Sean Levert Died Of Unknown Cause

R and B singer Sean Levert, 39, died in the Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland late Sunday due to an unknown illness. Sean Levert was a memner of the Levert trio who reached commercial success in the 80s partly due to their songs Casanova and (Pop, pop, pop) Goes My Mind. He is scheduled for autopsy later today.

“Casanova” was nominated for a Grammy in 1988 for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal. It was also nominated for best R&B song.

In 2006, Sean’s brother, Gerald Levert, who was also a member of the Levert trio had died of accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. He was 40 years old.

Sean Levert was in jail during his brief illness. He had pleaded guilty last week to six counts of nonsupport involving children ages 11, 15 and 17.

Home Theater Seating. Comfort Is Important

Home theater seating is important!

Well, you have decided on what home theater you are going to install in your home so what’s the next step? One important thing that is often overlooked is comfortable seating for you and your guests. And not only should the seats be comfortable, they should also be positioned for a great view of your new wide screen tv. Sure that spare couch or loveseat would work fine for the most part, but you can really enhance the overall experience by putting some thought into the seating in the home theater room. Let’s talk about the first and foremost thing to consider when looking at the available seats: comfort.

Your home theater seating needs to be comfortable. You will be spending many hours relaxing in it, watching movies and sporting events. The last thing you want is to have your back stiffen up or your neck to hurt. When you are comfortable you can focus on watching the television and listening to the surround sound, instead of thinking about how to get into a better position so you are not sore. One thing you can look for in your seating options is seats that are constructed of a plush material, but still give enough support for your body. Many of today’s home theater seats will also have additional pillows or cushions in strategic spots, to give your head and neck extra support. This provides a great way to enjoy your entertainment room, allowing you to easily relax. There are many specialty furniture companies out there that design their products to work specifically in home theaters. These (read more…)

Awesome Music in Ads

Awesome Music in Ads by Roxanne McDonald

Some say it’s a sellout move, others beg to differ.

The other day at a neighborhood picnic, I was wrinkling my nose at hearing some favorite music being what I thought was bastardized in a car commercial. My neighbor gently corrected my single-mindedness, reiterating comments from some musicians that he said express their pleasure at “finally getting some recognition/exposure.”

“Anyone,” he paraphrased, “ thinking otherwise—that bands are selling out to commercialization—are idiots.”

Now, I’m pretty non-confrontational, in person, anyway, so I just thanked my friend for the new take on music in ads. But when I got home, I decided that no, I was not settling for this attitude overall.

True, the appeal to authority approach is and has been an effective one for decades, with everyone from actors who play doctors on TV to celebrities peddling hair and beauty products to singularly sexy and identifiable voices doing ads for everything from cars to candy (James Spader’s voice seems particularly convincing in Acura ads, for example, while Sally Kellerman—of M.A.S.H. movie—can be id’ed talking seductively to and about the Milky Way bar).

And okay, granted, some musical artists need income, need to find their niche. For example, when I was a kid, my mother gifted me a copy of an album by Jake Holmes, formerly of the Yardbirds. I played the hell out of that album, and to this day can sing the lyrics. Then I heard that distinctively crisp voice as if it was a blast from a past I thought no one else had access to—on television in an ad for deodorant or something.

Now, you might know, Jake has had a tough go in the rock world, having his classic “Dazed and Confused” allegedly ripped off, for example. He also has a virtual career making backdrop music and jingles for some of the biggest companies in the marketing world. Maybe, then, musicians like Holmes have an appreciation for the income, regardless of what the product is they are hocking [or helping to hock].

(read more…)

Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead

Ding Dong the Bitch is Dead by Roxanne McDonald

Finally! Bret got rid of Lacey. Eww. I’m still shaking off the slimy feelings.

My friends who are also appreciators of TV came to visit this weekend. And though they don’t get into as many or the same reality TV shows I do, they patiently sat through not only the episode of “Rock of Love” where Lacey gets the boot but my explicit backstory on each of the remaining contenders and summaries of critiques by other TV writers of “Rock of Love” as a “train wreck” of a show.

