Ric's Blog
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Posted on: 04/19/2012
My favorite rock drummer of them all has passed away in a New York City hospital at age 71. Much more than just a drummer, Levon Helm was a gifted singer, writer and arranger. He was the unquestioned musical leader of his group, "The Band". No American group of the last 50 years had more combined vocal talent than this quintet. Four members sang lead and were capable of dazzling vocal harmonies. Back in the day, my friends and I would argue who had the most haunting voice. Was it keyboardist Richard Manual, bassist Rick Danko, or Levon. Music fans will be playing and listening to Levon's lead vocal in 'The Weight' and 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' for as long as there is music. Levon Helm may be gone, but his magical voice will be loud and clear forever. RZ
Posted on: 04/11/2012
This coming Saturday, April 14th, the band 'Guns N' Roses' is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But former lead singer Axl Rose has not only refused to attend the event, he has sent word that he declines his admission to the HOF. How very quaint. Lead guitarist Slash, upon learning of Rose's position was quoted as saying, "Axl hates my guts." What's amazing to me is how a band that recorded only one decent tune, namely 'Sweet Child O' Mine' and is dreadful in live performances can gain admission to the Hall. Rose obviously shares my sentiments, knows the band sucked big time and at least demonstrates a modicum of integrity by his refusal. Meanwhile the greatest Los Angeles Rock band of all time, Arthur Lee's 'Love' continues to wait for its nod, as does Stevie Ray Vaughn. Given the recent quality of HOF selections, the wait may be a long one.
The Business of Being in a Rock band
Posted on: 02/26/2012
It doesn't seem to be getting any easier trying to make a few bucks playing in a Rock band these days. The economy here in South Florida is unprecedentedly weak and seems to be affecting almost everyone I know. A substantial number of musicians have no day job and are missing meals on a regular basis. The bars here which traditionally have supported live rowdy rock music are all suffering from lack of customers and can't make enough at the cash register to adequately pay the bands. Our gig last night was a perfect example. In the course of the evening, the venue had 25 to 30 customers who spent a grand total of about $125. Obviously, our expected take at the end of our performance was drastically cut. The musicians were not pleased to say the least, but we really can't blame the club owner since he also has to make a living. There are no easy answers here. Our band will not return to this venue even though we were in rotation and had a few well attended gigs there. It raises the following question - whose responsibility is it to muster a crowd to support local rock music? One thing I've noticed, the musicians in our band who complain the loudest are the ones who never bring anyone to the gig. In a 5 piece band such as ours, if everyone were to bring at least 3 people, well you do the math. But the bar owners have the ultimate responsibility in my view. They need to provide a decent stage. Advertise and promoting the gig the week before, inside and outside the establishment would be a welcome change. Last night's gig received not one iota of promotional support from the bar in advance of the gig. This is just lazy and bad business practice. Ultimately, as musicians, our task is to provide 4 hours of listenable entertainment. The owner's responsibility is to provide an audience by offering drink specials and other incentives to drum up business. As a band going forward, we will endeavor to play better venues with built in audiences, because how many times can we expect our friends to turn up at our gigs. Bottom line, you just got to love playing the music, because all that revolves around that concept is just a colossal headache. RZ
A Beautiful Day in South Florida, but Sad nonetheless
Posted on: 01/20/2012
Two of the greatest legends in music passed today on the same day. Etta James and Johnny Otis. If you are not familiar with their contributions, do yourself a favor and get familiar. Rest in Peace Ms. James and Mr. Otis. And while you're at it, please at last do that hand jive.
Playing In a Rock 'n Roll Band
Posted on: 12/11/2011
There is no question that it's a whole lot of fun playing in a rock band. Making decent music with a group of talented musicians is one of my favorite things in the whole world. There is a wonderful fraternity of people who play in bands here in South Florida that support each other and help make the experience of being in a rock band a terrific and fulfilling one. There are specific benefits such as having an increased social network, availability of women, making a few bucks and simply having more fun than the average bear. But all is never perfect. What appears to be an exciting and on the edge lifestyle has a darker side. Here are some of the things which bum out the music trip. Firstly, it seems I can never play a gig without losing some equipment. Cords are the most common item to be missing when you get home. I always mark all my stuff, but even that doesn't seem to help much. It does prevent me from accidently taking other people's stuff. Tuners are quick to disappear. Never ever leave a tuner on the bandstand. It will be gone. After use, my tuner goes in my pocket, assuming I can remember to pocket same. The largest item I've ever lost at a gig was a speaker stand. That was intentional theft without question. Another common occurrence are wanna be musicians who are not in bands who pester us to get up and join the band. This is a touchy issue, because if you say no, they stop coming to your gigs. Usually, we let them come up and hope they are not too bad and have the good sense to sit down after the inevitable disaster. Getting them off the stage usually requires a gentle push. Guys who are in established bands are a joy to have come up and join us, but even that can be a problem if one of your bandmates has to sit out. The best policy seems to be to impose a 2 song limit on any other musician regardless of how good they might be. Drunks are a hazard and are potentially a disaster waiting to happen. Again, this is a touchy problem, because these are often the same people who help ring the cash register and get you invited back. There is no easy way to deal with the drunk assholes other than to try your best to avoid trouble at all costs. Playing larger venues and concert settings solves some of these issues, but you are more likely to encounter anonymous thieves at even these gigs. As I said, nothing is ever perfect, but it still beats a lot of other ways to make a dollar. In any event, we intend to keep a rockin' in the free world. RZ
Posted on: 11/23/2011
'Rolling Stone Magazine' just issued its list of the greatest 100 guitar players of all time. This new list updates a category they last addressed in 2003. The new list has Jimi again at number 1, followed by Clapton, Page, Richards, Beck, B.B. King, Berry, Van Halen, Duane Allman and Townsend. We have no problem with Hendrix in the top spot. We also feel there is room in the top 10 for Jimmy Page and Chuck Berry, and don't have a major beef with Jeff Beck or Duane Allman. But really, how can any list of the greatest include Clapton, Van Halen, Keith Richards, and Pete Townsend. B.B.'s talents were easily eclipsed by both Albert King and Freddie King. Probably the inclusion of the 85 year old Mr. King was more of a tribute to his qualities as a human being and all-around great guy than his skill on the fretboard. Van Halen's inclusion is probably part of some inside joke the rest of us are not privy to. Clapton never played an original lick in his life and would be the first to admit it. Townsend deserves to be in the top 100, but not the top 10, especially when the following were left out. Any list of the greatest has to include Stevie Ray Vaughan (who puts Clapton to shame). Prince, Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison and David Gilmour easily surpass Townsend and Richards in terms of both dexterity and imagination. Not to include Roy Buchanan simply shows an ignorance of rock guitar history. Neil Young's lead talents have always been underestimated. The same could be said for Robbie Robertson. An argument could also be made for Leslie West, but what renders the 'Rolling Stone' list laughable is the exclusion of Mark Knopfler, who in my judgment is the greatest white guitar player of all time. RZ
Posted on: 10/16/2011
Last week's Blog regarding the 10 best drummers of all time prompted the biggest response ever to our humble Blog. So let's see what happens with our list of the 10 best bass players ever. Coming in at number 10 is a personal favorite, Chris Hillman from 'The Byrds'. At number 9, we choose 'Rush' member Geddy Lee. Our choice for number 8 is Roger Waters from 'Pink Floyd' who we believe to be vastly underrated by many. Number 7 is Jack Casady from 'Jefferson Airplane'. Supergroup 'Cream' was certainly inspired by its lead singer and bass player, Jack Bruce. He is number 6. For number 5, we choose another hard rocker, John Paul Jones of 'Led Zeppelin' fame. At number 4, we choose another most versatile musician, Sting from 'The Police'. Our choice for number 3 is Paul McCartney who pretty much played lead guitar on his Hofner bass. For number 2, we select the legendary John Entwistle from 'The Who'. And for number 1, rumble rumble please, our choice is the true genius of the instrument, Stanley Clarke. Less controversial might be our choice for the worst bass player ever in a major rock band, namely Sid Vicious from 'The Sex Pistols', whose inability to keep even a simple beat resulted in his instrument being unplugged by fellow band members. RZ
Posted on: 10/09/2011
Who are the 10 most creative, inventive and simply the best drummers of all time? If we wanted to open up the question to include the world of jazz, we would definitely include Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. But the following list is for rockers only. Coming in at number 10 is a personal favorite, Levon Helm of 'Band" fame who also was a wonderful singer. Our number 9 choice is Aynsley Dunbar, whose resume includes stints with Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Lou Reed and Frank Zappa. At number 8, we select Carl Palmer of 'Emerson, Lake and Palmer'. At number 7, another British player, namely Nick Mason of 'Pink Floyd'. For number 6, we choose Max Weinberg, who has been the boss' drummer right from the very beginning. Popular favorite Keith Moon of 'Who' fame is our choice for the 5th. best. Coming in at number 4 is Mitch Mitchell, somewhat underrated and decidedly overshadowed by the great Jimi. The Brits seem to be dominating our list. Further proof of this are our choices for numbers 3 and 2. Ginger Baker of 'Cream' now retired and living in South Africa and the legendary late great John Bonham of 'Led Zeppelin'. Our number 1 choice, drum roll please, is the driving force behind 'Rush' namely Neil Peart who also writes most of the bands lyrics. That's our list. Ok, who did we leave out? RZ
Shame on the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame
Posted on: 10/02/2011
We will admit to not really keeping up with who's in and who's not when it comes to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. HOF admission is probably more geared to baseball or football as opposed to music which is generally subjective by its very nature. But we were shocked to realize that one of the best as well as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time has never even been nominated for admission. We speak of the Canadian juggernaut "Rush". By what objective standard could this band be excluded from membership? They've been around forever. They've sold a gazillion albums and their live shows never cease to amaze and always wear out the audience and their enthusiastic fans, who number in the millions. There is something very sinister going on here, but we are left to only speculate on their exclusion. By the way, what religion do the members of this band share? Just wondering. But there are many others difficult to fathom. Also on the list of those who have not even garnered a nomination are legendary Ian Anderson and his band, Jethro Tull. Explain that. Or how about Willie Nelson and Warren Zevon. Nope, not even close to gaining entry. Electric Light Orchestra also never nominated. You say Todd Rungren. Good choice, but never nominated. Even more puzzling, the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Never a nomination for SRV. There are others equally deserving inclusion who have at least have been nominated, but not elected. These include Ben E. King (think Drifters) and Lou Reed. But to this observer, the most shocking denial of history is the lack of membership to the ground-breaking contributions of the amazing Johnny Ace who pretty much invented the concept of rock 'n roll singing in 1954. Shame on you Rock HOF. You sold out your integrity years ago. But, in the interest of telling the rest of the story. What does it cost to buy your way in to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Posted on: 09/26/2011
It is certainly no secret that times are tough in the United States. These are the most economically difficult times that any of us have ever lived through. Blame Obama, blame Bush, blame Congress, but the real culprits are the American corporate behemoths who are heartless entities concerned only with their bottom line and who outsource jobs by the millions. In a previous album, we sang and wrote about a homeless musician we met in a park in Panama. ("Lost In The Chase"). This amazingly gifted gent had not even a pair of shoes to call his own. Now comes word out of Los Angeles of the shockingly sad decline of Sly Stone, whose band 'Sly & The Family Stone' was a monster success in the 60s and 70s. At his height, Sly lived on luxurious Bel Air Road, one of L.A.'s most prestigious addresses, in a 5400 square foot Beverly Hills mansion that had previously belonged to John Phillips of 'Mama & The Papas' fame. Now Stone is without a home, other than a small camper, which is parked on a residential street in the rough L.A. neighborhood of Crenshaw. Reached for a comment, Stone, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, claims the FBI is after him. Rampant drug use over many years is believed to be largely responsible for Sly's decline and present plight. Cocaine claims another victim. So you want to be a Rock & Roll star? RZ
Posted on: 09/12/2011
Almost 40 years after his death, they never seem to run out of new Jimi Hendrix recordings. The latest is titled "Winterland" recorded over 3 days in October of 1968 at the famed San Francisco venue. 'Rolling Stone' calls it "the sound of the greatest electric guitarist ever in glorious flight." Hard to believe that former country-pop megastar Glen Campbell is now 75 years of age. The bad news is he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and that never ends well. Had he avoided a fatal plane crash in 1959, Buddy Holly would have also turned 75 this year. Blog readers know of our ever consistent devotion to the genius that was cut down at his very beginning. Evidence that many others are finally coming around in recognizing his extraordinary talent are the release of now a second 2011 album of current music stars doing covers of Holly tunes. May it only continue. Also, last week Holly was awarded a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, albeit 52 years after his death. And finally, we feel compelled to note the passing of famed lyric writer Jerry Leiber who died at age 78. As part of Rock's greatest songwriting team prior to Lennon and the other guy, Mr. Leiber along with Mike Stoller, penned blockbuster hits for such artists as Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley, the Coasters, the Drifters, Ben E. King and Peggy Lee just to name a few. The landscape today looks a lot different without Jerry Leiber. RZ
Posted on: 09/04/2011
