Top Ten Albums of All Time

Here are the top 5 albums ever made according to a Rolling Stone poll. 1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles 2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys 3. Revolver, The Beatles 4. Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan 5. Rubber Soul, The Beatles
I will give it to them, they are truly amazing albums. And as a Beatles fan, I am not surprised that the Beatles held court over the top 10. In fact, The "White Album" ("The Beatles") rounds out the top 10. 6. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye 7. Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones 8. London Calling, The Clash 9. Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan 10. The Beatles ("The White Album"), The Beatles It is a tough thing to pick the top albums, but we all have an opinion. Although I love everyone of these LPs, I have a few others that I pick as the top 10 LPs of all time. Some were further down on the list while others were not. I would exclude any collection form a list of top LPs. If they are included, then a band's "best of" ought to top their list of entries, right? A "Best of" is immediately disqualified from any list of top albumns.
No doubt, some LPs are monumrental and trend setting, such as "Sgt. Pepper" and maybe I am being blasphemus by not making it my #1, even though I would be considered a huge Beatles fan, but I don't consider it the best Beatles LP. Funny that Rolling Stones' top Beatle selections (Sgt Pepper, Rubber Soul and Revolver) all come at the end of their touring days in '66 and '67. here are my top ten 1. The Beatles "Abbey Road" 2. The Who "Tommy" 3. George Harrison "All Things Must Pass" 4. Neil Young "Harvest" 5. Queen "Queen II" 6. Derek and the Dominos "Layla and Other LOve Songs" 7. Led Zepplin "IV" (Zoso) 8. Pink Floyd "dark Side of the Moon" 9. Yes "Close to the Edge" 10. Todd Rundgren "Soemthing Anything" "Abbey Road" was the LP that the Beatles managed to pull it together for a great finish. They had recorded "Let It Be" or "Get Back" as it was originally intended, and then shelved the project, ready to break up and frift apart. After a few months, under McCartney's encouragement, the Fab Four pulled together for a classic beatles collection. The side two medley finishing with "The End" is a orgasmic musical treat that left you exhausted.
Later, Apple would try to salvage the "Let It Be" project with an LP and movie. The movie showed the last live performance of the Beatles on the rooftop at Saville Row. The sadness felt by a Bealtes fan watching the movie was undeniable in the fact that you could see thew band drifting apart. It is a shame that this image is what we are left with as a finale and not the triumphant "Abbey Road" which in truth was their last best effort.
Pete Townshend is a genius. He drove rock music to operetic heights with "Tommy", "Quadrophenia" and the aborted "Lifehouse" that became the "Who's Next" LP. Pete has written so many athems of rock music they are hard to lsit. But, in 1968, when "Tommy" was released, it was an awakening in the fairly young world of rock and roll. "Pinball Wizard", the so called 'deaf, Dumb and Bliand Boy" who reached enlightenment and fortune.. and fall.
Townshend's own philosophical being is evidenced in hsi rock operas. pete is a long time follower of Guru Bab Meher. "Tommy" illustrated the person cut off from the truth and his sudden enlightenemnet. That theme would resurface again in Townshend's offerings in "Lifehouse." The song "Pure and Easy" was "OM". The story followed a universal blending of sound into a one-ness. 'Lifehouse' became a 20 plus year effort through his solo career, but he started that move in "Tommy."
Although I believe that the solo Beatles have produced many great albums, such as Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band," McCartney's "Band on the Run" and "Ringo" by Ringo (obviously), george Harrison's 3 lp set after the Beatles breakup was a masterpiece. harrison, who always felt stymied by the song writing strengths of Lennon and McCartney was unleashed on this LP.
The LP features a star studded cast, including Eric Clapton, teh Dream Weaver Gary Wright, Ringo Star, members of Badfinger, etc. It was produced by Phil Spector's wall of Sound. Spector was also working a lot with Lennon. Harrison's songs were dynamic! He struck top 10 gold with "My Sweet Lord," and was finally able to truly express his religious self on the solo LP.
George would soon assemble a acst of rock stars as had never been seen before, playing hits form his new LP at madison Square Garden in a charity show for banla Desh disaster vistims. Dylan, Leon Russel, Ringo, ravi Shankar and Clapton all pitched in for the effort. I is probably one of the most poignant concert movies ever made.
Neil Young is as prolific and unpredicable as any musician on the charts. He might play the blues (On TH e Beach), go Country Coems a Time). be electronic (Trans) or rock the roof off (Sleeps With Angels). He is both the innovator and Grand daddy of grunge. Young has his hands in so many things ranging form developing a new digital music format to eletric car innovation. But, "Harvest," a masterpiece of the heart. .. because who can not feel the song "Old Man" or "Herat of Gold?" His lyrics and acoustic guitar mesmorize you. In the Neil Young concerts I have been to, he manages to captivate the crowds with his acoustic, a harmonica and that strianed unmistakeable voice. Everyone should own "Harvest."