Before I even fully expressed how much “we” can’t stand Lacey, one of my friends was shouting out how evil she looked and acted. He also got hooked on how funny Bret is in the interviews…, you know, when he does his mocking commentaries such as how those big breasts on blondie convinced him they could have a beautiful relationship. Grin.

But almost more delightful an experience than having my friends as company or enjoying Bret’s satire was watching Lacey implode, burn, and crash. Finally…, Heather gets hep to her two-faced, manipulative bullshit. Finally…, somebody [Heather] calls Lacey on her lies. And finally…, Bret gets equally hep and gives up the hope of Lacey being the underhanded, back-stabbing, front fouling hag she is.

And worse, but maybe what helped push Bret over the edge of real reality, was how appalling Lacey’s father was, as well.

(read more…)

Jordan Rudess Roland Video for V-Synth Wow!

Wow! I just ran into this performance by Jordan Rudess playing a Roland V-Synth. It’s hot! Just him and a drummer (who is that?)

http://media.roland.com/en/v/v0339/v033912M.mov

It’s a Quicktime Video so be prepared to stare at a blank page till it loads. It’s worth the wait!

Xtra Large lives on Youtube!

“I used to love animals - now I eat them!”

Wow! I keep getting amazed with what I am finding on youtube.com

I just did a search for the band Xtra Large not expecting anything and there they are! Videos for the band!

Xtra Large could have been as big as Janes Addiction or Smashing Pumpkins if they only stuck it out. But they got splintered apart and we lost them… one cd is all they did I believe (I’ll have to look that up).

But now it’s fun to check out the videos on youtube.

Here is the video for Hooker by Xtra Large

Shotguns and Cigarettes

Josh Freese is an incredible drummer! I saw himn once playing with Dweezil and Ahmet… what was that??? Was that Dweezils band??? I forget…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHUhEmp38ks

Snip Clip with Devo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjfZ9m_tG64

Josh Freese DW commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxPNmEGYBm4

Live Earth - Watch the performances!

Hi, Mike Liebner here! Did you catch the Live Earth shows a few weeks ago???

Way cool! I just found that you can watch the performances from ALL of the LIVE EARTH shows online! MSN has all the stuff!

I was looking for the Japan show - found out there were 2 of them - Tokyo and Kyoto and MSN has the whole thing up there to watch online!

It’s really pretty amazing! I give Al Gore and the crew hats off for making this a cool experience. They are still pushing the messages but so what - th emusic is killer!

You can watch the bands like YMO, Linkin Park and so many others perform live!

http://entimg.msn.com/i/ExperienceData/p1-7/us/x.htm?sh=LiveEarth&ep=le_tokyo

They do have messages between all the songs but a small price to pay to see all the songs as they were performed!

Have fun at the Rock Show(s) !

Human Audio Sponge is Yellow Magic Orchestra - YMO

Hi, Mike Liebner here exploring the web for music… I found a ton of great stuff! Electronica and synth music fans will appreciate this stuff!

Man, it’s simply amazing how easy it is to find great stuff on the web! I was just searching for Yellow Magic Orchestra and their performance at the Live Earth Japan shows (they reunited for it) and found that they have been performing occasionally under the name Human Audio Sponge!

Human Audio Sponge is Yellow Magic Orchestra!

 If you search on youtube and myspace you’ll find some great videos! I have yet to find the Live Earcth show on video but will keep looking.

Here is a link to video of a Human Audio Sponge live show performing Rhydeen. (read more…)

Gentle and Genuine Dynamo Joe

Gentle and Genuine Dynamo Joe by Roxanne McDonald

Joe Strummer 1952-2002

From The Clash to The Mescaleros to Latino Rockabilly War to 101ers to The Pogues….

Joe Strummer, nee John Graham Mellor, made a dynamic impact on the punk rock and rock world(s)…all the while maintaining a contained, humble, personable character that is rarely paralleled.

If you saw as I did recently the short rockumentary, “Let’s Rock Again!”, you likely agree that Joe Strummer was not only a consummate performer but a self-effacing everyman who endeared instantly.

Yes, he was outspoken, vociferous, even. But his manner of delivering his bits of wisdom never alienated, never brought to bear any kind of misdirected egomania…from what I have seen and saw.

