Taking off to the great green north

Take Off,

To The Great White North

Take Off,

It's A Beauty Way To Go

I gotta work on my Canadian dialect. Hey hosers! (or is that "un-PC"?). Headin' up to Canada for the Montreal Beer Festival and some well deserved r 'n' r. Which of course gives me an excuse to post some tunes from some of the cream of Canadian artiste's. Sorry folks, I don't have any Triumph or Bryan Adams!


We originally wanted to take the William Shatner tour; but can you believe it, they don't offer one! The shame of our neighbor's to the north is that they have NOT made William Shatner into a national icon. From what I heard, they don't even close the schools in honor of his birthday! At least Canada has it's national "Geddy Lee Day". What? They don't have that either? WTF?

At the very least, we're looking to take in a couple of Expo's games at Jarry Park, so at least we have that going for us. Does this guy still pitch for them?

Well, if you happen to be in Montreal this week and see some drunk guy in a Ramones T-Shirt...well, buy him a beer!

Toonage:
Rush - The Spirit Of Radio (live)
Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach
DOA - All Apologies (Nirvana cover)
Neil Young - Roll Another One (live) (june 18, 1984)
The Kings - Switch Into Glide
New Pornographers - My Slow Descent Into Alcoholism

Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day,
is a day of remembrance
for those who have died in our nation's service.

Dirge for Two Veterens

By Walt Whitman


THE last sunbeam
Lightly falls from the finish'd Sabbath,
On the pavement here, and there beyond it is looking,
Down a new-made double grave.

Lo, the moon ascending,
Up from the east the silvery round moon,
Beautiful over the house-tops, ghastly, phantom moon,
Immense and silent moon.

I see a sad procession,
And I hear the sound of coming full-key'd bugles,
All the channels of the city streets they're flooding,
As with voices and with tears.

I hear the great drums pounding,
And the small drums steady whirring,
And every blow of the great convulsive drums,
Strikes me through and through.

For the son is brought with the father,
(In the foremost ranks of the fierce assault they fell,
Two veterans son and father dropt together,
And the double grave awaits them.)

Now nearer blow the bugles,
And the drums strike more convulsive,
And the daylight o'er the pavement quite has faded,
And the strong dead-march enwraps me.

In the eastern sky up-buoying,
The sorrowful vast phantom moves illumin'd,
('Tis some mother's large transparent face,
In heaven brighter growing.)

O strong dead-march you please me!
O moon immense with your silvery face you soothe me!
O my soldiers twain! O my veterans passing to burial!
What I have I also give you.

The moon gives you light,
And the bugles and the drums give you music,
And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,
My heart gives you love.

Toonage:

Elvis Costello (live acoustic w/ Nick Lowe) - Peace, Love & Understanding
Johnny Cash (live 1975) -Peace In The Valley
Toots & The Maytals - Give Pezce A Chance (Beatles cover)
D.O.A. - War
Discharge - Wars No Fairytale

Happy Birthday - John Wayne!!!!!

This week marks the 100th birthday of John Wayne.

John Wayne is the greatest American of all time!!
This means, he was the greatest human being of all time!
Because, y'know, it's all about America.

He single handedly won World War 2 and was also instrumental in winning the Civil War, The Mexican War (well, we sorta lost that one at The Alamo!), The Spanish American War, The Korean War and The Viet-Nam War (Viet-Nam was technically a tie).

If John Wayne was alive today, the problems in the Middle East would have been solved in 3 days. 4 days at most.
And of course, if it wasn’t for John Wayne, the USA would have never been able to push the American Indians off their land.

More fun facts about John Wayne:

He was a college football star for USC in the 1920’s.
Supposedly, he nailed Mae West while he was a college football star.

There is evidence that his participation as an actor in “The Conquerer” was responsible for the cancer that eventually killed him (over 70 people involved with that movie developed cancer as a result of bomb testing in the area where it was filmed).

Buddy Holly paid tribute to The Duke’s role in the classic western The Searchers with the song “That’ll Be The Day”.

John Wayne had a military deferment due to an ear infection and never actually served in the armed forces.

John Wayne died in only 8 of his movies.

John Wayne turned down roles in the following movies: Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles (both times, Slim Pickens took the role), The Dirty Dozen (Lee Marvin) and Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood).

He had 2 way mirrors installed in his house and when the workers came to his house, he greeted them in a dress!(courtesy of Repo Man).

All kidding aside, the man was a legend and was active in many charities.

Here’s one-
The John Wayne Cancer Institute

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE DUKE!

