Jake Shimabukuro

Jake Shimabukuro "Gently Weeps" Live

Any Road...

"If you don't know where you're going... any road will take you there"

George Harrison

"Any Road" George Harrison



Abbey Road

Nothing much else to say about this ol' road that hasn't already been said... except that I crossed it (many times) back in '95.

That was a huge deal to me then... and even now. Look forward to going back there again someday in the future with the fam...



Bill Connors - Step It

Boy, this album is so rare and hard to find these days but back in '84 it was a very well-loved and influential album for me! I believe it was my good friend Will who introduced me to it and I just remember living it, breathing it, learning it, disecting it, and (especially) loving it! I had never heard of any of these musicians before this album but nowadays you are bound to hear Dave Weckl's name quite a bit. Bill, I found out later, had been with Chick Correa in Return To Forever, and I got into those albums through this and because of this album, and I even have enjoyed a lot of Bill's music since this album. But, for me, this album still stands out as the quintessential Bill Connors album. Is it because there are memories now strongly attached to it? Could be, but I knew it was pretty special back in '84. Bill was (and is) compared a lot to Allan Holdsworth and, while the two might sounds very similar, I also find their styles to be quite different, too. I could tell them apart if given a listening exam. Pretty sure about that. Dave's drumming on this album is spectacular, in my opinion, and his laid back yet adventurous approach is really attractive. Tom Kennedy is someone who's name I (unfortunately) don't hear much about these days but, man, on this album, that guy was just amazing! The three of them really connected and created some really magical moments on this album. Did they ever tour together for this album, I wonder, or was it just a one-off? I know I have never come across any other recorded work with the three of them as a unit, and that's a shame. Wonder why. What we do have, thankfully, is the album Step It and here, for your listening pleasure, is the title track! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX7F3n8kuOA (Bill Connors "Step It")



Happy Thanksgiving!



Over the river, and through the wood,

To Grandfather's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood—

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,

To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood

Trot fast, my dapple-gray!

Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood—

And straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood—

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

City Of Fear

I did not know about this band at all until I saw them open up for Rush on the Moving Pictures tour. My friend Will and I both thought it might actually be Rush on the stage when in fact it was this other Canadian trio, FM. They had a lead singer with long dark hair who resembled Geddy Lee and also played keyboards and bass, a guitarist who looked a lot like Alex Lifeson (but then stunned us when he came out with an electric violin!), and an incredible drummer who played as meticulously as Neil Peart, yet had his own style, too!

I definitely remember a few of the songs they played that night- the very catchy original "Up To You" and the cover of the Yardbirds song, "Shapes of Things." They also might've played "Surface To Air," "Rocket Roll," and "Phasor's On Stun," but I couldn't bet money on it. Man, what I would give for a bootleg recording of that concert or any other where they opened for Rush on that tour! For now, though, I'll just have to rely on my memories. I know that for many days after I went on a hunt to every store that sold music (albums, of course, as this was 1980) and FINALLY found an FM album (in the CUT-OUT bin, too!!!) at, of all places, Woolworth's in Groton, CT! It was the album "City Of Fear" and I remember staring at at like I'd just found a buried treasure! And I had! 

I couldn't wait to get the album home and start listening to it! It was a gatefold cover and I remember just trying to absorb it all as I listened to all of the music. I remember my first reaction to the album was that it was very cold sounding and almost robotic, but... so incredibly interesting. I loved how inside the gatefold the lyrics were all there (not always my favorite part of FM; Cameron Hawkins was not, after all, Neal Peart!) and, more surprisingly, all of the instruments that all three members played! It wasn't your typical- vocals, guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. For each member, we saw not only what instruments they played, but also what makes and models, for the most part! It was so... different! And, to this young teen, so very cool!

But most shocking of all? There was no GUITAR- electric or otherwise! All of the electric guitar 'sounds' were either created by an electric or acoustic mandolin or violin! I was dumbstruck! And doubtful! I thought there must be a mistake because live he had played an electric guitar for most of the set and the electric violin almost seemed like a... neat novelty or something, like a nice break or change, much like when a band in the 90s did an "unplugged" set in there show somewhere. But it was understandable because it DID sound very different from an electric guitar! Seriously, I had musician friends who didn't believe me, even when I showed them how it was written in the album! They thought it HAD to be an electric guitar! I mean, what was it then that came crashing in on the title track at 34 seconds into the song's intro? Hear for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB23ydTn9jQ (City Of Fear - FM)

Yes, Ben Mink played electric and acoustic mandolins and violins or, more specifically, a 5 string "bent" mandolin (electric), 5 string "Violite" (electric violin), 5 string viola (acoustic), and a 1912 "The Gibson" mandolin (acoustic), all through Fender amplification! I believe he sang backups, too! Cameron Hawkins, besides supplying all of the lyrics and lead vocals, played bass and keybaords or, more spcifically, Mutron and Electro-Harmonix FX pedals, 9.95, Prophet 5, Minimoog, Moog Taurus pedals, ELKA (synthesizer), Yamaha grand (piano), Rickenbacker bass, Polyfusion sequencer,Larry's Moog 15 (modular synthesizer), and Mellotron! Martin Deller played drums and percussion or, more specifically, Gretsch drums, Zildian and Paiste cymbals, glockenspiel, Moog percussion controller with Minimoog, PAiA programmable drum synthesizer, and tympani! Like I said, pretty interesting, to say the very least!