So rather than do a bio of the gentle dynamo, here, I would like to show some of the comments Strummer has made which are almost more indicative than his background of what a great human being he was, surely must have been, for those who knew him, worked with, and loved him. (read more…)

Greatest Dylan Songs and the Greats Who Have Covered Them

Greatest Dylan Songs and the Greats Who Have Covered Them by Roxanne McDonald

How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? Yes, ‘n’ how many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand? Yes, ‘n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they’re forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind.How many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind.How many years can a mountain exist Before it’s washed to the sea? Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist Before they’re allowed to be free? Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head, Pretending he just doesn’t see? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, The answer is blowin’ in the wind. ~”Blowin’ in the Wind”; Bob Dylan; Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

“Like a Rolling Stone”; Highway 61 Revisited – named #1 Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone; named #3 of 100 Greatest Rock Songs by Digital Dream Door

Anberlin
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Michael Bolton
Judy Collins
Cher
The Creation
Drive-By Truckers
Eiffel 65
The Four Seasons
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
John Cougar Mellancamp
Johnny Thunders
The Rolling Stones
Mick Ronson
Phil Lesh and Friends
Rotary Connection
Spirit
Neil Young
The Young Rascals

“Blowin’ in the Wind”; Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – named #14 of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone; included in “NPR 100” as one of the 100 most important American musical works of the twentieth century

Alanis Morissette
Bender [“Futurama”]
Chet Atkins
Sam Cook
John Fogerty
Etta James
The guinea pig in Dr. Doolittle
Joan Baez for Jenny, a.k.a. Bobbie Dylan [played by ] in Forrest Gump
Lemar
Marge Simpson
Marlene Dietrich
Elvis
Peter, Paul, & Mary
Dolly Parton
Stevie Wonder
Neil Young (read more…)

Rambling on a Piece of Rock

Rambling on a Piece of Rock by Roxanne McDonald

What makes a song? What makes a song a favorite? What makes a song the greatest of all time?

1. “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan
2. “Satisfaction”, The Rolling Stones
3. “Imagine”, John Lennon
4. “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye
5. “Respect”, Aretha Franklin
6. “Good Vibrations,” The Beach Boys
7. “Johnny B. Goode,” Chuck Berry
8. “Hey Jude,” The Beatles
9. “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana
10. “What’d I Say,” Ray Charles

Top 10 of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”

What does it mean to say “I love that song!”? How does one explain or justify, if, say, he or she has a grade hanging over the head and is forced to, a “favorite” song?

Most challenging, yet, is how does one go about discriminating between such a massive passel of “great” songs to come up with that definitive fav?

Besides the obvious universality of music in general, that is, what is it that makes us like or love a particular piece and, further, share this profound appreciation whether we can articulate it or not?

The air-quotes as necessarily irritating as they are, here I sit, wondering such things.

(read more…)

Best Bob Dylan Songs

Best Bob Dylan Songs by Roxanne McDonald

It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe That light I never knowed An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe I’m on the dark side of the road Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say To try and make me change my mind and stay We never did too much talkin’ anyway So don’t think twice, it’s all right~”Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right;” Bob Dylan; The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

Well-respected musicologist Paul Friedlander, in his explication of music analysis, “The Rock Window: A Systematic Approach to an Understanding of Rock Music,”
defines what goes into and what can come of, by way of good critical review, the quintessential rock song. He names the components and subcomponents to consider as, for instance, the music (the ensemble, the rhythmic emphasis, the instrumental style, and the vocal solo); the lyrics (the meaning and the message); the artist’s/artists’ history; and the societal context/impact.

Some consider these as they name their favorite Dylan songs…, some just unconsciously know and name what they like.

(read more…)

UberDylan

UberDylan: Greatest Song of all Time, Greatest Rock Artist of All Time by Roxanne McDonald

Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you? People’d call, say, “Beware doll, you’re bound to fall” You thought they were all kiddin’ you You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin’ out Now you don’t talk so loud Now you don’t seem so proud About having to be scrounging for your next meal.How does it feel How does it feel To be without a home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone? ~“Like a Rolling Stone;” Bob Dylan; Highway 61 Revisited

It has been said and agreed upon that all art is a response to something. At the same time, the best of our musical artists are considered for the significant cultural impact they have made and continue to make [that they are the something to which others respond). Come up with a list of just such genii, be they intentional protesters of the period or inadvertent arbiters for an era, whether they are more passive social commentators or more active servants for the cause–and one name will surely be at the top: Bob Dylan.