Queen II would not have existed without "Abbey Road." Nor would My Chemical Romance's "The Black parade" have existed without Queen II. "The Ogre battle," "The Fairy Fellow," "Nevermore" and etc... all woven together in a medley that at once is mystical and fanciful, but then roars with eletric gi=uitars and Queen ahrmonies.
I remeber the first time I heard this LP, bought on a whim, it was like a baby tasting ice cream for the first time! I felt like the Monster in "Young Frankenstien" heraing the violin for the first time. It made me a Queen fan.
ERic Clapton mad ethis group, Derek and the Dominos. It featured a couple guys who would play with Clapton for the next several years, including Carl Radle of Tulsa. Radle had been introduced to Clapton by Leon Russell. IT contains the seminal rock song "Layla," which would later be revealed to eb the love song Clapton wrote for George Harrisons's wife Patti. Eventually, Eric and Patti would end up together, but like all of the bands Eric was a part of, this band and his marriage to Patti had an expiration date. Clapton was still dealing with a heroin addicition which would result in taking a year off after DErek and the Dominos faded. He would later have a career revived at the uring of Pete Townshend, gin=ving us the 1973 "rainbow Concert" followe dby one of my favorite solo LPs, "461 Ocean Blvd."
Clapton is still palying a hot guitar. He may be called "Slowhand" but the straings wail for him No, Clapti=on hosts guitar festivals to raise money for his charity organization, "Crossroads," for additon sufferers.
In the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," one guy confides to another, the best make out music is side 2 Led zepplin 4. Now, as far as making out to this piece of music, I am dubious of that claim. But, it does contain one of the most well known of 70's album oriented rock tunes "Stairway to heaven." The album was also a marked change in Zepplin style and included several "Lord of the Rings" rferences throughout the lyrics. The album also became the target for the back-masking preachers in the 80's. There were supposed demonic messages when the LP was played backwards illustrating Zepplin's worship of Satan. That, like the other preposterous claims of media seeksing ministers disappered, btu the LP and its songs live on.
My 8th and 9th LPs have one thing in common.. I mean besides their 70's release date, progressive rock genre, etc...I first heard them sitting on a bean bag chair, a pair of cushy headphones on my head at my friend Jerry reale's house. Jerry and I were collectors, searching used LP stores, pawn shops, yard sales, etc. for the musical nugget given up by someone. We dealt in bootlgs, traded imports and chased elusive out of print music.
Pink Floyd grw into this LP with the addition of David Gilmore and the slow painful departure of Syd Barrett. In 1973, "dark Side of the Moon" was released, and stayed on the top 200 charts longer than any other LP. It is one of the best selling LPs worldwide. ranging form rock guitar oriented "Money" to the eclectic "Drak Side of the MOon" and "Brain Damage," this lp is made for hearing through great head phones. Anything by Yes is complex and imaginative.
"Close to the Edge" set a standard for later Yes works that were more symphonic in their structure than rock. The LP was basically 3 songs with various movements that combined the intricate guitar of Steve Howe, the wall of sound from the keyboards of Rick Waheman and Jon Anderson's soaring voacals. The previous LP, "Fragile" paved the way for this with tunes like "Roundabout."
Yes was the epitome of the progressive rock era. They still continue to make music, tour and sell out, but like many other artists of the refused, have never been recognized by the Rock Hall of Fame. This is another LP I would love to make the people who nominate Hall of fame inductees sit down and listen through those cushy, padded headphones. Yes would make it on the next ballot.
Todd is Godd. Todd is the Wizard, a true star. He is one of the true renaissance men of pop music, He shares a quality with Neil Young of innovation and a variety of styles and genres. He prodced someof the best seeling LPs (Meatloaf's "Bat out of Hell" for example) and constantly toors and reimagines music.
Anyone who likes pop music should own a copy of "Soemthing Anything." Released as a double album set, Todd plays all the instruments on 3 sdiea and then uses dome buddies to amke the cuts, icluding one of his best known songs in pop circles ("Hello Its Me") on side four. The LP contains seberal songs that are still standards of his performances such as "Couldn't I jsut tell You" and "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference."
No one writes a pop song like Todd, but at the same time, he has gone through stages of progressive rock (early Utopia music), eletronic ('No World Order"), Blues ("Todd Rundgren's Johnson") and appearances with bands, such as the Nazz, Utopia and even fronting the New Cars on a tour and LP. Todd is also among the SArtists of the Refused. Despite his enormous contributions to rock music, he sits on the sidelines awaiting the call from the coach to eneter the Hall. Now these are m top 10 choices, and at times, I may think, well.. this one should be in there... but this is pretty close.
You can see the Rolling Stone list at this address http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231