We've been accused, on occasion, of having a preference for the music of the 60s and the 70s. The criticism is actually valid, but our explanation is simply that there was more, in fact substantially more good stuff to listen to from that era. But, in an effort to counter the assertion that we don't like anything from the last 20 years or so, today we present our pick for best song of the 90s, a tune that stands up with anything, regardless of its time. The group is called 'LIVE' (rhymes with arrive), an American group that produced an album called "Secret Samadhi" in 1997. The album is OK, but nothing really special until tune number 8, a true rock classic entitled "Turn My Head". The vocal by Chad Taylor and the lyrics by Edward Kowalczyk are understated and truly mesmerizing. This tune is most melodic, has a spectacular guitar solo and builds to a memorable climax. It is one of those songs, that having heard it only once, you will be unable to get out of your head. I invite my readers to check this masterpiece out for yourself. Feedback is welcome and always appreciated. RZ
Posted on: 08/21/2011
All Rock fans are aware of the amazing success of the the Tennessee foursome known as the "Kings Of Leon". The band consisting of 4 members of the Followill family rocketed to fame on the strength of such rock anthems as "Use Somebody". As if we didn't already know, now comes news once again that fame and success carries with it a heavy burden. The entire United States tour is now cancelled, despite the fact of blockbuster advance ticket sales. The official reason given is that lead singer Caleb Followill is suffering from dehydration and vocal exhaustion. This is total bullshit. The real reason is Caleb's spiraling out of control drug habit and abuse. Things came to a head very recently at their last show in Dallas, Texas when Caleb, a few tunes into the show, said a few words into the mike about having to go backstage to throw up. With that he unstrapped his guitar and stumbled off the stage leaving the other 3 guys to fend for themselves. Another member apologized to the audience, admitting that the band has serious internal problems and shortly thereafter, without playing another tune, they also left the stage not to continue. The audience, who had shelled out big bucks for the show, was stunned. The next day came the announcement that the band's tour was cancelled in its entirety. The tour organizers simply decided that Caleb needs to dry out for an extended period of time before he can continue playing, lest he fall into the Amy Winehouse category. From a distance, being a big time rock star seems like a lofty and worthy goal. Fame, money, women can all be an illusion and a mirage to a young superstar. But then reality hits you with the lemon meringue pie of life in the face and things aren't so cool. Hopefully, Caleb will get his shit together, otherwise we've seen this play out before and know where and how it ends up, and it ain't pretty. RZ
Posted on: 08/14/2011
Exactly 2 weeks ago we wrote a Blog entitled "Mega Star Insecurity" discussing Lady Gaga's obsessive need to copy and rip off other artists without giving appropriate credit. Now, not surprisingly, comes word that Gaga has been slapped with a hefty lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court of Illinois, alleging that Gaga's hit tune "Judas" from her "Born This Way" album was a complete rip-off and copy of a tune written by Chicago based singer/songwriter Rebecca Francescatti in 1999. We sincerely hope justice will be served in this federal court case and that if Ms. Francescatti can meet her burden of proof that the Court will send an appropriate message to Gaga and others of this ilk. Of course, her pubescent fans could care less, but a United States Federal District Judge might see things differently. Last week, we asked the question, "Is Rock 'n Roll Dying"? Further evidence that the answer is yes arrives in the news that 2 major alternative radio stations, namely WXRP in New York and Q101 in Chicago, have decided to abandon their long held Rock formats. This continues a 10 year trend of rock radio's decline in influence. Hard to believe, but in New York City, there remains only 1 major rock station, namely classic-rock station Q104.3. The times, they are a changin'. RZ
Posted on: 08/07/2011
Who woulda thunk it? But the unfortunate fact is that the greatest music our country has ever produced is nearly on its death bed. The decline of Rock mirrors the decline of the Unites States in general. Whether this is happenstance or not, we will leave to the social scientists, but it does seem to be one hell of a coincidence. On this week's Billboard top 40 albums, only one, namely "Rave On: Buddy Holly" could be characterized as belonging to the Rock genre. People still come out for rock shows and rock bands, but the audiences are older, much older. The kids go elsewhere. Teenagers and young people simply aren't captured the way they once were to Rock 'n Roll. Modern day Rock bands like 'Kings Of Leon' and 'The Strokes' still do well and draw huge crowds, but not like the glory years of Rock when countless numbers of Rock bands sold millions of records and drew blockbuster crowds in cavernous venues. The Rock acts that still tour like 'The Stones', 'Neil Young', 'CS&N', 'The Eagles' and so many others continue to do well, but the performers are rapidly aging and 20 years from now, sad to say, will become distant memories. Fans that still support these great rockers are also aging and in the years to come, will choose to stay home. The 2 biggest Rock bands remaining in the world today are 'Bruce Springsteen' and 'U2'. The Boss was hit heard by the recent death of Clarence Clemons. His future tour plans are uncertain at best. That leaves the immediate future of Rock to Bono and Edge. A far cry from the days when Rock was king and hundreds and hundreds of Rock bands toured the country to enthusiastic young crowds. There are many theories about this. Some blame MTV. Others fault the rap, urban and hip hop culture that is popular today among the young. One thing is certain. It's part of the overall dumbing down of America. Welcome to now. Rock 'n Roll was great and will be remembered as such. It made life fun and changed the country and the world in the process. For us the words of Neil Young will always echo in our head, "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World'. We intend to do just that. RZ
Posted on: 07/31/2011
We are not and never will be fans of Ms. Lady Gaga. She is, without question, cheap, exploitative, wholly unoriginal and pretentious on a level unprecedented in American pop culture. However, it must be acknowledged that she can sing and play piano at a high level of competence. Those attributes should be enough to further propel her career at a dizzying pace. But such is not the case, because this artist is so demonstrably insecure that she constantly feels the need to copy, borrow or steal ideas created by other artists who came before her without ceding credit to those individuals. The most recent example of this dysfunctional behavior comes courtesy of Time Magazine, whose issue this week detailed Gaga's absolute theft of a character invented by Bette Midler in 1980. Midler's creation consisted of a singing mermaid in a wheelchair. Anyone who has seen Midler live can attest to the singing character who goes by the name of Delores DeLago. Not to be outdone, Gaga recently unveiled her own wheelchair-bound mermaid with the alter ego of Yuyi. Of course, Gaga did not note, mention or give credit to Midler for inventing the character. She simply falsely counted on the presumption that her pubescent hordes of fans would be so uninformed to notice the blatant rip-off. Midler's response, as reported by Time was, "I've been doing singing mermaid in a wheelchair since 1980. You can keep the meat dress and the firecracker tits, the mermaid's mine." How pathetic is this behavior by the Gaga superstar. The question thusly is simply this. Gaga, underneath the pounds of makeup which hides who you really are, have you any shame at all? Don't bother with an answer, we already know. You don't. RZ
Posted on: 07/24/2011
We had intended to devote this week's Blog to the story of one more rapper on his way to Federal prison, namely Mr. Ja Rule, who was the beneficiary of a 28 month vacation courtesy of the Unites States Department of Justice for failing to file income tax returns over several years. But Ja will have to wait. I'm sure he won't mind since he's got a bit of time on his hands. Instead we write with regard to the timely (the word is used advisedly) passing of Ms. Winehouse who we last wrote about in our June 26th Blog. (See Below) Of course, the temptation might be to be sympathetic to the concept of the loss of a great talent well before her appointed time. Sorry, no can do. As far as talent is concerned, we see countless musicians of superior ability to Winehouse at any of the jam nights we occasionally frequent here in Broward County, Florida. These gifted locals will probably never have the success bestowed on them and the opportunities that comes with fame as did Winehouse. They won't kill themselves either. What they will do, is continue to play their music and share their gifts with others, regardless of success or the lack of it. That's what good musicians do. They play music. The pathetic Winehouse squandered her meager talent, wasted her tremendous opportunity and in the end, the lemon meringue pie of life hit her square in the face. We have sympathy for her mother and father who had to endure her for 27 years. The lesson to be learned is simple. Become an addict, be ready to die, because you will and soon. And that's the bottom line because Stone Cold said so. Rest in peace scumbag. RZ
Posted on: 07/17/2011
Today our erstwhile blogger tackles the burning question of the day. What exactly is Rock 'n Roll? Anticipating this week's topic, I posed the question to the members of our band at Friday's gig. Michelle said, "attitude and freedom". Sebastion, the academic one, chimed in with, "a melting pot of country, blues and gospel music." This is actually a pretty good definition. Our guitarist Bill Mota, started mentioning early rock artists like Chuck Berry. I threw in Buddy Holly (who spawned the Beatles). But then Bill mentioned Ike Turner as one of the forerunners of the early genre. This was news to me. I had never thought of Ike as much of an innovator except for collecting a fine group of young women to go on the road with him and the group. Sure enough, Bill was right on the money. A little investigation revealed that possibly the first rock 'n roll tune ever recorded was in fact by Ike Turner, entitled "Rocket 88" produced by the legendary Sam Phillips for Sun Records in March of 1951. Turner used the alias "Jackie Brenston". Sebastion hearing the other names said, "without Elvis, there is no rock 'n roll". I don't agree, preferring to give more credit to producer Phillips and master guitar player Scotty Moore who played on all the early Presley recordings. But Elvis brought the music out of the shadows and into the sunlight making it the most popular music of that time. Elvis was to Rock what Louis Armstrong was to Jazz, Bob Marley to Reggae, and Frank Sinatra to pop. So maybe Sebastion was right. After all Elvis' first recording, "That's All Right Mama" was recorded in July of 1954 in Sam Phillips' (there's that name again) Memphis, Tennessee studio. It should be noted that one of the first great commercially successfully rock tunes was Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" followed immediately by Elvis' smash hit "Heartbreak Hotel". So what is Rock 'n Roll? Here's our definition. A genre of popular music begun in the United States in the early 50s from a melting pot of blues, country music, gospel music, R&B, and vigorously stirred by a beat that is essentially a boogie woogie blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum. Now that's Rock 'n Roll. RZ
Posted on: 07/03/2011
Of late we have begun to wander out in search of music jams being held across Broward County in South Florida. The large number of quality lead guitar players, bass players and drummers never ceases to amaze. There just seems to be an inexhaustible number of guitar players who appear to be world class in terms of sheer talent. And yet most are not presently in a band and the ones that are struggle to make ends meet. Singers are few and far between and writers are especially scarce. The singers we do encounter have a very limited repertoire and their vocal range also seems to be on the short side. As a singer/songwriter with a decent number of rock covers under our belt, which we can perform at the drop of a hat, we never have a problem getting a chance to show off our wares with a favorable response. The lesson in all this is learn how to sing and write tunes with as much effort as you do in mastering your instrument. Those that follow this advice will stand out at the jams as opposed to being labeled just another guitar player that shows up every week. We offer 2 other tips. Being loud at the expense of melody and good taste just doesn't get the job done. And play something different each time, variety sells. So tune up, hope to jam with you soon. RZ
Posted on: 06/26/2011
"Hello Athens", so began an emaciated overtly whacked-out Amy Winehouse to a stunningly sparse concert crowd. One minor problem, the has-been pseudo performer was in Belgrade, Serbia. Not to be deterred, Winehouse stumbled, fumbled, allegedly farted, and almost fell dead before being mercilessly taken off the stage to the relief of the tens who stayed to witness the chaotic carnage. Prior to her exit, those in attendance booed incessantly as poor Amy staggered around the stage in search of a place to hide. The next day those in charge cancelled the remaining 11 dates of her European tour. Countless music fans across Europe cheered the news and spontaneous celebrations across the continent were said to have broken out. This should mark the blessed end of a career that has been marked by Winehouse's well-known substance-abuse problems, rather than any notable artistic contribution. Once again we can only wish Winehouse (what a totally and oddly appropriate name), good health, good wealth and good riddance. Not to be outdone, Brittany Spears' promoters were forced to cut ticket prices virtually in half in a feeble attempt to salvage this equally 'it's over' entertainers' recent American tour. Cancellations of selected dates should be soon to follow. The good news in all of this is that young music consumers are becoming more discerning and selective as to how they spend their money and their time. Kudos to them for this positive change and may it only continue. Hey Gaga, better keep an eye and an ear on this. You may be next. RZ
Posted on: 06/18/2011
Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band died today from complications of a stroke suffered last week in his Singer Island home in Palm Beach, Fla. The Boss affectionately referred to Clarence as the 'Big Man'. In the history of rock 'n roll, 2 names stand out as the greatest saxophone players of all time, the legendary King Curtis and of course, Clarence Clemons. Our favorite musical remembrance of Clarence's talent was his melodic, powerful sax solo on Bruce's masterpiece, 'Jungleland' off the "Born To Run" album. Clemons performed almost to the very end, appearing with Gaga on the season finale of 'American Idol'. The world of rock 'n roll won't be the same without Clarence Clemons. He was 69. Rest well my friend. RZ
Posted on: 06/12/2011