So it seems reductive to toss out some trivia when the man so many of us would take a bullet for has contributed so much. Let the following, then, serve as the smallest of tributes to the greatest, the absolute best of the best of expressionist and influential artists extraordinaire.

(read more…)

Edith Piaf: Eminent Street Chanteuse

Edith Piaf: Eminent Street Chanteuse by Roxanne McDonald

Non, rien de rien Non, je ne regrette rien Ni le bien qu’on m’a fait Ni le mal tout ça m’est bien égal!~Edith Piaf

You may have heard these lyrics in the final scenes of The Dreamers; in La Vie en Rose; or even [sadly] in a recent commercial. However you get your first exposure, you likely can’t help but take notice of the evocative, part guttural part warbled vocals of the legendary Edith Piaf.

So much of what contributes to the Edith Piaf mystique is in her unique and visceral rendering of the chanson-style singing. But her life experiences surely impacted followers and fans, as well—to the point where many details have evolved as possible legends rather than truths:

She was born Edith Giovanna Gassion in December of 1915, to father Louis Gassion, a touring acrobat and street performer, and Anita Maillard, an aspiring singer who was known as an alcoholic who would also work the streets as a lady of the night when she wasn’t busking as Line Marsa.

When her father was called to serve during WWI, the little girl was sorely neglected, inspiring her father to send her to live with Edith’s paternal grandmother, a brothel madame in Bernay.

Besides having a more doting grandmother, five-year-old Edith was often cared for by the prostitutes, women who in one instance reputedly closed down the brothel when Edith became temporarily blinded by acute conjunctivitis: the women turned to keeping a day-long prayer vigil. A few days later, Edith’s sight returned.

Louis Gassion retrieved his daughter in 1922, when Edith was seven, old enough to join her papa first cutely passing the hat to encourage larger contributions then singing, by the age of nine, on the streets of Paris.

By the time Edith was a teenager, she had developed her voice, joined up with her half-sister Simone, and was singing for tips in cafes, at military camps, and on the streets, when she wasn’t running with the thugs or engaging in transient rendezvous in one of the flop houses or cheap hotels where she and Simone stayed. More accurately, Edith would use the tougher men of Paris, the pimps and petty criminals, as protection on the streets.

At seventeen, Edith fell in love with Luis Dupont, a delivery boy. They had a child together whom Edith neglected as much as she would soon neglect her lover—busy singing and bored with the relationship as she was. She would leave him holding their daughter, a child who soon died in his care because of meningitis [not because of his parenting]

Always to be one to engage in less than healthy relationships—or those that were unusual, short-lived, or short on “normative” dynamics, which bored her anyway—Piaf hooked up with another street denizen, a protector, a pimp who kept a generous percentage of her performance earnings. This instead of prostituting her in the usual fashion. Reportedly, as she continued a pattern that would last her lifetime and readied to leave this man as well, he took shots at her—shots that she barely escaped being felled by.

Now nineteen, Edith was discovered on the streets by cabaret owner Louis Lepleé—who took her in, groomed her for the role of star act, and determined she was la môme Piaf (the waif sparrow, the little sparrow, or the kid sparrow, depending on who translates).

No longer Edith Gassion but Edith Piaf, the teenager with the powerful, mournful voice with its “rapid vibrato that wrung the sentiment out of every lyric” had a manager who streamlined her song list, mentored her in stage presence, and gave her what would be her trademark little black dress.

From her stage debut, attended by the day’s celebrities, to her first Polydor Records contract, Piaf had become one of the most sought-after stars of the time. But running with the same sort of street people would keep her suspect in more ways than not. In 1936, for instance, the man who had reinvented her was shot and killed in his Paris home. Because of her continued associations of ill repute, police made Edith the prime suspect in Lepleé’s death. Despite the fact Piaf was cleared, the media’s persistent speculation kept her at the center of the scandal—a phenomenon that now threatened to ruin her future as a professional singer.