Revisiting "America"

I went to see America perform at the Tulsa state Fair in September. This is something like the 4th time I have seen America over the years. Back in their so called "Heyday" (miod 70's), I saw them at the Tulsa Civic Center. Grat show! It was opened by Chad of Chad and Jeremy.. who was trying to make a solo career after the 60's furor had died down
At that show, all three guys, Dan, Dewey and Gerry played and harmonized. It was fantastic!
I had been turned on to the 1st America LP by my younger brother Tim. He bought the LP because of the song "Horse with No Name." I was, at that time, into a little harder edge of music... even though I had my bubble gum side, and my love for anything any of the ex-Beatles was doing, my collection had strayed into ZZ Top blues ( which they were doing then rather than the later MTV stuff like the "Eliminator" LP. As a side note.... Billy Gibbons can kick ass on a guitar), Nugent and etc.
The America LP was haunting. There at the tail end of the Vietnam War was a song about being drafted ( Sandman), and folky tunes that included "Riverside", "Three Roses" and "I Need You."
Seemed like everything they touched became a hit. The 2nd LP, "Homecoming" had the same folk oriented standard guitars. "ventura Highway" made me ant to drive that road. Te 3rd LP, they introduced some electric to, including some Joe Walsh solo.
Took my high school sweetheart to the show (even though she was destined to break up with me that winter...not even "Muskrat Love: could save that relationship!) WE had "way Back" seats, but they were great!
Dan Peeks eventually left the band to pursue a Christian oriented music career. Gerry and Dewey continued on. They scored the soundtrack to an animated version of a great book by Peter Beagle, "The Last Unicorn." "You can Do Magic" was classic America harmony.
I saw them again in the 80's at the Tulsa River parks floating stage, Once again, a great show. Then, I didn't see them agaion for 20 years. I know they passed nearby on their regular toursm, but between coaching and raising a new family, I missed a lot of concerts!
Just a couple years ago, I wnet with my son, Fletch, who had developed a love for classicl rock music, to see them play in Oklahoma City at the open Zoo Amphitheater. They opend the show for Chicago. Both ends of the show were better than expected. Gerry and Dewey were still great in their vocals and the music was tight. Chicago played a great set even though the band had been a revolving door of musicians for years.. since te early death of Terry Katt and the 80's departure of peter Cetera. A few of the originals are there... and they played like they were still in 1974. It was powerful.
I always check the fair schedules to see if there's anyone worth going to see. I rarely go to the fair now unless there's a band to see. The last couple had been disappointing. A few years ago, "Grand Funk," my first concert band, played there, but the only original member was Don Brewer the drummer. No Mark Farner. Then. last year, went to see another fav of mine, "Blue Oyster Cult." It rained like crazy, forcing the outdoor show to be moved into the fairgrounds pavilion and delayed till the finish of the rodeo that evening. Lead Guitarist Buck Dharma was delayed in Dallas because of the storm, and his licks were played by a back up ( who did a great job... but ti wasn't Buck) and the crowd was small because of the hellacious rain storm.
I was excited to see "America" listed at the big outdoor Oklahoma stage. I told some buddies about it.. and Max, fellow coach and teacher, was fired up about it. Max made me burn a best of CD so we could listen to it on the way to the show.
Max showed up at my house in his pick up to drive us to the show. As soon as I got in, he handed me a beer. I was a little nervous... open container, etc. We stopped to pick up Doonie, who brought 2 more beers out for each of us to drink on the 20 minute drive to the fairgrounds.
By the time we got to the stage, after stopping to buy another expensive fair beer, we stationed ourselves in the best seating possible... just behind the preferred seating section and waited, gossiped and sipped the most expensive cheap beer ever.
The sun finally dipped below the horizon and the band stepped on the stage. They played almost everything, including a few tunes from their new CD. Max was insistent that he, not pnly did not want to hear "Muskrat Love" at the show, but "By God", I better not put it on the CD I burned either.
It took me back. Their vocals were right one. The music was terrific. They had lost nothing, nor had they become one of those "oldies" bands that simply lived on 20 year old songs. It was like I was there in the 70's again, except for the fact that my date then was much cuter than Max or Doonie.
Just one month before the show, original member Dan Peeks had passed away. If I remember correctly, the immediate cause of death was unknown. He died in his sleep at teh age of 61.
I can still recall his soft vocals on songs such as "Lonely People." Great musician.