The challenge of writing a weekly music blog is finding a topic worthy of discussion that others will bother to read. We were tempted to write once again of well known rap loser Flavor Flav who revealed last week that he spent $2,600 a day on crack over a 6 year period. But this dude is so despicable and utterly pathetic that we will take a pass, instead choosing to devote our little space on the most pretentious pop star in the history of pop music, namely Lady Gaga. First of all, anyone over the age of 20 knows that Gaga is an exact duplicate clone of Madonna. But since Gaga's fans are all 12 to 15 years old, they don't know about Madonna and could care less. Despite a lack of originality, Gaga deserves a lot of credit for her strong business savvy and marketing skill. No one has done it better since Colonel Tom Parker created the Elvis brand, and that was 50 years ago. However, what is particularly fascinating, at least to this writer, is how Gaga has such an unprecedented lofty opinion of her own artistic value and almost omniscient essence to her external existence. Consider these quotes from a recent 'Rolling Stone' article. Referring to the release of her new album, Gaga opines, "God wants 'Born This Way' to come out". Yeah right, the release of a pop star's album is of the highest priority to God. Please get fucking serious. How about this one, "The album is sort of saying pop culture is the new religion". Get real, you moronic bitch. I hate to break it to you, but your album will not replace any of the world's predominant religions any time soon. Imagine the ego necessary to even suggest such a concept. As to her place in the music universe, Gaga offers this, "Perhaps it's been a couple of decades since there's been an artist (she constantly refers to herself as an artist) that's been as vocal about their opinions, as vocal about culture, religion, human rights, politics." It's just a matter of time before this dizzy broad refers to herself as the Messiah. She already considers herself above daily human concerns. "I don't pee. I don't have waste organs. I was born without them." This godlike quality is refuted by a Madison Square Garden stagehand who allegedly reports that Gaga dumped in her dressing room bathroom with a ferocious fervor reminiscent of a burly truck driver. It will be interesting to see if Gaga has staying power in the music biz. My bet, Michael Jackson she's not. RZ
Little Miss Peep Drops An F Bomb
Posted on: 06/06/2011
Pop princess Avril Lavigne had a rough time at the ball park in Tampa Bay, Florida the other day. Things went fine when she through out the first ball, wearing a Tampa Bay Ray baseball cap, looking cute as a button. The Rays were playing her home country's Toronto Blue Jays. Lavigne and her back-up band had been booked to perform the after game rock concert where the stage is set up customarily on the playing field at second base. As the band attempted to kick in with its first tune and Lavigne began to sing, the PA system went completely haywire bonkers with brain jarring feedback and the sound cutting on and off. Naturally, the crowd began to show its displeasure and started booing. The 28 year old former ingenue took great exception to the fans derision and promptly unleashed a string of profanities directed at the fans climaxed with a couple of F bombs. Basically, she told a crowd heavily littered with families and young children to go fuck themselves. This was not particularly well-received by the Rays management who bill their shows and entertainment extravaganzas as family friendly. The show was cut short and Lavigne stormed off the field headed back to the more friendly confines of Canada. Maybe Avril Lavigne was upset by being left off our list of Canada's best rock artists a few weeks back. Don't sweat it Avril, as cute as you are, you can always get a gig at the local bowling alley in Montreal. RZ
Posted on: 05/29/2011
It can not reasonably be argued that Beyonce Knowles is anything but a superstar in the music world. With the possible exception of Lady Gaga, Knowles might be the single biggest and brightest star of them all. Her career has been controlled and guided by her husband, the lesser talented Mr. Jay Z., with great skill and expertise. All of which makes it a mystery why she, or maybe we should say they, feel the need to make preposterous and utterly strange career decisions which baffle any intelligent observer. We have written previously about the money grab in which Beyonce performed at a New Year's Eve party paid for and hosted by the leaders of the murderous Gadhafi regime in Libya. This despicable act by the entertainer can only be attributed to unadulterated greed of the highest order. But now comes word that Knowles, performing at the recent Billboard Music Awards show, totally ripped off and copied a production number, first and previously performed by Italian singer/dancer Lorella Cuccarini over a year ago on Italian television. The production for the 2 numbers is not similar, but identical in every detail. To make matters worse, Beyonce, rather than give credit to the Cuccarini team, chose to ignore her at the show in the entirety, fully expecting no one would notice her shoddy and copycat behavior. Well, people have noticed and Knowles and Jay Z. should be fully ashamed of themselves for their rip-off behavior. But don't hold your breath. We've all heard the old expression, "what goes around, comes around." And the day will come when these 2 will fall, and fall they will and hard. The bad karma is too strong to escape. RZ
Posted on: 05/22/2011
Just when you think the bar cannot go any lower for the rap and urban genre of noise, the impossible happens resulting in a new bottom standard. This new unprecedented level, set by Eminem, will surely stand the test of time, at least a week or two in the genre that masquerades as sound entertainment. Now for the record, we here at the Ric Zweig Blog, are against censorship of any kind and this latest challenge to our view does not alter our position. But it does beg the question. Is it possible for anyone to exceed this boundary for absolute bad taste? Rest assured, some greed-based fool or fools will certainly make the effort and soon. Well, what exactly are we talking about? Consider these lyrics reprinted from the May 26th issue of Rolling Stone. "I hope that I don't sound too heinous when I say this, Nicki Minaj But I wanna stick my pain-us in your anus," First of all, thanks for sharing, Eminem. And we do admit, your thought does have an element of humor. And having viewed Ms. Minaj's posterior, there is a certain bizarre justification for your wacko rhyme. We feel confident in expressing the opinion that in the history of the English language, never before has heinous been rhymed with anus. What a breakthrough. It's one we can all be proud of, as the culture continues to tumble toward the abyss. RZ
Posted on: 05/15/2011
Everybody's favorite rapper from the 90s recently had a rather disturbing week or two. You remember Flavor Flav, the 52 year old whose real name is William Drayton, Jr. Flav, whose latest venture is the fried chicken business, pulled out of "Flavor Flav's Chicken Joint" in Clinton, Iowa after employees claimed their pay checks bounced. If that wasn't bad enough, the eatery which caters to an African-American clientele, was hit by allegations that expired food was served to unsuspecting customers. The news was even worse for FF's chicken operation in Las Vegas, where "Flavor Flav's House Of Flavor" was hit by allegations from a former business partner that the former rapper was operating a scam. On top of that, the dim-witted aging entrepreneur, was taken to jail by Vegas police when it was discovered that Flav had 4 warrants out for his arrest. Of course, this is nothing new for Mr. Flav. His long history of criminal legal problems dates back to his teenage years when by the age of 16 he had been in and out of jail for both robbery and burglary. Mr. Flav, the father of at least 7 illegitimate children, pled guilty to assault in 1991 and did 30 days in the slam. In 2002, violating probation got him 2 months, all expenses paid, at Rikers Island Jail in New York. Flavor Flav achieved dubious fame in the 90s with his rap hit "911 Is A Joke". He was an integral member of the rap group Public Enemy which was soundly criticized for its anti-semitic stance. He also is known as the guy who wears a large clock around his neck. He achieved recognition for his VH1 reality series a few years back by demonstrating that an individual incapable of communicating in any language known to the human race could still be successful in America. It is safe to assume that Flavor Flav's 15 minutes of fame is long overdue. To Mr. Flav we offer this salutation, good health, good wealth, and good riddance. RZ
Posted on: 05/08/2011
What's better than being a Rock star? Nothing right. Tons of beautiful women, adoring fans, constant adulation and all the money anyone could ever want. Well not exactly. Believe it or not there are plenty of artists who have achieved enduring fame, but went broke in the process. Well you might ask who exactly are we talking about. How about Meat Loaf (real name Marvin Lee Aday). This guy doesn't have a pot to pee in. Check out former superstar Toni Braxton, broke as broke can be. Or consider guitar god Ted Nugent. Not a pretty site when it comes to the money situation. How about soul singers Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes and Ron Isley (Isley Brothers) all of whom died dead broke, and we do mean dead. Other black artists who had difficulty balancing the checkbook include M.C. Hammer and George Clinton. White artists are well represented as well. Everyone knows Willie Nelson's problems with the IRS over the years. But equally distressing are the financial plights of David Crosby (CSN&Y), former teen sensation Leif Garrett, Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), the killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, and former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. But we've saved the biggest surprise superstar performer on our list for last. Yes, none other than the legendary Billy Joel whose albums have made countless millions for somebody, but apparently not much trickled down for Joel. Anybody know a good lawyer? And so boys and girls, and anyone who aspires to be a rich and famous rock star, maybe it's not the worst idea in the world to stay in school, go to college, go to business school or law school and learn how to handle all that cash. And then and only then get serious about that music career. Having been fortunate enough to have earned a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, we here at the Ric Zweig Blog are always available to be of service to the artist community. Save those bucks, there's a hard rain a coming. RZ
Canada's 10 Greatest Of All Time
Posted on: 04/29/2011
Sorry about the no blog last week. We were vacationing in Panama, our home away from home and enjoyed a fun-filled week. But a conversation with a friend in sultry Panama got us thinking about the country that shares our northern border and all the great music from Canada that we enjoy so much. Which leads us to this week's topic, ie - the top 10 greatest bands and individual artists from our neighbor north of the border. Coming in at number 10 is Paul Anka. This talented singer/songwriter was a 50s sensation with his blockbuster hit, "Diana". Number 9 is another singer/songwriter from the 60s, Joni Mitchell. Bryan Adams is our pick for number 8, well represented by his 80s blockbuster smash, "Cuts Like a Knife". Number 7 is the Canadian version of Bob Dylan, namely Leonard Cohen, who still tours successfully to this day. You may not be familiar with our pick for number 6, he's Zal Yanousky who helped create, along with America's John Sebastian, the sound of 60s rock band, "The Lovin' Spoonful". Positions 4 and 5 are held by modern day bands "Arcade Fire" and "Nickelback" who are both worth more than a listen. But let's get serious. Who are the 3 greatest bands to come from Canada of all time. Here's our picks. At number 3 is "Rush". Consisting of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, these guys are simply can't miss if they happen to play near you. "Rush" remains one of the great live bands touring today. Number 2 is the legendary Neil Young, one of the most influential musicians of the last 40 years. There are many favorites to choose from, but we'll select "Harvest Moon" and "Rocking In The Free World". The latter has the greatest easy to play 3 chord rock progression known to exist, E minor to D to C. Try it for yourself, and you'll be a rocking too. Drum roll please! Our pick for the best Canadian rock band of all time is not Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, but the The Hawks did morph into our selection for number 1, "The Band". Canadian born Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson, & Rick Danko made up this amazing group of musicians. Manuel and Danko have passed on, but Helm and Robertson are still going strong. "The Weight" along with "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" are representative tunes that never fail to continually move us. Honorable mention to our list includes Sarah Mclachlan, Gordon Lightfoot, Shania Twain, David Clayton-Thomas, and Bruce Cockburn. RZ
Posted on: 04/15/2011
Our more musically astute readers will attribute the title of this week's Blog to John Lennon and his late seventies classic opus, "God". Bob Dylan is presently in the midst of his first career Asian Tour with visits to such countries as Hong Kong, Taipei, Viet Nam, and China, among others. As a long time Zimmerman fan, it was somewhat unsettling to learn that the once esteemed Mr. Dylan had consented to provide Chinese government censorship authorities pre-approval of his set list for a Chinese concert. Wow, we guess that the 'times really are a changing'. As Maureen Dowd of the New York Times characterized it, "Dylan took his pile of communist cash and left". This is the kind of artist behavior we would have expected from the likes of Beyonce Knowles, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lionel Ritchie, and other intellectually challenged greed obsessed urban performers. Say it ain't so, Mr. Dylan, who at age 70 this coming May, has come a long way downward from the 22 year old kid who had the gumption to storm off the set of the CBS 'Ed Sullivan Show' in 1963 because he did not get his way on material choice. Frankly, Dylan's current behavior is not only disgraceful, but rather disillusioning to say the least. The implication is obvious. Even Bob Dylan gets on his knees and pays homage to the almighty dollar. I don't believe in Zimmerman, and I don't believe in you anymore Bob Dylan. John was right all along. RZ
Posted on: 04/08/2011
Who are the 3 most popular artists of all time? Some of the candidates would have to include Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman representing the jazz genre. How about Bob Marley of Jamaican reggae fame? Rock has many candidates. A partial list would include the UK's 'Pink Floyd' as well as the 'Rolling Stones'. The USA would be represented by Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison of 'Doors' fame. An argument could certainly be made for Bob Dylan of country-rock fame. A modern day candidate for most popular might be Lady Gaga. However, none of these make our list of the 3 most popular of all time. Drum roll please, number 3 on our list is Frank Sinatra. 'Ole Blue Eyes' was the first artist in history to cause teenage girls to go absolutely bonkers and scream hysterically while Frankie boy was singing. Even as a youngster, Sinatra had an amazing voice. After a while his career began to flounder when the girls began to grow up, but an Oscar winning performance in "From Here To Eternity" put Frank back on top where he remained for the rest of his long life. Number 2 is Elvis Presley. Elvis' early hip-shaking performances caused the teenage girls of his generation not only to scream, but to experience their own personal sexual awakening watching Presley perform. You had to see it to believe it, but an overflowing crowd of orgasmic teenage girls caused the national powers to be to consider Elvis a real threat to our country's well being. So concerning was this issue, that CBS's television cameras only showed Elvis from the waist up when he made his first appearance on the 'Ed Sullivan' TV show. Number 1, of course, can only be the legendary 'Beatles' from merry old Liverpool, United Kingdom. Yes, the same group that some of this year's American Idol contestants confessed to not knowing. The 'boys' caused the same screaming volume of noise from teenage girls without the threatening sexual overtones created by Presley. Accordingly, parents gave their tacit approval to their kids' love for 'The Beatles', who managed by the crafty Brian Epstein, soon ascended to the absolute top of our list as the most popular artist of all time. We still miss and always will miss John Lennon, who was cut down at age 40. RZ