Giving up the weak reception tours outside of Paris, Edith returned to the city to seek support in resuscitating her singing success. She approached songwriter, businessman, and Foreign Legion veteran Raymond Asso—whose work she had earlier declined performing. Asso not only took her on as a charge, managing her career, he consummated his great attraction to her, making her his lover, forbidding her continued association with the pimps and other undesirables, and establishing a basic education regime Edith had been deprived of in the first part of her life.

But Asso didn’t altogether erase the street urchin in Edith: rather, he encouraged her stories of being virtually born on the streets [one legend has it she was born under a street lamp] and of having grown up on them. These stories he used to create [and co-create, with Marguerite Monnot] the Piaf repertoire, to showcase Piaf the anomaly, to usher in Piaf the Parisian star.

(read more…)

Do the CockWalkRock Life with Whitestarr

Do the CockWalkRock Life with Whitestarr by Roxanne McDonald

I’d like to go to great, stretched-out lengths to avoid turning this piece into a long, stretched-out dissertation on Cisco Adler’s unmentionables, but not sure how long I can hold out.

The idea WAS to add Cisco and the other Whitestarr band members to the Rock Relationships archive. The plan was to casually look at the dynamics of the band as it aspires to become famous—the interpersonal pressures, the grating gripes, the subsequent physical fights that foreshadow a flash-in-the-pan sort of fame.

Let’s see if I can get something salvageable now that I have partaken of two episodes of “The Rock Life” and a quick curiosity-sating peek at some pics that are all over the net.

Okay, so, Whitestarr members, Cisco, Orbi, Rainbow, Damone, and Dancing Potato Tony have been together for years. [Orbi says something about having been in this band for eight years, so I’m going on that for starters—despite how sites like StarPulse.com cite the band-formation date as 2000.]

Their relationship as a collective is oddly defined. In one sense, there is a camaraderie and syncopation that is fascinating to witness, while in another sense the levels of interaction go way beyond the male banter dynamic and into “Shut the fuck up” and the pointing out of others’ flaws disrespect phenom.

I think it was Cisco who, as the bandmates were bringin in their shit to live with him while they work on making their next album, said that it was like they started out a group of dogs and ended up like a pack of wild wolves….

He leads the jam in front of manager Carl Stubner, for example, and does this odd stop/cut/stop/cut thing before they can even get one song off the floor. Then, he sings, “Now I’m drivin down the road/You just fucked up right there….” No, those aren’t all lyrics. The latter half is Cisco admonishing Rainbow mid-song.

Okay, so they don’t have a Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid thing.

(read more…)

Mick Karn - Masami Tsuchiya - and DJ’s Jamming

Hi, Mike Liebner here on a “Musical Discovery Sunday”.

OK, it’s so nice out I know I should be at the beach or in the sun, but here I am finding the most incredible music… It’s weird how it hits you when you least expect it. I couldn’t pull myself away if I tried (hold on Milo I’ll walk you in an hour!)

I was snooping around looking for Mick Karn stuff when I landed on this rare find video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qskcymLljyw

Mick Karm on Fretless Bass along with Masami Tsuchiya ripping on guitar live with a bank of dj’s mixing in the background.

This brings new meaning to the words jam session.

This would be awesome with a drummer jamming live but as it is it’s really good! (read more…)

Philosophy 101: Bursting the Bret Reality Bubble

Philosophy 101: Bursting the Bret Reality Bubble by Roxanne McDonald

And getting the pieces stuck all over our faces in the process.

I don’t know whether to be disappointed the denial cannot be denied or pissed people can’t leave a good bawdy and rollicking show alone.

Okay, so “Rock of Love” aint no Oscar/Emmy-Award-winning entertainment fare. So the only reason so many would recommend it to others is to be able to share in the poking of fun. So what? It sure beats watching golf. And so what Michaels is using the reality TV venue as a platform for self-aggrandizement?

