Kiss Alive!

I know some people are gonna crucify me for the album review. I have a confession to make. "I, drewzepmeister, am a KISS fan. I usually listen to a exquisite diet of fine rock and foll. Refined and delicious.The five star course bands like Led Zeppelin and Rush. Once in a while I like sit down and have a Happy Meal. KISS is that Happy Meal.

I know you're thinking "Huh?' Allow me to explain. I think of founding members bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley as the cheeseburger. Gene simply just prods along displaying his power on the bass. He may not be any Chris Squire nor Geddy Lee, but he gets his job done. His bass lines on tunes like"She" and "100,000 Years" were rather impressive" As for Paul Stanley, he knows how to work a crowd into a frenzied mob-belting away tunes like "Strutter" and "C'mon and Love Me" created perfectly for hormone driven 14 year old adolescent boys.

You know when you get your fries hot and fresh from the kitchen? Quite tasty huh? Guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss are the fries. You can't get enough of them. I think these guys are the band's most talented players. Ace was my guitar hero till Jimmy Page came along. Blazing guitars solos everywhere! Peter Criss shines on his skin solo in "100,000 Years" and does excellent work on "Parasite".

The lyrics....ummm,well...Can't say say they write like Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen by a long shot. In fact, some of them are quite laughable! Take "Deuce" for example-

Get up

And get your grandma outta here

Pick up

Old Jim is workin' hard this year

Baby

Do the things I says to do

Come on now! These are real heavy lyrics here! NOT! Songwriting isn't one of their stronger points.

This album was the breakthrough that both Kiss and Casablanca Records sorely needed. Casablanca was on the verge of bankruptcy when the album was release. Culled from four different shows across the Midwest in 1975, this album went platinum. "Rock and Roll all Nite" was issued as a single. Kiss went to headlining areas all over the world!

Then there is a rumor that this live album has heavily doctored. This meaning that the live recordings were taken into the the studio and overdubbed. Depending on which Kiss member you talk to, each gives a different story on this. Kinda tarnishes the feeling. Nevertheless, I can still ROCK to this album!

The toy in the Happy Meal? Oh yeah... We all like shiny things! That would be the show itself. Kiss are the masters of showmanship! The costumes and the makeup! Flame throwing, bloodspitting bass players, rocket firing guitars, the pyrotechnics and confetti. What the hell, it's a rock and roll circus! A cheap thrill! What more a 13 year kid can ask for?

As for me, I still enjoy slapping my disc in my car cranking it to ear splitting levels while sitting at a traffic signal-drowning out the guy playing rap next to me....

Riding by the Root

After all the storms that blasted us with tons of rain and the temperatures dropping down to more comfortable levels, I decided it was a good day for a drive. Noticing that the water levels were high, I thought it would a good idea to take some pics of the river that flow through this town. The Root River. Glad I did! There were some flooding in areas, but nothing like what happened two years ago.

The Root River by Linwood Park in Caledonia



The river just north of the Horlick Dam



The Horlick Dam

The river along side Spring Street



Overflowing at Island Park




Into Lake Michigan...

Supernaut At Italian Fest

I knew I would never hear the end it if I told my good friend, Dan Buckley that I missed his show at Italian Fest today. So I went. I was running late this afternoon, so when I got there, I could hear them playing "Paradise City" from Guns n' Roses. Getting stoked about the kind of music that they were playing, I quickly got drinks an sat down on a picnic table.

Dan Buckley and I were good friends from my childhood years. Grew up in the same neighborhood, went the same schools and hung around the same bunch of friends. We shared a mutual interest in music. I remember him playing in various local bands. Somehow we drifted apart. It was only recently we got ahead of each other through Facebook. (Gotta love that site) I quickly learned that was playing bass in a Chicago area band called Supernaut. And they were coming to Racine! So I had to see them and catch up with Dan.

So how good were they? One thing is for sure, they didn't sound cheesy like many other cover bands I've heard. I was quite impressed with these guys! Drummer Micheal Bragg pounded the skins-sweat dripping off his brows- though out Metallica's "Enter Sandman" Dan Buckley, the monster man bassist, thundered his way through Van Halen's "Panama". Chicago raised axeman Dave Uhrich fired away his Joe Satriani like guitar solos all afternoon! I was blown away by his instrumental version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" That was definably interesting... The charismatic vocalist/guitarist Dan Lenegar growling voice soared to an impressive version of STP's "Vaseline".

The band plowed though numbers from yesterday and today. Revealing "Come Together", "Another Brick in the Wall (part2)", Finger Eleven's "Paralyze" and well as some original pieces.

I did meet with the band after the show. It was great catching up with Dan. Me thinks these guys are gonna go places...

It's Been a Year....

My gosh....I can't believe it's been a year since I started this blog. Time flies... Wanting a more personal approach to my writing outside the JT Irregulars, I started this blog. Never left them , just got a couple of blogs now :) . With a nudge and some assistance from a former girlfriend this blog came into being. It's a been long journey since.
My first blog post was a song/poem that I wrote coming home from a trip to California. Since then, my life has taken many twists and turns. I went from being on cloud nine and fell deep into a hole in my life. Suffered a deep depression with music as being my savior. I managed to crawl out from the abyss and I'm content with the way things are now. (I get a feeling things are going to get better) So this has been a sorta of my diary of things.