What Goes Better Than Murder & Rap
Posted on: 04/01/2011
The connection between murder and the noise known as rap music is as strong as ever with the shooting death this past weekend of rap DJ Megatron in Staten Island, New York. One more episode in a never ending string of ghastly crimes associated with this urban, inner-city alleged art form. We all know the history. From the 1996 Las Vegas shoot kill of Tupac Shakur, to the reputed revenge shoot kill of Biggie Smalls in 1997. Rap entrepreneur Marion "Suge" Knight's corporate offices in California being raided in connection with a series of killings in 2002. Atlanta rapper Gucci Mine faced a murder charge in 2005. Of course, the Shakespearian poet known as Ice-T achieved notoriety with his classic opus "Cop Killer". This so-called piece of you know what describes the steps necessary to kill a cop and deserves credit for the 1992 shooting of 2 Las Vegas cops. The 4 youths responsible for this incident reportedly continued to rap the lyrics to "Cop Killer" upon their capture. How very cool. In 2010, New Orleans rapper Magnolia Shorty was found shot to death and this past September, a rapper with the moronic moniker of "Syko Sam" pled guilty to 4 murders in Farmville, Virginia. Performers such as Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre have made careers rapping and glorifying murder and other extremely violent acts. We could go on and on and on about the endless parade of deadly violence that permeates the rap, urban & hip-hop, inner-city culture. There is of course, a common thread that unites these 2 concepts, but we will leave that to the sociologists who write about and know more about such things. With regard to the Megatron hit, UPI.com reported the death of the 32 year old as a "possible gang hit". Real name Corey McGriff, had been a popular Hot 97 hip-hop radio DJ in NYC before landing a job with television's Black Entertainment Network. Megatron was survived by his 3 illegitimate children. Speculation abounds that the Megatron hit was ordered after he refused to play and promote a gangster supported rap track that he, Megatron found lacking. Money obtained through inner-city crack cocaine drug dealing is often used to finance the making and production of ear deafening rap tracks. Individuals with juice in the music business are then approached with generous financial offerings in order to gain valuable radio play. This is the reality of what the music business has become in inner-city America. By all accounts, Megatron was a likable and decent young man. Rap music claims another victim. RZ
Posted on: 03/26/2011
We live in a most stressful time. Our world is plagued with one tumultuous calamity after another. As we all know, in just the last few months, there have been major earthquakes in Chile, Haiti and Japan killing many tens of thousands of people. Japan has had to endure a triple disaster unlike anything occurring in our lifetime. People in the Middle East fed up with their governments are sacrificing their lives to try to effect changes in places like Egypt, Libya and Syria. In our own country, floods, tornadoes and fires, combined with a wretched economy and massive unemployment, threaten the stability of our nation. What to do to find a little peace. Drugs are the choice of many in order to escape the madness. Me, I recommend a dose of music to calm the savage beast. So in this week's blog we will recommend 2 albums from the distant past that still hold up to this very day and are guaranteed to lower your blood pressure and provide a mellow moment or two. First an album by Jesse Colin Young and the Youngbloods entitled "Elephant Mountain". This most unified effort is an enduring classic well known to all older musicians. The other effort is by a group out of Los Angeles, by the name of 'Love', whose equally classic album was entitled "Forever Changes". If I had to choose the ten greatest albums of the sixties, there would be a place on that list for "Forever Changes". Most of you are probably unaware of this group and its genius leader, Arthur Lee. Check it out. And when you are thoroughly chilled out on that couch, think of us here at the RZ blog. Glad to be of service. RZ
The Devastating Decline of Eddie Van Halen
Posted on: 03/18/2011
Ask a rock guitarist for their list of the all time guitar gods, and you pretty much hear the same names. Jimi Hendrix, Roy Buchanan, Steve Morse, Joe Satriani, and of course, Eddie Van Halen. So it was somewhat of a surprise to read the article by Sammy Hagar in Rolling Stone this week, entitled, "Surviving Eddie". The article discusses the 2004 reunion of Van Halen and the subsequent tour which sought to cash in on the band's previous successes. Hagar, after not having seen Eddie in a decade, describes their meeting thusly, "He looked like he hadn't bathed in a week...He was missing a number of teeth and the ones he had left were black...His boots were so worn out...and his big toe stuck out...hunched over like a little old man, a cigarette in his mouth. He had a third of his tongue removed because of cancer and he spoke with a slight lisp." So much for the glory of rock 'n roll. A once great musician had thusly squandered his immense talent and become for all intents and purposes, a bum. Hagar describing a show performance writes, "His solo turned into a disaster. It used to be the highlight of every show. Now he would play nothing, just garbage. He would try to play 'Eruption', one of his greatest pieces, and screw it up. He would just grab the whammy bar, hit the sustainer, and start making all this noise. The audience wasn't buying it, either." In my view, there are few things more pathetic than wasted talent. Van Halen was an artist with a gift who ended up thoroughly ripping off his loyal fans. He cared nothing about them or anyone else. You can't help but wonder if one day Mr. Van Halen will actually wake up and realize what he has done. All musicians have a responsibility to be straight enough and sober enough to deliver the goods to their fans and the listening audience. If you can't meet that obligation, get the hell out of the game. RZ
Hey Hey Woody Guthrie - I Wrote You A Song
Posted on: 03/12/2011
This week's Billboard top 40 albums has teen sensation Justin Bieber having 4 spots including number 1. Even to an old guy like me, Justin seems a likeable kid who plays the kind of music that you would expect a 16 year old kid to play. His predominance in the top 40 is convincing evidence that most album buying these days is done by 12 to 18 year old kids. The list of commercially successful albums is further occupied by artists (I use the term loosely) such as Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green, Kate Perry, whose album is entitled "Teenage Dream", and the likes of Jamie Foxx, Kanye West, Lil Wayne (who reveals the obvious in his "I Am Not a Human Being" - No shit, Sherlock !) and of course, the Peas, of Super Bowl fiasco fame. There is not a single entry in the top 40 by a performer with any kind of social message. And yet the social upheaval taking place now around the world is as high as it has ever been. But America's musical powerhouses are silent with nothing at all to say. The closest feeble attempt would be the Zac Brown Band with its "You Get What You Give". How absolutely revolutionary. Please note the sarcasm. Even the monumentally popular Gaga, who has the platform and popularity to be a game changer, can do no better than "The Fame" as if anybody over the age of 15 cares what a burden it is for her to be famous. Gaga might actually have the potential to say something important with her music. Time will tell, but I'm not holding my breath. Long gone is the message music that Dylan ("Masters Of War"), the Beatles ("A Day In The Life"), John Lennon ("Imagine"), Pink Floyd ("The Wall") or CSN&Y ("Ohio") created. All of this great music was inspired by and can be traced back to a single artist named Woody Guthrie, who roamed the country during our great depression singing protest songs. Bob Dylan's greatest influence was Woody Guthrie. Somehow, I can't imagine a single artist on the Billboard top 40 being even remotely familiar with Mr. Guthrie. And that my friends, is both a shame and a disgrace. RZ
Posted on: 03/05/2011
CNN recently reported that Beyonce Knowles, Mariah Carey, Usher, and Lionel Ritchie performed in recent years for the murderous Gadhafi regime in Libya. Knowles received 2 million dollars in cash to perform at a New Year's Eve celebration hosted by Saif al-Islam, the son of the Libyan dictator. In the CNN video, the zoftig Knowles was seen gyrating in a thinly veiled bodysuit that came oh so close to revealing her most intimate vaginal body parts. It is certainly no surprise that entertainers of the urban and hip hop culture would put money and bling ahead of any other considerations. The fact that the regime systematically murders and oppresses the Libyan people is of no concern to Knowles and her cohorts as long as the remuneration is legal tender. After all, this is not the sixties where so many music entertainers had a societal consciousness which predominantly influenced their music. But there are other considerations in play here besides the moral banktrupcy of Knowles and her friends. In our view, the American government's ban on "trading with the enemy" has been violated by Beyonce Knowles. At the very least the State Department, the Department of the Treasury and Justice Department should thoroughly investigate this matter, and if appropriate, bring criminal charges against these individuals. If convicted, severe sentences of incarceration should be imposed. We can forgive the vacuous message of their music, as well as the empty lyrics, but traitorous actions of these alleged entertainers must not go unpunished. Each American consumer can do their part by boycotting these performers and their music. Lest you wonder why we have focused on Knowles as opposed to Carey, we simply can not ignore Carey's well documented past emotional and mental problems which should be taken into account by any sentencing court. As for Lionel Ritchie, he's long past being relevant in a musical sense, whereas the rotund Beyonce is and remains a superstar by any objective standard. If justice is achieved in her case, others may think twice. Knowles has been wise to make no public statement on this matter, however the question we would pose to her is as follows. If Adolf Hitler had offered you the equivalent of 3 million bucks to perform for the Third Reich in 1938, would you have done so. Don't bother answering. We already know the answer. RZ
Posted on: 02/24/2011
Hopefully, the National Football League (NFL) was carefully watching the National Basketball Association's (NBA) entertainment presentation during their annual all-star game the other night. After a lackluster and dismal halftime show by the Black Eyed Peas and a disastrous fiasco of a national anthem by has been copycat diva Cristina Aguilera at the NFL's Superbowl, the NBA showed everyone how it should be done. The NBA could have easily settled for a rap group given that the the league's membership is more than 80% black. But the honchos of the NBA took the high road and chose high energy rocker Lenny Kravitz and his amazing band of professionals who performed 3 of Kravitz' original tunes without flaw. No special effects, no multitude of dancers, no diversionary tactics, just dynamic move your feet rock 'n roll which blew the house down. If ever we needed proof of which genre is the real thing and which appeals to no talent morons, this was it. Congrats to Lenny and the boys for showing why Chuck Berry once said, "rock, rock 'n roll, never become the days of ole". Also of note, was the totally professional Josh Groban, who sang the national anthem with style, verve, and class. Way to go Josh. The lesson is we don't always need to appeal to the lowest common denominator when we make choices. RZ
Posted on: 02/17/2011
When we wrote the piece about B.B. King a few weeks back, I became curious as to who else was still doing music in their 80s. Shockingly, in addition to King, there are only 3. Can you name them? King is the oldest. He will be 86 in September. Chuck Berry will be 85 in October. New Orleans' Fats Domino will turn 83 next week. Bluesman Bobby (Blue) Bland just turned 81. That completes the list of rock octogenarians. Next up is Elvis' guitarist Scotty Moore, who turns 80 next December. Rock pioneer Little Richard will be 79, also in December, followed by Willie Nelson who turns 78 in April. Folky Leonard Cohen will be 77 in September, and early rocker Jerry Lee Lewis reaches 76 in September. Bluesman Buddy Guy is still going strong at 75. Song stylist Etta James is 73. Cream drummer Ginger Baker will be 72 in August and Band member, Levon Helm 71 in May. Bob Dylan, still on tour, will be 70 in May and Chubby Checker of "Twist" fame reaches the same milestone in October. Amazingly, that completes the list of 70 or older. Others of note: Paul McCartney 69, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both turn 68 later this year. Jefferson Airplane's Marty Balin, a recent 69. Jeff Beck will be 67 in June. Fellow Faces member Rod Stewart is almost 67. Eric Clapton and Robin Trower of Procal Harum, will both be 66 next month. Traffic member Dave Mason is 65 in May and bandmate Steve Winwood is 63 the same month. Elton John is also 63 and plastic surgery devotee Steven Tyler will also be 63 in March. The conclusion is obvious. A life spent in Rock is not conducive to living a long life. Being constantly on the road, flying around the world, eating crappy food, and getting little sleep does not translate into healthy living. Not to mention the easy availability of drugs, women, and other incendiary temptations which can curtail a performer's longevity. So if you want to hang around a while, maybe it's a good idea to give music a rest. Unfortunately, I can't follow my own advice. It just gets in your blood and can't easily be excised. Just ask Jimi, Janis, Jim, Elvis, Buddy, Stevie Ray and the thousands of others who are no longer with us. RZ
Posted on: 02/09/2011
The Super Bowl entertainment extravaganza began with such high hopes when pop diva Christina Aguilera sang her salute and tribute to anal sex by changing the lyrics of the National Anthem from 'gallantly streaming' to 'twilight's last reaming'. This provided the best laugh of the day at least until "The Black Eyed Peas" literally peed all over the stage, their careers, and the massive audience who watched last Sunday. Led by the very beautiful Stacy Ann Ferguson, the 'Peas' performance was a monumental embarrassment leading millions of viewers to wonder simultaneously and out loud, "why are they so popular?" Frankly, it beats me. While the soon to be 40 and aging "Fergie' is definitely eye candy of the highest order, the repetitious banality of the 'Peas' artificial sound reached new lows even for a rap group. While this drivel may fly in a South Beach nightclub packed full of ecstasy stoners, it is hardly appropriate for the tons of American football fans who tune in to watch the friggin' game. But the powers at the pathetic NFL are so desperate to appear hip, that this is what they come up with to try and dazzle the audience. Prince, Springsteen, Tom Petty, and the Who just weren't hip enough for the morons of the NFL. Who likes peas anyway? Black or green. At least Janet Jackson showed us her boob. Any chance of Fergie showing us her moneymaker were quickly dashed upon Slash's guest appearance on the under the bottom (the opposite of over the top) cover of "Sweet Child Of Mine" which must have had Axl Rose choking with laughter at home. Since we boldly offered career advice to Miley Cyrus last week, why stop there. Accordingly, to Roger Goodell and the rest of the NFL hierarchy, please go with either Keith Urban or John Mayer for next year's game. Shockingly, they can both write songs, sing them well and play a mean guitar. Or if you insist on having a rap act, we suggest Compton's "The Ghetto Boys", the alleged real life drug dealers, one of whom is a two foot dwarf, toting alleged Mac tens to the 50 yard line. There just seems something oddly appropriate about this. Of course, we'll probably end up with Cee Lo Green or Nicki Minaj. But hopefully, the Jets will make it to the alleged big game. RZ