Did ya happen to catch the shameless and utterly dreadful and dull half-hour-long commercials for The Parker? I’d choose watching Bret test the tit factor on “Rock of Love” over having to sit through one more episode of overgrown Peter Pans wrecking a hotel room that takes twenty minutes to discuss by hotel reps plugging the greatness and the monetary damage and the amount of money some unknowns spend on a room, food, a pool, and a bed. Snnnnnore.

So I get the need to break innocuous bubbles, or I recognize the need to jump on the reality TV wreckers’ wagon and pretend this is the first time it has been announced that Bret is posing for publicity…not looking for love. But [if it IS true], do ya have to ruin it for those who prefer to stay in love with former Poison front man and present day solo rocker Bret Michaels?

Nobody said anything at first, as we devoted TV bloggers wrote of the promise of what we hoped would be another kind of show in the minority—rocker-flavored reality. Nobody balked about appearances or truths. That is, not until somebody caught wind of the efforts a middle-aged man was making [or had made, given that “Rock of Love” was pre-recorded] to keep his life going strong.

What do some people have against aging? Why so cruel about the hair and the hat? Who says [besides, like, three yahoos on a message board] that Michaels is a has-been?

And did ya have to ruin the fantasy that is “Rock of Love” by announcing that Bret is living a quiet, settled-down, and happily married life in Arizona?

(read more…)

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix by Roxanne McDonald

You can not care as much as others about guitarists or rock and STILL respect the sheer perfection that is Jimi playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, proliferating experience with “Purple Haze,” or making his Les Paul sing to a “Foxy Lady”.

Some biographical points to highlight Hendrix:

Played his first instrument, a broomstick, as a kid, until he received his first guitar at 12.

When his mother died when Jimi was 16, he went to live with grandmother.

Was expelled from high school, which Jimi had attributed to holding hands with his then white girlfriend (though the principal would later say it was because of poor grades and too many absences).

Instead of graduating high school, Hendrix was already on tour with local bands to local and faraway sites.

Ride-alongs [twice] in stolen vehicles left Jimi with the option of jail or the military. He chose the military. Reportedly, he was considered a “sub-par” [Wikipedia] soldier, sleeping on duty, showing poor marksmanship, and showing less than respect for the rules and regs. The latter saw him getting early dismissal.

Co-formed the band, The King Casuals, and moved to Nashville.

(read more…)

Top Ten Blues Artists

Top Ten Blues Artists by Roxanne McDonald

Some we have had the luxury of having seen in concert; some we revere as our personal favorites; others we might disagree on. But all stunning, stellar talents who have changed our way of thinking, our lives, or even our world.

Muddy Waters – Maybe I was and still am too green to fully appreciate the seasoned superiority of style, but when I first heard and saw Muddy Waters jamming on that harp in 1976, I knew that as much as I loved rock and roll, my indoctrination in blues music made blues a close runner up.

Etta James – I can’t get enough of this dignified Diva, and neither can her thousands of fans: sixty-nine years young and STILL rocking the tours.

Young Johnny Lang – Has he paid his dues to the Blues? Is he old enough to merit a place on the list? Just listen to “Wander This World” or other selections, and you will agree that Lang has one of the oldest souls in the genre…despite how he was a teenager when he made his debut.

J.J. Cale – I forgive you if you say, “Who?” But you likely know him even if you think you don’t: he is the mastermind author behind “After Midnight”, popularized by Eric Clapton; “Cocaine”, also an Eric Clapton chart-topper; and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Call Me the Breeze.” But I will always know him by the first J.J. Cale song I was introduced to, “Crazy Mama.”

Stevie Ray Vaughan – We were gifted with his brilliant guitar playing and ripped off when he died way too young, going down in a helicopter at the age of thirty-six [thirty-five (thanks, W.A. for the correction)].   Still, we can play a few licks of “Pride and Joy” or “Lovestruck” and have not only instant identification but bittersweet gratification…from the one Rolling Stone mag names as #7 on their list of Top 100 Guitarists of All Time.