Summer songs

Ok.. since I have been a music collector for years, amassing quite a bit on the tune side of things in various formats from vinyl to digital, I was inspired this afternoon as I drove through this white hot Oklahoma afternoon, stereo playing, singing along with the IPOD at the top opf my lungs. (mind you, that is the only place I am allowed by law to sing at the top of my lungs.. alone, in a sealed auto)

The tune that set me off was "Sunny Afternoon" by the Kinks. I began to think.. "What would be the ultimate summer playlist?" I have a bunch of favorites, and there are the summer songs that seem to recycle over and over through the years.

But, what makes a great summer song?

It has to capture something we either experience azs summer, or embody the imagined summer of our fancy. It might be a song that we identified with some great summer experience. It might be that tune we heard playing over the radio while we lay, blisfully, in the hot sun on a dock, slowly drying after a swim. It might be the song that brings back the memory of that breath taking girl we saw on a summer day.

Lots of songs qulify in one of those categories, but some are pure SUMMER.

Below I ve listed a collection of my favorite songs that seem in one way or another to capture something about these mythical summers thta we always look forward to with such great anticipation.Sure... the list is not complete and does not include some new or some old tunes that fit the bill, but it is my list and will probably bear some revision as toime goes on.

These are not lsied in order of preference, but randomly... and of course, those eternal boys of summer, The Beach Boys do have the most tunes on the list. It would be blasphemy to do otherwise.

Some are obvious, such as "California Girls" by both the Beach Boys and katie Perry. Others are listed more by their feel, such as "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondels.



I'd like your input. What would you add or delete?

the Dugan List

Hot Fun in the Summer Time- Sly and Family Stone. To me, this is teh ultimate one. It is funky and laid back.. it reminds me of a summer day. Probably my number one.

Sunny Afternoon - the Kinks. Lazing on a sunny afternoon... in the summertime!

Summertime- Will Smith (Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff). Kinda catches that same feel of Sly Stones summer. Laid back and funky.

In the Summertime- Mungo Jerry. It keeps showing up. one hit that ever went away.

Summertime Blues - the Who or Eddie Cochran. Sometimes there ain't no cure for summertime blues.

Girls in Summer Clothes- Bruce Springsteen. When I heard this, I thought, "I know what he means." You know it's summer whne the girls are in the summer clothes.

Goou Vibrations- the Beach Boys. Never mentions summer, but is there any doubt that the best vibrations are on a summer day?

California Girls- Beach Boys- Man... those summer girls beach boy style!

Summer Song- Chad and Jeremy. And when the rain beats against teh window pane, I'll think of summer days and dream of you

Summer Breeze- Seals and Crofts. Tis has to be early summer.. caus ethe summer breeze, amkes me feel fine!

boys of summer- Don Henley. Cool images of summers gone. along with a Dead Head sticker on a Cadilac.

Summer nights- John Travolta - Olivia Newton John- Who doesn't know the words? even for the rockers, this is a guilty pleasure.

cruel Summer- Bananarama. Great late 80's tune that makes you feel the heat.

Summer in the City- Lovin' Spoonful- Hot town, summer in teh city!

California Girls- Katry Perry- Skin so hot it'll melt your popsicle? well, yeah!

All Summer Long - Kid Rock- even though I am not a great Kid Rock fan, this tune does amke the summer sun shine into my car stereo.

Summer of 69- Bryan Adams- Those blissful summers of our youth that become more mystical as time passes.

Kokoamo- Beach Boys- It was the summer come back by the Beach Boys, and they did nail it on this tune.

Wipe out - The Safarais - It doesn't take words to make a summer song and a beach blanket spontaneous dance!

Soak up the Sun- Sheryl Crow- and a bikini Sheryl Crow in video soaking up the sun?

Good day Sunshine- The Beatles- The sun is shining down,. Burns my feet as they touch the ground!

Crimson and Clover- Tommy james- What could be any more groovy than Tommy James on a summer day?

Indian lake - Te Cowsills- It's teh scene you should make, swim in teh cove, have a snack in the grove!

the Way= fastball- That fanciful idea of driving off into an eternal summer. Ahhhhh

Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees- suburban summer, lawns being mowed, people cooking out...

Saturday in the Park- Chicago- Chicago managed to capture a summer day picnic in a song... and it's the 4th of July!

Rock Lobster- B 52's - The 80's beach party!

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame??