The Curious Case of Miley Cyrus
Posted on: 02/03/2011
Poor Miley Cyrus. Late night comics make fun of her name, calling her Cyley Myrus, Haley Myrus, or my favorite, Cyrus Miley. In fact, I am considering changing my name from Ric Zweig to Cyrus Miley. But seriously folks (drum splash), this previously delightful girl has seen her once wondrous career tank as of late. Her most recent LP entitled "Can't Be Tamed" has been a major sales disappointment and is no where to be seen in 'Billboard's' top 40 Albums. The title, refers to her personal insistence and defiance of her advisers' advice that she hold on to her prissy and pure 'Hannah Montana' image which made Disney billions in revenue and made Miley a legitimately big star and the idol of millions of children and their parents across the world. But Miley recently turned 18 and has become eager to shed the good girl image so expertly crafted by those in charge. Now Miley is in charge and the results so far have been disastrous. The young breast challenged former superstar has become the new illustrated girl, sporting a (soon to be more) grand total of 5 tattoos. The previously referred to album features a sexed-up sound which has been soundly rejected by her former fans and the watchful eyes and ears of their parents. Being voted recently (for the second year in a row) the worst celebrity influence) is not the recognition a teen star translates into money in the bank. Compare with the expert marketing of Justin Bieber who continues to personify the all-american image Miley has trashed. In my view, she deserves better. Her former Disney television show revealed a wacky Lucille Ball type sense of humor that convinced many of her well-honed comedic instincts. She is a very pretty girl who dances expertly and is blessed with a natural winning stage presence, but wants instead to be a very sexy girl. But alas, the genie can not be put back into the bottle. So what is poor Miley to do? Well, we here at the RZ Blog have the recipe to return the has been superstar back to the top of the biz where she so rightfully belongs. Here are our suggestions. First, make a sex tape. This time honored tradition always works. Ask Kim Kardashian. Secondly, do a nude pictorial for 'Playboy'. They will offer many millions to offset their sagging sales, and you can show the world how really grown up you are. It made Marilyn Monroe's career. And finally, and most importantly, convince a Hollywood director like Martin Scorcese or someone of that ilk, to cast you as a crack addicted hooker in their next R rated epic. See Jodie Foster. Do I already hear Oscar talk? Just remember Cyley, I mean Myley, you owe it all to Ric Zweig. Since your career is now officially saved, the least you can do is record one of my tunes. All the best. RZ
Posted on: 01/27/2011
If President Obama can deliver the annual State of the Union address to the nation every January, so can we with regard to the State of the Music Union. My fellow music aficionados, the music business sucked last year and that might be the good news. Rolling Stone Magazine reports that 2010 was the worst year on record. Album sales fell another 13 percent. The concert business had its worst year in memory. The download business fell off the chart. The tour biz disintegrated, as in 'Limp Bizkit', who saw their scheduled tour go limp, necessitating its cancellation. Other financial implosions included the Jonas Brothers (washed up in their early twenties), Rihanna and Christina Aguilera, who also was forced to cancel because of weak ticket sales. Hip-hop would also have been a disaster, but for the success of Eminem's blockbuster album, "Recovery" which sold over 3 million copies. How ironic that hip-hop's best seller is a white guy. It was not a good year for black artists in general. Former star and now has been Diddy's latest effort, "Dirty Money" is a monumental flop. The only black artist selling anything is a dead guy, Michael Jackson. The good news from the bad news is that consumers are becoming more discerning in their tastes. Reissued vinyl classics such as the Beatles' "Abbey Road" bucked the trend, once again proving quality sells and rap crap doesn't. Maybe the record execs who control the business will finally learn that you can't fool all the people all the time, and that there is a limit to the amount of garbage you can foister on the public. And this is a good thing. So all you music big shots, go find the good stuff. There's a lot of it out there. RZ
Posted on: 01/20/2011
Sorry about last week. We vacationed in Panama and had such a spiffy time that we missed our deadline. In any event, now that we are back in good old South Florida, let's talk about the nicest person we have ever met in the world of music. The hints are as follows: He's now 85 years old. A legendary guitar player. Winner of a Grammy and a member of the Hall Of Fame. Of course, we're talking about none other than Riley B. King, also known as B.B. King. Some years back, after a concert played at Bailey Hall, on the campus of Cornell University located in Ithaca, New York, I had the pleasure of meeting B.B. King. At the time I wrote a music column for a local college rag, and accompanied by my speechless bodacious date, approached the great one backstage in the hopes of getting a few words. Mr. King was alone in a small room with a towel draped around his neck and greeted us warmly. What followed next was an amazing 2 hours spent with this man who could not have been more magnanimous and willing to talk. He answered all our questions without hesitation and conveyed a perception that he was enjoying the moment as much as we were. He told us of his first break in 1948, appearing on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio show in Memphis, Tennessee. We asked who he listened to, and he delighted us with reminisces of T-Bone Walker and Blind Lemon Jefferson. He talked of his affection for Lighnin' Hopkins. (The next day I scraped up enough money to buy a Hopkins record and have been a fan ever since) When we brought up the name Robert Johnson, B.B. got very quiet and soft spoken, speaking in reverence about the genius innovator of blues music who died so young. On and on we went. At one point I offered to leave, and B.B. replied, "If you got questions, I got time". When I finally ran out of questions, Mr. King actually thanked me for the interview. I still, to this day, can't believe how gracious this man was that night. It's nice to know that individuals of this high character exist in the world of music. Thanks again B.B. and I have an inkling you'll be playing those incredible blues riffs for many more years to come. RZ
Posted on: 01/06/2011
Word out of Las Vegas is that the Queen of booty, namely Kim Kardashian, the aging 30 year old sex symbol, recently decided to bestow on the public a semi-musical masterpiece called "Turn It Up". KK didn't actually perform her production, rather the disc was played in her majestic presence the other night at a Vegas club called Tao. I bravely listened to this dreck on the net and heard a head-splitting and relentless pounding of a beat with Kim's pitch corrected bird-like vocal sort of panned in the forefront. I had mistakenly thought last year's Paris Hilton CD that escaped out of Miami could never be equalled, but Kim's tune reached thresh holds not thought possible by these ears. In fairness, the crowd seemed to be extremely loud and completely oblivious to the historic significance of the moment, as the tune was mostly ignored by the throng of music lovers and partygoers. Rumor has it that Mr. Kanye West, that paragon of good taste and manners, (see Taylor Swift) will soon join forces with KK to release more stuff guaranteed to lower the bar to levels never before visited in the history of noise. One has to wonder, what could Kim possibly offer West to get him to work with her? Use your imagination for the obvious answer. My advice to Kim, change the title to "Turn It Down" or better yet, "Turn It Off" and then follow your own advice. But hey, the girl is totally hot. Can't wait to see her lip-synching and shaking her moneymaker. I'll be watching. RZ
Posted on: 12/31/2010
After a 40 year delay, justice was finally delivered, sort of, to legendary 'Doors' frontman, Jim Morrison. As some of you know, Morrison was convicted in a Miami courtroom in 1970 for 2 misdemeanors, resulting from a Coconut Grove concert where after asking the crowd if they wanted to see his member, he momentarily obliged and simulated a shake or two. For this incident, lasting maybe 2 seconds, the Miami State Attorney filed felony charges against Morrison. The jury trial was presided over by Judge Murray Goodman, a political hack if there ever was one, who was more concerned with his judicial career as opposed to Morrison's rights or the Constitution of the United States. Despite a railroad of a trial, where the judge consistently favored the prosecution, the jury still refused to find Morrison guilty of the felony, but returned guilty verdicts for lesser offenses. Not missing a beat, Judge Goodman gave Jim the max, a 6 month jail sentence. Out on $50,000 bond (note: most misdemeanors carry bonds of $500 to a $1,000), and pending appeal, Morrison died the following year. Give outgoing Governor Charlie Crist credit. He led the effort to get this matter presented to the Florida State Clemency Board, who on December 9th, 2010, voted unanimously to grant a pardon for Jim Morrison. Of course, he never should have been charged with a felony in the first place. And the 6 month sentence for a 2 second exposure was much more offensive than Morrison's behavior. The Clemency Board recognized the injustice of it all and the unjust, shameful actions of the State Attorney and the Judge, and did what it could to right this wrong. RZ
Posted on: 12/23/2010
The other night, by accident, I stumbled on an amazing re-broadcast of a 1983 program featuring blues guitarists Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan playing together on the same stage. Sometimes we need the perspective of history to properly appreciate what we see and hear. In 1983, at the age of 27, Vaughan was just beginning to make a splash on the American musical scene. Vaughan's reputation and fame would grow exponentially over the next 7 years. His lifelong hero was the legendary Albert King, the bigger than life, left handed, upside down guitar player with the strongest and best voice of all the great bluesmen. King was 60 at the time of the broadcast and totally at the top of his game. Playing his Gibson Flying V guitar named "Lucy" and sitting on a stool, King effortlessly showed complete mastery of his instrument and the fretboard he celebrated on. The great ones always make it look so easy. I can play guitar, but the command possessed by Albert King, was something almost all guitar players can only dream of. But the young Vaughan, playing his customary Fender Strat, on this special night was up to the task. Back and forth, these 2 uniquely special talents traded solos, each one constantly out doing the other. Joyously watching the show, time stood still as I painfully realized neither of these giants are with us today. The young man would die first in a horrific helicopter accident after a show in Wisconsin in 1990. Stevie Ray Vaughan was 35 at the time of his death. For evidence of his genius, listen to his cover of "Little Wing" from the greatest hits album. 2 years later, Albert King at the age of 69, succumbed to a heart attack. The great "Blues Power" and "Born Under A Bad Sign" virtuoso now belonged to the ages. Watch for this show on PBS. It is more than well worth your time. RZ
Posted on: 12/16/2010
It is not uncommon for the cultural abyss in the U.S. to score new lows in its ultimate quest to reach absolute rock bottom. This concerted and highly successful effort is being spearheaded by Rolling Stone Magazine. While this magazine contains some of the best political and social articles presently being written, it also incessantly features articles promoting urban, rap and hip-hop artists that appeal to the lowest common cultural denominator. A few weeks ago, Rolling Stone or RS, glorified Mr. Cee Lo Green's Grammy nominated single, "Fuck You". Now they are leading the charge for female rap artist Nicki Minaj in issue after issue. Admittedly, Ms. Minaj is blessed with one of the world's great booties. (See RS issue Dec. 23rd which, on page 41, features an article totally devoted to Minaj's butt, including an over the top photo of same). The same issue contains revealing photos of Minaj's bountiful boobies. This talent challenged artist is all about promoting her obvious sexual identity and prowess, and for that, let's give thanks. But how about her writing prowess as an artist? From her tune, "Did It On'em" comes this Shakespearian verse, "If I had a dick, I would pull it out and piss on 'em." From her album 'Pink Friday" comes this classic verbiage, "More talent in my motherfuckin' left thumb/She ain't a Nicki fan? Then the bitch deaf-dumb." We are left to wonder and speculate on why RS would sell out its musical rep for this performer. But then again, picture yourself a 28 year old pimply, horny music editor for RS and who should walk in to your office promoting her album, but the bodacious Ms. Minaj decked out in one her famous 'fuck me' outfits. Thanks RS for your continued journalistic integrity in these trying times. Not to be outdone, comes Miami's own Enrique Iglesias, whose legendary singing inadequacies are totally dependent on pitch correcting software. The latest single from this genius is entitled, (and I do not joke) "Tonight I'm Fuckin' You". Hey, Rico, have you considered the possibility that she may not be agreeable to screwing a has-been, no talent, living off your father, about to be rapist? Probably not. RZ
The Curious Case of Cat Stevens
Posted on: 12/09/2010
There isn't a stranger case in the history of popular music than that of Cat Stevens. The now 62 year old Stevens, who was born as Steve Georgiou in London, England, achieved world-wide fame and fortune in the early 70s with such monster hits as "Wild World", "Father & Son" (an especially beautiful song) and "Peace Train". At the height of his popularity, he startled fans by renouncing his musician lifestyle, once again changed his name, this time to Yusuf Islam, and embraced the Islamic fundamentalist way of life. We heard very little from him until the famous writer Salman Rushdie, in the late 80s, wrote a novel entitled "The Satanic Verses" which was critical of Islam. Mr. Stevens (Islam) was quoted at the time (this is a matter of public record) as saying, "Salman Rushdie or indeed any writer who abuses the prophet, under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death." It would appear that proponents of Islam are not ardent supporters of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Mr. Stevens/Islam stayed out of the public eye again until 2004 when he was thrown out of the U.S. for landing on the terrorist watch list, or as it is more commonly called, the official "no fly list". Shortly thereafter, Israel denied him entry to their country, because they claim, Stevens/Islam had given financial aid to terrorist groups. I mention all of this because most recently, popular television comedians and political activists Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, held a political rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Entitled "Rally to Restore Sanity &/Or Fear" which attracted a crowd in excess of 100,000 people and received positive and massive media coverage. And guess who showed up to speak and perform? That's right, Mr. Cat Stevens. Oops, I should refer to him now by his proper legal name, Mr. Yusuf Islam. Makes you sort of wonder, doesn't it? RZ