Toonage:

John Wayne – Why Are You Marching, Son?
John Wayne – Drunken Speech to college students in the 1960's
The Beatles - Happy Birthday, John
Tennessee Ernie Ford – Ballad Of Davey Crockett
The Stains – John Wayne Was A Nazi
Foo Fighters – My Hero (acoustic)
Willie Nelson - My Hero's Have Always Been Cowboys

Pansy Division – Cowboys Are Secretly Fond Of Each Other

The Who- Day 3- live @ Woodstock

The Who's performance at Woodstock was one of the highpoints of the event. Performing much of Tommy, along with classic covers such as "Shakin' All Over" and "Summertime Blues" (which was featured in the movie), The Who established themselves as mega-stars. And, they almost didn't show up; due to money squabbles (they demanded payment up front).

Here's is the final offering of The Who week, plus a couple of other treats.

Toonage:

The Who - Live At Woodstock

The Who - Leaving Here - BBC Sessions

The Who - 5:15 (live Top Of The Pops 3/10/73)

The Who - Four Faces (Quadrophenia Demo)

The Who Day 2 - Live Quadrophenia

The Story Begins On A Rock...

And so it did. The tragic tale of Jimmy, who's only crime according to Pete Townshend was "bad timing". Somewhat maligned upon release, and originally performed to arena sized crowds who were far from interested in it's story; Quadrophenia has nonetheless become a classic and eclipsed Tommy as the quintessential Who "rock opera". The 1979 movie was great and then, years later, holy crap! The Who break the whole damn thing out in concert in1996! They premiered it with 5 nites at NYC's Madison Square Garden. Your humble narrator got his ass in to the first 2 shows and it was absolutely amazing. The narrative was cohesive (Phil Daniels- the actor who played Jimmy in the movie) did voice overs, the Who were top notch (Entwhistle on "The Real Me"- best bass run. Ever.) and the "guest stars" (Gary Glitter as The Godfather and Billy Idol as The Ace Face) were terrific.

So here is the show. It's two files (and there are some Quadrophenia Demos as filler on cd 2).


Toonage:

The Who - 7-18-96 NYC Quadrophenia cd 1
The Who - 7-18-96 NYC Quadrophenia cd 2

The Who- Live Day 1

Today is the start of Who week (yeah, it's Tuesday, but I'm a busy guy!).

Imma gonna post up some live stuff and some rarities.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to write up a history of The Who, since it's pretty much ingrained in most of our DNA. They're pretty much the 4th horsemen of the great rock n roll bands (or, as they say on the Classic Rock radio stations: "BeatlesStonesZeppelinWho").

I will say, however, that even as a young snotty punk a million years ago; I absolutely loved The Who. Quadrophenia is my favorite album of all time. Pete Townshends lyrics resonate with me as no other's do. I never had the opportunity to see them with Keith Moon, but I got to see the Who Are You Tour that followed his death plus virtually every time they have toured since. And that includes their 87 different "farewell" tours!

At this point, I think Townshend and Daltrey should call it a day. Roger's voice is shot, Pete plays occasional electric guitar at most and what's the point. Yeah, the old bluesmen and 50's rockers carried on till their deaths, but weren't the Who the band that wrapped themselves in the "youth" banner (cue "My Generation").


When John Entwhistle died, the "band" carried on as The Who due to supposed "contractual obligations". Well, what's their excuse now? Filthy lucre.


Nontheless, we come to praise The 'oo; not bury em.


Today we'll feature a vintage show from The Fillmore East in NYC in 1968 and some live rarities.


Toonage:


The Who - Fillmore East 1968
The Who - Amsterdam 1969 - Sparks
The Who - Landover 1976 Baba O'Riley
The Who - London 10-29-06 I Can't Explain & The Seeker

Friday Grab Bag - Home Improvement

It's Spring and a not so young man's thoughts turn to...Home Improvement. We are currently involved in a kitchen demolition and remodeling which has rendered our eating area uninhabitable and our pockets empty.

I learned long ago, that whatever the contractor tells you it's gonna cost, add another 20%. And however long he tells you it's gonna take, well, the 20% rule isn't a bad idea for that either. We've been living in sawdust and plasting sheeting for the past week. After that, I get to paint three rooms (which ain't bad, cause at least I can drink beer while I do that!).

It's not like we're flush with cash. We simply decided that it's easy to spend money when you don't have it! Besides, the world's gonna end soon enough!
As Bobby D sang "when you got nothin', you got nothin' to lose".


Horray for debt!



And you're all invited over for a pool party when that gets installed next week!!!! Oh yeah, where do we live? Right over by The Big W!