All in honesty, I nearly shut down this blog. Yup, I almost did. During my battle with depression I wanted to quit blogging and crawl into a cave. (Or at least try something new) I kept saying to myself, "One more blog" realizing it was both blogging and music that was pulling me through. Kind of glad I didn't stop.

Statically speaking, this blog had it's up and downs. When I started this site had 132 visits in August, then it peaked to 618 last December. It has been declining the last few months, only to rise this month. (Summerfest reviews) I plan to make some changes and advertise my blog on Facebook. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts about my blog feel free to e-mail me.


To conclude this all, I really enjoy writing and I plan to continue. Blogs about music, myself, Racine, my travels, and miscellaneous other things will still prevail here. I may not write everyday. After all, I type notoriously SLOW and it does take up a bit of my time. So please be patient with me.

ABOVE ALL, I want to thank EVERYONE who has read and commented on my site! Without you, this blog would never make it this far. I LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks!

PEACE!

Storms

We've been getting battered by storms all today. Lots of thunder, lightning and rain... Too much...

Auditioning for American Idol

Contradictory to the title, no, I didn't audition for American Idol nor doI ever plan to. A close friend of mine's daughter did. The auditions were held today at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. This event drew large crowds from all over the region in high hopes and dreams to become the next Idol.


This is their story as it was told to me. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, the hopefuls would to go the Bradley Center with paperwork provided by the AI website. From there they'll get a ticket (free) and wristband.

The next day (today) , they arrived at the Bradley Center at 5:00 AM. Yeah, THAT early! People already out there waiting to get in! The throngs of TV cameras awaited the crowds as they arrived. Former Idol contestants Matt Girard and Danny Gokey greeted an audience of hopeful contestants to a couple of songs while they were in line. My friend described scene "A mob."

8:00 the doors opened to let people in. Nothing to do, but wait and wait and wait.....until your section was called.

This is just a preliminary round. So it's the producers that get to judge the ones being auditioned. So therefore, Randy Jackson, Sir Elton John nor Ellen DeGengeres were not there. The "winners" get to come back in September to try again. It's a long process of elimination...

So how did my friend's daughter do? Well, she sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie. Sad to say, she didn't make it to the next round. I HAD my fingers crossed!

I Write Like

Here's something I caught in the JT Irregulars and other various blogs out there. I Write Like. It's kinda neat! Just copy and paste a writing entree and it will get analyzed. The results will display a famous writer similar to yours:

I write like

Margaret Atwood

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I used my Saturday Morning at the Lake post and got Margaret Atwood. I'm not sure who she is. Funny thing though, the first time I tried this on the JTI site, I got J.R.R. Tolkien. The same blog. Hmmmm... It makes me wonder...

I can see this being used for frivolous things like coupons and shopping lists. What would be the criteria for all this? I wonder of my songs/poems would come out like Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen. I doubt it.

A final thought here, my writing is my own...I write just like drewzepmeister:)

Some More Concert Ideas

Summerfest may be over. I had a great time seeing bands like Rush and Yes. I even saw glimpses of the Counting Crows! Summer is far from over... There are a few bands I'd like to see yet, but realistically speaking I can't see them all.

Phish is one band I've always wanted to experience. They're coming to Alpine Valley August 14 and 15. The idea of going to a three hour jam fest sounds grand, but there a few problems though. Tickets, except for the lawn seats, are sold out. Secondly, I'm not too hip on the idea of bringing my 13 year old son to a pot filled haven.


A good friend of mine's son is planning to see KISS at the Marcus Amphitheater on September 2. This one does sound very interesting to me. Well first of all, I admit that I'm a KISS fan and I always wanted to go and see them. The is one show I think my son will enjoy. I'm pretty sure that they'll put out a good show-the lights, the pyrotechnics and theatrics-the whole shebang! The biggest downfall about seeing them is the fact the original drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley had been replaced by others in their same costumes. I have issues about that.



The one show coming up I'm stoked about is.....just announced....Bad Company! Yep, Bad Company with Paul Rodgers is coming to Milwaukee! They are playing at the Potawatomi Casino on October 4th and 5th. Tickets go on sale next month. I've heard reviews and seen some of the set lists. I'll probably end up going this one, never know if Bad Company is going to tour again.

Rustic Picture

Picture taken at Doty, WI near Boulder Lake 7/17/2010

Some Lyrics Going Through My Head....

Pavements may teem
With intense energy
But the city is calm
In this violent sea

I feel the sense of possibilities
I feel the wrench of hard realities
The focus is sharp in the city

----------------------------------------------

But I know a place where we can go
And was away this sin
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass wave in the wind
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end

------------------------------------------

The strings of love are trying to choke me

You say none are attached but you're trying to joke me

A kiss in the car and a drive in the bed

I want independence from the sexy things you said

But they whisper in my soul

And they really take a hold of me

Lakeside Park

I'm having a good summer so far! Been to Summerfest, the beach, miniature golfing, some fairs, some fireworks and even Up North! Here's one of my favorite summer songs. "Lakeside Park" by Rush.