Posted on: 12/02/2010
As if we needed further proof that the end is near, today brought the uplifting news that Mr. Cee Lo Green's tune, charmingly entitled "Fuck You" was nominated for a Grammy. Congrats go out to the Grammy voters for doing their part to raise the moral consciousness of our disintegrating country. I will resist the temptation to tune in and hear the announcement, "and the winner is..." The day has finally come where we can utter those romantic magic words, and defer by explaining, "I be talking 'bout da Grammies." Word has it that Mr. Green is working on a sequel, but I am reluctant to print it since there may be children in the room. Oh, one further note about Mr. Green. Although he is 340 pounds of blubberous obesity packed on a 5 foot, 4 inch frame, bald and macabre ugly, he considers himself "The Lady Killer". Perhaps this title should be taken literally as opposed to figuratively, as this is one scary looking dude. RZ
Posted on: 11/24/2010
Gene Vincent was a rock pioneer of extraordinary talent and importance. At the height of his popularity, he was head to head with Elvis Presley in competition for the title of king of rock 'n roll. Early Elvis music, fueled by the lead guitar pyrotechnics of Scotty Moore, had a hard ballsy edge with hits like "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Money Honey", "My Baby Left Me" and "Heartbreak Hotel". With the advent of Colonel Tom Parker, the raw Elvis sound was abruptly abandoned in favor of a softer version, tailored for mass acceptance from 12 year old girls who foamed over lame hits like "Teddy Bear" and "Love Me Tender". The hard edged, raw, sexually driven, uncompromising rock sound was then left to 'Gene Vincent & His Bluecaps', whose 1956 blockbuster hit, "Be Bop A Lula" reigns as one of the greatest rock tunes of all time. Vincent's other hits, "Bluejean Bop", "Dance to the Bop" and "Lotta Lovin" led to his ultimate entry in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His appeal was to the bad boys, the leather jacket crowd of the 50s, who revered James Dean. Vincent's persona can be directly credited to influencing John Lennon, Billy Idol, Robert Plant and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. (In a bit of Rock trivia, Lennon and the lads opened for Gene Vincent in the UK in 1962). Plant's rollicking "Whole Lotta Lovin" off Led Zep's first album was both a tribute and outright ripoff of the Vincent original. Idol was a direct clone of Gene Vincent, right down to the clothes and hairdo. Vincent might never have had a career in music had it not been for a severe motorcycle accident he suffered in 1955 while serving in the Navy. His leg shattered, he was forced to accept a medical discharge. For the remainder of his short life, he endured numbing pain, and limped noticeably. Tragedy struck again in 1960 when another auto accident, while on tour in the UK, severely aggravated the previous injury. This same accident claimed the life of early Rock superstar Eddie Cochran. Gene Vincent was never the same after the loss of his friend, Cochran. His once spectacular career, with appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and movie appearances in "The Girl Can't Help It" with Jayne Mansfield, faded into oblivion. He was dead by 1971 at the age of 36. Gene Vincent is long gone. But keep his legacy in mind every time you hear a raw, hard-driving, raw edged garage, punk or grunge sound, because it all started with Gene Vincent. RZ
Posted on: 11/11/2010
We've never been fans of pop music. Pop, short for popular, is essentially characterized by such acts as Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Cristina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, The Jonas Brothers, and others of that ilk. Pop artists are characterized by not writing their own material and usually do not play instruments, although the Jonas' sort of play. At the high end of this genre, would be Frank Sinatra, who was probably America's greatest pop singer. The feature of this blog however, was also a most successful pop artist, namely Michael Jackson. We could never get around Michael, sensing he was a freak from the get go. Without question, a talented entertainer and innovative dancer, we were decidedly put off by the controlling father, the freakish physical changes and the rather bizarre interest in little boys. Notwithstanding, Jackson's amazing success can not be denied. Bottom line, he sold a zillion records and had millions of fans. Never overestimate the taste of America's pop fans. Now comes a new report, equally of course in the bizarro category since it centers around MJ, that the vocals in his soon to be released new album , are not that of Michael, but rather by some sound-alike impostor. This was confirmed by mom, Katherine and father, Joseph. Now, their opinions may be somewhat compromised by Joe's obsessive interest in anything money related. But MJ's kids, son Prince Michael, daughter Paris, and youngest offspring Blanket (yes, that is the kid's name, how cute!) also have gone public with assertions that it ain't be Michael. You tend to believe that a guy's kids would be able to recognize their own father's voice. Does the concept of greed have any limitations? Obviously not. Michael's fans will gobble up the new album, coincidentally released right before Christmas. Who cares whether it's Michael singing or not. There is mucho dinero to be made, and isn't that what the yuletide spirit is all about. RZ
Posted on: 11/04/2010
It is not uncommon for the cultural abyss, now present in the USA, to score new lows in its ultimate quest to reach absolute rock bottom. After all, Billboard Magazine's number one album of the week was the product of Mr. Lil Wayne, convicted felon, who celebrated by being released today from Rikers Island jail in NYC after serving 8 months of a 1 year sentence for having a loaded gun on his tour bus in 2007. No reason I can think of that would or should derail Wayne's success. Or how about Mr. Cee Lo Green, who recently made the charts with his tune entitled, "Fuck You". (I know, some of you are saying, I do not believe this, but sadly it' s true). Rolling Stone, in its Nov. 11th issue, calls Green an original, yes that's right, an original, who's a self-proclaimed lady-killer. Of course, in inner-city neighborhoods across this great land, wide-eyed wanna bees are penning soon to be classic epics such as "Kiss My Ass" and "Blow Me". But hey, Green does have a smooth sultry voice, so his celebrity is not as mystifying as that of those individuals who are famous for nothing more than being famous. We all know the names. High on this list is the inane pea brained celeb, who we all love so much, Ms. Paris Hilton. Hilton actually recorded an album here in South Florida last year, with famed producer Scott Storch. Even Storch's prodigious talents couldn't save this abysmal effort from being the flop of the millennium. Or how about the Kardashian sisters? Just what exactly do they do? No no, having a reality show is not an acceptable answer. Kourtney is admittedly cute, with no discernible ability to do anything remotely evidencing talent, with the possible exception of getting knocked up. Another sister's claim to fame is being married to the Laker's Lamar Odom. In today's world, that appears to be enough to be a celebrity, especially if your older sister Kim, has the nation's finest booty. Now finally, there's a celebrity who justly warrants our undivided attention and adoration. The case of Snooki is even more puzzling. (Thanks so much MTV for all that you do). Her claim to fame, as a large breasted dwarf, is an endless series of arrests and court appearances for grossly boorish behavior. Even the well-documented excesses of the Roman Empire have nothing on what's going on today. Which by the way, "What's Going On Today?" is the title of the tune we are working on at this time in the studio. If we hit a roadblock, I reserve the right to change the title to "Eat Me". RZ
Posted on: 10/27/2010
Once upon a time, long long ago, in the music of that ancient time, songs contained messages of love, peace, and feeling good. There were rock 'n roll bands with names like Love, Spirit, The Youngbloods, and The Rascals. But those days are so long ago, buried in our sadly forgotten dust laden history. More recently, a new genre of noise, disguised as music surfaced. It was called gansta rap. Its proponents preached violence and hate, worshipped false idols and pledged their allegiance to the flag of greed. But this was mild and innocent compared to a new music genre which has recently surfaced. And I use the word music loosely. This new sound is called Narcocorrido. It originated in Mexico but has spread its tentacles all along the U.S. Mexican border and into American cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. Our Latin brothers and sisters are most familiar with Narcocorrido, a classic Mexican ballad, with an amped up beat, with lyrics that glorify the exploits of drug cartel kingpins. No topic is off limits. Killings, murder, beheadings, gunfights, blowing heads off, these are the usual topics of the day, along with the heroic actions of the cartel leaders. The sound has a dance beat, but fuel injected with massive doses of adrenaline. Tunes tell the stories of the Mexican drug lords, and the violent lives they inhabit until their inevitably grisly but courageous deaths. But the violence is not restricted to the subjects of Narcocorrido. According to Time Magazine, a dozen musicians of the genre have been murdered since 2006. Notwithstanding, the genre continues to grow in popularity and attracts countless numbers of new young fans daily. Watch out, be ready, consider yourself warned, Narcocorrido is coming to a neighborhood near you and soon. Geez, just when I was getting ready to write a song of love, peace and harmony. RZ
Posted on: 10/21/2010
More often than not, culture trends across the globe, begin in American high schools. When the skin head look was popular some years back, it was accompanied by an uncaring hardness and a cultural emptyness that certainly engulfed our land. The music of the time was equally empty and totally devoid of merit. But now that look seems to have virtually disappeared and been replaced by kids sporting very long hair reminiscent of what was popular 50 years ago. In my view, this is a wonderful and most positive indicator. (possibly influenced by the fact that my own hair is now half way down my back) Can a revival of great rock be soon to follow? I believe so. Consider this, the number of original bands and artists exploring the bounds of contemporary music is expanding by leaps and bounds. Most of these young artists will fail, but what's both noteworthy and important is they are out there trying. Some will succeed which will inspire others, which creates the foundation for a new era in progressive music which will sweep the nation and create cultural change in our society. There will soon be many more good bands like "Kings Of Leon" and "The Strokes" who actually play their instruments with unbridled talent and write songs full of creative spark. The revolution will be televised someone once said, and the renaissance will soon cover the net as well as the land. These will once again be exciting times in America. So parents, let your kids grow their hair long and proudly, and if it can be afforded, buy the kid a guitar. RZ
Today's New Word - Marketability
Posted on: 10/13/2010
About 6 years ago as we were just beginning to record, I became a member of TAXI, who bills itself as an independent A&R Company. For a fee, the artist submits to a listing, TAXI then provides a critique and decides whether to pass along your work for final consideration to a promoter. Frankly, my stuff then left a lot to be desired, so in retrospect it's hardly surprising that my membership was unsuccessful. However, I was introduced to a new word that TAXI's anonymous critics often used in their evaluations, ie, MARKETABILITY. This simply means, can we make money off your music in today's market. Although my early work received 7s, 8s and an occasional 9 on technical and musical merit (out of 10), my marketability scores received 4s, 5s and 6s. Anotherwords, no money to be made here. Now jumping 6 years to the present, I have concluded that the concept of marketability is the death knell and ultimate curse on the music industry which for the most part survives today on life support. Everybody has a theory why today's music business is so moribund (it means dead). Many blame this on the rise of the internet, others blame rap music, and still others fault MTV for its non-existing standards of quality. I blame the concept of marketability for the industry's demise when obviously the real standard for music should be, IS IT GOOD. The pseudo critics that work for sites like TAXI are more than likely individuals who previously held jobs in the industry. But as the pie got smaller and smaller, they were squeezed out and resorted to being anonymous reviewers of music for companies like TAXI. The decision making criteria of these former music executives can be easily compared to the performance of mutual funds in the finance sector of our economy. How so you ask. Well, the most common approach in the financial world is to bet your chips on what's hot. If it's hot this week, it'll probably be hot next week. Carrying this to the music world, if Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus are hot this week, then find me another one just like them. Notice the concept here is to chase previous results, just like in the financial world. Also notice, there's absolutely no mention of whether the music is good or not. That becomes irrelevant, of no concern. The problem with this approach is that Bieber, Cyrus, and Lady Gaga are not good. No one will be playing their stuff in 10 years yet enough 50. Even the kids who buy their stuff in groves now will eventually move on as their tastes mature. So trying to find clones of these artists, as the A&R folks inevitably do, is doomed to failure from the outset. The reason being, there's nothing good about it, even though it passes the marketability test. Why do people today still buy and play artists like Hendrix, Dylan and Pink Floyd, and so many others from 40 years ago. The reason is simple. It was good then and it's still good today. People will spend money for good. So if the people who control the music business today want to save their industry from total annihilation, then start finding artists who are good, and forget about marketability. RZ
Posted on: 10/07/2010
All of us, at one time or another, regardless of our avocation, must deal with criticism and rejection. Songwriters are no different. 2 weeks ago, after a string of nice reviews of our recent album, a critic took me to task for the quality of my lyrics. Naturally, this initially was tough to take. He seized on an opportunity to lambast the admittedly weakest tune on the album, 'Jump On My Back' to tear me a new one. Resisting the temptation to call in an airstrike or a mafia hit on this gentleman, I began to analyze what had caused this virulent response. Of course, he had made nary a comment on the quality of the singing or vocal performances, or the production values therein contained. While the music itself received some scant praise, it was overshadowed by the negative criticism. We recognize that all criticism, good or bad, is subjective. Positive reviews are just as likely to be influenced by other factors as negative ones. My advice is either to accept all of it equally or simply ignore all of it. I choose the former. Accept it, learn from it, and strive to write better lyrics. Keep in mind, from a historical perspective, that Elvis Presley received some of the most vicious criticism that any artist has ever received, which coincidentally changed upon his military service. All of a sudden he wasn't such a threat to the American way of life. Bob Dylan was also excorciated when he seemed to abandon folk music by picking up a Fender Stratocaster. This was also to abate, when Dylan made his Country album. If they can receive negative criticism so can the rest of us. We are all in good company. Besides, since the bad review, we've been fortunate to receive 2 more good ones. In the final analysis, we will endeavor to be more circumspect in the choosing of our lyrics in the hopes of one day winning over our critic. Or maybe the airstrike isn't such a bad idea after all. RZ