Toonage:
The Doors - Break On Through (Live)
Descendents - Suburban Home
Mudhoney - Fix Me (Black Flag Cover)
Adolescents - Rip It Up
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache
Bad Religion - The Hopeless House

Stella Blue

All the years combine they melt into a dream
A broken angel sings
from a guitar
In the end there's just a song
comes crying like the wind
through all the broken dreams
and vanished years

Stella Blue

When all the cards are down
there's nothing left to see
There's just the pavement left
and broken dreams
In the end there's still that song
comes crying like the wind
down every lonely street
that's ever been

Stella Blue

I've stayed in every blue-light cheap hotel
Can't win for trying
Dust off those rusty strings just
one more time
Gonna make em shine

It all rolls into one
and nothing comes for free
There's nothing you can hold for very long
And when you hear that song
come crying like the wind
it seems like all this life
was just a dream
Stella Blue

Toonage:

Grateful Dead - Stella Blue 10-19-73 Oklahoma City

The Clash Day 3 - Hong Kong 1982

Today brings us to the end of Clash week (hey, I work short weeks!) This is a radio broadcast from February 25, 1982. The show was performed at Academic Community Hall at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Too bad they didn't play "Sound Of The Sinners"! Further information can be found by clicking here. Imma gonna throw some other rarities and covers here as well. Hope you all enjoy em!

Toonage:

The Clash - Live Hong Kong 2-25-1982 Hong Kong

The Clash - Stay Free (demo)

The Clash - Train In Vain (live 5/9/81)

Billy Bragg - The Old Clash Fans Fight Song

Pearl Jam - Know Your Rights (live 7/9/03)

(ps- Nuzz Prowlin Wolf ) has a great show up for grabs from 5-28-77)

The Clash - Day 2

This show isn't as well recorded as yesterday's NYC 1979 show, but still more than decent enough for listening. It's an audience boot, so if you close your eyes, lock yourself in a closet and turn the temp up to about 110 degrees you should get a good idea of what it would have been like to have been at the show.

The listing I have for it is October 2nd 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia. Click here for a full report of the show and the tour.




Toonage:
The Clash - 10/2/79 Atlanta, GA

The Clash - Career Opportunities (1976 demo)
The Clash - Janie Jones (1976 demo)
The Clash - 1977 (1976 demo)
The Clash - London's Burning (1976 demo)

The Clash - Give em enough Hope

This week, imma gonna post up some Clash stuff. Were they the greatest punk band of all time? Were they the most important? Were they the only band that mattered? Well, no, no and no. But, for about 3 years, they came reallllll close. And Joe Strummer might have been the most sincere punk. Of course, here in the USA, they never became the standard bearers that they were in Britain.

In fact, in America, their second album; Give Em Enough Rope was released before their first eponymous named album was. Album #3, London Calling, released in the fall of '79 was the 180 degree turn away from the shackles of Punk Rock and is among the most critically acclaimed albums of all time (for whatever that's worth!).

And then Sandanista came out and it all came falling down. A triple album set that featured everything from Rap to Gospel to children singing old Clash tunes, Sandanista was an overly ambituous death knell. Virtually every type of music was represented. That is, except for punk. The only tune that could even be considered rock was "Police On My Back" and that was a cover tune. I remember when it came out we were all pissed off how they had completely dismissed rock and roll. They even had 3 "rap" tunes. Blecch. That viewpoint has softened over the years. A really good single album could have been distilled from Sandinista.

Combat Rock was a huge hit since it had "Rock The Casbah" on it and was played relentlessly on mtv. And of course , all the jerk-off new wave dance kids just looooved "rock The Casbah". At least some of the songs on it were decent (like "Should I stay Or Should I Go" and "know Your Rights"). They started playing stadiums (whilst on tour with The Who!) and lost all relevance. Mick Jones left the band, Headon was a junkie and Strummer and Simonon carried on with Cut The Crap and than it was over.

But we come to praise The Clash, not bury them. Today, a feast for your ears... The famous 1979 show from New York City's Palladium. Originally broadcast on New York radio, this is a terrific recording of The Clash performing songs from their first three albums (including previews of London Calling). This is also the show from which the London Calling cover image of Paul Simonon smashing his bass is taken from.
Plus, some additional rare stuff. Have at em!



Toonage:
The Clash - 9-21-79 NYC
The Clash - White Riot (demo)
The Clash - Louie Louie
The Clash - I'm So Bored With The USA (from Rude Boy)
The Clash - I'm Not Down (only live performance)

Friday Grab Bag- Rain Rain Rain

"Daddy, why is it raining?