Midway hawkers calling

'Try your luck with me'

Merry-go-round wheezing

The same old melody

A thousand ten cent wonders

Who could ask for more

A pocketful of silver

The key to heaven's door

Lakeside Park

Willows in the breeze

Lakeside Park

So many memories

Laughing rides

Midway lights

Shining stars on summer nights

Days of barefoot freedom

Racing with the waves

Nights of starlit secrets

Crackling driftwood flames

Drinking by the lighthouse

Smoking on the pier

Still we saw the magic

Was fading every year

Everyone would gather

On the twenty-fourth of May

Sitting in the sand

To watch the fireworks display

Dancing fires on the beach

Singing songs together...

Though it's just a memory

Some memories last forever

So what is your favorite summer song?

Some Thoughts about Summerfest

Another Summerfest has come on gone and I'm glad to have seen Rush and Yes this year. Many great names showed up and sent my head reeling on whom to see. Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, and Rush. That's just at the Marcus Amphitheater. Side stages included Counting Crows, Peter Frampton, Scorpions, Shooting Star, Blue Oyster Cult, Uriah Heep, and many countless others. Yeah, I'd love to go everyday, but it gets expensive...

Ticket prices were $15 per person after 4:oo PM. That's not bad if you're going see the Scorps or something for a day. Summerfest is an eleven day event! That's not including parking ($15), beer ($6.oo a bottle), concert T-shirts ($35), not too mention food, refreshments, rides, etc. Plus the average ticket price for the Marcus was $70.

All that aside, there are a few things I'd like to say:

It still bugs me that bands like Yes, the Scorpions and Counting Crows were shoved to the side stages while American Idol Live and Jason Beiber were playing at the Marcus! From what I was told, the Scorpions were jammed packed like sardines in a can with fans at their stage while the American Idol tickets were trying to sell their tickets as buy one ticket and get one free! While I was watching Yes at the M&I Stage (which was behind the the Marcus) I did not see any fans on the Marcus balconies. BTW, who is Jason Bieber and why does everyone wants to kick his ass?

The cheesy fries from Major Goolsby's are excellent.

It took me over an hour to get out the parking lot both nights there. One night there was a drunk passed out on the ground next to somebody's car. Wondered if he was alive...till he his raised his hand and flipped everybody off. Then I heard the ambulance-probably came for him.

Downtown Milwaukee's traffic was notoriously bad on the way out. Definitely needed more police to direct traffic. I don't know many times I got nearly sideswiped by drunken idiots this year! Next year I'm taking the damn bus!

Did I say the Rush concert was unf@*ckingbelievable? Yes, it was! During the ending of the "Overture" theme flames shot out from the sides of the stage about 50 feet high! I could feel the heat from them!


My son wasn't overly impressed with Yes, yet he took a lot of nice pics of them! I had bought a $200 Sony DSC-W350 camera specially for Summerfest. I wasn't about to bring my good camera in there and create problems with it!



The weather was wonderful-no rain! Yet it was hot and humid inside the Marcus. Took my shirt off.

I could be wrong, but there seemed like a lot more people this year than the last! I tried to find out the official attendence, so far I got nothing...But I'm sure as hell I saw a lot of Rush T-shirts!

All in all, I had a great time! Many memories! Wish I could share them all! Each concert a different vibe...A different story....

Happy Fifth of July!

I know the title sounds strange, but here in Racine, it's the truth! Because the forth landed on a Sunday, the city celebrated it's festivities on the fifth. Heaven forbid if religious ceremonies got in the way....

Anyways, not wanting to put up with the large crowds, I decided to stay close to home this year. I already had more than of enough of crowds and traffic after dealing with two days of Summerfest. So, we went to the zoo. Enough though the Racine Zoo is not as impressive as Milwaukee Zoo or even the San Diego Zoo, it's a work in progress. The price of admission is only six bucks per person. I know it's cheap, but a few years ago it was free. Oh well...


After a quick dinner, we went to watch the fireworks at near by Shoop Park. I wanted to avoid the crowds at the beach. The night was pleasant as we sat on the pier watching the waves. Saw fireflies doing their night watch... A wonderful way to end my two week vacation...

Tomorrow, it's back to reality....bummer....

Rush at Summerfest!

Just got back from another AWESOME night at Summerfest! This time I saw Rush! No words could describe the show I saw! In a word, maybe...Unf*@ckingbelievable! Rush pulled off an almost three and a half hour show. No opening act whatsoever!

After a rather humorous film clip about Rush coming into being (staring the band themselves), the band exploded into "The Spirit of Radio"! This sent a sea of air drummers into a frenzy! The video projections behind the stage displayed not only the band in action, but videos of the songs all well! No detail was left unchecked. The stage set up was an elaborate set up of a time machine like thingy that looked like a cappuccino maker with horns covering the amps. The band plowed though tunes from yesterday and today. Tunes like "Time Stand Still" , "Freewill", "Presto", "Marathon", "Subdivisions", "Working Them Angels" and even a brand new number called "BU2B" were offered the masses with great delight! Then the batteries died on my camera....



The second set started at dusk. The lighting was perfect! A major bummer for my camera with dead batteries... Nevertheless the show must go on! Another video later, the trio slammed the audience with "Tom Sawyer" and the ENTIRE Moving Pictures album! Yup, the full length of "The Camera Eye" included! I was really getting stoked here! Thinking the night just couldn't get any better, it did! I had my shirt off enjoying the summer sweat Having a beer. The Big Bang Fireworks celebrating Summerfest were going off over the lake behind us. Summer just couldn't get any better at this moment!