Posted on: 09/28/2010
There's a line from Bruce Springsteen's classic epic 'Jungleland' that reads, "the poets down here don't write nothing at all - they just stand back and let it all be" Those lyrics, written 35 years ago, are even more relevant today given our general state of affairs. Those who fancy themselves as students of music history know that the volatile events of the 60s were much influenced by the artists of that time. Musicians such as Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, John Lennon, Jefferson Airplane, Spirit, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, the Fugs, Country Joe & the Fish, Richie Havens, the Chambers Brothers, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and so many others too numerous to mention, brought a new awareness to America and changed it in the process. The events and issues of today are just as volatile. But the musicians stand back and let it all be. Rappers talk about sexual conquest and accumulation of stuff as if that's important, pop stars are equally inane with endless diatribes about how tough it is to be in high school or how being famous is such a drag. Even legitimate musicians ruse about endless love relationships as if anybody cares. I am just as guilty in this regard. My own songs describe trivial observations about past and present love affairs and the earth shaking realization of advancing years. Yawn, yawn. The reasons for this overwhelming inaction, I surmise, are because we all yearn for an escape from the realities of economic turmoil, political corruption, global warming, and all the other heavy duty cosmic issues we all face today. But where's the social commentary? Why aren't the artists saying something in an attempt to get the wheels of change moving? People feel powerless. But the musicians, poets and artists collectively do have power. So with this in mind, since I go back in the studio in a few days, my next effort will be entitled, "What's Going On Today?" This will be my attempt at social commentary. Producer Luis Salazar is once again on board, and old friend and California resident musician extraordinaire Pete Giansante will be along for the ride. As they say we shall see and hear what we shall see and hear. Wish us luck. RZ
Posted on: 09/08/2010
Confession time. We've always been a fan of American Idol. It simply makes for good TV to see the hopes and dreams of so many young unfortunate souls so utterly destroyed before a drooling audience of millions. But what about all those lucky winners who were guaranteed to achieve superstardom with the accompanying fame and fortune. Kelly Clarkson, season 1 winner, had a pretty good run for a while. Subsequent winners, Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, Jordan Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, and even the most recent winner Lee DeWyze, might now as well be invisible. Runner ups such as Bo Bice, Diana DeGarmo, Adam Lambert, David Archuleta, Crystal Bowersox, and the woefully inept Clay Aiken, seen much of them lately? Me neither. Previous winner Fantasia Barrino made news lately by admitting she tried to kill herself. This should spark her career, things being what they are these days. This all came to mind after perusing the September 16th issue of 'Rolling Stone' and their weekly feature listing Billboard's Top 40 Albums. Not a single Idol alum made the list, not even one. Oh yeah, there was Tom Petty, Brian Wilson, Carole King and James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Cat Stevens, and even Iron Maiden, but no idols. OK, idol has spawned 2 legitimate stars, namely Academy award winner Jennifer Hudson, who finished 4th and season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, who has carved out a most successful career niche in the world of country music. Of course, the combined success of all contestants is dwarfed by the success of the show and the billions in revenue made for the Fox network. What this all adds up to is the good old fashioned American exploitation of a lot of decent young kids in the name of entertainment for the masses. And these are the winners. No wonder Simon left. Pretty sad commentary. Count me out for season 10. RZ
Posted on: 09/01/2010
Every musician hopes to taste success to some degree and at some level. This might be defined as just having fun, learning to play an instrument, or possibly playing in a band. Others aspire to make a living from their musical pursuits. Many dream of fame, adoring fans, and a glorious lifestyle made possible by their skills. Few dream of having their music change the world and of those who do, even a smaller percentage actually become world changers. The list is quite small. Here is our list of the top 5. We bestow honorable mention status, without further discussion, on Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix and Prince. At no. 5 we have Elvis Presley who changed the world by being the first rock performer to be really big business. The Elvis phenomena of the 50s was initially quite controversial until the business world realized there was beaucoup money to be made. When that happened, Elvis quickly became accepted, rock 'n roll became mainstream and the world was forever changed due to its influence on young people across the globe. For no. 4, we choose George Gershwin. His unique talent spanned 2 decades, and was felt in many musical genres including pop, broadway shows, opera and classical. The Gershwin musical genius comforted a generation of Americans who had to endure a depression and a catastrophic world war. Without his effect on the American psyche, America would have been a much different place. Ask your great grandparents if they are still around. Coming in at no. 3 is Louis Armstrong who did for jazz what Elvis did for rock. It became part of American culture, changing it forever. There was no jazz before Louis Armstrong. He invented the art of popular singing. All singing today, with the possible exception of operatic, emanates from Louis Armstrong. Singing in the popular styles we know today did not exist before his presence. That changed the world. Bob Dylan is our choice for no. 2. Initially, he did for folk music what Elvis and Armstrong did for their respective genres. But much more important was Dylan's invention of the powerful protest lyric. Following in the steps of his hero Woody Guthrie, Dylan reached out, connected and influenced a whole generation of young Americans to action. The anti-war movement of the 60s can be traced back to Bob Dylan. That's the definition of a world changer. But there is one other person whose impact was even greater, so drum roll please, our choice for no. 1 is none other than John Lennon. Lennon's influence on pop culture was already established during the Beatles years, but it wildly accelerated after he left the group. Give Ms. Ono credit for that. Lennon made millions of people rethink their priorities, and caused so many to challenge established concepts. His death at age 40 had a profound effect on an extraordinary number of people. His recording of "Imagine" is the single greatest influential musical composition of all time. He was the ultimate world changer. RZ
Posted on: 08/25/2010
All of us are born with urges, the 2 most powerful probably being the urge to eat and the urge to have sex. These are part of our DNA and are the result of thousands of years of evolution. Other urges such as the desire to have money or power are not physical in nature, but rather learned as each of us makes his or her way in the world we live in. Those competitive urges are not natural, but rather the result of adaptive behavior. I would suggest there is another natural urge that most of us manage to suppress for most if not all of our lives. Of course, this is the urge to create. This urge is also in the DNA and can be traced back to the beginning of man. Prehistoric humans painted and carved on the walls of caves because of this creative urge. It is within each of us, but so few venture out to explore this urge. It's common to hear someone say, "I can't sing or I can't dance or I can't play an instrument", when the real reason is they simply never tried. It may be they never had the time, being too busy with the daily routine of life. In my own case, I felt that I lacked the talent to do music coupled with a busy time-occupying career. But then 7 years ago, I retired from my legal career, adamant about seriously giving music a shot. I had the creative urge. Of course, it was always there, just like it's always there in all of us. I overcame the first hurdle, the fear of failure. That fear stifles our acting on the creative urge. Slowly I began to make progress, painstakingly at first. But I began to learn how to sing through a process of trial and error. People assume I always could sing, but that is simply not true. I followed the creative urge and continue to do so to this day. I will be a better singer tomorrow than I am today. The same goes with guitar. Follow your creative urge. It is much more powerful than you can ever imagine and will enrich your life in a manner that even food and sex can not match. When I listen to other musicians, the first thing I do is evaluate the level of creativity. Is it just a copy of someone else's creativity. That's my beef with hip-hop, rap and urban. Where is the creativity? Most musicians I meet find a comfort zone covering other people's work, reluctant to follow the creative urge. These are the reasons I have always been fascinated with Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Robert Johnson, Mahalia Jackson, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Jimi Hendrix. Each one of those epitomizes originality and creativity at the highest level. Few if any of us will reach those levels, but each one of us has the same powerful creative urge that they possessed. Follow that urge and you just might surprise yourself. RZ
Posted on: 08/17/2010
In the blog, we recently asked the question, 'Is Rap Dead'? What I thought was a well written masterpiece, generated a grand total of one, yes a total of one, response from an individual whose email identified himself as Dangerous David, who accused yours truly of hating the entire genre of rap, hip-hop and urban music. Not so fast Mr. DD. In this week's blog we discuss the diamond in the rough. A slice of absolute genius that was issued in 1992 and presented by the GETO BOYS. Before I discuss their classic original of "My Mind Playing Tricks On Me", a word about the cover of this CD. The photo depicts 3 bizarre looking young men, one of whom appears to be vertically challenged (a midget for all you intellectually challenged readers) seated behind a table, filled with stacks and stacks of currency and a money counting machine usually favored by drug dealers. One of the 3 men holds what appears to be a sawed off, pump action shotgun, also traditionally preferred by those who do their business outside of customary legal guidelines. Who would have thought that this album would contain one of the most riveting, captivating, and entertaining lyrical masterpieces I have ever encountered. Yes it's true, "...Playing Tricks..." takes you inside the minds of our 3 inner city capitalists in such incisive fashion, that you the listener, really begin to understand what life must be like for our 'heroes' on a daily basis. It is not a pretty picture. But the GETO BOYS paint this picture brilliantly, warts and all, in a no holds barred fashion. Their success in doing so transforms their rants into art, without qualification. Here's a sampling of some of their lyrics. (which by the way are articulated with uncommon clarity) "four walls closing in - getting bigger, I'm paranoid and sleeping, finger on the trigger. late at nite, something ain't right, thought he had cane, but it was gold medal flour. here they come, just like I figured. I got my hand on a gold plated trigger. day by day - it's hard to cope. I feel like I'm the one doing dope. I often drift when I drive - having fatal thoughts of suicide." These jarring, hard as nails lyrics are accompanied by an almost trance inducing rhythmic beat that is both hypnotic and difficult to excise from one's mind. Add it all up and you are left with one inescapable conclusion. They may not be nice boys, but the sounds of "My Mind Playing Tricks On Me" succeed on many different levels, and that my friends is the definition of art. Ric Zweig
Posted on: 08/11/2010
Can you answer the question for this week's blog, what one person is most responsible for the creation of "The Beatles' sound? Was it John, or maybe Paul, George, or Ringo? How about manager Brian Epstein? Or maybe producer extraordinaire George Martin? How about none of the above? Are you stumped yet? The answer is and was a young man from Lubbock, Texas, yes Buddy Holly. OK you say, where's the proof of such a bold assertion. Well here it is, in 1958 about 7 months before Holly's death, he recorded an obscure song called "Heartbeat". Few know this tune. It never became a hit for Holly like so many of his recordings, but a young lad in Liverpool, Great Britain, John Lennon of course, was spellbound over this tune. "Heartbeat" was the absolute foundation for the Beatles sound. When you listen to "Heartbeat" (it can usually be found on collections of Holly's greatest hits) the listener will be shocked by how identical the sounds and rhythms are to the Beatles' early hits of the 60s. In fact, the entire 'British Invasion' which was soon to follow, was recycled Buddy Holly music. It is not a coincidence that John gave his group the moniker that he did. The name Beatles was John paying homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Throughout John's career in interviews, he always gave credit to Holly who died at age 22, as his main inspiration. RZ
Posted on: 08/06/2010
Wow, 2 more fabulous reviews came in today for our CD "Running Out Of Time". This is sweet vindication for us and must be a bitter pill to swallow for those so-called legal 'friends' who poo pooed our musical career some years ago. Check them both out for yourself at www.skopemag.com and www.musicemissions.com. But a hearty thank you to all those who have supported these efforts and the American Cancer Society as well. RZ
"Running Out Of Time" CD Review
Posted on: 08/04/2010
We usually don't use the blog to blow our own horn, but we did read the following review today at www.indiemusicdigest.com written by Cyrus Rhodes. "The music itself is an impressive blend of progressive rock with a slight 70's aftertaste with perhaps a splash of passionate folk. Zweig's voice fills the sonic space peacefully & unobtrusively & is full of passion. You will also catch brilliant flashes of bold honesty & a slight vulnerability in the music & lyrical content that simply can't be faked... "Running Out Of Time" from Ric Zweig is a compelling catalogue of music... The strong suit of this CD is the bold & painfully honest writing style of Ric Zweig. I really admire artists out there that are themselves & just let the chips fall where they may. Zweig is one of these brave artists. It's a rare find to get this kind of snapshot or perspective from an artist. Praise goes out to the ones that are brave enough to show us what's beneath their veil of vanity... Zweig really makes the (singer to listener) vocal connection with his singing, songwriting & words & melodies that cut like a knife... Everything you would expect from a classic rock statement." We've taken the liberty not to reprint all of Mr. Rhodes' critique of my vocal style which was not particularly favorable, but all in all, we have to be mighty pleased and express sincere appreciation to Indie Music Digest and Cyrus Rhodes. RZ
