go but the mid ’70s boasted what is arguably their most famous line up…

Original members Tom Johnston on guitars, keyboards, harmonica and vocals, John Hartman on drums, percussion and vocals… Patrick Simmons on guitars, banjo, flute and vocals, and then later on Tiran Porter on bass and vocals,  Keith Knudsen on drums, percussion and vocals,  the big personality of Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (former member of Steely Dan) on guitar and vocals and, of course… the voice… Michael McDonald on keys and vocals.  It is a bit mind-blowing to think about the impact that McDonald had on so many major bands… Steely Dan anyone?

The core is still intact with founding and most recognizable members Tom and Patrick, although I did not realize until today that Tom took a 10-year hiatus from 1977-87.  

Managing the Doobie Brothers and other big rock acts also has its advantages as evidenced by the great Bruce Cohn.  His  B.R. Cohn Winery in Glen Ellen not only makes fantastic wines, but also does a lot of charity concerts and benefits… Good folks there!

So there is a whole lot of history… a whole lot about the personnel… but the Doobies are always about the music…

This is a true greatest hits collection… I know every song by heart and am guessing you do, too… but can you play the harmonica solo on “Long Train Runnin’”?  Can you do a mean McDonald impression on the “gives me goose pimples” “Takin’ It To The Streets”?  That’s right, baby!

Heck, with so many great songs they needed to do a Volume 2 of their hits!

Roots rock, swamp rock… whatever you call it, there are not many bands that can so quickly put a smile on my face…

Michael is now the fifth member the band has lost… So for him,  Bobby LaKind, Dave Shogren, Cornelius Bumpus and Keith Knudsen I say thank you… thank you for the music… We are still listening and still “Rockin’ Down The Highway”.

The Flu, Codeine And A Whole Lot of VH1 – INXS

What a long strange trip this has been…

First, there was the worst cold I ever had two weeks ago… That knocked me out for 2-3 days straight… When I went back to the gym I could not even finish my regular workout… But I figured I was just on a slow mend.

Then late Friday I started coughing… felt the chest get congested and tight… and by Saturday afternoon… lights out.  Fever… chills so bad I could not even carry a glass of water… eyes would not focus… body aches and all I could do was moan and sleep…

Not sure how long til I’m back to normal but today is a little better… Guess we’re going one day at a time.  Regardless of where I picked this up… getting rid of stress and unhealthy habits are now a priority.  Obviously, there is no way to avoid colds or the flu, but man… eating healthy, exercising, pursuing happiness and getting enough sleep must be the priorities…

So why do I mention all of this?  Because it’s what’s going on, it’s where I’m at and being this sick has my emotions really close to the surface… which means watching VH1 movies on The Temptations, Grunge and Michael Hutchence reverberate even more emotionally… okay, not the one on Grunge.

INXS – Listen Like Thieves

It’s funny, but as much a part of my ’80s soundtrack as this band was, I did not know that much about them.  They were just kind of there for me…

I had seen stories on Michael before… but it hit me really hard today.  Michael’s story was tragic… that of Paula Yates, too.  Rock n’ Roll can give so much, but that excess can also destroy.  The irony of the band’s name is wasted on no one.

Being in the spotlight is already bright enough, but when you are in the public eye, people feel they have the right to know everything and shine and even brighter light on you… It’s too much and such was the case with Michael Hutchence.

But while he was here… he glowed so brightly… illuminating so many.  That came from him.  I know many girls who were in awe, in love, in lust… and now that they are women and he is gone, that love is still so strong when they hear him sing.

Ian McFarlane said “Hutchence was the archetypal rock showman.  He exuded an overtly sexual, macho cool with his flowing locks, and lithe and exuberant stage movements.”  Yeah.  Okay, we all want to be THAT guy.  We do.

Described as New Wave, Pop, Dance and Pub Rock this band has endured and put out a lot of hits… This album is no exception and in 1985 gave us “What You Need” (the brilliant, iconic opener), “Listen Like Thieves”, “Kiss The Dirt” and “This Time”.  The whole album so perfectly creates a place and time for me…

My other standouts are “Good + Bad Times”, “Biting Bullets” and the sexy “One X One”.  Good stuff.

The core of original members are still here, which speaks volumes about endurance… and the strength of brotherhood…

Andrew, Jon and Tim Farris (keys, drums and lead guitar respectively), Garry Gary Beers (on bass… you have to love that name!) and Kirk Pengilly (on sax, guitar and backing vocals).

J.D. Fortune was discovered on the 2005 TV show Rock Star: INXS and lasted til 2011.  And the band goes on!

I do want to leave with you with some lyrics from “One X One”… It is sexy and seductive… but also perhaps a bit prophetic… As we look to the sky, we often hear the angels sing…

“And when your heart stops beating

And the stars stop shining
When all your tears go dry
Honey one by one
I will still be there
I will sing your song
And come to you
Oh oh all night long.”