Rush played the new song "Caravan" before going into the customary drum solo by drummer god Neil Peart. Afterwards, guitarist Alex Lifeson did an acoustic guitar solo that flowed into "Closer to the Heart" To top the night off, the band did a rausous version of "2112"'s "Overture" and "Temples of Syrinx" and ended with "Far Cry" from Snakes and Arrows

For the encore, Rush played "La Villa Strangiato" and a reggae version of "Working Man" The show ended with a hilarious video of a couple of fans sneaking into their dressing room seeking autographs!



As I left the Summerfest grounds and was heading for the Main gates I saw glimpses of Counting Crows finishing of off their show... A Hell of great night!

The set list...

The Spirit Of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Workin' Them Angels
Leave That Thing Alone (instrumental)
Faithless
BU2B
Freewill
Marathon
Subdivisions

Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
The Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan
Drum Solo
Closer to the Heart
2112-Overture/Temples of Syrinx
Far Cry

La Villa Strangiato
Working Man

Yes at Summerfest-the Review!

I just got back from seeing Yes at Summerfest. Yeah, it's kinda late, but you how it is after a concert.... The typical traffic jams that plague the shows afterwards. This one was no exception. Well maybe, there was this drunk passed out in the parking lot....that's another story.

Anyways, my son, myself and a friend of mine went to Summerfest this afternoon to meet up with some other close friends of mine there. They had plans to go see the Scorpions at another stage. So we chatted for awhile. While waiting for Yes to make their appearance, I ran into some blogger friends of mine Dan and Joe Heuer there. We chatted for awhile before we ran off in different directions.


Yes pulled off an excellent show! They played mostly their classic tunes from their early years. Coming onstage during the show's opener "Firebird Suite", they rocked into the night starting with "Tempus Fugit" from the Drama album. From there, the band forged into more familiar material from earlier days like "Yours is No Disgrace", "And You and I", "Roundabout" and "Starship Trooper" Guitarist Steve Howe had his moment of glory with his acoustical solo "The Clap" The newcomers singer Benoit David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman shown that they are worthy of being part of the band. Even though Benoit is no Jon Anderson, but he sure sounds a hell like him. Oliver sounded like he learned a few tricks from his father!

Here's a setlist from the show:

1. Firebird Suite
2. Tempus Fugit
3. Yours Is No Disgrace
4. And You And I
5. Perpetual Change
6. Mood for a Day/The Clap
7. I've Seen All Good People
8. Owner of a Lonely Heart
9. Roundabout
10. Starship Trooper

My Best Albums from 1972-1977

Well folks, here it is! My top 25 albums from 1972 - 1977. Sorry it has taken me awhile to get to this, but now that I've got the time you shall have it. A little time on my hands can be a dangerous thing ( j/k).

I was just a young kid at this time riding my bike around a suburban dead end street wearing my bell bottom jeans. Sometimes my friends and I would run off to a near by park to build forts, ride our bikes on trails, play football and go fishing at the reservoir there. So many great childhood memories... not a hair of care in the world...

To me this is one of the golden eras of rock and roll. Looking back at it, the music at the time was beyond spectacular! Seems like all the great bands were all out there and jamming away. Makes me wish that I was older and saw some of these bands in concert. The funny thing though, my folks never listen to this kind of music. They often listen to the likes of country and easy listening. Oliva Newton-John,John Denver and Barry Manilow comes to my mind. I know - YIKES! So folks here is my list....

Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti-1975 Perhaps you have known this by now, I live, eat, breathe Led Zeppelin. This album however, is my favorite of all time per say. This album covers every corner of Zeppelin- from the hard driving " Custard Pie" to the Middle Eastern tainted "Kashmir". The Celtic influenced "Black Country Woman" and the bar boogie of "Boogie With Stu" are totally mind blowing! I could on and on about this album, but just take my word for it, this album is a must have for any collection!

Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon- 1973
Rock and roll's stereo wet dream! Slap on a pair of headphones, light up a puff and you're gone...This milestone of rock shattered many records including being in the charts longer than any other. Not only that, it opened doors for multi-dimensional tracking. Can't forget about David Gilmour's guitar solos on "Time" and "Money".

Yes Close to the Edge-1972 I was a HUGE Kiss fan when I first heard this album. Boy, was I ever amazed to hear such talent! Never before I considered rock and roll to be a form of art. This album changed my outlook on music as a whole.

Queen A Night at the Opera-1975 One the first albums I've ever bought. What inspired me about this album was the different musical styles that prevailed here. The bone crunching "I'm in Love With My Car", the acoustic folk of "'39", the waltz on "Lazying on a Sunday Afternoon", the opera of "The Prophet's Song"-it's ALL there! Yeah, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is on this album.

Fleetwood Mac Rumours-1977 With their marriages and relationships broken asunder and the drug abuse that was going, it's hard to believe that this album would go anywhere. Somehow this voltile combination made the perfect chemistry for a classic masterpiece. The lyrics about relationships gone bad and perfect harmonies just make it unreal...