The amazing thing for me about this album is that it has grown more beautiful with age and I think it is truly a lost gem. It is an album that could've been (and should've been!) huge for the band. I enjoy listening to all of these songs now more than ever, even my least favorite track, "Riding The Thunder." (It always sounded so cheesy and un-FM-like to me). However, the album as a whole is very enjoyable to listen to, starting with the haunting "Krakow" and ending up with the sorrowful piano ballad, "Nobody At All." My favorite track is still "Up To You," with the title track placing a close second! Previous albums ("Black Noise" with Nash The Slash on violin/mandolin, "Direct To Disc/Head Room," and "Surveillance") were wonderful but this album, the last with Ben Mink (mandolin/violin/guitar), is FM's high point as well as their last great offering. Consider yourself fortunate if you somehow chance to stumble across it. It is a real find.

Back In Black

I remember watching Don Kirshner's Rock Concert sometime in 1980 when Ted Nugent introduced this new band, AC/DC, as some friends from down under! I remember not expecting much and maybe even wanting to leave the room, but so SO glad I didn't do that. I was absolutely blown away! Much like folks who must have been glued to their seats when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, I was excited by what I was hearing and seeing and I instantly became a fan of the band. I think there were four videos of the band in total that evening, with two up first and then another two later after a commercial break or something. I want to say that it was definitely the songs, "Hell's Bells," "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Back In Black,"and, perhaps the one that hooked me the most, "What Do You Do For Money, Honey?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqweaZNZ3_E (What Do You Do For Money, Honey)

I promptly went out the next day and picked up this album and then proceeded to pick up all of the older releases with Bon Scott as their vocalist, too!

Rush - Permanent Waves

On January 1, 1980, Rush released Permanent Waves:



My older brother Nate had introduced me to the band with classic albums such as 2112, Fly By Night and All The World's A Stage. When this album came out, I was 13 years old and really getting interested in not only listening to exciting new music but also performing it, alone and with various musicians in various band lineups. I clearly remember my friend Will and I listening to this album a lot and discussing the creation of it, the production, the awesome playing on it- Alex Lifeson's energetic fret work (we were both guitarists), Neal Peart's amazing chops on the drums (no one played like him back then AT all! NO ONE!), and Geddy Lee's incredible bass playing and unbelievable vocals (no one sounded like him AT all!).

What was so attractive about the album was the band's fearlessness in their playing and writing. That was even reflected in many of the songs' lyrics, but most especially in "The Spirit of Radio." Not only were they not afraid to be different, they reveled in it and didn't seem to be too interested in just crafting a "single." The lyrics spoke of "integrity" and that was very appealing to this young teen who wanted musical heroes to look up to and emulate. The music was indeed technical but it was also very radical and rebellious in its own special way.

Will and I (and another friend Jeff) went and saw Rush on this tour of their album Permanent Waves. It was my very first rock concert (Will's too, I believe, but not sure about Jeff's), and, aside from drunk people (including Jeff, who threw up on the guy in front of us!) and the strong smell of pot throughout the venue, the concert was exciting and a lot of fun! The concert was on Tuesday, May 20th, 1980, at the New Haven Coliseum in CT. The band opened with the "2112" overture and then went right into "The Temple of Syrinx."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QweELF7Sp0k(The Temples of Syrinx 1980)

The band played a lot of great songs that I was familiar with, including "Cygnus X-1" from an album I had purchased recently, "A Farewell To Kings." When the band finally got around to playing the lead off track off of their newest album, the crowd went crazy, as did I!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWLdeXbbfoA (The Spirit of Radio Live 1980)

It was a great first concert for this young lad! I would eventually see them more than any other band (to this date), having last seen them when I worked as an usher at Great Woods/Tweeter Center/Comcast Center a few years ago.

The Beatles on iTunes?

So, The Beatles are now on iTunes, as of this week, and, being a huge fan of the fab four, I am one of the ecstatic ones. I, of course, already own everything by the group, including books and other artifacts besides the recordings. Nevertheless, this is huge because it allows others who are just discovering the band to listen to snippets of songs and purchase only what they want. While some might argue that The Beatles are not to be listened to in this manner and that listeners should be buying the whole albums, this is just not reality nor the world we live in today.

We live in a digital age where attention spans are shorter and people are less likely to relax, kick back, and listen to a whole album (i.e. side one of a record followed by side two!) these days. For those who long for the days of yesteryear, this has been happening for sometime now, right? I mean, it used to be that to listen to music you had to attend an event at a particular time and there was no option for stopping, pausing, or skipping through any of the music. Fast forward to the advent of the radio and the family gatherings around it, and folks were still at the mercy of the music programmers and only had the option of tuning in or tuning out.

I'm sure there could have been some folks many years ago who might have grumbled about the invention of the phonograph record and wanted only to attend live events or gather in their living rooms to listen to the radio for their musical entertainment. Personally, though, I don't want to live in the past. I might want to visit it every now and then, but I'd much rather live in the present and look ahead to the technological advancements that await us all in the future.

Testing! Testing! 1, 2, 3... Testing!

Howdy, friends!

Just testing out my brand new blog I created for the sole purpose of pontificating profusely and making much ado about... Music! I hope you enjoy and come back to visit often to read what I have to say about music in its many forms and what others have to say about what I have to say! Sounds like a whole lotta fun, no?

Happy reading!

Jamie ;-)