Son, it's raining because God is crying because you did something bad".

It's rainy and crappy and everything sucks. OK, everything doesn't suck, but I don't care. I'm at work and there's a mountain of paperwork and I have a nasty cold and blah blah blah whine whine whine. So, even though it's Friday and purgatory is almost over, Imma full blown crab. So today's post is rain related.
Comments are always welcome. Is there anybody out there? What color's the sky in your world?

Toonage:
Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song (live Tokyo 10-2-72)
Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain (live)
Bob Dylan - Buckets Of Rain (alt take)
Neko Case - Buckets Of Rain (live- Austin City Limits)
The Detroit Cobras - It's Raining
Allman Brothers - Rain (Beatles cover)

KISS- aka Knights in $atan's $ervice

"All right!

You Wanted the best

You Got The Best

the Hottest Band In the Land...

KISS!!!!!"

Well, you all know that KISS really stands for Knights In Satan's Service. Cause they're really demons, right? Say what you want about 'em, but they've been rockin and rollin' all nite for over 30 years.


Critics hate them and most of us have had a love/hate relationship with them over the decades. Why they aren't in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame (aka jann Wenner's circle jerk) and Billy Troll and Jackson Browne are is a travesty.


Sure, they're money hungry capitalists; out to make a buck any way they can (Kiss coffins? Kiss coffee houses? Kiss Cologne? Cellulite from Gene Simmons thighs?). But the music world would have been a far more boring place if they hadn't been around. How many bands actually have tribute bands of little people covering their stuff?


Paul Stanley's rock and roll star trip is still mind boggling. Gene Simmons (registered trademark) still plays the demon role with a straight face. And what's the diff on who is behind the "Space-Ace" (aka "Fake-Ace") and "Cat" greasepaint anyway? They fucking rock.


Shit, as long as they keep touring, I'll keep seeing them! If you can't have fun at a KISS concert, then you must be dead, Fred.

Toonage:
A special collection of Paul Stanley stage banter
Kiss- Shout It Out Loud (live)
Kiss - Deuce (live)
Kiss - Detroit Rock City (acoustic live on Howard Stern)
Peck - Rock n Roll All Nite (Finnish band)
Skellington - Love Gun (Swedish Heavy Metal band)
Redd Kross - Deuce

NOFX - America's Best Punk Band

What can I say about NOFX? For my money, NOFX are the best American Punk rock band since the Ramones. What more could you want? They've got great lyrics that can be tastelessy funny or political (often both). They've supported "the scene" with Fat Wreckords (their record label). They tour incessantly (and were instrumental in making the Warped Tour so huge- maybe that's not such a good thing!). Even their spin-offs (such as Me First And The Gimme Gimme's) kick ass.

Erik Sandin (drums), Eric Melvin (guitar) and Fat Mike
(bass, vox) started NOFX in 1983. El Hefe (guitar) joined the party in 1991.
Since then they've combined punk rock, some reggge, some hardcore and plenty of alcohol to sell millions of records and incur plenty of bruises on their audiences. They also released THE PUNK ROCK EPIC with The Decline- an 18 minute opus that blows the doors off punk rock dogma.

Over the years, they've become overtly political as the band is heavily involved in the http://www.punkvoter.com/ movement. The well known "Not My President" t shirts are a product of Fat Wreckords as well. Songs like Idiot Son Of An Asshole", "You Will Lose Faith" and "Leaving Jesusland" should leave no doubt as to where their politics lie. If you have never seen them play live, whaddya waiting for?

Toonage:

The Decline (studio version)

The Decline (live Worcester 3-06)

Liza & Louise

She's Nubs

The Longest Line

Linoleum

We Got Two Jealous Agains

Buy NOFX Music and Schwag

NOFX Wiki

IDIOT SON OF AN ASSHOLE

(by NOFX)

He's not smart, a C student

And that's after buying his way into school

Beady eyes, and he's kinda dyslexic

Can he read? No one's really quite sure

He signs stuff and he executes people

Maybe that's why, he doesn't have any friends

Cocaine and a little drunk driving

Doesn't matter, when you're the Commander in Chief.

Idiot son of an asshole

He's the idiot son of an asshole

Idiot son of an asshole

He's the idiot son of an asshole

Put on some make-up, turn on the 8-Track,

I'm putting a week back on the shelf,

Suddenly I'm the President, of the United States,

But then I woke up, and realized I'm still me.

He's too dumb, to eat pretzels,

apparently smart enough to fix an election.