Aerosmith Rocks-1976 The nastiest, the grittiest, the baddest assed record around! Aerosmith just pummels your senses to oblivion! This album just drives me wild!

Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street-1972 Probably the most druggist album out there! I've recently bought the reissue and I'm loving it. This album always been so dark and mysterious to me. Every time I listen to it, I keep hearing something new...

Rush 2112-1976 The album that turned me unto Rush. I just love the instrumentation and the imagery of the title track. Yup, the full 20 minutes of it! Led me into me being a full blown loyal Rush fan.

Neil Young Harvest-1972 The ever changing styles of Neil Young never ceases to amaze me! This all out acoustical folk album touches my soul for some reason I can't explain. Maybe it's because of the heart searching lyrics and the compelling melodies.

Kansas Leftoverture-1976 One the first albums in my collection. One of the few band out there that has a violin player. A brave and bold idea that works-bringing in multi-dimensional jams! Complete with heartwarming lyrics! "The Wall" is the most personal song to me.

Boston (s/t)-1976 Arena rock at it's best! There is nothing in the world that could compare to Tom Scholz's distinct guitar sound and Brad Delp's soaring vocals! Selling well over17 million records, this band certainly made it's mark in the rock and roll world!

Heart Dreamboat Annie-1976 I have and always will love Heart. One must think this band is some sort of "chick rock", I dare say NOT! This Zeppelin influenced band has got more balls and creativity than many bands out there!

Deep Purple Machine Head-1972 The driving force on this album is like no other! Ian Gillin's bloodcurdling screams on "Highway Star" and Ritchie Blackmore's virtuosic guitar work on "Space Truckin'" are some great examples on how great this record is. I have to include Jon Lord's Hammond pushing skills are impressive on "Lazy"! A must have for any head banger's collection!

Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971- 1975) - 1976 I had originally promised that I wouldn't include compilations nor live albums in these best of lists, but I'll make an exception here. It's so hard trying to figure out what's my favorite Eagles album is. This album basically covers my favorite Eagles songs in this time frame. I just LOVE the harmonics, the melodies, and the lyrics of early stuff from the Eagles!

Lynyrd Skynryd Second Helping-1974 It was a toss of a coin between this album and their debut album. Both are absolutely out of this world! Together they would make one hell of an album! This southern fried, triple axe welding, boogie blasting band takes their redneck whisky drinking Confederate flag waving music to the ultimate levels! Makes you wanna grab a beer and boogie all night in the swamp!

Allman Brothers Band Eat a Peach-1972 Speaking of the South... I just LOVE LOVE the Allman Brothers! Recorded around the time of founding member Duane Allman untimely death, the band carried on without him only to lose another brother (Berry Oakley) . Even though the loss was great, the band pulled off some terrific songs like "Blue Sky", "Melissa" and "Trouble Me No More".

Bad Company (s/t)-1974 The bluesy vocals of Paul Rogers and the hard driven guitar work of Mick Jones playing off the incredible rhythm section of Boz Burrell and Simon Kirke were the perfect combination for this band. Tunes like "Ready for Love" and the title track flows easily through my mind.

Bruce Springsteen Born to Run-1974 I just can not believe how inspirational these lyrics on this album! With the exception of Bob Dylan, nobody can write lyrics better than the Boss. When I listen to this album I get a visual landscape of dreams, love, angst, and escape. Besides this album has a special place in my heart.

Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks-1974 Speaking of Bob Dylan, no album bare one's soul than this album. Dylan was going through a divorce while recording this album. It covers love, loss and anger in inspirational terms.

Blue Oyster Cult Secret Treaties-1974 Blue Oyster Cult was never really consistent album wise. They can create some absolutely incredible songs and some down right shitty tunes. However, this album is the most consistent from them. Tunes like "Astronomy", "Flaming Telepaths" and "Career of Evil" are among their best!


Emerson, Lake and Palmer Brain Salad Surgery-1973 I was really into prog rock for awhile. ELP blew my mind with their over the top keyboards, the smokin' hot drumming of Carl Palmer and Greg Lake's talent for music. The super epic "Karn Evil 9" will always one of my favorites.

Kiss Alive!-1975 Sorry, I HAD to throw this one in! If it wasn't for Kiss, I probably wouldn't be getting rock and roll as much as I would now. They may not be the most talented band out there, but they sure had a flair for showmanship! Besides, they're FUN!

Rainbow Rising-1977 One of the most underrated albums in hard rock! Ritchie Blackmore and the boys formed a supergroup using a wide array of talent. The meandering guitar and ivory interplay really blazes the path here. Ronnie James Dio's voice just gives me the goosebumps on "Stargazer"!

Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody Sabbath-1973 Sabbath was broadening their horizons with this album, bringing more progressiveness into the fold. Darker lyrics about demons and drug abuse began to reflect thier lifestyle. A get for any metal collector!

Steely Dan Can't Buy a Thrill-1972 I recently got my hands on this album and I was impressed by the talent here. This band seems to go in a wide variety of directions here-jazz, blues and rock! Wish I had gotten my hands on this album sooner!

David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust-1972 I never really was a huge fan of David Bowie, but I have deep respect for his music. This critically acclaimed concept album does wonders to my ears!

