Epistle to Dippy- Donovan

As we float into spring, let us take a psychedelic journey with Donovan, 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee...Now where did I put my crystal spectacles?

Look on yonder misty mountain
See the young monk meditating rhododendron forest
Over dusty years, I ask you
What's it been like being you ?
Through all levels you've been changing
Getting a little bit better no doubt,
The doctor bit was so far out.
Looking through crystal spectacles,
I can see I had your fun.
Doing us paperback reader
Made the teacher suspicious about insanity,
Fingers always touching girl.
Through all levels you've been changing
Getting a little bit better no doubt,
The doctor bit was so far out.
Looking through all kinds of windows
I can see I had your fun.
Looking through all kinds of windows
( From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/d/donovan-lyrics/epistle-to-dippy-lyrics.html )
I can see I had your fun.
Looking through crystal spectacles
I can see I had your fun.
Looking through crystal spectacles
I can see I had your fun.
Rebelling against society,
Such a tiny speculating whether to be a hip or
Skip along quite merrily.
Through all levels you've been changing
Elevator in the brain hotel
Broken down a-just as well-a
Looking through crystal spectacles,
Ah, I can see I had your fun.
Dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum
Dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum
Dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum
Dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum
Dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum

The Philly-soul of Daryl Hall and John Oates resided on the top 40 for a solid run in the 1970's and 1980's. Growing up in the the suburbs of Philadelphia, I always had a fondness for the duo's pop and soul music. I saw Hall & Oates at The Tower Theater in 1976 and again at the Live Aid concert in 1985 at JFK Stadium.

A few years ago, I discovered the musical jackpot known as LiveFromDarylshouse.com (LFDH.COM). On the 15th of each month, Daryl posts a new web-based show featuring a potent mix of Daryl's soulful vocals, a tight house band and a diverse roster of musical guests. The musical guests range from veteran musical legends to emerging artists with soulful roots.

Gone are the days when top 40 radio was the dominant source for delivering music to the masses. For those aging music fans who struggle to  relate to what exists today as top 40 music, check out Daryl's House. LFDH has a laid-back vibe where the viewer feels like a welcome guest invited over to chill and listen to some good music.    good times!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Are we the last ones left alive?
Are we the only human beings to survive?

A little post- apocalyptic jam from the Canadian trio, Rush

I was introduced to Rush by my friend Rich back in the late 70's/early 80's. My Rush indoctrination consisted of listening to "Working Man" many times in the green van. The music was futuristic, complex and way ahead of it's time.The two featured videos come from the 1984 album, Grace Under Pressure. After all these years.  I keep coming back to these two songs and they still sound like a hypnotic soundtrack to a science fiction fantasy.

All that we can do is just survive
All that we can do to help ourselves is stay alive

After decades of various splinter-groups, the surviving members of the original Beach Boys are regrouping, recording and hitting the road for a 2012 tour. My rejuvenated Beach Boys obsession blossomed in the early 2000's when my friend Rick introduced me to the then-unreleased Smile Sessions from 1966. Like most pop music fans, I was well aware of the classic Beach Boys hits from the 60's  but there was so much more to discover!

 The bizarre fragments from The Smile Sessions lead me to the Beach Boys underrated 70's catalog, Brian Wilson's solo work and the forgotten gem by Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue. Their angelic harmonies and summer vibrations transformed the Beach Boys music into timeless musical treasures. And the journey continues....

 Smoke- My Friend Jack

Long before blogs and digital downloads, my musical world was dominated by Elton John albums. Elton was my first rock and roll hero. When I decided to start my own album collection, my first purchase was Honky Chateau. In 1974, I went to my first concert at The Spectrum in Philadelphia (Kiki Dee opened for Elton!). Elton John was larger than life to me at that point and he dominated the music scene for a good slice of the 70's. I went to see the movie, Tommy, in 1975 just to see Elton as the Pinball Wizard (the rest of the movie blew my young mind!).

Elton John's music has been a vital part of the soundtrack of my life for over 40 years .Me and my wife danced to Your Song at our wedding in 1984. I sang along with my daughters to the songs from  The Lion King and I had the honor of see Elton live in concert with both of my daughters as they became young adults.
Reginald Kenneth Dwight ...   Thank you for the music!

 

A Dose of 80's Techno...

Things changed with Top 40 music in the early 80's. MTV provided a new outlet to discover the emerging techno-sounds. The music was filled with synthesizers and drum machines yet the music could be hypnotic, creative and addictive when associated with an abstract music video.The later it was in the evening, the more bizarre the videos became...remember when MTV was influential and actually played videos??

Springsteen is back. Tuesday is new release day and Bruce has checked in with new studio material, "Wrecking Ball". I saw Bruce and The E-Street Band in Charlotte in 2009 during what I thought was a farewell run. Bruce and the band performed complete classic albums live. When Clarence Clemons passed away in 2011, it felt like the end of an era for Springsteen fans.......not so fast...!

After impressive live performances on Jimmy Fallon last week, Bruce and The E-Street Band are back and heading back out on tour. Good for them!...Why give it up as long as you are enjoying it and the fans dig it too??

Rock On!

Label the unlabelled CD

I obsessively make mix CD’s..more than I could ever listen to in one lifetime. I have a bad habit of not labeling the contents of most of my mix CD’s, at best, I usually mark the month and year that I burned the disc. Then the CD eventually lands in my closet with a thousand or more friends.

One of my favorite musical thrills is to grab a random unlabelled CD and try to label it..months or years after I first burned the disc. It is a journey that is sometimes filled with confusion  (WT* is this?), but mostly it is a magical journey of rediscovery. As part of my daily routine, I  attempt to identify a few songs on a random, unlabelled mix CD as I get ready for work. Some mornings, things work out and just the right song can put a smile on my face as I head out to face the evils of the workplace.

This morning, Mr. Zevon came up big for me. I love the joyous sing-along chorus at the end:

And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Obviously, not a good tune for the kids, or the grandparents…ahh…actually you better listen to this alone…in the dark….You should be ashamed of yourself!

1976 Warren Zevon- Carmelita

I hear Mariachi static on my radio
And the tubes they glow in the dark
And I'm there with her in Ensenada
And I'm here in Echo Park

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Well, I'm sittin' here playing solitaire
With my pearl-handled deck
The county won't give me no more methadone
And they cut off your welfare check

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Well, I pawned my Smith Corona
And I went to meet my man
He hangs out down on Alvarado Street
By the Pioneer chicken stand

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin
On the outskirts of town

Carmelita hold me tighter
I think I'm sinking down
And I'm all strung out on heroin

Davy Jones!...This one really hurt....a shocking dose of reality for those who grew up with The Monkees. We are all getting older along with our musical heroes. To me, Davy Jones will always be about positive energy, teen idols, being nice to Marsha Brady and good pop music. I have nothing but positive memories regarding Davy. We will miss you!

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...I'm so glad you could attend..come inside..come inside (ELP- Karn Evil#9)

This is a work in progress that I hope will consist of music and wacky hijnks..log in, turn on.....

Hello, help yourself to some slices

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