(read more…)

Great Dedication Songs of Grieving

Great Dedication Songs of Grieving by Roxanne McDonald

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel; you were famous, your heart was a legend. You told me then you preferred handsome men, but for me you would make an exception. Aw, but you got away, didn’t you, babe? You just turned your back on the crowd. You got away, I never once heard you say, “I need you,” “I don’t need you,” and all of that jivin’ around. Leonard Cohen; “Chelsea Hotel #2”; for Janis Joplin

I was thinking how when I lose a loved one, the one tribute “song” I fall back on to read at the services is the most powerful grieving piece I know: “Funeral Blues”, by W.H. Auden.

But there are so many more dedicated love and loss pieces one might read, listen to, use to pay tribute, or use to get through the healing process.

Leonard Cohen “Chelsea Hotel” on The Essential Leonard Cohen–a cheeky renaissance song for Janis Joplin

Eric Clapton “Son & Sylvia,” on Reptile—a song for his departed uncle; and “Tears in Heaven,” on –as a response to the death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who died after falling from an open window. Or…, another argument holds that Clapton wrote it about his mother, while yet another…. Whatever. The song is evocative.

L.A. Guns “Ballad of Jayne,” on A Night on the Strip—written about and in tribute to 50s pin-up girl and silver screen star Jayne Mansfield

Elton John “Candle in the Wind,” on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—written for Marilyn Monroe and later re-dedicated as “Goodbye English Rose” to Princess Diana

Notorious B.I.G. “Miss You,” on Life After Death—a song dedicated to a “lost friend”

Diana Ross “Missing You”–a striking and evocative song for Marvin Gaye

Puff Daddy, Faith Evans, and featuring 112 “I’ll be Missing You,” on No Way Out—written and performed for legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., who was gunned down in 1997 [and whose murderer has still not been identified]

Guns ‘n Roses “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”—while not written by Guns ‘n Roses [written by Bob Dylan], became a moving tribute song for Freddie Mercury, Oueen frontman who died of AIDS. [Guns n’ Roses performed the song when they played the Wembley Stadium in London. You can see and hear the complete song performance at Kewego
http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftMQH.html
Mike and the Mechanics “The Living Years”—not written for anyone in particular, but performed at the funeral of the legendary Jerry Garcia [The Grateful Dead]

Cream “Crossroad Blues” done by several bands since, the song is interpreted in various ways—as an allusion to original author Robert Johnson’s “selling his soul to the devil”, as Wikipedia cites it; and as reference to an African-American speaker who is expressing fears of being caught at the crossroads and lynched.

Vince Gill “Go Rest High on that Mountain;” on Vince Gill: When Love Finds You—not sure who the song was written for in particular, but from what I read around the net, it is played at funerals all around the country [if not the world].

Beverly Mitchell “Angels” wrote the song for a friend who had died when Mitchell was young. [This is all hearsay, though, so any updates would be appreciated.]

Sarah McLachlan “In the Arms of an Angel” –written, reportedly, for Jimmy Chamberlain, Smashing Pumpkins drummer who died of a heroin overdose in 1996.

Tiffany Two-Fisted Making No More Music for Bret

Tiffany Two-Fisted Making No More Music for Bret by Roxanne McDonald

Thank god she had run out of chances, had used up her three strikes within the first two episodes.

I’m not sure how much more of the sloppy slutty thing I could have stood. Yeah, yeah, the whole keep-her-cause- it’s-good-TV wasn’t even excuse enough.

As Big John said, shaking his serious head, “There’s one in every bunch” or, “There’s always one.”

In the case of Bret Michaels’ “Rock of Love,” there are, however more than one we can keep our horrified eyes on.

Tiffany, Faith, and Tawny are out. Okay, so while Faith was so pretty and perfect for a Harley sidecar, she was pretty unremarkable, didn’t have a connection for Bret, and thinks, as I believe I heard (though I am still shaking my head as if I had been slammed on it with one of the Les Pauls), that she is “too good” for Bret.

Almost topping that were the exit remarks of Tawny the Teeny-brained…who had little more to say than if she were smart she guesses she would have stayed longer and, oh, btw, Bret, it’s pronounced Tam (as in ham) ara, not Tahmahra.

As the huffers huff and puff, poof bye-bye, the remaining 12 promise to kick each others asses or make more of themselves as asses, too. These are the women still in contention:

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No-Threat Bret

No-Threat Bret Rocks the Narration by Roxanne McDonald

We already knew he was hot; we already knew he was talented; we already knew he was articulate. Now we know Bret Michaels is hil-ar-ee-ous.