Moved boldly into the White House,

but most people voted against him.

He likes naps, He really likes naptime,

A couple of naps and then a nap and then he's ready for bed,

He may be from Bush descent,

but he's always gonna be the unpresident.

Idiot son of an asshole

He's the idiot son of an asshole

Idiot son of an asshole

He's the idiot son of an asshole

Idiot son of an asshole

He's the idiot son of an asshole

He's our president!

Friday Grab Bag- Unclehood

I am about to become an Uncle for the first time. My brother and sis-in-law are about to bring forth child number 1 into this cold hard world. So, in tribute to this wonderful event, here are some songs that are sorta relevant. Congratulations to mi' familia' !!!!!!!!!!!!

Toonage:

Grateful Dead - Me And My Uncle

(live 9-3-77)

The Jam - Aunties And Uncles

Uncle Tupelo - Willin'

(Little Feat Cover)

Cheap Trick - Welcome To The World

Altered Images - Happy Birthday

Pizzicato Five - Baby Love Child

and from the So Much Younger Than Yesterday bootleg, here is an excellent Rolling Stones live show from Honolulu Hawaii in 1966

Rolling Stones: 7-28-1966 Honolulu

The Replacements (don't) Stink

For many of us white and lazy mofo's, the Replacements were the representative band of our extended adolescence in the 1980's. Common touchstones of drunken unpredictable behavior; combined with a 1970's musical heritage of classic and punk rock defined both the band and their fans. Many was the night where it was a toss-up between the 'Mats and the audience regarding who was more wasted. There was a nite in NYC around 1983 when we were going to see them (at Folk City, of all places!) when we ran into lead guitar player Bob Stinson wandering around Bleeker Street, completely hammered and wearing a dress. We had to literally carry him into the club.

Of course they kicked ass that night. Bob was eventually thrown out of the band (passing away a couple of years later) and the 'Mats were never the same; as they became a vehicle for Paul Westerberg's sensitive singer-songwriter aesthetic.




(footage from a show in Minneapolis from 1981- bass player Tommy Stinson was 14 or so)

Chances are, if you're reading this, you might have your own Replacements stories.

Also noteworthy was their appearance on Saturday Nite Live in (about) 1984. This was the show where they changed clothes with each other for their second song (except for Bob Stinson, who was wearing a pants suit cut down to his crotch). Apparently they were drunk off their asses (gee, what a surprise) and Westerberg screams out "Motherfucker" during Bastards Of Young. They were banned from the show after that.

Rock and Roll!



Toonage:

Replacements - Bastards Of Young (live 1986)
Replacements - Temptation Eyes (demo)
Replacements - I Wanna Destroy You (live)
Replacements- Another Girl Another Planet (live)

and here are two live shows:
1984 - when they were the greatest band in the workld
and
1987- when they were on their last legs
Toonage:

Replacements- Los Angeles: 10-26-84
Replacements- NYC: 7-27-87

It's Spiderman's world, we just live in it

So, I saw the new Spiderman 3 movie last night at the premiere in Astoria last nite. As Peter Parker, The Ramones and little old me are all from Forest Hills, Queens, NY; I feel a kinship with the Webhead.

I'm no star-f#cker, but it was pretty cool to be "on the black carpet" as it was. Seeing all the anoxeric entertainment show interviewers was no great shakes. It was fun to have people look at me as if I was a celebrity. I actually had people coming up to me and asking who I was (and not in the usual "who are you get the hell outta here" way!) And the free popcorn and soda's were swell.

It amazes me how many people got all dressed up to sit in a dark movie theater, but that's show biz.

If you're watching any coverage of the nite and you hear someone yelling "END THE WAR"... well, that was me!

Anyway, the movie was pretty cool...about what you'd expect if you've seen the other two. Aunt May as the voice of compassion, Mary Jane and Peter's romance (yawn), Harry's split personality (and I do mean split!), etc. While some of the movie was a little slow, the action sequences were amazing. There is a fight scene at the end of the movie with Spidey and an ally who shall remain nameless versus Sandman and Venom that is freakin' crazy and worth the snoozefest of the MJ/Peter/Harry love triangle.

I wish there was more Venom in the movie, but Sandman was actually a more developed and sympathetic character. The fx for both villains were spectacular.

I'm sure the movie will more than get a return on the supposed $300 million budget.

Toonage:

The Ramones - Spiderman (live)

Jerry Garcia - Spidergawd

The Monocles - The Spider & The Fly

Lemmy (from Motorhead) - Enter Sandman