I was elated to hear that , finally, Oklahoman Leon Russell would be inducted into the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pretty cool and long overdue.
Not only because I have managed to see a lot of Leon shows over the years, including a tour rehearsal in an auction barn in Glenpool, Ok., but also the cred this man has racked up
Not only does Leon have a great history, as a young man he took the chance moving from "Dusty Oklahoma" to California where he struck musical paydirt. He soon became a regular musician on Shindig with fellow Okie Carl Radle. he played back up to visiting musicians, and also some of his own tunes. he produced music for Gary Lewis and the Playboys ( "This Diamond Ring" and :she;'s Just my Style"), and ended up meeting people like Clapton and the the Beatles.
Leon not only wrote tunes for Joe Cocker, but also organized, played in and directed the music for Cocker's famous "mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour.
From there, Leon released a series of weell known LPs and singles, including ."Home Sweet Oklahoma," "Lady Blue" and Masquerade." He co-wrote and performed with Bob Dylan. One of my personal Dylan Favs is "watching the River Flow" with Leon on Piano. Leon appeared on George Harrison's "Concert for Bangla Desh." he also produced and played on Eric Clapton's first solo LP.
Why did it take so long for this master of Space and Time to finally make it into the Hall as a "sideman" while other acts, some short lived and less talented, made it in early?
Leon joins a few other notables in this year's inductees. Congratulations to them, but what speaks volumes is the people who have not been inducted. I went to the Hall web site and looked at the list. pretty amazing collection of talent there and most, undeniably, belong in that number.
The ones that puzzle me are the individuals and groups that made it there with less sales, longevity or impact than some of those who still sit, waiting, as some lesser talents make their way into the Hall. It's almost as if there is an attempt to include some of the lesser acts in order to placate the fringe and gain support for the hall from people of different generations.
As I look at my CD, LP and DVD collection, I see a host of worthy occupant of the Hall of Fame who have as of yet been denied while others slipped by.
Some of these notables include KIss, the Moody Blues, Rush, Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult and Todd Rundgren. . While these performers have been bypassed, other acts That I consider less deserving have been inducted.
Let's take Blondie, the Rammones and the Pretenders for example. each of these, good acts and sold music in their time, but lacked the longevity and wide base of appeal that many of the omitted acts have had. Blondie was basically an overrated band living off the sex appeal of their lead singer, Deborah Harry and willing to adapt to whatever musical form was getting airplay- for example, their 'rap' song "Rapture" and disco tinted "Heart of Glass.: As a live band , they were sloppy and forgettable, yet somehow are displayed in the Hall of Fame while a band like the Moody Blues is not. The Moody Blues produced hit after hit ranging from early blues tinged music to later progressive rock hits such as "Nights in White satin" and :Story in your Eyes." They had :greatest Hits while Blondie and Ramones were still flipping burgers. The Moody Blues produced radio hits while the Stooges gained an audience through shock and irreverence. The Moody's were a tight band while these others sucked in their live performances, hoping to make up for lack of skill through bloodletting, power chords and skimpy costumes.
I love the Pretenders and Chrissie Hynde, and saw them live a couple times. First time I saw "Brass in Pocket" on MTV in the 80's, I was a fan. But, does the band deserve to be in the R and R Hall while KIss is not? Kiss has continually produced massive live shows, drawing millions to their events over the years.
what do the Ramones have that Kiss does not? And whatever the Ramones have, Kiss has more. The funny thing is, if you check my CD collection, I have more Ramones than I have KIss, but seeing KIss live was truly an event. T This is not to say the Ramones were not an entertaining band, but that when it comes to being recognized in a Hall of Fame, they should still be waiting.
And that brings me to a couple of my personal Biases. The hall has ignored Rush, Def Leppard and Blue Oyster Cult, These bands have produced some of the seminal cuts of Rand R. Rush's career has spanned into now 5 separate decades. They still blow the roof off in their live shows, cranking out "Tom Sawyer" and The Spirit of radio." They are still used in movies and played on radio. Def Leppard still tours, filling stadiums. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Rock of Ages:" still rock the airwaves. BOC, along with these others, created some of the most recognizable cuts from rock music. Who doesn't recognize the opening guitar riffs of "Don't fear the Reaper?" each of these bands dominated play lists back when music television still played music instead of reality shows.
But, the prince of the passed by, the czar of the ignored is TTodd Rundgren.
Todd started his career in the late 60's as guitarist, vocalist, writer for the Nazz. After 3 LPs, Todd went solo, starting a career than has made creative twists and turns while producing pop masterpieces and electronic works of rt. He is creative and innovative. He really is a Wizard, a True Star.
Songs by Todd litter movie soundtracks and sports arenas. His "Hello it's Me" is a pop classic. His "Bang the Drum All Day" roars out from arena sound systems. His musical compositions are found everywhere from off broadway ("Up Against It") to TV and movies("Pee Wee's Playhouse" and "Dumb and Dumber."). He has produced his own music since the early 70's along with Def Leppard, the Tubes and even Meat Loaf's original "Bat Out of Hell" LP on which he also plays and sings. He has produced Badfinger and Cheap Trick.
He has dabbled in electronic and synthesized music , fronted the band Utopia, and even took over Ric Ocasek's place as the lad singer of the Cars in their 2010 tour. He has performed in vegas in Beatles revues. He self produced the first digital video ever shown on MTV ( day one, 1981 - "Time Heals the Wounds.") He produced tones and programming for Apple and also created the first interactive Musical CD "No World Order." Todd started Patronnet, the 1st direct patron system for fans to invest in and receive direct products from their favorite musician.
Todd still tours, plays and produces. What does it take to put someone like this guy in the Hall of Fame??
The Dve Clark 5? I loved "catch Me if You Can." What was their lasting impact? The Young Rascals, Bonnie Riat, Rod Stewart....All people I like to listen to, but why are they in the Hall while other deserving and accomplished acts are not?