Posted on: 08/01/2010
In this week's blog we pose the question of how important luck is in determining who achieves success in the world of music. It would be nice if sheer talent and hard work were the ingredients that ultimately translated to financial success and the fame that accompanies it. But reality suggests otherwise. There are scores of examples of mediocre players having the good fortune of being in the right band at the right time. I'll resist the temptation of naming a few. More illustrative of the fickle finger of fate are stories of 2 brilliant musicians who, as of yet, have not had the good fortune to achieve the success they truly deserve. First, Otis Taylor, a blues guitarist singer/songwriter born in Chicago around 1948. Despite his obvious genius, Taylor spent much of his adult life working as an antiques dealer. Go to the web and check out Otis Taylor and then listen to his incredible recording of "My Soul's In Louisiana". Then please explain to me why he is not a star. Secondly, the case of Robert Ward, another blues guitarist singer/songwriter born in Georgia in 1938. Back in the day, Ward backed up Wilson Pickett. But hardly a star was Robert Ward. Once again, go the web and locate and listen to his unique genius in his original recording of "Your Love Is Amazing". I found this cut on a compilation CD at the 'House Of Blues' in Las Vegas. Robert Ward was 70 years of age when he passed away on Christmas day in 2008. If anyone deserved a shot at the big time, it had to be Robert Ward. He and Taylor were and are exceptionally gifted musicians, but the element of luck did not bless their careers in terms of popular mass acceptance. Ward, a wise introspective and religious man, addressed this issue in his 10 minute blues masterpiece, "Whatever I Receive" from his 'New Role Soul' CD, with these lyrics: "It might be mighty small you all, but I always try to say, I thank you Lord. It might be just a little grit, I thank you Lord for just a little bit. It might be small as a grain of sand, the blessing is to have it in your hand". And that sums it up so perfectly why so many of us play music, not for fame, not for money, but for the blessing to have it in your hand. Ric Zweig
Posted on: 07/24/2010
This week we ask the question, who is most responsible for creating and bringing to the planet our beloved rock 'n roll? The first name that pops into our head is Elvis Presley. The Elvis phenomena exploded onto the landscape in 1956 with amazing suddenness. It certainly would be fair to characterize Elvis as Rock's first great vocalist. But he did not invent it. The Elvis sound was created by a blend of his gospel country roots stirred violently by Scotty Moore's innovative guitar licks. Elvis didn't write songs or play guitar in his early stardom. His fame was achieved in part by covering other performers' tunes. Examples would be "Long Tall Sally" and "Rip It Up" written by Richard Penniman, more well known as Little Richard and "Blue Suede Shoes" penned by Carl Perkins. So Elvis as the creator is out. How about Bill Haley? Haley and his large ensemble group, The Comets, preceded Elvis and had a monster hit with "Rock Around The Clock" in 1955. Haley might have planted the seed for the genre of Rock, but he hardly deserves credit for its invention. Back to Little Richard, but he played piano. Rock as we know it, is rooted in the electric guitar. So we can't credit Little Richard or for that matter, Jerry Lee Lewis, whose piano playing antics and hard driving sound pushed the envelope significantly. Fats Domino has to be considered as well, but again his New Orleans sound was piano driven. Muddy Waters played electric guitar and he preceded all of the above, but his genre was blues along with guys like Jimmy Reed and Howlin' Wolf, who deserve much credit for influencing what was to come, but in my view, can't be given credit for Rock's invention. Who then? I will suggest 2 names. First Buddy Holly. Holly wrote his own material which for a white artist was unheard of at the time. He sang lead and played both rhythm and lead guitar using a Fender Strat guitar. This was totally unprecedented. He also created the modern rock ensemble of drums, bass, guitar and vocals. It's taken for granted today by every garage band in the world, but Buddy was the first to do this. Holly was a prolific songwriter who did his own arranging and produced his own music. No artist, black or white, did this before Buddy Holly. So the argument for Buddy Holly seems pretty strong except for one other guy. That would be, drum roll please, Chuck Berry who gets my nod as the artist most responsible for the invention of Rock. Berry played a hollow-body Gibson guitar and invented a style of playing that has literally influenced tens of thousands of guitar players. He wrote and sang all his own tunes and said it best in his break-thru crossover hit "Schooldays" with the lyric, 'rock rock rock 'n roll, never become the days of old'. Without Chuck Berry, the landscape looks a whole lot different today. OK, who did I leave out? Let me know. Be well. RZ
Is Rap Dead Or Who Says There's No Good News
Posted on: 07/19/2010
As Fats Domino once said, "Ain't That a Shame" in regard to rapper T-Pain's lament that sales are so bad these days that he's considering not releasing any more albums. First of all if the esteemed Mr. Pain was a true artist the profit motive would be the least controlling factor in whether to release more albums. Real artists paint, sculpt, create film or music, not in response to profit incentive, but rather as a need for creative expression. Ah, but maybe Mr. Pain is on to something. Could it be that the genres of rap, gangsta rap, and urban are not forms of creative expression at all, but rather expression only in its simplest form. If this be the case, kudos and props to the millions of black kids, and the white kids who emulate them, for having grown weary of this form of expression and have simply stopped spending their cash on Pain and his cohorts. How could this be? Does this mean that artificial rhythm beats created by machines whose verbal message includes violence and hate, the accumulation of bling, the humiliation of women whose image is reduced to shaking booties (all right, I'll admit I sort of like the shaking booties) anti-semitism, anti-police, and anti-white has finally lost its appeal? Have our kids actually figured out that art forms are supposed to evolve over time as opposed to the same old tired and repetitious ad nauseum message that never strays from the original? If the answer is yes, and the trend appears to be in this direction, this may mark a turning point in our nation far more significant than at first glance. A nation responds to its art. The history of the 60s and 70s accurately proves this point. If rappers can't sell their noise, they will be replaced by artists who have something to say and actually play musical instruments. People will respond and be moved to action. The times once again will be a changin', and that can only be good. And the great and glorious African-American artists of yesteryear like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Billie Holliday, Mahalia Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, and of course James Brown will finally be able to rest in peace. Well, that's my point of view. Any responses out there? RZ
Posted on: 07/05/2010
For the last 30 years, British rocker Brian Johnson has been the lead singer for the giant success band AC/DC. But for 6 years before Johnson, AC/DC was led by a singer/songwriter who 'Classic Rock Magazine' voted the greatest frontman of all time. I know what you're saying. How about Robert Plant or Freddie Mercury or Mick Jagger or Bono? Sorry, but I'll take Ronald Belford Scott, who achieved fame from 1974 to 1980 for AC/DC as Bon Scott. Anyone who has actually seen Scott perform either live or on video is likely to agree. No one in the history of rock singers could match Bon Scott's combination of vocal power, range, and sheer animal magnetism. Scott achieved every thing a young lad could dream of, success, money, fame, women and never-ending admiration from millions of rock fans. The world was Bon Scott's oyster. But Scott had a weakness. He liked to drink. Not a little, but a lot. The year was 1980. The band was in London, putting the final touches on their soon to be released blockbuster, coincidently entitled "Highway To Hell". On February 19th, after a long night of monsterous consumption of booze, Scott fell asleep in the back of a car. Some theorized the engine was running when Scott passed out. He never awoke. The London coroner in his official report characterized the incident as 'death by misadventure'. It was only a few weeks after Scott had written and recorded "Highway To Hell". Bon Scott was 33. After Scott's death, AC/DC with Johnson now singing lead, released "Back In Black", a tribute to their fallen frontman. Ultimately, it went on to become the second best selling album in history behind only, you guessed it, "Dark Side Of The Moon". Bon Scott missed the party. Death by misadventure.
Our Lives Can Change On a Dime
Posted on: 06/27/2010
The inspiration for this week's blog is life on Planet Earth in late June, 2010. A world deep in tragedy that makes it increasingly difficult to carve out a small slice of individual peace. Wars, climate, oil on our beaches, bad economy - are realities that rob us of piece of mind and challenge us to seek a better life. Music is one of the escapes we can all enjoy. Over the last 50 years, the music world has seen its share of tragedy. Premature passings of great talent rob us of the gifts these artists would have bestowed on the world. Everyone knows the list. Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Redding, Elvis, Holly, Lennon and so many others who passed before their time. Today, I will begin 2 other stories that you may not be familiar with, filled with both irony and tragedy. The time is the middle 60s, the place is Great Britain. A young lad blessed with prodigious music ability sets out to make his mark in the music world. He had no interest in being like the "Beatles" or the "Stones" or "Gerry & The Pacemakers" or the "Dave Clark Five". The blues inspired music of the "Yardbirds" and so many others held no fascination for him. He wanted to create a new genre of music that would be innovative, groundbreaking, and most of all intellectual. His name was Syd Barrett. With his talented bandmates, he quickly succeeded in his quest. The critics and the fans could not get enough of this young genius, who wrote all the music and lyrics, and sang lead for the group. He was compared to a modern day Mozart or Beethoven. But then a strange thing happened. Syd Barrett became severely mentally ill to such an extent that he was unable to function in any normal capacity. The group was on the brink of international stardom. Work had just begun on an album that would change the landscape of rock 'n roll. Two lesser musicians in the group rose to the occasion, warmed to the task and ultimately created the most successful album in history. Of course, the album was "Dark Side Of The Moon". The band, created by Syd Barrett, was "Pink Floyd". But Syd was completely oblivious to any of this. And so he remained until finally passing away at age 50. To the credit of David Gilmour and Roger Waters, royalties were paid to Syd until his death. After the success of "Dark Side" the band entitled its next effort, "Wish You Were Here" dedicating the album in its entirety to Syd Barrett. Part 2 of "Our Lives Can change On a Dime" will continue next week.
7 Best Guitar Solos Of All Time
Posted on: 06/23/2010
In this week's blog we share our opinion of the 7 most mind-blowing guitar solos of all time. Coming in at number 7 is BB King's sweet effort in "The Thrill Is Gone". Frankly, I've always been more of a fan of Freddie King and Albert King, but BB had his game on for this big commercial hit. At number 6 we have Dave Mason of "Traffic" fame with his searing pyrotechnics on Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower". Many have covered this tune but Mr. Mason exceeds all others. At number 5 we have Eddie Van Halen with his giant commercial hit "Jump". Ever heard anybody try to cover this guitar solo. Me neither. It's short but totally off the chart. Number 4 is a local player by the name of David Lagnado who used to play with "The Oski Foundation". Those of you who have hung out at Tobacco Road on fridays know Oski as the DJ there. In 2004, Oski and the boys recorded an original masterpiece called "Box". You can find this tune for free at myspace.com/oskifoundation. David's 45 second solo is what taste is all about. Number 3 is Van Morrison, yes I said Van Morrison, with his sultry acoustic 50 second hypnotizer on "Hymns To The Silence". I can listen to this a thousand times and still never get enough. Number 2 is the legendary Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits frontman on their classic "Sultan Of Swing". No words here, just listen. And number one, drum roll please, is the amazing Scotty Moore. Many of you are now saying, who's Scotty Moore. SM played lead guitar on all of Elvis' early R&B classic hits. The reason he is number 1 is that Scotty didn't copy, imitate, emulate or be inspired by other players. No, Scotty Moore invented and played, for the first time, all those great rock 'n roll licks that we all take for granted. He was the Da Vinci, the Ben Franklin, the Edison of guitar players. The ultimate innovator. Check his work out on Elvis' classic of "My Baby Left Me". That's my opinion, but hey opinions are like rear ends. Everybody's got one. What's yours?
Posted on: 06/17/2010
All of us have artistic influences dependent on a myriad of circumstances. When I was younger attending Ithaca College in good old Ithaca, N.Y., my biggest literary influence was the German writer Hermann Hesse, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1947. As my focus shifted to music, my influences as a musician centered on songwriters and guitar players. Hendrix of course, Mark Knopfler, Robbie Robertson, Roy Buchanan, Lightnin' Hopkins, and of the modern day players, John Mayer stands out. But the influences that probably shaped my own music were, have been, and continue to be, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. Dylan took the art of lyric writing to a never seen before level. Not blessed with a great natural singing voice, the simplistic power of Dylan's lyrics overwhelmed the listener. He left the listener with the impression, that he Dylan, had more insight into our world than any other artist with the possible exception of John Lennon. I've tried to analyze why he was so effective in communicating his message. One thing stands out. He was perfect in enunciating his words so you did not have to wonder what he just said. And just as you tried to digest one message, out came another even more cosmic in nature. I try in my own recordings to make the lyrics understandable, taking a lesson from Dylan. With Van Morrison, it is a combination of powerful lyrics with rich musical melody, delivered with a soulful voice that no other white artist can match. Morrison's genius does not lend itself to my trying to write about it. Instead, pick up his 1993 CD "The Best of Van Morrison Volume Two". There are 3 works of art here that never get played on radio and most of you will be unfamiliar with. First track number 5 entitled "A Sense Of Wonder", secondly track number l4 entitled "Hymns To The Silence" which is an almost 10 minute signature Morrison tune, but the real stroke of genius here is track number 9, which is a live recording of Morrison's poem, "Rave On". Let me know what you think. One final observation, there is another American songwriter who would have had the impact of Dylan and Morrison, had his life not been tragically cut short at age 21, namely Buddy Holly. Love feedback, let's hear your opinion.