I know that I may have missed quite a few artists here, but there were SO MANY to choose from at the time frame. Hey, it's one of the best eras of rock and roll!!!!

Of Authors and Obama

Today was a rather interesting day for me. After a morning business trip to Milwaukee, my friend and I stopped at a local restaurant to have some lunch. While there, we met an upcoming and inspiring author. Her name was Laura Greenway. Our conversation was pleasant and enjoyable. She spoke of her upcoming debut book titled "New Life". This book is still being published and is due out Friday at Barnes and Noble. Our conversation turned towards President Obama's visit to Racine. Yeah, she met him twice.

While we were there, breaking news arrived on TV informing us that the Air Force One had arrived at the Milwaukee airport. Taking a cue to an opportunity that I should not miss, I stopped at home to pick up my camera. I'm not political, but what the hell? You only live once.

Downtown Racine was packed with revelers hoping to get a glimpse of our president. Streets were blocked off to traffic. Dump trucks blockaded key streets (presumably to ward of possible attacks), helicopters guarded the sky. It was like a circus out there. There was no way getting close to any action out there. Somehow I figured out the motorcade route out of town. Down Main Street to Hwy 20 then I-94 to back to Milwaukee. I staged myself on Main street to take a few picks...

Obama to Visit Racine

President Barack Obama is coming to visit Racine. Yup-on Wednsday. He is here to discuss the economy. From what I understand, there are people waiting outside the Festival Site waiting to get free tickets to see him. Only 1000 tickets will be "sold" for this event and that's two tickets per person. I'm not really into politics, but I think it's nifty to know that the Prez is coming to visit my hometown...

More on the story here.

Riders on the Storm

After three days getting bombarded by storms left and right we're finally getting relief from all this. Getting a little tired of the power outages, lost internet connections and the heat. Just in time for Summerfest!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to to the great dad's out there! Today is very unique holiday for me. Allow me to explain...

My father is a good nan. Quiet and reserved. Smart and out going. Has the love for adventure. He is good with his hands could fix most anything. I remember working on Heath Kit projects and "helping" him build a telescope. The cross country vacation trips, canoe trips and bike rides are forever in my memory.

My father also held high morals and was the disciplinarian. What he said was the law of the house. As a wild and rebellious teenager, we butted heads quite often. Of course then, I didn't have a clue. He was teaching me things that I didn't want to listen to. As I look back at it, yeah, he was right. I should have listened....

I am a dad now. When my son was born, I made a vow to do whatever it takes to be a good father. Even after my divorce. I've could have easily walked away from the responsibilities of parenthood, but I didn't. I can't.... I love my son too much for that. I see him almost everyday. I spend a lot of time with him-doing things with him and teaching him to become a man.

The one thing that angers me are dead beat dads. The ones who don't support their children financially or even be there for them. This just blows my mind! Being a dad can be a huge responsibility, but the joys of parenthood are priceless. Not to mention the children benefits from having a dad around. As I say, any guy with a dick can be a father, but it takes a man to be dad.....

Two Years at the JTI

Wow! It's almost hard to believe that the JT Irregulars has been around for two years now. Then again, I'm not surprised... What a lively bunch are we! A factory worker, an astrophysicist, an educator, a paraplegic, a housewife with young kids, a politician, a college student, a restaurant manager and even some of us are even retired! Heck, we are are from different backgrounds. All bonded together for our love of blogging. Sharing jokes, music, weird stories and videos, discovering the universe-anything irregular:) The is nothing under the sun we will not write about. That's what I love about this blog.

What's even better is that I can call these guys true friends. We have stuck to each other thick and thin. I began to really realize this last October when my ex girlfriend and I broke up. How devastated I was! They rallied around me and brought my spirits back up. I'll never forget the overwhelming amount of well wishes I had gotten for my birthday last week. These guys continue to amaze me with their kindness and respect for one another. It's rare to have that these days.

I'm looking forward to many more years hanging with these guys. Each time we meet or chat on Facebook draws us closer together. These guys are like family to me. I plan on sticking around till the end.

Some Lyrics Going Through My Head....

I hear the horses' thunder down in the valley below,
I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow.

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Oh I know I lived this life afore
Somehow know now truths I must be sure
Tossin turnin' nightmares burnin' dreams of swords in hand
Sailin' ships the Viking spits the blood of father's land
Only to deceive

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He was the wizard of a thousand kings
and a chance to meet him one night wondering.
He told me tales and he drank my wine.

Can anybody guess these songs? Or the central theme? Good luck!

New Albums

I know that I haven't been blogging too much about music lately. Summer's here and I've been busier than usual. My son is over more. To top that off, I have WAY too many sites to visit. It doesn't mean I'm ignoring this blog or stopped listening to music. In fact, Ive gotten a slew of new albums lately. Some of the them new stuff, some of them upgrades from cassettes, even some rare finds!

Here's a list of new albums and CD's I've gotten in the last few months.