Bad Company, Badfinegr, Cheap trick, Deep Purple, Electric light Orchestra, Peter Frampton, Humble Pie, Grand Funk, Kansas, Monkees, Nugent, Nilsson, Styx, Joe walsh, etc.
Waiting Waiting Waiting.Each of these with equal or superior credentials to some of the acts already in the Hall.

I should have been a rock star- John;s 70th birthday

Today would have been the 70th birthday for John Winston (Ono) Lennon. October 9th of 2010.
Yesterday at school, with the thought of his approaching birthday, I had my IPOD set on a shuffle of Lennon tunes. They always bring me back to another era and situation, each song tied to some memory or event that made up the early listening years of my life. And even now, driving the car, “Power to The People” still stirs that rebellious political side of me. “Love” still makes me hope that truly all we do need is love. “Instant karma” connects me to a bigger universe in which we do all shine on.
I always had a ricochet love affair with Lennon and McCartney. As a kid, my siblings and I watched the Beatles cartoons, each of us adopting one of the personas to sing along with. I was drawn to Paul and his carefree like happy songs. As I grew older, John’s music spoke more loudly to me. Although I still loved the idea behind Paul’s usually optimistic music, his “Silly Love Songs” as an angry Lennon would alter call them, John’s raw emotion about conflict and self doubt spoke to me as I emerged into the real world.
“Help” and “Nowhere Man” portray a man weighed down by self doubt. “Imagine” and “Give peace a Chance” provided anthems for a people who wanted a better world. He bared his soul and his dirty laundry in his music, even displaying his struggles with addiction in “Cold Turkey” or fame in “God.”
He was brash and impulsive. It was his 1965 statement; made flippantly to a reporter he thought was a friend that triggered Beatles Lp burnings in the south of the U.S.A. “We’re more popular than Jesus” he had quipped after hearing how many people had attended the Sunday Beatles performance.
IT was that statement that made my Dad, a Southern Baptist deacon, tell me, “I don’t want you to buy any albums by the Beatles.” That was one of the few rules my father had that I actually and secretly circumvented, even to the point of when taken to a new store, Tim, my brother, and I bought an older LP called “Something New.” As we tried to sneak it out to the car, we ran into Dad who asked, “What did you buy?”
Innocently, I shrugged and nonchalantly said, “Oh just something new.” His curiosity satisfied, he turned his attention elsewhere. Years later, dad would come into the kitchen where our turntable rested, and there, I was listening to something from the “White Album” he would say, “One thing about the Beatles, I can understand what they’re saying.”

After years of chasing fame and then running form it, John “retired” from the music business in 1975 for the birth of his son Sean. He became house husband, cook and caregiver for his young son. He left the succubus like spotlight for the calmer confines of home at the Dakota apartments in New York City.
He had danced with fame bigger than even Elvis. He had crossed swords with the Nixon administration over deportation and won. He had survived distain for his new wife Yoko as Beatle fans used her as a scapegoat for the breakup of the group.
A missing John Lennon left a void in my music collection and in my hero worship. It wasn’t that I saw him as anywhere near perfect. In fact, it was his flaws that made him what he was and despite those demons, the ideals of peace and love he promoted while tormented by loss and doubts.

In November of 1980, my wishes came true. John and Yoko released a joint album called “Double fantasy.” The album held songs form a new and more mature Lennon. As he said himself, it was an album directed to an older crowd. In his own words, when asked about the LP, he said, "Here I am now, how are you? How's your relationship going? Did you get through it all? Weren't the '70s a drag? Let’s try and make the '80s good"
The opening cut, “(Just Like) Staring Over” began with 3 soft bells in an optimistic contrast to the harsh bells preceding “Mother” years before. IT was just the right tune at just the right time and in just the right spot on the LP. I was excited to hear John back on the radio.

