Cleveland Rocks!

I’m writing this post about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum mainly due to a large case of envy… Chris, our lead guitarist, (AKA “Whiskey and Rebellion” on his blog “Over the Green Hills”) is at this very moment spending some quality time winding his way through the museum. So, in his honor, a little history: the museum was conceived by leaders in the music industry in 1983, the first inductees were honored in 1986, but the concept didn’t have a home until the present museum was built in Cleveland in 1993. The list of first inductees reads like a who’s who of 1950’s rock, R&B, and soul: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, James Brown ,Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and The Everly Brothers. As well it should: inductees become eligible 25 years after the release of their first record, and all of these fine performers would certainly be up for induction by 1986. Speaking of Cleveland rockin' - here's inducteee Chuck Berry with the E Street Band playing "Johnny B. Goode" in Cleveland in a 1995 benefit for the Museum. Thanks to http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/induction-process/ for the info, and keep on rockin’!

Got me a complication...

... and it's an only child... Mr. Whomamus (or was it me?) got me to thinking about other groups of that time period who lipsynced with varying degrees of competence. Here's the Music Machine, with "Talk Talk," the heaviest 1:58 ever committed to vinyl. Now the drummer sure seems to bangin' the skins (notice the movement and vibration), but there's a suspicious absence of cords, mics and amps. And what's with the gloves on the right hands of the guitarists - I'm the one who smashed up his hand a couple of weeks ago (don't ask), so I would be entitled to wear a glove while performing, but these guys...sheesh. At any rate, it's a good tune, enjoy, and keep on rockin'!

When my dime-dancing is through…

…I run to you. On today’s date in 1977 'Aja,' Steely Dan's most accomplished and popular album to date, is released. It is the group's first to be certified platinum (one million copies sold), and it reaches #3 on the album chart. It also wins Steely Dan a Grammy for "Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording." Back in the day, my roommate had this huge stereo – about a thousand watts per channel and these room-divider sized speakers – and used to play this album at house-shaking volume. “Just listen to the quality of this recording!” he’d shout – ok, I get it, I get it!! While he was crankin’ it up upstairs, I was down in the basement on the drums, trying to learn Steve Gadd’s solo at the end of the song. So check out this 1978 vintage promo commercial, and keep on rockin’!