Since I did a sort-of recap—or ragging and ripping on most of the “Rock of Love” competitors for Bret’s heart and soul on TV Robot—I thought I would review his commentaries… which I found delightfully funny and fun most of the time and when not funny sensitive and lovely and respectful.

In his introductory comments, Bret explains his motivation on the show, his intentions to merge finding those he can be friends with and those he typically just has sex with…to, hence, make the “Rock of Love.”

Also in his explanation of what kind of woman he needs, he says she will need to be hot, cool, sexy, and be able to deal with the insanity that is, after all, he acknowledges, Rock and Roll—his one insatiable hot bitch godess.”

I love that combination of words/adjectives. Heh.

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Top Dawg Trivia for Randy Jackson

Top Dawg Trivia for Randy Jackson by Roxanne McDonald

This is the best season ever! ~Randy Jackson

On the surface one might surmise that Randy Jackson’s musical performance vocabulary is limited to the adjective, “pitchy” and the noun, “dawg”. But subliminal secrets show how Jackson is actually a musical performer of renowned talent.

Accolades/Awards

…just a’ight for me. ~Randy Jackson

Nominated for four Emmys—with eleven others on Idol production, for Outstanding Reality Competition Program

Grammy Award winner [more exacting info welcome, here]

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Straight Up Paula Abdul Trivia

Straight Up Paula Abdul Trivia by Roxanne McDonald

For all of those willing to help me start a family, I am flattered. I will let you know when I need your help. ~Paula Abdul

Accolades/Awards

I will never forget my humble beginnings as a Laker Girl. It was probably one of the most fun jobs I ever had. ~Paula Abdul

Nominated for four Emmys—with eleven others (producers and personalities) on Idol production, for Outstanding Reality Competition Program

1989 – Won Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography, for her work on “The Tracey Ullman Show”

1990 – Won Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography, for her work on The 17th Annual American Music Awards

1988 – While taking 62 weeks to do so, Forever Your Girl hit #1 on the Billboard 200, staying there for ten weeks

1989 – Forever Your Girl went multi-platinum and spawned the #1 hits “Cold Hearted”, “Forever Your Girl”, “(It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me”, and “Straight Up”
Her remix album, Shut Up and Dance, reached #7 on the Billboard album chart, and became one of the most successful remix albums of all time

1991 – Spellbound sold 8.5 million copies and spawned # 1 hits such as “Opposites Attract”, “The Promise of a New Day”, and “Rush Rush”

“Straight Up” was ranked #81 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Dance Songs”

Her “Opposites Attract” video won a Grammy

1995 – Her third album, Head Over Heels, spawned such hits as “My Love is for Real,” which reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart

2005 – Received the Profiles in Living Award

Has a star on Hollywood Boulevard; has won seven MTV Awards; two People’s Choice Awards; two Kids Choice Awards; and has been inducted into the Kids Choice Hall of Fame (read more…)

Most Likely to Piss You Off: Simon Cowell

Most Likely to Piss You Off: Simon Cowell by Roxanne McDonald

If you’ve got a big mouth and you’re controversial, you’re going to get attention. ~Simon Cowell

I wonder what Simon Cowell’s yearbook superlative really said. Nothing, cause he dropped out of school early to pursue a career in music production/marketing.

More:

Accolades/Awards

I’d accept an honour but I don’t think I’m likely to get one. The Queen once described me as a “dreadful man”. ~Simon Cowell

Nominated for four Emmys—with eleven others on Idol production, for Outstanding Reality Competition Program

2003 – Named #33 on the Channel 4 list of All-time Worst 100 Britons

2003 – Won Teen Choice Award for Favorite TV Personality

2004 - Nominated for Teen Choice Award for Choice [Male] TV Personality

2004 – Won Teen Choice Award for TV Reality/Variety Jackass

2005 – Nominated for National Television Award for Most Popular TV Expert

2005 – Nominated for Teen Choice Award for Choice [Male] TV Personality

2006 - Nominated for Teen Choice Award for Choice [Male] TV Personality

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