It was the evening of December 8th, just one month after the release of “Double Fantasy” that brought dealt a horrible blow to those last remnants of 60’s and early 70’s concepts of a world of peace and love.
I sat on a couch grading papers while my roommate, Bud Sexson watched Monday night football. I had headphones on, listening to the stereo. Bud shook my knee… saying “Charlie! Charlie! You have to hear this!”
I took off the head phones and listened as Monday Night Football announcer Howard Cosell relayed the news bulletin. John Lennon had just been shot, outside his New York apartment. I was stunned. Who could possibly do this? What would drive someone to commit such a heinous act?
It was only a few moments later that Cosell followed with the sad news that John Lennon was dead. There were few other details at that moment beyond the black and white news of his death.
I was in shock. Suddenly, one of the heroes of my youth had been struck down by an assassin’s bullet.
MY phone rang twice that night. Both times, people close to me who wanted to see if I had heard the news and check on me. The first call came from my then girlfriend, Cas Turner. Cas was in school at Kansas University and had heard of Lennon’s death there. Cas and I are still friends, exchanging e-mails and Facebook news.
The second call came from a student of mine, Ashley Peck. Ashley knew of my Beatle and Lennon obsession. She is the person whom later I would reconnect with while she was in college and eventually marry. Twenty Three years later, we are still married. Over the years she and our two sons have fed my Beatle and Lennon obsession with various related box sets and T shirt gifts.
As Christmas break 1980 approached, Cas drove down from Kansas to visit me. She was already out of classes at K.U. and I had a few days left before the high school broke for the season. That morning, she rode with me as I drove a bus route for an absentee driver. The weather was cold, and the breath of waiting riders rose like steam around them as I pulled the yellow school bus to each stop along the rural route.
The windows were fogged and teeth chattered as young kids in coats and stocking caps trundled through the aisle to sit against each other for collective bogy warmth on the ill heated bus.
Cas sat on the front seat, katty-cornered to my driver’s seat. IT was just as I pulled away from some forgotten stop that the three bells sounded softly over the squeaky bus radio. It was John. And looking back over my shoulder at Cas at that moment, we both smiled because of that song.
He couldn’t have left us with a better sentiment.

should have been a rock star - naked truth

Rock and roll naked in the backyard

We have a good friend, Susan, who at one time taught at Cascia Hall with my wife. Susan taught French, but always had the dream to make a living as a musician. In fact, at one point, Susan spent time in a French Buddhist monastery, devoting her time to mastering her guitar.
I would always describe Susan as a free spirit. In fact, the first time I heard of her, Ashley called me from work and told me there was a new teacher who looked like Aphrodite. This was Susan, who won a place in Ashley’s heart by asking her, in the hallway, “Where is a place to shit around here?”
Susan and Ash became fast friends. They both shared a love for the edgy and neither believed that there were any taboo topics of conversation.
Susan soon began to get gigs at local restaurants, as a solo musician and her guitar. She played a collection of folky covers, originals and even a few tunes sung in French. We followed her to a few of the places to eat, drink a little wine and listen to Susan play.
Susan was determined to get her music heard, and set up opportunities to play for crowds, including a couple of poetry-music shows at small local venues. Ashley acted as the feature poet at one such outing, even singing a duet with Susan on a poem Ash had written and Susan put to music. It was called “Saturn returns.” I thought it was pretty cool. Ash’s poetry was great and Susan sounded terrific. Susan evne wrote and performed an instrumental called “Grandma’s China” based on a set of China we all ate on at our house. It had belonged to Ash’s grandma and apparently translated into a beautiful musical for Susan. She even performed it at another friend’s wedding.
Susan released a CD of her music. It was pretty good. Her musical roots stretched even further as she did vocals for a jazz band, played an d sang with a rock group, and generally involved herself in a variety of projects. Susan decided to completely devote herself to her music and left teaching for the beautiful but unsteady world of music.

After Susan recorded her second CD, she needed a cover picture. She called Ash and they met at our house for a picture. Susan brought a waterproof camera with the intention of taking underwater photos for the wispy and ethereal effect of the water. The two of them shared a bottle of wine and had started on the second when Susan ditched her clothes and climbed into the pool naked for the photo shoot. Susan had never been one for the conventional, and at our house that was OK> We are pretty laid back, open to almost any situation.
The odd part of this story is this…. When they had finished the photos, as Susan climbed out of the pool naked, was the moment my dear Mom chose to pay a visit to the house. She walked into the backyard to catch full view of the naked Susan in our back yard. I’m in doubt that my Mom’s many years as the song leader at the small Kiefer Baptist church ever really prepared her form this musical experience.
Apparently she survived the shock as did the photos. The cover of Susan;’s CD looks great. Ash got her second credits on a CD cover and Susan continues to play across Oklahoma and Texas. She has a dedicated group of followers and today still continues to be the free spirit that you might expect any Aphrodite to be.
My wife still continues to be my favorite poet and a magician with words.
Me, I still paly air guitar and scream out the lyrics to AC/DC as I drive down the road. At the age of 54, other drivers stare, especially since with no air conditioning in my 20 year old Honda, the windows are down, allowing the rest of the world to be part of my performance too.
And who cares? After all, we all need to stand naked in front of others from time to time.