Black Crowes-Warpaint Live
Black Crowes-Before the Frost...
Bon Jovi- Keep the Faith
Bon Jovi-These Days
DaDa-Puzzle (upgrade)

Bob Dylan-John Wesley Harding
Bob Dylan-Blood on the Tracks (upgrade)
Melissa Etheridge-(s/t) (upgrade)
Melissa Etheridge-Never Enough (upgrade)
Extreme-Pornograffitti
4 Non Blondes-Bigger, Better, Faster, More (upgrade)
Goo Goo Dolls-Dizzy Up the Girl
Gov't Mule-By a Tread
Great White-Hooked
Jimi Hendrix-Voodoo Soup
Jimi Hendrix-Valleys of Neptune
Jefferson Airplane-The Worst of
Los Lonely Boys-1969
Pearl Jam-Back Spacer
Phish-Farmhouse
Phish-Round Room
Reo Speedwagon-(s/t)
Rolling Stones-Exile on Main Street (reissue)
Rush-Moving Pictures (upgrade)
Joe Satriani-(s/t)
Scorpions-Virgin Killers
Seven Mary Three-American Standard (upgrade)
Bruce Springsteen-Darkness on the Edge of Town (upgrade)
Bruce Springsteen-The Rising
Them Crooked Vultures-(s/t)
Velvet Underground & Nico-(s/t)
Neil Young-Reactor

That's a lot of stuff!

I'm Back!!!!!

Just got back from a road trip Up North visiting my family. It was a quiet, yet interesting weekend. I left Friday afternoon (on my birthday) On the way up, I stopped on Shawano to visit a friend and did some music shopping. Got some excellent deals on some vintage albums. Yeah, I went a little nuts....

Saturday, it was a good time with the family! Seeing my son was keen in learning how use guns, I felt it was time..... Spent the afternoon target practicing. My son did well with a .22 rifle-almost better than my dad, way better than me! My father pulled out a .38 Special revolver. My son would have none of that...Between my dad and me with that thing, my dad was the only one to hit the target.

The rest of the day was spent spending time with family and friends. Took several walks in the woods. Although the walks were good, the ticks were bad this year. Had some nice home cooked meals for a change. Being away from from the hustle and bustle of the city did me some good. :) I plan on spending more time up there....

Mural, Mural on the Wall (part 3)

Well, it's finally finished! Just in time for the end of school year! The mural that my son and his classmates have been working on since March. I've been blogging on the stages of progress as it was being done. Quite impressive I may say! Great job son!

New Rush Songs

To prepare for their upcoming Time Machine Tour that starts June 29, 2010, Rush pre-released two new songs. Caravan and BU2B only on iTunes. These songs are slated to be released on their upcoming album "Clockwork Angels" due soon.

ENJOY

ChocolateFest

Yesterday, I went to Burlington, to check out what's the hoopla about their legendary festival, ChocolateFest. When I got there, I was amazed by the sheer amount of people there. For a small town, they sure could cram them in. And the chocolate...Everywhere! never saw so much chocolate in my life! They had baking contests, sculpting and judging.

To understand the meaning behind the festival is to understand Burlington. Burlington is a small city about 35 miles west of me with a population of about 11,000 people. The city reminds me of northern Wisconsin in a way. Small and quiet. It's famous for not only the birthplace of Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, but for being the headquarters for Nestlie's Chocolate. Yup, that where your Crunch Bars, 100,000 Grand, and Quik chocolate milk come from!

Here's some photos from the festival....

Willie Wonka...I think...

A chocolate bake off

Yup, these are edible....

ENJOY!

Thinking About Summerfest

I was just looking over the Summerfest lineup for this year, trying to decide what bands to see. The line up is starting to fill up and it's worth getting stoked up for sure! MANY cool bands are going to be there! What's even cooler is I got the entire duration of Summerfest off from work!

I probably won't be the there every night, but for sure, I'll be there on July 3rd to see Rush. I've already got tickets to see them. For some of the headlining acts I'm interested in, I can wait for last minute deals on lawn seats.

The lineup isn't complete yet, but here is a list of what I'm interested in seeing...

Thursday June 24:
Sheryl Crow-Miller Lite Oasis
Night Ranger-M&I Classic Rock Stage

Friday June 25:
Tom Petty with ZZ Top-Marcus Amphitheater
Jeff Beck-Harley Davidson Roadhouse

Saturday June 26:
Tom Petty with ZZ Top-Macus Amphitheater
Savoy Brown-M&I Classic Rock Stage
Uriah Heep-M&I Classic Rock Stage

Sunday June 27:
BB King-M&I Classic Rock Stage
Robert Randolph and the Family Band-Briggs and Stratton's Big Backyard

Monday June 28:
Eric Clapton with Roger Daltrey-Marcus Amphitheater
Blue Oyster Cult-M&I Classic Rock Stage

Tuesday June 29:
.38 Special-Briggs and Stratton's Big Backyard

Wednesday June 30:
Moody Blues-M&I Classic Rock Stage

Thursday July 1
Santana with Steve Winwood-Marcus Amphitheater

Friday July 2
Scorpions-Harley Davidson Roadhouse
Yes-M&I Classic Rock Stage

Saturday July 3
Rush-Marcus Amphitheater
Counting Crows-Harley Davidson Roadhouse
Peter Frampton-M&I Classic Rock Stage

Sunday July 4
Nothing really

Nothing, except for going to see Rush, is set in stone yet. Some plans are may be taking shape. It depends on many things...

Working Overtime

God, I'm so tired these days. I've working a lot overtime, doing ten hour shifts from 4:00 AM till 2:30 PM. It's starting to get exhausting. Feeling like I'm not getting much of a life.