Near Misses and big hits

Near Misses and big hits

Two weeks ago, Ashley and I met our friends Larry and Claudia at Tulsa’s kind of upscale shopping area, Utica Square for their summer concert series. Utica Square has “Fifth Night” on which ach Thursday musicians play in a staged area in the streets crisscrossing the mall area. People load up their lawn chairs, ice cheats, dinners or sit at one of the nearby outdoor table restaurants and tune into whatever music is playing that week. People sit. People dance. Kids wander the area. We sat, having a beer and dinner that Claudia packed for us all.
That night, the musicians were a local band, Admiral Twin. They have been around for almost 20 years in one of two different incarnations. I first started listening to them in the early 90’s at a Tulsa club called “Eclipse.” At that time, the band was sort of managed by a guy, Don Holman, I had taught, shared music tastes with and also knew his mom from the school. The band also included two guys from Sapulpa High School.
Don had me listen to a cassette by the band, which I immediately bought. They were good, and multi-talented. They mixed in a variety of instruments not common to pop music and started to gather quite a local following. Ash and I made several trips to the Eclipse to see them and another band with some Sapulpa guys, Dragonfly. Dragonfly had their brief touch with possibility, one night opening at Cain’s Ballroom for Todd Rundgren and then fading into inactivity.
Around 1999, the Tulsa band Hanson hit it big with the pop song “Mmmm-bop.” They were pretty young but the tune was a bubblegum classic. I still have it on my IPOD because there is no denying, that whether you think pop is art or not, it is one of those songs that forces you to hum it, remember it and catch yourself singing along.
The song won national attention andHanson was offered a national tour. They selected the Melodramatic Wallflowers as their opening band. But, the band had been going through a few changes itself due to some conflict name-wise with the now nationally recognized “Wallflowers” fronted by Bob Dylan’s son, Jacob and a bit of turmoil that resulted in one of the band members, Steve Rankin, leaving the band. Steve’s parents live right down the street and I have run into him several times in the neighborhood.
The now named “Admiral Twin” went into the studio to record some new songs, along with some remixes of a few of their older tunes. The resulting CD was called “Mock Heroic.” That CD was a pretty great, slick pop work of art.
Touring with Hanson, a new CD for sale nationally, and a more streamlined, less esoteric sound made it appear that Admiral Twin was on the cusp on big things. There’s no doubt the band was better, both musically and artistically, than a lot of the bands raking in the cash. Unfortunately, the fates and airwaves are not always rewarding of good musicianship, but often of look, and plain luck. Just plain fickle.
After the tour, just when the band should be promoted and raised to a new level, the company they signed with folded. Hanson went on to score a few more songs, and still record today. As a matter of fact, they are planning a new national tour this fall. Admiral Twin, named after the local landmark, the Admiral Twin drive-in, struggled to gain a new contract and opportunity.
The band continued to play and record, appearing all over Tulsa, at any venue possible. I saw them at clubs, at Mayfest, etc. The chance kept evading them and finally, frustrated with the failure to get that chance again, the lead singer, guitarist left the band to take an accounting job in California.
That left the band as a 3 piece, still determined to carry on. Mark Carr, bass player and Sapulpa native, still continues on with the band. I usually talk to him each time I see them play. He has his day job, but the band continues to write new music and intersperse their show of covers with some of the original music.
At Fifth Night, I sat in my folding chair, enjoying the band. They played a set heavy with Beatles, Cars and some newer stuff and a few of the tunes off their newest CD effort. Next to the stage, a friend of the band manned a booth selling Admiral Twin T’s and CD’s.

Many times, I have heard local bands, guitarists, or singers that destroy some of the ones who end up on repetitive replay on the music channels and radio. In a cruel twist of fate, that put them in the right place at the right time, while these yeomen musicians battle the smoky bars and outdoor city festivals so people will hear their music. It is a heroic effort and I admire them for continuing to pursue the things they love, regardless of its profitability. I am eternally a fan in their Mock heroic effort to play in front of the big crowd again. Or maybe they are just “The Unlucky Ones.”