I don't mind working overtime sometimes, but when it cuts into whatever social or leisure time I have can be kind of annoying. On top of that, I find myself taking more naps.

Can't complain too much, at least, I've got a job. Oh well...a man gotta do what a man gotta do...

Yeah, I work Saturday too....

River Bend

Yesterday, with the weather being so nice and mild, I decided to take a nice long walk through the woods at River Bend. River Bend is a nature reserve on the outskirts of my city. The trails at places were broken and rather muddy I managed to find my way through. I saw some cardinals, chickadees, orioles, robins, a hawk, squirrels and some deer tracks. Even heard some woodpeckers in the woods. I brought along my camera to take a few pictures.

Cardinal



The Root River



A trail in the woods



A young Red-tailed hawk

ENJOY!

RIP Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio, whose soaring vocals, poetic lyrics and mythic tales of a never-ending struggle between good and evil broke new ground in heavy metal, died this morning, according to a statement from his wife and manager. He was 67.

Ronnie James Dio rose to fame in 1975 fronting Rainbow with guitarist Richie Blackmore from Deep Purple, bringing tunes like "Stargazer", "Man on the Silver Mountain" and "Long Live Rock and Roll" to life.

In 1980, Dio replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath. Reviving the band, they released the critically acclaimed Heaven and Hell album. That time spent with the band was short lived.

In 1982, Dio formed his own band, Dio with former Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice. There they released some more excellent material such as "Holy Diver", "Rainbow in the Dark" and "The Last in Line"

Since then, Dio returned to Black Sabbath two more times before renaming it Heaven and Hell.

Last summer he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and was receiving treatment in Houston. He seemed to be doing better. Until this morning when I heard this.

His wife and manager Wendy Dio, released this statement-"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

Cancer in a Nutshell -- With Update

A few weeks ago, I had gotten a message from a friend whom I haven't seen nor heard of in 25 years. We immediately reconnected as good friends. As we talked and laughed, reminiscing old times, she had revealed out to me that she had terminal cancer. She has less than 18 months. I was shocked!

As she was telling me her story, I became amazed. Yes, amazed. I was amazed by the fact her strong will is there! Instead of letting this terrible condition bring her down, she chooses to live her life to the fullest! She is full of smiles and laughter. Her spirit is inspiring, infecting those around her with smiles!

This is her story:

As someone who is battling cancer, you see life through whole new out look. You understand that most people don’t understand the struggles. But yet you push on that everything is ok. Some do see when a health struggle like a heart attack hits their lives, they understand the struggle. I also understand that some have it worse then yourself. Knowing this, my struggle is not was worse then person before me.

My cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (head and neck) stage 4. Terminal

So what is my point of view? Well, I look at life and the irony of it. But now the choice is which side will I look at? Honestly you can’t look one and not see the other, but I try to look more toward the positive.

Some of the positives of being a 44 year old female, is most of my friends are going through menopause. I hear them complain about their systems and some of their joys. Yet I don’t have to worry about, a right of path age that will be lost or missed?

Still looking fresh and young, but not worrying about buy expensive cosmetics. I still like taking walks, exercising, and eat right. But do enjoy the some of the naught pleasures of life.

I can choose how and where I am going to die. If you are a car accident, you don’t have that choice.

Some of the negative is not seeing my two children approaching middle school, having their first crush, first date, prom, high school and college graduations, weddings, grandchildren. Even thou I will miss these very important mile stones in their lives, I can rest assure that I place some of the life lesson seeds in their young minds.

Life lessons on the important of manners, dreams, goals, education, and loving family and friends.

I have been brave and honest with my kids about this nasty evil that has came into our lives and the people who effects also. So I do share my enjoyment, my happiness, and my pride in them during theirs and our good times and bad times, well lesson learned and water under the bridge. There is good in today and there will be tomorrow.

It is not their job to become little adults. Thank you God for the blessing of family and friends to help these two precious souls navigate through life’s good and evil.

I want to thank my friend for her inspiration and a lesson learned in life. My heart and prayers goes out to her. Her condition may be terminal, but in my mind, she's a survivor....

UPDATE My friend, Brandie, emailed me with a new message. UPDATE

Thanks Drew!
There is one thing that I forgot to mention in my writing, and that is this cancer is starting to hit more women my age. Yes this was considered a man's cancer, so there is no real research on how this cancer and treatments effect women.

Plus, because this a fast growing cancer, and life expectancy is only less then two years, the hopes for a cure or even remission is not in the cards for me. But I do pray that a cure can be found for the next woman, and she can live a long life.

Brandie C. the author of "Cancer in a nutshell"

Some Lyrics Going Through My Head....

Are you wanting inspiration
You spill your secrets on me
Then you tell me with a whisper
Of things that will never be.

--------------------------

Take your time, hurry up
The choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old

--------------------------

And he talks to the river of lost love and dedication
And silent replies that swirl invitation
Flow dark and troubled to an oily sea
A grim intimation of what is to be

There's an unceasing wind that blows through this night
And there's dust in my eyes, that blinds my sight
And silence that speaks so much louder than words,
Of promises broken

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the great mothers out there! Don't know we could have done it without you! You ladies ROCK!